Summary
Going into 2024,Kingdom Hearts 4still feels like a long way away. Despite being announced in April 2022 as part ofKingdom Hearts' 20th anniversary celebration, the next main entry of the long-running Square Enix and Disney crossover series hasn’t appeared in almost two years. Considering that the mobile titleKingdom Hearts Missing-Linkwas announced at the same event and is coming up first, it makes sense thatKingdom Hearts 4is giving it some room to breathe. Even so, that doesn’t give fans any new information to work with.
With little more than a reveal trailer to analyze, theKingdom Heartscommunity has been hard at work theorizing all sorts of things that could return or debut inKingdom Hearts 4. From new worlds based on recent Disney films toKH4bringing back mechanics like Drive Forms, there’s no shortage of discussion points regarding what could be in the upcoming game. Compared to things like party members and world design, Trinity Marks are probably one of the last subjects on most people’s minds, but their return would have a significant impact on howKingdom Hearts 4approaches both of those aspects.
How Trinity Marks Work In Kingdom Hearts
Only used inKingdom Hearts 1andKingdom Hearts Final Mix, Trinity Marks have been gone from the series for a long time. These sigils appear as a small circle connecting three hearts, and come in blue, red, green, yellow, and white varieties, all appearing in the environment and corresponding to specific Trinity Moves. Four of the five Trinity Moves are unlocked as part ofstory progression throughoutKingdom Hearts 1, with the earliest, Trinity Jump, acquired when Sora meets Donald and Goofy in Traverse Town, and the last, Trinity Detect, gained after Donald and Goofy rejoin Sora for the first Hollow Bastion Riku fight.
Trinity Marks Synergize With Kingdom Hearts’ Story and Gameplay
While Trinity Moves narratively exist to emphasize developments in Sora, Donald, and Goofy’s friendship, especially the optional Trinity Push which lets the party uncover Olympus Coliseum’s Keyhole together, they do so much more. Trinity Marks were theprecursor toKingdom Hearts 3’s Lucky Emblem collectibles, and served as both a game-wide treasure hunt and a reason to visit finished worlds. Some Trinity Moves are mandatory for progress, but all can unearth excellent treasure, and even transport the party to new areas.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Should Put Trinity Marks To Work
It’s not hard to see the benefits of bringing Trinity Marks back, but there is one logistical issue in the way. Trinity Moves were a metaphor for Sora’s deepening bonds with Donald and Goofy, and there’s a chancenormal party members won’t join Sora inKH4thanks to Quadratum’s remote location. However, that’s really an opportunity in disguise, as it would be interesting to see Sora gather a new friend group to ring inKingdom Hearts 4’s Lost Master Arc.
Trinity Marks Could Change Kingdom Hearts 4’s Design For The Better
As for affectingKH4’s gameplay, Trinity Marks can replaceKH3’s Lucky Emblems as collectibles, and encourage thorough exploration and backtracking. IfKingdom Hearts 4moves toward an open-world design, even if it’s limited to the city of Quadratum, then Trinity Marks would fit even better than inKH1. Environments could be filled top-to-bottom with secrets that players would have to access on return trips, and considering that some ofKingdom Hearts 1’s Trinity Moves could create shortcuts or progress sidequests, gaining new Trinity Moves would be a big deal. Combined with potential new uses like initiating minigames or unlocking Trinity Limits for combat use,KH1’s old Trinity Mark system could be a great boon toKingdom Hearts 4.
