At the end of the Kingdom Hearts III Theme Song Trailer, Riku leaves the now broken Way to the Dawn Keyblade on the shores of the Dark Margin in the Realm of Darkness.  As he does so, he says, "Can't use this Keyblade anymore.  Might as well leave it here...in case the other me needs it."  Who is this "other me" Riku is talking about?  The way I see it, there are three possibilities:

 

1. A Riku from the past - It is possible that, through the magic of time travel, the Riku from the first Kingdom Hearts game has become a member of the real Organization XIII.  After all, Ansem did possess him for a while, and Riku did call the Riku in the Organization coat that he ran into inside Monstro in Dream Drop Distance his "dark side" and said, "I'm chasing me".  However, I think that this is the least likely possibility.  Riku did battle with the darkness in his heart and won, and because of that, Young Xehanort told him in Dream Drop Distance, "We originally had our sights set on you.  But, you developed a certain...resistance to darkness."  Plus, why would Riku be leaving his Keyblade behind for his dark side to use?

 

2. Data-Riku - This is the Riku from the data inside Jiminy's Journal who was chosen as the vessel for the memories inside the Journal to keep them safe from the Bugs.  Why is he now in the real world?  Who knows?  Maybe he was chosen to be one of the seekers of darkness, or maybe he has come to aid the guardians of light.  But if Riku is leaving his Keyblade behind for Data-Riku, then the latter seems more likely, since, as I already stated, it would seem pretty silly for Riku to leave a weapon behind for the enemy.

 

3. Riku Replica - While Riku did destroy Riku Replica during the events of Chain of Memories, it is possible that, through the magic of time travel, he has become of member of the real Organization XIII.  I think that this is the most likely possibility, especially because I also think that there is more story to explore with Riku Replica about how he has his own heart, because the data version of Ansem the Wise told Riku in Dream Drop Distance, "When he [sora] sees the heart in something, it then becomes real."  Sora definitely saw the heart in Riku Replica during the events of Chain of Memories.  But the question remains, why would Riku be leaving his Keyblade behind for Riku Replica if he has indeed been brought back to be a seeker of darkness?  All I can think of to answer that question is that maybe there will be a redemption story for Riku Replica.  Maybe he will turn on the seekers of darkness and betray them.  Other than that, I don't know, but I still think that Riku Replica is the most likely possibility.

 

But those are just my thoughts.  What do you guys think?

Edited February 12, 20187 yr by Dagesh Lene

At the end of the Kingdom Hearts III Theme Song Trailer, Riku leaves the now broken Way to the Dawn Keyblade on the shores of the Dark Margin in the Realm of Darkness.  As he does so, he says, "Can't use this Keyblade anymore.  Might as well leave it here...in case the other me needs it."  Who is this "other me" Riku is talking about?  The way I see it, there are three possibilities:

 

1. A Riku from the past - It is possible that, through the magic of time travel, the Riku from the first Kingdom Hearts game has become a member of the real Organization XIII.  After all, Ansem did possess him for a while, and Riku did call the Riku in the Organization coat that he ran into inside Monstro in Dream Drop Distance his "dark side" and said, "I'm chasing me".  However, I think that this is the least likely possibility.  Riku did battle with the darkness in his heart and won, and because of that, Young Xehanort told him in Dream Drop Distance, "We originally had our sights set on you.  But, you developed a certain...resistance to darkness."  Plus, why would Riku be leaving his Keyblade behind for his dark side to use?

 

2. Data-Riku - This is the Riku from the data inside Jiminy's Journal who was chosen as the vessel for the memories inside the Journal to keep them safe from the Bugs.  Why is he now in the real world?  Who knows?  Maybe he was chosen to be one of the seekers of darkness, or maybe he has come to aid the guardians of light.  But if Riku is leaving his Keyblade behind for Data-Riku, then the latter seems more likely, since, as I already stated, it would seem pretty silly for Riku to leave a weapon behind for the enemy.

 

3. Riku Replica - While Riku did destroy Riku Replica during the events of Chain of Memories, it is possible that, through the magic of time travel, he has become of member of the real Organization XIII.  I think that this is the most likely possibility, especially because I also think that there is more story to explore with Riku Replica about how he has his own heart, because the data version of Ansem the Wise told Riku in Dream Drop Distance, "When he [sora] sees the heart in something, it then becomes real."  Sora definitely saw the heart in Riku Replica during the events of Chain of Memories.  But the question remains, why would Riku be leaving his Keyblade behind for Riku Replica if he has indeed been brought back to be a seeker of darkness?  All I can think of to answer that question is that maybe there will be a redemption story for Riku Replica.  Maybe he will turn on the seekers of darkness and betray them.  Other than that, I don't know, but I still think that Riku Replica is the most likely possibility.

 

But those are just my thoughts.  What do you guys think?

I was actually thinking that it was a Riku from the past too. As you've said, Riku was possessed by Ansem at a certain point which means he technically was an incarnation of Xehanort at a certain point. I believe he left his Keyblade behind because he knows that in the past "the other him" spent some time in the darkness but eventually found his way to the light by travelling the road to dawn. It's symbolic, he's leaving or "opening" the "Road to Dawn" in the Realm of Darkness so that "the other him" from the past can find his way to the light because that is what awaits him in the future if that makes sense. Also, it's symbolical of Riku's character fully moving on from his past. He's travelled the road to dawn, so now he can leave it behind in case someone else that gets lost in the darkness (another him) has to use it.

At the end of the Kingdom Hearts III Theme Song Trailer, Riku leaves the now broken Way to the Dawn Keyblade on the shores of the Dark Margin in the Realm of Darkness.  As he does so, he says, "Can't use this Keyblade anymore.  Might as well leave it here...in case the other me needs it."  Who is this "other me" Riku is talking about?  The way I see it, there are three possibilities:

 

1. A Riku from the past - It is possible that, through the magic of time travel, the Riku from the first Kingdom Hearts game has become a member of the real Organization XIII.  After all, Ansem did possess him for a while, and Riku did call the Riku in the Organization coat that he ran into inside Monstro in Dream Drop Distance his "dark side" and said, "I'm chasing me".  However, I think that this is the least likely possibility.  Riku did battle with the darkness in his heart and won, and because of that, Young Xehanort told him in Dream Drop Distance, "We originally had our sights set on you.  But, you developed a certain...resistance to darkness."  Plus, why would Riku be leaving his Keyblade behind for his dark side to use?

 

2. Data-Riku - This is the Riku from the data inside Jiminy's Journal who was chosen as the vessel for the memories inside the Journal to keep them safe from the Bugs.  Why is he now in the real world?  Who knows?  Maybe he was chosen to be one of the seekers of darkness, or maybe he has come to aid the guardians of light.  But if Riku is leaving his Keyblade behind for Data-Riku, then the latter seems more likely, since, as I already stated, it would seem pretty silly for Riku to leave a weapon behind for the enemy.

 

3. Riku Replica - While Riku did destroy Riku Replica during the events of Chain of Memories, it is possible that, through the magic of time travel, he has become of member of the real Organization XIII.  I think that this is the most likely possibility, especially because I also think that there is more story to explore with Riku Replica about how he has his own heart, because the data version of Ansem the Wise told Riku in Dream Drop Distance, "When he [sora] sees the heart in something, it then becomes real."  Sora definitely saw the heart in Riku Replica during the events of Chain of Memories.  But the question remains, why would Riku be leaving his Keyblade behind for Riku Replica if he has indeed been brought back to be a seeker of darkness?  All I can think of to answer that question is that maybe there will be a redemption story for Riku Replica.  Maybe he will turn on the seekers of darkness and betray them.  Other than that, I don't know, but I still think that Riku Replica is the most likely possibility.

 

But those are just my thoughts.  What do you guys think?

FINALLY, somebody else who agrees that it's most likely Riku Replica! You pretty much hit the nail on the head with what I was thinking, there's still a good deal of potential left for his story arc. Plus, somehow seeing Vanitas confirmed to return made the possibility of Repliku coming back a little better, at least as a feeling so far.

 

Plus another point against it being a past version of Riku, if the Organization already got a hold of a past Riku when he was possessed by Ansem, then why even bother trying to recruit him at all in Dream Drop Distance? Young Xehanort didn't really give up until the Symphony of Sorcery, and even then Ansem himself still tried to force Riku into submitting at the last second in The World That Never Was. There would virtually be no point in doing that if you already had the real Riku in your possession. If anything going for two real Rikus would be super redundant and more of a chore since the most current version of Riku can't be corrupted by darkness anymore, so you're just inviting more trouble for yourself when you don't even need to.

 

Data Riku, while more likely of a "candidate" than a past Riku, would still be a bit too much of a stretch. Unless they are going for the whole "data bodies becoming real bodies in the real world" thing that one person on here theorized some time ago (basically Roxas, Namine, and Xion could all be given data bodies to be their own people in), there wouldn't really be much to do with Data Riku. Besides, it feels like the data characters' arcs are mostly completed, Data Sora was able to convince Data Riku that he didn't need to face his demons alone and they both ended up fulfilling their rather limited purposes anyway. The only way they could factor into the plot again is if there was a need to return to the Datascape again, and even then I feel like their involvement would be limited to the scope of that visit. In the end, it just doesn't make much sense to drag Data Riku out of the Datascape there was never any suggestion for his arc to continue beyond where it went. But since Maleficent might still have her sights set on the Journal, who knows, there might still be a chance for the data heroes to have a role to play anyway.

 

In the end it just makes more sense for Riku Replica to be the "other Riku" that he saw in Pranksters' Paradise and might even still be the one he is referring to in the KH3 trailer. Recruiting him to the True Organization would be a smart way to have a "dark Riku" on their side, and works as a good plan to fall back on should they fail in recruiting the real Riku like they had originally hoped. And even if they had succeeded, they still would have had twice the Riku, and it wouldn't be as redundant since they are two separate entities entirely. And I agree that there feels like there's a good chance for a redemption arc for Riku Replica. He was already on his path of trying to become his own person beyond who he was modeled after, and now that Riku himself has already overcome his greatest obstacle, he probably feels like he can help his replica do the same in his own unique way. Because it's likely that Riku Replica is still following the darkness and Xehanort as he sees that it's his only option left to ever have any hope of becoming his own person. So if Riku can help show him that there is a way to become more without having to give in to the darkness, he might be able to come full circle with his journey and help another Replica in a way he couldn't before (he might still be harboring some guilt about what happened with Xion, even if he can't remember her or what happened). I feel that is the only reason why he would even be fondly thinking of something as "the other me", because to try and fix his past self would be counterproductive and there's almost nothing to gain from interacting with Data-Riku (apart from maybe a funny interaction or two), so in seeing his Replica as "the other me" he sees a chance to teach the same lesson he learned to someone else who really needs it.

 

That or he could also be speaking metaphorically. But metaphors are a tricky thing in this series, half the time they almost always end up becoming literal. Either way it's nice to know that I'm not the only one that feels that way, and unlike HMK, I think the idea of introducing yet another version of Riku is just really redundant and ridiculous, even I have my limit when it comes with clone characters.

The Riku Replica theory sounds more likely to me . But ever since I saw the trailer , I kinda thought that Riku might be talking metaphorically since his dark side is pretty much done , he might as well leave everything connected to that kind of Riku behind .

I was actually thinking that it was a Riku from the past too. As you've said, Riku was possessed by Ansem at a certain point which means he technically was an incarnation of Xehanort at a certain point. I believe he left his Keyblade behind because he knows that in the past "the other him" spent some time in the darkness but eventually found his way to the light by travelling the road to dawn. It's symbolic, he's leaving or "opening" the "Road to Dawn" in the Realm of Darkness so that "the other him" from the past can find his way to the light because that is what awaits him in the future if that makes sense. Also, it's symbolical of Riku's character fully moving on from his past. He's travelled the road to dawn, so now he can leave it behind in case someone else that gets lost in the darkness (another him) has to use it.

 

The Riku Replica theory sounds more likely to me . But ever since I saw the trailer , I kinda thought that Riku might be talking metaphorically since his dark side is pretty much done , he might as well leave everything connected to that kind of Riku behind .

 

I like the idea of Riku leaving his broken Keyblade on the shore being metaphorical.  However, it seems unlikely to me.  Why would they include that line as the last line of the trailer (with no context) if it was just a metaphorical line?  They also show King Mickey become surprised by Riku saying this, drawing even more attention to the line, which makes me think even more that there is more to the line than a metaphor.  True, we could get a short scene of Riku explaining to King Mickey that it was just a metaphor, but why cut that out of the trailer and leave us on that note unless it means something more?  And if we find out in the game that it is just a metaphor, I feel like that will leave so many fans feeling disappointed, because they would have built it up to be something bigger in their heads.  I just can't come up with a good reason to include this specific line in the trailer unless it ties into the story in a big way.  To quote Bruce Wayne from Batman Forever, "It just raises too many questions."  I do still like the idea of it being metaphorical, though.  And if it does turn out to be metaphorical, I will be just fine with that.

I like the idea of Riku leaving his broken Keyblade on the shore being metaphorical.  However, it seems unlikely to me.  Why would they include that line as the last line of the trailer (with no context) if it was just a metaphorical line?  They also show King Mickey become surprised by Riku saying this, drawing even more attention to the line, which makes me think even more that there is more to the line than a metaphor.  True, we could get a short scene of Riku explaining to King Mickey that it was just a metaphor, but why cut that out of the trailer and leave us on that note unless it means something more?  And if we find out in the game that it is just a metaphor, I feel like that will leave so many fans feeling disappointed, because they would have built it up to be something bigger in their heads.  I just can't come up with a good reason to include this specific line in the trailer unless it ties into the story in a big way.  To quote Bruce Wayne from Batman Forever, "It just raises too many questions."  I do still like the idea of it being metaphorical, though.  And if it does turn out to be metaphorical, I will be just fine with that.

It's great for marketing purposes but , yeah , other than that , there's no other reason for that line to be included in the last section of the trailer as just a metaphor . I'd have to guess that if it's the Riku Replica that Riku's talking about , then he's probably just trying to get him on their side by showing him what happens when you get conquered by the darkness and if so , you can beat it even if you weren't supposed to . Maybe there's a scene before that one , where Riku and Mickey meet Riku Replica who has been recruited by Xehanort and co. as a SoD. That's just pure speculation,of course, but I wouldn't be surprised if Sora and the others try to get some of the SoDs on their side .

You're reading too much into this, it's that Riku leaves his past behind and Way to the Dawn was part of it. A broken keyblade is worthless, so I don't know why he would leave it to anyone since it's not useful.

you gotta wonder though, if this other riku is part of the organization why would he leave a keyblade incase an enemy needs it

you gotta wonder though, if this other riku is part of the organization why would he leave a keyblade incase an enemy needs it

 

my guess is that since riku has been on the other side once he knows that there is always a chance that other riku mayd make a turn

my guess is that since riku has been on the other side once he knows that there is always a chance that other riku mayd make a turn

 

yeah that makes sense

You're reading too much into this, it's that Riku leaves his past behind and Way to the Dawn was part of it. A broken keyblade is worthless, so I don't know why he would leave it to anyone since it's not useful.

 

You do bring up a good point.  A broken Keyblade is worthless.  However, why would they include this line in the trailer if it was just meant to be a metaphor?  It is the note that the trailer ends on, which would mean that it was deliberately put there for a reason.  And usually, the last scene and/or line in a trailer is meant to make you excited and/or shocked.  If it is just a metaphor, why include it?  All we would have needed to see was Riku's broken Keyblade and him sticking it in the sand, so, there must be a greater meaning to this, right?

This is a stretch, but I'm going to introduce the idea that Riku may turn into a heartless in the Dark World. While I understand that Nobodies are born in the realm between, for all we know, Nomura may throw in some kind of wild card and be like "Since Riku turned into a Heartless in the dark realm, his Nobody was born there." Or, it could be some crazy thing where, when Ansem, who is a Heartless, took his body, a Nobody might have been created. Because let's face it, Nomura likes to confuse the hell out of us. Anyway, just throwing out random ideas.

 

But I'm more in support for the Repliku theory than anything. I still can't help but remember one of his final lines "What happens when a fake dies? One like me? Where will my heart go?" It could well be that his heart ended up in the dark realm, especially since he was still dawning the darkness. In regards to him maybe being part of Organization XIII, I guess I could see it. Especially since he was very lost in the end. He was desperately trying to gain an identity. It would be tragic though, if he did become an Organization XIII member, considering he would only end up becoming, essentially, just another "fake". I'm eager to see what kind of ending he might get.

 

**EDIT**

 

In regards to the comments about Riku leaving a broken Keyblade behind, I do wonder... if his "other" self were to touch it, would it maybe help him to manifest him own Keyblade, kinda like a Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony thing? Especially if it does turn out to be Repliku, since he was only really made as a result of what data Vexen had on Riku, so he couldn't inherit being one of the Keyblade's chosen. Just another random idea.

Edited February 13, 20187 yr by Svard

I'm currently putting my money on Riku leaving the keyblade for himself, and because time works differently in the Realm of Darkness, Riku from before KH2 finds it, and that's the keyblade he gives to Kairi

The Riku Replica theory sounds more likely to me . But ever since I saw the trailer , I kinda thought that Riku might be talking metaphorically since his dark side is pretty much done , he might as well leave everything connected to that kind of Riku behind .

If he is talking about his past self then that would likely mean that the events of KH1 are repeating themselves.  I really hope it's Repliku since the plot point revolving around time and Xehanort's manipulation of it is pretty confusing.  I guess, it's just my view of time being "moving forward" instead of "time loops" (whatever that idea is called where the events within a specific time frame repeats itself over and over again.  So, I'd imagine that the possibility of the events of KH1 repeating itself over and over again would get kind of tiresome).  It would pretty much be Xehanort's Organization XIII restarting KH1 and trying to figure out a way to manipulate Riku into joining their side quite tedious and questionable since he would always resist their attempts.

 

I'd like to see Repliku play apart within the game since he barely got to be himself, he was mostly always manipulated by Vexen and the other Organization members in Castle Oblivion.  He didn't break out from their control until after the third boss fight with Sora. 

What if Riku's "Other Me", (AKA the Dark Riku we see in DDD) is not only Riku Replica, but is in fact, Original Riku Replica from the past from before he gets destroyed by Riku? MY theory is that what if Young Xehanort when he was bouncing through time, going around and collecting all of the Seekers of Darkness, that he went and grabbed Repliku before his fatal fight with Riku, and brought him to the present time in DDD, made him into one of the Seekers of Darkness, and then once all of the events of DDD were said, and done, and everybody returned to their own original times, Repliku was sent back to his original time in Castle Oblivion, and with his memories of his time being in DDD erased as per the rules of time travel, Repliku blindly follows his destined path, and leads him to his fight with Riku, where he is ultimately destroyed?

Plus another point against it being a past version of Riku, if the Organization already got a hold of a past Riku when he was possessed by Ansem, then why even bother trying to recruit him at all in Dream Drop Distance? Young Xehanort didn't really give up until the Symphony of Sorcery, and even then Ansem himself still tried to force Riku into submitting at the last second in The World That Never Was. There would virtually be no point in doing that if you already had the real Riku in your possession. If anything going for two real Rikus would be super redundant and more of a chore since the most current version of Riku can't be corrupted by darkness anymore, so you're just inviting more trouble for yourself when you don't even need to.

 

Then again, as Eggman once put it:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMFFfsXLlbA

 

:lol: