It might come as a bit of a shocker to some as a game developed by Square that primarily focuses on its original characters, but Kingdom Hearts is actually owned by Disney. This includes the likes of Sora and other elements of the series, in additions to the dozens of Disney characters that show up in the games. Indeed, despite some criticism from fans, the Disney side of Kingdom Hearts’ identity has always been a key selling point, and is here to stay. Disney’s ownership of Kingdom Hearts guarantees the longevity of Disney content beyond the basics like Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Yensid, and Jiminy Cricket’s notebook.
With Kingdom Hearts 4 on the way, fans will inevitably talk about which worlds should be included in the game, especially new ones. Talks about Star Wars or Marvel representation are already occurring, potentially steering Kingdom Hearts away from “original” Disney works, which are what the series has traditionally represented. Kingdom Hearts 3 showed an interest in the series diverging from its representational habits, if only a little. Due to this, Kingdom Hearts 4 should pursue this interest and develop it, specifically by introducing Disney animated series to the franchise.
The Evolution of Disney Worlds in Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts was made before Disney became infamous for its interest in IP acquisition in the American entertainment industry. Before The Walt Disney Company was able to rely on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and countless Star Wars projects, it was comfortable promoting its brand with what made it famous to begin with. It was only a couple of decades ago when Disney was well-known for its classic Golden Age shorts and the films by Walt Disney Animation Studios, instead of everything it subsequently acquired sharing the spotlight.
Kingdom Hearts sought to represent that part of Disney’s identity. As a result, the Disney characters with major roles are either from the classic shorts, like Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, and Chip ‘n Dale, or the breakout characters of their respective movies, like Jiminy Cricket or Maleficent. In the original Kingdom Hearts, most of the Disney worlds were from the company’s “traditional” movies.
The sole exception was Halloween Town, representing The Nightmare Before Christmas. Even then, despite being a Touchstone production, Nightmare is marketed with the Disney brand nowadays, so its status as a “very special” world is almost unwarranted. Pirates of the Caribbean joined Nightmare in Kingdom Hearts 2 and remained the only other outlier.
By Kingdom Hearts 3, Pixar movies were finally getting representation. Specifically, Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., and Ratatouille were represented in some capacity. This shows that the series is willing to move away from its rigid definition of Disney, albeit within the media that Disney has always worked on without buying it beforehand. With the classic cartoons, Disney Animated Canon, Pixar, the parks (thanks to Pirates), and Touchstone (thanks to Nightmare) being in Kingdom Hearts, the only “original” Disney media that have yet to get representation in the series are some live action works, like Mary Poppins, and Disney’s animated series.
For most of the Disney Channel’s lifespan, the cartoons were either spin-offs of existing movies and characters, or edutainment. The late 2000s changed this idea thanks to Phineas and Ferb, one of the few animated Disney shows to actually show up in some Disney-themed crossovers, such as activities in the parks. The 2010s were a stepping stone in the Disney animated program, with Gravity Falls impacting the entire medium.
Despite Gravity Falls’ creator Alex Hirsch openly criticizing Disney’s policies, the show is arguably the most popular Disney TV show of all time, even almost a decade after its debut. It lacks the merchandise that carries the advertising for most Disney successes, but Gravity Falls shares a significant portion of its fanbase, at least demographically, with Kingdom Hearts.
It might not have the mainstream status of something like Toy Story, but its cult following warrants Square and Disney giving it a chance for an appearance in Kingdom Hearts. Gravity Falls’ success led to other shows with similar storytelling techniques, such as Amphibia and The Owl House, being greenlit and premiered to similar levels of success.
Most Disney shows are watered down versions of their films or relics of a nostalgic past. Some of them, like Phineas and Ferb, Gravity Falls, and the previously unmentioned The Proud Family stood the test of time. More original programming has been coming out of Disney in the 2010s, with this decade hopefully being a continuation. If something huge like the aforementioned shows were to be included, it will open the doors for most representation of works that are otherwise barely acknowledged by Disney.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is in development.