Highlights
- Square Enix should consider scaling back on Disney in Kingdom Hearts 4 to focus more on the creative possibilities of Final Fantasy characters and worlds.
- Embracing Final Fantasy crossovers can lead to deeper character development for Sora and cater to the more mature fanbase.
- With changing audience expectations, Kingdom Hearts 4 should reevaluate its crossovers to avoid feeling forced or overplayed.
The Kingdom Hearts franchise is famous for its wide variety of crossover content, folding in characters from all manner of Final Fantasy and Disney properties, but Kingdom Hearts 4 may want to scale back the inclusion of the latter conglomerate. It has been speculated that various Disney franchises such as Star Wars could appear in Kingdom Hearts 4, alongside the classic Disney worlds and characters that have featured heavily in the previous games. There's promise in this idea, but leaning too heavily into Disney may not be the right call.
Since Square Enix owns Final Fantasy, it has far more creative liberties when it comes to how the franchise's characters, locations, and concepts are implemented, relative to the more static and predefined Disney elements. That said, Square Enix greatly de-emphasized Final Fantasy content in the third Kingdom Hearts game in favor of Disney brands, and changes in the entertainment landscape and audience expectations should prompt the developer to reevaluate how it approaches these crossovers in Kingdom Hearts 4.
How the Titular Kingdom Hearts Could Fit Into Kingdom Hearts 4's Lost Master Arc
Even as it enters a new setting and story arc, the Kingdom Hearts franchise would be remiss to leave behind the source of its name.
Final Fantasy Might Be a Better Fit for Kingdom Hearts 4
Disney Content In Kingdom Hearts 4 May Not Have the Same Appeal As It Once Did
An essential Kingdom Hearts tradition, Disney crossovers have been a major part of the franchise since its first entry. When Kingdom Hearts first launched in 2002, this sort of grand media collaboration was fairly unheard of, especially in the world of gaming, and bringing together so many disparate entities from film and TV was genuinely exciting and unique. However, times have changed a bit, and this kind of Disney crossover doesn't have the same novelty, nor the same impact, as it did when KH1 and KH2 were released.
Disney has undergone some drastic changes in recent years, particularly with the acquisition of Marvel and Star Wars. Whether IP like Star Wars will appear in Kingdom Hearts 4 is unclear, but the fact of the matter is that Disney has ballooned in size, and public perception of the company, while still positive in many ways, has shifted; in the eyes of many, Disney is no longer a purveyor of touching, wholesome animated films like Aladdin or Mulan, and is instead looked at as the leader of modern, blockbuster filmmaking.
Doubling down on the Disney elements of the Kingdom Hearts franchise would likely mean introducing at least some of these new brands or tonal elements, which could wind up feeling forced or overplayed, potentially affecting the identity of Kingdom Hearts negatively.
Final Fantasy Is Ready to Play a Bigger Role in Kingdom Hearts
Sora could be more mature in Kingdom Hearts 4, which may result in a shift away from the more family-friendly Disney content. By leaning into the relatively more mature stories, characters, and worlds featured in the Final Fantasy games, Kingdom Hearts 4 can have Sora undergo deeper character development, bringing hard-hitting storytelling back to the forefront of the series. Many dedicated Kingdom Hearts fans are well into adulthood by now, and Kingdom Hearts 4 can cater to this demographic by focusing on a more mature tone, facilitated by Final Fantasy crossovers.
It's also worth noting that Final Fantasy is a bit of a hot property right now, with a fanbase that is much broader than it was in the 2000s. Thanks to successes like Final Fantasy 16 and the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the franchise is more relevant than ever, so it might be time for Kingdom Hearts to shine a brighter spotlight on it. Kingdom Hearts 4 certainly shouldn't do away with Disney content completely, but the game may benefit from a pivot into the more mature, focused ideas and characters of the Final Fantasy series.
Kingdom Hearts 4
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
- Kingdom Hearts
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , Xbox Series X|S
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
