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 crucial 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 captivating and potentially conclusive, based on a recent interview with Nomura. He suggests Kingdom Hearts 4 will be a significant turning point.

In a Young Jump interview (translated by KH13), Nomura stated Kingdom Hearts 4 is designed "with the intention of it being a story that leads to the conclusion." While not confirming the series' end, this suggests a final saga. The game initiates the "Lost Master Arc," a fresh narrative accessible to both newcomers and veterans, minimizing the need for extensive prior knowledge of the intricate storylines.

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...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 might allow for interpretation or future spin-offs. The extensive cast also opens possibilities for individual character-driven adventures, especially with Nomura's inclusion of new writers.

"Both Kingdom Hearts Missing Link and Kingdom Hearts IV have been created with a stronger focus on being new titles rather than sequels," Nomura told Young Jump. "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."

This injection of new writers is promising, potentially revitalizing the narrative while retaining beloved elements. Fresh perspectives could introduce innovative gameplay and unexplored areas within the Disney-Square Enix crossover.

However, Nomura, whose vision has defined the series, is considering retirement in a few years. He posed a personal challenge: "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 under development. The first trailer showcases the "Lost Master Arc." Details remain scarce, but it shows Sora awakening in Quadratum, a world Nomura described (in a 2022 Famitsu interview) as an alternate reality.

"From each of our perspectives, our perceptions change," Nomura stated (translated by VGC). "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."

Nomura's recent Young Jump interview revealed this Tokyo-inspired, dreamlike world is not entirely new, conceived since the first game's development.

Compared to the whimsical Disney worlds of previous titles, Quadratum offers a more grounded setting. This, along with enhanced visuals, leads to a reduction in Disney worlds.

"With regards to Kingdom Hearts IV, players are definitely going to see a few Disney worlds in there," Nomura told GameInformer in 2022. "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 result in a more focused narrative, potentially mitigating the complexity that sometimes overwhelmed players.

Whether Kingdom Hearts 4 concludes the series or initiates a new chapter, it will be a momentous occasion for Sora and his companions. For many fans, a full-circle conclusion under Nomura's guidance, while bittersweet, would be an epic culmination of a story spanning over two decades.