Square Enix has not yet laid all the cards on the table forKingdom Hearts 4, but fans have a pretty good idea of what to expect. The game sees Sora separated from his friends and thrust into a dimension that either contains or consists of a city called Quadratum. In his quest to right wrongs and eventually return home, Sora will team up with and fight a variety of new characters, even if the player might be able to recognize them.Kingdom Hearts 4will be a look into what the future of mainlineKingdom Heartsgames will be, and fans can’t wait to hear more about it.
That’s not to say that the oldKingdom Heartshas been completely done away with. There are also likely to be elements concerning knownKHcharacters inKingdom Hearts 4. The ending and secret ending ofKingdom Hearts: Melody of Memoryelaborated on what Sora’s closest friends are doing back in their home reality. Riku has taken up the Power of Waking to follow Sora into Quadratum, andKairi has returned to Keyblade training under Aqua. Donald and Goofy were shown in theKingdom Hearts 4reveal trailer to be looking for someone, though who is unclear. That leaves Disney’s iconic mascot Mickey Mouse, and there is a good chanceKH4will make a point of giving him some screen time.
RELATED:Kingdom Hearts 4 Should Bring Goofy’s Son Max Into the Equation
Mickey’s Story Could Run Parallel to Sora’s in Kingdom Hearts 4
In theMelody of Memory’s secret ending, Yen Sid sends King Mickey to Scala ad Caelum for the purpose of researching the ancient Keyblade wielders and anything they knew about Quadratum. SinceDonald and Goofy are shownin what will presumably be a cutscene in the finished game, it makes sense that Mickey will be too. Whether he will be reading lore out of a book in an abandoned library or talking with actual inhabitants of the world is another matter, as the present state of Scala ad Caelum is unknown. Whatever the case, Mickey will probably unearth a few new details about the realm of fiction and possibly the Foretellers.
In addition, Mickey will probably be shown later on rejoining the main group of heroes. There is reason to believe that the old cast willdiscover a way to cross into Quadratum, and the game will end shortly before or after they arrive. This will have the dual purpose of bringing Sora, Donald, and Goofy back together, while also ensuring that Mickey can maintain some relevance in the upcoming events. It’s difficult to speculate any further given that the end goal ofKingdom Hearts 4has not been revealed, but Mickey and the rest have other ways of helping Sora across realities.
Mickey’s Bonds With Sora Can Grant Him Strength
Kingdom Heartslikes to remind players that Sora’s friends are his power. The bonds between close friends and loved ones are shown to grant power beyond one’s individual strength. Characters have been shown to defeat foes far stronger than them and even cross worlds in an instant. While all of that happens near the end ofKingdom Hearts 3, Mickey Mouse demonstrated a mysterious manner of interworld travel to Riku and Sora’s locations all the way back inChain of MemoriesandKH2.InKH2, this temporarily replaced Sora with Mickeyto spare players from death in certain major fights, and it would be interesting to see something like it again. It could be reframed as a Rage Form replacement where Sora summons the strength of the Keyblade wielders of light fromKingdom Hearts 3 Re Mind.
Alternatively, the Dimension Link mechanic fromBirth by Sleepcan make a comeback inKH4. The D-Link allowed Aqua, Terra, and Ventus the ability to swap their Command Deck for that of various Disney characters, as well as each other. These D-Links came with new finishing moves and abilities, and each could be upgraded into a new form. It would be great if these could come back assummon replacements inKingdom Hearts 4, and would provide a reason for Sora to recall Mickey’s acrobatic and light-focused abilities without the mouse being physically present. There are lots of ways forKingdom Heartsto show Sora making use of his powerful bonds in gameplay, and even if the old cast don’t end up doing much inKH4, their presence could still be felt.
