Will Riku Replica Return in Kingdom Hearts III?

[Dagesh Lene 366]

I was trying to guess who the seekers of darkness are, and then I thought, "What if Riku Replica is one of the seekers of darkness?"  It might seem crazy at first, but I think it might be possible to see Riku Replica return in Kingdom Hearts III, even if he isn't a seeker of darkness, no time travel required.

 

Spoilers for the end of Sora's story in Chain of Memories, Riku's story in Chain of Memories, and the end of Dream Drop Distance:

 

 

The data version of Ansem the Wise said to Riku at the end of Dream Drop Distance, "When he [sora] sees the heart in something, it then becomes real."  At the end of Sora's story in Chain of Memories, Sora said to Riku Replica, "Who cares if someone created you?  You are you and nobody else.  You have your own heart inside you."

 

You might be thinking, "He may have a heart, but didn't the real Riku destroy Riku Replica?"  Well, yes, but there's more:

 

The data version of Ansem the Wise also said to Riku at the end of Dream Drop Distance, "Perhaps...he [sora] has the power to bring back the hearts and existences of those connected to him--to recreate people we thought were lost to us forever."  Could it be possible that Riku Replica is connected to Sora?  And if he does indeed have a heart, then Sora could bring him back.

 

It might be weird seeing two people who look like Riku existing at the same time.  However, if Roxas returns, then we would have two people who look like Ventus existing at the same time.  So, maybe it isn't too far out there.

 

Edited June 21, 2016 by Dagesh Lene

[kingdombladesventus 53]

Interesting subject to bring up.

[PrinceNoctis 1,011]

I don't want him back. We have enough clones thank you

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

This is a very interesting topic, and I like your thoughts on the matter!  Personally, I do think that Repliku is a Seeker.  I remember that certain scene in Dream Drop Distance when Riku was inside Monstro with Pinocchio, and then he came upon what seemed to be Repliku!  He even had the black coat and everything! But, seeing as how that was the Realm Of Sleep, that could have possibly been some sort of figment of the dream, am I right?  But I still think that the person we saw in there was Repliku!

 

And well, the fact of the matter is, Repliku wanted to be his own person, he didn't want to be a fake, he wanted to be himself, not an imitation.  So, Xehanort probably took advantage of that and decided to use him as a vessel, with the promise of giving him a brand new existence!  With an offer like that, I find it hard for Repliku to say no, ya know?

 

Only time will tell if we are right in our assumptions!

Edited June 21, 2016 by The Transcendent Key

[Dustin Newton 60]

I don't really see how he would come back, he was destroyed. Even if he did return he wouldn't be happy, because he would still be the thing he hates the most about himself. why bring someone back just so they can suffer?

[Dagesh Lene 366]

I don't really see how he would come back, he was destroyed. Even if he did return he wouldn't be happy, because he would still be the thing he hates the most about himself. why bring someone back just so they can suffer?

 

Ansem and Xemnas were destroyed, but they are back due to time travel.  So, if Master Xehanort wanted to use Riku Replica as a vessel, he could use time travel to bring him back, like he did for Ansem and Xemnas.  Also, as I said in my initial post, the data version of Ansem the Wise told Riku that Sora may have the power to bring back those who have thought to have been lost forever.

 

However, you do bring up a good point about Riku Replica still being the thing he hates the most about himself.  So, I don't know what will happen.  But it was just a thought.

[Headphone Jack 1,147]

nah that'd really be a stretch for one of the seekers of darkness.

 

no real reason for why he should be brought back up, honestly.

 

besides, his role was better suited for the story CoM was trying to tell, ya know? he was created to serve a purpose in CoM's narrative and that purpose was fulfilled by the end. suddenly making him relevant again would just be bad writing, imo.

[Dagesh Lene 366]

This is a very interesting topic, and I like your thoughts on the matter!  Personally, I do think that Repliku is a Seeker.  I remember that certain scene in Dream Drop Distance when Riku was inside Monstro with Pinocchio, and then he came upon what seemed to be Repliku!  He even had the black coat and everything! But, seeing as how that was the Realm Of Sleep, that could have possibly been some sort of figment of the dream, am I right?  But I still think that the person we saw in there was Repliku!

 

And well, the fact of the matter is, Repliku wanted to be his own person, he didn't want to be a fake, he wanted to be himself, not an imitation.  So, Xehanort probably took advantage of that and decided to use him as a vessel, with the promise of giving him a brand new existence!  With an offer like that, I find it hard for Repliku to say no, ya know?

 

Only time will tell if we are right in our assumptions!

 

I thought that that Riku could be Riku Replica too.  However, it could also just be a part of that Dream World, like you said.

 

Spoilers for Dream Drop Distance:

 

 

Since Riku was in Sora's dreams at this time, maybe we were seeing Sora remember chancing Riku through Monstro.  However, if that's all that Riku was, why was he in a black coat (unless that was just the Dream World doing weird things, like dreams tend to do)?

 

[Hero of Light XIV 2,381]

I was trying to guess who the seekers of darkness are, and then I thought, "What if Riku Replica is one of the seekers of darkness?"  It might seem crazy at first, but I think it might be possible to see Riku Replica return in Kingdom Hearts III, even if he isn't a seeker of darkness, no time travel required.

 

Spoilers for the end of Sora's story in Chain of Memories, Riku's story in Chain of Memories, and the end of Dream Drop Distance:

 

 

The data version of Ansem the Wise said to Riku at the end of Dream Drop Distance, "When he [sora] sees the heart in something, it then becomes real."  At the end of Sora's story in Chain of Memories, Sora said to Riku Replica, "Who cares if someone created you?  You are you and nobody else.  You have your own heart inside you."

 

You might be thinking, "He may have a heart, but didn't the real Riku destroy Riku Replica?"  Well, yes, but there's more:

 

The data version of Ansem the Wise also said to Riku at the end of Dream Drop Distance, "Perhaps...he [sora] has the power to bring back the hearts and existences of those connected to him--to recreate people we thought were lost to us forever."  Could it be possible that Riku Replica is connected to Sora?  And if he does indeed have a heart, then Sora could bring him back.

 

It might be weird seeing two people who look like Riku existing at the same time.  However, if Roxas returns, then we would have two people who look like Ventus existing at the same time.  So, maybe it isn't too far out there.

 

Actually, there might be a better explanation as to why Riku Replica might return. In Dream Drop Distance, you notice how in Monstro there were two Rikus? If you've been able to keep up with the plot up to today, then you'd know by now that each of the members of Xehanort's new Organization XIII, or his 13 Seekers of Darkness, apart from Sora and himself, are enemies that Sora and Riku defeated in previous games. However, they can't just come back from the dead willingly like that, unless they were Nobodies originally, but so far Xemnas and Xigbar seem to still be their Nobody selves. This means that each member was taken out of their separate points in time by Young Xehanort prior to each of their defeats, so for instance the Ansem and Xemnas we see are the same ones from KH1 and KH2, just before they were destroyed. With that in mind, that means almost anyone that was an enemy of Sora and Riku and a pawn of Xehanort in the past could potentially be brought back as a Seeker of Darkness.

 

But where does Riku Replica fit into this you may ask? Well remember another thing that was said in DDD, this time by Young Xehanort? He tells Riku who the other potential thirteenth candidates were before Sora. First he reveals to Riku that he was originally the thirteenth vessel that they had their sights on, but because of Riku's resistance against the Darkness, he was no longer viable. Roxas was next, but since he became too aware of his existence and returned to Sora, Sora was the only other viable candidate left. Most of Riku's story in DDD revolves around Young Xehanort and Ansem trying in vain to win him over to Xehanort's side last second, in case the Sora plan doesn't work out. After all, the Darkness just seems to looooooove Riku for some reason.

 

That said, the plan fails, but there are still a few small touches in each story that leave some questions unanswered. For one thing why was there another Riku inside Monstro? Well we can find clues in what Riku says as soon as his double disappears. First he mentions how he once let himself get corrupt by Darkness, seen in KH1. Well then maybe that was a time traveling Riku from KH1, still under the influence of Darkness and maliable to Xehanort's cause. However, that is unlikely, for as we have seen, Young Xehanort says that plan failed, Riku having been set on a path that allows him to walk between both light and darkness. So, that possibility is ruled out. But what about what Riku says next? He then mentions that there was a replica made of him who could use the Darkness, aka, Riku Replica. Riku Replica may have been a replica, but he was still his own person, and he was designed to reflect Riku's potential if he submitted to the Darkness. So, not only is he a suitable replacement but it also wouldn't contradict the sequence of events that take place in DDD. To further this point, as soon as Riku mentions the replica, the Memento entry for Chain of Memories is unlocked, suggesting even further that that may have been the Riku Replica.

 

There's nothing conclusive yet, but it's a pretty good sign, and it makes sense too, especially since the end of Riku Replica's story was so tragic. There's hopes for Vanitas to return too, though his appearance has been explained as Ven's heart within Sora reacting to seeing Young Xehanort. But, since Riku has no such situation going for him, and Pinocchio was clearly interacting with someone, that more than guarantees that whoever we saw was a real person and not some figment. And remember, Riku Replica could have been taken through time at any point before his defeat in CoM, so he doesn't have to "come back from the dead" necessarily, he just has to temporarily be taken out of time.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Hero of Light XIV

[Jake 1,488]

Tetsuya Nomura is crazy, I admit. However, he isn't that crazy. (Thank god)

[DevilSpooky 77]

I'm almost 100% sure some form of Riku is one of the Darknesses, either the Replica, Data-Riku, or Riku himself from when he was under Ansem SoD control in KH1.

[Isamu Kuno 2,512]

Tetsuya Nomura is crazy, I admit. However, he isn't that crazy. (Thank god)

I don't know about that. Making Riku Replica a Seeker of Darkness just to screw with Riku's head seems to be exactly the kind of thing that he and Xehaort would do.

 

 

nah that'd really be a stretch for one of the seekers of darkness.

 

no real reason for why he should be brought back up, honestly.

 

besides, his role was better suited for the story CoM was trying to tell, ya know? he was created to serve a purpose in CoM's narrative and that purpose was fulfilled by the end. suddenly making him relevant again would just be bad writing, imo.

Xion. She was made to further the Days narritive but, as we've seen she still maintains an independant existance within Sora and we know for a fact she's one of the people Soa has to save, Heck AtW mentioned her specifically (Not by name but who else could "even an empty puppet" reffer to? Pinoccio? Not so much because he's a real boy now.) So she;s coming back for sure. That oppens the door for Riku Replica because similarly he may still exist inside Riku (as a replica returns to the person they where made from upon death).Besides adding Riku and Vanitas would at least giveus more variety in the remainig SoD than just Xehanort at different points in his life.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Isamu_Kuno

[Komali 594]

If I remember the chess pieces correctly, there are two Riku pieces. So it might be a possibility.

 

But we have to consider that the chess pieces aren't necessarily all SoD or GoL, just participants in the final battle. So Repliku could be one of them.

[rikus soul eater 0]

So everyone forgot that you need to have a piece of xehanort in you to be a vessel and sense replica riku died in re chain xemnas never got to make him one he didn't know about him because vexen made him instantly after fighting riku the riku could have been a illusion or riku possesed

[KH4Real 749]

Don't think so or he would be hinted in 3D.

[DevilSpooky 77]

I don't know about that. Making Riku Replica a Seeker of Darkness just to screw with Rku's head seems to be exactly the kind of thing that he and Xehaort would do.

 

 

Xion. She was made to further the Days narritive but, as we've seen she still maintains an independant existance within Sora and we know for a fact she's one of the people Soa has to save, Heck AtW mentioned her specifically (Not by name but who else could "even an empty puppet" reffer to? Pinoccio? Not so much because he's a real boy now.) So she;s coming back for sure. That oppens the door for Riku Replica because similarly he may still exist inside Riku (as a replica returns to the person they where made from upon death).Besides adding Riku and Vanitas would at least giveus more variety in the remainig SoD than just Xehanort at different points in his life.

 

Not true, Xion returned to Sora because she was made from his memories, besides, she was a Replica of Roxas, not Sora.

[Isamu Kuno 2,512]

Not true, Xion returned to Sora because she was made from his memories, besides, she was a Replica of Roxas, not Sora.

No, she was a replica of Sora based on his memories of Kairi.And by the same token Riku Replica was made from the battle data of Riku and thus was made from him soi he would likely return to Riku just as Xion did with Sora.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Isamu_Kuno

[Guest]

This is a very interesting topic, and I like your thoughts on the matter!  Personally, I do think that Repliku is a Seeker.  I remember that certain scene in Dream Drop Distance when Riku was inside Monstro with Pinocchio, and then he came upon what seemed to be Repliku!  He even had the black coat and everything! But, seeing as how that was the Realm Of Sleep, that could have possibly been some sort of figment of the dream, am I right?  But I still think that the person we saw in there was Repliku!

 

And well, the fact of the matter is, Repliku wanted to be his own person, he didn't want to be a fake, he wanted to be himself, not an imitation.  So, Xehanort probably took advantage of that and decided to use him as a vessel, with the promise of giving him a brand new existence!  With an offer like that, I find it hard for Repliku to say no, ya know?

 

Only time will tell if we are right in our assumptions!

 

This has got so much validity towards it, I'm impressed. Personally, if it's a means of bring back Jerk Riku then I'm down for the proposition!

[Hallowseve 143]

Finally someone brings up this topic! Initially, I thought Repliku would be a seeker of darkness. I don't think it's out of the question at all. I understand he had a great story arc in CoM, but I think he should return to some capacity. He showed all signs of growing a heart, but his reappearance would be difficult. He is identical to KH1 Riku, and I feel like people would be confused by this. Yes, "clones" are common in the series, but Sora's "clones" look different. Ventus and Roxas have subtle, yet different appearances, too.

 

Repliku and Riku would be tough for some folks. I think we'd all be able to distinguish the two, but other players wouldn't. The only way they can make him look different is by slightly altering his appearance. Not sure how they could pull it off, but I have faith. Nomura can pull any random idea out of a hat and make it work great. So in short, yes I want Repliku to return whether he'll be a seeker or appear in a flashback, but I also understand how it would be difficult.

[AzureAce 544]

Y'know, I don't actually see why not. Maybe we'll even see him on our side because you retain your memories as a Nobody, meaning Even will still have his memories of when he created Repliku as Vexen. But to add to that, if that did happen, I would like to see him turn over to the side of the Seekers for... A reason, be it he willingly accepts the Darkness or Xehanort makes him a vessel or another reason entirely. 

[Kaweebo 3,617]

This is a very interesting topic, and I like your thoughts on the matter!  Personally, I do think that Repliku is a Seeker.  I remember that certain scene in Dream Drop Distance when Riku was inside Monstro with Pinocchio, and then he came upon what seemed to be Repliku!  He even had the black coat and everything! 

I thought Riku made it clear that that was meant to represent his 'dark side'. Repliku never wore the black coat. He's as much a seeker as the real Riku was.

 

Repliku is also the only character not to 'return' to anything. Even Eraqus has a better shot of returning than him since he took refuge in Terra's heart. Repliku just faded away and he wasn't even a Nobody. I think the most merciful thing for him is if he just stayed dead, tbh. And like PriceNoctis said, we have too many clones as-is. (I still think the best thing storywise to do with Ventus and Roxas is to merge together into one person. That way we have a character who is connected to both the BBS trio, the DI trio and the Organization trio, bringing it full circle.)

Edited June 21, 2016 by Kaweebo

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

I thought that that Riku could be Riku Replica too.  However, it could also just be a part of that Dream World, like you said.

 

Spoilers for Dream Drop Distance:

 

 

Since Riku was in Sora's dreams at this time, maybe we were seeing Sora remember chancing Riku through Monstro.  However, if that's all that Riku was, why was he in a black coat (unless that was just the Dream World doing weird things, like dreams tend to do)?

 

 

Yeah, see, that's the thing that makes it all a little too suspicious for me, ya know?  It makes me think all the more that Repliku is indeed a Seeker Of Darkness! Well, only time will tell if we're right!

I thought Riku made it clear that that was meant to represent his 'dark side'. Repliku never wore the black coat. He's as much a seeker as the real Riku was.

 

Repliku is also the only character not to 'return' to anything. Even Eraqus has a better shot of returning than him since he took refuge in Terra's heart. Repliku just faded away and he wasn't even a Nobody. I think the most merciful thing for him is if he just stayed dead, tbh. And like PriceNoctis said, we have too many clones as-is. (I still think the best thing storywise to do with Ventus and Roxas is to merge together into one person. That way we have a character who is connected to both the BBS trio, the DI trio and the Organization trio, bringing it full circle.)

 

Hmm, you make a good point there too!  Yeah, I remember that he said it represented his dark side, but I dunno...I just can't shake off the feeling that what we saw was Repliku! He could have been easily been brought back like the other Seekers, since they're all people out of their own time, ya know?  But yeah, it's all a mystery for now!

This has got so much validity towards it, I'm impressed. Personally, if it's a means of bring back Jerk Riku then I'm down for the proposition!

 

Thanks, I'm glad you think so!

 

But yeah, I mean, with all the other Norts basically being from different time periods, who's to say that Repliku wasn't brought from the time the events of CoM happened, ya know?  But yeah, it's all in theory for now.

Actually, there might be a better explanation as to why Riku Replica might return. In Dream Drop Distance, you notice how in Monstro there were two Rikus? If you've been able to keep up with the plot up to today, then you'd know by now that each of the members of Xehanort's new Organization XIII, or his 13 Seekers of Darkness, apart from Sora and himself, are enemies that Sora and Riku defeated in previous games. However, they can't just come back from the dead willingly like that, unless they were Nobodies originally, but so far Xemnas and Xigbar seem to still be their Nobody selves. This means that each member was taken out of their separate points in time by Young Xehanort prior to each of their defeats, so for instance the Ansem and Xemnas we see are the same ones from KH1 and KH2, just before they were destroyed. With that in mind, that means almost anyone that was an enemy of Sora and Riku and a pawn of Xehanort in the past could potentially be brought back as a Seeker of Darkness.

 

But where does Riku Replica fit into this you may ask? Well remember another thing that was said in DDD, this time by Young Xehanort? He tells Riku who the other potential thirteenth candidates were before Sora. First he reveals to Riku that he was originally the thirteenth vessel that they had their sights on, but because of Riku's resistance against the Darkness, he was no longer viable. Roxas was next, but since he became too aware of his existence and returned to Sora, Sora was the only other viable candidate left. Most of Riku's story in DDD revolves around Young Xehanort and Ansem trying in vain to win him over to Xehanort's side last second, in case the Sora plan doesn't work out. After all, the Darkness just seems to looooooove Riku for some reason.

 

That said, the plan fails, but there are still a few small touches in each story that leave some questions unanswered. For one thing why was there another Riku inside Monstro? Well we can find clues in what Riku says as soon as his double disappears. First he mentions how he once let himself get corrupt by Darkness, seen in KH1. Well then maybe that was a time traveling Riku from KH1, still under the influence of Darkness and maliable to Xehanort's cause. However, that is unlikely, for as we have seen, Young Xehanort says that plan failed, Riku having been set on a path that allows him to walk between both light and darkness. So, that possibility is ruled out. But what about what Riku says next? He then mentions that there was a replica made of him who could use the Darkness, aka, Riku Replica. Riku Replica may have been a replica, but he was still his own person, and he was designed to reflect Riku's potential if he submitted to the Darkness. So, not only is he a suitable replacement but it also wouldn't contradict the sequence of events that take place in DDD. To further this point, as soon as Riku mentions the replica, the Memento entry for Chain of Memories is unlocked, suggesting even further that that may have been the Riku Replica.

 

There's nothing conclusive yet, but it's a pretty good sign, and it makes sense too, especially since the end of Riku Replica's story was so tragic. There's hopes for Vanitas to return too, though his appearance has been explained as Ven's heart within Sora reacting to seeing Young Xehanort. But, since Riku has no such situation going for him, and Pinocchio was clearly interacting with someone, that more than guarantees that whoever we saw was a real person and not some figment. And remember, Riku Replica could have been taken through time at any point before his defeat in CoM, so he doesn't have to "come back from the dead" necessarily, he just has to temporarily be taken out of time.

 

Wow, you made my words so much fancier and deep! But yeah, I agree with this!

[DevilSpooky 77]

No, she was a replica of Sora based on his memories of Kairi.

And by the same token Riku Replica was made from the battle data of Riku and thus was made from him soi he would likely return to Riku just as Xion did with Sora.

 

No, she was a replica of Roxas created from his memories from when he was complete, as in, when he was Sora. We find out on the game itself, from one of the secret reports from Axel:

Day 276: Behind the Truth Author: Axel Xion is gone. Roxas still doesn't know anything, but Xion found out. That's why I need to find her. We don't have hearts, so we accept the facts we're given as the truth. But something far more important lies behind that truth. Saïx would laugh at people with no hearts calling one another friends, but that doesn't make it not so. As the Nobody of the hero of the Keyblade and the Replica of that Nobody, these two are special. Unique in every sense of the word. But that doesn't change the fact that we're friends. Nothing will. Got it memorized, Xion?  

Nobody = Roxas, Hero = Sora, Replica of that Nobody = Replica of Roxas = Xion.

 

I'm positive either Saix or Xemnas outright said the same in game, that she was created as a replica of Roxas so they can manipulate a Keyblade weilder for their plan.

[Guest]

I thought Riku made it clear that that was meant to represent his 'dark side'. Repliku never wore the black coat. He's as much a seeker as the real Riku was.

 

Repliku is also the only character not to 'return' to anything. Even Eraqus has a better shot of returning than him since he took refuge in Terra's heart. Repliku just faded away and he wasn't even a Nobody. I think the most merciful thing for him is if he just stayed dead, tbh. And like PriceNoctis said, we have too many clones as-is. (I still think the best thing storywise to do with Ventus and Roxas is to merge together into one person. That way we have a character who is connected to both the BBS trio, the DI trio and the Organization trio, bringing it full circle.)

 

I understand where you're coming from, but in the whole cloning defence, they could just have Repliku have tanned skin and yellow eyes like Xehanort. Replica Riku is a tragic figure because he was an exact imitation. He was not like Roxas or Xion in which they could form their own identity, but rather, he was designed to be an exact copy of Riku, but because the real Riku exist, Repliku is a walking talking shell. A seeker would be ideal for him as he can separate himself from the real Riku.

 

This Roxas/Ventus merging idea, I like this. I like this a lot. I hope it genuinely happens so we don't get two cloned characters.

Edited June 22, 2016 by Guest

[DevilSpooky 77]

I understand where you're coming from, but in the whole cloning defence, they could just have Repliku have tanned skin and yellow eyes like Xehanort. Replica Riku is a tragic figure because he was an exact imitation. He was not like Roxas or Xion in which they could form their own identity, but rather, he was designed to be an exact copy of Riku, but because the real Riku exist, Repliku is a walking talking shell. A seeker would be ideal for him as he can separate himself from the real Riku.

 

This Roxas/Ventus merging idea, I like this. I like this a lot. I hope it genuinely happens so we don't get two cloned characters.

 

Roxas and Ventus are not cloned characters, they look alike sure, but even then there are differences in them, lets not even talk about them having different personalities, heck, they even talk differently, it'l like saying 2 twins are the same person just because they look alike...