Kairi should have been the star of the Kingdom Hearts franchise!

[Swing]

You folks think I'm confused for saying this, but I mean it. No Joke! I really think Kairi should have been the main star of the KH series. Why? Let me explain:

- She is the only one of the main trio that had a backstory. She lost her memories, has no idea where she comes from, and doesn't have a clue who she really is. She is the most interesting-written one of the original trio.
- She was born in Radiant Garden, one of the most important locations in the KH series.
She is one of the seven Princesses of Hearts and the key to Kingdom Hearts.
- She is a princess, an official one, and you guys know how much Disney loves to market them.
- She is the first one of the main trio that accounted the Heartless, the main enemy group of the KH series.
- And lastly, she has a bigger beef with Xehanort, the main villain of the series. He destroyed her original homeworld, maybe even was responsible for Kairi losing her family, and she plays an important role for Xehanort to open the door to KH.

I get why Square Enix and Disney decided to make a boy the main hero since it is, after all, a SE game, and they are known for their male protagonist. Plus, the game would have most likely flopped immensely, if they would have made a girl the main character. Yeah, back then a girl protagonist would have still a big issue for some folks. But still, if really Sora would have been the main character from the start, she should have gotten all this important background. Everything Kairi is now is just a price for Sora and nothing else, and it is still very unsettling if you think of it, since she had much more effort put into her story than SE and Disney did with Sora.

 

[MATGSY]

Eh, I wanted Mickey as the MC tbh.

 

[Sign]

She is a princess, an official one, and you guys know how much Disney loves to market them.

She's not part of the official Disney princess lineup. Not even all of Disney's own princesses make it into that group.

 

[Cumguardian69]

Kairi was an afterthought dreamt up by Disney to suppress any yaoi fans from prominence. Look at how they handled my girl. She finally got her first playable entry in 2020. After 18 years of being a character in the series. She was never intended to be more than a weak love interest for Sora. Never.

 

[SweetYetSalty]

Looks like Kairi has joined Riku, Aqua, and Mickey in the 'they should have been the main character of the series' thing. Impressive since she's not even a Keyblade Master.

All the things you listed should have made Kairi a more fleshed out character. They are just now using that to their advantage. Until I see how Kairi reacts to other characters and relationships I'm going to say no. There is a reason Sora is the main character over the cool kids like Roxas, Aqua and Riku. But I'm happy Kairi's getting better. She's the character I'm most closely watching.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

I mean, I don’t disagree that she has always had more intrigue and potential as a character that has been wasted by SE and Nomura. Nomura doesn’t really know how to write female protagonists if they fall outside of his wheelhouse. It’s why female characters that came after her are more...realized, so to speak.

It’s because he started leaning more on character types he was more comfortable with. It’s why for nearly 18 years he kind of left her on the wayside. It is pretty clear he just didn’t know what to do with her or how to work her into the story.

 

[Sign]

I mean, I don’t disagree that she has always had more intrigue and potential as a character that has been wasted by SE and Nomura. Nomura doesn’t really know how to write female protagonists if they fall outside of his wheelhouse. It’s why female characters that came after her are more...realized, so to speak.

It’s because he started leaning more on character types he was more comfortable with. It’s why for nearly 18 years he kind of left her on the wayside. It is pretty clear he just didn’t know what to do with her or how to work her into the story.

Reminds me of how he feels about Rinoa lol

 

[Zettaflare]

Sucks we will probably never get a solo game with Kairi teaming up with her own Disney companions(Minnie, Daisy, or hell Pluto) and going on a journey through Disney worlds

 

[SweetYetSalty]

Sucks we will probably never get a solo game with Kairi teaming up with her own Disney companions(Minnie, Daisy, or hell Pluto) and going on a journey through Disney worlds

I mean nothing suggest they won't ever use her again. Riku got two playthroughs with Chain of Memories and DDD. Kairi could get something like that in a future title where she has a side story going through worlds. Pluto obviously would be her best companion.

 

[SuperNova]

Kairi definitely has a lot of intrigue and potential as a character, its just Nomura doesn't know what to do with her. It was pretty evident from her treatment in KH3. I never wanted her to be the MC but I do want her to be treated more kindly. She's been on the sidelines for too long.

 

[Zettaflare]

I mean nothing suggest they won't ever use her again. Riku got two playthroughs with Chain of Memories and DDD. Kairi could get something like that in a future title where she has a side story going through worlds. Pluto obviously would be her best companion.

Oh I have no doubt she will be playable past Melody of Memories. Just that she probably won't get her own game like Sora has.

 

[SweetYetSalty]

Oh I have no doubt she will be playable past Melody of Memories. Just that she probably won't get her own game like Sora has.

Probably not, but again Riku didn't either and he turned out great. The same could be true for Kairi.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Probably not, but again Riku didn't either and he turned out great. The same could be true for Kairi.

Yeah, but Riku was also a character who was present and developed over the span of the Dark Seeker Saga despite only being playable two times (and a half?) Unless Nomura plans to develop her across the new Phase—something that I want and would be exactly what her character needs—I just can’t see her getting to Riku’s level.

 

[darknessofheart]

It is funny that in one DLC and a trailer alone, we are already seeing more personality in Kairi than what we've seen of her for the entire series. Not surprising given her limited screentime overall, but I like they are giving her some edge. Add in some remembered tragedy and I think she can become a really compelling character.

 

[AdrianXXII]

I honestly have thought the same thing, given all things surrounding her, she could have made a interesting protagonist for the series. If not protagonist she could have made for a good series deuteragonist or tritagonist, but instead she was relegated to neglected supporting character for most of the series.

This is especially frustrating because as you pointed out she has the building blocks to make for a compelling character in the Xehanort Saga. She has personal beef with most versions of Xehanort, has potential ties to the age of fairy tales, is chosen by two cosmic powers in the Multiverse and has accomplished things off screen that nobody else seems to have. If the KH writing staff wanted to they could have gotten a few good story arcs out of all this potential, but so far it's been left mostly untapped.

As others have stated it seemed for the longest time Nomura and the other writers didn't know what to do with her character, though the most recent developments hint that might be changing? I hope that Kairi can become the tritagonist of the series' through line moving forward, but only time will tell.

 

[2 quid is good]

Reminds me of how he feels about Rinoa lol

This hurts to laugh at

 

[Swing]

If not protagonist she could have made for a good series deuteragonist or tritagonist, but instead she was relegated to neglected supporting character for most of the series.

I wish. She isn't even that. Donald and Goofy are support characters, Mickey is one, the Twilight Town-Trio and Axel, those are support characters. Kairi didn't do much in the KH-series besides getting kidnapped and waiting for Sora. She is nothing more than a price. A cute, redheaded, big-footed price that waits for Sora on Destiny Island to be collected.

 

[AdrianXXII]

I wish. She isn't even that. Donald and Goofy are support characters, Mickey is one, the Twilight Town-Trio and Axel, those are support characters. Kairi didn't do much in the KH-series besides getting kidnapped and waiting for Sora. She is nothing more than a price. A cute, redheaded, big-footed price that waits for Sora on Destiny Island to be collected.

Sadly that doesn't feel too far off the mark, with how she's been treated. Still i would argue that she's a little bit more.

Right now I hope they figure out what they eant to do with her and have her be an active member of the cast.

 

[Eonstar890]

Sucks we will probably never get a solo game with Kairi teaming up with her own Disney companions(Minnie, Daisy, or hell Pluto) and going on a journey through Disney worlds

I keep seeing this desire stated places, but the only character who ever had Disney companions has been Sora (unless you count the tiny section of 0.2) so I don't get why this would ever be expected? Not saying I am against the idea I just find it to be very random lol

It is a well known fact that Kairi has had much wasted potential. Her dual power as a PoH and Keyblade wielder alone should place her significance so much higher..

MoM seems to be finally giving her something to work with, and I am realllyyyy hoping this acts as a prologue to a Kairi centric game (or at least a Kairi - Riku centered game... or hell just a game with Kairi as a main playable character)

Personally if I could rewrite the kingdom hearts series, I would have left Sora dead in Kh1 and have take over as the main protagonist.

 

[Zettaflare]

I keep seeing this desire stated places, but the only character who ever had Disney companions has been Sora (unless you count the tiny section of 0.2) so I don't get why this would ever be expected? Not saying I am against the idea I just find it to be very random lol

It is a well known fact that Kairi has had much wasted potential. Her dual power as a PoH and Keyblade wielder alone should place her significance so much higher..

MoM seems to be finally giving her something to work with, and I am realllyyyy hoping this acts as a prologue to a Kairi centric game (or at least a Kairi - Riku centered game... or hell just a game with Kairi as a main playable character)

Personally if I could rewrite the kingdom hearts series, I would have left Sora dead in Kh1 and have take over as the main protagonist.

Mickey is Riku's Disney companion even if you ignore gameplay. Those two have always been paired together since CoM all the way to KH3. And I guess to a lesser extent Aqua and Mickey