Re: Riku in KH3D
I don't know if I can really debate people on this topic because I never finished playing Re:Coded, so while I know the basic gist of how that game went, I might get a few things wrong. Please feel free to correct me if that happens.
Looking at some of the arguments here, it does sound like Data!Riku makes more sense storywise, and unless Repliku just wanted to hide his identity from other characters, there's no reason for him to be in an Organization coat. Relix is right; given that there's two Riku clones that look exactly alike, fans would be more likely to recognize Repliku if they kept him in his dark armor from CoM, otherwise it has the potential to get really confusing.
BUT...does Data!Riku have any connection to the real Riku at all? I thought he was just a personified version of the data in Jiminy's journal that happens to look like Riku. He doesn't come from Riku's heart or anything and his whole purpose in the game was to guide Data
Sora and Team Mickey through the journal. Sure, he might have access to some of Riku's memories...but they're
Riku's memories. Why would he need Jiminy's Journal reminding him of how KH1 went down?
Personally, I hope it's Repliku. But I admit that it's more because I'm a big fan of his character than because I think he's got anything extremely valuable to add to the plot. He was just a very well-written character, and I think Key of Valor put it best:
Apparently Xion made the list of people who need to be freed from torment or whatever. If the series is going to bother with helping out one Replica, then the series might as well take the time to help out the only other Replica while it's traveling down irrelevant avenue for Xion's sake.
Xion, Roxas, and Namine seemed to eventually accept not having an independent existence... but I guess a better fate awaits for them since they've been grouped with the tormented. The Riku Replica was totally robbed of everything though... and he had nothing to console him at the time of his demise except for the thought that at least he would no longer have to suffer with the reality that he was nothing more than a fake... That's a terrible fate...
Just because the Riku Replica wasn't mentioned in Re:coded, it doesn't mean he isn't suffering, nor does it mean that Sora and/or Riku can't relieve the possible suffering of the Riku Replica.
THIS. This this this this THIS.
If the other tragic characters get to have their big redemption and happy ending and reappearances, why does Repliku have to get left out in the cold? Because he didn't have a really sad character theme that made everyone cry?
Axel reappearing makes sense, because if the popular Isa-Lea-were-Heartless-experiments is true, and we already know that Saix has strong connections to Xehanort, then Lea could have a very important role in the overall story. Besides, his return is apparently something that could happen to any Nobody that gets destroyed. And because the Big Bad of the series also happened to be a Heartless and Nobody, this is something that has implications all over the series. It is not something that only benefits or concerns Axel.
Namine reappearing also makes some sense, because apparently she's become Miss Exposition to Everything Important in This Series and it's possible she knows some important things about Ven. It's more of a stretch than some of the other characters, but not too much.
Vanitas reappearing makes absolute sense because he's the other half of Ven's heart and he's the only heart of pure darkness to appear in the series. If Xehanort wants his x-blade, he'll most likely want to get Vanitas back.
Roxas and Xion on the other hand...what can they do? What purpose do they serve in the grand scheme of the story? To be fair, I'm not Nomura, so maybe he has an answer to that, but right now the whole thing screams, "FANSERVICE!" to me. And fanservice can be a wonderful thing, but in this case, it contradicts what was established about Roxas and Xion's existences. I like Xion and I adore Roxas, but it really bugs me that they get to come back because everyone feels sorry for them, whereas Riku Replica, who received a very similar fate, gets nothing. His return makes just as much sense as Roxas' and Xion's would, so if they get to come back, then I think it's only fair that Repliku gets to come back too. Either don't bring them back at all and leave them to their brave and tragic fates, or let them all come back in one fell swoop, I say.
GO TEAM REPLIKU! (Where do I get that banner for my signature?
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