Highlights
- Kingdom Hearts 4 introduces the Lost Master Arc, taking protagonist Sora into the strange Quadratum and bringing back the deceased Strelitzia.
- Many unanswered questions remain, such as the whereabouts of the Master of Masters, the roles of the Foretellers, and the identities of the Nameless Star and the unknown test subject.
- Speculation about the direction of KH4 is ongoing, as the ambiguous name of the Lost Master Arc leaves room for multiple possibilities and plot twists.
Kingdom Hearts 4 marks the classic Square Enix and Disney crossover series' transition into its second major story arc. Dubbed the Lost Master Arc, this chapter in protagonist Sora's journey brings him into the strange unreality known as Quadratum. Further details will have to wait until Kingdom Hearts 4 is later in development, but what fans know for now is that Kingdom Hearts Union χ's deceased Strelitzia will join him, and their subsequent adventures will have something to do with the mysterious Yozora.
Anything more is currently in the realm of educated guesses, and Kingdom Hearts has no small number of plot hooks to pull on. Various questions like the location of the Master of Masters, what roles the Foretellers will now play, who the Nameless Star and the unknown test subject are, and so much more wait to be answered in Kingdom Hearts' newest saga. Speculation isn't likely to subside anytime soon, even after Kingdom Hearts 4 has come out. Just the ambiguous name of the Lost Master Arc alone, coming off of the more specific Dark Seeker Saga, implies many possible directions KH4 could take.
Kingdom Hearts Has Plenty of Lost Keyblade Masters
First, there's the identity of the titular Lost Master. Chances are good that this title has multiple meanings, and the most obvious one describes the Master of Masters. Apart from his sudden appearance before a young Xehanort during which he claims to be one of the 'Lost Masters', the Master of Masters has been missing since assigning tasks to the Foretellers back in Kingdom Hearts Union χ. The secret ending of Kingdom Hearts 3 and the reveal trailer for KH4 both imply that he's taken up residence in Quadratum and that the plot will be concerned with his unfolding plan to destroy the 13 willful Darknesses.
Along with the Master of Masters comes the Foretellers and Luxu, most of which appeared in the extended ending to KH3. Some of them will probably go incognito, removing their masks for the first time and taking up different names to surprise players. The common assumption is that they will be a more sympathetic replacement for Organization 13, but their goals and methods are still a mystery. Luxu also has a mysterious but important role to play in all this, and the whereabouts of the Foreteller Ava, herself a lost Keyblade master, are similarly unknown.
It's Up To Kingdom Hearts' Heroes To Find Any Missing Masters
Putting aside the web of intrigue surrounding the Foretellers, another interpretation of the Lost Master Arc presents itself. By gaining the Power of Waking, Sora is technically a formal declaration away from being an official Keyblade Master. Gaining a whip transformation for his personal Kingdom Key only supports this, so it's not a stretch to claim the arc's title refers to him. The basis for KH4 is even that Sora's lost in Quadratum, and Sora's friends are looking for ways to rescue him. If this interpretation holds true, Sora could be found by other characters like Riku, Donald, and Goofy at some point.
He's not the only lost person, either. Something has happened to Yozora and the Nameless Star's original bodies, and Yozora is presented as a sort of parallel to a Keyblade Master. Since certain deceased or missing people from Kingdom Hearts' reality can appear in Quadratum, all manner of lost people could be found there. Rather than searching for keyholes, Sora's new goal could be looking for various people while repelling the darkness like always. The Lost Master Arc implies all of this and more, so fans had best be ready to look for the truth once Kingdom Hearts 4 is ready for action.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is now in development.