Repliku

[Luminary]

Up until now, I’ve been on board with the idea that the Other Riku is a past version of Riku when he was possessed. However, with the latest trailer and some thought about how the plot might go, I’m starting to warm up to the idea of this being Repliku.

If this is him, I think he will be the antagonist in Radiant Garden. But what motive would he have there? Well, that is where his creators have just recently returned from their seeming deaths. What if Repliku’s goal is to finish off Even, Ienzo, and the rest due to their treatment of him? Perhaps, he’s already disposed of Even by the time we get there, explaining why he might not be returning.

Repliku also might not be a Xehanort vessel, but his own agent. At least at first. Sora would have to fight him in Radiant Garden to protect the Apprentices, calling back to the Sora vs Dark Riku fight in KH1. Once Repliku is incapacitated, one of the Seekers could arrive and capture him. As Nomura said, there will be more major twists and turns like Aqua and I think this would be a huge blow to Sora, causing a version of his best friend to be made a Xehanort vessel.

Thoughts?

 

[Alpha Baymax]

I'm more confused about his role. Is he good? is he bad? I have so many questions about his placement in the story that I can't think of any speculation for him whatsoever.

 

[Luminary]

I'm more confused about his role. Is he good? is he bad? I have so many questions about his placement in the story that I can't think of any speculation for him whatsoever.

I think that’s what would make him interesting. He’s kind of in that grey area as someone Sora and Riku will want to redeem. He wouldn’t have anything against our heroes, but he would against people they will inevitably feel the need to protect, like Ienzo.

 

[Lisaralin]

Up until now, I’ve been on board with the idea that the Other Riku is a past version of Riku when he was possessed. However, with the latest trailer and some thought about how the plot might go, I’m starting to warm up to the idea of this being Repliku.

If this is him, I think he will be the antagonist in Radiant Garden. But what motive would he have there? Well, that is where his creators have just recently returned from their seeming deaths. What if Repliku’s goal is to finish off Even, Ienzo, and the rest due to their treatment of him? Perhaps, he’s already disposed of Even by the time we get there, explaining why he might not be returning.

Repliku also might not be a Xehanort vessel, but his own agent. At least at first. Sora would have to fight him in Radiant Garden to protect the Apprentices, calling back to the Sora vs Dark Riku fight in KH1. Once Repliku is incapacitated, one of the Seekers could arrive and capture him. As Nomura said, there will be more major twists and turns like Aqua and I think this would be a huge blow to Sora, causing a version of his best friend to be made a Xehanort vessel.

Thoughts?

I swear, if Even gets killed off I'll throw the game in the garbage bin >_< He doesn't deserve that. If Ienzo is there and helping the good guys, then Even deserves a chance at redemption, too.
I'd like to see Even interact with his two creatures (Repliku and Xion), tell them he is sorry, or work to bring Xion back (who better than her creator?). I know the VA said he's not returning, but I think the character has so much potential, and his story is far from over.

Speaking of Repliku, I hope he's one of the good guys. He has suffered a lot, he deserves a happy ending

 

[Megavoltage]

If Riku Replica is hanging out with Riku on the beach maybe he can be a big boon. He could tell Riku what he knows of Xehanorts master plan, or tell Riku where Aquanort is for another attempt at purification, some bit of useful info to help move the adventure along. Maybe even join The Seven Lights for the final clash? It's so weird to think of him as important, I was certain he'd be on Xehanorts team as just a grunt to fill out the ranks, nothing more than a boss battle.

 

[Luminary]

I swear, if Even gets killed off I'll throw the game in the garbage bin >_< He doesn't deserve that. If Ienzo is there and helping the good guys, then Even deserves a chance at redemption, too.
I'd like to see Even interact with his two creatures (Repliku and Xion), tell them he is sorry, or work to bring Xion back (who better than her creator?). I know the VA said he's not returning, but I think the character has so much potential, and his story is far from over.

Speaking of Repliku, I hope he's one of the good guys. He has suffered a lot, he deserves a happy ending

Even is like the Hojo of this series and I see Repliku being like Vincent Valentine. I would like to see him and maybe explore that relationship with Repliku, but I wouldn’t be that upset if Repliku does Even in. Besides, I think there will be some ill feelings between the Apprenctices with Ienzo and Aeleus being good and Even and Dilan being bad. I don’t think it’s wise to expect all four of them to suddenly have a change of heart. Even seemed like a creep even in BBS, so it isn’t a stretch to believe he’ll go back to his old ways.

Being good doesn’t mean you’ll get a happy ending. Being bad doesn’t mean you’ll get bad ending. Since we already have Riku on the heroes’ sides, it would be redundant and uninteresting to just have copy of him fighting for the same side. I want Repliku to have a happy ending too, but that doesn’t mean he has to be good the entire game anymore than Aqua or Terra do.

I think people assume anyone who ends up as a Seeker of Darkness automatically has to perish or face a tragic fate in the end, which is far from likely to be the case.

 

[Wallflower3582]

It's worth noting that he's not got yellow eyes. Unless that's a goof up like they did with Ventus and now maybe even Marluxia. But I'm guessing it's not an oversight, I don't think he's Norted. It'll be a more interesting character development that way too!

 

[AmaryllisMoth]

I still can't see the ending of the trailer and not laugh a little. It's like Riku is smiling over at him like "Heya buddy, how ya doing?" And Repliku is just glaring at him like a moody teenager saying "leave me alone..."
Kinda funny in a way, but not that I blame Repliku for harboring a bit of ill feelings.

Ultimately I want Repliku to be on the good team and not a nort because that would go a long way towards making him feel like he can be his own person and contribute in a way.

 

[Zettaflare]

If Repliku is a vessel I'm hoping he is the darkness of San Fransokyo like people are speculating. He parallels Dark Baymax down to a Tee

 

[Hallowseve]

Riku Replica's appearance in the trailer was a bit puzzling. He's chilling on the beach with Riku who smiles at him and seems to be conversing with him. Also, Riku Replica didn't have amber or golden eyes in the trailer. I'm starting to doubt that he's a seeker of darkness. I can definitely see him playing an important role in the KHIII story, both to the plot and Riku's character.

Here's a wild theory that just came to mind and it's ridiculous, but it's late at night. What if when Riku and Mickey visit the Realm of Darkness and attempt to save Aqua, they end up encountering or saving Riku Replica. There must be some reason Riku left his broken blade at the Dark Margin for his "other self". Perhaps Riku Replica picked up the broken blade and it somehow brought him back into the real world? I don't know, this is just a wild and purely fun theory.

Regardless, I'm happy to see Riku Replica is returning to some capacity and wasn't forgotten. He was one of the first true anti-heroes in KH and his story arc was fantastic.

 

[Sephiroth0812]

but that doesn’t mean he has to be good the entire game anymore than Aqua or Terra do.

I think people assume anyone who ends up as a Seeker of Darkness automatically has to perish or face a tragic fate in the end, which is far from likely to be the case.

Being forced to be on the evil side doesn't make Aqua or Terra any less of "good" characters, because those forcing them to be there are the real evil ones.

The thing with the Seekers of Darkness is that there are two types of them, those who are genuinely abusive evil shitbags who deserve to perish for all the shit they did and those who are thralls forced to be among them because they're actually captured good guys.

Master Xehanort, Ansem SoD, Xemnas and most likely Xigbar definitely belong to the first category while Aqua and Terra definitely belong to the second group.

Most of the others, including even Marluxia, Larxene and Vanitas who were so far never portrayed as anything other than evil shitbags (Saix/Isa doesn't count completely as it was shown that he used to be better than what he is now), cannot be put into any of the categories yet because there is not enough context for them.

Are they willing participants like Xigbar? Or are they so far unknowingly to the audience opposed to Xehanort like Terra and Aqua and struggling against his influence the whole time?

---

As for Repliku, I think we should possibly steer away from connecting and speculating about every original character solely in the terms of the 13 Seekers or 7 Guardians.
It is certainly the foretold big climax but it is nowhere set in stone that it is the only climax or really the very final battle.

The power of friendship and bonds is a big theme in KH and that includes especially on the side of those who rely on it more than just seven people.

 

[Excalibur]

I'm kind of lost when Riku said "the other me" how could he know about the other him?

 

[Vasquez]

He's a complete unknown.

I still think Ansem was time traveling in Riku's body in DDD, though.

 

[Alpha Baymax]

Hold on... what if Replica Riku ends up joining Maleficent and Pete? It could give him a purpose that's distinguished from the real Riku.

 

[KeybladeLordSora]

Hold on... what if Replica Riku ends up joining Maleficent and Pete? It could give him a purpose that's distinguished from the real Riku.

I'd rather have Repliku find his own path or be with the good guys instead of having him with Maleficent. All it would do is make him no different from the version of Riku he was made to imitate.

And Riku being stuck with Maleficent has already been done twice.

 

[Luminary]

I think if he has returned, he’ll want to gain his own identity and get out of Riku’s shadow. I don’t see him being a Guardian for this reason. He’ll want to forge his own path, which will lead to Xehanort capturing him. Like it or not, as a storytelling device, Repliku serves to show another version of Riku than the one we have.

In my opinion, it makes the most narrative sense for him to be manipulated into fighting for the Organization as it would show what could have happened to Riku if he hadn’t made the growth he has over the years. It will also allow us some throwbacks to fighting Riku in KH1. After all, the organization is more or less a coming together of each franchise entry’s major antagonists.

 

[Ballad of Caius]

I honestly think that's Repliku. Riku specifically says "other me" and not something to reference when he was with the darkness, like "former self; dark self; past me", and all that jazz. Other than that, the fact that Repliku wasn't wearing a coat unlike in DDD makes me wonder about his affiliation. Is he a Guardian now? Is this payback for the Seekers getting their hands on Aqua? Or is Repliku a Guardian, and Riku's past self a Seeker?

 

[Luminary]

I honestly think that's Repliku. Riku specifically says "other me" and not something to reference when he was with the darkness, like "former self; dark self; past me", and all that jazz. Other than that, the fact that Repliku wasn't wearing a coat unlike in DDD makes me wonder about his affiliation. Is he a Guardian now? Is this payback for the Seekers getting their hands on Aqua? Or is Repliku a Guardian, and Riku's past self a Seeker?

I’m hoping he won’t have any allegiances formed at the beginning of his arc in KH3. I think since Aqua and possibly Ventus have been lost, Riku will be searching for other potential wielders to recruit. That would lead him to Destiny Islands where he might predict Repliku will show up. However, I don’t think it will be so easy to just talk Repliku into joining up with the Guardians given his disposition. I predict a subplot will ensue where Riku and Xehanort are essentially fighting for Repliku’s soul as one represents what Repliku could become in the light and the other is what he could become in the darkness.

 

[Elysium]

If Repliku is a vessel I'm hoping he is the darkness of San Fransokyo like people are speculating. He parallels Dark Baymax down to a Tee

Maybe that’s why they haven’t showed much of the BH6 world so far?

Maybe that's why Riku leaves the Keyblade at the dark ocean (Dark Margin? Whatever it’s called) in the theme song trailer. If Repliku is the Darkness then when he’s defeated, he doesn’t really have a world to re-form on. Maybe he would re-form in the World of Darkness and the Keyblade Riku leaves there (when they go to rescue Aqua?) will be the way for him to reach Destiny Islands like Sora and Riku used Kairi’s message at the end of KH2?

 

[TruestSyn]

I personally think that the Riku Replica will have given himself his own name and will decide what he wants to do with himself after the conversation with Riku. It'd be interesting to have a fight with him (maybe a secret boss as a throwback to the final fight with Riku in KH1/last battle with Riku Replica in Re:CoM but much more difficult) and I would love it if we could get a keychain that either looks like Soul Eater or the Way to the Dawn. I wonder what kind of transformations it could have if it does...