Kingdom Hearts 4 has been relatively silent for over a year since its announcement. However, some interviews and additional lore hints have been dropped by Square Enix. There’s also a strong likelihood that a certain galaxy far, far, away is involved as a world. Here’s what we know about Kingdom Hearts 4 so far that’s been confirmed or alluded to.
What’s the story of Kingdom Hearts 4 about?
After the events of Kingdom Hearts 3 and its DLC follow-up Re Mind, Sora has found himself in the realm of fiction. He saved his friends too much from the darkness, including his love Kairi, making him disappear from the realm of light.
The plot of Kingdom Hearts 4 so far includes Riku, Kairi, and the others finding a way to save Sora. Ventus, Aqua, and Terra have delved into the realm of darkness, while Kairi is sleeping finding clues within the past. Kairi finds out there is an “other side” that leads to the realm of fiction. Riku ultimately follows this path to find Sora and bring him back safely.
During the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts 3, we see both Sora and Riku exploring Quadratum. In the reveal trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4, Sora awakens in an apartment. He’s been looked after by a character named Strelitzia, who has also “passed on” to the realm of fiction in Kingdom Hearts Union X. She was going to be a Union leader but was removed by a hypnotized Ventus. Her rulebook was also stolen by the Darkness. As a side note, I wish the lore wasn’t entrenched in a lackluster mobile game.
Donald and Goofy are trying to find a way to save Sora within Hades’ underworld. We see the iconic villain teased at the end of the Kingdom Hearts 4 teaser.
The mysterious Master of Masters will also play a role and is likely the main antagonist of the series going forward.
Who is Yozora?
Yozora is the secret boss of Kingdom Hearts 3: ReMind after you beat all of the organization members in the data battles. In the Toy Story world, he’s depicted as a video game character in Verum Rex. Hamm thinks Sora looks exactly like Yozora and mistakes him.
This is where it gets confusing. When Sora and Yozora meet, the latter seems to know our hero by name. He says he’s been tasked to save him. He also asks Sora why he’s using his name, confused.
Before fighting Sora, Yozora says, “If you are who you say, and it was fate that brought us here, then my path is clear.” Sora asks why Yozora is fighting him, but he gets no answer.
It’s unclear who Yozora is exactly, but it’s strange that he bears so much resemblance to director Tetsuya Nomura’s vision for Noctis. Something we do know is that Yozora’s voiced by Dylan Sprouse.
Ties to Final Fantasy Versus XIII
There is an uncanny resemblance to a cancelled project Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Once you beat Yozora (and it’s a tough fight), there’s a cutscene that has the same cinematography as Noctis waking up in his car in the Versus XIII trailer.
This time, the long-known Organization character Luxord appears as the driver. He seems to have a past to this reality in some shape or form.
At the end of this cutscene, both Sora and Yozora say “I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately,” teasing a connection between the two. It’s the first line Sora ever had in the original Kingdom Hearts intro.
The secret ending of Kingdom Hearts 3 also has music that references “Somnus” from the original Final Fantasy Versus XIII trailers.
Where does Kingdom Hearts 4 take place?
Quadratum is the world we’re introduced to in the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer. “It is set as the initial base within the game,” series director Tetsuya Nomura said to Game Informer. “You spend time there and then go to different worlds and then go back there.”
Nomura also references “more of a realistic daily life aspect to Sora’s life.” You’ll be able to go in and out of his room and spend time in there. “I feel like players will get to see more of the day-to-day routines he goes through.”
Will there be any Final Fantasy characters in Kingdom Hearts 4?
Unfortunately, no Final Fantasy characters have been confirmed to appear in Kingdom Hearts 4. However, Nomura has noted the interest in seeing more in the series after their absence in the base game of Kingdom Hearts 3.
“I know that some fans were concerned about that and weren’t too happy and wanted to see more Final Fantasy characters,” said Nomura in the same Game Informer interview. “That’s something we definitely are thinking about.”
Nomura also said, “But just with the sheer number of original characters that we have now, it’s hard to say what the exact balance is going to be and how it will play out in Kingdom Hearts IV.”
It would be cool to see characters like Final Fantasy XIII‘s Lightning, Final Fantasy XII‘s Balthier, and Final Fantasy XVI‘s Clive in Kingdom Hearts 4, but we have no details yet.
All Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts 4
So far, only one Disney world has been teased in Kingdom Hearts 4 so far. While there hasn’t been an outright confirmation, the forest area featured in the teaser trailer is theorized to be Star Wars’ Endor. The scenery’s very similar and eagle-eyed fans like @xenosaga7 on Twitter/X have spotted the foot of an AT-ST. We don’t have any other Kingdom Hearts 4 details on worlds, but they could be based on more live-action properties in Disney’s catalogue like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the new Jungle Book, and Mary Poppins based on how Quadratum looks.
Kingdom Hearts 4 gameplay details
From the gameplay in the reveal trailer, keyblade transformations seem to be returning in Kingdom Hearts 4. Additionally, Nomura has confirmed (via Gematsu) that the “Dearly Beloved” reaction command system from Kingdom Hearts 2 is returning. There will also be a scrap and build system that will be discussed further later.
Does Kingdom Hearts 4 have a release date?
Currently, Kingdom Hearts 4 is still in production and has no release date. No platforms have been announced yet either.
As of April 2024, news on Kingdom Hearts 4 remains incredibly scarce. However, noted leaker DanielRPK has implied Kingdom Hearts 4 may be gearing up for a 2025 release. That would line up with many fan expectations, as many believed Square Enix wouldn’t put a focus on the new Kingdom Hearts until Final Fantasy VII Rebirth had been released.
