The Sleeping Worlds (夢見る世界, Yumemiru Sekai) are the main setting of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. They are worlds that fell into darkness but were not fully revived following the defeat of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness for unknown reasons. Their formation created barriers not even the Heartless could penetrate, thus a different type of entity known as Dream Eaters inhabit the Sleeping Worlds.

The nature of the Sleeping Worlds is complex, as time is not of any concern – the worlds are a "dream" of sorts that depict events that occurred before they were consumed. Residents of a world who were not present when it was consumed by darkness may be recreated within the Sleeping World as how it remembers them, as is the case with Mickey Mouse and Jiminy Cricket. Young Xehanort claimed The Grid couldn't be a Sleeping World because it was digital.^[1] It is also possible to visit a world's dreams without the world itself existing in a sleeping state as seen with The World That Never Was.

Story

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

As part of their Mark of Mastery exam, Yen Sid sends Sora and Riku to the Sleeping Worlds to unlock the seven Sleeping Keyholes, and return the worlds to the Realm of Light in order to obtain a power to defeat Xehanort. However, Xehanort foresaw such an event and arranged for his younger self to appear in the sleeping worlds. Eventually, Sora and Riku manage to seal the seven Keyholes in the Sleeping Worlds, but thanks to a set-up by the real Organization XIII, Sora ends up trapped in The World That Never Was and his heart is damaged during a fight with Xemnas. With help from Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Lea, Riku manages to save Sora from becoming a new vessel for a fragment of Master Xehanort's heart, and they return safely to the Realm of Light.

After failing his Mark of Mastery exam, Sora once again enters the sleeping Traverse Town to visit his Dream Eater friends.

Sleeping Worlds

Notes and references

• Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance worlds