It’s hard to think about Kingdom Hearts without thinking about the many Disney and Pixar films that make up its various worlds. Whether we journeying through Wonderland to find a missing a girl, traveling to San Fransokyo to team up with mighty heroes, or visiting the Pridelands to free the animals from the evil reign of Scar, the various Disney/Pixar worlds features in every Kingdom Hearts game add an extra layer of life and personality to the adventure.
And with Kingdom Hearts 4 just on the horizon, why not take a look at some more films that could fit the mold? Everything from Zootopia to WALL-E and more is fair game, so without further ado, let’s count down five more potential Kingdom Hearts worlds from some of the most beloved Disney and Pixar films!
1. Zootopia
The world of Zootopia would make for quite the interesting Kingdom Hearts world, namely because of how similar it is to our own – apart from the anthropomorphic animals, of course. The story of Zootopia could easily play out with the inclusion of Kingdom Hearts characters, perhaps playing into the racial discord that grows between carnivorous animals and herbivores in the city. This could result in Darkness emerging and animals turning into or creating Heartless.
We could see the gang team up with Judy to investigate the source of this darkness and introduce either old or new villains. Whatever course the story chooses to take, the world of Zooptopia is vast and colorful enough to warrant an exciting adventure through the exploration of its various zones and the wide variety of characters that live in it. Funnily enough, if Donald and Goofy came along, they would already fit in with everyone else and Sora would be the only one likely to turn into an animal. And there are… endless possibilities for what he could be.
2. Moana
Moana is a movie all about the journey and learning what your true destiny is. Kingdom Hearts is no stranger to this concept, so Moana is already a great fit, especially for the potential of all the locations, abilities, and set pieces that could be adapted. Sora, Moana, and Maui exploring the ocean already sounds extremely fun, but what could be even more fun? Exploring Laolotai.
This seems like the perfect for Heartless to be everywhere, but perhaps there could even be normal demons to take down or Demon-Heartless hybrids? That’s a little far-fetched, but the series can easily take itself in fun directions and bend the rules of its worlds a bit to make them more fun, and this is just one example. Sea-based battles would also be a fun addition, particularly against the Kakamora and Te Kā.
3. WALL-E
WALL-E is perhaps one of Pixar’s most visually stunning and creative films, pushing the boundaries of its animation and managing to weave a compelling narrative even though its main character has minimal dialogue. But it’s that charm and minimalism that makes its story so moving, and would also make it the perfect candidate for a Kingdom Hearts world.
The Kingdom Hearts series is already no stranger to the idea of exploring the galaxy, what with the various Disney/Pixar “worlds” often being portrayed as planets Sora and friends travel to and from on their Gummi Ship. WALL-E, already being set mostly in space, can easily fit as another one of these worlds, though perhaps the Axiom will be the “world” that players visit first before heading to Earth. The various robots and machines encountered throughout the story could easily make for enemies or allies along the journey, primarily Auto and EVE. A Sora and EVE team up to save the Axiom from Auto’s revolt already sounds awesome and trying to snag the plant as it moves across the giant and complicated interior of the Axiom. Come on, the story is right there.
4. Wreck-It Ralph
Wreck-It Ralph would probably be the most meta addition to the Kingdom Hearts story. Kingdom Hearts is already a game, and Wreck-It Ralph is a movie where every character is aware of the fact that they’re from a video game. So, how does Sora react to such a realization, that everything he has ever known has been nothing more than a game… or they could just make him go to the arcade and enter the games that way without even touching on that.
Regardless, seeing reimagined versions of the various videogames visiting in the movie would be incredible, and the story could easily play into the narrative of the viral bigs that infect Sugar Rush and Vanelloppe’s quest for victory. The only limitation may be existing of other videogame franchises, like Mario and Sonic, especially if we get into Ralph Breaks the Internet territory. But Kingdom Hearts is already pushing the copyright line by… well, existing. What are a few more?
5. Coco
The world of Coco is one of the most beautiful and vibrant of any Pixar film to date, and its world is by far vast enough to lend itself well to being a new Kingdom Hearts world. The story also accomplishes this, and it is easy to imagine Sora and co. journeying through the land of the dead in search of clues to Ernesto De La Cruz.
The Kingdom Hearts series is no stranger to incorporating musical numbers into its worlds as well, like with The Little Mermaid in the first game and being able to sing songs like Un Poco Loco or Remember Me would be fantastic. While the subject matter of the story, later on, is quite somber, the overall aesthetic of Coco seems perfect for a Kingdom Hearts-style retelling. And with the critical success of the film, a world seems inevitable.
