Fans of theKingdom Heartsseries have begun to speculate on what the future of the series will be, focusing onKingdom Hearts' original characters and story. However, what’s certain forKH4, and any other future games, are Disney worlds. The Disney-themed worlds make up the bulk ofKHgameplay, and are an iconic part of the franchise.
There’s plenty ofpossibilities forKingdom Hearts 4Disney worlds, including newer movies and some that went overlooked inKingdom Hearts 3. Each has their own potential for gameplay mechanics, new forms, and new enemies for Sora and friends to fight.
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Princess and the Frog
The world of Disney’sThe Princess and the Froghas been a popular fan request forinclusion inKingdom Heartsfor years. It’s certainly a world with a lot of potential: The visual style of the movie is gorgeous, and would translate well into a stylizedKingdom Heartsworld. Tiana and/or Naveen would be fun party members, and there could be segments involving their human forms and animal forms.
Doctor Facilier would make a great antagonist for aKingdom Heartsworld, with his voodoo magic and “friends from the other side.” Heartless enemies themed after dark spirits and other beings from the bayou could populate the world. A boss fight featuring Facilier would be colorful, fun, and sure to have fantastic musical accompaniment.
While the movie’s plot may need to be abridged for gameplay purposes, it has plenty of locations to explore: New Orleans, the Bayou, and maybe even the “other side.” Tiana’s story of determination and realizing her dream, even through difficulties, fits well in the overalloptimism of theKingdom Heartsseries.
AfterKingdom Hearts 3stuck to 3D animated features for its worlds, it would also be nice to give some recognition to the last major traditionally animated feature from the studio.
Moana
Moanahas been another popular fan pick for a new world; some fans have presented it as a world for Kairi specifically to journey through. Kairi’s character does have an ocean-like theme, and the idea of her going on her own journey is appealing, especially sinceKingdom Hearts:Melody of Memorydidn’t actually feature her doing much. As a Princess of Heart, it would also be great for her to have opportunities to interact more with other princesses.
The world ofMoanawould most likely involve a lot of exploration and sailing, similar tothe Caribbean inKingdom Hearts 3. There could be battles on water and land with aquatic Heartless, and perhaps collectibles to find in the vast world. There’d be a lot of exploring to do in between plot cutscenes.
Moana and Maui would make for great party members; both are strong and competent. Maui’s hook could provide inspiration for the world’sKeyblade variant. The world’s boss battles could include both Tamatoa and Te Ka for some cinematic fights.
Coco
Cocois a heartfelt and visually stunning movie, and the Land of the Dead would be an excellentKingdom Heartsworld. The theme of carrying on someone’s memory fits in perfectly for the franchise —Kingdom Hearts: Chain of MemoriesandKingdom Hearts 2especially represent this. Considering Sora has technically died multiple times at this point, it also makes sense for him to end up here, perhaps with his own new skeleton look.
The “alebrijes,” spirit guide animals, could provide inspiration for enemies or allies. Dream Eaters are similarly colorful animal guides, who could make some sort of return inKingdom Hearts 4, especially after their new plot relevance. Ernesto De La Cruz is more monstrous in morals than form, but he would likely have one of theHeartless transformationscommon in the series.
The bright colors and fantastical architecture of this world would be a blast to play through, and Sora and Miguel could end up back in Santa Cecilia for part of the world’s story. BetweenCoco’s story andKingdom Hearts' earnestness and heartrending soundtrack, this world would be a sure tear-jerker.
Wreck-it Ralph
Wreck-it Ralph’s Game Central Station appeared as a world hub with multiple smaller worlds inKingdom Hearts Union X, and Ralph himself was a summon inKH3. ConsideringKHUX’s major plot relevance, especially now after its closure, it’s not too implausible that the world will reappear in a full 3D game.
The residents of this world would have some fun interactions with Sora and his crew, especially with Sora’s obliviousness towards being a video game character himself. Similarly toKH3’s Toy Box, there are opportunities for some meta jokes in the setting.
The party would travel between the various game worlds and fight Cybugs, Heartless, and maybe even a combination of the two. King Candy’s monstrous Cybug form would make a great boss battle for the world. With regards toKHlore, the elements of Data and Bug Blox would likely make a re-appearance in this world.
Disney Parks
Disney’s theme parks haven’t received much representation inKingdom Hearts, which makes sense as they’re harder to work with than a movie. However, many rides have their own lore and creative potential. The Haunted Mansion, for instance, could make for a world all its own. Ghostly enemies and a built-in soundtrack would make for a fun, spooky experience. It might be visuallysimilar to Halloweentown. World plots may be a bit looser and require some artistic license, but that makes it all the more interesting.
A sort of variation of a theme park would be an interesting world in general– Prankster’s Paradise inDream Drop Distanceand Disney Town inBirth By Sleepwere similar concepts. Considering the vast Disney movie catalog, it’s unlikely that the parks will receive attention before more movies, but fans of the parks would definitely be pleased to see it in game form.
It will be a long time before any newKingdom Heartsgames, let alone a new numbered title, will be released. That leaves plenty of time for fans to speculate on new worlds. While the focus is on the franchise’s original lore right now, theDisney crossover elementscertainly won’t be going anywhere.
