Kingdom Hearts 4 appeared at the latest Nintendo Direct, giving fans of the franchise an even deeper look at the combat and building some hope that it'll release in 2027, but many also saw the characters introduced in the trailer and thought them new. They're not. Instead, they are from a Kingdom Hearts mobile game that was delisted and shut down.
Kingdom Hearts' complex web of platforms, stories, characters, and releases is complex, so much so that it's practically the poster child of confusing worldbuilding. While Kingdom Hearts 4 is the next mainline title and it's been 7 years since Kingdom Hearts 3 came out, the franchise has not stood still, and casual fans could have missed out on major lore/character developments. Especially when it's already complex.
Square Enix officially announces the permanent delisting and shutdown date/times for 4 iconic games, yet the story doesn't end there.
Kingdom Hearts 4's new trailer shows off Ava, Strelitzia, Sigurd, Vali, and possibly Odin or the Master of Masters, as well as Xehanort and the full person form of the nobody Luxord. All of these characters are from Kingdom Hearts Union X and Kingdom Hearts Dark Road, with the latter being a part...
