Summary
The next entry in Square Enix’s iconic Disney crossover franchise,Kingdom Hearts 4is both highly anticipated and mysterious. The beginning of a new arc for the series as a whole following the epic conclusion of the third mainline game,Kingdom Hearts 4will see Sora going on a new adventure following his awakening in the strange fictional world of Quadratum. The announcement trailer for the game showcased Sora facing the Heartless once again, but one hint about a potential world has fans speculating like never before.
As a series that has always seen its protagonist journeying through the various Disney worlds, an art style somewhere between anime and cartoon has always been a key trait ofKingdom Hearts. The upcoming fourth entry now seems to be mostly ditching the oversized shoes and gravity-defying hair of the past in favor of a world that feels more real than ever, but this could just be a symptom of being inQuadratum.Kingdom Hearts 4appears geared up to tackle live-action IPs better than ever though, and one crossover once thought impossible may have been confirmed in this same trailer all along.
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Kingdom Hearts 4’s Possible Endor Teaser
While inconspicuous to most initial viewers, the brief waterfall scene seen early on in theKingdom Hearts 4trailer potentially holds the most significance of all. Immediately noticed by keen-eyed players of the recentStars Wars Battlefrontgames, this area of nature appears nearly identical to similar shots of the planet Endor seen within those titles. As if this wasn’t already uncanny enough, a short cut then depicts what some viewers speculate is the round foot of an AT-ST Walker ofStar Wars’ Imperial forces.
There’s still a chance that these resemblances are merely coincidental, but there could be major implications for the franchise as a whole if they aren’t. WhileKingdom Heartsis no stranger to crossing over with live-action properties, as seen withPirates of the CaribbeanandTronalready, entering the world ofStar Warsopens up far more possibilities than a typical Disney film. The animated world ofThe Clone Warsand the recent sequel trilogy alike are both relatively predictable choices with their own fanbases, butKingdom Hearts 4seems to be taking the boldest direction possible.
What Star Wars Could Mean for Kingdom Hearts
The potential presence of an AT-ST Walker would not only signal thatStar Warsis being represented inKingdom Hearts, but that it’s the era of the original trilogy. As indicated by a vehicle ofthe Galactic Empirebeing on Endor, Sora may end up working with the Rebellion alongside Luke Skywalker himself in one of the climactic battles of the Galactic Civil War. An event of such an epic scale has not been properly adapted into anyKingdom Heartsgame yet, but players would likely end up with some kind of lightsaber-inspired keyblade no matter how the world actually plays out.
Placing the characters ofKingdom Heartsat any point within theStar Warstimeline has many broad implications regarding their places in a greater universe that predated Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, but even more doors would be opened beyond that. If live-action places likeReturn of the Jedi’s Endor become fair game alongside the realistic Shibuya of Quadratum, then the presence of a real-life location like New York City for a potentialMarvel world inKHdoesn’t even seem outlandish anymore. WhetherKingdom Hearts 4will delve deeper into Disney’s catalog of properties than ever remains to be seen, but Square Enix would be wise to not leave fans hanging with the next announcement.
