Looks like Roxas’ summer vacation is…far from over. The Kingdom Hearts series has brought some of the most iconic characters from Disney and Square Enix properties, but nothing matches the sheer force put behind the franchises’ original characters. With the main spotlight set on Sora for most of the Kingdom Hearts games, two characters have held their ground in their titles: Riku and Roxas. Both characters had a valuable role in previous titles, but it might be wise to assume that Roxas will play a larger role than we expect when it comes to Kingdom Hearts 4. To answer this question, we must re-chain the memories of Roxas’ past and shed light on his heartless endeavors, for better or worse.
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For us to understand Roxas’ role in Sora’s story, we have to go to where it all started: Kingdom Hearts. Roxas was born when Sora released his heart with the Keyblade to free Kairi, which turned Sora into a Heartless and led to Roxas being born as a Nobody. While Sora was returned to his former self, Roxas was able to co-exist with Sora but lacked the memory of the main protagonist. While this information was not introduced until Kingdom Hearts 2, his presence has been alongside Sora in some shape or form within the series.
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If there is any indication as to Roxas’ presence in Kingdom Hearts 4, it would be found at the ending of Kingdom Hearts 3 Re: Mind. Roxas returns during the Keyblade Graveyard scene in the game within a replica, granting him the chance to co-exist alongside Sora. After Sora shuts Kingdom Hearts, Roxas is given the chance to live his life as a teenager, but unfortunately, Sora’s time in the real world is cut short. Seeing how Roxas has been a key part of Sora’s life, the opportunity to help bring him back from Quadratum seems likely.
This leads us to Roxas’ purpose in Kingdom Hearts 4, as Riku and Roxas’ friends, Hayner, Pence, and Olette, study his memories to find where Sora went. As mentioned, Sora is within the world of Quadratum, which has never been seen before by Roxas (or at least not that we are aware of). Roxas is still an anchor for Sora, meaning that his mind is connected to our main protagonist. While the obvious choice is for Riku to find Sora, Roxas could be the primary source for bridging the link between the “real” world and the former world.
With this being said, Kingdom Hearts 4 is introducing new characters to the “Lost Masters” Arc, so the overall role of Roxas within this installment might not be as prominent. Roxas was given a happy ending with him getting the chance to live his life alongside his friends. Still, knowing how Roxas idolized Sora, he like wouldn’t pass the chance to help finding him.
With little information regarding key characters making their way back into Kingdom Hearts 4, we can hopefully expect to see our duel-wielding Keyblader back in either a supporting role or a much bigger role within the upcoming arc.
