Nomura says Kingdom Hearts doesn't need as much from Final Fantasy characters as it did before

[gepugg 81]

An interview between Tetsuya Nomura and USGamer has provided an update as to why we haven't seen any Final Fantasy characters in Kingdom Hearts III.

 

The interviewer asked Tetsuya Nomura what he had to say about the lack of Final Fantasy characters in the recent trailers for Kingdom Hearts III.

"I can't disclose too much about the Final Fantasy characters or whether or not they'll be in Kingdom Hearts 3, because I can only speak to what's been shown. But the reason you haven't been shown any Final Fantasy characters is that there are so many original characters that need to resolve their own problems and issues. And because their issues and problems are very difficult, there just hasn't been that much space to fit Final Fantasy characters so far.

This seems to imply that the final chapter of the Xehanort saga will indeed be focusing on the original Kingdom Hearts characters, rather than the supporting ones. Nomura also talked about the place of Final Fantasy characters in the series.

"When you look back on the first Kingdom Hearts, Sora was still a new character, so we kind of had the Final Fantasy characters as supporting characters. But now that it's been 15 years, the original characters are more polished than they were before, so I don't think they need the Final Fantasy characters help as much as they did before.

 

Also, when we first released Kingdom Hearts, there weren't that many other titles that brought together the Final Fantasy characters. I actually think that Kingdom Hearts may have been the first to do that. But nowadays, there are an abundance of titles that do that, so I don't see the value of having that kind of feature in the game anymore. But that doesn't mean that I'm saying that there won't be any Final Fantasy characters. Please look forward to future information."

Similar information was revealed in an interview between Nomura and GameInformer earlier this week which we also covered.

 

What do you think about Kingdom Hearts III having less Final Fantasy characters? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Kingdom Hearts III releases on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on January 25, 2019 in Japan, and January 29, 2019 to the rest of the world. You can now watch the latest Frozen trailer, Square Enix E3 Showcase trailer, and Pirates of the Caribbean trailer!

 

Follow our coverage of Kingdom Hearts III at E3 2018, and keep an eye on our Twitter for live updates!

 

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[Rob 5,571]

But could you save Stella and add her as part of the KH series?

[Isaix 924]

It's a shame,FF characters never don't need to play a big part of the games like Leon or Cloud,a small cameo like KH1 Sephiroth is all I need.They don't have to play a big role in the story,just put some of them in worlds that fit like Auron in KH2 and I'll be happy.

 

It's a bit disappointing to hear this,but whatever,so long as we have a few FF characters I'll be happy

[2 quid is good 2,209]

Heart = broken

[Ultima Spark 753]

Is this really surprising? Disney (and later the original content) was always the big appeal of the series in Japan, the FF characters were mostly there to draw western customers (because "loldisneykiddy").

[Connected 978]

Kingdom Hearts was always, "The crazy Crossover between Disney and Final Fantasy" you cant just take that away. ;"(

[Dustin Lübbers 933]

Kingdom Hearts was always, "The crazy Crossover between Disney and Final Fantasy" you cant just take that away. ;"(

He is not taking it away but as i understand it he is minimizing it

[Karxrida 154]

Didn't Nomura say that Cloud and Sephiroth were supposed to show up?

 

Marginally disappointed, but it's ultimately not a big deal at the end of the day.

[Hero of Light XIV 2,381]

Ok fine, but at the VERY LEAST, could we wrap up Cloud, Zack, and Leon & the gang's stories in a satisfying manner in this title?! Because seriously, if those things just result in a dead end I'm going to be really pissed off. I mean you can't just have things move on aimlessly until they eventually just dissolve into the either like that, it's bad writing. Just conclude everybody's stories here, maybe introduce one or two new FF characters with self-contained stories (like how Auron's was handled), preferably Noctis and Lightning, and make it feel satisfying. Then you can go ahead and forget them in every game onward for all we care, just make sure you don't leave any loose ends tied up. Because seriously, Cloud's story arch raises so many questions, it deserves some solid answers and a proper conclusion, same for everyone else.

[Dracozombie 4,554]

A little bummed that the FF half is being minimized, but I still argue that the Final Fantasy-ness has always been a part of KH's infrastructure -- the magic and the fighting, the Save-the-World(s) business, the pretty boys. So maybe we won't see much of Leon and the gang, but hey, where else are you gonna see Donald Duck launching FF-style magic spells?

[2 quid is good 2,209]

A little bummed that the FF half is being minimized, but I still argue that the Final Fantasy-ness has always been a part of KH's infrastructure -- the magic and the fighting, the Save-the-World(s) business, the pretty boys. So maybe we won't see much of Leon and the gang, but hey, where else are you gonna see Donald Duck launching FF-style magic spells?

Am trying to like this but quota won't let me

 

But I fully agree, I don't see any reason for KH to minimise it's FF-ness, otherwise it's just a Disney game with OCs

[JaySensei 0]

Hi, I'm new, so don't mind if I join you, I hope!

 

TL;DR: I don't think it's a big deal to continue to wean off FF characters, since Sora, by now, is more grown and able to wield much greater power. But, at least a cameo of all of the FF characters would be nice.

 

----------------------

My explanation:

In terms of the rules for marketing games and anime in Japan, you should usually "solve every problem" in sequels that follow - therefore, should that require less help from supporting characters, it should be done to wean them off to avoid creating too many more issues in the series.

 

Much of the KH series has been about solving different problems, and leaving the main problem "Xehanort" to the main series. Using FF characters too much would cloud (no pun intended) Sora's judgment and dexterity in problem solving, and make things too hairy for the situation.

 

Let's not forget, they (the main characters) are not "kids" anymore, they are grown and ready to tackle things themselves. By now, Sora's powers are great, he should be able to manage.

[Tyranto Rex 277]

I know one of the major complaints of many of the Kingdom Hearts games is how by each passing game they seem to decrease both the Disney and the Final Fantasy aspects for the original characters. Like the Final Fantasy characters becoming more like glorified cameos and the Disney worlds/plots becoming more like filler. And to a certain extent I always agreed. It seems they are making big improvements with the Disney worlds, like we actually have a reason to be there like in KH1. So I was kinda hoping that would be the case with Final Fantasy, like they would interact more or something. But that seems to not be the case.

 

I can't say I play Final Fantasy a lot, but I do enjoy the FF characters so I'm hoping they have something to do. 

[Hallowseve 143]

To me, the FF characters play a small, yet relevant role in a much larger story. I hope this doesn't mean no more FF characters in KH though. I would honestly be disappointed. I enjoyed the scenes with the Hollow Bastion restoration group, the Cloud and Sephiroth story, as well as Zack's story. Fingers crossed that FF characters will still appear in KH games.

Edited June 14, 2018 by Hallowseve

[leander_rsr 0]

I would have loved to have seen galuf or laguna in kh3...keeping hope alive

[Mister C F 1]

However. Tetsuya will need to focus more on Disney characters too as well, at least he must opt FF out. Only Disney franchise and KH universe. He is also focusing more on Pixar than Final Fantasy.

[Master Keeper 687]

They can’t simpy ignore or remove the Restoration Committe before seeing them in a happy ending with a developed and modern Radiant Garden and they can’t make Zack, Cloud and Sephiroth to disappear without any continuation.

If they would wanna minimize the amount then at least we should have those back:

- Leon. - Yuffie. -Aerith. - Cid. - Cloud. - Sephiroth. - Zack. - Tifa. - Seifer. - Rai. -Fuu.

 

The others wouldn’t make huge difference if they were not to appear

Edited June 22, 2018 by Master Keeper