The Kingdom Hearts 4 Riku Return is looking much more likely after new D23 details listed David Gallagher, the longtime English voice actor for Riku, as one of the guests attending Disney’s upcoming Kingdom Hearts event.
Gallagher is set to appear alongside Sora voice actor Haley Joel Osment and Kingdom Hearts 4 co-director Tai Yasue during D23 weekend.
Disney has not officially confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 will be shown during the event, so fans should not treat this as a full reveal just yet. Still, having both major voice actors and one of the game’s directors in attendance makes it hard to ignore the possibility of new information.
The “Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts” panel is scheduled for August 15 and is mainly being presented as a celebration of the series’ 25th anniversary.
That does not mean Square Enix cannot use the moment to show something new.
Riku Still Has a Big Role to Play
Riku being connected to Kingdom Hearts 4 would hardly be a surprise.
At the end of Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, he heads toward Quadratum in search of Sora. Quadratum is also one of the main locations already shown in Kingdom Hearts 4.
That puts Riku in a very important position heading into the next game.
Square Enix has kept most of the story quiet, but the latest trailer already brought the series back into the spotlight after years of silence. A D23 appearance could be the next chance to explain where characters like Riku fit into the story.
Tai Yasue’s attendance is just as interesting.
Yasue has worked on Kingdom Hearts for years and is co-directing the fourth main game. If Kingdom Hearts 4 does come up during the panel, he is someone who could actually provide new development details rather than simply looking back at the older games.
A release date still feels unlikely, but even a few new scenes or story details would be enough to get fans talking.
Kingdom Hearts Is Already Inspiring Its Own Kind of RPG
There is also a smaller story happening outside Square Enix that shows how much influence Kingdom Hearts still has.
A new Steam game called Luminous Nights openly describes itself as a “Hearts-Like” action RPG.
The game follows a young boy named Faris through a city inspired by 1001 Arabian Nights. Its combat uses real-time combos, magic, dodging and 3D platforming, all ideas that should feel familiar to longtime Kingdom Hearts players.
Luminous Nights is currently planned for 2027.
It is obviously not trying to replace Kingdom Hearts 4, but the fact that developers are now comfortable using the term “Hearts-Like” says plenty about the series.
Games have spent years being described as Soulslikes, Metroidvanias and Zelda-likes. Kingdom Hearts now appears to be reaching the point where its own style is becoming a clear reference for other developers.
That makes the timing around D23 even more interesting.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is finally starting to feel active again, Riku’s return looks increasingly likely, and other developers are already building games inspired by the formula Square Enix helped create.
Now fans just need D23 to give them something new to talk about.
Visit the official Kingdom Hearts site and D23 for event and series information.
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