Kingdom Hearts’ 20th anniversary year theories are here. The beloved franchise released its first game in March 2002. Many fans have been speculating on what is coming next. If you’re a huge Kingdom Hearts fan then 2022 is definitely your year. Kingdom Hearts features beloved Disney and Final Fantasy characters. Also, the series is known for the emotional way it tells a complex story.
When Kingdom Hearts was first released as a Disney and Final Fantasy mashup, it wasn’t expected to succeed. The series defied expectations and has set records. Kingdom Hearts III left us reeling after Sora, the main protagonist, sacrificed himself to save Kairi. Sora appeared in the Final World, which is like Kingdom Hearts’ version of the realm of death.
Sora is a popular character, so fans are desperately hoping to see the kind-hearted and brave teen return. With the series reaching its 20th anniversary big things are sure to be planned for this year. Whether they involve returning Sora to our hearts is another thing entirely.
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Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary Year Theories
Anniversary Event Planned For April
The official Kingdom Hearts Twitter account posted an update last week. According to them, the fandom can expect a Kingdom Hearts 20th-anniversary event on April 10, 2022. Details surrounding the event are sparse, but the Twitter account did shed some light.
Fans can expect to see the developers talking about the game. Also, a mini-concert will be conducted. Which may be similar to the music featured on the Kingdom Hearts orchestra world tour.
On April 10th we’re hosting a Kingdom Hearts 20th anniversary event in Tokyo!
We’ll kick off the 20th anniversary celebrations with a mini concert, a chat and Q&A with the development team, an exhibition and much more. A video of the event will be made available at a later date. pic.twitter.com/gNLAs2waV6
— KINGDOM HEARTS (@KINGDOMHEARTS) January 18, 2022
Many fans have been quick to point out the symbolism. As we know, nothing in Kingdom Hearts happens by coincidence. So the fact that the anniversary event is taking place in Tokyo at one of the iconic buildings featured in the game didn’t go amiss. Also, the event is taking place thirteen days from the date the original game was released. In the Kingdom Hearts series, the numbers 7 and 13 have significance especially because they are the favorite numbers of series director Tetsuya Nomura.
What Can Fans Expect?
With no concrete details on what fans can expect all we can do is theorize. A new game announcement would be a good guess. Also, rumors of a Kingdom Hearts TV show could finally be proven true. Maybe the event could also announce several games at once? After all, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, 358/2 Days, and coded were all announced at the same time years ago.
What we can expect during the Kingdom Hearts 20th anniversary is lots of news and surprises. Tetsuya Nomura, the director of Kingdom Hearts, has mentioned the series will be moving in a new direction. So maybe the anniversary event will shed light on what exactly he means. Many have speculated that the Kingdom Hearts series is moving away from Disney and may include more original and Final Fantasy worlds.
The end of Kingdom Hearts III did feature a new world called Quadratum. And, the games also have a plotline involving the Foretellers from the age of fairy tales. So it’s not a huge stretch to assume that the Disney influence may be lessened moving forward. As a Disney fan myself, I hope that the games don’t dilute the Disney influence too much. It was my love for Disney which caused me to fall in love with the series.
But, a lesser Disney influence could also be beneficial, because Nomura wouldn’t have to go through Disney for approval on every detail. Not to mention some fans have complained for years that the Disney portions of the game detract from the main plotline. Only Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II made an effort to weave the Disney stories into the game’s overall plot. Every game since II has watered down the Disney effect little by little.
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Exciting News We’ve Gotten So Far
The Kingdom Hearts 20th anniversary has so far given us new versions of the Kingdom Hearts III opening theme song “Face my Fears”. Utada Hikaru, a Japanese-American pop star, released a remixed version of their song which was featured in Kingdom Hearts III.
They performed the song in a live session, and have also released another version recorded in the studio. Kingdom Hearts is famous for its music which includes pop songs like “Simple and Clean” and “Don’t Think Twice” which can be listened to on the Kingdom Hearts official soundtrack.
Check out the live version of the “Face my Fears” remix below:
Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary Year Theories
So, what are your Kingdom Hearts 20th anniversary year theories? Are you hoping for exciting news to be released? Please leave a comment below. Kingdom Hearts is alive and well in all of our hearts. So please remember to share this post on social media with the icons provided. Sharing exciting news and information with friends is powerful, just ask Sora.
For more Kingdom Hearts related content please refer to these articles:
Sora is the final Smash Ultimate character
Is there symbolism in Kingdom Hearts?
And these Kingdom Hearts related articles on our sister site realgamergirl:
Who is the Master of Masters in Kingdom Hearts?
Is the Kingdom Hearts TV Show happening?
Thank you for hanging out at my hearth.
May you ever walk in the light of the crystal,
Spyells