If he didnt even use it? He just zoops into evil Repliku and yoinks the replica body. And apparently Repliku was already with Riku so why'd he leave WtD in the realm of darkness for his "other me"? I feel like this is one of many things that for some reason didnt make it into the finale of KH3

Edited June 2, 20196 yr by AnotherXehanort13

Well assuming Repliku and Dark Riku return to the RoD, he could pick it up then, I guess? Who really knows. Maybe that's Riku Replica's ticket back into the series after going to the great beyond. Personally I like to think he went to a better resting place then RoD. Let Dark Riku suffer in RoD...wait then that means he'll get Way to Dawn. It's strange we don't see that Keyblade anymore after Riku leaves it.

cause it's trash

Either this happened to become a plothole, or Nomura just planted the seed for a future arc for Repliku or Dark Riku. Either way, it'll be interesting to see what happens with Way To The Dawn in the future of the series, if it ever appears again!

Riku's association with the Way to the Dawn keyblade is, I believe, linked to his character arc. It's tied to his redemption arc, so he gets it when he reflects what it represents but once he moves past that state he doesn't need it anymore. Riku first uses it in Chain of Memories, the beginning of his redemption arc and when his deal with the devil that he made with Ansem comes back to haunt him. Everything he does once he and Mickey escape Castle Oblivion is about atonement, and he's willing to give in to the darkness within himself to the point of letting go of his own name if it means Sora's salvation. Only once he, Sora and Kairi are reunited and the threat of Xenmas gone is Riku able to lift most of that doubt about himself. His whole motivation in Dream Drop Distance is to find proof that he is worthy of the keyblade, and once he's able to defeat Ansem with this mindset Riku finally accepts he's been redeemed. This is reflected in the conversation he has with the version of DiZ in Sora's heart, which ties back to a conversation between the two in the Kingdom Hearts 2 prologue, where Riku then gave his name as Ansem (he had Ansem's form from the climax of 358/2 Days) but now gives his name as Riku.

So with Riku accepting his role as a Guardian of Light, the Way to the Dawn no longer reflects where he is as a character, but Repliku still has a mission that requires it. It may even be his final atonement, bringing peace to something, someone he was in some way responsible for bringing about even if he didn't play an active role.

I think in a way Riku is still trying to figure out who he is as a person. The person he was at the start of Kingdom Hearts 1, entitled, proud and even jealous, was gone by the end when he realised how much it cost him. He's not had much time to think between the various crises.

5 hours ago, SweetYetSalty said:

 Let Dark Riku suffer in RoD...wait then that means he'll get Way to Dawn. 

relax dark riku will have gone back to his own point in time

On June 2, 2019 at 3:54 AM, ocean's rage said:

relax dark riku will have gone back to his own point in time

That is true! Still, you never know what may happen!

1 hour ago, The Transcendent Key said:

That is true! Still, you never know what may happen!

thats true, the story certainly gone to some unexpected places 

Maybe and this is just a theory being a clone creates a very special Connection

21 hours ago, ocean's rage said:

thats true, the story certainly gone to some unexpected places 

Indeed, and one can only guess where the story will go next!