"Dearly Beloved" is the opening theme to all Kingdom Hearts series games and is composed by Yoko Shimomura. "Dearly Beloved" is considered the main theme of the Kingdom Hearts series.

It begins playing as soon as the game loads and plays over the opening Menu Screen in a loop. However, if you continue to listen to "Dearly Beloved" without pressing any of the buttons on your controller for approximately 10-15 seconds, the screen will open up to Opening Menu Cinematic or Demo Loop, which will play the orchestrated version of the Kingdom Hearts theme song. There is also a Reprise version that plays after the credits at the last screen in Kingdom Hearts and while viewing your Battle Report results in Kingdom Hearts II.

Versions

• The original version of "Dearly Beloved" was composed solely on the piano.
• The reprise of the original still contains the original melody, but this time combines piano and mallets.
• The Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories version contains the orginal melody played on the piano, along with a secondary melody played in the background by a synthesised instrument.
• The Kingdom Hearts II version transformed "Dearly Beloved" into a full orchestral piece (although the piano remains dominant), containing only the secondary melody.
• The reprise of the Kingdom Hearts II version contains the secondary melody, but played only on the piano.
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days contains a nearly identical version of the Kingdom Hearts II "Dearly Beloved" reprise, only this time it has the flute used in Roxas' Theme.
• Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep features a new orchestral arrangement of "Dearly Beloved".
• Kingdom Hearts Re:coded contains a new version of "Dearly Beloved", with a slightly faster tempo.
• Two arrangements of the song, entitled "Dearly Beloved" and "Concert Paraphrase on Dearly Beloved", appear in the Piano Collections Kingdom Hearts.
• Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance's version of "Dearly Beloved" retains the original theme with pianos, violins, xylophone and plucked violins, then the melody is played with flute and then has a slightly quicker part where a tamborine comes into play.

Variations

The themes "Friends in My Heart", "Always on My Mind", "March Caprice for Piano and Orchestra", and "Fantasia alla Marcia for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra" are variations of "Dearly Beloved" that can be heard in Kingdom Hearts. "Musique pour la tristesse de Xion" from the Piano Collections Kingdom Hearts Field & Battle album, contains melodies from "Dearly Beloved". "Dearly Dreams", the field music for the Mirage Arena in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, also contains some melodies from "Dearly Beloved", as does "The Key", the battle theme to Ventus-Vanitas.

Kingdom Hearts series

Games: Kingdom Hearts + Final Mix | Chain of Memories | Re:Chain of Memories | Kingdom Hearts II + Final Mix | 358/2 Days | Birth by Sleep + Final Mix | coded | Re:coded | Dream Drop Distance | HD 1.5 ReMIX | Χ (chi) Incorporated Films and shorts: Alice in Wonderland | Aladdin/ The Return of Jafar | Beauty and the Beast | Cinderella | Fantasia | Hercules | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Lilo & Stitch | The Lion King | The Little Mermaid | Mickey, Donald and Goofy: The Three Musketeers | Mulan | The Nightmare Before Christmas | Peter Pan | Pinocchio | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | Sleeping Beauty | Steamboat Willie | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Tarzan | Tron/ Tron: Legacy | The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Original Characters: Sora | Riku | Kairi | Terra | Lingering Will | Ventus | Aqua | Master Eraqus | Vanitas | Master Xehanort | Ansem | Xemnas | Xigbar | Xaldin | Vexen | Lexaeus | Zexion | Saïx | Axel | Demyx | Luxord | Marluxia | Larxene | Roxas | Xion | Naminé | Ansem the Wise | DiZ | Terra-Xehanort | Braig | Dilan | Even | Aeleus | Ienzo | Isa | Lea | Data Sora | Data Riku | Data Naminé | Data Roxas | Hayner | Pence | Olette | Riku-Ansem | Kairi's Grandma | Riku Replica | Anti-Saïx | Anti-Sora | Anti-Riku | Sora-Heartless | Jiminy's Journal | Young Xehanort | Xehanort's Guardian Original Monsters: Hostile Program | The Experiment | Heartless | Nobodies | Unversed | Dream Eater (Nightmares) | Dream Eater (Spirits) Disney Characters and Villains: King Mickey | Donald Duck | Goofy | Queen Minnie | Daisy Duck | Pluto | Tarzan | Winnie the Pooh | Aladdin | Genie | Tron | Magic Brooms | Peter Pan | Quasimodo | Yen Sid | Maleficent/Dragon Maleficent | Judge Claude Frollo | Jiminy Cricket | Merlin | Tigger | Eeyore | Rabbit | Ariel | Mulan | Mushu | Jack Sparrow | Chernabog | Simba | Timon | Pumbaa | Nala | King Triton | Jafar/Genie Jafar | Alice | Cheshire Cat | Jack Skellington | Esmerelda | Phoebus | Beagle Boys | Scrooge McDuck | Huey, Dewey and Louie | Master Control Program | Sark | CLU | Rinzler | Beast | Stitch | Hercules | Tick-Tock the Crocodile | Beagle Boys (More coming soon) Square Enix Characters: Tidus | Wakka | Selphie | Leon | Yuffie | Cloud | Sephiroth | Moogle | Vivi | Setzer | Auron | Tifa | Yuna | Rikku | Paine | Org Moogle | Zack | Neku Sakuraba | Joshua | Beat | Shiki | Rhyme Plot Elements: Kingdom Hearts | Heart | Memory | Light | Darkness | Keyblade War | Mark of Mastery exam | Gate | Keyhole | Recusant's Sigil | Universe of Kingdom Hearts | Dark Seeker Saga Game Elements: Drive Form | Dark Mode | Limit | Summon | Dimension Link | Battle of the 1000 Heartless | Ansem's Reports | Secret Reports | Xehanort's Report | Roxas's Diary | Trinity | Save Point | Hit Points | Magic | Reaction Command | Command Style | Shotlock | Trinity Archives | Sticker Album | Deck Command | Level | Link System | Item synthesis | Lock-On | Gauges | Flowmotion | Moogle Shop | Finish command (KHBBS) | Mission Mode | Difficulty Level | Recipe | Magic Abilities/Abilities | Avatar Menu | Trophies Objects: Paopu Fruit | Sea-salt ice cream | Ice Cream | Munny | Wayfinder | Door to Darkness | Memory Pod | Cornerstone of Light | Keyblade | X-blade | Mickey's Letters | Kairi's Letter | Thalassa Shell | Kingdom Hearts Encoder | Keychain | Gummi Blocks | Bug Blox | Black coat | Keyblade Armor | Crown Locations: Land of Departure | Disney Castle | Disney Town | Timeless River | Datascape | Radiant Garden | Keyblade Graveyard | Mirage Arena | Destiny Islands | Traverse Town | Hollow Bastion | Dive to the Heart | End of the World | Realm of Darkness | Castle Oblivion | Twilight Town | Old Mansion | The World That Never Was | Castle That Never Was | Cavern of Remembrance | Simulated Twilight Town | Chambers of Repose and Waking Organizations/Groups: Organization XIII | True Organization XIII | Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee | Princesses of Heart | Disney Villains Council Vehicles: Gummi Ship | Keyblade Glider Mini Games: Gummi Missions | Arena Mode | Command Board | Ice Cream Beat | Rumble Racing | Fruitball | Flick Rush | Dive Mode | Puzzle Music: Dearly Beloved | Simple and Clean | Sanctuary | Swim This Way | Part of Your World | Under the Sea | Ursula's Revenge | A New Day is Dawning | Destati Soundtracks: Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack | Kingdom Hearts Final Mix - Additional Tracks | Kingdom Hearts II Original Soundtrack | Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack Complete | Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep & 358/2 Days Original Soundtrack | Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance Original Soundtrack | Kingdom Hearts 10th Anniversary Fan Selection -Melodies & Memories- | Piano Collections Kingdom Hearts | Piano Collections Kingdom Hearts Field & Battle Secret Endings: Another side, Another story... | The Gathering | Birth by sleep (video) | Blank Points | A fragmentary passage | Signs of What's Next | Another Guardian of Light

 

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