In re:coded we follow a data version of Sora, who starts out as the real world Sora did at the start of Kingdom Hearts 1. We follow him travelling through data versions of the worlds from the first game, and then the second half through Castle Oblivion where he and Mickey eventually learn that contained in real world Sora's heart is the means to restore various characters, tested by Data-Roxas as sent by Data-Namine. Messaged delivered, Data-Namine erases herself from the digital version of Jimininy's journal.

And then what? We don't see Data-Sora erased or anything to suggest what happens after Mickey leaves for the real world. We know Data-Sora has a heart, he grew one and that's how he gained a new keyblade after his original one was destroyed. Did he stay in the journal programme and hang out with everyone there, put into narrative limbo? Did Jimininy add to the journal programme the worlds encountered in Kingdom Hearts 2 so Data-Sora had more worlds to explore and people to meet?

Tangent here, if Data-Sora can grow a heart, like Tron grew a heart, does that mean the people in DiZ's digital Twilight Town are also capable of growing their own hearts? After all, Data-Sora started out a digital facsimile of the real world Sora, data loaded with base memory and personality that influenced his AI (which meant he mirrored the Sora he was based on), much like how the digital Hayner, Pence and Olette are based on their real world counter-parts, both sets being very open to friendship with Roxas. For an entry often passed over as filler, it raises a lot of tricky possibilities.

hmm its an interesting question and with the way things are going i think we may yet get an answer 

I like to imagine Data Sora hangs out in his own digital world. A missed opportunity was to have Data Sora be in KH3's data stuff. But in my headcanon he's in his own data world and they call on him whenever they need to do computer stuff. As for the people in DiZ's Twilight Town growing hearts? Possibly, they should all be capable of growing real hearts if they meet the right requirements. If KH teaches you anything beyond friendships it's anyone can grow a heart this series.

12 hours ago, SweetYetSalty said:

I like to imagine Data Sora hangs out in his own digital world. A missed opportunity was to have Data Sora be in KH3's data stuff. But in my headcanon he's in his own data world and they call on him whenever they need to do computer stuff. As for the people in DiZ's Twilight Town growing hearts? Possibly, they should all be capable of growing real hearts if they meet the right requirements. If KH teaches you anything beyond friendships it's anyone can grow a heart this series.

That would have been a cool way to incorporate an arena or tournament style feature into the game.

I’m sure that we haven’t seen the last of Data Sora or Data Riku! I guess Nomura just didn’t have a use for them for the story of Kingdom Hearts III, ya know? It’s interesting though, like you said, data can indeed be capable of growing hearts! So who knows what possibilities this opens up?