Don't know why I didn't pick it up until this playthrough, but as Kairi was explaining that Namine's life was hers and she had no right to take those feelings and experiences back, it clicked. Just like how Sora has all of Roxas's memories, Kairi has Namine's. So, even though Sora still doesn't remember anything, Kairi remembers it all. For some reason she decided not to tell him. Maybe she didn't have time between KH2 and DDD. Maybe it was just like a week or two to relax, and then right back at it.

She might not want to tell Sora, since Castle Oblivion wasn't the most pleasant experience Sora had. If he knew he'd forgotten Kairi, he'd be kicking himself and self-pity is simply not something Sora does unless things are really bad.

9 hours ago, jbmasta said:

She might not want to tell Sora, since Castle Oblivion wasn't the most pleasant experience Sora had. If he knew he'd forgotten Kairi, he'd be kicking himself and self-pity is simply not something Sora does unless things are really bad.

That's a good point, but Sora's also the kind of person who cares about others, even his enemies. He'd definitely prefer to know about his experiences with them, especially the time he spent with Namine. Like he said in COM, even if his promise wasn't real, it was real to him, and he wanted to keep it even if it lead to his heart being destroyed. It might be the case though, that Namine felt guilty, and didn't want Sora to know what she'd done, that she was the one who twisted his memories, replaced Kairi in his heart, and nearly made him a tool of the organization. Sora knows that she's the one who fixed his memories, but not the extent of how she was to blame for it. So maybe Kairi kept the secret for Namine's sake.

6 hours ago, Darkfire1408 said:

That's a good point, but Sora's also the kind of person who cares about others, even his enemies. He'd definitely prefer to know about his experiences with them, especially the time he spent with Namine. Like he said in COM, even if his promise wasn't real, it was real to him, and he wanted to keep it even if it lead to his heart being destroyed. It might be the case though, that Namine felt guilty, and didn't want Sora to know what she'd done, that she was the one who twisted his memories, replaced Kairi in his heart, and nearly made him a tool of the organization. Sora knows that she's the one who fixed his memories, but not the extent of how she was to blame for it. So maybe Kairi kept the secret for Namine's sake.

When Sora does something, he doesn't half-ass it. When in the Final World conversing with Namine, he insisted that it wasn't the right time to give her the thank you he'd promised to give (and that he'd tried to give in Dream Drop Distance when the image of Namine in his dream turned into Xion). Kairi probably figured Sora trying to prove he doesn't hold anything against Namine for her actions, which were under duress, in Chain of Memories would be overbearing, and that telling him would have been an unwise action. Even Data Sora insisted he'd thank Namine in the analogue world instead of the datascape.

Don't forget Sora had no practical way to communicate with Namine except through Kairi (and no guarantee of a response from Namine, just as he was channeling Roxas through spontaneous emotional impulses), since the data Namine deleted herself at the end of re:coded and he wasn't even aware Namine had been given a replica body to inhabit unless Kairi told him during their intimate moment on the branch of the Paopu tree.

Is it ever indicated Kairi has conscious access to Namine's memories? Sora doesn't gain Roxas's until the Roxas's Grief cutscene in Dream Drop Distance, prior to that Sora only acted upon the memories and emotions Roxas gained through emotional triggers like departing Twilight Town or the objects originating from the data version of Twilight Town. We don't see much of Kairi relative to Sora's screentime after Namine joins back with her, so far fewer potential triggers. Kairi does spend a lot of time with Lea while training, but acts more upon her own experiences with him in Kingdom Hearts 2 initially instead of Namine's memories of him in Chain of Memories, unless that was a factor in the offscreen development of their relationship. While it takes her a while to call him Lea instead of Axel, it's ambiguous on whether that's down to Namine knowing him as Axel or just his catchphrase working too well.

15 minutes ago, jbmasta said:

When Sora does something, he doesn't half-ass it. When in the Final World conversing with Namine, he insisted that it wasn't the right time to give her the thank you he'd promised to give (and that he'd tried to give in Dream Drop Distance when the image of Namine in his dream turned into Xion). Kairi probably figured Sora trying to prove he doesn't hold anything against Namine for her actions, which were under duress, in Chain of Memories would be overbearing, and that telling him would have been an unwise action. Even Data Sora insisted he'd thank Namine in the analogue world instead of the datascape.

Don't forget Sora had no practical way to communicate with Namine except through Kairi (and no guarantee of a response from Namine, just as he was channeling Roxas through spontaneous emotional impulses), since the data Namine deleted herself at the end of re:coded and he wasn't even aware Namine had been given a replica body to inhabit unless Kairi told him during their intimate moment on the branch of the Paopu tree.

Is it ever indicated Kairi has conscious access to Namine's memories? Sora doesn't gain Roxas's until the Roxas's Grief cutscene in Dream Drop Distance, prior to that Sora only acted upon the memories and emotions Roxas gained through emotional triggers like departing Twilight Town or the objects originating from the data version of Twilight Town. We don't see much of Kairi relative to Sora's screentime after Namine joins back with her, so far fewer potential triggers. Kairi does spend a lot of time with Lea while training, but acts more upon her own experiences with him in Kingdom Hearts 2 initially instead of Namine's memories of him in Chain of Memories, unless that was a factor in the offscreen development of their relationship. While it takes her a while to call him Lea instead of Axel, it's ambiguous on whether that's down to Namine knowing him as Axel or just his catchphrase working too well.

Well, Kairi being adamant about taking back Namine's feelings and experiences, she specifically said feelings and experiences, being wrong, would suggest that she's felt Namine's feelings, and experiences her memories. Could be due to her princess of heart status that she was able to.

Telling Namine he didn't blame her would probably just be a simple conversation. I mean, Riku held on to a lot of guilt about his actions in KH1 and giving into the darkness, and as soon as Sora found him, he started crying about how hard he'd been looking for him. There wasn't a single awkward moment about Riku's past between them since, an apology wasn't necessary, and Sora didn't even have to say he didn't hold any of it against him, it was evident without it. It would probably be as quickly resolved with Namine.

On 8/15/2019 at 3:18 AM, Darkfire1408 said:

Don't know why I didn't pick it up until this playthrough, but as Kairi was explaining that Namine's life was hers and she had no right to take those feelings and experiences back, it clicked. Just like how Sora has all of Roxas's memories, Kairi has Namine's. So, even though Sora still doesn't remember anything, Kairi remembers it all. For some reason she decided not to tell him. Maybe she didn't have time between KH2 and DDD. Maybe it was just like a week or two to relax, and then right back at it.

Nice find! I hadn't picked up on that but it's certainly something to consider

On 8/15/2019 at 1:53 PM, jbmasta said:

She might not want to tell Sora, since Castle Oblivion wasn't the most pleasant experience Sora had. If he knew he'd forgotten Kairi, he'd be kicking himself and self-pity is simply not something Sora does unless things are really bad.

I know what you mean sora would feel very guilty about himself if he knew that he was capable of forgetting Something this important he would feel only shame