Kingdom Hearts 4 May Need to Cut Its Teeth with One World Before it Can Shine

As the wait for Kingdom Hearts 4 continues, theories have been growing about what kind of worlds players can expect to see in the game. The Kingdom Hearts series is well known for its Disney-based maps featured within the games, and as the company continues to grow its reach and buy the rights to various franchises, the possibilities are only growing.

There isn’t much known about the state of Kingdom Hearts 4 at the moment. Rumors have suggested that the game may not even be released until 2026. Square Enix has yet to make any official confirmation, but the game’s secretive development has caused nearly countless rumors and theories to pop up. One of the most prevailing theories about the upcoming action RPG is that Star Wars will play a role in the game’s story with its own world. Although this seems highly likely, Kingdom Hearts 4 may merely be testing the waters by crossing over with the sci-fi franchise.

Kingdom Hearts 4 Using Star Wars as a Test Run For the Franchise’s Future

Star Wars Making Its Way Into the Fold

Kingdom Hearts has focused on a variety of Disney properties since the genesis of the series. Recurring worlds in the Kingdom Hearts franchise have grown with each installment, and Star Wars world could likely be set up to start off small and grow larger over time. This wouldn’t be the first time Kingdom Hearts has done this, either. Pirates of the Caribbean‘s world is a perfect example of this. Originally shown as simply Port Royal in Kingdom Hearts 2, Kingdom Hearts 3 expanded upon the world by introducing the Caribbean.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is another demonstration of how Kingdom Hearts has featured certain worlds, only for them to be better fleshed out in follow-up entries. With Star Wars being a brand-new IP for Kingdom Hearts to explore, leaning more into an experimental mindset with its own world could be the most productive move for the franchise’s future. Kingdom Hearts 4 risks making a Star Wars world too bloated if the game tries to cram every important aspect of the series in all at once.

Rumors about Star Wars coming to Kingdom Hearts 4 have been circulating for a long time. Due to the franchise’s massive popularity, the crossover feels inevitable, but a Star Wars world would be best served if it leaves players wanting more. Starting small, like focusing a world on just Tatooine or an Ewok colony, could be enough of a sneak peek to be exciting while avoiding being overwhelming. This would also mirror Port Royal’s growth into the full-blown Caribbean.

Kingdom Hearts 4 Needs to Handle Star Wars With Great Care

Too Much Star Wars Risks Overshadowing Kingdom Hearts 4

As one of the biggest franchises in the world, any Star Wars adaptation gets put under the microscope. Kingdom Hearts 4 adapting Star Wars while still standing on its own will be difficult to accomplish. Star Wars can easily overshadow whatever it is featured in, which makes a slow-burn introduction to the franchise in Kingdom Hearts 4 a stronger path forward. Slow and steady gives Star Wars the opportunity to grow along with future Kingdom Hearts games instead of just being a one-off moment that feels more like pandering than any meaningful inclusion.

There are high hopes for Kingdom Hearts 4, and if the Star Wars theories prove to be true, it could be a monumental moment for the Square Enix series. However, Kingdom Hearts 4 also runs the risk of making the game feel like a Star Wars showcase. The influence of Star Wars is inescapable, but it needs to remain just a small thread of a larger fabric.