Hayden Panettiere, Known For Roles In Kingdom Hearts And Until Dawn, Dead At 36

Kingdom Hearts, Until Dawn Actress Hayden Panettiere Has Passed Away Published Aug 17, 2026, 2:21 AM EDT Sam Woods is TheGamer’s Senior Reporter. He’s been in games journalism since 2020 and has undertaken a variety of roles in that time. These have included roles such as SEO Editor, Managing Editor at DualShockers, and Global Head of Gaming, and he's also been seen on the BBC. He was promoted to the Senior Reporter position in 2025 following a series of high-quality reports and exclusives for TheGamer. Since 2020, Sam has written over 2,500 articles and specializes in telling the stories of the people behind the games. He’s interviewed the biggest game directors, some of the industry’s top talents, told the stories of how indie games came to be, and spoken to players about what really makes them tick. He’s also interviewed some of the world’s biggest musical artists to find out how the medium has inspired their work, and TV and Film actors about their roles in video game adaptations. He even hosted a PAX panel in 2021 and made a documentary in 2024 surrounding the creation of a Disney game. Alongside this, Sam focuses on breaking news. He got the scoop on Perfect Dark’s cancellation, got context around some AI drama, and revealed how Lady Dimitrescu’s actress would love to step back into the character’s giant shoes. These articles have been picked up by the biggest gaming sites, including IGN, GameSpot, and PC Gamer. He also loves to dive into the numbers behind the games. Sam’s journey in games journalism has taken him all over the world. He’s covered Gamescom in Germany, Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles, and Tokyo Game Show in Japan, each on more than one occasion. He’s been learning Japanese since 2024 with the intention of identifying and translating Japanese-language news and bringing it to English-language audiences first, something he’s done countless times. Sam’s first review was 2020’s Battletoads reboot, and he’s since reviewed games in The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Pokemon franchises. Kingdom Hearts and Until Dawn actress Hayden Panettiere has passed away at 36. The news was confirmed by ABC late on August 16, with the cause of death yet to be determined. "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her -- and to the millions who watched her onscreen," her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement. He asked for privacy "as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss." Hayden Panettiere Passes Aged 36 Credit: Jay Shetty Fan Channel via YouTube On-screen, Panettiere was perhaps best known for her role as Claire Bennet in the 2006 TV show Heroes. She also held roles in Scream 6, Nashville, and Ally McBeal. Alongside her on-screen and stage roles, Panettiere appeared in a handful of video games, providing the voice for Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts series and facial capture and voice recordings for Samantha Giddings in Until Dawn. ABC reports that in her memoir released in May, Panettiere offers a "rare and intimate glimpse into her life behind closed doors, opening up about postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, trauma, domestic abuse, and loss," adding that in a 2022 interview with Good Morning America, she said, "I didn't know where the alcoholism was ending and the postpartum was beginning." Panettiere's passing spells a dark end to an exciting weekend for Kingdom Hearts fans. During D23, Kingdom Hearts 4 revealed tons of new details, including a bumper new trailer,a look at a new world, and a confirmed 2027 release date. The community has begun to mourn her passing. The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley was one of the first to share his thoughts, saying, "What a sad end to such a beautiful Kingdom Hearts weekend. Actress Hayden Panettiere, the voice of Kairi, has passed away at age 36. RIP." Twitter user afrokami shared a montage of Kairi's Kingdom Hearts scenes with the caption, "Hayden Panettiere, you will never ever be forgotten." The sadness was shared by many other social media users. This is a developing story, and we will update it as more information comes to light. Systems Released September 17, 2002 ESRB E for Everyone: Violence Developer(s) Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix Engine Unreal Engine 4 Cross-Platform Play android, ios Cross Save yes Franchise Kingdom Hearts Steam Deck Compatibility yes