ModernFinal Fantasygames have been trending in a direction towards darker atmospheres, stories, and characters. This stands in stark contrast to the bright visuals and more light-hearted narratives in theKingdom Heartsseries. WhileFinal Fantasywas a huge part of the inspiration for theKingdom Heartsseries, the most recent game left out the characters that were a big part of the older games.
AsKingdom Heartsfans settle in for the long waituntil the next mainline installment, questions about the future of the franchise are on many minds.Kingdom Heartshas long been linked toFinal Fantasy, with many iconic characters from the series serving as early guides and friends toKingdom Hearts’Sora. That led to some backlash from fans after their absence in the main game ofKingdom Hearts 3. The series has been looking to distinguish itself from its roots, but the complaints from veteran fans are likely to mean a bigger appearance fromFinal Fantasycharacters in the next mainline title. The question is whether some of the new characters will be a part of theKingdom Heartsstory.
RELATED:Kingdom Hearts Fans are Getting Nostalgic Over a Viral Video
Modern Final Fantasy is Very Different from Kingdom Hearts
Final Fantasyhas never been a stranger to some heavy themes and storylines. The deaths of main characters, villains ultimately succeeding, and devastation of worlds are just some of the events common throughout the three decades ofFinal Fantasy.But the “classic"Final Fantasygames are typically still vibrant and colorful. The worlds are also full of light-hearted ways to break the tension like Chocobo racing inFF7or Blitzball inFF10. Even as the fans andcast ofKingdom Heartsmature, this mold fits its brand better than a lot of the newerFinal Fantasygames.
Square Enix, which created and publishes both properties, has been bringing amuch darker tone toFinal Fantasyin recent years. While it still features some whimsical elements, the world ofFF15is still an incredibly somber place. Fans have theorized that the main protagonist Noctis displays some aspects of clinical depression, and the overall tone of the game is pessimistic. The idea of self-sacrifice isn’t unknown toKingdom Hearts, but not so much in the very literal way it’s approached inFinal Fantasy 15.And even a quick glance at the trailer forFinal Fantasy 16gives away a much more oppressive atmosphere and the world that feels closer toDark SoulsorBloodbornethan traditionalFinal Fantasygames.
It will be interesting to see if Noctis, Clive, or maybe even Jack from therecently announcedStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origincould ever find a home inKingdom Hearts. Jack is an obvious long-shot, partly due to the game’s Mature rating and its status as a spin-off game. But it’s worth mentioning the game because it still points toward the direction that Square Enix has been moving theFinal Fantasybrand. Clive is also likely not going to make an appearance unless there’s a big tone shift forKingdom Heartsas well.
The interesting outlier is actually Noctis. While the protagonist fromFF15hasn’t made an appearance inKingdom Hearts, there’s a clear parallel between him and Yozora. Yozora appears at first to be a character from an in-world video game that seemed like a tongue-in-cheek joke aboutFinal Fantasy. AftertheKingdom Hearts 3 DLC ending,however, some threads fromFinal Fantasy Versus 13were tugged in a cinematic that directly mirrored the original trailer from more than a decade ago. This connection is interesting because Noctis himself was one of the only elements fromVersus 13that wasn’t heavily changed as it becameFF15.
With Clive coming from a world likely too dark, and Noctis seemingly having a mirror with Yozora, it’s unlikely that any of the modernFinal Fantasywill be represented in futureKingdom Heartsgames.
Kingdom Hearts 3is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
