Arden [Riku Replica] (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
boundbynaught) wrote2019-04-15 10:28 am
boundbynaught) wrote2019-04-15 10:28 am
Entry tags:
Canon Update Part 2
Player: Frudence
Character: Riku Replica / Repliku / "Arden"
Current Canon Point: Previous Canon Update Kingdom Hearts 3, Keyblade Graveyard: Skein of Severance, just before the Riku Replica Vessel ("Replitwo") is defeated in battle.
Updated Canon Point: Just after the Riku Replica Vessel ("Replitwo") is defeated in battle.
Updated Background:
Chapter 14: The Keyblade Graveyard "Riku and Riku" cutscene. Link here for a video starting at 1h 28m 40s in, ending at 1h 31m 8s. Once again, I'll use "Arden" for Riku Replica for a little bit easier reading.
Up until this point, Riku and everyone else has been thinking that the "Dark Riku" they're fighting was a past version of Riku from when Ansem had possessed him. Instead, Replitwo's final words convince Arden that this is his own past self, meaning that it's a replica which can be removed from its vessel form. Arden separates himself from Riku's body - glowing yellow-white Light around his form - to explain this to Riku, then flies forward to Replitwo. It looks like he uses the same ability that I called Absorption on his app - which let him take Zexion's power - to control Replitwo's Darkness so profoundly that he can force Replitwo's Heart out of the vessel.
Arden calls it "a soon-to-be empty vessel. I've been waiting for a chance like this." The way he says it with a renewed intensity and strength of purpose, his form disappearing into the wild black-purple energy surrounding Replitwo's vessel. It sounds like he's going to take it for himself, but that wasn't his goal. He comes out the other side holding Replitwo's limp form in one arm - presumably Replitwo became a kind of ghosted heart like himself, the way Sora reacts later. The empty vessel falls to the ground.
The next lines in English vary slightly from Japanese subtitles, but we can glean a few major concepts:
What's interesting is that then, unlike his final scene in re:Chain of Memories, he fades into Light first, the same yellow-white Light that had been outlining him before consuming his whole form. Then, as he and Replitwo disappear into the sky, it's mixed with Darkness and Light together. Conceivably, Arden redeemed himself with this sacrifice, and had a much more peaceful end awaiting him than the Dark Margin.
Updated Personality:
Arden's big change this time is relief that his plan ultimately succeeded. Even though he got several glimpses into the fact that Naminé would get the vessel he left her, this time he gets to see how that happens, and returning to Verens in his own body will mean that his sacrifice wasn't in vain either. He'd already come to associate Verens as his home, the place where he could live on.
His overall emotional expressions will still be a little muted, tempered by what he went through and the journey he took with Riku, in particular while they were attached in KH3 and for the last few weeks. His intensity will slowly return, but it'll be much more circumstantial; his big driving focus in Verens before was to show Naminé that she had a chance for a life of her own, and a lot of his actions were intense because of that drive. Now, he accomplished that goal, so he can be a little more level-headed while he chases some other dreams.
Updated Abilities: Arden loses the Ghost Form attributes outlined in the previous canon update, since he's now coming from a "death" canon point. He remains in possession of the Way To Dawn keyblade.
Other: Arden would have disappeared from being attached to Riku yesterday, April 14th. He'll return April 18th.
Questions: I would like to keep Arden's physical age of his new body the same as before he canon updated, meaning a few months shy of 18.
Character: Riku Replica / Repliku / "Arden"
Current Canon Point: Previous Canon Update Kingdom Hearts 3, Keyblade Graveyard: Skein of Severance, just before the Riku Replica Vessel ("Replitwo") is defeated in battle.
Updated Canon Point: Just after the Riku Replica Vessel ("Replitwo") is defeated in battle.
Updated Background:
Chapter 14: The Keyblade Graveyard "Riku and Riku" cutscene. Link here for a video starting at 1h 28m 40s in, ending at 1h 31m 8s. Once again, I'll use "Arden" for Riku Replica for a little bit easier reading.
Up until this point, Riku and everyone else has been thinking that the "Dark Riku" they're fighting was a past version of Riku from when Ansem had possessed him. Instead, Replitwo's final words convince Arden that this is his own past self, meaning that it's a replica which can be removed from its vessel form. Arden separates himself from Riku's body - glowing yellow-white Light around his form - to explain this to Riku, then flies forward to Replitwo. It looks like he uses the same ability that I called Absorption on his app - which let him take Zexion's power - to control Replitwo's Darkness so profoundly that he can force Replitwo's Heart out of the vessel.
Arden calls it "a soon-to-be empty vessel. I've been waiting for a chance like this." The way he says it with a renewed intensity and strength of purpose, his form disappearing into the wild black-purple energy surrounding Replitwo's vessel. It sounds like he's going to take it for himself, but that wasn't his goal. He comes out the other side holding Replitwo's limp form in one arm - presumably Replitwo became a kind of ghosted heart like himself, the way Sora reacts later. The empty vessel falls to the ground.
The next lines in English vary slightly from Japanese subtitles, but we can glean a few major concepts:
- Riku tries to convince Arden to take the vessel for himself
- Arden is satisfied with leaving - possibly dying - because of his new mutual understanding with Riku.
- In particular, he trusts Riku to uphold his final wish about who should receive the replica vessel: Naminé
- Riku is surprised but touched that Arden would give up his chance for a vessel to make sure Naminé has one.
- Arden's final words are alternately "Good luck" or "Tanondazo," which is more often translated as "I'm leaving it/her to you" with implications of "to finish what I started" or "in your care."
What's interesting is that then, unlike his final scene in re:Chain of Memories, he fades into Light first, the same yellow-white Light that had been outlining him before consuming his whole form. Then, as he and Replitwo disappear into the sky, it's mixed with Darkness and Light together. Conceivably, Arden redeemed himself with this sacrifice, and had a much more peaceful end awaiting him than the Dark Margin.
Updated Personality:
Arden's big change this time is relief that his plan ultimately succeeded. Even though he got several glimpses into the fact that Naminé would get the vessel he left her, this time he gets to see how that happens, and returning to Verens in his own body will mean that his sacrifice wasn't in vain either. He'd already come to associate Verens as his home, the place where he could live on.
His overall emotional expressions will still be a little muted, tempered by what he went through and the journey he took with Riku, in particular while they were attached in KH3 and for the last few weeks. His intensity will slowly return, but it'll be much more circumstantial; his big driving focus in Verens before was to show Naminé that she had a chance for a life of her own, and a lot of his actions were intense because of that drive. Now, he accomplished that goal, so he can be a little more level-headed while he chases some other dreams.
Updated Abilities: Arden loses the Ghost Form attributes outlined in the previous canon update, since he's now coming from a "death" canon point. He remains in possession of the Way To Dawn keyblade.
Other: Arden would have disappeared from being attached to Riku yesterday, April 14th. He'll return April 18th.
Questions: I would like to keep Arden's physical age of his new body the same as before he canon updated, meaning a few months shy of 18.