- "But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us. I'm not afraid of the darkness!"
- —Riku
Riku is the best friend and rival of Sora, the main character of Kingdom Hearts. His name is derived from the Japanese word for 'land'.
Journal Entries
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 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
- 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.
- Ansem
Mysterious wielder of darkness.
What could his true purpose be?
Story
Kingdom Hearts
Early Life
Riku's story begins a number of years before the night of the heartless invasion on Destiny Islands. On an earlier night, there is a meteor shower and a mysterious girl appears on the islands. Apparently, Kairi is from another, far off world, and is now stuck on the Destiny Islands, with no way to return to her home. In an Ansem report, this world is revealed to be Radiant Garden. The two and Sora, another resident of the Isles, quickly forge a powerful friendship. Soon after Kairi's arrival, Riku and Sora go to the secret place, a small cave that they frequently explored. Sora finds it fascinating, but soon decides to take his leave. Before leaving, Riku catches sight of an enigmatic door. From this day on Riku became obsessed with finding out what lies beyond the door, wondering if it could perhaps be a passageway to another world, such as Kairi's.
Journey off Destiny Island
Riku appears as a cool and collected 15-year-old. He and his best friends Sora and Kairi, living on Destiny Islands. The three spend their days constructing a raft and gathering supplies, so that they might one day set out and search for other worlds. He and Sora share a fierce but good natured rivalry, competing over who is stronger in battle , among other things. Despite the fact that their arguments are of good intention, Riku is known to irritate Sora by being a bit of a sore loser and (in the original Kingdom Hearts Manga: volume 1) very pushy involving his fight over Kairi, shown when he tells Sora that, if the latter does not share a paopu with Kairi soon, he will. All three of them, as well as the other children that live on the islands, 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 (something he saw while very young, but was perhaps too overwhelmed to open it just then) and the Heartless, beings of darkness, invade the islands, seeking out the world's heart. Both afraid that a storm would destroy the raft, Kairi and Sora set out for the island. Sora finds Riku first. However, while Sora is concerned for his friend's safety, Riku is only obsessed with finally escaping the island. Darkness surrounds the two, and Riku disappears into it, while Sora gains the Keyblade.
Invitation to Darkness
Riku eventually ends up in Hollow Bastion via the Corridor of darkness, separated from his friends. There, he is found by Maleficent and offered shelter and protection.
Though Riku is provided a place to stay, Maleficent begins corrupting his mind, convincing him that Sora has replaced him and Kairi with Donald Duck and Goofy. She claims that the only way to save Kairi, who has lost her heart to the darkness, is to ally himself with her and her band of villains, while abandoning Sora. Not long after, he meets Sora in Traverse Town, takes a look at his Keyblade, holds it for a few moments, and gives it back to Sora without it teleporting from his hand - a foreshadowing of Riku's role as a Keyblade wielder. After his reunion with Sora in Traverse Town, Riku begins to agree with Maleficent and officially starts his stay with her; however, he is still highly suspicious of her motives.
As the days progress, Riku becomes steadily angrier at Sora, convincing himself to hate his old friend. He obtains a blade from Maleficent called the Soul Eater and teaches himself to use it, believing it will aid him in his search for Kairi's heart.
With his mind corrupted, Riku again meets Sora in Monstro, intending to use Pinocchio to help him find out a way to save Kairi's heart. However, Pinocchio ends up captured by a giant Heartless called the Parasite Cage, and Riku is forced (somewhat against his own wishes) to work 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 due to Riku's questionable methods. When the Parasite Cage returns, Riku vanishes into a dark portal.
Riku later appears at Neverland, traveling on Captain Hook's ship, where Kairi's body is held. Riku also now shows that he has gained the power to control the Heartless, a gift granted to him by Maleficent. He then goes to Sora, revealing that he has Kairi's body in his possession. The two argue, and Riku retreats 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's heart is plunged into almost complete darkness.
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 one of Riku's major concerns, as Riku reveals his true purpose for confronting Sora. He is able to will the Keyblade into his grasp. Riku explains that Sora was only a temporary recipient, telling him that he was "just the delivery boy" and that Riku is the true Keyblade master. After leaving Sora with the toy sword he used on the Destiny Islands, he departs, Donald and Goofy following him as per 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 that he is the stronger of the two, attacks his old friend, only for Donald and Goofy to go to his aid after finding themselves unable to betray Sora after all that they had been through together. With the strength of his friends, Sora regains the Keyblade, becoming the true master, and drives Riku into retreat once more.
Becoming the Darkness itself
Eventually, Riku manages to escape, but is confused as to why Sora was able to regain the Keyblade. A mysterious voice somehow contacts him from the Darkness, 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, presents Riku with an offer he can not resist, a Keyblade of his own. Under the influence of jealousy and rage, Riku agrees to become one with the Darkness, only to become possessed by the mysterious voice itself.
The new Riku then presents himself to Maleficent and warns her of the dangers of unlocking the Final Keyhole. When she claims not to be afraid, Riku shows a new, dark Keyblade created with 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 co. 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. While this form proved a far deadlier enemy to Sora and his friends, it still was defeated and killed.
Riku, calling himself Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness, later confronts and battles Sora (who is cut off from Donald and Goofy) 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. 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 the dark powers of his possessor off.
Riku's rejection of Xehanort's Heartless leads to an internal struggle between the two, which Riku ultimately loses. This causes Riku to lose control of his body once more, while Xehanort's Heartless gains it fully.
A newly restored Sora, along with Donald and Goofy, eventually make their way to the End of the World, the home of the heartless. There they once again confront Xehanort's Heartless and defeat him after a series of battles at the Door to Darkness. Riku is then restored, and appears on the other side of the Door to Darkness, aiding Sora in closing it, but unable to cross it, as only pure darkness can go back and forth through the door. Waiting to enter the Realm of Light are thousands upon thousands of heartless, who only cause further problems for the two friends. However, King Mickey, appearing for the first time in the game, ward them off, with a powerful golden colored Keyblade. The King and Sora then proceed to close the door, Sora on the outside, Mickey within. Riku is stuck on the other side of the door with the King, but not before he told Sora to " take care of Kairi".
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Awakening
Riku awakes in the lowest basement of Castle Oblivion, being led there by his heart resonating with Sora, who also happens to be in Castle Oblivion, though on the ground floor. A dark card and a disembodied voice present themselves. The Voice offers Riku the chance to sleep and forget his troubles as well as the light, or take the card and take the first steps toward the truth. Riku takes the card confidently.
Riku arrives in none other than Hollow Bastion, though only a version of it crafted from his memories. However, though Hollow Bastion is the same as he remembered it, he is unable to find anyone. All the 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 Maleficent, hoping to prove that he is above the darkness. He is victorious.
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 Xehanort's Heartless, who wants to take over Riku again. However, though Xehanort's Heartless is powerful, King Mickey comes to aid Riku with his light. Riku then manages to fend off Xehanort's Heartless for the time being. But before he leaves, the Heartless leaves Riku with some world cards and the ability to wield his inner darkness as a weapon.
Meeting the Replica
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 Riku wonders if Vexen is with Xehanort's Heartless. But Vexen cryptically responds that he is with "another Ansem". Still, Riku fights with Vexen, seeing him as an enemy. But the battle only helps Vexen, who uses the data he gathered from the battle to create a Riku Replica. The replica soon comes to battle Riku, mocking Riku's fear of the darkness while the replica embraces it. However, Riku proves victorious, and the replica runs off.
Soon, Xehanort's Heartless 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 (the bulk of Sora's story is complete, and Larxene and Vexen are dead) 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 barely finishes the mighty brute. As a last move, Lexaeus covers the room in darkness as Xehanort's Heartless moves in to take his heart. 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 Xehanort's Heartless still resides in his heart. Riku tries to resist Zexion's comments, but Zexion ultimately gives him a world card...of Destiny Islands. Riku enters.
Twilight
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 beats back 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 fade, but Naminé appears in the form of Kairi and tells him that he can't. Light can't beat him, neither can darkness, so he should accept both, then he won't be afraid anymore. He awakens his dark power again, admitting that it's a part of him and not evil, beating back Zexion. He disappears, but is quickly killed by the Riku Replica with Axel.
Riku nearly makes it to the main floor as Xehanort's Heartless appears to control him, but King Mickey beats him back again and finally appears for real. Riku is relieved at finally having a real friend with him. 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. Xehanort's Heartless appears again, but Riku tells him that he's not "Ansem", because his scent is not darkness--it is something else. Riku also sees that this man is the Voice that presented itself at the beginning of his journey. The Voice finally 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, who Riku looks for.
However, the Riku Replica manages to find him, and demand another fight to prove him "worthy". The replica intends to kill 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 cell, and explains the situation. She offers to seal away Xehanort's Heartless 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 her who appeared to him as Kairi, commenting that they smell the same.
Way to the Dawn
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 Xehanort's Heartless. After DiZ leaves, Riku tells King Mickey to destroy him if Riku fails to stop Xehanort's Heartless, but the King refuses, saying he'll only help him regain control, and never harm him. Riku concedes.
Riku faces Ansem for one final battle alone. Ansem asks why he still refuses him if he accepts darkness now, but Riku merely says "I just can't stand your foul stench". They fight and the last of Xehanort's Heartless is destroyed, but not before he says a part of him is still in Riku, and he shall return.
Riku and Mickey wait at the front entrance. 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. Darkness is not all bad, because Riku has chosen a road he never thought of before, one of both Light and Darkness. Riku calls Mickey by his name at the King's request, making him the only character to do so in the Kingdom Hearts universe.
They leave, taking Organization cloaks that DiZ gave them prior to confronting Xehanort's Heartless, and DiZ appears for one final question: if he shall take the "road to light" or the "road to darkness". Riku chooses neither, he'll take the middle road, "The Road to Dawn". Riku and King Mickey eventually made it out of the plains and 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, for "his eyes couldn't lie" about his darkness which he is preparing to use and wished Mickey not to witness firsthand.
Kingdom Hearts II
Allying with DiZ
He allies himself with DiZ, as they have a common goal: to help Sora awaken (though Riku finds his memories of Sora fading, being a side-effect of Naminé's toying with Sora's memories). Riku wants no part in DiZ's revenge. Nonetheless, DiZ asks Riku to kidnap Roxas, the Nobody of Sora, who has been having trouble regaining his memories. If he and Roxas join, Sora should be able to reawaken. Riku enters the Realm of Darkness, and corners Roxas in The World That Never Was, they seem to stalemate. Riku then realizes if he is to win in the Realm of Darkness, he must submerse himself in the same darkness. As a result, Riku unleashed his darkness, taking on the form of Xehanort's Heartless as a side effect. Riku easily defeated Roxas, and returns him to DiZ's base underneath the abandoned mansion in Twilight Town, introducing himself as "Ansem".
Roxas' memory is erased by DiZ and he is placed into a Virtual 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' during some of his visits.
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 ordered him to eliminate Naminé, Riku handed her to the now-renegade Axel of Organization XIII before leaving DiZ.
Rogue Actions
Riku, after Roxas joins with Sora, 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' crystal orb that he had pilfered from Roxas earlier.
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, and takes her to Twilight Town, where she meets Hayner, Pence, and Olette, but never reveals his identity. However, Axel again appears, but another member of Organization XIII, Saïx, manages to kidnap Kairi, with the intent to use her to fuel Sora's rage. 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.
Riku also arrives at the Land of Dragons, trying to warn the Emperor of a Heartless dragon that Xigbar created. But he ends up meeting Sora, and Sora attacks him, thinking Riku to be an Organization member. However, Sora sees that Riku is wielding the Soul Eater, and begins to suspect Riku's identity. But Riku still goes ahead with his mission, and warns the Emperor (but had to defeat Captain 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.
The Ultimate War
Riku later appears in the World That Never Was, after Naminé rescues Kairi. The two are faced against Saїx, but Riku quickly comes to the rescue, his Soul Eater having now transformed into a Keyblade called Way to the Dawn. Naminé calls Riku by name, and disappears. Kairi, excited to see Riku, removes his hood, but is met with the face of Xehanort's Heartless. She takes it in stride, seeing the true Riku underneath his current form.
Kairi later is attacked by Heartless on her way to see Sora, being saved by Riku. He then gives Kairi a mysterious Keyblade so that she may fight. And 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, and is overjoyed to the point of tears. Riku explains that he did not want to be found, thanks to his appearance, and confirms Sora's suspicions of the clues they found- namely, the ice cream and Roxas' photo. Still, he and the others make their way up the castle, defeating the remaining Organization members save for Xemnas.
Near the top, Riku reunites with King Mickey and DiZ, his true name being Ansem the Wise, who is using a machine to try and encode Kingdom Hearts into data. Xemnas also arrives, and he and Ansem the Wise trade bitter words. The machine then explodes, unable to handle Kingdom Hearts, killing Ansem the Wise while causing countless hearts Xemnas had collected into Kingdom Hearts to rain down on the world, creating a slew of Heartless. The explosion also restores Riku to his original form, though he is still remorseful. After some encouragement, Riku transcends the rest of the castle, 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. 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 in a final, exhausting battle. Towards the end after the final attack used by Xemnas, Sora is left open and Riku takes a blow intended to finish off his friend, which allows Sora to finish Xemnas off with both Riku and Sora firing a beam of light from Sora's keyblade. However, after the battle they end up in the Realm of Darkness.
Home At Last
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, as King Mickey predicted, and the two return home, reuniting with their friends. While Sora shares a hug with Donald and Goofy, Riku shares his own moment with King Mickey.
Some time later, Sora and Riku observe the waves of Destiny Islands, saying that it's a small world but also part of a much bigger one, then jump to discussion about the Door to the Light. Then Kairi appears with a letter from the King. The contents are a mystery.
Future Games
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
A younger Riku has been seen in a screenshot of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, where he is seen training his fighting skills with Sora.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Riku plays an important role in the game's story. He is first seen meeting with the King in the forest outside the Twilight Town Mansion, where he is in his Xehanort's Heartless form. The King then calls the Keyblade to him, ready to fight, not knowing who he is. To let the King know it's him, Riku puts his blindfold on, which makes him turn back to normal, leaving the King looking surprised.
He appears on the bridge in Beast's Castle, where he fights Xion. After the battle, a defeated Xion lies on the ground, while Riku pulls her hood off and pulls up his blindfold to take a good look at her. When he sees her face, he acts shocked and begins asking her where she got the Keyblade, claiming that it must be a fake, which Xion denies.
He is later seen conversing with Xion again at the Destiny Islands, where Xion asks him about "The girl who is always with Sora", where Riku tells her that Kairi is the girl Sora really cares for. Even though Xion doesn't want to return to her true self yet, Riku tries to persuade her to do so, in which Xion asks if he means Kairi. He has also been shown holding an apparently-dying Xion in his arms.
He is also seen in a couple of scenes in the room where Sora sleeps, conversing with Diz.
It's been confirmed that Riku may be the final boss of the game, in which the game would end with the battle between him and Roxas depicted in several scenes in KH1 and KH2, including the secret endings of Another Side, Another Story and Deep Dive.
Kingdom Hearts coded
A data version of Riku has a brief appearance in virtual Destiny Islands and Neverland only to be like he was before anything happened after his world disappeared.
Personality
In Kingdom Hearts, Riku is a calm, cool, collected (and not to mention cocky) teen who is not afraid to go far beyond his limits. This shows through when he shows no fear in stepping into the dark portal when Destiny Islands was being consumed by darkness, along with his statement "I'm not afraid of the darkness!"
He also showed a strong competitive streak, along with a bit of jealousy. He shows his competitive side when he challenges Sora, saying that his heart is stronger than Sora's heart. It is not actually said aloud, but thanks to Maleficent, he became increasingly jealous of Sora. It started with him finding out about Sora's new friends, and his thinking that he had been replaced. The jealousy grew when he learned about Sora possessing the Keyblade. The jealousy turned into rage, resulting in the battles against Sora throughout KHI, and his possession by Xehanort's Heartless. Also, he seems to be aware of Sora's romantic feelings toward Kairi and often uses these to tease him, not to mention he may also have romantic feelings toward Kairi himself as he would go as far as possessing the darkness to restore Kairi's heart and asking Sora to take care of her after Xehanort's Heartless was defeated in KHI.
Though his traits were not too favorable in KHI, he becomes more heroic in Chain of Memories. Riku has many realizations. One of these realizations was him realizing that he let his heart become weak. From that moment on, he began to shy away from the darkness in his heart. Through the scores of fights and battles in Castle Oblivion, he makes another big realization: he can't get rid of the darkness in his heart, and decides to use it without turning from the light like before. He matured immensely, and along with leaving his past behind him, he also left a lot of his unfortunate traits.
In Kingdom Hearts II, he shows a great amount of loyalty and care for his friends. To save Sora, he did everything he could to bring Roxas to DIZ to make Sora whole again, going so far as to give up his physical form for that of Xehanort's Heartless. As Sora journeyed on between the worlds, he dropped Sora some valuable clues, such as the sea-salt ice cream and the picture.
When he finally is found in The World That Never Was, he repeatedly shows regret, telling Sora that "he didn't want to be found," and almost refusing to come back to Destiny Islands because of his wrongdoings.
Another good personality trait he showed was a strong protectiveness over his friends. He never wanted Sora and Kairi to find out about the time he spent in the darkness. He nearly sacrificed himself to protect Sora from Xemnas' attacks, leaving him injured after the final battle.
Though Riku matures significantly over the course of the series, he still seems to retain some of his old KHI self, particularly his sense of humor; he refers to Sora, Donald, and Goofy as "wise guys" when talking to the Emperor, cracks a joke about Donald and Goofy's intelligence at their expense ("Sora never did pick the brightest friends."), and calls Sora a "total sap" when going to confront Xemnas.
Roles, battle techniques and weaponry
Riku's roles in the various games have varied greatly - during his time through Kingdom Hearts, Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II, he has been an optional miniboss, a support character, a boss again, a boss a third time, a playable character, a boss a fourth time, a party member, and a temporary playable character.
In comparison to Sora's two-handed style and Roxas' dual-weaponry, Riku attacks with a fast one-handed style with his Soul Eater/Way to the Dawn. Riku attacks very quickly with either weapon in combat, and is just as able with his weapons as Sora is with his. His strength and agility are best demonstrated on Destiny Island, where he is known as the strongest child on the island (Tidus remarked that he, Wakka, and Selphie were defeated by him even after they triple-teamed him), and possesses an athletic springing kick if knocked down. Riku's other main form of attack is Dark Aura, in which he fires multiple blue fireballs of dark energy. Though Sora has bested Riku on several occasions, it is still unclear whom is stronger. Riku's strength is demonstrated in Kingdom Hearts II, when Roxas tells Sora during battle that he has defeated Riku - when Sora repeats Roxas's claim to Donald and Goofy, Donald exclaims "But nobody could defeat Riku!", and Sora agrees.
When Xehanort's Heartless tempered the darkness in his heart, Riku was able to turn into his Dark Form which increased his powers and granted him the Dark Keyblade. Riku's enhanced dark powers under possession are Dark Raid, where he throws a spinning Dark Keyblade, Dark Break where he performs a powerful jump attack, and Dark Aura where he dashes around the arena at high speed slashing all in his path. When he used the power of darkness (and ended up looking like Xehanort's Heartless), he could use some of "Ansem's" attacks, as well as temporarilly possessing Ansem's Guardian.
When he is playable in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, he is given a preset deck in each world that cannot be changed and changes automatically during gameplay. By breaking his opponent's cards, Riku acquires "DP", which let him transform into his Dark Form. Dark Form, along with giving him increased speed and strength, gives him access to sleights that mimic his special attacks from Kingdom Hearts. Outside of Dark Form, any combination of stocked cards counts as a sleight and costs Riku a card, so he cannot perform combo attacks as easily as Sora can. Instead, he has access to a unique system of battle called "card dueling", which allows Riku to stun opponents and perform special commands by breaking their cards multiple times. Overall, in contrast to Sora who must rely on sleights and combos to fight, Riku's playing style is more up-front, relying on card duels and breaks to acquire DP and enter Dark Form.
When he turned into his "true form" in the end of Kingdom Hearts II, His powers increase dramatically and he gained his keyblade "Way to the Dawn". As a party member, Riku possesses various abilities that combine his dark powers with Sora's light powers. Riku can use Dark Aura to fire Dark Firaga when Sora completes a combo, can use Dark Shield to project a barrier, and possesses numerous other powers. In his Limit with Sora, Eternal Session, Riku is able to project waves of dark energy from his Keyblade in addition to unleashing fast combos and Dark Firaga barrages. At the end, Sora and Riku toss their Keyblades together to act as a super-damaging magnet.
It should be noted, though, that despite the fact that Riku is a wielder of the Keyblade, he can't use any of Sora's keychains while he is in the party. Also, Riku is one of the three only characters to possess more than one Keyblade within the storyline, the other two being Roxas and Sora in Drive Form.
Quotes
Kingdom Hearts
- "Giving up already? C'mon Sora, I thought you were stronger than that."
- "Once we set 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!"
- "Take care of her."
- "What? You'd rather fight me? Over a puppet that has no heart?"
- "Now, open your heart! Surrender it to the darkness! Become darkness itself!"
- "So, I shall release you now, Princess. Complete the keyhole with your power! Open the door, lead me into everlasting darkness!"
- "Who knows? As long as it means getting Kairi's heart back, I couldn't care less."
Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain Memories
- "What's that scent? It's so familiar... *gasp* Darkness. It's the smell of darkness."
- "I'm... fading... Fading away... into the light..."
- "You and Kairi smell the same."
- "You reek of Darkness. Even the light can't block the smell."
- "Your Majesty, I'm so flattered. I don't know what to say."
Kingdom Hearts II
- "C'mon, Sora. You've got to pull it together."
- "I didn't want you to find me."
- "I was starting to worry you guys weren't ever gonna catch on. Sora never did pick the brightest friends."
- "Cause I'm not a total sap like you"
- "I told you. I didn't want to be found. Not like this... I couldn't. I fought with Ansem. With...Xehanort's Heartless--when it invaded my heart, and I won. But to use the power of darkness, I had to become Ansem myself."
- "This battle isn't over. And until it is, I still need the power of darkness."
Battle Quotes
Kingdom Hearts
- "My turn!"
- "Ha!"
- "Ya!"
- "Here it comes!"
- "Darkness!"
- "Behold the power of darkness!"
- "Welcome to oblivion!"
- "Surrender!"
- "Don't tell me you're giving up already!"
- "No...not yet..."
Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
- "Ya!"
- "Rah!"
- "Ha!"
- "Take this!"
- "Like it?"
- "Just like me!"
- "Come on!"
- "Your Majesty!"
- "Times up!"
- "Darkness!"
- "Outta my way!"
- "This one's mine!"
- " Vanish!"
Kingdom Hearts II
- "That's it!"
- "Thanks!"
- "Is that all you got?"
- "Out of my way!"
- "Time's up!"
- "Sorry..."
- "I'll take 'em."
- "Your gonna lose it all!"
- "Ha!"
Attacks & Abilities
Kingdom Hearts
In Kingdom Hearts, Maleficent gives Riku the power to control the Heartless for a short time. Later, Maleficent unlocks his dark powers which he has used throughout the series. Xehanort's Heartless, who was believed to be Ansem at the time, possessed Riku and gave him all of his power. In Chain of Memories, Riku was able to escape the Realm of Darkness through the subconscious use of his dark powers. Riku also gained full control over his dark powers and finally defeated Xehanort's Heartless.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Dark Mode
Activation & Description: Dark Mode can be activated when you have accumulated the maximum dark points (DP) through card breaks. In Dark Mode, Riku's skills are powered up, and you have more sleights to choose from. DP is lost when your card is broken or you receive damage. Riku returns to normal when the DP gauge reaches zero. To increase DP during Dark Mode, choose Darkness Boost when leveling up. The more DP you have, the longer you will stay in Dark Mode.
Dark Break
Description: Leap into the air and attack enemies from above. Only available in Dark Mode.
Card value: Three Soul Eater cards, total value of 5-15.
Dark Firaga (non-elemental)
Description: Expel Dark energies in a searing blast. Only available in Dark Mode.
Card value: Three Soul Eater cards, total value of 16-25.
Dark Aura
Description: Rush enemies repeatedly with blade in hand. only available in Dark Mode.
Card value: Three Soul Eater cards, total card value of 27.
MM Miracle
Description: The king restores HP, and stuns and deals damage to all enemies.
Card value: Two or three King Mickey cards are needed to stock, no card value limited.
Impulse
Description: Knock foes into the air before a slam down to the ground, damaging multiple enemies.
Activation: Win a duel that requires you to break three cards with a time limit of four seconds.
Dark Impulse
Description: Knock foes into the air before a hard slam down to the ground, damaging multiple enemies. Only available in Dark Mode
Activation: Win a duel that requires you to break three cards with a time limit of four seconds.
Maelstrom
Description: Unleash a spinning attack on the enemy. Damage is concentrated to one enemy.
Activation: Win a duel that requires you to break five cards with a time limit of six seconds.
Dark Maelstrom
Description: Unleash a powerful spinning attack on the enemy. Damage is concentrated to one enemy. Only available in Dark Mode.
Activation: Win a duel that requires you to break five cards with a time limit of six seconds.
Barrage
Description: Throw the Soul Eater towards the enemy. Damage is concentrated to one enemy.
Activation: Win a duel that requires you to break seven cards with a time limit of eight seconds.
Dark Barrage
Description: Throw multiple Soul Eaters towards the enemy. Damage is concentrated to one enemy. Only available in Dark Mode.
Activation: Win a duel that requires you to break seven cards with a time limit of eight seconds.
Holy Burst
Description: Riku and The King spin around together shooting balls of light at surrounding enemies.
Card value: King Mickey (first), two Soul Eaters.
Inverse Burst
Description: When Riku is in his Dark Mode, Riku shoots balls of Darkness while The King shoots balls of light.
Card value: King Mickey (first), two Soul Eaters.
Kingdom Hearts II
As a party member, Riku is very similar to Beast from Kingdom Hearts, in the sense that he is the final party member, as well as being the strongest. He has high strength magic, and above-average defense. He has some of the best abilities such as MP Hastega. Also his main action abilities: Dark Aura and Dark Shield, are activated upon the player's command, which helps him conserve MP for Cure Potion, which fully heals any ally. Riku's greatest asset is his Limit: Eternal Session, which is tied with Sora's Trinity to unleash the best Limit in the game. He can equip one accessory and two armor pieces. Riku's abilities are as followed:
- Dark Aura: Riku fires multiple Dark Orbs at the enemy. Available as a Reaction command after Sora finishes a combo.
- Dark Shield: Riku creates a barrier to protect Sora.
- Cure Potion: Riku heals a party member to max HP; costs 99 MP.
- Item Boost: Boosts the effectiveness of healing items like Potions.
- MP Hastega: MP recovery rate is greatly increased.
- Defender: Increases defense when HP is critical.
- Second Chance: Ensures 1 HP is retained after being hit with a critical attack.
- Once More: Ensures 1 HP is retained after being hit with a combo attack.
- Auto Limit: Sets the Reaction command to Limit, if a Limit has been equipped.
- Hyper Healing: Quickly revives a fallen party member and restores their HP.
- Limit Ability: Eternal Session.
Riku is also temporarily playable during the final battle with Xemnas. During this time, he has only three commands - Dark Aura, Attack, and Jump.
Forms
- Dark Mode
While using the power of the darkness, Riku could transform into a dark version of himself and use his dark power against his opponents. In this form, his torso, arms, and legs are covered in black and purple muscles. On his chest is the symbol of Heartless, and he has a white cloth around his waist.
In Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, he transforms by saying "Darkness". This form is not present in Kingdom Hearts II.
- Halloween Town
In Re:Chain of Memories, he turned into a darker version of himself when he travels to Halloween Town.
- Xehanort's Heartless
While fighting and losing to Roxas, Sora's Nobody, Riku takes on the form of Xehanort's Heartless to make him stronger. He continues to be in this form until Ansem's device explodes, causing him to finally return to his true form.
Trivia
- Roxas' battle with Riku, as seen in Another Side, Another Story, involves him running up the side of Memory Skyscraper and passing by Riku as he leaps off. A similar scene happens when Sora and Xemnas later battle in the same area.
- While Riku's name means 'land', Terra's name means 'earth' in Latin. Any connection between the two is unconfirmed. However, similar name meanings also apply with Sora/Ven and Kairi/Aqua.
- Even though Riku was jealous of Sora's friendship with Donald and Goofy, he ended up having a similar relationship with King Mickey.
- When playing as Riku in Kingdom Hearts II with the aid of a cheat device, his combos can be endlessly looped.
- During the final battle with Xemnas, if Riku dies, the game will be over. This is similar to fighting Barbossa in Port Royal. If Jack Sparrow died, it was Game Over.
- Riku is the first Kingdom Hearts exclusive character to be an official party member.