Days before her death at age 36, Hayden Panettiere's "Kingdom Hearts" co-stars Haley Joel Osment and David Gallagher reunited onstage for a rare performance of a scene involving her character, Kairi. The emotional tribute took place at the "Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts" panel at D23 in Anaheim, California, on a Saturday, with news of Panettiere's passing confirmed the following Sunday.
Osment, who voices Sora, and Gallagher, the voice of Riku, performed the game's "Realm of Darkness" ending sequence. This marked the first time they had performed the scene live together and had not recorded it in the same session. During the panel, as Kairi's dialogue was read, footage from the game played behind them. Osment began, "Thinking of you, wherever you are," followed by lines about shared destinies and journeys across many worlds. Gallagher joined in as Riku, reaching out his hand to Sora, a gesture that culminated in the characters embracing.
The performance gained a new layer of poignancy when clips of it circulated online shortly after Panettiere's family announced her death. Panettiere originated the role of Kairi in the 2002 "Kingdom Hearts" game and reprised it in "Kingdom Hearts II" and "Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep." Kairi is a central character in the franchise, known as one of the series' seven Princesses of Heart and closely linked to Sora and Riku.
Alyson Stoner, who later voiced Kairi in "Kingdom Hearts III," also paid tribute to Panettiere. Stoner shared a message on Instagram, stating, "From one Kairi to another… One sky, one destiny. My deepest condolences to Hayden’s family, community, and the many lives Hayden reached. May you rest in freedom, Hayden."
In a video accompanying her message, Stoner became visibly emotional, acknowledging the raw nature of her grief. "I wanted to acknowledge Hayden's passing," Stoner said. "I've worked with Hayden, I've worked with Hayden's brother Jansen. And from one Kairi to another, I just wanted to acknowledge the tremendous loss, not only for the Kingdom Hearts family but of course for all of the close loved ones and millions of lives that Hayden reached." Stoner concluded by encouraging fans to support each other.