It did not take long for the discussions surroundingKingdom Heartsto make a return onceKingdom Hearts 4was revealed to be in development. One of the series’ trademark traits is the odd crossover between Square Enix’s works, mostly fromFinal Fantasy, and Disney media. Although this concept is easy to mock, the series found a way to not only make the crossover charming, but work in its own way despite the tonal differences. Although plenty of Disney movies have gotten representation, the most important Disney elements inKingdom Heartsseem to derive from the classic shorts, with characters from the “Mickey Mouse Gang”, namelyGoofy and Donald Duck, being regularly playable alongside the protagonist, Sora.
Other characters from the shorts have also become more prominent as the series evolved. Mickey Mouse, referred to as “King Mickey” in-universe, and the chipmunks Chip and Dale, all have important roles.Kingdom Hearts 4will obviously include references to the cast that put Disney on the radar in the first place, but it will likely primarily focus on Donald and Goofy, give Mickey something notable to do, and give minor roles to other classic Disney characters. In addition to these characters, the game should finally introduce Max Goof to its strange and complicated universe.
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Extended Disney Families and Today
Aside from their impact on animation, American culture, and pop culture as a whole, the classic Disney stars are also known for their extended families. This is especiallythe case with Donald Duck, whose entire lineage is the subject of countless comics, and his famous uncle and nephews are just barely less famous than him and the other “core” Disney characters. While perpetually single, unlike Mickey and Donald, Goofy is the only classic Disney character with actual offspring: his son Max.
Max and Goofy’s relationship is mostly remembered forits depiction in the cult classicA Goofy Movie. Surprisingly, Max has never appeared in aKingdom Heartsgame, although the developers could easily make some room for him. Considering howKingdom Heartsusually treats characters from the “Mickey Mouse Gang” and their associates, Max is unlikely to have a big role if he were to be inKingdom Hearts. He would probably be limited to a single area or side quest. Indeed, his prominence would likely be on par with Donald’s relatives, which is fitting considering his main role is being Goofy’s son. However, there is still potential for Max to have a bigger role.
Kingdom Hearts 2had two semi-original worlds based on the classic Disney shorts, but theKingdom Heartsseries has never representedDisney’s own TV shows, andKingdom Hearts 4continuing the tradition would not be surprising. Despite this, a world based onA Goofy Movieor evenGoof Troopwould be a perfect way to introduce Max to the series, in addition of representing a now “retro” Disney era afterKingdom Hearts 3focused on mostly modern movies. AGoofy MovieorGoof Troopworld could work because Max, while related to Goofy, was not properly introduced in the classic shorts, aside from a “Goofy Junior” character, nor was he part of the nearly equally important comics like Scrooge.
Kingdom Heartsrarely puts characters out of their comfort zone unless it is necessary to do so. While Goofy’s son has been a character since the 50s, Max Goof as he is known today was only introduced in the 1990s. Seeing him without the world ofGoof Troopwould be as weird as seeing Alice as a Disney “princess” in the originalKingdom Hearts. Very little is known about theDisney worlds inKingdom Hearts 4aside from the revelation that they have been picked. Max Goof is one of the few major characters associated with the classic shorts to not appear in the series. IfKingdom Hearts 4finally gives Max an opportunity to shine, it should put him where he is at his best by building a world around his backstory and relationship with Goofy.
