Hayden Panettiere, the original voice of Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts series, died yesterday at the age of 36. Fans of her work in the Square Enix and Disney RPGs have been paying tribute to her, and one of the people in the crowd of voices is Alyson Stoner, the actor who took on the role of Kairi after Panettiere stepped down.
Stoner, who first played Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories remake, posted a tearful video on their Instagram account recounting times when they worked with both Hayden and her brother Jansen, who passed away in 2023.
Alyson Stoner (who is Kairi's current VA) reaction to the news of Hayden Panettiere passing broke me 😢pic.twitter.com/GfKrRXgUSi
— Maku (@TropicalMaku) August 17, 2026
“From one Kairi to another, I just wanted to acknowledge the tremendous loss, not only for the Kingdom Hearts family, but of course, all the close loved ones and millions of lives that Hayden reached,” they said.
Square Enix has also released its own statement, calling Panettiere’s performance as Kairi “unforgettable.”
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Hayden Panettiere.
Through her performance as Kairi, Hayden brought warmth, heart, and an unforgettable voice to the Kingdom Hearts series.
Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/clcjMdyWzO
— KINGDOM HEARTS (@KINGDOMHEARTS) August 17, 2026
Panettiere played Kairi in the first and second numbered Kingdom Hearts games, and went on to voice another character named Xion in the 3DS game Dream Drop Distance, who Stoner also voiced throughout the series. Outside of Kingdom Hearts, Panettiere was best known in video games for her role as Sam in Until Dawn. Her acting career was primarily in film and television, where she became a household name on shows like Nashville and Heroes, as well as other Disney projects outside of Kingdom Hearts.
Though no official cause of death has been given, early reports note concerns about a possible cardiac arrest in the 911 dispatch call.
