Riku: Difference between revisions

'''Riku''' (リク) is the best friend of [[Sora]], the main character of [[Kingdom Hearts]]. His name is derived from the Japanese word for 'land'<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riku_%28Kingdom_Hearts%29</ref>. He is voiced by David Gallagher in the English versions and by Mamoru Miyano in the Japaneses version.

As revealed in Kingdom Hearts, Riku's story begins a number of years before the fateful night on [[Destiny Islands]]. On another, earlier, fateful night, there is a meteor shower and [[Kairi|a mysterious girl]], who would later become best friends with Riku and [[Sora]] appears on the islands. The next day, Riku and Sora go to the secret place. Sora finds it fascinating, but soon decides to take his leave. However, Riku catches sight of an enigmatic door. From this day on Riku became obsessed with finding out what lies beyond his tiny world. When he met Kairi, his fate was sealed.

When the first game begins, Riku appears as a cool and collected 15-year old, a year above his best friends Sora and [[Kairi]], living on the [[Destiny Islands]]. The three spend their days constructing a raft and gathering supplies, so that one day they can set out and find other worlds. Also, Sora and Riku share a rivalry, competing over who is stronger in battle as well as over Kairi's affections, among other things. All three of them, as well as the other children that live in the archipelago, spend most of their time on the smallest island, acting as their own personal playground.

However, things take a drastic turn on the night before their journey. Riku, likely unable to leave the islands without knowing the truth, opens the door in the secret place and the [[Heartless]], beings of darkness, invade the islands, seeking out the world's heart. Riku and Kairi are already on the play island, and Sora quickly follows. Sora finds Riku first, though whereas Sora is concerned over Kairi's safety, Riku is obsessed with finally escaping the island. Darkness surrounds the two, and Riku disappears into it, while Sora gains the [[Keyblade]].

Riku eventually ends up in [[Hollow Bastion]] via the [[Corridor of darkness]], separated from his friends. However, [[Maleficent]] arrives and offers him sanctuary.

Though Riku is provided a place to stay, Maleficent begins corrupting his mind, convincing him that Sora has replaced him and Kairi with [[Donald]] and [[Goofy]]. She claims that the only way to save Kairi, who has lost her heart to the darkness, is to go with her and her band of Disney villains, while abandoning Sora. After reuniting with Sora in [[Traverse Town]], Riku agrees with Maleficent and goes with her.

As the days progress, Riku becomes increasingly dark, and gains a weapon called the [[Soul Eater]], as well as gaining some dark powers.

With his mind corrupted, Riku again meets Sora in Monstro, intending to use [[Pinnochio]] to help him find out a way to save Kairi's heart. However, Pinnochio ends up captured by a giant Heartless called the [[Parasite Cage]], forcing Sora and Riku to work together. But even so, Sora and Riku end up becoming enemies, though only Riku truly thinks so.

Riku later appears at [[Neverland]], traveling on [[Captain Hook|Captain Hook's]] ship, where Kairi's body is held. Riku also happens to gain the power to control the Heartless, granted to him by Maleficent. He then goes to Sora, revealing Kairi to him. The two argue, and Riku parts after creating [[Anti-Sora]], a dark reflection of Sora, with his newly acquired dark powers. However, before he heads back to Hollow Bastion, he instructs 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, a foolish act that strains even his powerful heart. While he is drained from the trip, Maleficent unlocks the last of Riku's power and the boy is plunged into the darkness of his heart, allowing him to transform into Dark Mode as a result.

At [[Hollow Bastion]], Sora again meets Riku, and defends the wounded [[Beast]] from a swift death by Riku's blade. But the Beast is hardly of Riku's major concerns, and instead he shockingly wills the Keyblade from Sora to him. Riku explains that Sora was only a temporary recipient, and that Riku is the true Keyblade master. After leaving Sora with a toy sword, he departs, Donald and Goofy following him as per [[King Mickey|the King's]] orders, though regretfully.

Though Sora is significantly weakened, he makes his way to the foyer of the castle, with the help of Beast. Riku, having taken 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 of the power of darkness, attacks him, only for Donald and Goofy to come to his aid. With the strength of his friends, Sora regains the Keyblade, and drives off Riku.

Eventually, Riku manages to escape, but is confuse and angered why Sora would regain the Keyblade. A [[Xehanort's Heartless|mysterious voice]] appears to him, telling him that only one with a stronger heart can claim the Keyblade, and Riku himself was weaker than Sora. However, the mysterious voice, now slowly taking a shape offers that Riku can have a Keyblade of his own, but for a price. Under the influence of jealousy and rage, Riku agrees to become one with the Darkness. Only to be possessed by the mysterious voice itself.       

Xehanort's Heartless, posing as Riku, then arrives to Maleficent, who has just been defeated by Sora. In his possession is a new, dark Keyblade created with six of the seven princesses of heart. But unlike Sora's Keyblade, this Keyblade possesses the ability to unlock a person's heart, and demonstrates by piercing Maleficent's, allowing the immense darkness that is attracted to her to overtake her heart, transforming her into a giant dragon. But this form is still no match for Sora, and perishes.

Xehanort's Heartless, calling himself Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness, later confronts and battles Sora at the Final Keyhole. He hopes to release Kairi's heart from within Sora's, so that she, being the final [[Princess of Heart]] can open the Keyhole. He fails, but Sora impales himself anyway to save Kairi. However, with Sora gone, Xehanort's Heartless attacks Kairi, Donald, and Goofy, but they are saved by Riku, who is using the last of his strength to hold Xehanort's Heartless off.