The hugely popular Kingdom Hearts recently had its 20th anniversary, with Square Enix and Disney coming together for a celebratory event in Tokyo. The party was not simply to celebrate games of the past, however, as the franchise announced that they will be starting a new journey with Sora in Kingdom Hearts IV, unveiling their teaser trailer.
The new game gives Sora a fresh new look, and will follow a new storyline referred to as the “Lost Monster Arc.” So far, fans can see from the trailer that the game will at least partially take place in a hyper-realistic city called Quadratum. However, there can hardly be a Kingdom Hearts game without the inclusion of Disney and Pixar-themed worlds. Redditors have already started up the discussion on which worlds they would want to see, and with so many great Pixar movies having been released since Kingdom Hearts III, as well as those that have never been included, they have a whole lot to choose from.
New Mushroomton – Onward
The movie Onward takes place in a magical realm known as Mushroomton. This world is the modern evolution of fantasy realms that traditionally contained wizards, fairies, elves, and the like. The story follows two brothers as they set off on an old-style quest to find a magical gem that can restore their late father.
One Reddit user felt that this world would be a great addition to Kingdom Hearts stating that with “magic being a big focus as well as a dnd kinda story,” Sora would fit right in. It would also be fun to see a version of Sora, Donald, and Goofy that would fit in with this world.
The Afterlife – Soul
Pixar’s Soul explores the complicated topic of death and the afterlife. When a man finds himself deceased just before getting his big break as a musician, he does anything he can to get back to the world of the living, breaking a few rules along the way.
One Redditor felt that Soul would be an interesting addition to Kingdom Hearts, stating that Sora could find someone’s lost soul and set off on an adventure to “make them whole again.” The added dynamic of jumping back and forth between New York City and the afterlife could add some fun gameplay as well.
Metroville – The Incredibles
2004’s The Incredibles is Pixar’s superhero movie, with The Incredibles 2 coming years later in 2018. Both movies follow a family of superheroes as they struggle through a time in history where people with superpowers are not seen as heroes, but as dangers to society instead.
Redditor Aljrockwell hopes to see the Parr family in Kingdom Hearts IV, feeling that the addition of The Incredibles has “potential for an interesting story.” They also pointed out that Sora has never experienced a world where the citizens did not want him to save them, so it could be a “fresh type of conflict for his character.”
Portorosso – Luca
2021’s Luca is a film about a young sea monster who runs away from home to live in the Italian coastal city of Portorosso with his friend, Alberto. The two can take human form while on land, so they try their best to blend in with the citizens and not get caught, resulting in some of the best scenes in Luca.
The town of Portorosso is a great place for Sora to explore, and if he was able to take the form of a sea monster while in the water, the possibilities would be endless. Redditor Puterboy1 states that they would like to see “racing with Luca and Alberto,” while other users want a chance to put Ercole in his place.
Santa Cecilia And The Land Of The Dead – Coco
The multiple Oscar-winning Coco is another Pixar film that follows its protagonist into the afterlife. Miguel, who is a young aspiring musician from the fictional Mexican town of Santa Cecilia, finds himself in the Land of the Dead on Dia de Los Muertos and must gain an ancestor’s blessing in order to return home.
The colorful world depicted in Coco would be interesting to see animated within a video game, and the variety of fun characters would be great to interact with. Redditor Davemostaza23 hopes to see some music-themed gameplay, with perhaps a “guitar duel between De la Cruz and Demyx.”
2002 Toronto – Turning Red
Pixar’s most recent movie is Turning Red but some fans still hope it could find its way into Kingdom Hearts IV. It is set in 2002 in Toronto and follows a 13-year-old as she struggles through some changes in her life. The unique setting makes Turning Red one of the most relatable Pixar movies, and would also make it a great addition to Kingdom Hearts.
Redditor EmanualTheodorus shared that after watching Turning Red, they couldn’t help but think about “how awesome this will be as a boss fight,” referring to Mei’s mother turning into an enormous red panda at the climax of the film. In addition to the exciting combat possibilities, Sora visiting Toronto at the turn of the century and interacting with the age’s technology and pop culture could be fun as well.
Riley’s Head – Inside Out
Inside Out answers the question “what is going on inside people’s heads?” In this movie, every person has 5 personified emotions that work at a control panel to control what they think or say. The movie explores other areas of the mind as well, putting fun and interesting twists on the ideas of consciousness.
Redditor Freshyfreshfresh thinks that Inside Out was practically made for Kingdom Hearts. “Everything about the different parts of the mind and imagination land screams Kingdom Hearts,” they said, hoping that the movie will someday make an appearance within the franchise.
Zootopia – Zootopia
Zootopia is a movie about a city where every kind of animal lives together in harmony. Different sections of the city are meant to accommodate different species, like Tundra Town for arctic animals, and Savanna Central for animals of the African Plains.
Redditor Stratticus14 would “love Zootopia” to be a new world in Kingdom Hearts IV. The different sectors of Zootopia would provide a great variety for Sora and co. to explore, and Assistant Mayor Bellwether turning into a heartless could be downright terrifying. In addition, a world of talking animals would be a great environment to make Donald and Goofy feel right at home.
DunBroch – Brave
It’s fair to say that Brave is a unique Pixar movie in that it is the only princess film from the studio. It follows a spirited young woman as she rebels against her mother’s expectations for what a lady should be in 10th century Scotland. By mistake, she turns her mother into a bear and must mend the broken bonds of their relationship in order to restore her to her true form before the change takes her for good.
2012’s Brave boasts cutting-edge animation which resulted in beautiful scenery that perfectly exemplified the Scottish highlands. This same effect, translated to the new stunning graphics of Kingdom Hearts IV would be a dream come true for players like Stratticus14, who listed Brave among the “newer movies” they would like to see added.
The Ocean – Finding Nemo
Redditor Stratticus14 also listed Finding Nemo as a world they would like to see from Pixar films. This movie is about a Clown Fish who must travel the ocean, with a forgetful Blue Tang, to find his son who was taken by divers.
Finding Nemo has been a favorite since it was released in 2003, with its sequel Finding Dory coming later in 2016. In order for this world to be included in Kingdom Hearts IV, Sora and his friends would have to take the form of sea creatures, similar to how they did in Atlantica from The Little Mermaid. Combat has been notoriously tricky in underwater worlds in past Kingdom Hearts games, but this new title may be able to get it right.
