There seems to be some dissatisfaction as of late with having Donald and Goofy as Sora's partners, from the fans and, really, from the games themselves. Some people think that the dynamic duo are too silly, too useless, and not cool enough to really tag around with. The games seem to echo this sentiment, as Donald and Goofy have been increasingly kicked to the curve in favor of more "cool" people for Sora to pal around with, from Riku and King Mickey to the promise of a bevy of keyblade wielders in KH3. And I guess I can understand that: it's natural for people to want to be the kickass characters who can deal out a ton of damage.
But here's the reason why I really, really like Donald and Goofy as Sora's trusty wingmen. At the soul of Kingdom Hearts, the story is about friendship, and Donald and Goofy are probably the best example of this. They run into Sora out of the blue, and don't really know what to make of him, but through their adventures together, they become inseparable. They've stood by Sora's side at least twice when events might have led them to simply leave him (deciding to be with Sora rather than Riku, and coming to his aid in Castle Oblivion even after Sora sends them away), and in turn, Sora is there for them. Even in re:Coded, they try to save a fake recreation of Sora simply because he reminds them of their friend.
As for their being useless in battle? Well, to be honest, I'm kind of glad they are. Sure, Sora could probably find some tougher people to stand by his side, but instead, he chooses to fight alongside the people who mean something to him. He doesn't just ditch them because their powers are inadequate: he fights to protect them, knowing that they will try their best to do the same. And in the end, it's not about Sora hanging around with whoever might be the coolest, or most badass. It's about Sora hanging out with his best pals. And Donald and Goofy are just that: the reminder that friendship isn't based on what you can do for someone, but just because they're fun to hang around with.
There seems to be some dissatisfaction as of late with having Donald and Goofy as Sora's partners, from the fans and, really, from the games themselves. Some people think that the dynamic duo are too silly, too useless, and not cool enough to really tag around with. The games seem to echo this sentiment, as Donald and Goofy have been increasingly kicked to the curve in favor of more "cool" people for Sora to pal around with, from Riku and King Mickey to the promise of a bevy of keyblade wielders in KH3. And I guess I can understand that: it's natural for people to want to be the kickass characters who can deal out a ton of damage.
But here's the reason why I really, really like Donald and Goofy as Sora's trusty wingmen. At the soul of Kingdom Hearts, the story is about friendship, and Donald and Goofy are probably the best example of this. They run into Sora out of the blue, and don't really know what to make of him, but through their adventures together, they become inseparable. They've stood by Sora's side at least twice when events might have led them to simply leave him (deciding to be with Sora rather than Riku, and coming to his aid in Castle Oblivion even after Sora sends them away), and in turn, Sora is there for them. Even in re:Coded, they try to save a fake recreation of Sora simply because he reminds them of their friend.
As for their being useless in battle? Well, to be honest, I'm kind of glad they are. Sure, Sora could probably find some tougher people to stand by his side, but instead, he chooses to fight alongside the people who mean something to him. He doesn't just ditch them because their powers are inadequate: he fights to protect them, knowing that they will try their best to do the same. And in the end, it's not about Sora hanging around with whoever might be the coolest, or most badass. It's about Sora hanging out with his best pals. And Donald and Goofy are just that: the reminder that friendship isn't based on what you can do for someone, but just because they're fun to hang around with.