2022 marks the 20th anniversary of theKingdom Heartsseries, celebrating the unlikely video game union of Square Enix and Disney IPs into the well-known JRPG franchise it is today. Even more recently, fans have been able to revel and remember all of the highs of theKingdom Heartsseries withMelody of Memory, which came out just a few weeks ago. However, with the various endings ofMelody of Memory,ReMind, andKingdom Hearts 3presenting all sorts of cliffhangers, the future of the franchise presents a lot of questions. With a newKingdom Heartsproject planned to release in 2022, the anniversary may bring more than just a celebration.
Recently in aninterview,Kingdom Hearts' series director Tetsuya Nomuraspoke on the future of the franchise. In the wake of the ever-anticipatedKingdom Hearts 3and nowKingdom Hearts Melody of Memory, it’s going to be a long time before the next entry in the series releases. However, Nomura’s comments during the interview suggest that a lot of the dots placed withinKingdom Hearts 3andReMind’s secret endings may be connected.Melody of Memory’s ending seemingly confirmed a lot of what players expected, but Nomura seems to infer that subplots in the overarchingKingdom Heartscanon will be resolved.
Even More Kingdom Hearts Canon May Be Coming to an End
Specifically, Nomura intends to use the next mainline entry in the series to “tie up loose story ends” alongside a completely new story, some of which was teased at the end ofMelody of Memory. Those loose ends almost certainly involve much of what was teased at the ending ofKingdom Hearts 3: The “Black Box,” the return of the Foretellers, the Book of Prophecies, the presence of Xigbar (or Luxu, depending on who you ask), and the Master of Masters. Whatever this new dreaming world ends up being, the one Sora and Riku wake up induring theKingdom Hearts 3secret ending, the Master of Masters and/or Luxu is already there.
Xehanort’s story closes whenKingdom Hearts Dark Roadends, with only lingering effects of his influence permeating inMelody of Memory. Much of the True Organization 13 is gone with Xehanort, with the exception of Xigbar, who’s actually Luxu and working with the Master of Masters. Those two, the Foretellers, and whatever’s happening with Yozora in Verum Rex (AKA Quadratum, more on that later) will be the center of the upcoming story. Nomura’s comments are pretty strong evidence that the nextKingdom Heartsgame is going to solve many of the mysteries unveiled byUnion Cross,Kingdom Hearts 3,and the events ofReMind.
That “New Story” Starts with the “Fictional” World
Thenew storylines coming toKingdom Heartsare a bit more mysterious. Now, withMelody of Memory, it’s much clearer what’s going on with Sora and Riku by the end ofKingdom Hearts 3’s secret ending. In that same interview, Nomura also mentioned a desire to tell a completely new story in theKingdom Heartsseries, likely referring to what’s going on in the “world of fiction” that Riku ventures to.Melody of Memoryconfirms that the mysterious dark city where Yozora resides is known as Quadratum, a world “that’s neither of light nor darkness but somewhere on the other side.” It’s assuredly safe to assumeKingdom Hearts 3’s secret ending takes place in Quadratum.
Quadratum, andwhatever role Yozora plays within this world, will either serve as the backdrop or contextualize the new direction forKingdom Hearts. As for what that looks like, well, that’s probably too much for Nomura to spoil before the actual game is unveiled. For right now, it’s now much safer to assume that many theories aboutKingdom Hearts 3andReMind’s secret endings are much more credible. The Foretellers and Master of Masters are making their way to this world in between, and in some way Yozora will play a role alongside Sora and Riku in the narrative.
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Balancing the Foretellers and Luxu with Quadratum
The only thing that’s uncertain now is Luxu and the Foretellers' role in this new story. Will they be the focal point, despite Nomura’s desire to explore a newKingdom Heartsstory? In this case, “new” is subjective, so Nomura could strictly be referring to a different way of approaching the overarching lore ofKingdom Hearts. It’s very possible this new direction is hinting that Quadratum will be the sole main setting of the nextKingdom Heartsgame. Either that, or there will be moreFinal Fantasyinfluence this time around. It’s clearQuadratum is an overt nod to Nomura’sFinal Fantasy Versus 13project, the game that transformed intoFinal Fantasy 15.
Either way, Fans will need to keep their eyes peeled for more information in the lead up to 2022’s anniversary. For as many storylines asKingdom Hearts 3,ReMind, andMelody of Memorywrapped up for the Xehanort Saga, the next game presents even more questions. That being said, this upcoming 2022Kingdom Heartsgame could play a delicate balancing actbetween tying off the story threads fromUnion Cross, whilst also beginning a new story in this “fictional” world of Quadratum.
