The Kingdom Hearts series has made its mark on gaming over the last twenty years by not only mingling classic Disney characters with Square Enix IPs, but also with its own original story and characters. However, while characters like Kingdom Hearts' Sora are so popular that they trend online every couple of days and are highly requested to be added to games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, not everyone is given the same treatment.
It's nearly been spoken to death among fans that the female characters like Kairi and Aqua haven't been given a strong enough impact on the story through their own motivations and actions. Now with Kingdom Hearts 4 preparing to introduce a whole new character to the series, Square Enix has a fresh new opportunity to give one of its Keyblade-wielding women some agency.
Female Representation in Kingdom Hearts
So far, the Kingdom Hearts series has managed to introduce several female characters that have had a lasting effect on the fan community. The tragedies of Kingdom Hearts characters like Namine and Xion are perfect examples of how these characters can be lifted up to fan-favorite status, even when they aren't the playable character in the games they appear in. However, even in these cases that have become the strongest pieces of representation for women in the series, the drama of these characters often comes down to what happens to them instead of what they do.
In the simplest terms, the problem with women in Kingdom Hearts is a lack of agency. Compared to their male counterparts, Sora always chooses to fight against the forces of darkness and is propelled forward through his own victories. Of course, Sora is a main character, making this the obvious direction. Where that same rule doesn't apply is for Kingdom Hearts' Riku, who is not only given choices between choosing the powers of light or darkness but is also shown to be strong enough to use both forces of the universe in tandem.
The closest that any of the women in Kingdom Hearts get to this level of individual agency is Aqua, who spends her entire first adventure chasing down two men at the request of a third man. It's a bit obtuse to leave it that simple, as Aqua does make a decision at the end of Birth By Sleep to save her friend while sacrificing herself. However, even in the cases when characters like Aqua or Kairi are actually given agency, they are often the only ones who have to lose for any amount of time before being rescued by the men.
How Strelitzia Can Make Fix the Kingdom Hearts Formula
Strelitzia needs to win a fight and save Sora. The solution to the problem really is that simple. This could even make Sora a better and more complex character in the long run as a result.
Having Strelitzia play an important role in saving Sora wouldn't reverse what has already happened, but it can make for a powerful mirroring of what has already happened in previous games. It would be the opposite of Kairi's most frustrating moment in Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, where Sora is pulled from across a separate universe to win a fight for her. The additional complexity could happen during the opening moment where Sora is weaker (which happens at the start of every Kingdom Hearts title) and give a female character a chance to shine.
More importantly, however, is that this would be a great moment for a female character who has been implied to be one of the most capable Keyblade wielders in the series. Instead of having a character who sits on the sidelines or is easily removed from the fight by having her upper arm gripped lightly, Strelitzia has the opportunity to matter. Just let Sora relax in his new apartment and sit one fight out so someone else can be the hero, preferably the girl who's already been murdered.
Strelitzia's Ancient History
Now might be a good time to explain exactly who Strelitzia is, and elaborate on the fact that she was literally murdered almost immediately after being introduced. For those who haven't taken the dive into the mobile title Kingdom Hearts: Union X (pronounced Cross), or Unchained X (pronounced chi), Strelitzia is a member of a specific group of ancient Keyblade wielders known as the Dandelions. These were supposed to be the best wielders who would survive past the great Keyblade War that acts as a pivotal moment in the series' lore.
Not only was Strelitzia supposed to be one of these Dandelions, but she was meant to be a leader among them, taking on the roles of the masked Foretellers who guided the different Unions towards the Keyblade War. So, she is supposedly on a similar level to the strongest and most important characters in the ancient history of the series. However, before taking her place as a Union Leader, she was unfortunately murdered, and then apparently brought to Kingdom Hearts 4's Quadratum for reasons that have yet to be explained.
This means that not only should Strelitzia be one of the strongest characters that Sora has run into, but she also has connections to every other major character arriving from that time. In that case, she needs to be able to take the lead in this new world that Sora doesn't understand and impress him as one of the original Keyblade Masters. It's already been shown that Sora will be able to jump right into the action from the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer, so it should go without saying that Strelitzia should be able to do the same as well.
At the end of the day, Kingdom Hearts 4 has a lot of potential to finally make up for the pitfalls of the series, as well as deliver the bombastic gameplay fans have come to enjoy. It's likely that longtime fans will enjoy whatever Square Enix releases when the game is ready. Still, it would be nice for anyone who has stuck around and continued to support the series for the last 20 years of Kingdom Hearts to see some positive changes in the formula.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently in development.