Summary
TheKingdom Heartsseries has always been about exploring the intersections of various worlds and blending characters together, but the reveal ofKingdom Hearts 4’s Quadratum has caused speculation about how these possibilities could expand in the future of the franchise. Previous titles have maintained a look between cartoon and anime even while crossing over with live-action properties, butKingdom Hearts 4is taking a further step into realism with its hub world. With a cityscape resembling the real-life location of Tokyo’s Shibuya, one fan-favorite character’s once-unlikely return has started to seem increasingly plausible.
Neku Sakuraba, theprotagonist ofThe World Ends with You, made a memorable appearance alongside other characters from the same game inKingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, where they functioned as key allies in Sora’s journey. This marked the first time there had been a crossover with Tetsuya Nomura’s cult classicTWEWYinKH, but it seemed as though it was a one-off situation which would not connect to the future titles. After Sora was told “See you in Shibuya” by Neku in their last meeting, however, it’s possible that what was hinted at could come to fruition in the upcoming fourth numbered entry.
Quadratum’s Resemblance to Other Game Settings Pushed Tetsuya Nomura to Comment on Future Crossovers
The uncanny resemblance of Quadratum to Shibuya, the setting ofTWEWY, initially sparked much excitement among fans of both series. It seemed like the shift in setting for the Lost Master Arc could have served to set up Sora reunited with the likes of Neku and Shiki, but this was shut down by the series creator. In a 2022 Famitsu interview translated byKingdom Hearts Insider, Nomura directly stated that the Shibuya of Quadratum is not the same as other versions in similar Square Enix projects:
“Strictly speaking, it is a different world from the Shibuya of The World Ends With You. Some fans believe there is a connection to TWEWY and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins, but there’s really no such thing.”
The confirmation that Quadratum is unrelated to any previous incarnations of Shibuya in Square Enix titles may have dampened any hopes of a crossover at the forefront through this setting, but it also only established that these are separate realities within a broader multiverse. Given thereality-bending nature ofKingdom Hearts' storytelling, it’s not necessarily out of the question that familiar faces fromTWEWYcould still appear. Complex narratives can easily create new circumstances for crossovers that don’t make sense at first, and Quadratum might offer the perfect canvas for a more nuanced reintroduction.
The World Ends With You Characters in Kingdom Hearts 4 Would Still Be a Dream Come True for Some Fans
AsTWEWYhas only acquired more fans over the years, the prospect of seeing Neku and friends returning has only becoming more thrilling.NEO: The World Ends with Youserved as a sequelthat did justice to the original while modernizing it, and it came with an entirely new cast of its own alongside updated designs for the original characters. Considering that Sora has seen his own growth since his last encounter with the likes of Neku, seeing them meet once again would only highlight the development that these respective casts have gone through since.
Even if the Shibuya of Quadratum isn’t the same one fromTWEWY, the dream of seeing these faces inKingdom Heartsagain might be enough to justify their inclusion. Whether they appear in their original orNEO: TWEWYforms, or even as new versions tailored to thecomplicated universe ofKingdom Hearts 4, their return would resonate with fans of Nomura’s work as a whole. As Sora navigates the new rules of Unreality, crossing paths with similarly displaced figures could be one of the most exciting eventsKH4brings to the table.
Kingdom Hearts 4
Kingdom Hearts 4 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix and represents the fifteenth installment in the franchise. Players once again are put in the shoes of Sora who is suddenly trapped in a more realistic world called Quadratum, with companions like Donald and Goofy attempting to rescue him. Kingdom Hearts 4 is a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.
