Summary
While it’s currently in a lull, theKingdom Heartsfranchise is quickly approaching its next era.Kingdom Hearts 3andKingdom Hearts Dark Roadbrought an end to the Dark Seeker Saga, otherwise known as the Xehanort Saga, andKingdom Hearts 4is expected to formally kick off the Lost Master Saga. It’s currently unclear ifKingdom Hearts: Missing Linkwill tie into that, or if it’s doing its own thing, but fans are eager to see more ofKingdom Hearts 4to discover what’s next for the Disney crossover franchise.
More so than ever before,Kingdom Hearts 4seems like a fresh start for the series, which has become known for constantly building upon its existing story elements. IfKingdom Hearts 4ends up with widely appealing crossovers, gameplay, or narrative traits, then many potential players will appreciate it for distancing itself from the series’ last Saga. What little fans know ofKH4’s setting implies it’s the perfect chance to break away from past plot threads, resulting in the first largely standalone story the franchise has seen in a long time.
RELATED:Kingdom Hearts 4 Could (and Should) be a Restart for the Franchise
How Kingdom Hearts 4 Sets Up A Reboot
Leading intoKingdom Hearts 4, series protagonist Sora was separated from his friends and universe after misusing the Power of Waking inKH3. Subsequently,Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memoryand theKingdom Hearts 4reveal trailer and confirmed that Sora had been transported to Quadratum, some sort of unreality that looks like a real-life modern city. Joined by the previously-deadKH Union Crosscharacter Strelitzia, and potentially en route tomeetKH3: ReMind’s Yozora again, Sora has found himself in a drastically different situation than what was inKingdom Heartsup until this point.
Which Kingdom Hearts' Characters Could Persist In KH4
Some old concepts and characters have also been teased with relevance to the Lost Master Saga. The Master of Masters and six Foretellers have been implied to be future antagonists,KHdeuteragonist Riku is traveling to Quadratum himself, and Sora’s other friends, especially regular party members Donald and Goofy, are searching all of their known worlds for any trace of Sora.Kingdom Hearts 4is far from a hard reboot of the franchise, but Sora’s isolated circumstances justify easing off on classicKingdom Heartselements for at least one game, potentially making it a good starting point for new fans.
Why Kingdom Hearts Could Use A Soft Reboot Now
A soft reboot would be great forKingdom Hearts, especially ifKingdom Hearts 4intends to make any drastic changes to the series’ tone or mechanics. In particular, it would address theKHseries' longstanding bad habitof making new entries’ stories unable to stand on their own without priorKingdom Heartsknowledge. Establishing Quadratum with as few returning faces as possible, on top of allowing those present like Strelitzia and potentially the Foretellers to develop in new directions, would broadenKingdom Hearts 4’s appeal.
What Kingdom Hearts 4’s Reboot Could Do To Succeed
Dropping the number 4 in favor of a subtitle would support this cause the most, butKingdom Hearts 4can still succeed by emulating the 2018God of Warreboot. Concepts, characters, and even story elements from past games could appear, but only briefly and as part of sub-plots that don’t detract from the game’s main focus. Regardless of whichexisting story threadsKingdom Hearts 4tugs on, it needs to keep the bulk ofKingdom Hearts’ history out of focus. If the end result is satisfying, a partially-rebootedKingdom Hearts 4could give new players a great first impression of the franchise.
