Highlights
- Kingdom Hearts 4 is on the way, and fans are curious about the next Disney settings that protagonist Sora will explore.
- Raya and the Last Dragon would be a great candidate, as the underappreciated film struggled due to its release during the pandemic and deserves more attention - something that could easily happen if it is featured in Kingdom Hearts 4.
- Raya and the Last Dragon would be a perfect world for Kingdom Hearts 4, as it fits into the game's aesthetic and themes while offering visually familiar yet unique elements.
In mid-2022, Kingdom Hearts 4 was officially announced by Square Enix, with the announcement coming three years after the release of its predecessor. Kingdom Hearts 3 ended on a somewhat controversial note for fans, but an after-credit scene indicated that there was more to come. With the fourth game confirmed, it begs the question as to what Disney settings Square Enix will bring its protagonist Sora to next.
Arguments have been made that Kingdom Hearts 4 should focus on new Disney properties rather than older ones. The third game expanded things by having Sora and company interact with Pixar characters as well as other Disney icons. There is one underappreciated Disney movie that the upcoming game can help renew interest in. That film is Raya and the Last Dragon.
Why Raya and the Last Dragon Remains Underappreciated
Raya and the Last Dragon was released in March 2021 and was well-reviewed by critics. The film starred Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Benedict Wong, and several other prominent actors of East Asian descent. The primary reason the film seems to be underappreciated has to do with its release date.
Like many other films, Raya and the Last Dragon was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout 2020, Disney released several of its animated films directly onto its then-new streaming service, Disney Plus. When it was clear that the effects of the pandemic weren't going away the company began to release some of its films to theaters and on the streaming service simultaneously through its Premier Access subscription. The most high-profile of these is the simultaneous release of Black Widow to theaters and Disney Plus.
An unfortunate side effect of this is that many of the films released in this manner didn't leave much of a cultural impact after coming out. Films like Soul, Onward, and Luca may have been well-received by critics and liked by those who saw them, but they weren't really talked about after their release. Raya and the Last Dragon is a film that seems to have slipped into this category, and a world in Kingdom Hearts 4 would give it some much-deserved spotlight.
Why Raya and the Last Dragon Would Make a Perfect Kingdom Hearts 4 World
The bread and butter of the Kingdom Hearts games are its Disney Worlds. Each area offers players a kind of wish-fulfillment fantasy where they can reenact the plots of their favorite movies. Because of the sheer range of Disney's catalog, every world feels different while also giving the impression that they could be part of the same universe. Raya and the Last Dragon is very much a film that fits into that category.
Raya and the Last Dragon is bright and colorful and fits into the overall 3D Disney Animation aesthetic. It would give players something visually familiar to look at, but also a bit different given the film's South East Asian culture. Like Kingdom Hearts, the overall narrative of the film involved the power of friendship and trust to take down a dark force and would tie well into the franchise's overall themes. In addition, the film's primary antagonists, the Druun, could easily be replaced by the Heartless given the nature of both forces. The various characters would also make great companions for Sora and company and keep the lineup from becoming stale.
Currently, it isn't clear what Square Enix has in store for the upcoming sequel. It's been suggested that Kingdom Hearts 4 may have fewer Disney Worlds due to the upgrade in graphics, but very little has been confirmed or revealed about the upcoming project. Still, it's likely that the game will include worlds from newer Disney projects as the company would probably want some spotlight on them. If this is the case, Raya and the Last Dragon should be considered, as it deserves a bit of time in the spotlight with Kingdom Hearts 4.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently in development by Square Enix.