Kingdom Hearts 4 Will Reboot the Series

Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura recently hinted at a pivotal shift for the series with the upcoming fourth mainline installment. This article delves into his revelations about this new chapter.

Nomura Hints at Series Conclusion with Kingdom Hearts 4

Kingdom Hearts 4: A Story Reset, According to Nomura

The future of Kingdom Hearts appears both intriguing and potentially conclusive, based on a recent interview with Nomura. He suggests Kingdom Hearts 4 will be a turning point.

In an interview with Young Jump (translated by KH13), Nomura stated Kingdom Hearts 4 is being developed "with the intention of it being a story that leads to the conclusion." While not confirming a series finale, it suggests the final saga is underway. This game initiates the "Lost Master Arc," a fresh narrative accessible to both newcomers and veterans, regardless of prior storyline knowledge.

Nomura explained, referencing Kingdom Hearts III's ending: "If you remember how the ending of Kingdom Hearts III goes, you'll understand that Sora ends up like that because he's ‘resetting’ the story in a way," He added, "So Kingdom Hearts IV should be easier to get into than before. I think that if you like the series, you'll feel like 'this is it', but I'm also hoping that as many new players as possible will play it."

While hinting at a potential end to the main storyline, Nomura's comments must be considered within the series' history of twists and turns. A seemingly definitive ending could still allow for interpretation or future spin-offs. The series' extensive cast also opens possibilities for future individual character-driven adventures, especially with Nomura's announcement of new writers contributing to the Kingdom Hearts universe.

Nomura told Young Jump, "Both Kingdom Hearts Missing Link and Kingdom Hearts IV have been created with a stronger focus on being new titles rather than sequels," adding, "For example, as a new experiment, we have had staff who have not been involved in the Kingdom Hearts series before participate in writing the scenario. Of course, I will be editing it in the end, but I don't think it will be positioned as a work that needs to be done in the sense that the writer who has never been involved in the 'Kingdom Hearts' series is creating a new base."

The inclusion of new writers is an exciting development, potentially injecting fresh narrative energy while preserving beloved core elements. This could lead to innovative gameplay and unexplored territory within the Disney and Square Enix crossover.

However, Nomura's confirmed consideration of retirement within a few years adds another layer. He posed the question: "If this isn't a dream, then I only have a few years left until I retire, and it's looking like: will I retire or will I finish the series first?"

New Arc, Fresh Start

Announced in April 2022, Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently under development. The first trailer showcases the beginning of the "Lost Master Arc." Details remain scarce, but the trailer shows Sora awakening in Quadratum, a world Nomura described in a 2022 Famitsu interview (translated by VGC) as an alternate reality akin to our own.

Nomura stated, "From each of our perspectives, our perceptions change," explaining, "From Sora’s perspective, Quadratum is an underworld, a fictional world that is different from reality. But from the point of view of the inhabitants on the Quadratum side, the world of Quadratum is reality, and the world where Sora and the others were is the other side, the fictional world."

According to Nomura's Young Jump interview, this Tokyo-esque world with a dreamlike quality isn't entirely new; he conceived it during the first game's development.

In contrast to the whimsical Disney worlds of previous titles, Quadratum offers a more grounded, realistic setting. This, along with enhanced visual fidelity, has resulted in a reduced number of Disney worlds.

Nomura told GameInformer in 2022, "With regards to Kingdom Hearts IV, players are definitely going to see a few Disney worlds in there," explaining, "Since each new title, the specs have been really increasing, and there’s so much more we can do in terms of graphics, it kind of limits the number of worlds that we can create in a sense. At this time, we’re considering how to approach that, but there will be Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts IV."

While fewer Disney worlds are a change, this streamlining could lead to a more focused narrative, potentially mitigating the complexity that has sometimes challenged players.

Regardless of whether Kingdom Hearts 4 signifies a series conclusion or a new beginning, it will be a significant milestone for Sora and his companions. For many fans, a full-circle conclusion under Nomura's direction, while bittersweet, would be an epic culmination of a story spanning over two decades.