Kingdom Hearts 4 is on the horizon, and the franchise seems to be on a new course following the conclusion of the Xehanort Saga. Series protagonist Sora has been on many adventures over the past 20 years, and he’ll return to this role in Kingdom Hearts 4. The last entry was the perfect opportunity to conclude Sora’s journey, but Square Enix has chosen to usher in a new saga with him still at the forefront. Infamous for its convoluted plot, Kingdom Hearts has always found a way to keep Sora at the center, but it might be time to start considering the passing of the torch.
The complexity of Kingdom Hearts wasn't present when it originally launched in 2002 and changed the gaming world while introducing Sora to the masses. A unique protagonist somewhere between Final Fantasy and Disney aesthetics, Sora’s boyish charm made him an instant fan favorite. His journey in the original Kingdom Hearts could have been a self-contained story, having seen Sora across a multitude of Disney worlds before an intense, emotional conclusion after facing off against Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. What followed was Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and Sora’s time in Castle Oblivion would see him saving the day again in a hazy story involving losing his memories, hyping up his return.
Kingdom Hearts 2 was the End of Sora’s Story for Years
Kingdom Hearts 2 is widely considered the peak of the series and the story of Sora, as this was the conclusion to his tale for several years. This adventure went a step above most aspects of the original, even seeing Sora visit all of Kingdom Hearts 2's Disney worlds twice over for good measure. He reinforced many friendships, defeated the sinister Organization 13 and their leader Xemnas, and even reconciled with a fragmented part of his own self by the end. The emotional ending could have been the end for the character, with only a vague post-credits scene driving the completed story forward.
Kingdom Hearts’ many side entries that followed would go on to make the series notorious for avoiding Kingdom Hearts 3. From the release of Kingdom Hearts 2 in 2005 to the release of the third entry in 2019, there were at least 5 unique games that bridged the massive gap. Square Enix had finally experimented with other playable characters, and this era would go on to largely define the Kingdom Hearts series and its timeline. Roxas further cemented his fan-favorite status in 358/2 Days, while the Birth by Sleep trio provided the most experimental vision for the games at their time.
Kingdom Hearts 3 Legitimately Concluded Sora’s Arc
Dream Drop Distance saw Sora and his rival Riku return, but this title only set up the further seven-year wait for Kingdom Hearts 3, during which a plethora of remasters would give fans a refresher on the complicated narrative. Between all the remasters, Sora had been in the mind of fans for a few years leading up to Kingdom Hearts 3. The anticipated title would follow an older Sora as the story finally connected all the dots between the different games and brought all the characters together in a war against Xehanort, but even this story ended on a cliffhanger, resolved by a DLC that seemed to finally conclude Sora’s saga.
Then, the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer was released and showed Sora now somehow in Shibuya, the real world as opposed to a Disney world. As if all of his adventures hadn’t been exhausting enough, Sora is literally shown to be waking up from a much-needed slumber before being forced to face the Heartless once again. While the real-life scenario is a new direction, Sora appears to be the same old hero he’s been since 2002, and maybe this bold shift would have benefitted from a new protagonist. With Riku, Roxas, and even newcomer Yozora in Kingdom Hearts 4 all being beloved by fans, a new era of Kingdom Hearts could finally let Sora take a step back and hand over the reins to a fresh new face. With the series’ history of multiple playable characters, fans can still hold out hope for that opportunity in Kingdom Hearts 4.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is in development.