Kingdom Heartstitles often blend appearances by characters from both theFinal FantasyandDisneycatalogs.Final Fantasy 7’s Cloud and Sephiroth are perhaps the most memorable characters to appear sinceKingdom Heartsbegan, as the series has offered unique reinventions of both characters. Given theirreinvention in theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy, Cloud and Sephiroth’s current iterations should have big ramifications onKingdom Hearts 4.
Kingdom Hearts 4was announced during the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary Event in April 2022 with gameplay that portrayed an art style and tone more aligned with modernFinal Fantasytitles. Sora’s cartoonish proportions and clothing were much more realistic and grounded. The same shift in characterization occurred in 2020’sFinal Fantasy 7 Remake,the first in a trilogy of titles that seeks to reimagine the originalFinal Fantasy 7. ShouldKingdom Hearts 4seek to include Cloud and Sephiroth again, this reinvention could have major ramifications on the title’s plot and side quests.
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Kingdom Hearts Has Adapted Reinventions In the Past
As the source material for some ofKingdom Hearts' most popular characters is being modernized, it only makes sense that those characters' portrayals in futureKingdom Heartsgames will be updated too. Cloud and Sephiroth’sFinal Fantasy 7 Remakestoryline could play a huge part inKingdom Hearts 4, and longtime fans of theKingdom Heartsseries may recall this happening once before.Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distancemodernized itsTrondepiction to reflect the events and tone of the recently releasedTron: Legacy.
The world ofTrondebuted inKingdom Hearts 2, with the Space Paranoids location reinventing some of the originalTron’s visuals and enemies for a modern audience. However, by the timeKingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distancereleased in 2012, Disney had debuted a reinvention ofTronthat meant rather than stick toKingdom Hearts 2’s version,Dream Drop Distanceadapted the character arcs and locations fromTron: Legacythrough a second digital world, The Grid. This allowed both Sora and Riku to experience unique versions of the sequel’s plot, with ramifications beyond The Grid itself that played a role in the overall plot ofDream Drop Distance’ssleeping worlds.
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy Could Have a Long-Term Effect on Kingdom Hearts
Cloud and Sephiroth’s relationships in both theRemaketrilogy andKingdom Heartsare unique from the original source material, pointing to a similar dynamic as with Space Paranoids andTron Legacy. By the timeKingdom Hearts 4’srelease datearrives, fans will likely have played at least two of the three titles in theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy. Therefore, fans can speculate that its characters' inclusion inKingdom Hearts 4would adhere to the new source material rather than priorKingdom Heartsdepictions.Kingdom Hearts 4’s Quadratum promises a more mature setting for Sora’s next adventure, and given its heavyFinal Fantasyinfluences, fans may see characters reappear akin toDream Drop Distance’sThe Grid.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s continuity could affectKingdom Hearts 4in a variety of ways. AsFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’s plot revolves around defying fate, its adaptation intoKingdom Heartscould drastically change the series' trajectory and major events, particularly if its fate-breaking is utilized by the series' enemies. With both theKingdom HeartsandFinal Fantasy 7series entering a new age, now would be the perfect time to reinvent how they connect. Though little is known aboutKingdom Hearts 4,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis due to arrive by the end of 2023. Players attempting to predict how theRemaketrilogy could impactKingdom Heartsmight have a much better idea followingRebirth,as it will dive deeper into the ramifications of altering the series' canon.
Kingdom Hearts 4is currently in development.
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