The long drought ofKingdom Heartsnews presumably begins afterMelody of Memoryreleases, but it perhaps won’t be too long. With Nomura confirming a 2022 targeted release year for the next majorKingdom Heartsproject, lining up with the franchise’s 20th anniversary, the wait won’t beKingdom Hearts 3long. That being said, many are wondering what kind of game to expect in 2022, whether it’s a large-scale spin-off likeDream Drop Distance, or a legitimateKingdom Hearts 4.
There are certainly hints that another game centered on dreams may be coming, as hinted byKingdom Hearts 3’s secret ending. However, the worlds of Verum Rex and Shibuya could be connected to a very different world forKingdom Hearts, one centered onFinal Fantasyspecifically. It’s no coincidence that Tetsuya Nomura, the main concept writer forKingdom Hearts, is tossing in references from another RPG he previously directed:Final Fantasy Versus 13. It’s very possible the nextKingdom Heartsgame strongly featuresFinal Fantasy.
The Lack of Final Fantasy in Kingdom Hearts 3
One of the main criticisms ofKingdom Hearts 3’s base game was the complete andtotal lack ofFinal Fantasycharacters. One of the defining aspects of theKingdom Heartsproject in the beginning was it’s strange dynamic duo between Disney worlds andFinal Fantasycharacters. Sora fighting Cloud in Olympus Coliseum, Auron fighting through the Underworld with Sora, Squall and Cloud teaming up in Hollow Bastion, all of these weird but endearing mashups were made possible byKingdom Hearts' unique team up. When players beatKingdom Hearts 3for the first time, many were still wondering what happened to theFinal Fantasycharacters.
Then inKingdom Hearts 3 ReMind, players briefly returned to theFinal Fantasycrew back in Hollow Bastion, but only for a short time. While Riku’s conversation with them was a nice return, it was very short-lived when all it lead to were the Data Battles boss rush mode inKingdom Hearts 3 ReMind. The only other reference toFinal FantasythroughoutKingdom Hearts 3is during the ending cinematic ofReMind’s secret boss. Whether players defeat or are defeated by Yozora, they’re given a familiarcutscene that resembles one ofFinal Fantasy Versus 13’s first trailers, which could be a very big hint on what’s to come.
One of the biggest fan theories out there about Yozora and the nextKingdom Heartsgame is thatYozora’s true identity may beFinal Fantasy Versus 13’s Noctis, or some version of Noctis (like withFinal Fantasy 8’s Squall becoming “Leon”). This world, whether it’s Verum Rex or Insomnia or something entirely different, could very well be a new original world that’s based entirely aroundFinal Fantasycharacters inKingdom Hearts. It would certainly be a first, considering basically all worlds inKingdom Heartshave either been Disney-themed or original to the series.
Much of this theory depends onthe purpose of Yozora’s role inKingdom Hearts' future. There’s not much known so far, but already there’s a lot of importance presumably riding on the world Sora and Riku wake up in duringKingdom Hearts 3’s secret ending. Yozora is there watching over Riku, Sora has ended up in this city even though he’s presumably lost his life, and even the Master of Masters is seen overlooking Shibuya crossing on the other side of the city. What other reason would there be an entireFinal Fantasy Versus 13reference inReMind’s ending if this world wasn’t intended to beFinal Fantasythemed?
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The Perfect Way to Address Missing Final Fantasy Characters
In a way, this could be the perfect avenue toaddress criticisms ofKingdom Hearts 3not having anyFinal Fantasycharacters. For the first time in theKingdom Heartsseries, the next installment could feature aFinal Fantasy-specific world. Granted one that would presumably include Neku andThe World Ends with Youcharacters in Shibuya, but it’s still possible. Or alternatively, the game could be entirely centered on exploring this city only, instead of multiple separate Disney worlds. All that’s known for now is this city almost certainly has to be intrinsically tied to reawakening/reviving Sora, whose fate is still a mystery at the end ofKingdom Hearts 3 ReMind.
It’s hard to say in any form if this theory is likely, but the importance of this unknownKingdom Heartsworld (with Shibuya in it) seems to be emphasized greatly. Consideringthe next installment is planned to release on 2022 for the anniversary, fans at least won’t have to wait a decade for the story to truly continue. Yozora’s true identity still remains a mystery for now, but he could be a sign thatKingdom Heartsintends to lean back into itsFinal Fantasypartnership in the next major installment.
The nextKingdom Heartsinstallment is reportedly in development.
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