Ever since the Valentines Day special trailer people have been wondering about the identity of the red eyed, hooded figure that appeared for a moment. In the coming weeks I heard many thoughts and theories as to who this mysterious character might be, one popular assumption among the fandom was that it was Vanitas because of a passage from the BBS novelization stating that before he had Sora’s face he had no face and red eyes like that of an Unversed. As more details surfaced more theories flew around, when word came that the Red Eyes was one of the Final boss fights for Riku people began thinking it was Repliku, and I guess that guess could have been considered a closer shot because this character does have a connection to Riku.
When Riku first encounters the Red Eyes he is trying to pull Sora out of a dream induced by Xigbar and Xemnas, he tugs and tugs at his arm, trying to wake him up but to no avail. Instead, a mass of darkness emerges from Sora’s dream and manifests itself as a red eyed, hooded figure in an ornate Organization cloak with the Nightmare symbol on its back. Getting it now?
The Red Eyed figure is a physical manifestation of Sora’s Nightmare.
I said it had a relationship to Riku, and I didn’t forget it. Remember Riku’s new clothes for DDD? How on his back he has the Spirit symbol? Well in a scene after this fight Ansem SOD explains why it is there. In the realm of sleep Riku is acting as Sora’s personal Dream Eater, his benevolent Spirit, there to destroy his Nightmare and guide him back to the light. The Red Eyes is not a character but a force given a physical form, there is no one beneath the hood, just a mass of darkness.
This battle solidifies the role that Riku has been building ever since Chain of Memories, as that of Sora’s protector. He watched over him and ensured that he would wake up in the events of 358/2 Days, and now he’s doing it again. Shiki wasn’t so far off when she called Riku a knight, because that’s pretty much what he turned out to be.
When pictures of Riku’s haircut first surfaced I joked that it made him look like he did when he was five years old, and guess what? He is the same as his five year old self now. But don’t take that as a bad thing, when Riku was five years old he talked to Terra and told him he wanted to leave the islands so he could be strong. In return Terra asked what he wanted power for. Does anyone remember what Riku said in return?
“To protect the things that matter.”
And now comes the recurring theme of Kingdom Hearts, friendship, in KH1 Riku was obsessed with protecting Kairi when she was lost and because of that protectiveness he was swayed by the darkness and his envy of Sora only made it easier for Maleficent and Ansem to do so. After the events of KH1 after realizing what he did Riku has spent the rest of the series so far in penance trying to make up for what he did, looking after Sora and making sure he stayed safe.
While Sora has always been the star of Kingdom Hearts it is Riku who makes it all possible, while Riku is as also a main character of the series, he prefers to work behind the scenes and provide support to allow his friends to suceed. But Dream Drop Distance is his shining moment.
He truly has earned the title of Keyblade Master.
