A longtime Kingdom Hearts star spoiled one major character recast coming into Kingdom Hearts 4. The fourth numbered title in the Kingdom Hearts franchise (no, we are not counting games like 358/2 Days) was confirmed over three years ago, yet fans still know relatively little about the next entry into the beloved RPG franchise.
Rumors swirled about Square Enix's next Disney-tinged RPG since its initial reveal, including why main character Sora seemed to be in the real world in its reveal trailer and how worlds like Star Wars and Marvel could potentially make their way into the fan-favorite series. Star of the series Alyson Stoner offered a bit more info on the upcoming sequel, revealing that one fan-favorite character has been recast for a second time. Speaking to Legacy of the Nerd, Stoner let slip that, on top of her longtime franchise roles of Kairi and Xion, she will also be playing Namine in Kingdom Hearts 4.
"For those who don't know, I voice Kairi, Xion, and Namine," the Kingdom Hearts star remarked, adding, "A lot of people don't know about Namine" and that she hoped she was "not spoiling something:"
"I feel really grateful that it's a huge mix of characters, but today, at the con, it's been a lot of 'Kingdom Hearts' love. So, for those who don't know, I voice Kairi, Xion, and Namine. A lot of people don't know about Namine, so I hope I'm not spoiling something, I'm not supposed to say out loud."
This is the first indication that Namine would be getting a new voice actor for Kingdom Hearts 4. Brittany Stone previously voiced the character before being replaced by Meaghan Jette Martin, starting with Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories. However, now it seems that Stoner has taken over as the character for all future releases.
It would make sense that Namine and Kairi share the same voice actor, as, in canon, Namine is the Nobody created from Kairi's heart after it left her body during the events of Kingdom Hearts.
No release information for Kingdom Hearts 4 has been revealed at this time, but it has reportedly been in development since April 2020. Kingdom Hearts fans can get a taste of the series with a new anime crossover series, Twisted-Wonderland, streaming on Disney+
Why Would Namine Get Recast in Kingdom Hearts?
For nearly 20 years, Namine has been voiced by the same person. After she was initially brought to life by Brittany Stone in the first game, Meaghan Jette Martin took over the role for each successive release in the hit RPG franchise.
So, why would Square Enix recast the character yet again all these years later? Ultimately, time might be the biggest reason. As mentioned, Martin has played the character since 2005. That is a long time, even longer if you count the development time of her initial appearance.
In that time, Martin has continued to act, most recently appearing in several high-profile stage productions and movies like 2023's Journey. Perhaps she has moved past the character and no longer wants to return for Kingdom Hearts 4, or maybe her schedule was too full to make time for another appearance as Namine, leaving the door open for Alyson Stoner to step in.
Considering Namine is the Nobody version of her other character, Kairi, a near-perfect, heartless facsimile of a character in Kingdom Hearts, having the pair of franchise mainstays voiced by the same actor seems reasonable.
In the meantime, before Kingdom Hearts 4 comes to consoles, fans can hear Stoner in various Disney hits like Phineas and Ferb and Camp Rock.
