Kingdom Hearts 4’s Final Fantasy Characters Could Kill Two Birds With One Stone

The launch of Kingdom Hearts 4 is still somewhere on the horizon, but KH fans have at least seen evidence that the game’s development is progressing smoothly. Even though Kingdom Hearts 4 was a no-show at Summer Game Fest 2025, a set of images was released for the game shortly beforehand, hinting at Sora’s adventures in the unreality of Quadratum, and what some of his friends, like King Mickey, are doing in his absence. Even if it feels like the game’s release is still over a year away, there should be more information trickling out over time.

Excitement for Kingdom Hearts 4 should last as long as it needs to, as this game represents a major turning point for the franchise. Kingdom Hearts 4 will kick off the Lost Master Arc, which may end up being the final saga for Kingdom Hearts as a whole. As part of that, KH4 represents the chance to try new things, or bring back old things that worked. Potential Marvel or Star Wars worlds are a commonly proposed example of the former, but longtime KH fans could get even more out of KH4 by letting one of its foundational franchises back into the spotlight.

aerith cloud final fantasy 7 kingdom hearts

Final Fantasy Has a Low Ceiling to Shatter in Kingdom Hearts 4

After Final Fantasy was neglected in Kingdom Hearts 3, it could finally get a chance to shine again in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 4.

How Final Fantasy And Kingdom Hearts 4 Can Synergize

Kingdom Hearts is fundamentally a fusion of Square Enix and Disney properties, but “Square Enix” in this case usually means “Final Fantasy,” as the crossover series borrows a lot of its identity from the old RPG franchise. This link was important enough that Kingdom Hearts 3 drew criticism for its lack of Final Fantasy characters compared to past KH entries, especially since several had been recurring, plot-relevant characters. Fans are hopeful that Kingdom Hearts 4 will right this wrong, and not only will its new setting of Quadratum be the perfect staging ground for character introductions, FF is building the perfect real-life scenario to bring more familiar faces in as well.

Final Fantasy 9’s Remake Is The Key To Aiding Kingdom Hearts

Ever since the mostly-accurate Nvidia GeForce Now database leak in 2021, Final Fantasy fans have been looking forward to the Final Fantasy Tactics remaster and Final Fantasy 9 remake to join the ongoing FF7 Remake trilogy. Kingdom Hearts 4 might have skipped Summer Game Fest 2025, but Final Fantasy Tactics didn’t, and that can only mean good things for the elusive FF9. Leaks and insider statements reinforcing the Final Fantasy 9 remake’s existence have continued to appear over the years, and with Final Fantasy 9’s 25th anniversary passing on July 7, 2025, Square Enix could easily rope Kingdom Hearts into celebrating the FF9 remake finally surfacing.

Kingdom Hearts 4 Has Much To Gain From Introducing More FF9 Characters

Getting an influx of Final Fantasy 9 characters in Kingdom Hearts 4 would be the best possible result for both games, giving the former some extra marketing and the latter a remedy for long-standing complaints. Vivi, FF9’s iconic Black Mage party member, has already appeared in Kingdom Hearts 2, but he could be joined by the rest of his team, including:

Zidane Tribal
Vivi Ornitier
Adelbert Steiner
Garnet/Dagger
Freya Crescent
Quina Quen
Eiko Carol
Amarant Coral

It makes sense for a new Kingdom Hearts to change up the crossover casts it’s pulling from, but what really makes this combination work is Kingdom Hearts 4’s thematic link to Final Fantasy 9. FF9 explores loss and death anxiety through its party’s struggles, and Quadratum is connected to KH’s afterlife-adjacent Final World somehow. Since the allegedly dead Strelitzia is also in KH4, Vivi’s return could be justified with another take on his bittersweet storyline. Regardless of how exactly it goes down, integrating Kingdom Hearts 4 with characters from Final Fantasy 9 would be the perfect way to give both games a heaping of good publicity.