Whoever made this thread missed the biggest chance by not naming it "50 shades of Kairi", btw.
What will Kairi's role and character in KH3?
- Thread starter Guernsey
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Since I talked about some of these ideas for Kairi on other pages, I thought I'd show some of the similar fanart that I've seen about them on the Internet.
The first is Kairi battling illusions of Sora and Riku--who are basically telling her that she can never be as good as they are, so that's why they always leave her--and her own inner-demons that way.
The second is of Kairi wondering if since she has a heart of pure light, she can't understand the suffering or situation of those with darkness in their hearts.
Both of these images are done by the talented Hallsth-Eien from deviantArt
(And here are the links to both pieces: Kairi vs. Zexion by Hallsth-Eien on DeviantArt and After Battle - 31 by Hallsth-Eien on DeviantArt. Oh, and I should probably mention that x-Destinys-Force-x from deviantArt commissioned the first picture from Hallsth-Eien, that's based on one of their stories. And since I've read said fanfiction, that's how I know what's going on in that drawing. I'll link that chapter really fast, too, and give credit where credit is due: Sora and Kairi's Wedding: KH Alternate Future 19 by x-Destinys-Force-x on DeviantArt.)
The first is Kairi battling illusions of Sora and Riku--who are basically telling her that she can never be as good as they are, so that's why they always leave her--and her own inner-demons that way.
The second is of Kairi wondering if since she has a heart of pure light, she can't understand the suffering or situation of those with darkness in their hearts.
Both of these images are done by the talented Hallsth-Eien from deviantArt
(And here are the links to both pieces: Kairi vs. Zexion by Hallsth-Eien on DeviantArt and After Battle - 31 by Hallsth-Eien on DeviantArt. Oh, and I should probably mention that x-Destinys-Force-x from deviantArt commissioned the first picture from Hallsth-Eien, that's based on one of their stories. And since I've read said fanfiction, that's how I know what's going on in that drawing. I'll link that chapter really fast, too, and give credit where credit is due: Sora and Kairi's Wedding: KH Alternate Future 19 by x-Destinys-Force-x on DeviantArt.)
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Since I talked about some of these ideas for Kairi on other pages, I thought I'd show some of the similar fanart that I've seen about them on the Internet.
The first is Kairi battling illusions of Sora and Riku--who are basically telling her that she can never be as good as they are, so that's why they always leave her--and her own inner-demons that way.
The second is of Kairi wondering if since she has a heart of pure light, she can't understand the suffering or situation of those with darkness in their hearts.
Both of these images are done by the talented Hallsth-Eien from deviantArt
(And here are the links to both pieces: Kairi vs. Zexion by Hallsth-Eien on DeviantArt and After Battle - 31 by Hallsth-Eien on DeviantArt. Oh, and I should probably mention that x-Destinys-Force-x from deviantArt commissioned the first picture from Hallsth-Eien, that's based on one of their stories. And since I've read said fanfiction, that's how I know what's going on in that drawing. I'll link that chapter really fast, too, and give credit where credit is due: Sora and Kairi's Wedding: KH Alternate Future 19 by x-Destinys-Force-x on DeviantArt.)
The second situation is actually somewhat more plausible than the former as Kairi is a Princess of Heart and she doesn't have darkness in her heart. I think a combination of the two could be also be possible but Kingdom Hearts isn't that dark.
"Kingdom Hearts isn't that dark"
?????
- A girl literally gets deleted and it's like she never existed
- A boy literally dies on-camera
- A girl, too
- A guy is 'manipulated' into killing his father-like figure
- A boy's heart gets 'ripped in half'
- Said boy falls into a coma for 10+ years
- Girl gets trapped in the series' equivalent of hell for 10+ years
I dunno, there are many, many more examples. KH is dark.
Also we had the illusion thing in CoM so I don't get why that is improbable?
?????
- A girl literally gets deleted and it's like she never existed
- A boy literally dies on-camera
- A girl, too
- A guy is 'manipulated' into killing his father-like figure
- A boy's heart gets 'ripped in half'
- Said boy falls into a coma for 10+ years
- Girl gets trapped in the series' equivalent of hell for 10+ years
I dunno, there are many, many more examples. KH is dark.
Also we had the illusion thing in CoM so I don't get why that is improbable?
I mean, it all sounds dark when you describe it like that, but the games never really interpret it that way; it's heavy if you think about it actually happening, but the games never bring it to a serious existential level.
For me everything you listed would be geniunely dark if it was all permanent. But we know most of it will be fixed in KH3, so....
aqua essentially attempts suicide at the end of bbs
As you can read above, not permanent and not "graphical" or pointed out/interpreted "heavy" enough by the games to count. <__<
"Kingdom Hearts isn't that dark"
End of the World, and the overall appearance of Heartless before they became colored goofballs.
And my dream is to one day get an artist to portray the fall of Radiant Garden, surely it wasn't all nice and flowery.
Also, it's not like if something gets fixed it's not dark at some point, honestly.
End of the World, and the overall appearance of Heartless before they became colored goofballs.
And my dream is to one day get an artist to portray the fall of Radiant Garden, surely it wasn't all nice and flowery.
Also, it's not like if something gets fixed it's not dark at some point, honestly.
I don't think "dark" has a set precise strandard, the kind you'd find on the cover of a videogame cover (also not a really reliable source: I've seen "violence" on games sooo much different, and aimed for entirely different audiences)
There are many shades (pun not intended but still welcomed) and it's surely not a... a Resident Evil, to say. But it gets there, at times. At least for me. Heck, that's precisely why I love End of The World: the atmosphere of ruins and hoplessness.
There are many shades (pun not intended but still welcomed) and it's surely not a... a Resident Evil, to say. But it gets there, at times. At least for me. Heck, that's precisely why I love End of The World: the atmosphere of ruins and hoplessness.
I guess I was wrong aobut KH not being dark but it isn't heavy like you just stated.
I was just about to say the very same.
Just because something can be either partially or fully remedied doesn't mean that the actual impact and suffering is not present and doesn't influence characters and events.
The attitude of "it's not permanent so it doesn't count/doesn't hold any deeper meaning" is actually somewhat condescending and I won't hide the fact that it's some of my primary pet peeves, not only in regards to KH but every fictional work.
Heck, the whole story of Sora in DDD and Xehanort's plan regarding him was only possible due to the whole trauma conga-line inflicted on the other major characters.
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Does KH really counts as dark when it's less dark than most Disney films? There are plenty of mostly on-screen deaths in Disney films (Tarzan, for one). In KH, when people die they usually fade away in light or Darkness... And then come back afterwards. It's dark, but not something I'd call TOO dark or anything. Dark things are for the most part implied there.
All that "dark" stuff would probably hold more weight if it weren't done with the sole intention of generating some cheap melodrama. The fact that they can't even commit to it makes it even more pointless.
There are parts of it that aren't even related to drama.
It's easy to look at things like Xion's death, but it's not always like that.
For example, I don't really care if it's fake "sent to the shadow realm" death: between the War and Ansem and Maleficent's first onslaught, you can count the victims numbers in... what, the thousands? Hundreds? Entire Worlds disappeared and people lost home and relatives for potentially 9 years nonstop.
Clayton's death by hanging be damned: I personally find the sheer idea of such a one-sided destruction really unsettling.
It's easy to look at things like Xion's death, but it's not always like that.
For example, I don't really care if it's fake "sent to the shadow realm" death: between the War and Ansem and Maleficent's first onslaught, you can count the victims numbers in... what, the thousands? Hundreds? Entire Worlds disappeared and people lost home and relatives for potentially 9 years nonstop.
Clayton's death by hanging be damned: I personally find the sheer idea of such a one-sided destruction really unsettling.
I had never thought of that. I guess that is also the reason I had this perception of the series being less dark than most games.
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Another fanart I found of Kairi (by Ramflega from Tumblr now arriving: riku central station), that somewhat reflects ideas we've discussed about her in the past pages of this thread. (This picture is actually a companion piece to a story, that I'll post a snippet of.)
“'Stay back!' she shouts, and Kairi’s mind blanks in shock. Disbelieving, she starts forward again, keyblade held low and ready, and Aqua hardly even turns. She shoots a hand behind her, fending off another swarm of Knights, and Kairi stops cold, blocked by a barrier wall in every direction. She’s forced to watch, shock creeping into rage, as Aqua dispatches heartless after heartless, leaping over blades as easy as breathing. Destiny’s Embrace threatens to vanish from Kairi's hand she stands so still, but she keeps it present in her grip with not much more than righteous, simmering fury.
Aqua dispatches the last heartless, crouches a moment, then stands and turns to face Kairi with a tired smile. The city seems to come into focus again around her, streets and buildings reorienting themselves in the absence of a fight.
'That was close, huh!' Aqua says warmly as she steps closer, dismissing the barrier spell with a wave of her hand. She smiles as she does it, and the motion is easy, almost unhurried.
Kairi doesn’t move or speak, only stares at Aqua with still eyes. She can’t seem to feel her extremities.
'Sorry for pushing you back so hard,' Aqua continues, apparently oblivious to the way Kairi’s got her entire lower lip between her teeth to keep from shouting, 'I just didn’t want you to get hurt.'
It’s that last comment, that Aqua didn’t want her to get hurt, didn’t want her to get hurt, didn’t want her in the fight or on the gummi ship or anywhere else except the Islands because what if she got HURT? that keeps Kairi from saying anything when the last Knights spawn behind Aqua’s back. She lets them get within slashing distance, even, before she pushes a still-beaming Aqua aside, raises her hand, and shoots them down one-two-three with magic streaming from her fist.
The first one’s sword is maybe six inches from Aqua’s neck when it bursts into a cloud of smoke.
Aqua, stumbling back, looks between the last black wisps and Kairi’s stony expression. The courtyard is quiet except for the burble of the fountain and a few birds high away in the distance, and the woman heaves a single, sharp breath before seeming to remember herself. Kairi shakes the last of her power from her fingertips and snaps her keyblade back up across her shoulder as Aqua reassembles her skirts, and neither looks away from the other’s face.
Finally, Aqua opens her mouth to say something. Kairi watches steadily, knuckles whitening at the side of her neck, but whatever it is Aqua’s got to say, it dies in her throat. Kairi turns away with a twitch of her mouth.
'We should move on,' she says. Aqua doesn’t protest."
And this is another line from the fic, that Kairi says later to Sora and Riku. "'Aqua thinks we’re children.'â€
Oh! And here's a link to said fanfiction! house on fire (leave it all behind you) - sunsmasher - Kingdom Hearts [Archive of Our Own]
“'Stay back!' she shouts, and Kairi’s mind blanks in shock. Disbelieving, she starts forward again, keyblade held low and ready, and Aqua hardly even turns. She shoots a hand behind her, fending off another swarm of Knights, and Kairi stops cold, blocked by a barrier wall in every direction. She’s forced to watch, shock creeping into rage, as Aqua dispatches heartless after heartless, leaping over blades as easy as breathing. Destiny’s Embrace threatens to vanish from Kairi's hand she stands so still, but she keeps it present in her grip with not much more than righteous, simmering fury.
Aqua dispatches the last heartless, crouches a moment, then stands and turns to face Kairi with a tired smile. The city seems to come into focus again around her, streets and buildings reorienting themselves in the absence of a fight.
'That was close, huh!' Aqua says warmly as she steps closer, dismissing the barrier spell with a wave of her hand. She smiles as she does it, and the motion is easy, almost unhurried.
Kairi doesn’t move or speak, only stares at Aqua with still eyes. She can’t seem to feel her extremities.
'Sorry for pushing you back so hard,' Aqua continues, apparently oblivious to the way Kairi’s got her entire lower lip between her teeth to keep from shouting, 'I just didn’t want you to get hurt.'
It’s that last comment, that Aqua didn’t want her to get hurt, didn’t want her to get hurt, didn’t want her in the fight or on the gummi ship or anywhere else except the Islands because what if she got HURT? that keeps Kairi from saying anything when the last Knights spawn behind Aqua’s back. She lets them get within slashing distance, even, before she pushes a still-beaming Aqua aside, raises her hand, and shoots them down one-two-three with magic streaming from her fist.
The first one’s sword is maybe six inches from Aqua’s neck when it bursts into a cloud of smoke.
Aqua, stumbling back, looks between the last black wisps and Kairi’s stony expression. The courtyard is quiet except for the burble of the fountain and a few birds high away in the distance, and the woman heaves a single, sharp breath before seeming to remember herself. Kairi shakes the last of her power from her fingertips and snaps her keyblade back up across her shoulder as Aqua reassembles her skirts, and neither looks away from the other’s face.
Finally, Aqua opens her mouth to say something. Kairi watches steadily, knuckles whitening at the side of her neck, but whatever it is Aqua’s got to say, it dies in her throat. Kairi turns away with a twitch of her mouth.
'We should move on,' she says. Aqua doesn’t protest."
And this is another line from the fic, that Kairi says later to Sora and Riku. "'Aqua thinks we’re children.'â€
Oh! And here's a link to said fanfiction! house on fire (leave it all behind you) - sunsmasher - Kingdom Hearts [Archive of Our Own]
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Since I talked about some of these ideas for Kairi on other pages, I thought I'd show some of the similar fanart that I've seen about them on the Internet.
The first is Kairi battling illusions of Sora and Riku--who are basically telling her that she can never be as good as they are, so that's why they always leave her--and her own inner-demons that way.
The second is of Kairi wondering if since she has a heart of pure light, she can't understand the suffering or situation of those with darkness in their hearts.
Both of these images are done by the talented Hallsth-Eien from deviantArt
(And here are the links to both pieces: Kairi vs. Zexion by Hallsth-Eien on DeviantArt and After Battle - 31 by Hallsth-Eien on DeviantArt. Oh, and I should probably mention that x-Destinys-Force-x from deviantArt commissioned the first picture from Hallsth-Eien, that's based on one of their stories. And since I've read said fanfiction, that's how I know what's going on in that drawing. I'll link that chapter really fast, too, and give credit where credit is due: Sora and Kairi's Wedding: KH Alternate Future 19 by x-Destinys-Force-x on DeviantArt.)
This is a serious question and not an attempt at hate, but with a character who inspires as much friction as Kairi tends to, aren't these kinds of stories more likely to fuel the people who dislike her than anything else? I was actually thinking about this while reading this thread - in order to flesh out Kairi, she needs some type of conflict, but she gets hit constantly with "useless, damsel in distress, other characters deserve screentime over her" complaints all the time and has for years. Making a storyline for her that focuses on her having massive amounts of self-doubt or faltering when other characters need her won't make that better, it will just make it worse. God forbid she needs to be saved again - that would be it for her as a character.
But at the same time, what are their other options? Keep her more in the background to avoid that so she really is useless to the plot, or make her instantly as good as Riku or Sora at fighting, inciting cries of "Mary Sue" and more dislike? Give her no conflicts at all, which makes her dull personality-wise and easily overlooked again? I just don't know what the best option is, but they wouldn't have had this problem if they hadn't wasted 15 years' of development time and not done anything with her.
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