A problem with the KH girls

[Key-Chan567]

After the 5th Union leader Strelitzia was introduced, I just thought about the KH girls in general and realized that most of them are seriously lacking screenplay or they weren't given the character development they deserved. You can disagree on my opinion but I think the only KH girl with a strong persoanlity and development was Aqua. Kairi seriously suffers from the problem I mentioned above (even if she's now starting to get more important in KH3 as she's now under hard training) and Xion had big potential but it was destroyed in the end.

Union X had a good start and I'm hoping to see more of Skuld and Strelitzia since they have so much potential and it would be prety satisfing if they show up in KH3 as some kind of support for Sora since Ventus was also present in the BBS timeline and is still an important character to this date.
Please don't mess it up, Nomura...

 

[catcake]

Yeah, that problem goes for pretty much all characters except for the main trios, but is more apparent with the females I suppose. I mean, KH has such a huge cast, and more are added all the time, so none of them really gets any focus. Just as we're introduced to Ephemera, Skuld and the Foretellers, suddenly we have new union leaders and a new world and whatnot. I'm a bit sad the original Chi plot is completely missed by many, I only watched the last update, but I think it was really nice and I wish we could have gotten it in Ux as well. I think most Ux players didn't even know about Ephemera before he appeared in Ux. I really hope the connection between Chi and Ux will eventually be explained properly, in Ux.

Also, the Organization was such a disappointment too since Days failed to do what it was supposed to (and what the manga version did much better) - give them more character and let us know more about them. And now they're gone and we have 13 Xehanorts or something instead. Meh. It's a problem that keeps repeating.

I hope that KH3 as the final conclusion to this saga will put proper focus on the existing characters and not introduce any more. No more new charcters in KH3 okay. There are too many that have been ignored in favor to introducing new ones who also then get ignored.

 

[Chuuya]

Though now that I think of it, KH3's story so far is focused on Riku and Mickey's journey, Sora's journey with Donald and Goofy, and Kairi is training with Axel/Lea. Better be some real action in the training instead of Kairi destroying one Shadow saying, "I got one!"

 

[Key-Chan567]

To be honest, even if I accept the KH story and the characters like how they are right now, it's painfully obvious how poorly the story is actually presented. KH1 until KH2 was beautiful but after those three it easily went downhill which is kinda heartbreaking...

 

[Key-Chan567]

Though now that I think of it, KH3's story so far is focused on Riku and Mickey's journey, Sora's journey with Donald and Goofy, and Kairi is training with Axel/Lea. Better be some real action in the training instead of Kairi destroying one Shadow saying, "I got one!"

If Kairi won't get AT LEAST ONE decent fight then I'm outta here xD

 

[ultima-demi]

I know some people don't necessarily like the idea in adding more characters (honestly don't think it'll make much of a difference if they do. Some characters are gonna get ignored regardless).

I would't mind seeing Skuld and Strelitzia appearing and teaming up with Kairi and Aqua from time to time just so we have more females doing things.

 

[Not Ienzo]

I'm trying to be optimistic that more females will actually do stuff now that we have Aqua and the fact that Kairi can (somewhat) fight now, which would FINALLY give her screentime. Although at the same time I just don't care about Kairi and I can't help but care more about her other versions (Namine, Xion and Aqua) since they just offer more in terms of story and character.

I remember that scene in the KH2 manga where Kairi saved Sora in an epic fashion with her Keyblade. Sora even says "the roles are reversed!". It makes me sad that this didn't happen in the game.

 

[Veevee]

I certainly agree that the KH girls feel underdeveloped. I've played KH2 just recently and was kinda irritated how Kairi behaved in that game - I did remember that she didn't do much, but most of the time she just stood there, flashed a smile that didn't do the situation any justice and kept silent except for some occasional "we go together!". Naminé and Aqua were handled better, but there's still room. Poor Naminé just gets constantly forgotten in these games, the saving thing is either about Roxas or TAV.

On the other hand, there aren't many properly developed characters in general. Riku had a proper share of screentime, as did Roxas. Sora got a development which got kinda screwed over when he ran into every obvious trap set in DDD. Back cover is the best example for underdevelopment, we get to see five union leaders who are supposedly important for our chosen union, just to have them killed in a war that's not even shown and get replaced by five kids. Yeah, great job, I couldn't care more about the characters.

And if Kairi gets no decent screentime in KH3, I'll scream.

 

[Luxu]

Well, we have two new female characters so far. Skuld is already well done, but can have more character development and more chances to shine would do well. As well as the introduction of Strelitzia. Union Cross could potentially be the game where the most character development happens. It has already happened to two (Or I guess three) characters.

Giving all the girls badass moments against the Xehanorts or just badass moments in general in KH3 would be nice if it allows for more character development.

 

[KeybladeKnightQ]

To be honest, even if I accept the KH story and the characters like how they are right now, it's painfully obvious how poorly the story is actually presented. KH1 until KH2 was beautiful but after those three it easily went downhill which is kinda heartbreaking...

Eh I'd say Re:Coded or DDD was when the story telling started to deteriorate. BBS and Days while flawed still presented many heartfelt, emotional, and deep moments that have become so iconic they feel like they came from the main titles. Some I would even argue where done better than some scenes in the main titles.

 

[Key-Chan567]

I certainly agree that the KH girls feel underdeveloped. I've played KH2 just recently and was kinda irritated how Kairi behaved in that game - I did remember that she didn't do much, but most of the time she just stood there, flashed a smile that didn't do the situation any justice and kept silent except for some occasional "we go together!". Naminé and Aqua were handled better, but there's still room. Poor Naminé just gets constantly forgotten in these games, the saving thing is either about Roxas or TAV.

On the other hand, there aren't many properly developed characters in general. Riku had a proper share of screentime, as did Roxas. Sora got a development which got kinda screwed over when he ran into every obvious trap set in DDD. Back cover is the best example for underdevelopment, we get to see five union leaders who are supposedly important for our chosen union, just to have them killed in a war that's not even shown and get replaced by five kids. Yeah, great job, I couldn't care more about the characters.

And if Kairi gets no decent screentime in KH3, I'll scream.

Couldn't have explain it better.

 

[Key-Chan567]

Eh I'd say Re:Coded or DDD was when the story telling started to deteriorate. BBS and Days while flawed still presented many heartfelt, emotional, and deep moments that have become so iconic they feel like they came from the main titles. Some I would even argue where done better than some scenes in the main titles.

Yes, that is true for a certainty. BBs and Days were an emotional rollercoaster.

 

[Deleted member 246005]

I would say Xion/Namine both got good arcs but Aqua had the most impact because she was the first female lead. Kairi has potential to be an interesting character but not given much to do till DDD's secret ending. Kairi had importance in the series but it was a more passive role that kept her as background fodder.

I don't mind a new character taking the stage but i'm more interested in someone who would break the mold then being another pallete swap of Kairi (which is where Xion faltered).

 

[Not Ienzo]

I certainly agree that the KH girls feel underdeveloped. I've played KH2 just recently and was kinda irritated how Kairi behaved in that game - I did remember that she didn't do much, but most of the time she just stood there, flashed a smile that didn't do the situation any justice and kept silent except for some occasional "we go together!". Naminé and Aqua were handled better, but there's still room. Poor Naminé just gets constantly forgotten in these games, the saving thing is either about Roxas or TAV.

On the other hand, there aren't many properly developed characters in general. Riku had a proper share of screentime, as did Roxas. Sora got a development which got kinda screwed over when he ran into every obvious trap set in DDD. Back cover is the best example for underdevelopment, we get to see five union leaders who are supposedly important for our chosen union, just to have them killed in a war that's not even shown and get replaced by five kids. Yeah, great job, I couldn't care more about the characters.

And if Kairi gets no decent screentime in KH3, I'll scream.

I know right? At least Namine had a role somewhat, at least a bigger one that Kairi had. Though I wish Namine was able to fight somehow. And yeah, I think they should have at least shown the war happening in Back Cover to make it more interesting.

Eh I'd say Re:Coded or DDD was when the story telling started to deteriorate. BBS and Days while flawed still presented many heartfelt, emotional, and deep moments that have become so iconic they feel like they came from the main titles. Some I would even argue where done better than some scenes in the main titles.

All the games felt deep and emotional to me in some way...until Re:Coded and DDD which just left me confused. Not that I disliked them, I just think they lacked the emotion the other games had.

 

[MATGSY]

On a side note, I kinda wanna see Minnie and Daisy do more as well. I like the idea of them becoming Kairi's main party members.

 

[U.N. Owen]

You could argue that Ava was the main character ob Back Cover, but even then she is just acting on the Master of Master's orders.

 

[Muke]

Yup, there's definitely a problem with girls in KH.

I do think Aqua and Naminé are the most developed ones, they also have a lot of screen time or are important to the plot. I like that we're getting more females, but if they're underutilized again, where's the point? I just want Nomura to finally USE his characters.

 

[Veevee]

Still, I don't think the problem lies in the girls, but in their given roles. They are all way too passive: Kairi is doomed to wait (even when she has a keyblade!). Aqua as a KEYBLADE MASTER gets the shitty job to chase a stray kid and monitor a guy who prefers to listen to some creepy old than to trust his master and his closest ally. Even Xehanort pointed that she had no role to play. Aqua and Kairi are mentally (and in Aqua's case, physically) strong and could very well do something - it was not like Sora did exactly know how to fight when he got the keyblade, he learned while he was going on. Oh and Naminé? She is fine to sit in a crappy castle, get abused by the orga members and wait for Sora even if she knows how to create a corridor of darkness and could literally go and meet him.
I don't put much hope in Skuld and Strelitzia, but the way season 1 bores me to death right now, it's probably not their fault.

 

[Muke]

Still, I don't think the problem lies in the girls, but in their given roles. They are all way too passive: Kairi is doomed to wait (even when she has a keyblade!). Aqua as a KEYBLADE MASTER gets the shitty job to chase a stray kid and monitor a guy who prefers to listen to some creepy old than to trust his master and his closest ally. Even Xehanort pointed that she had no role to play. Aqua and Kairi are mentally (and in Aqua's case, physically) strong and could very well do something - it was not like Sora did exactly know how to fight when he got the keyblade, he learned while he was going on. Oh and Naminé? She is fine to sit in a crappy castle, get abused by the orga members and wait for Sora even if she knows how to create a corridor of darkness and could literally go and meet him.
I don't put much hope in Skuld and Strelitzia, but the way season 1 bores me to death right now, it's probably not their fault.

I mean, Aqua did a lot? If it weren't for her, KH wouldn't even be what it is, since she set the whole thing in motion by saving Terranort. It's ironic - she was the one who was ignored by Xehanort for most of the time, but at the same time, she was the one to destroy his plans in the end.

I take it you're talking about Chain of Memories? In that case… what else was Naminé supposed to do? She was monitored and manipulated the whole time, it's not like she was ABLE to do anything. Even then, she was a pretty strong character with good development, for example when she stood up for Sora and 'confronted' Larxene.


We are currently in season 2 of the X [chi] era, by the way

 

[Pokie]

Not going to lie - when Kairi was 'pushed aside ' and she couldn't help Sora and Riku with the final boss battle in KH2 I was so furious.