While the Kingdom Hearts series has always thrived on its exploration of many iconic Disney properties, the selection of worlds in each game hasn’t necessarily aligned with how new their respective films are. The fact that nearly every major property under the company’s umbrella has been covered by now makes Kingdom Hearts 4 seem more likely to include worlds from films of recent years, but a continued emphasis on choosing Disney crossovers based on their weight in Sora’s journey will probably subvert this expectation.
While combining popular Disney films of recent memory with the latest Final Fantasy entry might seem like a winning formula, KH has always strayed from pop culture through its deep-cut representation. Releases have repeatedly proven that series lead Tetsuya Nomura constructs these titles according to personal preference first, and Kingdom Hearts 4 is already on track to demonstrate this more than ever.
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Disney recently had a major box office success, and the franchise responsible feels destined for a place in Kingdom Hearts canon.
Kingdom Hearts Has Established a Pattern of Nostalgia Over Trendiness in Its World Selection
Dated Disney Films Have Consistently Found New Life in KH
The set of Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts 3 surprised players with left-field picks like Tangled and Pirates of the Caribbean, as the game’s 2019 release was years removed from both IPs’ latest theater outings. There’s a pattern of this kind of choice throughout the series, however, as KH has always been willing to bring decades-old movies into the modern era of gaming.
In an interview, Tetsuya Nomura commented on Kingdom Hearts‘ long-term arc being his main focus when it comes to the franchise, supporting the notion that Disney worlds are chosen in service of that overarching goal. Elements like character interactions and thematic resonance take precedence over cashing in on filmgoing audience familiarity. Some of the largest gaps between Disney films and their appearance in Kingdom Hearts include:
|
Film |
World |
Game |
Release Gap |
|
Fantasia (1940) |
Symphony of Sorcery |
KH 3D: Dream Drop Distance (2012) |
72 Years |
|
Sleeping Beauty (1959) |
Enchanted Dominion |
KH: Birth by Sleep (2010) |
51 Years |
|
Tron (1982) |
Space Paranoids |
Kingdom Hearts 2 (2005) |
23 Years |
|
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) |
La Cite des Cloches |
KH 3D: Dream Drop Distance (2012) |
16 Years |
|
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) |
Halloween Town |
Kingdom Hearts (2002) |
9 Years |
Seemingly Subversive World Picks Actually Have a Decent Chance of Appearing in Kingdom Hearts 4
Several Untapped Classics Would Likely Suit the Tone of Quadratum More Than Recent Disney Properties
In discussions regarding Disney world predictions for Kingdom Hearts 4, brand-new properties introduced within the past decade frequently come up. While the likes of Encanto or Coco are still strong contenders, it’s been proven that recency isn’t an element that has much impact on these worlds. If KH3 was willing to lean all the way into a pirate gimmick for a world specifically based around 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, it stands to reason that its sequel is capable of being just as unconventional. This makes popular fan requests like Atlantis: The Lost Empire, The Black Cauldron, or Treasure Planet feel like genuine possibilities despite all of them being decades old, and Square Enix has an even deeper pool to choose from.
Disney’s Acquisitions Make For Even More Wild Cards
Adding to a catalog which includes Marvel and Lucasfilm, the array of Disney’s ownership even opens up the door for the addition of 21st Century Fox worlds in Kingdom Hearts 4. Depending on how heavy or light the game’s tone ends up being, everything from Ice Age to Avatar is technically on the table. The change in style coming to KH4 being paired with the series’ habit of delving into crossovers regardless of release proximity has the chance to highlight the untapped potential of providing less conventional IPs with a modern reimagining.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix and represents the fifteenth installment in the franchise. Players once again are put in the shoes of Sora who is suddenly trapped in a more realistic world called Quadratum, with companions like Donald and Goofy attempting to rescue him. Kingdom Hearts 4 is a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.
- Franchise
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Kingdom Hearts
- Platform(s)
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PS5
, Xbox Series X|S - Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- ESRB
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e