Game:Dark Riku

Dark Riku is a boss in Kingdom Hearts III as one of the bosses of the Keyblade Graveyard, fought alongside Xigbar. His data recreation appears as an optional boss in Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind.

Kingdom Hearts III
Dark Riku is fought as one of the bosses at the Keyblade Graveyard, fought alongside Xigbar. Sora has Riku as an ally during this fight.

Dark Riku's fighting style is much like the Riku Replica's. He often attacks with multiple combos: either generating a sword beam from his Soul Eater before lunging forward, or a devastating three-hit combo that generates shockwaves in its wake. Much like Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Dark Riku occasionally employs mines of darkness that explode after a short period of time, and can send out a pool of darkness that generates claws; Dark Riku's versions of the attacks are purple to match his Dark Mode suit. His ultimate attack is a hybrid of Dark Aura and the Riku Replica's Helm Splitter technique. When using this attack, he crashes down on Sora and Riku seven times before one final crash that leaves shockwaves of darkness.

Keyblade Graveyard
Dark Riku's first fight in Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind is nearly identical to in the base game. This time, however, the player can choose to play as either Sora or Riku.

Data Rematch
Dark Riku's data is a boss fight in the Limitcut Episode. His battle tactics have received a significant upgrade.

Dark Riku is quick and aggressive, retaining most of his attacks in battle. He summons mines in a much greater frequency and can perform unblockable attacks, such as launching red beams from his Soul Eater and even heavy slashes. He also liberally employs Barrier and can perform Counter Blast when struck during this phase. His ultimate attack implements more elements from Dark Aura than before, with him dashing at Sora while invincible.

He will have his Barrier up for most of the fight except for certain attacks. He will not have his Barrier up when he performs a combo finisher, when he crashes down and throws four ground fissures, when he is performing an air combo, when he is using Helmsplitter not as a reprisal, when he uses the center field ground fissures a second time during Dark Aura and when he is performing a lunge combo. For combos, he will teleport close to Sora and perform a feinting slash followed by a side dodge. He will either teleport to Sora's side or teleport behind Sora for a lunge. After his lunge, he will follow with a long combo of slashes, ground fissures and a red beam. He will strike with a slash, followed by another slash and a ground fissure that will only hit if Sora is to his side. Then he will follow with a red beam, a lunge, a slash and ending with a slash and two tight ground fissures that will hit Sora if Sora is in front of him.

If he teleports to Sora's side, he will dodge back after two side dodges, he will open with a red beam followed by a lunge and the long combo. His combos finisher changes depending on how far the player is from him as he performs it. If Sora is far away from him, he will finish his combo with a Helmsplitter. If Sora is close, he will finish his combo with two tight ground fissures. Players can exploit his Barrier and his immediate Counter Blast reprisal by attacking him during his dodges and immediately blocking or dodging away from his Counter Blast and following with a combo.

In the fight, his unblockable attacks are his red beams, the red shockwaves after his Helmsplitters and the combo finisher of his air combo.

His new attacks are an attack where he drops down a distance away from Sora and sends out four ground fissures, Helmsplitters as either regular attacks, combo finishers or reprisals, an air combo, a combo of him sending out pools of darkness under Sora that sprout out dark claws and throwing red beams ending with two tight ground fissures, and a red beam followed by a series of teleporting lunges that breaks Sora's guard if he blocks.

His Dark Aura starts with Dark Riku sending out center field ground fissures, which are blockable. Then Dark Riku uses two lines of mines, and three flying lunges followed by a Helmsplitter three times. Dark Riku will then summon a circle of mines and use Helmsplitter before sending out more center field ground fissures and following with another Helmsplitter. Then Dark Riku follows up with five more flying lunges. The attack ends with another Helmsplitter that sends red shockwaves throughout the area. Dark Riku will use Dark Aura a few minutes into the fight and every few minutes if Sora doesn't get any hits in. Dark Aura can be interrupted if the player attacks Dark Riku during his second center field ground fissure.

For almost every attack, Dark Riku will summon a formation of mines. The formation of how he summons mines will limit where players can run around in the arena and will telegraph what attack he is about to perform. If he summons a circle of mines around Sora, he will either use his long ground combo, an air combo which will happen more likely if Sora is in the air or a Helmsplitter. If he summons two rows of mines, he will use the dropping ground fissures. If he summons a cluster of mines in the air, he will use his dark claw and red beam combo. If he doesn't summon mines, he will use his red beam and teleport lunge attack.