Summary
- Kingdom Hearts 4 has a strong possibility of featuring another Final Fantasy character as a crossover, possibly the latest protagonist Clive, or someone else.
- Putting Final Fantasy characters in Kingdom Hearts has been a tradition since the first game, providing a recurring easter egg for fans.
- Cloud, being the iconic protagonist of Final Fantasy 7, is a more desirable cameo choice than Clive due to his name recognition and relevancy.
If Kingdom Hearts 4 doesn't plan to pull Clive from Final Fantasy 16 for a crossover, the series still has a strong and relevant option at its disposal. Both Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy have been intertwined in at least some way since the beginning of the series. It would be no surprise at all to see Kingdom Hearts 4 feature another Final Fantasy character crossing over into the world. The question is whether it will be the latest protagonist Clive or someone else. After all, there are still valid options even if Clive gets passed over.
The tradition of putting Final Fantasy characters in Kingdom Hearts has been a part of the series ever since the first game. This can be seen as soon as the player sees Destiny Island for the first time at the game's start, where Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka are introduced as friends of Sora. Since then, more characters from the Final Fantasy series have made their way into the games, in both major and minor roles. Granted, these are not the exact same characters, but alternate versions that live in the Kingdom Hearts universe. Regardless, they're a good recurring easter egg for Final Fantasy fans.
Cloud Has Good Reason to Appear in Kingdom Hearts 4
There's an argument to be made for Clive appearing in Kingdom Hearts 4. He's the protagonist of the latest game in the series, so his game is still relatively fresh in the public eye. Also of note is his fighting style. Since Final Fantasy 16 is more of an action RPG, it has its own similarities with Kingdom Hearts' gameplay that past turn-based RPGs do not. However, the risk of bringing in Clive is the fact that his name lacks the same recognition as past crossovers due to still being such a new addition. Even so, he's not the only potential option for a crossover.
When it comes to the Final Fantasy crossover characters, Cloud's appearances in Kingdom Hearts are probably the most memorable. The legendary lead of Final Fantasy 7 makes his initial appearance as a boss for Sora to fight, first in the storyline, then later in an optional arena battle. In this iteration, his rivalry with the equally famous Sephiroth is still present and acts as a significant driving force for him through his appearances in the first two Kingdom Hearts titles. With the Final Fantasy 7 remake series, Cloud may be more relevant than any time since the original FF7, making him an excellent choice for a cameo.
Cloud also seems quite likely thanks to a pattern in Kingdom Hearts' Final Fantasy cameos. Although Clive is the newest Final Fantasy protagonist, he doesn't have the same name value as Cloud. Cloud is not only the most iconic Final Fantasy protagonist, but he's the star of what's widely considered to be one of the greatest games of all time. It's no surprise that Cloud has already made multiple appearances because he's practically guaranteed to draw the attention of Final Fantasy fans. Above anything else, that could be what makes him a more desirable cameo choice than Clive.
Clive could play a respectable role as a Final Fantasy representative in Kingdom Hearts 4, but he may not be the developer's first choice. Cloud has already established himself in Kingdom Hearts, and is a much bigger name in the first place. That isn't to say that Clive doesn't have a chance, but his place in the next game is far from guaranteed. It would be cool to see him in the game and expand the crossover between the two series. However, even if Clive doesn't get the green light, Kingdom Hearts 4 can still turn to the reliable Cloud.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is in development.