Kingdom Hearts 4 Could Be Teasing a Major Return to Form

It took a while, but Square Enix has finally brought fans up to speed on the current state of Kingdom Hearts, and the news is a mixed bag. Kingdom Hearts 4 received collages of images in English and Japanese that revealed several gameplay details and gave a preview of how the HUD, visuals, and new enemy designs were shaping up. On the other hand, Kingdom Hearts Missing Link, after several previews and closed tests, was ultimately canceled before it could launch on mobile devices. Seeing Kingdom Hearts 4 again after years of silence is uplifting enough, but there's still a bittersweet air to this round of updates.

At any rate, Kingdom Hearts 4 is on its way, and some of its pieces are falling into place. Sora remains trapped in the unreality of Quadratum after the events of Kingdom Hearts 3, and is mysteriously joined by the thought-dead Strelitzia from Kingdom Hearts Union Cross. Forces of darkness have followed him alongside several more black-coated figures, and the ending of Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory indicates that Riku is on his way too. What roles these characters will fill in Kingdom Hearts 4 remains to be seen, but at least one series icon looks to be staging a return to form: MIckey Mouse.

Kingdom Hearts 4 Fans Have a Theory About Mickey Mouse

Fans think they might have found a clue about where Mickey Mouse can be found in Kingdom Hearts 4 after studying recently released screenshots.

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By J Brodie Shirey

Kingdom Hearts 4 Has Plans For Mickey Mouse

The mid-May 2025 screenshots that Square Enix released for Kingdom Hearts 4 contained relatively few explicit revelations, but one particular image has massive ramifications. As of KH3’s ending and the events of Melody of Memory, Sora’s friends are scouring all the worlds they can access for traces of Sora, and Riku isn't the only one whose current trajectory is known. Kairi is picking her Keyblade training back up under Master Aqua’s tutelage, Donald and Goofy were seen in KH4’s reveal trailer apparently visiting Hades in the Olympus Underworld, and King Mickey is paying another visit to a newer, but very important locale.

Mickey’s KH4 Plot Involves One Of KH’s Most Enigmatic Worlds

Namely, Mickey is paying the apparently abandoned Keyblade academy in Scala ad Caelum a visit. Although this world has only had limited screen time in Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts Dark Road, it was the place where Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort received their Keyblade training alongside the series’ last known large group of Keyblade initiates. Exploring this place more thoroughly could unearth all manner of secrets regarding Quadratum and KH’s ongoing storyline involving the Foretellers, so it’s expected that Mickey would try. What’s unexpected is that players could be joining him.

King Mickey Could Be Playable Again In Kingdom Hearts 4

Playing As Mickey Is A Rare Treat In KH

One screenshot released for Kingdom Hearts 4 shows Mickey standing on a series of hanging chandeliers in what appears to be a library, with the camera behind his back in a position suggesting gameplay. This is big news, as Mickey Mouse being playable in Kingdom Hearts is a rare and special privilege. Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind was the last time it happened, but that was a heavily scripted sequence that lay outside normal gameplay. The only other times Mickey has been directly playable were as a random second chance mechanic in Kingdom Hearts 2, and as a secret character in 358/2 Days.

Making King Mickey playable in normal gameplay is a big deal, and Kingdom Hearts 4 being able to justify and host it is an honor. The presence of manual platforming, a rarity in Kingdom Hearts since Dream Drop Distance introduced Flowmotion, also implies some minor enemy spawns as players take Mickey through Scala ad Caelum, making for a complete playable Mickey experience. It's great news that Kingdom Hearts 4 is going out of its way to involve the series’ cast while also taking them in unexpected directions, and hopefully the promise of another playable Mickey Mouse lives up to his past exploits.

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