Coco Opens Kingdom Hearts 4 To These Potential Disney Worlds
Square Enix has revealed Kingdom Hearts 4 at D23, confirming Coco as one of the Disney worlds that will feature in the upcoming title. The announcement was made through a trailer that directly parallels themes from Pixar’s Coco, opening with a recreation of a key scene featuring the character Héctor.
In the scene, Héctor confronts the concept of “the Final Death”—a fate that befalls inhabitants of the Land of the Dead who are forgotten by the living world. This plot point from Coco serves as thematic foundation for Kingdom Hearts 4’s narrative direction, which appears to continue the series’ long-standing exploration of memory, identity, and legacy.
The thematic connection is particularly apt given the franchise’s existing narrative around remembrance and immortality through memories. In Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Lea—who becomes the fan-favorite character Axel—declares his philosophy: “I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people’s memories, I can live forever.” This sentiment directly mirrors Coco’s exploration of how people remain alive through the memories of others.
The inclusion of Coco represents a significant addition to Kingdom Hearts’ roster of Disney properties, bringing a world focused on themes of death, memory, and familial legacy to the series. This announcement suggests that Kingdom Hearts 4 will continue the franchise’s tradition of selecting Disney worlds that complement and enhance the overarching narrative themes of the main story.