Kingdom Hearts 4has been relatively silent for over a year since its announcement. However, some interviews and additional lore hints have been dropped by Square Enix. There’s also a strong likelihood that a certain galaxy far, far, away is involved as a world. Here’s what we know aboutKingdom Hearts 4so far that’s been confirmed or alluded to.
What’s the story ofKingdom Hearts 4about?
After the events ofKingdom Hearts 3and its DLC follow-upRe Mind,Sora has found himself in the realm of fiction. He saved his friends too much from the darkness, including his love Kairi, making him disappear from the realm of light.
The plot ofKingdom Hearts 4so far includes Riku, Kairi, and the others finding a way to save Sora. Ventus, Aqua, and Terra have delved into the realm of darkness, while Kairi is sleeping finding clues within the past. Kairi finds out there is an “other side” that leads to the realm of fiction. Riku ultimately follows this path to find Sora and bring him back safely.
During the secret ending ofKingdom Hearts 3,we see both Sora and Riku exploring Quadratum. In the reveal trailer forKingdom Hearts 4,Sora awakens in an apartment. He’s been looked after by a character named Strelitzia, who has also “passed on” to the realm of fiction inKingdom Hearts Union X.She was going to be a Union leader but was removed by a hypnotized Ventus. Her rulebook was also stolen by the Darkness. As a side note, I wish the lore wasn’t entrenched in a lackluster mobile game.
Donald and Goofy are trying to find a way to save Sora within Hades’ underworld. We see the iconic villain teased at the end of theKingdom Hearts 4teaser.
The mysterious Master of Masters will also play a role and is likely the main antagonist of the series going forward.
Who is Yozora?
Yozora is the secret boss ofKingdom Hearts 3: ReMindafter you beat all of the organization members in the data battles. In theToy Storyworld, he’s depicted as a video game character inVerum Rex.Hamm thinks Sora looks exactly like Yozora and mistakes him.
This is where it gets confusing. When Sora and Yozora meet, the latter seems to know our hero by name. He says he’s been tasked to save him. He also asks Sora why he’s using his name, confused.
Before fighting Sora, Yozora says, “If you are who you say, and it was fate that brought us here, then my path is clear.” Sora asks why Yozora is fighting him, but he gets no answer.
It’s unclear who Yozora is exactly, but it’s strange that he bears so much resemblance to director Tetsuya Nomura’s vision for Noctis. Something we do know is that Yozora’s voiced by Dylan Sprouse.
Ties to Final Fantasy Versus XIII
There is an uncanny resemblance to a cancelled projectFinal Fantasy Versus XIII.Once you beat Yozora (and it’s a tough fight), there’s a cutscene that has the same cinematography as Noctis waking up in his car in theVersus XIIItrailer.
This time, the long-known Organization character Luxord appears as the driver. He seems to have a past to this reality in some shape or form.
At the end of this cutscene, both Sora and Yozora say “I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately,” teasing a connection between the two. It’s the first line Sora ever had in the originalKingdom Heartsintro.
The secret ending ofKingdom Hearts 3also has music that references “Somnus” from the originalFinal Fantasy Versus XIIItrailers.
Where doesKingdom Hearts 4take place?
Quadratum is the world we’re introduced to in theKingdom Hearts 4trailer. “It is set as the initial base within the game,” series director Tetsuya Nomura said toGame Informer. “You spend time there and then go to different worlds and then go back there.”
Nomura also references “more of a realistic daily life aspect to Sora’s life.” You’ll be able to go in and out of his room and spend time in there. “I feel like players will get to see more of the day-to-day routines he goes through.”
Will there be anyFinal Fantasycharacters inKingdom Hearts 4?
Unfortunately, noFinal Fantasycharacters have been confirmed to appear inKingdom Hearts 4.However, Nomura has noted the interest in seeing more in the series after their absence in the base game ofKingdom Hearts 3.
“I know that some fans were concerned about that and weren’t too happy and wanted to see more Final Fantasy characters,” said Nomura in the same Game Informer interview. “That’s something we definitely are thinking about.”
Nomura also said, “But just with the sheer number of original characters that we have now, it’s hard to say what the exact balance is going to be and how it will play out in Kingdom Hearts IV.”
It would be cool to see characters likeFinal Fantasy XIII‘s Lightning,Final Fantasy XII‘s Balthier, andFinal Fantasy XVI‘s Clive inKingdom Hearts 4, but we have no details yet.
All Disney worlds inKingdom Hearts 4
So far, only one Disney world has been teased inKingdom Hearts 4so far. While there hasn’t been an outright confirmation, the forest area featured in the teaser trailer is theorized to beStar Wars’Endor. The scenery’s very similar and eagle-eyed fans like@xenosaga7 on Twitter/Xhave spotted the foot of an AT-ST. We don’t have any otherKingdom Hearts 4details on worlds, but they could be based on more live-action properties in Disney’s catalogue like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the newJungle Book,andMary Poppinsbased on how Quadratum looks.
Kingdom Hearts 4gameplay details
From the gameplay in the reveal trailer, keyblade transformations seem to be returning inKingdom Hearts 4.Additionally, Nomura has confirmed (viaGematsu) that the “Dearly Beloved” reaction command system fromKingdom Hearts 2is returning. There will also be a scrap and build system that will be discussed further later.
DoesKingdom Hearts 4have a release date?
Currently,Kingdom Hearts 4is still in production and has no release date. No platforms have been announced yet either.
As of April 2024, news onKingdom Hearts 4remains incredibly scarce. However, noted leaker DanielRPK has impliedKingdom Hearts 4may be gearing up for a 2025 release. That would line up with many fan expectations, as many believed Square Enix wouldn’t put a focus on the newKingdom HeartsuntilFinal Fantasy VII Rebirthhad been released.
