Kairi

Template:InfoCharacter Kairi (カイリ) is one of three original characters appearing in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. Kairi lives on Destiny Islands along with her friends, Sora and Riku. She is 14 at the start of Kingdom Hearts, and presumably 15 during Kingdom Hearts II (as about a year has passed since the events of the first game.)

Personality

Kairi is caring and kind-hearted, as well as a bit of a tomboy. However, she is determined and courageous when someone she cares about is in danger, often risking her own safety to help that person. She also makes friends easily, quickly befriending Hayner, Pence, and Olette in Twilight Town. In contrast to Sora and Riku, who were both bothered by not knowing about Kairi's hometown, she took it in stride and was able to look at the positives about living in the Destiny Islands. It is also hinted that she may have romantic feelings for Sora several times, namely when she draws herself giving him a paopu fruit in their Secret Cave along with hugging him to make sure that she really has reunited with him. However this may be due to the fact that Sora is the main character as she also has deep, but not as obvious, feelings for Riku; both boys appear to have dormant but strong romantic feelings for her.She is loyal and headstrong, as well as stubborn to a point. Generally, she lets the happiness of others overrule her own happiness

Abilities

• Because Kairi is a Princess of Heart, her heart possesses no darkness within it, leading to the unique birth of Naminé when she accidentally gives it to Sora and Sora sacrifices himself to restore her heart.

• Like the other princesses, she has the power to open the Final Keyhole to Kingdom Hearts in Hollow Bastion once she is gathered with the rest of the princesses.

• Kairi's abilities in combat are fairly inadequate. Kairi isn't able to do much when she is in danger, and often depends on Sora or Riku to come to her aid. She does, however, have the rare ability to wield a Keyblade. It is possible that she is the chosen wielder for the Realm of Nothingness, although it is unconfirmed whether she was able to keep the Keyblade. She may also have been able to wield a Keyblade due to her status as a Princess of Heart.

Trivia

• Part of her name ("Kai") is the Japanese word for 'sea' and goes with the overall "naming theme" of Kingdom Hearts main characters (Sora means sky and Riku means land. It's actually the Japanese term for a nautical mile, although another of its literal meanings is 'separation'. All these terms have to do with the game in one way or another.
• Also, Aqua's name means 'water', relating to Kairi's name. Any connection between the two is unconfirmed, however similar name meanings also apply with Sora/Ven and Riku/Terra.
• Kairi, in her Kingdom Hearts II attire, has also made an appearance in the acclaimed fan made CG movie Dead Fantasy II, featuring an all female cast from the Dead or Alive and Final Fantasy series. Kairi's appearance came as a shock to viewers as all of her comrades were Final Fantasy characters, namely Tifa, Rinoa, Yuna and Rikku. In this video, in addition to her mysterious floral Keyblade, she was shown to transform into what appears to be Valor Form, as her dress becomes red and her Keyblade is replaced by both Oathkeeper and Oblivion, wielded in the style of Roxas, as well as the said Form.
• When Sora fell into a trance and visited Kairi's memories, he saw a young version of her and her then-alive grandmother in the library of Castle Hollow Bastion in Radiant Garden. This reveals a slim possibility that Kairi was a princess upon birth, but lost her wealth and position when she was sent to Destiny Islands where she grew up with Sora and Riku.
• The reason to why Kairi returned to Destiny Islands instead of Hollow Bastion, where she truly comes from, has not been confirmed. However, the possibility of her heart belonging there is to be noted. People have a saying that says "Home is where the heart is", perhaps that is why she returned to Destiny Islands, where her heart now belongs, instead of Hollow Bastion.
• Another form of Kairi in Kanji is Kai & Ri which means "seaside hometown"