As soon as I saw that Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts 4 this past weekend, I started thinking about all of the worlds I wanted the game to include. I did the same thing back in June of 2015 for Kingdom Hearts 3. Some of them, such as Big Hero 6 (world) and Wreck it Ralph ( Summon) came true. Others, unfortunately, did not. That’s where we will pick up today. Of course, we do have a lot of time. After all, the original Kingdom Hearts was released in 2002 with the sequel in 2005. Kingdom Hearts 3 was announced in 2013 but not released for 6 years until 2019. Hopefully, we get Kingdom Hearts 4 before that much of a delay, but my money is on a late 2025 release. Let’s take a look at some of the top worlds that need to be included in Kingdom Hearts 4.
BRAVE
Brave was my top choice for Kingdom Hearts 3. In fact, I wanted to see Brave in the game more than I wanted Frozen to NOT be in it. Needless to say, I was disappointed to say the least when it was not included and Frozen was basically the focal point of the game. The 13th Pixar film released in 2012 and features a brilliant story line. It’s one of the best and most well-rounded Disney films with a strong protoganist, supporting characters, villain and lush, open world. Princess Merida trying to free her mother from Mor’du’s curse has a great tie in with how Kingdom Hearts tends to envelop villains and story lines. The strong cast of supporting characters with her three brothers, father King Fergus and more make for a great, playable world. The new art style that Square Enix has opted to go with would absolutely flourish in the scenic landscapes of Scotland, and I can’t wait to play through it.
ATLANTIS
This was another one I wrote about for Kingdom Hearts 3. Originally releasing in 2001, Atlantis remains one of the more criminally underrated Disney films. The art style alone in the film was so ahead of its time. How Milo and the rest of the characters appeared 3D within a 2D environment was a huge feat when it released. The heartless take on the form of whatever location they are in, which is why it looked so “real” in the Kingdom Hearts 4 reveal trailer. Seeing the heartless fly around the world of Atlantis with its advanced technology combined with the realistic effect of present day would be an amazing thing to see. Also, if I’m being completely honest, I really want to hear Michael J. Fox again.
STAR WARS / THE MANDALORIAN
It does, but I’ll say it anyway. Is there really anyway that Disney DOESN’T put the most marketable character from the most iconic franchise of all time in the game? When Kingdom Hearts 3 was announced in 2013, we were still two and a half years away from Episode VII The Force Awakens hitting theaters, so it wasn’t possible. Now that all three sequel films (Last Jedi doesn’t count) have been released along with a number of spin-offs, there really is no excuse not to include them in the game. I want to see the Mandalorian franchise only because I think baby Yoda and Din Djarin would make an excellent pairing with Sora. Imagine Sora commanding a sand speeder while Mando takes out targets with baby Yoda laughing riding shotgun? The truth is it doesn’t matter what story in Star Wars the game takes on as they are all successful, but baby Yoda would surely be the most popular. But Disney, please, just no Jawas or Ewoks, ok? I see Endor was in the reveal trailer, but I’d like a new, less played out location please. Perhaps, one with a floating baby green alien that loves to eat frogs? Thank you in advance
MARVEL
On the success of Spider-man: No Way Home, Square Enix and Disney would be fools not to include the MCU within Kingdom Hearts 4. Just like Star Wars, the Marvel Universe has never appeared in the Kingdom Hearts series. Plus, the story does kind of write itself. The MCU has gone all in on the multiverse with Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. It would be sooooo easy to bring the MCU and Spider-Man in with how the worlds are thrown together in the game anyway, plus it would blend well with the cheeky humor that the Kingdom Hearts franchise is known for. In addition, how Amazing (pun intended) would it be to see Sora swing around with some Spidey webs? You don’t have to answer. It’s ok, we know.
PERCY JACKSON
Now would be a perfect time to include Percy Jackson into a Kingdom Hearts game. The original movie for Disney released back in 2010, and they just announced that the upcoming TV series has found its actor with the Adam Project’s Walker Scobell. The location fits perfectly with the more realistic setting that Square Enix has opted for, and there are many available options for the story to blend with the game. After all, Percy finds out he’s a god and sets off to solve a battle between other gods. That’s Kingdom Hearts without saying it’s Kingdom Hearts. There is also the love story / rescue with Annabeth they could tie into its story for the game as well. Lightning blasting around a city with Sora riding a bolt of it on his way to take out a heartless? Sign me up.
AVATAR
James Cameron’s Avatar film released 13 years ago in 2009. With sequels on the way (Don’t hold your breath), Avatar would be a great candidate to take advantage of the new direction Kingdom Hearts is taking. The isle of Pandora would absolutely look amazing with Sora flying through the air on an Ikran. After all, the story of the movie is about people invading another world in order to steal its resources. That is exactly what the heartless do in Kingdom Hearts. Those, along with the mechs that the humans walk around in, would be great augmented with Sora’s abilities.
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
The best for last. If I could hear “Don’t cite the deep magic to me” come out of Aslan’s mouth while playing Kingdom Hearts, I may just turn the game off there because there wouldn’t be any need for me to experience anything else at that point. The lore, magic, beautiful, lush landscapes and incredibly vast story line make The Chronicles of Narnia my most desired place to see in Kingdom Hearts. The realistic take on the setting for the game would be a sight to see for sure. Sora riding on Aslan while trying to take down Jadis with some fellow support in the background? – Yes Please, and I’ll have seconds. Ever since I read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in 5th grade I was hooked on Narnia and have seen all the movies. Easy story line too – help save Prince Caspian from becoming a heartless. Done.
I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to pick each other’s brains on what other worlds and summons we want to see in the game as it is in the very early stages of development. Let us know what you want in the game with the new direction it seems to be taking. We’ll have a list of summons we want to see in the game soon as well, so look out for that.
