Riku
| This article is about the character. You may be looking for the musical theme. |
| Riku | ||||||||||||
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| Japanese | リク | |||||||||||
| Rōmaji | Riku | |||||||||||
| Voice actors | (Ja:) Mamoru Miyano Eiji Shima (Young Riku) (En:) David Gallagher Ty Panitz (Young Riku) | |||||||||||
| Homeworld | Destiny Islands Hollow Bastion | |||||||||||
| Games | Kingdom Hearts Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories Kingdom Hearts II Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Kingdom Hearts coded Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage- Kingdom Hearts III Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory | |||||||||||
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| Riku
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| Kingdom Hearts |
| First entry Islander. A self-confident youth always competing with Sora. He hated the monotony of island life and built a raft with Sora and Kairi to explore the outside world. Riku seems to have vanished along with the Destiny Islands. Second entry Islander. A self-confident youth always competing with Sora. When the Destiny Islands vanished, so did he. By the time Riku reappeared, Sora had already found new friends, so Riku didn't rejoin him. Riku is willing to go to any length to save Kairi--even join forces with Maleficent. Third entry Riku gained immense power through the forces of darkness. But ordinary humans are no match for the darkness, and it is gradually consuming his heart. Fourth entry When Kairi lost her heart, Riku allied himself with Maleficent to save her. Riku was actually the rightful master of the Keyblade, but once he chose darkness over light, the weapon chose Sora instead. Ansem exploited Riku's weakness of heart and possessed him. |
| Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories |
| Sora's Story Sora's childhood friend. Baited by the darkness and used by Maleficent and Ansem, Riku once fought against Sora. In order to seal the door to darkness, Riku stayed with the king on the other side. His current whereabouts are unknown. Sora journeys in the hopes of finding Riku. Reverse/Rebirth A boy who was born and raised on a small group of islands. Riku dreamt of seeing other worlds, and so he forsook the islands—only to be seduced by the power of darkness. Enslaved by Ansem, pursuer of darkness, Riku clashed with his childhood friend Sora. But in the end, he was able to regain himself, and together with Sora closed the door to darkness. Still, the dark wounds in Riku's heart have yet to mend. |
| Kingdom Hearts II |
| Ansem Mysterious wielder of darkness. What could his true purpose be? First entry The form Sora's longtime friend Riku chose. Though Xehanort tried to control Riku from within, Riku's heart proved stronger. But the only way to wield the darkness fully was to become it. Riku began calling himself "Ansem," perhaps as a sign of resolve. He would live in darkness if that's what it took to wake Sora. Second entry Sora's longtime friend. He had clad himself in darkness in order to wield it, and had even changed in appearance. But when the real Ansem's Kingdom Hearts Encoder exploded, Riku returned to his old form. You could say it was a miracle—worked by a heart no darkness could eclipse. |
| Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days |
| HD 1.5 ReMIX Childhood friends with Sora and Kairi. He donned the Organization's black coat pretending to be a member, and investigates their actions while waiting for Sora's memories to be restored. |
| Kingdom Hearts Re:coded |
| Sora's best friend. They grew up together on the Destiny Islands. But Riku was so desperate to leave their small, stifling home that he succumbed to the darkness. Eventually, he and Sora clashed. Fortunately, he met Mickey. With his new friend's help, Riku learned to turns his wrongs into rights, and eventually became one of Sora's greatest, unseen allies. |
| Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep |
| A little boy who yearns to see the outside world. Terra chose him to inherit the power of the Keyblade. Riku deeply cares for his friend Sora, and believes the strength he needs to protect people awaits him somewhere in the wider world. |
| Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance |
| A boy who wields a Keyblade. His battles to save the worlds have often pitted him against the darkness in his own heart. Now, he is braving the Mark of Mastery examination to find out if he is still worthy of the Keyblade. |
| Kingdom Hearts Union χ |
| KH Riku/Illustrated Riku KINGDOM HEARTS (2002) A childhood friend of Sora and Kairi. KH II Black Coat Riku A/KH II Black Coat Riku B KINGDOM HEARTS II (2005) A childhood friend of Sora and Kairi who's fought Sora in the past. KH II Riku KINGDOM HEARTS II (2005) A childhood friend of Sora and Kairi. Reliable and inquisitive. KH CoM Black Coat Riku KINGDOM HEARTS CoM (2004) A childhood friend of Sora who struggles with the darkness inside. Illustrated Riku B KINGDOM HEARTS CoM (2004) A childhood friend of Sora and Kairi. He dreamed of going off to the outside world. KH 3D Riku KINGDOM HEARTS 3D (2012) A Keyblade-wielding boy who takes on the Mark of Mastery exam. HD Riku KINGDOM HEARTS 3D (2012) A young Keyblade wielder who attempts the Mark of Mastery exam to test his potential. Sora & Riku & Kairi KINGDOM HEARTS (2002) Three friends who live in Destiny Islands. KH II Riku & Mickey KINGDOM HEARTS II A childhood friend of Sora and Kairi, and the king of Disney Castle. Sora & Riku & Meow Wow KINGDOM HEARTS 3D (2012) A Medal celebrating KH 2.8. |
| Kingdom Hearts III |
| A true Keyblade Master and childhood friend of Sora and Kairi. Though he struggled with the darkness in the past, he learned to control his heart and successfully earned the Mark of Mastery. In order to gather the remaining guardians of light to confront Master Xehanort, Riku and King Mickey have gone searching for the lost Keyblade wielders who vanished over ten years ago. |
- "If the world is made of light and darkness... We'll be the darkness."
- —Riku to Sora in the Realm of Darkness
Riku is one of the seven Guardians of Light and a major character in the Kingdom Hearts series. He is the secondary antagonist of Kingdom Hearts, and a major playable character in Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. He has lesser playable roles in Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts III, only for individual battles. In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, he is playable in Mission Mode.
He lives on Destiny Islands with his best friends, Sora and Kairi, and all three of them dream of venturing from Destiny Islands to find out what worlds are out there. This dream comes true, although Riku becomes influenced by the darkness and struggles to find a place as Sora's ally. He eventually does and also becomes a Keyblade Master after passing his Mark of Mastery exam.
He serves as the physical template of the Riku Replica.
Development[edit]
In the Director's Secret Report XIII, it is stated that one of the four untold stories is "the period of Riku's absence", though that has not been further delved into.
Story[edit]
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep[edit]
When Terra visits Destiny Islands, he can already sense Riku's potential, and asks why Riku wants to leave his island. Riku tells Terra that someone else left the island long ago, and visited other worlds. Riku states that he would like to leave his world too in order to become strong enough to protect his friends and everything else he holds dear. During their conversation, Terra sees a vision of a white-haired man who then transforms into Riku's sixteen-year-old self. This convinces him to choose Riku as his successor, and lets Riku hold his Keyblade to test his strength. He convinces Riku to keep their conversation a secret to preserve the world order.
He and Sora later encounter Aqua, who finds their friendship similar to that of hers, Terra's and Ven's, and asks Sora to protect Riku if he ever loses his path.
Sometime afterwards, Riku and Sora are resting on a beach under a starry sky at night. When they are ready to go home, Riku sees Sora's sudden tear of sadness and says that perhaps someone from another world is feeling sad somewhere and suggests that Sora try and reach out to him. After Sora reaches out to Ventus, they both look up at the starry sky.
Between Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts[edit]
Sometime later, a young girl named Kairi arrives at the Destiny Islands from another world during a nighttime meteor shower. Not long after that night, Sora and Riku explore a small, hidden cave on their islands, in search of a "howling monster". They are disappointed to find only a featureless door in the "Secret Place", and they decide to someday leave the island and have real adventures. As they leave, they decide to go see "the new girl", and Riku, unbeknownst to Sora, looks back at the door to see the Keyhole of the Destiny Islands.
Riku, Sora, and Kairi quickly forge a powerful friendship. During the next several years, they often wonder about what lies beyond their small world, prompted by the mystery of Kairi's forgotten home.
Kingdom Hearts[edit]
- "Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!"
- —Riku to Sora as the Destiny Islands are consumed by darkness
Riku, Sora, and Kairi continued to live on the Destiny Islands together. The three work together to construct a raft and gather supplies so that they can set out and search for other outside worlds. While Riku and Sora continue their rivalry through duels and races, Riku takes jabs at Sora over his relationship with Kairi, telling him that if Sora loses their race over the raft's name, he gets to share a paopu fruit with Kairi- although if spoken to afterward, he will claim it was "just a joke".[1]
On the night before their journey, Riku opens the door in the secret place and the Heartless invade the islands. Kairi and Sora each set out for the island to make sure their raft is safe. Sora finds Riku, but finds that Riku is only eager to escape the islands. Darkness surrounds the two, and while Riku disappears into it, Sora gains the Keyblade.
| This information is based on alternate scenes or materials and is not considered canon within the overall plot of the series. |
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| In the Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories novel, Riku has a short discussion with Kairi, who came to help secure the raft during the storm. He gives her the same offer he would soon give Sora, to take her to the outside world by "another way". As the storm rages, he tells her to wait in front of the door inside of the Secret Place while he looks for Sora, neither of them knowing what would eventually happen to her. |
Riku eventually ends up in Hollow Bastion via the Corridor of Darkness, separated from his friends. There, he is found by Maleficent, and she offers him shelter and protection.
In exchange for Riku's cooperation in gathering the Princesses of Heart, she agrees to find Kairi and bring her to him. During this time, Riku comes to possess a blade of darkness called Soul Eater. Riku comes across Sora in Traverse Town. He takes possession of Sora's Keyblade for a few moments before giving it back to Sora, much to Sora's surprise, and then he suddenly leaves. Watching Sora from a distance, Maleficent turns Riku against Sora, telling him that Sora has abandoned him and Kairi for traveling with Donald and Goofy. However, Riku is still highly suspicious of her motives.
During Sora and Aladdin's fight with Jafar in Agrabah, Riku takes Jasmine to Hollow Bastion under Maleficent's orders. Maleficent reveals the whereabouts of Kairi's body. She claims that the only way to save Kairi, who appears to have lost her heart to the darkness, is to gain access to Kingdom Hearts.
Riku meets Sora again in Monstro, intending to use Pinocchio to help him find a way to save Kairi's heart. However, Pinocchio is captured by the Parasite Cage, and Riku works together with Sora, Donald, and Goofy to save him. Afterwards, Riku kidnaps Pinocchio, and is pursued by Sora, Donald, and Goofy into Monstro's stomach. Riku asks Sora to join him and help him rescue Kairi, but Sora refuses, knowing that Riku's methods are wrong. When the Parasite Cage returns, Riku vanishes into a Corridor of Darkness.
Maleficent bestows the power of darkness on Riku, giving him the power to command the Heartless. He then goes to Neverland, traveling on Captain Hook's ship, where Kairi's body is being kept. He appears before Sora, showing him Kairi's body. Sora warns Riku that the Heartless will eventually turn on him and devour his heart, but Riku refuses to listen and retreats after using his new powers to summon AntiSora. However, before he heads back to Hollow Bastion, he tells Captain Hook that the captured Wendy is not a Princess of Heart. Riku takes Kairi and recklessly returns to Maleficent's castle via the Corridors of Darkness without a vessel, putting a strain on his heart. While he is drained from the trip, Maleficent unlocks the last of Riku's dark power.
| This information is based on alternate scenes or materials and is not considered canon within the overall plot of the series. |
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If Sora goes to Monstro after encountering Riku and Kairi on Captain Hook's ship, "Riku" shows up to kidnap Pinocchio. When Sora encounters "Riku" with Pinocchio, "Riku" mockingly asks Sora if he has forgotten his best friend, to which Sora responds that he is not Riku. "Riku" then summons the Parasite Cage and leaves through a portal of darkness. |
At Hollow Bastion, Sora again meets Riku, stopping him from taking down the wounded Beast. Riku and Sora briefly talk then forcibly summons the Keyblade away from him, telling him that he was "just the delivery boy" and that Riku is the true Keyblade master. After leaving Sora with a Wooden Sword he used on Destiny Islands, he departs, and Donald and Goofy reluctantly follow him as per The King's orders.
Sora makes his way to the foyer of the castle, with the help of Beast. Riku, taking on a new appearance with the increasing strength of his dark powers, tells him to quit, but Sora refuses to leave without Kairi. Riku, intending to prove to Sora that he is the strongest of the two, attacks his old friend, but Donald and Goofy go to Sora's aid, finding themselves unable to betray Sora after all that they had been through together. With the strength of his friends, Sora reclaims the Keyblade, and drives Riku to fight him.
Riku, defeated, manages to escape, but he is confused as to why Sora was able to regain the Keyblade. Ansem in his brown robe appears to him from the Darkness, telling him that only one with a stronger heart can claim the Keyblade, and Riku's was weaker than Sora. However, the figure tells him that plunging himself into darkness will make his heart stronger. Riku does so, and he is possessed by the dark figure.
The possessed Riku then comes before Maleficent, and warns her of the dangers of unlocking the Final Keyhole. When she claims not to be afraid, Riku shows her the Keyblade of heart created from six of the seven princesses' hearts. However, it doesn't react to the Keyhole. Realizing it is still needing Kairi's heart to be complete, Maleficent heads off to handle Sora and company. After Maleficent is defeated by Sora, Riku appears with his Keyblade and explains that unlike Sora's Keyblade, this Keyblade possesses the ability to unlock a person's heart, and Riku demonstrates this by piercing Maleficent's chest, allowing the immense darkness that is attracted to her to overtake her heart, transforming her into a giant dragon. When Maleficent is defeated again, he reappears, commenting on how Maleficent was being used by the Heartless from the start before disappearing again.
Riku, declaring himself to be Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness, confronts Sora in the Grand Hall and reveals that Sora has Kairi's heart in his body. While Donald and Goofy look on, Riku and Sora clash again, with Ansem's presence amplifying Riku's dark powers. He fades away when he is defeated, but after Sora stabs himself with the Keyblade to release Kairi's heart and disappears, Ansem reveals himself and attacks Kairi, Donald, and Goofy. Riku uses the last of his strength to hold back his possessor, and yells to the others to run. This leads to an internal struggle between the two that Riku ultimately loses; Riku's heart is sent to the Realm of Darkness Kingdom Hearts Final Mix while Ansem takes complete control.
A newly restored Sora, along with Donald and Goofy, eventually make their way to the End of the World. There, in the remnants of Destiny Islands, they once again confront Ansem, who has full control of Riku's body, and defeat him after a series of battles at the Door to Darkness.
The overwhelming light of Kingdom Hearts envelops and destroys Ansem, allowing Riku to take back his body. He is restored in the Realm of Darkness, but is quickly targeted by a massive swarm of Heartless. Fortunately, Aqua and Mickey spot him, and Aqua uses her Keyblade to restrain the Heartless, unobserved by the boy, allowing Mickey and Riku to escape. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-
The pair make it to the Door to Darkness, but are unable to cross through the door themselves, as they are not from the Realm of Darkness. They aid Sora in closing it to prevent a horde of Heartless from crossing through, but not before Riku tells Sora to take care of Kairi. This leaves the pair trapped in the Realm of Darkness, looking for another way out.
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories[edit]
- "Neither suits me. I'm taking the middle road."
"Do you mean the twilight road to nightfall?"
"No. It's the road to dawn." - —Riku and DiZ
Riku awakens in the Realm of Darkness. An unseen presence gifts him a magic world card and asks him to choose between slipping back into slumber, or taking the card and making his way toward the truth. Riku decides that going back to sleep would be boring, and confidently takes the card.
After Riku takes the card, he goes through a corridor of darkness constructed by Organization XIII to the lowest basement of Castle Oblivion, which has taken the form of Hollow Bastion by crafting itself from his memories. Secret Ansem's Report 11 Though Hollow Bastion is the same as he remembered it, he is unable to find anyone. While he searches, the voice speaks to and mocks the young teenager. At long last, Riku meets someone: Maleficent. Maleficent taunts him and his refusal of the darkness, but Riku fights and defeats her, hoping to prove that he is above the darkness.
Riku leaves Hollow Bastion, only to see the true form of Castle Oblivion. The voice again comes to Riku, but this time reveals himself to be Ansem, who wants to take over Riku again. However, though Ansem is powerful, King Mickey comes to aid Riku with his light. Riku then manages to fend off Ansem for the time being. Before he departs, the Heartless leaves Riku with some world cards and the ability to wield his inner darkness as a weapon.
Riku soon realizes that he has the power to detect the "smell" of darkness, and is discouraged by it, though King Mickey comforts him. However, King Mickey can only appear to Riku as a projection, for he is still in the Realm of Darkness. Still, with King Mickey's encouragement, Riku ascends the basements of Castle Oblivion in order to rid himself of his darkness. Meanwhile, as Riku travels through the lower levels of Castle Oblivion, Sora ascends the upper floors, being manipulated by Marluxia, a member of the mysterious Organization XIII and the lord of Castle Oblivion. But three other Organization members, Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion work to counter Marluxia by using the dark-wielding Riku against the light-wielding Sora.
To further the trio's goals, Vexen independently appears before Riku and the latter wonders if Vexen is with "Ansem" (Xehanort's Heartless). Vexen cryptically responds that he is with "another Ansem". Still, Riku fights against Vexen, seeing him as an enemy. However, the battle only helps Vexen, who uses the data he gathered from the battle to create a replica of Riku. The replica soon comes to battle Riku, mocking Riku's fear of the darkness while the replica embraces it. However, the real Riku proves victorious, and the replica runs off. Soon, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, appears again, saying that the replica is a model of what Riku should be, but Riku only reaffirms his desire to conquer his darkness.
Passing through much of the castle (by this time, the bulk of Sora's adventure is complete, and Larxene and Vexen have been eliminated) Riku finds Lexaeus. Lexaeus, like the others, tells him that he should accept the darkness again, because if he doesn't, his journey will end here. The two fight, and Riku only manages to wear him down. As Riku moves in for the finishing blow, Lexaeus summons his herculean strength and knocks Riku unconscious with his Axe Sword. Lexaeus decides to eliminate him since taking him down was too much trouble, but as he does, he notices Riku becoming possessed by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. This catches Lexaeus off-guard, and the possessed Riku takes the opportunity to put an end to him. Although Lexaeus is defeated, Riku ends up having a struggle with Ansem that he nearly loses. Just before the dark being can overwhelm Riku, Mickey saves him again and manages to bring him out of the darkness.
Riku comes closer to the ground level, just as Marluxia's scheme fails and Sora finishes him off. Riku senses Marluxia's defeat, and Zexion quickly arrives on the scene to explain it. But he also reveals that Sora is the one who did the deed, much to Riku's surprise. Zexion quickly asks if Riku is capable of seeing Sora, for Riku shouldered the darkness for so long, and Ansem still resides in his heart. Riku tries to resist Zexion's comments, but Zexion ultimately gives him a world card of Destiny Islands.
In Destiny Islands, Riku meets all of his friends, but they are all silent and they eventually disappear, even Kairi. Zexion throws all of Riku's fears at him at once, telling him he's responsible for causing them to disappear, and that he belongs to the darkness now. He finally transforms an illusion of him into a Darkside Heartless, telling him this is what he has become. Riku defeats the Heartless as Zexion disguises himself as Sora. He tells him that it's finally time to face the light.
Riku sinks into the light as he begins to fade, but Naminé appears in the form of Kairi and tells him that he can't fade, because light can't destroy him, and neither can darkness, so he should accept both to drive away his fears. He awakens his dark powers again, admitting that it's a part of him and not evil, defeating Zexion. Zexion disappears, but is quickly eliminated by the Riku Replica with Axel.
Riku nearly makes it to the main floor as Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, appears to control him, but King Mickey defends Riku again and finally appears for real. Riku is relieved at finally having a real friend with him. King Mickey explains that he found a card which showed him Riku's heart and he followed it back to him.
Riku uses the card, and ends up in Twilight Town. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, appears again, but Riku tells him that he is not "Ansem", because his scent is not darkness—but rather something else. Riku also sees that this man is the voice that presented itself at the beginning of his journey. The voice finally appears and introduces himself as DiZ. Riku asks him what he really wants from him, and DiZ tells him he wants him to choose between light and darkness, because he lies in-between. The decision will be decided with Naminé, whom Riku looks for. However, the Riku Replica manages to find him, and demands another fight to prove him "worthy". The replica intends to destroy Riku in order to become real, but fails. However, Riku comforts him by saying that the replica's heart will go to the same place as the real one's, before the replica vanishes out of existence.
Riku meets up with Naminé, who is with Sora in his memory pod, and explains the situation. She offers to seal away Ansem and Riku's darkness, so that he may forget them, but will have to sleep to do so. Riku refuses, hoping to win on his own, and leaves a satisfied Naminé. However, before he departs, he tells Naminé that he knows that it was she who appeared to him as Kairi, commenting that they smell the same.
After meeting Naminé, DiZ appears again to Riku and the King (who notes that DiZ seems familiar). Knowing his choice, DiZ gives Riku a card that will draw out Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. After DiZ leaves, Riku tells Mickey to destroy him if he fails to stop Ansem, but he refuses, saying he'll only help him regain control, and Riku concedes.
Riku faces Ansem alone for one final battle. Ansem asks why he still refuses him if he accepts darkness now, and inquires if Riku is still scared of the darkness. Riku denies this and merely says, "I just can't stand your foul stench." They fight and the last of Ansem is destroyed, but not before he says a part of him is still in Riku, and that he shall return.
Riku and Mickey wait at the crossroads. Riku tells him that he can't go home yet, as Ansem's shadow still lingers in him, but Mickey says the darkness is a part of him. Riku, who now forms an equally strong bond to the King as Sora's friendship to Donald and Goofy, calls Mickey by his name at the King's request. They leave, taking Organization black coats that DiZ gave them prior to confronting Ansem, and DiZ appears for one final question: if he shall take the "road to light" or the "road to darkness". Riku chooses neither; he instead chooses to take the middle road, "the road to dawn".
Riku and Mickey eventually make it out of the plains and to Hollow Bastion. They separate after Riku realized he couldn't completely rid himself of the darkness festering in him. Deciding to return to DiZ and offer his help, Riku dons a blindfold, so that "his eyes couldn't lie" about the darkness that he is preparing to use.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days[edit]
- "You could say I am...the biggest nobody of them all."
- —Riku to Xion
Riku faces off with Xion on the bridge in Beast's Castle. Knocking her out, Riku removes Xion's hood, curious about what she looks like. Moving his blindfold off one eye to get a good look at her, he becomes shocked by her appearance. Riku interrogates her as to her identity and use of the Keyblade, while Xion demands to know why he's dressed as a member of the Organization. Telling her it's to make sure Sora sleeps in peace, Riku tells Xion that her Keyblade is a sham. Angered, Xion attempts to retaliate, but Riku gives her a chop to the back of neck, knocking her down. Riku advises her to leave the faithless Organization. When Xion calls him a fake, Riku accepts the comment, denigrating himself for his own mistakes in accepting the darkness. He leaves Xion to scream in anger.
| This information is based on alternate scenes or materials and is not considered canon within the overall plot of the series. |
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| In the manga, Riku sees Xion as Kairi, while in the novel, it's implied he sees her briefly as Sora at the Destiny Islands.[2] |
Many weeks later, Xion leaves the Organization and visits Destiny Islands. Her confused memories give her an intense nightmare involving Zexion and Riku's battle at Castle Oblivion's facsimile of Destiny Islands. Riku finds Xion and comforts her. He recalls a prior conversation with Naminé discussing what he needs to do to awaken Sora. After Xion wakes up on Destiny Islands, she inquires about Sora and the "girl he's always with", to which Riku explains that the girl is Kairi, a special friend of Sora's, and that the reason Sora is unable to wake up is that some of his memories are held within Xion. Despite needing Xion to reunite with Roxas and Sora, Riku gives her time to decide what she wants to do, with the advice that she should choose what is best for everyone. For a while, both Riku and Xion spend time together.
After some time, Xion leaves with Riku to stay at DiZ's base in Castle Oblivion. Roxas and Axel continue to search for her across the worlds, and finally make contact in Twilight Town, but Xion quickly takes her leave while Riku stays behind to distract them.
Later, Riku and DiZ check up on Sora's progress at Twilight Town. Naminé was not sure if she would meet Riku again, as they originally met when Sora was sleeping in Castle Oblivion. She discusses her difficulty trying to help recover Sora's memories, saying that both Roxas and Xion need to disappear in order to wake Sora up. Eventually, Sora's recovery comes to a complete standstill, and Riku volunteers for DiZ to take out Roxas.
The next day, Riku reunites with Xion at Beast's Castle again. Riku tells Xion to visit Naminé at Twilight Town so that she can make an informed decision on what she should do with herself.
In The Woods, King Mickey runs across Riku-Ansem and prepares to attack, supposing him to be Xehanort's Heartless, but calms himself when Riku replaces his blindfold and returns to his normal form. Riku informs the King that he is leaving to fight a member of the Organization, and asks Mickey to protect Sora in the event that he does not return.
Riku then encounters Roxas at Memory's Skyscraper as the latter begins a rampage to free Kingdom Hearts. Then, Roxas climbs the Memory's Skyscraper and throws Riku the Oblivion Keyblade, as they both take out the remaining Neoshadow Heartless. Riku and Roxas are both jolted by the fading memories it communicates of a now-erased Xion, and bemusedly finish off the remaining Neoshadows before turning on each other. Demanding to know why Riku stands in his way, Roxas explains that he is seeking to retrieve his lost friend by freeing Kingdom Hearts, but is angered when Riku responds that Xion's memories are already too far gone to save her. A furious Roxas is initially able to gain the upper hand, but is knocked down just when victory seems in sight.
Riku returns the Oblivion to the unconscious Roxas and prepares to transport him, but is surprised when Roxas revives and once again attacks; in response, Riku jostles his sleeping memories by taunting Roxas as he once did Sora, inducing Roxas to respond as Sora would and confirming Riku's suspicions of Roxas: that he is Sora's Nobody. Even more enraged, Roxas slashes at Riku with the Oblivion and it passes on one final memory of Xion, which implore Riku to save Roxas by stopping him. Left with no other choice, Riku releases the darkness imprisoned in his heart and takes on Ansem's form permanently. Riku realizes that if he is to win in the Realm of Darkness, he must submerse himself in the same darkness. He quickly dispatches Roxas, then returns him to DiZ's base at the Old Mansion, where he introduces himself as "Ansem".
Kingdom Hearts II[edit]
- "We must defeat Xemnas. He's the Organization's last survivor. C'mon."
- —Riku
Riku continues to ally himself with DiZ, as they have a common goal: to help Sora awaken (though Riku experiences some gaps in his memories of Sora, being a side-effect of Naminé's toying with Sora's memories).[3] Roxas's memory is erased by DiZ and he is placed into The Other Twilight Town, to live out his days until the time comes for him to meet Sora. Meanwhile, Riku watches over Roxas, periodically entering the town in order to keep Roxas ignorant to the truth, including keeping Naminé from saying anything important to Roxas. He also takes some keepsakes of Roxas's during some of his visits. With all these deeds done, Riku finally demands to know what DiZ's true objective is. Upon hearing that it is merely revenge (DiZ does not disclose against whom it is), Riku clenches his fist, shocked and disgusted at how DiZ is merely using him and Sora for his own selfish reasons.
Eventually, when the time comes for Roxas, Riku makes sure to prevent the Nobodies from flooding the town. Soon, the goal Riku had been searching for is finally reached: Roxas joins with Sora. Though DiZ orders him to eliminate Naminé, Riku, feeling DiZ had no right in deciding her fate, decides to hand her to the now-renegade Axel of Organization XIII before leaving DiZ.
Riku later comes into contact with King Mickey. Riku begs King Mickey not to reveal his whereabouts and condition to Sora, and the King reluctantly agrees. He then leaves the King the digital versions of Olette's Munny Pouch and Roxas's crystal orb that he had pilfered from Roxas earlier. Riku left these items behind to clue them in on the virtual Twilight Town's existence and to help them learn about Roxas. At Sunset Hill, as Axel and Naminé ponder about their fate as Nobodies, Riku allows them to leave, thanking them both for helping him and Sora throughout their first conflict with the Organization in Castle Oblivion a year earlier. Riku, along the other two, then escape Twilight Town via a Corridor of Darkness created by Axel. Riku then spends his time countering the Organization at every chance he gets, as well as keeping a watchful eye on Sora.
Later, Axel tries to kidnap Kairi in an attempt to use her to turn Sora into a Heartless so Roxas would be reborn. However, Riku rescues Kairi by opening a Corridor of Darkness, and takes her to Twilight Town, where she meets Hayner, Pence, and Olette, but never reveals his identity. At the battle for Hollow Bastion, Sora, Donald, and Goofy end up in an empty realm, where Riku arrives. He says nothing to them, and only leaves the trio a box that contains sea-salt ice cream and a picture of Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette in front of the haunted mansion before immediately departing.
Riku also arrives at The Land of Dragons, trying to warn the Emperor of a Heartless dragon that Xigbar had created. However, he ends up meeting Sora, and Sora attacks him, thinking Riku to be an Organization member. When Sora sees that Riku is wielding the Soul Eater, he begins to suspect Riku's identity. Advancing forward, Riku still goes ahead with his mission and warns the Emperor, but had to defeat Li Shang in order to do so. When Sora talks to the Emperor, the wise ruler's description of the man further cemented Sora's idea that the man he fought was Riku; though unaware of why he is wearing the coat, Sora is nonetheless relieved to know that Riku is safe.
At some point following this encounter, Riku gained the ability to transform his Soul Eater into a true Keyblade. Its appearance reflected his nature of being between light and darkness, so he gave it an appropriate name: Way to the Dawn.
| This information is based on alternate scenes or materials and is not considered canon within the overall plot of the series. |
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| In the written novel of the game, Riku and Naminé help Axel nurse his wounds following his loss of Kairi, and the trio attempt to decode DiZ's data to further understand his plans. After having Axel leak their location in the Old Mansion to Organization XIII in order to make a distraction to rescue Kairi, Riku unexpectedly comes to blows with their leader, Xemnas, who departs shortly after DiZ arrives. DiZ apologies to both Riku and Naminé for his actions, and explains that the mysteries of the heart are beyond his understanding, that his theories were useless. Later, Riku and Naminé both travel to The World That Never Was in order to rescue Kairi, using a Corridor of Darkness created by a wounded Axel, who failed in his rescue attempt. |
Upon learning that the Organization had kidnapped Kairi to force Sora to slay Heartless for them, Riku heads to the Castle That Never Was and protects Naminé and Kairi from Saïx after Naminé has freed Kairi from her prison. To Kairi's surprise, Naminé calls Riku by name, and disappears. Though Riku attempts to depart when Saïx escapes, he is stopped by Kairi and Pluto. Kairi, excited to see Riku, removes his hood, but is met with the face of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. Though Riku felt ashamed to be seen in the form of their old enemy, Kairi took it in stride, as she could see the real Riku beneath the façade.
Kairi later is attacked by Heartless in her attempt to help Sora, and saved by Riku. He then gives Kairi the Destiny's Embrace Keyblade so that she may fight. After Sora defeats Xigbar, he and Kairi reunite. Riku tries to take his leave, but Kairi stops him. She then reveals Riku's identity, and with some concentration, Sora also sees Riku underneath his dark appearance. The revelation makes Sora overjoyed to the point of tears. Riku explains that he did not want to be found, because of his appearance, and confirms Sora's suspicions of the clues they found - namely, the ice cream and Roxas's photo. Afterwards, he and the others make their way up the castle, defeating the remaining Organization members save for Xemnas. During this time, Riku reveals the truth about Roxas to Sora, and realizes that he never had to fight him; Roxas had left Organization XIII because he had wanted to meet Sora in the first place, and would most likely have met him either way over time.
Near the top, Riku reunites with King Mickey and DiZ, who reveals himself to actually be Ansem the Wise. Ansem is using a machine to try and encode Kingdom Hearts into data, but Xemnas confronts him, and they trade bitter words. The machine then explodes, unable to handle Kingdom Hearts, sending Ansem the Wise to the Realm of Darkness while causing countless hearts Xemnas had collected into Kingdom Hearts to rain down on the world, creating a slew of Heartless. The explosion also cleanses Riku's heart and restores Riku to his original form, though he is still remorseful. After some encouragement, Riku traverses the rest of the castle alongside Sora, abandoning his cloak and blindfold. He and the others also encounter Maleficent and Pete, who decide to hold off the hordes of Heartless that are overtaking the castle, but only so that they will eventually take the castle for their own.
Riku and the others then confront Xemnas, refusing his demand to gather more hearts. Xemnas then removes Sora from the area, fighting him one on one, with everyone else calling out to him. When Sora returns, they see that Xemnas has already reached Kingdom Hearts, and disappears into it. A door, constructed by the will of the worlds, appears, and the three wielders of the Keyblade open it up and follow Xemnas. After a tough battle, Naminé appears again, opening up a corridor of darkness that leads to Destiny Islands, as Riku can no longer use them since Ansem's darkness is no longer in his heart. However, Xemnas attacks, riding on a gigantic robotic dragon, and separates Sora and Riku from the others.
After a series of battles, the two of them are drawn into nothingness by Xemnas and face off in a final, exhausting battle. Towards the end of the battle, Sora is left open and Riku takes a blow intended to finish off his friend, giving Sora the opportunity to beat Xemnas into submission, after which Riku and Sora fire a beam of light from Sora's Keyblade which finishes off the Superior. After his defeat, Sora and Riku face an onslaught of Dusks ready to fulfill their master's final order to eliminate the Keyblade wielders, but Sora and Riku successfully destroy them and escape the realm, entering the Dark Meridian.
Riku, severely exhausted and injured, asks Sora to sit with him on the shore. Having the time to finally talk, the two reconcile with each other. Riku then comes across a letter in a bottle, written by Kairi, and gives it to Sora, believing him to be the proper recipient. Sora then manages to open the Door to Light, which they walk through. Riku and Sora found themselves falling through the sky and into an ocean. Bewildered, they hear Kairi's voice calling out to them and are greeted by their friends from Disney Castle. While Sora shares a hug by Goofy and Donald, Riku happily reunites with Mickey.
Kingdom Hearts coded[edit]
A data version of Riku is created by the digitization of Jiminy's Journal and becomes a vessel for the memories contained in the Journal. He appears as Riku does in Kingdom Hearts.
One of the memories hidden in the Journal depicts Riku meeting Ansem on Destiny Islands.
In the Destiny Islands room of the Dataspace's Castle Oblivion, Data-Riku reveals to Sora the memory of Riku on the Clock Tower.
After the Datascape simulation finishes, King Mickey goes to talk to Yen Sid, who advises him to summon Sora and Riku for a Mark of Mastery exam. Mickey writes a l