Originally appearing as a rather unassuming reference to a fake video game inKingdom Hearts 3, Yozora seems to be taking center stage in the future of the series. Coming fromVerum Rex, a sort ofstand-in forFinal Fantasy Versus 13, Yozora has broken into the lore of the game, even interacting with Sora and Riku.
There are a number of hints that Yozora may be a fixture in the future of the series, mostly coming from how he has interacted with Sora and Riku as well as his likely dive into the Dream Realm fromDream Drop Distance. However, from the few short lines he speaks, it’s clear that Yozora is more than hisconnections toFinal Fantasy Versus 13, and will likely have a lasting impact on the future ofKingdom Heartsand the new conflict with the Master of Masters.
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Yozora is not what he appears
To clear the air, it’s fairly important to point out thatYozora is not who he appearsto be in the Secret Episode ofRe:Mind. The character even states outright that the Yozora players see in that scene and the following fight isn’t actually what he looks like, leaving his true identity up in the air. Similarly, the character is referred to as ‘Commander’ in the secret ending that unlocks when the players win the boss battle at the end, giving players a glimpse at who he really is.
So from here on, whoever this ‘Commander’ character is, he isn’t Yozora, which throws a bit of a wrench in thatending ReMIND cutsceneof him waking up in the car. For now, we can assume that the depiction is intended to let the player know who is experiencing the scene, and there will likely be a recut version of it in the future with the character’s real face pasted on later. However, for the sake of convenience, we will continue to refer to this mystery character as Yozora, since that is all the game really calls him aside from that ‘Commander’ title.
Where do Yozora and Sora meet?
So, looking back at a past game for a moment, there are a few key clues to where Sora and Yozora meet, and there are at least two other options aside from the Real World that Sora comes from. The options come down to the Realm of Sleep that first appears inDream Drop Distanceand the Datascape, first introduced inCoded/Re:Codedand continuing to be explored in the ongoingUnion Cross/Unchained X/Chionline mobile title. However, one of manyhidden details ofRe:Mindimplies that the Realm of Sleep is the correct option.
For one, after the fight on top of the 104 building, Yozora wakes up in the car, implying that he was dreaming of his fight with Sora. Secondly, when first meeting Yozora, he mentions that he had to go through some sort of trials in order to finally arrive in the Realm of Sleep’s Final World location. When delivering this line, the character looks down at his palm, a clear connection toThe World Ends with You’s palm timer, which has only ever been connected toKingdom Heartsin the past through the Realm of Sleep inDream Drop Distance.
Riku sees Yozora
Yozora’s future inKingdom Heartshas been set up very strongly inKingdom Hearts 3and his connections to the main characters of the series. After finishing theLimitcut Episode ofRe:Mind, the game reveals that there is a connection between Riku and Yozora, as he is able to see him in his dreams. This further proves that Sora and Yozora are in the Realm of Sleep as well, considering that Riku only sees them in his dreams.
The connection may have more or less to do with Riku’s connection with Sora, especially since he was Sora’s Dream Eater the last time the two went into the Realm of Sleep. However, the game does work to build a connection between the two beforeRe:Mindreleasedas well. When Yozora is first introduced in the Toy Box level, Donald and Goofy both claim that the he looks more like Riku than Sora.
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Sora as Yozora
We’ve mentioned before that Sora’s connections to Yozora are incredibly strong, both from the similarity in their names that leads Rex to confuse the two for each other, but also by the fact that Sora’s toy form wears Yozora’s clothes. This connection is fairly on the nose and has already been dissected repeatedly, however it may be pointing to something that could be coming in a future game in the series. Playing as Sora in Yozora’s clothes could have possibly been a precursor to controlling the new character in a future spin-off game, likely for anewKingdom Heartsmobiletitle, possibly one coming to the Switch.
Showing off Yozora’s fighting style in the secret boss fight could also be an indication that he will be taking the spot asthe playable character in a future gameas well. Then there is also the minigame available inKingdom Hearts 3where players control the Gigas robots and complete an arena battle fromVerum Rex. This is the game continuing to prime the players to take control of Yozora in a future game.
Yozora as the next main character
There is a precedent for players to play as characters other than Sora in otherKingdom Heartstitles, especially in spin-off games. BothKingdom Hearts 2and358/2 Daysput players in control of Roxas, whileBirth By Sleepstars Ventus, Aqua, and Terra. Additionally, that last character, Terra, was first introduced in the series as a secret final boss inKingdom Hearts 2Final Mix, just like Yozora’s fight at the end ofRe:Mind.
All of this points to Yozora being the star of the next game which will kick off the start of the all new, post Xehanort, story that pulls from theUnion Crossarc and the Master of Masters. Whether or not this means that Sora will be passing the torch for good after the end of the Xehanort arc, at least untilDark Roadwas announced, is still up in the air. Although, Yozora claiming to need to save Sora implies that the keyblade master’s role in the story ofKingdom Heartsisn’t completely finished yet.
Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mindis available now for PS4, and releases February 25th, 2020 for Xbox One.
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