One of the key elements of the Kingdom Hearts series are the worlds that Sora, Donald and Goofy have visited in their travels. From the deep oceans of Altantica to the desert kingdom of Agrabah and the monochrome aesthetics of the Timeless River, there has always been something for everyone to remember from Disney’s back catalogue, with occasional cameos from alumni of the Final Fantasy multiverse.

With Kingdom Hearts 3 on the horizon, fans of the series are left to wonder which worlds will make it to the final cut, which will be left on the cutting room floor and an ever expanding wishlist of some that will probably never see the light.

Salem (Hocus Pocus)

The original 1993 feature film featured the talents of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as a trio of witches who steal the life force of innocent people to keep themselves youthful. Set in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, the location of the witch trials, a group of teenagers worked together with an immortal cat, who is one of the trio’s former victims, to ensure they could not be resurrected into the modern day.

If Salem was included in Kingdom Hearts 3, they would more than likely use the photorealistic style that was used for Port Royal in Kingdom Hearts II. The concept of resurrection fits perfectly with the Heartless, but the modern day location of the majority of the movie would probably break the immersion, so it would more than likely set in the days when the witches were at the height of their powers.

The Jungle (The Jungle Book)

The story of Mowgli and his journey to the man village was originally written by Rudyard Kipling, and was released an animated feature film in 1967. With the overprotective panther Bagheera, the fun loving bear Baloo and the tyrannical tiger Shere Khan, there was a mixture of fun and danger that have become key elements of what makes Disney one of the masters of storytelling.

After some research, The Jungle Book was found to be partially made in the assets of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, but for unknown reasons, it did not make it into the final game. If it were to be included, Shere Khan would more than likely either become a Heartless, or influence them to appear like Clayton did in Deep Jungle, a world in the original Kingdom Hearts.

Devil’s Bayou (The Rescuers)

A relatively unknown entry in the Disney feature film canon. The Rescuers is the story of Bernard and Bianca, two mice who work for an international organisation named the Rescue Aid Society. After a misunderstanding, they have been given the task of rescuing a girl named Penny from a dangerous pawn shop owner named Madame Medusa, a rotund man with practically no self-confidence, and Medusa’s less than competent alligator sidekicks.

Most of the story takes place in the Devil’s Bayou, a swampland in the southern states of America. The creatures and critters that inhabit the swamp would be perfect fodder to inspire designs for Heartless to be defeated, and if the Casey Jr segment from the Kingdom Hearts 3 teaser trailer was used as inspiration, the scene where Madame Medusa is outwitted using a speedboat could easily be replicated into one of the game’s reaction command bosses.

Middleton (Kim Possible)

As well as their numerous movies, the Disney company have branched into animated series, with characters from Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King getting their own individual spin offs. One series that does not borrow from the archives is a comedy drama starring a headstrong teen hero Kim Possible. Along for the ride are her bumbling sidekick and best friend Ron Stoppable, a naked mole rat named Rufus and a multitude of villains that parody a lot of superhero conventions that have become commonplace.

With Kim’s assortment of gadgets, and Ron’s dependable clumsiness, the teenage duo would be perfect guest characters for the party system that is in the mainstream Kingdom Hearts titles. Any Heartless that would inevitably appear could be fashioned after Kim’s arch foes and their minions, and a possible mini fight with Shego would only add to the Middleton experience.

Tatooine (Star Wars)

A long time ago, the galaxy was home to many stories about bounty hunters, Jedi and space stations that are the size of a planet. Two legendary Jedi began their adventures from this desert planet, one who became a hero would be remembered for all time, and one who would lose himself to the Dark Side after being led astray. Regardless of which trilogy you consider to be superior, George Lucas’s space opera will be remembered for many lightyears to come.

Now that Lucasfilm and Marvel are part of Disney, there have been long discussions about whether they will bring their franchises in the Kingdom Hearts series. If they do bring the Star Wars universe to the world crossing RPG, it is more than likely that they will choose a heavily populated area such as Coruscant or Naboo, rather than humble beginnings of both of the Skywalker heroes. With possible mini games such as Pod Racing and lightsaber style keyblades, Tatooine could be a world to remember in the Kingdom Hearts franchise.

Are there any worlds that you would think would definitely not be on the map for Sora’s latest adventure? Let us know what you think in the comments below.