The final update of Kingdom Hearts Union χ (KHUX) was released in Japan at the end of May, and though no release date has been confirmed for the global version as of yet, dedicated Kingdom Hearts fans have already worked to provide translations to global players. The series has become infamous for its convoluted plot and connections between games, so it should be no surprise to learn that the ending of KHUX came with some surprising twists that altered preconceptions about other titles in the franchise. Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (KH3D) was one of the previous entries to be most impacted by these revelations, as players were given some new information about the Dream Eaters featured in the game.
KHUX is one of the mobile games in the Kingdom Hearts series, and was initially released in 2013 as a browser game under the title Kingdom Hearts χ. In 2016, a mobile version of the game was released globally as Kingdom Hearts: Unchained χ, then later rebranded as KHUX in 2017. Kingdom Hearts Dark Road, a mobile spin-off exploring the origins of Xehanort, became accessible through the KHUX app in 2020. The game's storyline has been released gradually through frequent updates to the app, and as the game approached its conclusion in early 2021 it became increasingly apparent that writers intended to tie KHUX in to the rest of the Kingdom Hearts series even more.
With nearly a dozen titles and various different re-releases and collections across almost 20 years, it can be difficult for even the most dedicated fans to keep up with the plot developments of the Kingdom Hearts franchise. Recently, Square Enix seems to be taking steps to make the series easier for first time players to dive into - the Kingdom Hearts All-In-One-Package was released in late 2020, and included every game from previous bundles along with Kingdom Hearts III. The Kingdom Hearts franchise was also brought to PC for the first time in March 2021. The latest update of KHUX served to tie the mobile game in with other entries in the series, and did so by revealing some startling new information about KH3D.
What Kingdom Hearts Union χ Revealed About Dream Eaters
Dream Eaters are colorful sidekicks that were introduced to the series' timeline in KH3D. In the Sleeping Realms, which consist of worlds that have fallen to darkness, they help to defend Keyblade Wielders and fight against darkness that manifests in the form of Nightmares. Players can use them to assist in combat when playing as either Sora or Riku. Little is known about their origins, but the existence of Dream Eaters was finally explained in the final update of KHUX. The revelation occurs after the player character, having fallen to darkness during the ending of the game, witnesses all the other fallen Keyblade Wielders in a state of sleep.
Fallen Keyblade Wielders are presented with two options, as explained by Chirithy, who serves as the player's guide. Either their hearts can be reborn into a new life, or they can remain asleep, leaving their Chirithy to watch over their sleeping heart. In order to protect them while they sleep, Chirithies take on a new form that can navigate the Sleeping Realms - in short, the heart of a fallen Keyblade Wielder merges with their Chirithy to become a Dream Eater. This discovery helps to explain why the Dream Eaters are so willing to assist throughout KH3D, and further solidifies the interconnecting lore of the Kingdom Hearts franchise.