The World That Never Was



The World That Never Was is a dark realm that is a world featured in Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

The world of Organization XIII, it is home to a seemingly endless horde of Heartless and Nobodies. The Heartless seem to spawn more here due to how close The World That Never Was is to the darkness of Kingdom Hearts. The Organization controls the world from the Castle That Never Was, a massive fortress that floats weightlessly over the expansive Dark City. Unlike the Heartless counterpart, End of the World, this world is more man-made in appearance to reflect the Nobodies' ability to think and plan rather than act on instinct like the Heartless.

Alley to Between
The Alley to Between (狭間につながる路地 Hazama ni Tsunagaru Roji) is a darkened alleyway that hides a portal to Betwixt and Between. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey used this portal to get into the world, thanks to Axel's sacrifice. The alleyway connects to the main route that leads to the Castle That Never Was. The first Save Point of the world is here. The Castle That Never Was can also been seen clearly in the light of the Kingdom Hearts moon, shaded in purple.

Fragment Crossing
Fragment Crossing(断片を紡ぐ道 Danpen o Tsumugu Michi, lit. "Fragment-Spinning Road") is a long series of winding streets that lead to Memory's Skyscraper. It is full of neon signs attached to vacant buildings as well as a power plant which seems to power some or all of the city. Many Shadow Heartless are here, but in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, they are eventually replaced with Nobodies. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey took this route on their way to the Castle That Never Was. Pluto also had an encounter with Axel here.

Memory's Skyscraper
Memory's Skyscraper (記憶の摩天楼 Kioku no Matenrō) is a tall building in the World That Never Was. Located near the Castle That Never Was, the building kept watch over the residents of the Dark. On its front, it has a massive television screen that seems to flash images of memories of those nearby, although this feature is only visible in the FMV videos at the end of the first Kingdom Hearts game. A truck is visible flipped on its side in one corner of the area. Roxas was battling a legion of Neoshadows when Riku appeared at the top of the building, and after the two eliminated the Neoshadows, they began their duel.

After arriving at the World That Never Was, Sora was confronted by Roxas at Memory's Skyscraper, while two Samurai blocked Donald and Goofy. Sora and Roxas soon disappeared to the Station of Awakening, but Donald and Goofy claimed to not see Roxas.

Brink of Despair
The Brink of Despair (絶望を望む断崖 Zetsubō o Nozomu Dangai, lit. "Cliff Desiring Despair") seems to have been made by The Castle That Never Was which hovers above it. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey arrive here and access the castle via a path using the Keyblade. It has the second Save Point of this world.

The Castle That Never Was
The enormous white castle that floats above the city, dominating its skyline. It is decorated all over with Nobody symbols. It serves as the Organization's base of operations and home; lesser Nobodies infest it as well. Some areas are not accessible unless using a Corridor of Darkness.

Trivia

 * Interestingly, the boxart of Kingdom Hearts shows a scene with the younger versions of Kairi, Sora, Riku, Donald, and Goofy sitting on a skyscraper in a world, that bears an uncanny resemblance to the World That Never Was, including the Kingdom Hearts moon in the background, although this world didn't actually appear before Kingdom Hearts II.
 * The World That Never Was cannot be accessed via the Gummi Ship until after you enter the world via the Simulated Twilight Town.
 * For some unknown reason, there's a massive pit below the Castle That Never Was.
 * It is unknown if Young Xehanort's battle arena in Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance has any connection to this world, even though the arena has similarities to the Castle's designs.
 * The world looks a bit like Radiant Garden's castle, with a bit of a change up, but they still look very similar.