"Nothing is good nor evil. Thinking makes it so"
There's really no way to deny this fact here. Every instance of darkness being bad is an example of a person using it badly. It's honestly more true to say that darkness+people are bad because most people that give into its influence do it haphazardly.
Riku was the only one shown to learn from his addiction to darkness. Unlike the other villains he accepted the fact it's there, that it can't be made to go away and that it needs light to balance it.
If you think about it "light+people" is a bad thing as well because people's greed or zealousness for light spawn darkness. People warp them both.
Correct, it's the influence (both bad and good) of sentient beings that defines "good and evil".
I'd describe it more like people delving into the darkness being carried away with the fast and easy power it gives, losing all restraint in the process and thus becoming the "monsters/abominations" we see wreaking havoc on the universe. Darkness is ultimatively as neutral as Light, but wild and unkempt. It doesn't have any natural limiters or borders. The sentient being using Darkness needs to set up these limiters and borders by his/herself. This last part is what 9 out of 10 Darkness users fail to do (or don't want to do because of their greed and/or ambitions) and what gives Darkness not only its infamous reputation but also the widespread fear people have about it because they are insecure if they would be able to set such limiters for themselves.
Indeed, although Riku did have some outside help in reaching these conclusions by both Mickey and Naminé. Most of the true
villains do also accept that it's there, but see no need to balance it out with anything because they perceive it as the ultimate power to reach their goals.
Yes, as this greed originates from wanting to "own" or "control" the light comes from within the people themselves, it was not planted there by either Light of Darkness.
As I pointed out in another thread, according to the legends/fairytales Light was originally a gift given to
all sentient beings that was meant to be accepted as something natural that is just
there, not a power to be used or wielded. It was when people started to see the Light as something more and craved it as a source for the increase of personal power that things went to hell.
Even in the current universe, why are hearts of pure light (regardless if natural or artificial) held in such high regard and so sought after like they're some precious gems or some treasure, often disregarding the person who this heart actually belongs to?
Even did display quite an interest for Ven's heart in BBS for example, or Maleficent states in Chain of Memories that she needs "bright hearts" to work her dark magic:
Maleficent said:
My dark magic requires hearts of utmost beauty.
...
Don't you realize why I am telling you all this? Did you think it
was out of kindness? I did it to erase your doubts. Now your heart is beginning
to shine with love for Belle. I shall have your heart, too, monster!
She even resorts to trying to claim the Beast's heart after nurturing the light inside of it.
This leads to the assumption that hearts full of light (they do not even need to be entirely pure) are often seen as some gateway to achieve some great power, so the greed for "pure light" is still present somewhat within the populace itself.
@sephiroth0812 didn't terra try to use it for good? To defeat master xehanort? And if not for his heart-transferring ability of xehanort he would have succeeded. He was showing the will to use it for his friend's benefit rather than his own.
Terra wasn't consciously using the Darkness, he was going out of control and berserk, letting himself being controlled by his own Darkness, lacking exactly the foresight, caution and fortitude to handle it that was mentioned earlier. It was the same situation as in the Braig-fight when he lost control of himself and blasted Braig's face.
His first and primary intention was to attack Xehanort out of anger and hatred.
If Terra could have had it his way, he would not use Darkness at all because he hates it.
He admits to Aqua before the battle starts that he went astray, but the reasons
why he went astray escape both him
and Aqua.
That is the big error that one can hold against Eraqus, as the way he teached to handle ones own Darkness (by suppressing and denying it) doesn't work with people who have a natural affinity for it.
Contrast to this Riku's reaction in Dream Drop Distance when he confronted Ansem again.
Just like Terra had with Aqua and Ven, Riku also knew that Sora was in dire danger.
Ansem goaded him to "set his Darkness free" to rescue his friend just like MX goaded Terra, but Riku
kept his calm and didn't fall for it, going into the fight against Ansem with clear mind and a plan to follow.
Riku comes to the conclusion to take the Darkness on, and in his own words: "Consume it and return it to Light".
This is a conclusion is the correct one, but one Terra
could not come to by himself because his upbringing was vastly different.
Aqua against Ventus-Vanitas is also similar.
Yes, she is angry, even
pissed at Vanitas for taking Ven's heart, but she doesn't let that anger dictate her actions.
