Rinzler

• Rinzler
• Gameplay

This article is about Rinzler. You may be looking for Tron from Space Paranoids.

"That's the thing about programs. Mess with the code just a little, and their whole nature and memory can change."

—Kevin Flynn

Rinzler is an antagonist who appears in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. A copy of Tron reprogrammed to be villainous, he serves as an enforcer for CLU and helps him keep his iron grip on The Grid. He originated in the Disney film Tron: Legacy.

Development

Rinzler was revealed to appear, along with The Grid, in the Jump Festa 2012 trailer. He appears to play out the same role as in Tron: Legacy, except for his interactions with Sora and Riku. Following Claude Frollo, and the Beagle Boys, he is the third Disney villain confirmed for the game, and the first Disney Boss.

According to Masaru Oka, scenario and cutscene director for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Rinzler was originally intended to be a boss for Riku's side of the story.

Story

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Side: Sora

Rinzler, alongside CLU.

Sora first encounters Rinzler on a bridge, where they prepare to fight. Hiding nearby, Flynn is shocked to see that Tron is still alive. However, Rinzler is contacted at that moment (evidence as he held his hand up as if answering a call) and immediately leaves the area without a fight. He returns to CLU, who then views the data on the new User that Rinzler has obtained. Amongst the images is Sora opening a treasure chest with the Keyblade, whereupon CLU hands the disk back to Rinzler, musing about the weapon's potential.

Rinzler falling after saving Sora.

Soon, Sora and Quorra encounter Rinzler in CLU's headquarters. Sora decides to try a heart-to-heart to help jog Rinzler's memory of his time as Tron; however, he fails. Rinzler sends his disks towards Sora, but Quorra manages to block the attack for him. Quorra quips that Rinzler isn't quite the friend Sora remembers, but he's sure that Rinzler just needs some time to remember. Quorra proceeds to engage Rinzler, but is defeated and seemingly captured. Sora attempts running to stop Rinzler, but the doors snap shut before he can do anything. Sora is later taken to the Disk Wars stadium, where Rinzler and CLU wait; CLU offers to release Rinzler in exchange for the Keyblade (which he wants to open the Portal to the User world). However, when Sora refuses, CLU orders Rinzler to take him down. However, Quorra reappears and assures Sora that he can get through to Tron as Rinzler hesitated to finish her off, allowing her to escape. Sora battles Rinzler, rendering him unconscious.

Using the Keyblade, Sora brings up Rinzler's memory system and reboots it; this reverts him back to Tron, and allows him to remember his meeting with Sora back in Space Paranoids. While Sora tends to Tron, an enraged CLU sneaks in behind him and attempts to derezz Sora with his disk. However, Tron quickly springs to his feet and deflects the disk with his own. The disk bounces off the walls and lands in front of Tron, destroying the floor. As he falls, Tron responds to Sora's voice and tries reaching for his hand. However, it proved too late as he falls into the abyss below the arena. An annoyed CLU heads off to retrieve him. Sora uses Tron's predicament to come to the answer Xemnas posed to him.

Side: Riku

After finding themselves at the Solar Sailer dock Sam, Kevin, Quorra and Riku noticed Rinzler patrolling the area with Quorra allowing herself to be captured by him and taking her to the Rectifier. Sam and Riku knowing that they can't leave her behind insists that they should rescue Quorra and steal back Flynn's disc, as they both head off to the throneship.

After they managed to steal back Flynn's disc, they are interrupted by Rinzler who pushes Quorra aside, and prepares to fight them, but Riku performs a Flowmotion leap and knocks him off in a nearby ledge, leaving his fate unknown.

Appearance

Rinzler wears black body armor with orange circuitry, with four orange squares arranged in the shape of a "T" on his chest and lines on his fore and middle fingers. His face is covered by a black helmet similar in structure to the one worn by Vanitas. Like Tron, he wields an Identity Disk, though this one is a black chakram-like weapon with a white outer border and an orange inner border, that can split into two disks.

Despite wielding both disks, Rinzler's model still has a disk attached to his back during the battle with him.

Personality

After his reprogramming, Rinzler is obedient to CLU, carrying out his orders. He is also reserved, never speaking unless necessary. When he sees something of unique that CLU may take an interest in, Rinzler immediately makes informing him top priority; this is evidence when he sees the Keyblade and reports back to CLU. Once regaining his memories from his time as Tron, he is very courageous and protective of his friends, specifically Sora, whom he protected from CLU. As such, he is willing to accept help from his friends, such as when Sora held out his hand to prevent him from falling.

Origin

"I...fight for the Users!"

—Rinzler defies CLU 2

Following the defeat of Sark and the Master Control Program, Kevin Flynn copies Tron from the ENCOM server onto his new Grid and also creates CLU 2 so that the two of them will oversee the Grid's maintenance. One day, however, while Tron is escorting Kevin Flynn to the portal to the real world, they are ambushed by CLU 2 and four Black Guards. Tron tells Kevin to run as he fends them off, leaving him to fight and ultimately lose to CLU 2. Tron is then repurposed to serve him as Rinzler.

In Tron: Legacy, Rinzler makes his first appearance as the final opponent of the Disk Wars, fighting Sam Flynn until he bleeds, identifying him as a User. Throughout the rest of the film, he is brought into conflict with Kevin, Sam, and Quorra. Ultimately, during a high-speed Light Jet battle, he overcomes CLU 2's programming and flies straight into his former master. The attack fails, however, and Rinzler falls into the sea of simulation, where his circuitry returns from orange to white.

In the film, Rinzler is portrayed by martial artist/stuntman Anis Cheurfa, and voiced by Bruce Boxleitner, who also voiced Tron in Kingdom Hearts II.