Kingdom Hearts 4 Will Reboot the Series

Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura recently hinted at a pivotal turning point for the series with the upcoming fourth mainline installment. Discover what he revealed about this new chapter.

Nomura Hints at a Series Conclusion with Kingdom Hearts 4

Kingdom Hearts 4: A Story Reset, According to Nomura

The future of Kingdom Hearts appears both promising and potentially definitive, based on a recent interview with creator Tetsuya Nomura. Anticipation for Kingdom Hearts 4 is high, and Nomura's comments suggest the next game will be a significant 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 explicitly confirming a series end, this suggests the final saga is underway. The game initiates the "Lost Master Arc," a fresh narrative accessible to both newcomers and veterans, regardless of prior storyline knowledge.

Nomura explained, "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," adding, "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 Nomura's words imply a potential end to the main storyline, the series' history warrants caution. Kingdom Hearts is known for its twists and turns; a seemingly definitive ending might be open to interpretation or pave the way for spin-offs or side stories. The series' extensive cast also presents opportunities for future adventures, especially given 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," explaining the inclusion of writers new to the series. "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 involvement of new writers is exciting, potentially injecting fresh energy into the narrative while preserving beloved elements. New perspectives could introduce innovative gameplay and unexplored territories within the Disney and Square Enix crossover.

However, Nomura's creative vision, while crucial to the series' success (and occasional confusion), is also finite. He confirmed consideration of retirement in a few years, posing 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?"

A New Arc, a New Beginning

Announced in April 2022, Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently under development. The game's initial trailer showcases the start of the "Lost Master Arc." Details remain scarce, but the trailer reveals Sora awakening in Quadratum, a world Nomura described in a 2022 Famitsu interview (translated by VGC) as an alternate reality.

"From each of our perspectives, our perceptions change," Nomura stated. "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-inspired, dreamlike world is not entirely new; he conceived it during the first game's development.

Quadratum offers a more grounded, realistic setting compared to the whimsical Disney worlds of previous titles. This, along with enhanced visual fidelity, necessitates a reduction in the 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 that increased graphical capabilities limit the number of worlds that can be created.

While fewer Disney worlds are a departure from series tradition, this streamlining could result in a more focused narrative, mitigating the complexity that sometimes overwhelmed players.

Regardless of whether Kingdom Hearts 4 concludes the series or ushers in a new era, it promises a significant milestone for Sora and his companions. For many fans, a full-circle conclusion under Nomura's direction, though bittersweet, would be an epic culmination of a two-decade-long journey.