TheStar Warsfranchise has long been a popular request among fans for Square Enix to include in theKingdom Heartsseries, with theories around its inclusion inKingdom Hearts 4having possibly been teased. While there is plenty to pull from in theStar Warscanon to develop anew Disney world inKingdom Hearts 4, introducing the galactic franchise intoKingdom Heartscould come with plenty of positive and negative aspects.
Most players looking atStar WarsinKingdom Hearts 4often point to the interesting designs that might be possible, and even a number of fan-made concepts for Lightsaber-inspired Keyblades, which would be absolutely incredible to see. However, several issues arise when taking a closer look atStar Warscanon and deciding on where and when within the franchise to have Sora, Donald, and Goofy start fighting heartless and clashing magic with the Sith.
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Pro: Lightsaber Keyblades
To start off strong, one of the best ways that fans imagineKingdom HeartsandStar Warscrossing overis to look at how the reward Keyblade might look. The most popular designs spread by fans often involve Keyblades with a Lightsaber handle and a laser making up the neck and teeth of the key. After the introduction of Kylo Ren’s Lightsaber with the laser guards, some interpretations have also included a similarly shining guard that would wrap around Sora’s hand.
Considering the way that theKeyblades in the latestKingdom Heartsgameshave evolved to take on complex and flashy designs, a Lightsaber theme would fit right in with the series so far. So, even without diving into the introduction of Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader, the aesthetic of includingStar WarsinKingdom Heartsis already enough to capture fan attention. Just seeing what Square Enix might make the official design for aStar Wars-themed Keyblade would be an exciting reason to see the series explore the galactic empire.
Con: It’s Hard to Choose Which Star Wars Era Best Fits Kingdom Hearts
WithKingdom Heartsnow being a 20-year-old franchise, it has aged through several different eras of theStar Warsseries of trilogies. This means that fans that were old enough to have played the originalKingdom Heartsat launch and stuck around could easily be familiar with all three trilogies in Disney’sStar Warscanon. As a result, the decision of what point in the series to introduce Sora is very much up in the air, especially with Disney’s involvement in development.
While some fans might hope that the original trilogy would be the obvious choice, it’s more likely that Disney would want its most recentStar Warsouting to joinKingdom Hearts4in order to get the most bang for its buck. That being said, the success of some recent Disney Plus projects likeMandalorianandAndorcould warrant the Luke Skywalker era being the more concentrated focus for now. Then there is the problem of choosing which planet would make for the best locale for the player to explore in aStar Warsworld. In fact, most of the franchise’s most iconic locals like Endor or Tatooine could be difficult to differentiate from any other forest or desert.
Pro: The Death Star in Kingdom Hearts
One of the best aspects of including Disney worlds inKingdom Heartsis the way that key locations from popular franchises become explorable set pieces for Sora and friends to run through. So, while choosing any specific planet from theStar Warscanon might not quite hit the necessary vibes, running around through the Death Star could make for an incredible set piece. Even as just a background for aGummi Ship mission inKingdom Hearts 4, seeing the Death Star appear would be an incredible view with the series' modern graphics. In fact, older games have already made Gummi locations with similar designs.
Even better than a Gummi Mission that uses the Death Star as a backdrop would be having the location appear as the primary story location for aStar Warsworld. Acompressed version ofStar Wars:A New Hopecould capture the full essence of theStar Warsseries in the few hours available for each Disney world. This could also mean teaming up with Luke Skywalker and Han Solo for the first part of their full adventure before exploring other parts of the original trilogy in futureKingdom Heartstitles.
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Con: Kingdom Hearts Could Rob the Death Star of its Fangs
As impressive as the Death Star inKingdom Heartssounds, the family-friendly series could easily fall short when it comes to the impact of the moon-sized space station. With Disney worlds being the only planets to choose from, it isn’t likely that Square Enix will be allowed to fire offthe Death Star’s Superlaserat anything substantial. Of course, the Death Star doesn’t need to blow up a planet to be intimidating, but the power and resources that the megastructure represents throughout the originalStar Warstrilogy don’t hit quite as hard when it can’t fully flex those weapons.
If the Death Star is only allowed to become a location to fight Heartless instead of the fully operational space station, it wouldn’t exactly be making the best use of theStar Warsproperty. There is a reason that even a half-built Death Star was enough of a threat inReturn of the Jedito stir the entire rebellion into action, and stripping the fangs from the war machine hurts that powerful incentive. This could be one reason why manyKingdom Heartshasn’t included some Disney franchises, including the more violentStar Warsand its more consistently deadly stakes.
Pro: The Unreal/Unity Engine Era of Kingdom Hearts is Perfect for Live-Action
As has been seen in theship battles in the Caribbean inKingdom Hearts 3, the series' recent jump to the graphics available with Unreal Engine has made adapting live-action properties better than ever. Muted colors for Sora, Donald, and Goofy help them blend in with detailed character models that properly adapt Jack Sparrow and Will Turner into 3D graphics. These models aren’t true-to-life, but they are much more appropriately designed to fit inside a video game that was never going to be able to emulate live-action actors.
In the same way thatPirates of the Caribbeanis at its best inKingdom Hearts 3, the current model for building new titles can accomplish live-action adaptations better than ever before. This means thatKingdom Hearts 4is the perfect time to bringStar Warsinto the series since Square Enix has managed to make this type of property blend in perfectly with the rest of the game. So, the wait forStar Warsfans could help prove that it was worth the years of development to make sure thatKingdom Hearts 4beats outKingdom Hearts 2when it comes to which worlds might work moving forward.
Kingdom Hearts 4is in development by Square Enix.
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