Kingdom Hearts 4is one of gaming’s most anticipated JRPG titles, as it begins a new saga in the long-running franchise. 2019’sKingdom Hearts 3brought the Dark Seeker Saga to a close, with Sora finally defeating Xehanort for good. While few details have been shared as to the overall narrative and gameplay ofKingdom Hearts 4, the title is set to begin a mysterious new saga called the Lost Master Arc.
This past week did see some surprising news arrive, with franchiseco-creator and director Tetsuya Nomuraannouncing thatKingdom Hearts 4is the beginning of the end for the series. With the title marking the series' first major shift, fans likely anticipated the Lost Master Arc to follow in the Dark Seeker’s footsteps, delivering an expansive narrative across a variety of titles. However, the Dark Seeker’s decades-long legacy is precisely whyKingdom Hearts 4being the beginning of the end is a sad but necessary reality.
Kingdom Hearts 4will feature a bold new experience, with the events ofKingdom Hearts 3 ReMindplacing both Sora and the Master of Masters in Quadratum, a non-reality separated from that of the Dark Seeker Saga. Announced during theKingdom Hearts20th Anniversary Event in April 2022, the title has been steeped in mystery for over two years. With Nomura’s reveal thatKingdom Hearts 4acts as the beginning of the end, fans are left to make sense of the series’ future. While the news is likely disappointing to many, a variety of contributing factors make the early framing forKingdom Hearts’next era a necessary perspective for fans as they enter this new era.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is Going to Reset Much of the Franchise
This past week, Tetsuya Nomura was interviewed byYoung Jump, a Japanese seinen manga magazine, about his work on the recentFinal Fantasy Remakeseries andKingdom Heartsfranchise. Speaking onKingdom Hearts 4, Nomura revealed that he has had the move to Quadratum planned since the very first game, before moving on to discuss the series at large. Nomura shared thatKingdom Hearts 4and the upcoming mobile gameKingdom Hearts: Missing Linkwill act as a reset for the series. He even created a new logo so that fans would visibly recognize the distinct shift.
Nomura shares thatKingdom Hearts’ reset acts as both a narrative and franchise jumping-on point, as it welcomes fans both old and new into an adventure separated from that of the Dark Seeker Saga. He shares that he wantedKingdom Hearts 3to mark the end of the series as fans know it, and to make this new era feel different he has appointed new writers to lead the way. However, this saga will seemingly endtheKingdom Heartsseries, and Nomura wants fans to know that going in. While this news may come as bittersweet to fans who have invested decades into theKingdom Heartsseries, Nomura goes on to share why now is the time to wrap things up for good.
Kingdom Hearts’ Nomura is Looking to Retire Soon
During his discussion onKingdom Hearts’ future, Nomura revealed thatKH4’s beginning-of-the-end nature is partly due to his own future plans. Nomura, who has beena part of Square Enix sinceFinal Fantasy 4, is eyeing retirement in the next few years. When discussingKingdom Hearts 4, Nomura shared with Young Jump that he had to decide whether to retire or finish theKingdom Heartsseries first. He ended up deciding that he wanted to seeKingdom Heartsend in a satisfactory way, and has therefore approached the creation ofKingdom Hearts 4with the full intention of completing the series’ story.
TheKingdom Heartsseries' released 13 mainline titles across its 22 years of existence, all of which are leading toKingdom Hearts 4’s kickoff ofthe Lost Master Arc. While the title’s designation as the beginning of the end is sad, the time has come for both the series and its co-creator.Kingdom Heartsis among the most legendary and beloved gaming series in history, and its ending is in no way due to its lack of invention, quality, or potential. Rather, it is proof of just how enduring the series is. After decades of narrative, the franchise still has one last story to tell.
Kingdom Hearts 4may be the beginning of the end, but it’s also a celebration of all that has come before. Nomura’s interview proves that the series has been building to this moment since the very beginning. WhileKingdom Hearts 4delivers a reset of sorts, the title will usher in a conclusion that the series, and its co-creator, have been working towards since day one, and Nomura is inviting fans old and new to join this final adventure.
Kingdom Hearts 4
Kingdom Hearts 4 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix and represents the fifteenth installment in the franchise. Players once again are put in the shoes of Sora who is suddenly trapped in a more realistic world called Quadratum, with companions like Donald and Goofy attempting to rescue him. Kingdom Hearts 4 is a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.
