Will Kingdom Hearts 4 Wipe Sora's Memory?

Summary

Kingdom Hearts 4 may not wipe Sora's memory, despite fan theories. Evidence from the trailer suggests that Sora recognizes familiar enemies and confidently fights them.
Sora's ability to summon the Keyblade without alarm also contradicts the theory of memory loss. He even uses it in new ways, indicating a retained understanding of his powers.
While the theory of memory loss would add an intriguing layer to the story, it is unlikely to be a central point of tension when Sora and Riku reunite in Kingdom Hearts

It is nothing new for the Kingdom Hearts series to cut Sora's power level at the start of every game, with Kingdom Hearts 4 having a perfect opportunity to reset his skills again after his abuse of the Power of Waking. However, there is a theory among fans that Sora won't only be losing his previous strength as he wakes up in Quadratum to be guided by Strelitzia.

This popular headcanon among Kingdom Hearts fans suggests that Kingdom Hearts 4 will completely wipe Sora's memory as he wakes up in Quadratum. So, not only will Sora be surprised to wake up in a completely new location, but he also might not recognize Riku when his best friend comes to rescue him from the World of Fiction.

The Price For Sora's Abuse of Power

One of the key components to this theory that Sora could be losing his memory in Kingdom Hearts 4 comes from the way that the two most recent titles in the series ended. Namely, with Sora being lost after using the Power of Waking leading up to Kingdom Hearts 3's Re:Mind DLC, and the end of Melody of Memory sending Riku off to the World of Fiction. This all leaves Sora in a liminal space, where his ultimate fate isn't immediately obvious to the player, nor is the situation in Quadratum where he appears to be.

So, considering that Sora's current exile is caused by his own abusing of the Power of Waking, it would be understandable for him to be punished by the Kingdom Hearts world by wiping his mind along with his strength. Furthermore, Square Enix has messed with memories before, with Roxas having lost all of his own memories in both Kingdom Hearts 2 and 358/2 Days. However, while it would be a fitting punishment and well within the developer's repertoire, it doesn't look like that is the path Square Enix appears to be taking for Kingdom Hearts 4 at the moment.

Sora Recognizes Familiar Callbacks in an Unfamiliar Quadratum

The first piece of evidence against Sora losing his memory comes from the way that he reacts to the Darkside as it appears in the initial Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer. Not only does Sora immediately recognize the Darkside heartless, but he also immediately runs to fight the giant monster without a second thought. While this is par for the course for Sora, and to be expected whether he knows he has the power to stop the heartless or not, he does tend to fall back to less aggressive tactics when he doesn't think he has the strength to overpower danger. A memory-wiped Sora would more likely start rescuing people and taking them out of the danger zone, rather than jumping directly into the fight.

Second is the way that Sora summons his Keyblade, never looking at the weapon as he calls it into his hands. In the past, whenever someone was unaware of their ability to summon the Keyblade, the magical weapon's sudden appearance has always been cause for alarm to the wielder. Not only does Sora know that he can summon the Keyblade, but he even manages to use it in specific ways that he'd never done before and had only ever seen at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3.

This theory is a fun thought experiment on its own, with the idea that Riku might have an extra layer of difficulty when it comes to rescuing Sora from Quadratum. Considering that the multiple memory wipes for Roxas have also led to some of the most impactful moments of the series, like Sora crying in his place when leaving Twilight Town for the first time, this could add some much-needed tension. However, it is unlikely to be a key point of tension for when Sora and Riku reunite in Kingdom Hearts 4.