Kingdom Hearts 4 is set to allow players to control Donald Duck as a fully playable character, according to an extended trailer released during D23. The segment of the game shown takes place in the Underworld from Hercules, where players will guide both Donald and Goofy through platforming and combat sequences.
The trailer also showcased a combined attack featuring Goofy's shield spins and Donald's magical projectiles. This playable role for Donald, known for his sometimes unreliable healing spells, has reignited discussions about his immense magical capabilities, particularly his Zettaflare spell.
In a dramatic moment from Kingdom Hearts 3's endgame, Donald unleashed the Zettaflare spell while defending his friends from Terra-Xehanort. This powerful attack, rarely seen in the Final Fantasy universe, generated significant fan discussion. A Reddit post following Kingdom Hearts 3's 2019 release estimated that Donald's Zettaflare produced over 5.5 million hit points, with "zetta" representing one sextillion (10^21). While Final Fantasy XVI later featured Bahamut casting a similar beam-like Zettaflare, Donald's version remains a subject of debate regarding its sheer power. The spell's magnitude in Kingdom Hearts 3 has led some to speculate that Donald could be the most powerful mage in the broader Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy universes.
It remains to be seen if Kingdom Hearts 4 will further explore or even reference Donald Duck's stratospheric power level. The game is currently slated for a late 2027 release, with series creator Tetsuya Nomura expressing confidence that the schedule will be maintained.