For fans of the series, Kingdom Hearts 3 brought a lot of resolution to longstanding plotlines. Even while introducing new elements, it carried on many of the traditions of the franchise, but not all of them.
The most obvious exclusion was the lack of Final Fantasy characters, something that's been a constant since the series' inception. One of the most challenging battles in the first two games featured the iconic villain Sephiroth.
Related: Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind DLC Secret Ending Explained
Kingdom Hearts 3 Re: Mind added on the challenging battles fans wanted, along with an intense secret boss. Yet, it feels strange that the third entry lacks a Sephiroth battle, especially when it was such a beloved part of the first two mainline games.
A Sephiroth Battle Could Be Better Than Ever In Kingdom Hearts 3
Re: Mind finally brought Kingdom Hearts 3's combat system up to speed, giving players the fine-tuned control they need. With all of the options and mechanics, Kingdom Hearts 3 arguably has the best combat in the series, and this could work wonders for a Sephiroth battle.
The bosses in Re: Mind demanded a lot of players, with multiple phases and attacks that require precise timing for dodging and guarding. Sephiroth would be on level with the Yozora battle, with the villain using his devastating attacks like Shadow Flares and Meteor, but with renewed intensity. Keyblade Forms give players more options than ever before to combat Sephiroth, and the Unreal Engine 4 provides so many opportunities for the fight.
Perhaps most interesting, though, is the potential to finally make Cloud a party member, or guest member. Kingdom Hearts 3 allows for up to four party at any given time, meaning a Sephiroth fight could bring Sora, Donald, and Cloud into battle. Past that, the game could even create a party of multiple Final Fantasy characters, maybe teaming Cloud up with the Hollow Bastion crew of Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith.
While Kingdom Hearts 3 didn't suffer from the lack of Final Fantasy characters, the battles of Re: Mind only reinforce how fantastic a Sephiroth battle could be in the updated engine of the third game.
Now Is the Perfect Time to Add a Sephiroth Battle
2020 is a big year for Final Fantasy, with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. As a final addition to Kingdom Hearts 3, a Sephiroth battle would be the perfect homage to the release of the Remake. There's literally no better time to bring Sephiroth to the game.
Doing so could help drum up interest for the Remake, but there's a much better use of it as well. The Final Fantasy 7 Remake is redeg its core characters, both in of look and voice. Adding characters like Cloud and Sephiroth into Kingdom Hearts 3 would allow Square Enix to solidify the new designs of the characters, and more importantly, their new voice actors. The new voices are going to be the hardest thing for players to adjust to, but migrating them to Kingdom Hearts 3 can help solidify the actors.
Final Fantasy characters have been added back into Kingdom Hearts 3 with Re: Mind, but their inclusion was ive at most, with only a few short cutscenes featuring the characters. Kingdom Hearts is certainly moving past the need to feature Final Fantasy, but with thirteen years between the second and third games, Square Enix should at least give players a look at a modern Sephiroth battle.
