Square Enix’s IP-crossing epic franchise has been beloved among fans for over twenty years, and the release ofKingdom Hearts 4promises to take the series in an exciting new direction. Casual observers and dedicated players alike may find it hard to keep track of the various entries in theKingdom Heartsfranchise along with their fluctuating chronology and varying formats, but this hasn’t stopped the series from gathering a dedicated fanbase. The mixture of both Disney and Square Enix properties, in addition to original content, has proven to be a potent one, even if this means there’s an intimidating amount of lore to keep track of.
With the announcement thatKingdom Hearts 4is on the way, gamers know they have another chapter of Sora’s adventures with his myriad of friends to look forward to at some point. With thirteen other games in the franchise already and an upcoming sequel that will kick off ‘The Lost Master Arc’ and introduce the world of Quadratum, players might be feeling a little overwhelmed already. With so many established characters and undoubtedly more on the way,Kingdom Hearts 4 would do well to follow the recently releasedSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’s example when it comes to handling a massive cast.
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’s Cast
Sony’s2018 mega-hitSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Versewas a culture-shaping release that provided a fresh take on the over-saturated superhero market. Its distinct comic book-style animation, banging soundtrack, and sophisticated storytelling all combined to create something truly special, and fans have been desperate for a sequel ever since. It may have taken a few years, but the recent release ofSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseshowed that the creative team behind the first film was far from a one-hit-wonder. Not only did the sequel significantly up the ante, but it managed to seamlessly juggle a ridiculously large cast of characters as well.
While the majority of the astonishingly large number of Spider-people were only seen in the background or during the frantic chase sequence when Miles Morales attempts to escape Nueva York on Earth-928 and return home, there was still a decent group of brand-new characters that audiences were able to get to know. The story might have centered on Miles, Gwen, and the antagonistic Miguel, but even side figures like Spider-Woman, Spider-Man India, andSpider-Punk had their own arcs and charatcer development. Spider-Punk in particular quickly became a favorite with fans, showing a blueprint thatKingdom Hearts 4and subsequent sequels could use moving forward.
How Kingdom Hearts Could Learn From Across the Spider-Verse
AlthoughSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseintroduced a lot of new characters, the film still managed to get audiences to care about them and root for them. Even with a small amount of screentime, fans felt like they knew what characters like Spider-Punk were about and where they fit into the wider web of the narrative. In contrast, other ensemble films and games haven’t managed to achieve this so successfully, making certain characters feel unnecessary or including them in clumsy ways. While theKingdom Heartsfranchise has mostly been able to rely on recognizable faces from existing properties, this familiarity hasn’t always helped insert them neatly into the games' stories.
An infamous example is Kairi, who might be an original character in theKingdom Heartsfranchise but is someone many fans felt was largely useless. When it comes to its characters, this is somethingKingdom Hearts 4needs to avoid at all costs, as even though some thinkKairi still brings something to the tableand frequently puts herself in harm’s way for her friends, players don’t want characters who feel unnecessary when there’s already such a large cast. With potentially more properties to add and original characters to introduce,Kingdom Hearts 4has to tread a fine line between stacking the cast with interesting characters while still making sure each one is memorable and has enough time to shine as well.
Kingdom Hearts 4is in development.
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