The Unveiling of Kingdom Hearts 4: Breaking Down the Epic Cliffhanger

Highlights

Kingdom Hearts 4 takes a new direction by stepping away from its traditional art style and embracing a more realistic world in Quadratum.

The Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer teases a potential collaboration with Star Wars, potentially showcasing the original trilogy and beloved characters such as Luke Skywalker. Incorporating Star Wars into Kingdom Hearts 4 paves the way for future crossovers with other live-action properties, such as Marvel, in upcoming games.

Kingdom Hearts 4, the highly anticipated and enigmatic addition to Square Enix's Disney crossover franchise, marks the beginning of a new chapter for the series. Following the epic conclusion of the third mainline game, Sora embarks on a fresh adventure after awakening in the peculiar fictional realm of Quadratum. In the announcement trailer, fans caught a glimpse of Sora battling the Heartless once more, accompanied by a tantalizing hint about a potential world that has sparked intense speculation.

Throughout the series, Kingdom Hearts has embraced an art style blending elements of anime and cartoons, with the protagonist venturing into various Disney realms. However, the upcoming fourth installment seems to depart from the exaggerated footwear and gravity-defying hairstyles of the past, favoring a more realistic world—an effect possibly attributed to Quadratum. Kingdom Hearts 4 appears ready to tackle live-action intellectual properties with unprecedented success, and in an unexpected twist, the trailer may have secretly confirmed a long-believed impossible crossover.

Kingdom Hearts 4’s Possible Endor Teaser

The waterfall scene in the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer may seem unassuming at first glance, but it holds significant importance. Observant players of the Stars Wars Battlefront games quickly noticed that this nature-filled area bears a striking resemblance to the planet Endor. And to add to the intrigue, a brief shot appears to show the unmistakable round foot of an AT-ST Walker from Star Wars' Imperial forces.

While it's possible that these similarities are mere coincidences, their potential implications for the franchise as a whole cannot be ignored. Kingdom Hearts has previously crossed over with live-action properties like Pirates of the Caribbean and Tron, but the inclusion of Star Wars opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. The animated world of The Clone Wars and the recent sequel trilogy are more predictable choices, given their established fanbases. However, Kingdom Hearts 4 seems to be opting for the boldest and most daring direction yet.

What Star Wars Could Mean for Kingdom Hearts

The inclusion of an AT-ST Walker in Kingdom Hearts would not only indicate the presence of Star Wars in the game, but specifically the era of the original trilogy. With the appearance of a Galactic Empire vehicle on the planet Endor, there is a possibility that Sora will join forces with Luke Skywalker and fight alongside the Rebellion in a climactic battle of the Galactic Civil War. This would be an unprecedented event in the Kingdom Hearts series, and regardless of the outcome, players can expect to wield a keyblade inspired by lightsabers.

Placing Kingdom Hearts characters within the Star Wars timeline has significant implications for their roles in a universe that predates Disney's ownership of Lucasfilm. Additionally, this opens the door for other live-action settings like Endor from Return of the Jedi to coexist with the realistic world of Quadratum in Shibuya. Even a real-life location such as New York City for a potential Marvel world in KH no longer seems far-fetched. Whether Kingdom Hearts 4 will explore Disney's extensive collection of properties remains uncertain, but Square Enix would be wise not to keep fans waiting for the next announcement.

Kingdom Hearts 4 is now in development.