Character Corners - Riku

you've all seen this picture before. I just felt like recoloring it in MSpaint. (It's kind of sloppy.... heheh)

I'm going to start with this for Riku, actually:

Actually the Riku Replica from a parallel universe. He was dropped off in this universe by some meddling Stranger. He claims to not care one bit about what happened to him in the past, of which little is known but to anyone but him (and Namine, but even she doesn’t know everything). He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy, just wanting to get the job done and over with as fast as he can. It’s hard to see what he’s thinking, though his feelings about Namine are rather obvious at times. Hand always on the hilt of his blade, he’s ready to destroy anything and everything that threatens his Namine.

This is his original description from the old... character profile whatever days -- it's actually the only description that I like. I edited it slightly for some continuity thing, but it's otherwise untouched.

Name: Riku

Age: 15 years (well, technically, 9 months…)

Quote: “Need any more incentive to leave?”

Theme(s): Soulseeker (Wrath of His Hand) – Two Steps from Hell

    Deception, Frustration, and Defeat (Broken Replica – alt. theme) – Kyle Landry omgshutup I did NOT put TSFH here the first time!

Personality: Riku has a rather rough personality. He can be very threatening if he doesn’t get his way, and extremely quick to anger. He acts like he’s afraid of nothing, but this is only a mask. Underneath, he’s quite insecure; tending to question how he exists (being a Replica and all) and how he acts all the time. His past haunts him still, and though he pretends it doesn’t bother him, it does.

      Riku has the capacity to be kind, however, something seen frequently when he is with Namine. He is naturally protective of the things he cares about – Namine especially – possibly because he’s grown used to fearing they’ll be taken away from him if he doesn’t protect them.

      Riku is almost over-confident in his abilities (something fueled by everyone else’s opinion of him), only questioning his ability to come out of a battle alive when it is Real Thing he’s battling (and it’s likely he only questions it because Real Thing actually managed to kill him once and for no other reason). He is extremely smart and has the capacity to be extremely cunning and work through his problems with reason alone. However, he is often too impatient or impulsive to take the logical route.

      Riku is also very impulsive, tending to act or speak before he’s properly thought through the consequences of his actions.

Pet peeves: Lightning. Larxene. Vexen being… Vexen. Feeling weak. Sitting still.

Interests/Hobbies: Killing Heartless.

Favorite Color: sky blue

Random fact: Riku is not fond of orange juice (DIch105)

Weapon: Soul Eater

Abilities:  Riku is highly skilled with a weapon, but he has never been any good with magic (possibly because he’s just never tried to learn magic because he doesn’t feel a need to). He can also use darkness as a weapon – though he was limited to three basic “dark attacks” until rather recently.

      After being super-infused with darkness (thanks to Sora’s Shadow – DIch110), Riku is now able to use darkness more freely. Considering the super-infusion happened only recently, I’m not entirely sure exactly what it entails.

      Besides the fighting abilities, Riku also has excellent hearing, along with the ability to subconsciously analyze everything going on around him. Why? Because Vexen thought it would be a brilliant idea to program it into his data. There are probably other things that Vexen programmed him to be able to do (like speak multiple languages) but I can’t think of any specific off the top of my head (and the multiple language thing is sort of a throwaway gag and not entirely canon (or, not canon yet, anyway. It might be later. Idk.))

Appearance: We all know what Riku looks like. I’ll put something here when we hit book 5 and he gets a change of clothes, how ‘bout that?

First seen in-story: ch1 of the Truth Hurts

Important notes: I honestly have no clue what I intended to put here for any character…

Backstory/origins(in-story): Riku is a Replica created by Vexen in the other universe as an experiment. He had his memories rewritten in order to make him believe he was the Real Riku so that he could test Sora. These memories also made him believe that there was something between him and the Namine of that universe – though there really wasn’t. After having his memories shattered, his heart broken, and his resolve taken from him, he goes to confront the Real Riku, only to be killed. He is, however, saved before he can die completely and is taken to this universe in order to get a “second chance at life”.

Role in story:

     TH: The Truth Hurts starts with Riku finding himself face first in the sand of Destiny Islands, soaked with water and left over blood from his battle with Real Thing. He has no recollection of that battle or anything else that happened prior to arriving on the Islands, however. Kairi finds him, and she and Sora help him recover over the next few weeks.

     Riku’s next month is spent trying to remember everything that happened to him – though he admits later on that he might’ve been better off without a few of those memories. The process is long and painful, but he eventually manages to remember everything – or mostly everything, anyway.

     Riku then heads to Castle Oblivion, having found out that the Organization has access to his memories and thinking it probably best that he does something about it. “Doing something about it” involves killing everyone in Castle Oblivion (though Axel and all the Replicas there manage to go unharmed). He clears his way through a third of the Organization’s ranks (Larxene, Zexion, Vexen, and Marluxia) in a matter of days.

     With them gone, and the problem supposedly resolved, Riku takes Namine – a Replica the Organization created for some ridiculous purpose, and Replica of a girl that meant a lot to him in his past – and heads home.

     FtP: Riku starts his role in Falling to Pieces with a nasty nightmare. He heads down to the smaller Island early that morning, due to being unable to sleep, and is surprised to find Sora already there. Sora asks about other Worlds, and the two eventually decide to build a raft – an idea which the girls (Kairi and Namine) pick up on as soon as they hear about it.

     Later that day, during a mock battle between Sora, Riku is injured at Sora’s hand. He recovers from the wound without trouble, but his friendship with Sora suffers. Riku does his best to give Sora the benefit of the doubt and to keep believing in him, but as Sora’s decent into darkness begins and the Islands are destroyed (by Sora’s hand) Riku finds this increasingly harder to do so.

     After arriving in Traverse Town (ch6), befriending Leon’s gang(ch6-7), and finding Namine in Wonderland(ch8), Riku encounters Sora(ch9), who is upset that Riku had yet to find Kairi. Riku tries to explain why he hadn’t – he’d only searched one World and it was hardly logical that he’d end up finding Namine there, and just because he had didn’t mean that he’d find Kairi there, too – but Sora refuses to listen and runs off. Namine talks Riku out of his anger, and Riku decides to search the Worlds for Sora in hopes to smack some sense into him.

     Riku’s search is fruitless. While he meets Sora in Olympus Coliseum (ch11) all he manages to do is make Sora more angry at him. In ch13, Namine insists on coming with him (mainly because she wants to see more Worlds than the three she’s seen, but also because she wants to spend more time with Riku) and they end up going to Halloween Town. They fail to find Sora there, but Riku does end up killing Oogie Boogie and Namine has her first memory meltdown. Considering Namine’s in pain, Riku rushes her back to Traverse Town.

     However, they end up in Twilight Town rather than Traverse Town, and there they find not only Sora but also Kairi (ch14). Sora and Riku argue briefly, but Namine’s meltdown becomes more pressing, and Riku decides that she is more important than Sora, and rushes her to Traverse Town for real this time. Namine passes out, and Riku spends the next twelve hours watching over her as she sleeps (ch15).

     Though it’s not mentioned in-story, it’s highly likely that Riku stayed with Namine for quite some time after this before returning to his search for Sora (which is less of a search and more of “make sure Sora doesn’t screw too much up”). Honestly, it’s highly likely that Namine had to force him to leave her. So, Riku reluctantly returns to his “search” for Sora and spends an undetermined amount of time unable to find him until they run across each other in Monstro (ch18 – it is not specified that it’s Monstro, but I’m pretty sure it is). Sora pulls his blade on Riku and the two battle.

     After the battle (of which Riku is no doubt the victor) Riku returns to Namine and recounts his story to her. Mid-way through it, they are interrupted by 37. 37 does nothing more than exchange a few vague (and foreshadowing) words before leaving, though he manages to irritate Riku before he does so.

     Riku meets Sora in Neverland (ch19) and Agrabah (ch21) before Namine sends him to Hollow Bastion (ch22) having been there earlier to talk to Kairi. Riku talks to Kairi briefly before Sora interrupts them, engages battle with Riku, and kicks Riku’s butt. Riku is thrown out of Hollow Bastion (ch23) and spends a while searching for other ways to return to Hollow Bastion.

     He finds a way (via Gummi Ship) and works his way through Hollow Bastion, fighting (but not killing) Maleficent in doing so (ch27). He finds and confronts Sora, and then Ansem, and after a long and grueling battle (which only takes 3 chapters) comes out victorious. Ansem is defeated, but drags Sora into darkness with him.

     Riku makes a quick stop at Destiny Islands before leaving to search for Sora – and it’s a real search this time.

     NF: Riku spends the entirety of Nothing’s Fair searching for Sora with the help of the residents of Castle Oblivion. He indirectly causes the Rebellion and ends up leading said Rebellion against his will. He speaks with Roxas once, and attempts to talk to Xion, though that fails due to her hate of him.

     DI: After three months of searching for Sora, Riku successfully finds him (ch2). In hopes to try and get Sora’s darkness in check, they decide to travel the Worlds and kill heartless (ch13). They visit Neverland (ch13), where Sora first sees his Shadow; Pride Lands (ch14), where Sora accidently attacks Riku; Deep Jungle (ch16), where Riku is shot in the chest (though it doesn’t hurt him); and Wonderland (ch19). While Riku is in Wonderland, Namine is nearly kidnapped and ends up in Castle Oblivion. Riku rushes to find her (ch21).

     Shortly after Namine arrives (she has three meltdowns during this time) Sora leaves (ch27). With Sora gone, Saix continues his raids on Castle Oblivion (ch28). Riku spends the next 30 chapters alternating between fighting off a raid, infiltrating TWTNW for Saix’s half of the Program, and helping Namine deal with (and researching) her meltdowns. In chapter 58, Riku makes a deal with the Organization that Saix quickly breaks. Ch59 finds Riku meeting L for the first time and only failing to kill her because Namine was having a meltdown.

     The next day (we’ll assume, as time passes oddly in Castle Oblivion) Riku and Namine head to Hollow Bastion (ch63) after getting a note from Sora saying that Leon’s gang could use some help with Heartless. They stay in Hollow Bastion for a day (ch63-68), and head back to Castle Oblivion early the next morning.

     Mere minutes (well, maybe a half-hour) after returning to Castle Oblivion, there’s a raid (ch72-75). During the raid, Riku has all his fingers in his right hand broken, and refrains from killing L a second time. As soon as the raid is finished, Riku and Namine return to Hollow Bastion so that Aerith can heal Riku’s hand (ch76).

     Their stay in Hollow Bastion lasts roughly seven hours, give or take a half-hour or so. (ch79-83). Riku’s hand is healed with little problems (besides having to keep it bandaged for a week or so), but Namine has a meltdown shortly after arriving in Hollow Bastion. They return to Castle Oblivion that night, though Namine is still unconscious at the time. Riku ends up falling asleep (ch83) and (unsurprisingly) has a nightmare, which Namine manages to calm.

     When we see Riku again in ch88, Axel arrives with bad news; Saix plans to shift his efforts to kidnapping Namine and plans to rewrite her. Scared by this idea, Namine fakes a meltdown to talk to Riku alone. Riku promises that he won’t let Saix Rewrite her, and does his best to ease her worries (ch89).

     Shortly after, Riku goes on another mission to infiltrate TWTNW (ch91). The mission doesn’t go well, as Xigbar’s Clone gets in the way and Joseph finding Toby distracts them from the original purpose of the mission.

    A few days later, Riku decides to return to Hollow Bastion so that Aerith can check on his hand (ch104.) Riku meets Sora in Hollow Bastion, and they spend some time catching up on what they’ve been doing for the past while. Their meeting does not go well, however, because Sora’s Shadow gets in the way and starts taunting Riku about the Namine from his past. Furious, Riku attacks Sora (ch106). Leon’s gang manages to stop him from actually harming Sora, and Riku spends the next few minutes sulking.

     His sulking is interrupted by a round of Heartless, and he and Sora are put together in a group when the Heartless battling beings (ch108). This turns out to not be a good thing, as Sora snaps and stabs Riku in the chest. Sora’s Shadow then intervenes, manipulates Riku’s darkness (by feeding more darkness into him and using that darkness to manipulate Riku’s data-darkness), and forces Riku and Sora to battle. Riku is bleeding profusely from his wound, though, and it isn’t long before he passes out.

     Sora’s Shadow takes advantage of Riku’s lack of consciousness and super-infuses Riku with darkness (ch110). Sora’s Shadow eventually leaves to look for Sora (who had mysteriously vanished), and Tifa finds Riku. Tifa (with the help of Cid) drags Riku back to Aerith so that he can be healed (ch32? of ASAS). After he is healed, Namine and Kairi arrive in Hollow Bastion, and Aerith makes everyone dinner. Dinner doesn’t go well, there’s a lot of yelling, but Riku doesn’t entirely remember all of the conversation (ch116-119) later. He and Namine spend the night at Hollow Bastion so that he can get some sleep and recover.

     Riku and Namine return from Hollow Bastion sometime the next day (ch127) and immediately upon their arrival in Castle Oblivion there is an ambush. Riku gets rid of said ambush with only a few outbursts of darkness (ch128) and moves on to deal with Q – whom he refuses to trust. The conversation goes terribly and ends after Riku’s hit by a stray lightning bolt. Embarrassed for panicking, Riku runs to his corner (ch129).

     Namine finds him not long later, and they talk. The last we’ve seen of Riku is in ch132, where he decides to get some well-deserved sleep.

Development of character out of story: Riku is my main character; my protagonist. I could argue that he shares the role with Sora or something, but the story was always intended to be about Riku.

     Riku’s been through a lot over the past two years (even if it’s only been 8 or so months in-story). He’s actually “grown up” a lot, even though at the moment we’re sort of sifting through a low-point for him. I mean—I don’t know what to say about Riku, actually. Wasn’t this supposed to be a sort of “ideas for creation/place in story” or something? I think that’s what Shad’s was…

     Agh, I don’t feel like going into it. Nag me if you really want to hear it.

My opinion: I’m going to leave this blank, because I don’t feel like going into this. I know I didn't go into the "development out of story" thing, but that's because I'm lazy. This is because if I try and put my opinion of Riku into words it's going to sound like some ridiculous mix of me saying things a parent would say and things I would say if I had a crush on him. So... yeah. Gonna save myself the embarrassment and just not bother.

Enjoy writing: 4/5 mainly for the OIDFJOSJFSDLKFJSDOFIJSDFDS he likes to drop on me. That’s never fun to write.