WithKingdom Hearts 3 ReMind’s secret ending, it seemsFinal Fantasy Versus 13may vicariously live on through the nextKingdom Heartsproject. With the conclusion ofReMindand the Secret Episode, a fusion ofKingdom Hearts 3andFinal Fantasy Versus 13appears to be on the way in one form or another.
That’d be a very unusual statement if made a year ago, but now the similarities betweenKingdom Hearts 3 ReMindandFinal Fantasy Versus 13are impossible to ignore. Originally thought to be an Easter Egg from the base game,ReMindshows fans that it’s not just a reference and that there are several common threads between the two games.
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ReMind’s Secret Ending
Starting with the obvious scene that kicked off all the discussion and theory-crafting isKingdom Hearts ReMind’sSecret Episode. Regardless of whether the player gets the “good” or “bad” ending, in it a scene plays with Yozora waking up in the back of a car driving through a vague metro area. He’s awoken by his driver, stating “it’s impressive, is it not?” as they enter the city. This scene is very significant, as it’s a shot-for-shot remake of one of thefirst trailers forFinal Fantasy Versus 13.
Previously, Tetsuya Nomura had re-assured that Yozora and the world of Verum Rex were original creations, sharingonly a few over-lapping concepts withFinal Fantasy Versus 13. But if theVersus 13trailer is compared directly to theReMindSecret Ending, they both match one-to-one, even in the most subtle physical movements of the characters. Each moment is derived from it: Yozora waking up, the driver talking to Yozora, Yozora looking out the window. it’s the exact same thing that Noctis does during that firstFinal Fantasy Versus 13trailer. This moment is followed up by one of the most iconic lines in theKingdom Heartsgames: “I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately. Like is any of this for real or not?”
The cinematic matching exactly with theVersus 13trailer, at least on its own, may seem like it’s just afun reference to Nomura’s previous project. It’s when taken into context with the Secret Ending ofKingdom Hearts 3’s base game where things get interesting.
Kingdom Hearts 3’s Secret Ending
ReMindwas not the first time Yozora was seen outside of the pseudo game trailer in theToy Storyworld. DuringKingdom Hearts 3’s Secret Ending, the player is met with Yozora once again, watching over Sora and Riku as they wake up in what looks like two worlds. Sora almost certainly wakes up in Shibuya, or some version of it, confirmed by the various signs he wakes up around him including the “104” tower where theReMindSecret Boss fight takes place. The 104 tower is also in the city center ofShibuya fromThe World Ends with Youworld,sharing a likeness with the real Shibuya city center in Japan.
Riku, on the other hand, wakes up somewhere completely different. Whether that’s in a different part of Shibuya or a different city entirely,theKH3Secret Ending is too vague to tell. That being said, he wakes up a little ways away from a monolithic building with two towers upon which Yozora is sitting and watching. This building bears a strong resemblance to the same two-tower building shown in the trailers forFinal Fantasy Versus 13. Not only that, as Riku approaches this building, the camera zooms to Yozora staring down at him while a piano theme starts playing in the background. Listen closely and one can hear the beginning of “Somnus,” the main theme forFinal Fantasy Versus 13andFinal Fantasy 15. The song eventually bleeds into a somber version ofKingdom Hearts' “Dearly Beloved,” but the melding of the two songs together can’t be a coincidence either.
One thing of note is Yozora’s appearance as well. His attire is reminiscent of Riku, but darker in hue and similar to Noctis' all black clothing. A slight similarity, but most importantly his physique is similar to that of Riku and Noctis. He’s got a similar short hair style to Noctis paired with Riku’s silver hair color. The distinct difference is in the eyes, one is red and one is blue. Noctis' depiction inFinal Fantasy Versus 13andFinal Fantasy 15showed him having blue eyes as his standard eye color, but when he used his Armiger abilities, his eyes turned red. The significance of the two different colored eyes isyet to be seen for Yozora, but since eye color has been a significant character trait inKingdom Heartsbefore, it could relate to some kind of magical duality in Yozora based on Noctis' powers fromVersus 13.
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Subtle Similarities
Beyond that, there are some subtle similarities as well that could very well be intended, but are much more ambiguous. For one thing, the meaning behind each character’s name does stands out when comparing them together. Most importantly is the similarity between Yozora and Noctis: Yozora in Japanese symbolizes “night sky” or is closely related to it, while Noctis means “of night” in Latin. There’s a key connection here between the meaning of their names, and while it’s not inherently significant or means anything specific, it’s yet another nod toVersus 13that hammers down the point that this formerFinal Fantasyproject is going to have a significant impact on thenextKingdom Heartsexperience.
And lastly, there’s a tiny reference toFinal Fantasy Versus 13and Fabula Nova Crystallis in general, specifically in the “bad” ending ofKingdom Hearts 3 ReMind. ShouldSora be defeated in the secret boss fight, Yozora will crystallize Sora into a frozen form before returning him to The Final World. It’s very similar to the concept in the originalFinal Fantasy 13, where if someone is cursed to be a l’Cie they must fulfill their Focus so they can be crystallized to gain eternal life. This is an interesting parallel to what Yozora says prior to the final battle, stating that he needs to “Save Sora” for some reason. It’s a stretch, but it is possible he may be referring to the concept of a Focus and granting Sora eternal life.
Each individual tease by themselves doesn’t amount to anything significant, but compile together the little clues sprinkled throughout and pair them together, and it’s hard to ignore the definitive similarities betweenKingdom Hearts 3andFinal Fantasy Versus 13and how they will influence each other moving forward.
Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMindis available now on PS4 and will be available February 25 on Xbox One.
