While Kingdom Hearts 4 was announced quite some time ago, franchise director Tetsuya Nomura has started teasing the kind of themes that we can expect from the title. In a post on social media platform X where Square Enix is celebrating the 15th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, the company also had Nomura talk about the idea of crossroads.
“Apparently, the plan is to release my comment alongside the teaser trailer for BBS from the secret movie in Kingdom Hearts 2,” says Nomura. “So, taking my cue from that video, I’d like to give you an insight into the crossroads.”
According to Nomura, the concept of crossroads where people wait for someone else is a major part of the themes of Kingdom Hearts, with the concept appearing several times throughout the franchise. Notable examples include three Keyblade wielders waiting for someone at a crossroads in the celebration video, as well as Sora meeting a character dressed in a black coat and getting an invitation to Castle Oblivion in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.
“In this video, three Keyblade wielders clad in armour wait for someone at a crossroads,” he says. “Meeting someone at a crossroads is actually a recurring motif in Kingdom Hearts.”
“At the beginning of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (CoM), Sora meets someone in a black coat and is invited to Castle Oblivion.”
Nomura goes on to talk about various characters encountering protagonists at crossroads, and somehow being linked with each other by fate. The concept of crossroads even leads to the Keyblade War, and Kingdom Hearts 3 gets in on the action with the Lost Masters gathering at crossroads. Nomura cites a myth from American folklore of a young man making a deal with the devil to trade his soul for the ability to play the guitar at a crossroads.
“The first time a crossroads appears in Kingdom Hearts is in CoM, which is about losing something to gain something,” says Nomura. “And in fact, all subsequent appearances of crossroads have the same significance.”
Nomura then hints towards a similar Faustian bargain taking place in Kingdom Hearts 3 with the Lost Masters meeting up at crossroads.
“But wait… when the Lost Masters gather at the crossroads in KH3, what is gained and what is lost? That’s a story for another time,” Nomura concludes.
Despite continuing these themes of crossroads across several Kingdom Hearts games, and potentially even in Kingdom Hearts 4, Nomura has previously stated that the next title will serve as a reset button for the franchise. This is to help new players get into the games without being overwhelmed with more than two decades worth of backstory.
Since the original announcement of Kingdom Hearts 4 from all the way back in 2022, Square Enix has been quiet about the title. Rumours, on the other hand, have indicated that the game might be set for release later this year. Neither Nomura nor Square Enix have made any official announcement, however.
Among the few details we know about Kingdom Hearts 4 is the fact that it is being developed in Unreal Engine 5. Square Enix has mentioned that this will help the game be several levels higher than its predecessors when it comes to the quality of lighting and detail.
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