After Her Death, Hayden Panettiere Honored By Her ‘Kingdom Hearts’ Successor

Kingdom Hearts character Hayden Panettiere during Spike TV's 2006 Video Game Awards

FilmMagic

In the aftermath of the tragic death of 36-year-old character Hayden Panettiere, everyone has been revisiting her aged roles ranging from Remember the Titans to Heroes to Nashville. But Panettiere besides has a history successful a beloved video crippled franchise, Kingdom Hearts, and fans and formed members are honoring her location arsenic well.

One of the astir rubbing tributes we’ve seen to Panettiere is from Kingdom Hearts sound character Alyson Stoner, who took complete Panettiere’s domiciled arsenic Kairi successful Kingdom Hearts at various times. Panettiere voiced Kairi successful the original Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2. Alyson Stoner stepped successful for a clip earlier Panettiere returned to the role. Stoner past was Kairi successful Kingdom Hearts 3 successful 2019. Kingdom Hearts 4 was announced only this past week, and will beryllium retired successful 2027. Stoner’s return is chartless (though likely), and evidently won’t beryllium discussed for a while.

Stoner went online to make a tearful connection astir Panettiere successful the aftermath of her death:

“Hey, this is very raw. It’s very messy, and please springiness maine immoderate grace. I wanted to admit Hayden’s passing. I’ve worked pinch Hayden, I’ve worked pinch Hayden’s relative Jansen [who died successful 2023 from a bosom condition], and from 1 Kairi to another, I conscionable wanted to admit the tremendous loss, not only for the Kingdom Hearts family but of people each of the adjacent loved ones and the millions of lives Hayden reached.

“Sending truthful overmuch emotion to Hayden’s family. I’ll beryllium reasoning of Hayden and the bequest that she has left, and sending tons of emotion to the Kingdom Hearts organization too, and really we’re sharing successful this loss.”

Kingdom Hearts wasn’t Panettiere’s only foray into gaming, arsenic she memorably played Samantha successful the boundry-pushing, movie-like scary crippled Until Dawn alongside Rami Malek, Brett Dalton, Jordan Fisher and Peter Stormare. A sequel will beryllium released successful 2027. The crippled was adapted into a movie successful 2025 that did not characteristic Panettiere.

Panettiere’s nonaccomplishment is being felt profoundly crossed Hollywood, but she besides had a domiciled successful a formative crippled for galore players. The Kingdom Hearts bid has sold 39 cardinal copies by past count, and that will dramatically summation erstwhile the 4th crippled is out. Her effect is felt crossed each fields of entertainment, movies, TV and video games, and it’s a tragic business that each her fans are mourning.

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.