me likely sign dont tell me that sora pose in the first picture

Finally the moment I’ve been waiting for!! She looks so cool in action.

P.S. Can’t wait for these to be turned into more meta breaking Union Cross medals. :P

Forgot to mention it when the trailer first showed it, but I love that she has Sora's pose <3

Also RIP Kairi's knees as a consequence of that.

Zip please, the Supernova KH3 Kairi medal just dropped this morning in the Japanese version. Her medal is so broken it hurts my soul.

I don't know why, but these renders just really hype me. She will forever be my fave girl in KH!

speaking of that medal did you pull that medal yet or no

One of these will be magic and the other speed with the equivalent buffs as today’s. Just you wait! Hahahaha *cries*

Dropping renders now? Could we seeing her in action in the next trailer :D

I did. I had a bit of money left on my account so I caved and bought VIP for the 10-pull mercy.



Nooooooooooo

What medals aren't broken in UX, I swear any videos I've seen damage is overkill

also if these remders aren't Avatar material, it should now.

Damn i want her to be playable in kh3 so bad, it will be such a waste, we played as riku too many times already.

There's no such thing as too much Riku.

Too much riku 7.8/10 - IGN

Hmm her render makes me think she could be playable as it looks like she's doing magic. I'd love that.

I think Kairi and Riku should both be playable in the base game. It would be a nice parallel to BBS, even if they won’t have the full length scenarios. I can see Roxas getting one in the main game too as the fourth surprise playable character towards the end. Then everyone else could potentially get a playable episode as DLC.

You read my mind!

But, oooooo our girl is ready to get down y'all! Ugh, she looks so good D'x!

She looks awesome in these renders. Would be great to she her in action in the next trailer.

Hopefully we get renders for Lea soon.

Riku should be in every and all scenes no matter the context.

She looks so much like Xion now with that bob. Hopefully more renders is on the way.

Riku should be retroactively added in the background in every scene and situation

Even if the scene contained Riku already

You just... add a second one
Videogames aren't supposed to be 100% realistic anyway

It’s funny because we already have this situation happening in KH3. :P

That is true and actually concerning when is worded out like this.

Let's add a third Riku to wash all our doubts away

Yes to playable Riku, Kairi, and Roxas. No to DLC episodes. I want this game to be COMPLETE.

You know what? I have to. I just have to now. This is my new mission in life.

Safe travels, Crusader. We will tell children tales of your exploits.
O7

listen... i love these renders.

very intresing

(credit https://twitter.com/championurbosa/status/1068656028118593541)

(credit https://twitter.com/ProjectDestati/status/1068666395678916608)

also i head the second stace resmlve aqua stace when she cast magic

This is amazing, didn't expect to see that when I got on again today! I love surprises. The fact that we got the trio renders only out of the keyblade wielders is interesting..

She's all grown up now....I'm so proud of her!!

Seriously these renders make me really happy.

[video=youtube;pEXz-wuuR5o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEXz-wuuR5o[/video]

Ohhhhh man, I really hope y'all are on to something about her being playable, especially with all these trailer and render glimpses.

C'mon Nomura, girl finally needs her time to shine.

I hope costume changes and accessories are availble

oh...my...[SIZE=6]GAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!
[/SIZE]
I HOPE she's a playable character even for a little bit.

I'm a bit conflicted because I honestly hate the fact that she has a keyblade just because one just pops up for her in KHII. Her role was somewhat like a "Damsel in Distress" kind of thing with no physical capabilities like Sora and Riku. So I feel that it's shoehorned in. They should have at least shown us the potential characteristics of her being able to use and fight with a keyblade. I know, I know, they weren't thinking that far ahead in the earlier games.
[SIZE=6]BUT!
[SIZE=2]there are several factors that are affecting me to not care about that so much. The first is that I've been waiting for Kingdom Hearts III too long. Second, SHE LOOKS SOOO GOOD![/SIZE][/SIZE]

Kairi’s keyblade was established a thing though since she touched Aquas and unknowingly invoking a rite of passage for her to wield one.

She looks so good. It would be amazing if she were playable in KH3 tbh. Also this makes me even sadder that Kairi isn't in the KH3 digital pre-order bonus theme because that one render looks like it'd fit in perfectly with the others' poses.

maybe the new "footage" on december 10 is gameplay of kairi ?

Would explain why they're blatantly recycling Sora's animations.



Surprisingly relevant:
[video=youtube;629IC9g0S_E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=629IC9g0S_E[/video]

These renders are making me appreciate the design of Destiny's Embrace. Like, the effect on the water motif is... really mesmerizing. And then there's the crown at the base of the hilt and a heart on the teeth I never noticed before. The vines actually look tasteful and the flowers are less like a picture and have the depth that the full 3D model would naturally lend. I've been tolerant of what I perceived as busy and lacking focus but it kind of comes together now that the render is realized in visual use. DE really suits Kairi as an elegant and regal blade (It's sculpture-like composition and elaborate flourishes) but with an element of humility to it (the colors have a lot of variety and the imagery is very personal and down to earth). It comes together as this perfect mix of Kairi's homeworld Radiant Garden and the world that she now claims in Destiny Island.

This really makes me hope that she is a playable character.

She looks so clean!! Probably some of my personal favorite renders so far!^^ The Kingdom Shader and higher quality graphics definitively compliment Destiny's Embrace even more than I thought it would. However, my one gripe is that I'm kinda gonna miss Kairi's old fighting stance, simply because it (although not too much of a deviation) was more unique and set her apart from the rest and really contrasted that of Sora (who held his weapon to the center) and Riku's (who held his weapon overhead). It's a nitpick to be sure, and I do understand the narrative and in-universe significance of assigning Kari this stance (which is identical to Xion's now), but it will probably peck at the back of my mind for a bit.

I will cash in all of my hype points for this. Been saving up since the theme song trailers so I might have enough munny to gacha this. C'mon playable scenario!

It's a little surreal to finally see her in action like this. We've waited so long for a Kairi arc. Even if she's not playable, I just want to see her get that much out of KH3.

Oh my baby girl is going out to destroy people!

Looking fresh Kairi, glad to see her back on the spotlight again.

Looking at this just make the possibility of both Riku and Kairi being playable characters.

This series keeps acting like a character getting a keyblade is a promotion for that character, that they've ascended in a sense. But in practice it's removing their unique qualities and making them yet another wielder.

-Kairi could've had a fighting style based on her PoH power, something akin to how Roxas fights when he's keyless in KH2FM.

-Riku's arc should've been him moving on from desiring a keyblade. Besides Soul Water was a cooler looking weapon anyway. RIP best sword.

-Axel/Lea had a unique weapon and fighting style. Now he doesn't. Plus his capture of Xion is Canon proof he didn't need a keyblade to defeat a wielder.

I mean I really couldn't agree more regarding Lea, but I think you are wrong in why he has a keyblade. It isn't because he needs it to defeat his enemies, he needs it because the keyblade has special attributes that will allow him to save his friend Isa. However I definitely am upset about the whole thing because his chakrams are way cooler and make him special to the franchise.

[LEFT]

[FONT=Verdana]I was grinning ear to ear upon noticing where Kairi got her fighting stance from. That's sweet; also noticed that her other render has Kairi using a certain (formerly) blue-head's magic casting stance. Really do hope Kairi's finally playable this time around; I don't even mind if Riku is playable again as long as the whole Destiny Island Trio is together. Come to think of it, she's the only prospective Guardian of Light who's never been playable in any form up until now (Axel and Mickey technically having been playable in Days).

[/FONT]

[/LEFT]

There's nothing saying Kairi can't mix her Princess of Heart powers with her Keyblade, but receiving Destiny's Embrace symbolized the crystallization of her resolve to not just wait around for Sora and Riku to come back and take matters in her own hands...

...Mind you, it took 14 real-world years for her to really step into the ring, but the point still stands.

Reflecting on the examples of Riku and Axel/Lea, getting a Keyblade of their own seems to signify that a heroic character has completed a significant part of their hero's journey is ready to fight for the Light's future; those two transitioning from anti-hero/anti-villain to more straight-forward heroes. I do agree that Lea ditching his chakrams is disappointing, but the hard truth of the matter is that there are things he wants to accomplish that only a Keyblade can help him do... but maybe he'll have a Keyblade transformation that incorporates his old trademark weapons.

There's like others way to show heroic resolve than giving someone a keyblade. & Lea could've just as well ask a wielder for assistance for whatever he needs.

What the Keyblade symbolizes in-lore and what it represents irl can be two different things.
Obviously in the game Kairi and Lea didn't receive the Keyblade neither because Yen Sid took them to a corner and told them they would've been useless fodder without it, nor was Nomura EXPLICITLY thinking "and now let's drown their characters in averageness!" when he did so, but that doesn't necessary mean it wasn't part of the equation.

Of course you can find moving reasons behind this or that decision, you almost always can, but the truth is that as a matter of fact Kairi wasn't seeing even a glimmer of fighting and relevance before getting in the Keyblade Club, that I'll be very surprised if we'll see her using PoH powers again, and that I can think of many ways for Lea to still save Isa without a Keyblade, especially since all of his new friends now have one.
Like Aqua said, one Keyblade is enough for any friendship. 's not like Lea unlocked some secret powers unberknownst to anyone else.

In fact, exactly because one of the secondary lessons in BbS (and kinda in X/Ux as well) was that MAYBE there were too many people with doombringing keys roaming around and that's how shiz hit the fan and that in the bigger picture the entirety of KH1 and KH II is basically "here's what can happen if one wielder goes rogue" only strenghten my resolve that so many free keys could've been avoided and that it kinda goes against what the series is trying to teach.
"With the power of friendship and good heart even an ordinary boy can overcome anything! Oh, but anyone who's going to matter needs a Keyblade, otherwise is a no-no."

Certainly each of these characters getting a Keyblade is supposed to make you feel like it's a part of their arc and growth, and a big deal.
But to some of us it just seems cheap, makes the whole thing lose its magic, deprives characters of other possible uses killing off variety, and gives the impression that you now NEED one for the plot to even consider you.
It also makes the narrative universe feels less alive, should the 13 Norts also get Keyblades this final battle would become less of a big historical milestone and more of an internal affair between Keyblade wielders.

I am excited of having Kairi doing stuff and be relevant, but I wished she could've done it in a different way. Same with Lea.

of all the keyblades kairi tell her story and i love it here a very good anylsis of it

https://phoenix-downer.tumblr.com/post/180693403023/destinys-embrace-a-closer-look

I'm aware of Aqua's "One Keyblade is enough for any friendship" stance, and Lea as Axel saw how Roxas and Xion were treated as tools for their ability to wield them. Since KH2, we've seen a lot of the dark side of what wielding a Keyblade entails and how Xehanort's used his to cause untold sorrow and destruction upon the Realm of Light...

...That having been said, I think that KH3 is set to reconstruct the Keyblade's ability to be used for good and to save friends rather than tear them apart. As Sora noted in 3D, he sees his Keyblade as both a sympol of his connections to his friends, and as a chance to make everyone happy. This is the light I see Kairi and Lea getting their Keyblades as signifying, but I do see the other side of that argument that you've taken as a valid one.

Also, supposedly, Kairi had been sparring during Sora and Riku's year-long absence, but this wasn't said or shown in KH2 proper. Bad story-telling form, but it wasn't exactly that game's only example, so... :P

Woah BABY! My fantasies are running!

I agree that the way in which certain characters have accessed their Keyblades (Kairi and Lea in particular), in terms of its presentation, have been poorly handled. To this day it's hard for fans to get a real grasp on how/when Kairi's Keyblade came to her, and while I don't dislike the (probable) explanation for how it works offered by Spockanort, the way in which the narrative evades the issue and then drops her from the story so that it doesn't get explored and possibly never will is just shabby-- not because everything has to be explained, but because Kairi's Keyblade needs to mean something to her, and to exist as a dramatic extension of her call to agency, just as Sora's and Riku's are for them. Lea's is even worse to me, because it practically satirizes the Keyblade's "legendary" qualities and symbolism in playing it off like a punchline. This is the same iconic weapon which has been so heavily dramatized for game after game and then DDD comes along and it just comes down to a flick of the wrist. Yeah, way to really get the audience invested in Lea's journey to the side of the heroes by taking the shortcut right through to Guardian of Light with no questions asked.

That said, if we're to understand that the KH series has been, at least since BBS and arguably since KH2, premising the eventual rise of a "New Keyblade Order" of sorts, there's nothing inherently wrong with expanding the number of Keyblades and wielders from among our main cast. These are characters we are, presumably, already attached to, so it's natural enough to establish a precedent with them and move from there. The problem is balancing that inclination with narrative substance: characters need actual arcs and an emotional/dramatic rationale for earning a Keyblade, and we as the audience need to be given an opportunity experience and connect with it. Otherwise, there's a factor of diminishing returns with every new wielder who's introduced, of just the sort which we've witnessed.

That's why I don't mind that Riku has one. It symbolizes his redemption and his newfound resolve, and while I agree that his new Keyblade's design is not good, we're seeing his relationship to the Keyblade (and thus the nature of the relationship between a Keyblade and its wielder) further complicated and explored through this turn of events. Maybe.

With Kairi, there's an opportunity to show her strengthening her connection to the Keyblade, and learning to be one with it. While playing as Sora, we've largely been conditioned to take that for granted, but I'd love to see her actually struggle to make it work for her and have it give her cause to search deep within herself for what it is she wants to achieve. For so long she's been content to wait around for others, to only act when called upon: she keeps saying that she's not going to get left behind, and yet it keeps happening to her. What is she going to do to prevent that moving forward? And how can the Keyblade help her accomplish it? I think there's a great chance to use this as a vehicle for growing her as a character beyond her archetypal, magical princess framing-- or at least an opportunity to reconstitute what that means in her own terms.

For Axel, I just want him to lose the Keyblade once he gets Roxas and Xion (and maybe Isa) back. I feel firmly that he only earned a Keyblade through the strength of his desire to see them all again, and once the moment has passed, the Keyblade will have no reason to remain with him. It lends some of that conscious quality to the Keyblade from the earlier games which I always liked: a Keyblade chooses its master, but can just as easily leave that master behind.

It'd be great if MX's Keyblade did this at a crucial juncture, just like, "Nope, done with you." More likely though, it will survive beyond him and become a part of the next storyline.

I dont see any real reason for Lea to lose his keyblade. If the other wielders get to keep theirs I doubt he would be the exception.

Riku's losing his Keyblade already.

And he got a new one. Besides Way to Dawn was broken by Dark Aqua. I'm sure if that encounter never happened his keyblade wouldnt just suddenly leave him at the end of KH3.

You mean like it left him for Sora at the end of KH1?

That was only because Riku's heart was weak at the time. And it's not like that keyblade disappeared, it just chose a new wielder.

As long as Lea's heart doesn't weaken or fall back into darkness his keyblade should remain with him. For all we know he could enjoy being a keyblade wielder and intends to be a master along with Kairi.

her keyblade tho... i really don't like the desgin it just doesn't fit kairi wish kairi got something similar to Ava

It looks better in the new engine and with the floral details being in 3D than it has in the other games, but yeah, I too was hoping she'd get a new design.

it really does look nice in 3D but can't help but think her keyblade looks like a regular keyblade you'd get in a Disney princess world and it just doesn't look like a keyblade meant for the main story

Personally I think her keyblade looks pretty decent here even though I didn't like its design in the past. I think rendering it in full 3D helps make it look more cohesive and less busy.

Really happy to see some combat renders. I was excited about the possibility of her joining the fight at the end of KH2, and felt pretty ripped off that she got pushed to the side in subsequent games. Hoping she gets a major part to play in this one.

1. That's also Aqua's and Riku's keychain

2. I thought we were done with the whole Farteller connections to the main cast, why does she have to get something from Ava?

i mean i wish she got cool looking keyblade like Ava or maybe even Aqua

She is definitely going to be a playable character. These renders confirm it.

So basically she can't be her own person, have to ride the coattail of Aqua and Ava just to have a 'cool' looking keyblade

forget character connections a keyblade wielder has to the blade, nope has to be what you want because for the past 10 years plus, no one knows what they want for Kairi


how should she dress, what keyblade she have, who's she with, etc, etc

dude chill, he's just saying he likes the aesthetic of ava's keyblade and would have liked something similar for kairi. it ain't that deep.

oh wow man calm down and eat snickers xD anyhow just throwing my opinion, and i did say i like the keyblade desgin now it's in 3D so im not hating on it just think she could have got better unique looking one since she's main character

I'm from the future. All of you fretting over her Keyblade design not being distinct enough can rest-- she'll wield Oathkeeper in the finale, and Riku will wield Oblivion.

There's a reason Nomura has retroactively depicted Riku as having used Oblivion against Xemnas in both art and CGI.

Anyone else just find themselves coming back every day to see our girl all grown up? Cause I know I am.

You know, even if you don't like the design for her Keyblade, there's always a chance of it evolving later on. Probably not in 3, but we have seen Keyblades evolve in the past. Even Mickey's KKD looks like it evolved into a combination with Star Seeker.

Actually, it'd make it even more unfitting for Kairi to get this super-badass looking Keyblade right from the jump, considering she just started her journey. It also fits with her color scheme too, so I don't mind.

i know the keyblade suits her but many keyblades like lady luck or many feminine looking keyblade definitely suit her but her original keyblade looks like a keyblade you usually get from disney world from kh1 so i feel the keyblade desgin pale in comparison to sora and riku buuut yea no joke im starting to like the keyblade everytime i see it

I also don't like that Keyblade, just saying.

I'm not a fan of her keyblade either. It looks so cluttered. Flowers, hearts, vines, water, paopu, crown... everything! Almost like someone just threw all the ingredients in a pot, stirred a little and then pulled that thing out. Individual parts of it look nice but, in my opinion, they don't work together that well.

I do like her dress though. Colors fit nicely together yet I'm still wondering what happened to the purple she used to wear during KH1. And she better wear shorts under the dress or I'm gonna send someone to Mars.

As for the renders, they look sweet! Nice to see our Kairi all ready to fight and with a pose adopted from Sora, no less! >w< All the textures are spot-on, as usual. Also the shape on her bracelet, is it shaped after the good luck charm or is it just a star?

i love her keyblade the more i see the more it tell me her story with the flower and the sybols it has

I like the design of the keyblade. I bet it makes a satisfying sparkly noise when she bashes in heartless skulls.

I genuinely like Kairi Keyblade now that it's been rendered in HD as an actual weapon instead of being a cardboard cutout.

Now Lea's Keyblade on the other hand...

I just wish that the vines on the blade were green or something. Either that or incorporate more water or island themes into the keyblade in general. Ah well, it's too late for that.

I definitely like it more as a proper model. I'd still enjoy something even more water themed, but it doesn't look as flat and boring as it did in KH2.

I went and edited the vines, and the green really brings it all together.

[SPOILER]
[/SPOILER]

no way that is really amazing now that's a keyblade i wouldn't complain about, can't believe such a small detail change did that.

Wow, Kairi's keyblade is busier than she is.

Undoubtedly better. It make everything, even the non-green parts, stand out more and gives the whole thing a story that starts from the water, gets carried by the vine and ends with the flowers.
Now it feels like it symbolizes life itself, whereas before it seemed a bit... like when you watch wax fruit or something. Synthetic life.
Not to mention, it's a pleasant shade of green.

I am going to miss your edits when I leave.

So much better. The original just makes the flowers seem dry and dead. The green adds that touch of life it needs.

Why are people complaining about Destiny's Embrace now? I don't remember anyone complaining about it when she got it in 2 or when Aqua got it in BBS

Very satisfying, that looks better with the added green. It does in fact show more life to the keyblade!

Because in 2 it was during the final stretch of the game and in the hands of one of the least prominent characters of that game and story.
In BbS it was a transitory Keyblade in a game where you usually blaze through worlds so it wasn't that big of a deal.
Now that it's the main weapon of a potentially playable character in a big game, we are looking at it a second time and we realize it's not the best milkshake in the yard.

Did no one really think that was going to be her Keyblade when she showed up in 3D? That's the first thing that came to my mind which is partially why it surprises me that so many people seem to hate the design. Definitely not the best looking keyblade, maybe she'll get the Master's Defender when all is said and done?

This has been said many times already but I prefer this version than what's actually canon. Who knows they just might change her keyblade design in the near future.

You are literally the hero we don't deserve. Um, marry me?

I could actually see her keyblade changing in the climax of the game. If she combines her power with the other new princess that could reflect on her keyblade.

Wow, that looks really good. Gonna go through the game wishing the real thing looked like this now.