The Star Wars “Sequel Trilogy;” comprised ofEpisode 7: The Force Awakens,Episode 8: The Last Jedi, andEpisode 9: The Rise of Skywalker; is divisive. Arguments have persisted in online communities for years about which movies “ruined” the series and its many characters. One takeaway evenEpisode 7and9director J.J. Abrams admits is theSequel Trilogy wasn’t plotted out from the beginning, contributing to its messy progression under different creative minds. Still many think there’s potential to be mined from how this trilogy carried the universe forward, and that’s something Square Enix’sKingdom Heartsfranchise could capitalize on.
Kingdom Heartsis a strange beast in its own right; primarily a series of action-RPGs that blend Disney’s filmography with the anime-likecharacters and aesthetic of modernFinal Fantasygames. DespiteKingdom Heartsboasting a convoluted timeline thanks to a number of “spin-off” games, what helps it succeed is its earnest examination of themes about identity, good versus evil, and more that often cleverly weaves in original Disney properties.
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While the series has largely played with Disney and Pixar’s animated movies, it has also dabbled in live-action withSora and his friends visitingPirates of the Caribbean. Thus, it would not be surprising to find future games include worlds based on universes under the Disney umbrella like Star Wars or Marvel. If Sora does visit the galaxy far, far away, it’s likely Disney would prefer he find the universe established after it bought Lucasfilm in 2012, and there are ways he could help smooth out the Sequel Trilogy’s rougher edges.
Star Wars is perfect forKingdom Heartsbecause each generation of movies released since 1977’sEpisode 4: A New Hopeserve as meditations on darkness, light, and the grey areas in-between. Sora could partner with Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, or Rey and likely end up with similar conflicts against forces trying to turn those heroes to their dark impulses. Given the aforementioned interests of Disney, as well asRey’s more specific arc of finding an identityafter being abandoned, it’s likely she would have the most potential as an ally for Sora.
Sora’s Disney companions in the past have featured similar struggles, such as Beast dealing with overcoming his darkness after finding love, or Mulan coming into her own strength after pretending to be someone else. A potentialStar Warsworld in something likeKingdom Hearts 4may well follow this trend, partnering Sora with a protagonist like Rey to help them through their arc. However, the most interesting direction forKingdom Heartswould be a deeper examination of antagonist Kylo Ren.
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Kylo Ren is the Sith moniker bestowed upon Ben Solo, son of Original Trilogy characters Han Solo and Leia Organa, by the corrupting influence of the First Order’s Supreme Leader Snoke.The Force Awakensexamines his struggle between the light side of his family with Luke and Leia, as well as the dark side with Anakin - and he emulates Darth Vader as a means of portraying strength.The Last Jediposits that Luke' failure to respond to these struggles in a healthy wayled Kylo down his dark path, and he becomes so far-gone thatThe Rise of Skywalkerhas him briefly team up with Emperor Palpatine - the seeming root of all evil inStar Wars' filmography.
The Sequel Trilogy gives Kylo Ren a redemption at the end, but it’s fairly rushed and drew controversy for a number of reasons, including the decision to make this come alongside a short-lived romance with Rey. IfKingdom Heartswere to dive into the movies, it would do better to stick withEpisodes 7or8so it could really play with the antagonist’s struggles. Having dealt with the pull to darkness himself, Sora could act as another good angel alongside Rey, whereas some evil character could pull Kylo closer to darkness alongside Snoke.Kingdom Hearts 3did something similar withOrganization 13 member Larxene meddling in the plot ofFrozenby trying to sway Elsa closer to her fears and potential darkness.
If nothing else, it would be fun to watch Sora and avideo game facsimile of Adam Driveryell at one another about the merits of darkness and light. His aggressive broadsword fighting style with the tri-blade lightsaber would also stand out whether Kylo be an ally or boss. Ultimately, delving into this theme without the back-and-forth plotting that came with a trilogy helmed by different creative minds could help redeem the Disney Star Wars films in a sense, giving its characters the proper chance to shine.
Kingdom Hearts 3is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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