Kingdom Hearts: 10 Disney Movies That Should Appear as New Worlds

Sora, Donald, and Goofy visited many Disney worlds and made many new friends. What is their next destination among the Disney classics?

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Across the Kingdom Hearts series of games, many Disney animated classics appeared in several ways. Like The Lion King, some were represented as entire worlds, while others like Dumbo were summonable allies. Still more like Lady and the Tramp appeared only as Easter eggs.

Among the 60 films of Walt Disney Animation Studios alone, 21 have appeared as worlds, with their plots lifted from their movies or given an original flavor to match the series’ unique elements. With the franchise set to start a whole new saga after the conclusion of Kingdom Hearts III, it begs the question: which movies could appear next?

The Black Cauldron

The Black Cauldron has a good foundation for implementation, such as the Horned King and Prydain serving as the villain and setting, respectively. Enemies like the Heartless can also easily fit, resulting in either an original story or retelling of the movie in the Kingdom Hearts narrative.

Unfortunately, Disney’s continued disassociation with the movie means its appearance is unlikely. The Black Cauldron may have attained a cult following over the decades, but it being a critical and financial failure is too large a hurdle for Disney to look the other way. However, if there were no rules and any films were fair game, The Black Cauldron is an easy candidate for Kingdom Hearts.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Like The Black Cauldron, it is an uphill battle for Disney to allow usage of Atlantis: The Lost Empire in Kingdom Hearts. Nevertheless, the film provides several ways to fit as a world. Princess Kida can be a party member, and Commander Rourke can still be the villain, perhaps accompanied by a giant heartless like Clayton in the first game’s Tarzan world.

Because of the importance of hearts in the series, the film’s MacGuffin, the Heart of Atlantis, can be given even more significance. It can allow the story of the world to go beyond the movie and into something wholly original, incorporating more new elements. It is unfortunate, then, that the Atlantis film’s underperformance means it has little chance to be part of Kingdom Hearts.

Treasure Planet

In the first Kingdom Hearts, Monstro the Whale and Captain Hook’s ship served as the worlds of Pinocchio and Peter Pan. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep similarly did this; the world of Lilo & Stitch was the spaceship from the film’s prologue. This unusual method for a visitable world can also apply to Treasure Planet.

The movie’s ship, the RLS Legacy, can serve as a setting, with Sora and friends coming across it after the mutiny of John Silver, making it a hostile location. Similarly, Treasure Planet itself can be visited, mirroring Big Ben’s appearance in the first game. A possible party member can be the feline-like Captain Amelia, and though there is no traditional villain, a giant Heartless can be a final boss instead.

Robin Hood

The usage of The Lion King in Kingdom Hearts II shows a world without humans can work as long as the heroes change their appearance. The inclusion of Robin Hood can give something unique where Sora is the only one to change while Donald and Goofy remain the same. It can be a good source of comedy, befitting the film since it is a lighthearted swashbuckling adventure.

The film’s plot is easily replicable aside from the series’ original elements. Sherwood Forest and Nottingham can serve as the world, and its Sheriff can be mini-boss that the heroes fight. Robin is a given as a party member, and Prince John can serve as the world’s villain, manipulated by darkness and the Heartless.

Bolt

Bolt may be an unusual choice given the film’s story as a show within a movie, but there is a workaround. Instead of focusing on the dog’s real life, a possible world of Bolt can revolve around the dog’s television life, complete with superpowers. Thanks to Bolt’s officially licensed games that continued the show’s story, there is precedence for this idea.

Bolt is an easy party member, and thanks to the globetrotting nature of the show, the world can be based on anything with multiple settings like a city, desert, or jungle. Many creative liberties can also be taken with the world’s villain, using either the show’s bad guy, Dr. Calico, or Maleficent or Pete invading the world with Heartless and a giant one as the final boss.

The Sword In The Stone

The wizard Merlin was a longtime supporting character, teaching Sora magic and training Kairi and Lea with their Keyblades. Cutscenes and dialogue also indicate that Merlin is much more powerful than at first glance. Therefore, seeing him play a role in a world based on The Sword in the Stone would not be out of the question.

The plot can redo the movie with Merlin educating Arthur with the help of the heroes, or it can be an original continuation. Though there would not be a party member, there is an easy villain to confront in the form of Mad Madam Mim. As Merlin’s opposite, her role can be expanded upon with perhaps her dabbling with darkness allied with Maleficent.

Encanto

Despite its recent release, Encanto already has so much potential as a visitable world. However, given the importance and symbolism of the film’s message and theme, copying the plot wholesale into Kingdom Hearts and injecting its characters and villains would not be viable. Instead, an original story, perhaps taking place after Encanto with the Heartless invading, could fit better.

The large Casita and its rooms that are bigger on the inside can be explored, along with the surrounding village and jungle. There would be no additional party members since Mirabel has no gift, and the Madrigals use their powers for their community and not combat. Finally, the ending boss of the world can either be a giant Heartless or the Casita itself corrupted by darkness.

The Princess And The Frog

With the announcement of 2023’s Tiana coming to Disney+ and the reworking of the famous Splash Mountain attraction at the Disney parks, it is clear that there is still value in The Princess and the Frog. The film’s financial underperformance did not dampen critical reception too much, with a high 85% rating on Rotton Tomatoes. Fitting into Kingdom Hearts is undoubtedly feasible.

Locations in the bayou can serve as the world, and the heroes can transform into swamp creatures. The film’s characters may be unsuitable as party members, but the villainous Dr. Facilier is gift-wrapped to serve as the final boss. Facilier’s magic and friends from the other side can be unchanged, or Facilier can be altered as a practitioner of darkness to tie more into Kingdom Hearts.

Moana

With its setting, characters, and plot, Moana has more than enough to be a world. Like Atlantis: The Lost Empire, it even has an essential item that fits the game’s universe like a glove: The Heart of Te Fiti. Implementation into Kingdom Hearts greatly expands Moana’s appearance beyond a collectible medal in Kingdom Hearts X [chi].

Both Moana and Maui can serve as party members, and like The Caribbean in Kingdom Hearts III, the oceanic world can be traversable with watercraft and the spirit of the ocean. Like Olympus Coliseum in Kingdom Hearts II, another location can be Lalotai, where the heroes run afoul of the shiny, musically inclined Tamatoa. Lastly, the monstrous Te Ka can be the final boss, lost to the darkness without the heart.

Raya And The Last Dragon

While some Disney films require major reworking to fit into Kingdom Hearts, that is not the case for Raya and the Last Dragon. As a fantasy adventure involving a warrior princess and companions traveling to different lands to stop an apocalyptic evil, Raya is practically tailor-made to be adapted eventually with only minor changes.

There is enough material for a Raya world to be brought in as a retelling of the movie or something original. Raya herself is an easy party member to ally with, as Sora, Donald, and Goofy become her companions travel across Kumandra to awaken Sisu. The Druun can be reworked as the influence of darkness, with a possessed Namarri as the final boss, re-creating the spectacle of the climax as seen in Raya and the Last Dragon.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/disney-movies-should-be-kingdom-hearts-new-worlds/