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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 มิ.ย. 2024
- *As said in the video, this is not a rebuttal to TennelleFlowers' "Riku is Gay" video and is not seeking to disprove that Riku is gay by saying he is depressed. I will not tolerate homophobia or bigots in my comments section thank you!*
I hope you enjoyed the video, and I hope it gave you some insight into how depression can present and how Riku combatted it in his own way! Riku's isolation is such an interesting habit that shows up throughout the series, and I hope it is explored more in the future titles!
Riku is Gay (And Why it Matters): • Riku is Gay (And Why i...
This video would not have been possible without the help of these people:
- Xiryu, who made the thumbnail art for this! This piece was so well done and the style is unique and stands out so strongly! He helped me workshop the thumbnail composition alongside Mr. Matthews who helped with the font and placement! I couldn't have created it without them!! Give them a follow:
Xiryu: / suba_rashii | Mr. Matthews: / mathex2011
- I had a number of people help me during the scripting process, so a huge thank you to both Tal and ThoughtBubble who added their own psychology experience to ensure that I was on the right track with my ideas and presentation of depressive symptoms!
ThoughtBubbleTV: @ThoughtBubbleYT | Tal: / talmeridius
- Last but definitely not least, thank you to TennelleFlowers and Nikutsune who ensured that I was not creating anything that would be detrimental to the queer and LGBTQ community as a whole. I really wanted to make sure that this video would not be seen as a rebuttal to Tennelle's own analysis and they helped me make sure that happened. I am so grateful for their input and also their own insight into Riku's character that they gave while I was creating this video.
TennelleFlowers: @TennelleFlowers | Nikutsune: / nikutsune
Table of contents:
0:00 - 2:07 - Introduction
2:08 - 12:02 - BBS-KH1: The Fall into Darkness
12:03 - 19:15 - CoM: The Road to Dawn
19:16 - 24:56 - Days-KH2: Two Steps Forward, One Backward
24:57 - 34:43 - DDD: The Journey to Stability
34:44 - 38:29 - KH3: Calm and Collected
38:30 - 40:59 - Wrap Up
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Its funny how there are 3 types of comments. The riku isnt gay comment, riku is gay comment, or how everyone agrees riku is chronically depressed
It's interesting.
Sora when he can't help anyone or fails to help freezes up and falls into despair.
Riku when he can't help anyone hides himself away, keeping himself in the dark.
And both of them, funding themselves worthless.
I think both Sora and Riku are depressed, thankfully Riku recovers in a fairly healthy way though as someone who's been through it I can say that the scars remain forever, however while those scars can re-open and cause more damage more often than not they provide us better resistance to similar situations, they make us stronger for the future.
Sora on the other hand is finding himself on a downward spiral and what he really needs is the isolation Riku had during his struggles because in Sora's case some of his friends; specifically Donald and Goofy are making it so much worse, remember? No frowning, no sad face, this ship runs on happy faces.
Instead of being real happiness it just becomes a false smile with the person being colder to the World and people around him, Sora has lost all value in himself and instead is completely selfless, however too much selflessness will eventually lead to contempt for the people you value more than yourself, I know because that's how I was.
Sora's actions are very familiar to me but Riku's are not, depression affects everyone differently, some people like Sora can't even be identified as depressed, they are a hidden statistic, there may be more depression around you at one time than you think, no doubt it is almost omnipresent.
I think that’s why the fandom is both really worried and curious about Sora in quadratum. This is his first time facing his choices alone and with no friends. Hopefully we’ll find out soon
@@JabamiLainthey haven’t had a chance to ever since the end of kh2. Yknow the ever present threat of Ansem, castle oblivion, xemnas and xehanort
Absolutely nailed it here
This was a really well thought out comment, idk what to add or respond with but I wanted to acknowledge and thank you for it. I hope those scars haven’t reopened in a while!
@@JabamiLain That's a very heartless perspective, there are plenty of examples of depressed people doing similarly destructive things, something like becoming alcholics? That one little choice to start drinking destroys the person, friendships, and families, if they're starting to show positive change the last thing you should say is that they deserved to be depressed.
Hopefully everyone you meet is perfectly mentally healthy because you don't seem like the best person to go to for help.
If it's just towards Riku because you hate Riku like 99% of Roxas's fans then sure, it doesn't really matter, I'm assuming you have empathy and if you do don't act this way around real people, if you don't have empathy avoid all mentally unhealthy people because I fear you're just going to undo all the progress that might have been made on their part.
I don’t think Riku slipped back into his isolation in the keyblade graveyard when he tried to hold back the darkness single-handedly, I think it’s more that he recognized Sora wasn’t capable of defending himself in that moment and so he took the initiative and moved into a defensive position to allow Sora some time to regain his composure because tactically, he understands Sora has the best chance of defeating Xehanort.
This^
Like jumping in front of a bullet for a love one, that moment prob happened in like 1 second. He just moved.
@@GreyfauxxGamingyes as Riku is the only one who can fight with his darkness so he was the only one who could handle the hordes of heartless. He goes out of his way to put everything on the line to protect his best friend, takes a breath to concentrate and prepares for the incoming danger
Completely agree. It felt like when a person stands up for someone who can't defend themselves in a vulnerable position.
Sora has a rage problem slowly building up. Through out the series he’s been repressing a lot of his more negative emotions, and slapping on a happy face. In the more recent games we’ve been seeing the cracks, and the thing behind that happy-go-lucky facade is frightening.
I think it’d be interesting to see that addressed as his own Darkness arc.
I'm hoping that's exactly what'll happen in KH4.
I need Sora to lose it haha I cannot wait to see Sora’s darkness acknowledged
@@gothwolf13I honestly think this idea is laughable
@@BioRoxas In all honesty? Roxas is Sora’s truest self. He’s what Sora would look like if our plucky protag wasn’t constantly slapping on a smiley-face bandaid on everything.
Hi
Riku talking to Quasimodo about finding friends who still see you for you hits so hard, especially after his ansem episode in 2
I'm literally so ready and glad were doing more characters. Roxas next PLEASEEEEE
Yes!!! He’s my favorite
Same Roxas is me please do roxas
Yes just yes we need a video on roxes next
yes DEFINITELY ROXAS
He's pretty much obligated to given his name 😅
This was a great video. I was afraid with the disclaimer at the beginning that you would never bring up how Riku’s feeling for Sora (whether you thought they were romantic or not) play a big role on his actions especially in 1. But I was pleasantly surprised and you even mentioned Sora’s his most important person which I haven’t seen any ‘big name’ KH youtubers address so thank you for that. And I also love how you talked about him in 3. I 100% agree. He’s not boring he’s the most confident and secure of himself he’s ever been. His growth is incredible and we see that in 3.
I really didn’t know how to word the disclaimer tbh haha I just wanted to make it clear it wasn’t a video against Tennelle’s which I think set people’s expectations for the video haha my bad!
In 0.2 Fragmentary Passage Riku has a playful interaction with Kairi where she actually notices a change in him and brings it up. I love how he says that he’s trying to follow his heart because it’s more “fun that way”. That is GROWTH; not only because he’s trying to change, but because he’s also trying to have fun!
When Riku says he’ll miss Ansem, that really hit home with me. Sometimes when you’re depressed you can feel like depression itself is the only true “friend” you have, because it sticks with you wherever you go.
Thanks so much for these videos, they’re amazing.
As a person that has been dealing with depression since I was pretty much the age Riku was in KH1, and is now just barely showing any signs of recovery, I can tell that Riku is VERY relatable as a character.
I see his reaction during the Keyblade war differently. When he steps before sora, it is not to sacrifice himself to protect him, to selfishly try to put the burden on himself alone, but to show sora that even in this dire moment there is hope. This action, that was once his way to shoulder it all alone away from his friends, is now perfomed in full view, a statment of defiance in his friends darkest moment.
After all, it is the context that gives actions meaning, not simply the action itself. And in this case, i think it shows Riku having, not overcome, but at least fully come to term with himslef. Where he is now not focused on keeping hurt away from his firends, fighting in the shadows so they can live in the light, but stepping out into it and supporting them, no matter what.
Also he was literally the only person who could stand up to these foes because he didn’t reject the darkness in his heart
I feel like Kairi and Riku will play the biggest role in KH4. For 3 games Sora has been pulling people out of their own darkness without confronting his own, and now it’s time someone saves him for a change. Hurt people may hurt people, but those who have been healed from that hurt will heal others who experience the same pain
It already happened in KH DDD, but how will Sora handle it while being alone?...
i love this series of yours and it makes me sad to think that even with all her depth beneath the surface, "the psychology of kairi" will still be like 5 minutes long because that's about as much screen time as she gets lmao
i feel bad that i laughed while reading this
So thoughtbubble actually made a psychology of Kairi video! If you are interested here’s the video!
th-cam.com/video/wFXnb0ElAp4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rDZ7cUT-Ij8dKli0
@@BioRoxas ooo sweet!
Great video, i love it, as to why Riku sacrifice himself, i didn't Interpret it that way.
In that moment i saw a Riku ready to fight a go on even if Sora couldn't, not to sacrifice himself, but because he wasn't going to stay still and be defeated. Is more like "i believe in you, but the situation is not going to wait for us now. I'm moving forward, and i know you are as well, but move when you can, i'll be waiting ahead". Same as for Kairi, she is not ready, but he decides to go on not because of a solo mission, but it's the first clue in a year about Sora. He knows Kairi and the rest will catch up with him and Sora sooner or later.
Hmm that’s an interesting interpretation! I hope we see a stronger sense of self in Riku moving forward!
I interpreted it the same way. Riku was stepping up to do what Sora had done before, not give in, and persevere. Riku saw Sora as Sora had seen Riku before, someone who needs a pick-me up.
The cool thing about Riku's arc is that his Keyblades represent the various stages of his journey:
Soul Eater (KH1- CoM): Not a Keyblade per se, but it represents Riku at his lowest: Completely immersed in darkness and used as a pawn for both Maleficent and Ansem.
Way To The Dawn (KH2 - KH3): This represents Riku's road to mastering the darkness and making it his own, which is what happens at the end of 3D when he becomes an official Keyblade Master. It getting destroyed in 3 symbolizes that that part of his journey is over.
Braveheart (KH3 onwards): I know not a lot of people like this Keyblade, but I like the symbolism behind it. If Soul Eater was Riku at his lowest, Braveheart is Riku at his best. He's made peace with his past mistakes, he's learned to control his darkness, and he's a Keyblade Master on top of that. The fact that it's designed to resemble an oversized car key shows that he's in the metaphorical drivers seat of his life. Neither Maleficient, Ansem, nor his darkness holds any control over him.
I'm really glad we're getting more of these videos. It's giving me a greater appreciation for the characters.
Same here I always felt kingdom hearts characters were always deeper then surface level and these videos just prove my point splendidly.
Okay but, what about Days? We know Soul Eater is still his Keyblade there, but during the fight with Roxas, he has the Oblivion, which means he is capable of wielding it, what about that?
@ScoutNess If I recall correctly he can use it because the Oblivion Keyblade is a representation of Sora's memories of/connection to Riku. Much in the same way Oathkeeper is the same for Kairi.
@@ScoutNess He has been able to wield a keyblade since kh1 when he took sora's kingdom hey.
@@ScoutNesshe’s always had the ability to wield a keyblade because Terra preformed the keyblade ritual on him unintentionally as a kid. He just never truly had a keyblade until way of dawn manifested
Now I can't see any long form riku focused video without thinking about the 6 hour gay riku essay
For me Riku journey is kinda as inverse of Sora.
Sora
Kh1-High
COM-low
KH2-high
DDD-low
KH3 (high but ends low/missing)
Riku
KH1-low
COM-higher
358/2 days-low (ends up as Ansem)
KH2-low but ends high
DDD-higher ends up as master
KH3-at his plateau no more real development
MOM-same as end of KH3
The duality and contrast!
I always saw riku as that troubled older brother with a good heart
I agree it always felt like a David and Jonathan relationship
This analysis really puts into words why I identified with Riku from the very beginning. I’ve struggled with depression my whole life, undiagnosed I’m my youth and finally treated as an adult. I still struggle, and probably will forever I’m some capacity. Riki’s journey of succumbing to darkness, dark thoughts and sense of worthlessness is reflective of my own journey. I too hope to be strong enough to change my idea of darkness and be worthy of wielding the keyblade to help combat this dark beast that follows me daily. Riku even became my mental symbol of fighting my depression, he wields the keyblade and helps me fight inside my head. Childish maybe but it’s a kind of image and mantra I cling to.
That’s such a cool way of contextualizing your dark thoughts and combatting them! :> I’m glad this video helped!
Hey, anything that helps you fight the beast in a healthy way, childish or not, is completely valid. Having a positive voice for your internal monologue, even if it's a fictional character, is still a huge step forward :)
I’d argue that Riku is better written than Sora in some instances. Although Roxas’s story is very tragic I feel like Riku had the best redemption of them all. He is actually becoming similar to Sora while retaining his wits about him, also he proves Xehanort wrong about Darkness not being able to be controlled. Riku has ties with the dark but is no longer identifying with it. He uses both Light and Dark because neither of them define him.
This is why Yinsid made Riku a Keyblade Master. Riku deserved it through and through not Sora. It all makes sense. Sora still has a lot of learn and I hope he’ll finally be able find the strength to fight by himself in quadratum. He needs to realize his strength does not all come from his friends.
Exactly i love Riku in KH3, he is basically someone in peace with himself, which is why i wonder where they are going to go with him in KH4, with him going to Quadratum.
P.S: To be honest, i think that, in the ending of KH3 when everyone but Riku and Sora were gone, Riku knew he didn't stood a chance alone against the darkness, so just like he learn to stand by his friends and not go at it alone from Sora. He choose to teach something to Sora, it's also true that sometimes we need to do stuff alone, not because of pride or something like that, but because it's something personal that only we can deal with alone. To prove to ourself doubt that, we have worth besides that which others give us, here Sora had no self worth, reason to why he clutches his fist, because he sees, he can't get through Sora with words now that everyone is gone, so he choose to tell him what he believe about him, knowing that Sora needs the encouragement and example of a friend just like he did through the ending of KH2.
Riku having chronic depression, vibes not just with me but seeing it play out in my brothers as well. When most people think of depression its just blue sad boy in the corner. When its more common for males with depression to have more volatile outbursts and being unable to relegate their emotions, but due to "Tough Love" and emphasis on being "Stoic" they aren't able to receive the help they need lest they are perceived as weak. Riku having a positive male role model in Mickey and a good support system is a vital part in helping his recovery and putting him in a better position to help others.
(Also thanks for just acknowledging that a queer lens exists, I see alot of creators and commentors that choose to ignore the queer lens, brush it off as fangirls being brainless, or just being outright hostile and trying to justify their comments as its "not canon" instead of just acknowledging that other character interpretations can exist in fandoms.)
Love all of the emotional and mental analysis videos coming from the KH community recently! Helping add respect to how impactful some of these characters' arcs are. Keep them coming!
I appreciate both your and Tennelles videos. Seeing different peoples opinions and views on the same character is all the fun of these types of analysis videos!
"Riku has Chronic Depression" is a reading of his character I've heard a lot so I'm all here for this to get a proper deep dive (heh) into it from a psych background
I hope it held up to your expectations! (Also is that pfp your WoL? 👀👀)
@@BioRoxas It was definitely 100% worth the watch.
And yes, yes it is, though I don't wear that specific outfit anymore haha
I am OBSESSED with XIV! It’s so gooood
I always felt much closer to riku than sora and this explains it so well
Also i think the lost masters arc will be the chance for sora to really shine in his growth, the loss of his freinds and every world hes been too will drag him lower to see if he has the power the brush off despair without kairi by his side
But he’s always been able to do that because Kairi is never truly gone.
I always felt more attached to riku.
Loved the video and I really appreciate you clarifying that this wasn't a rebuttal/takedown of the "Riku is Gay" vid or theory. The majority of LGBT people struggle with depression and while no one has to personally subscribe to either, the two theories are very easily compatible.
One thing I was hoping you might touch on more was Riku's superiority complex over Sora in KH1 which has seemingly flipped to idiolization, fueling his struggles with his sense of self-worth. I feel like Riku is still in a stage where he puts Sora on a pedestal and thus has a harder time noticing him struggling (such as being caught off guard by Sora's breakdown in KH3 or saying that he could swim his way out of any darkness). I feel like these two desperately need another heart-to-heart (lol) conversation similar to the beach scene at the end of KH2 where they're able to voice their insecurities directly to each other.
I can agree with that. Riku letting his love of someone be his motivation behind his actions to endure what he deals with is certainly something I could buy. Though I haven't watched the "Riku is Gay" Video, I can buy that it makes sense, with how affectionate and fond of Sora he is. Makes me glad Gay people can relate to him in the same way his depression connects to my own life. It's a valid interpretation in my book
Luckily this next arc is setting them up for exactly that
@@3rdstrikestan930the term love is really ill fitting. Riku and sora do mutually respect one another and are ok with being open about their emotions, but this does not mean they are gay. They are "brothers" in a sense, they do care for each other just not in the way people want them to.
This is a common misconception fanbases have all the time. They always say the edgy emotionally reserved Rival with an superiority/inferiority complex is gay, so I don't see how riku's case is any different from the 100s of times fans have said the same thing before. This usually starts because, for some reason, tweens and teenagers, especially girls of that age, go through a phase where they think being gay makes a man more attractive. It always the same, the edgy quiet reserved on with the extroverted handsy/flamboyant one, every single dang time.
@@tombolt13thexehanort29people have their own ways on interpreting their bond, no point trying to tell people their opinion/enjoyment isn't correct just cause you don't agree with it.
@@dynamoeggy7835 I can also have the opinion that those people are stupid, annoying, toxic and probably do the same thing with literally every single other edgy, quiet introvert Rival Character. I also am allowed to have the opinion that shipping in general ruins shows and other pieces of media, especially when Sora is in a Canon relationship with Kairi and riku canonical had a crush on Kairi and thus is not gay.
Just wanted to jump in and mention that Riku significantly isolates himself from both Sora and Kairi in KH3 (specifically during the scene with his replica on the beach as well as at the end, when he says that Sora and Kairi will be fine without him because they'll have eachother). I think this plays into another part of depression in wanting what is best for the people you love and deciding that wasn't best isn't you. Idk, while riku is calmer in kh3 because he isn't actively "fighting" his own depression, so it begins to manifest in different ways
Riku my beloved
As someone going in and out of my own depression, gosh, maybe this is why I love to say that KH saved me. Seeing that resolve also made me want to be strong. And it continues to help, but I still need help for sure. This video is beautiful as expected, and I loved every second of it. It reminds me of everything I wanted as a kid. Sighs.
Another great video! I love discussions about Riku, he's just such an amazing and nuanced character! As always, love the editing you do.
Excited to see the Aqua video!
Thanks Tennelle! I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation over this and I look forward to chatting more :>
Regarding Riku's self-sacrifice in the final act of KH3, I don't think this was him slipping back into unhealthy behavior. It's true that at face value it looks like he's standing alone, but the context here is that he's taking action to try to inspire Sora to pick himself back up. This isn't a moment where Riku abandons Sora and says "fine, I guess I'll do it myself." It's the moment where he tells Sora that they're in this together, that they haven't lost, it's not over, and that Sora isn't worthless.
Actions speak louder than words, and Riku putting himself in that situation was going to have one of two results. Either Sora would stand up and work together with him to fight off the Heartless, or Sora would have to prove himself wrong in order to save his friends after RIku "died" (if that's even something that can happen in a KH game). Sora failed to do the former, so the latter is what wound up coming true. Still, notice that regardless of the outcome the thing that motivated RIku's actions was his faith in Sora.
I think that's especially poignant because of Riku's arc. Sora is slipping into a depressive episode very similar to the ones RIku is familiar with. The best way he has to show Sora that he's wrong is to be the example that disproves Sora's current beliefs. Narratively, this is a fantastic use of a good Foil character and why Riku's sacrifice is one of my favorite scenes in the game.
This was really well done, thank you for putting it together! I didn't get the impression that it was at all a rebuttal to Tennelle's video, and honestly think it works really hand-in-hand together (at least from my own perspective as a gay man with bipolar depression :p). I totally agree that it'll be interesting to see where Riku's character goes in KH4, and that his calmness in KH3 wasn't boring so much as a demonstration of how far he's come. Thank you for the lovely work on this!
I’m so glad! I saw a couple other comments about how they complement each other!
I more so wanted to make a blanket statement so people don’t point to this video as “Riku isn’t gay he’s just depressed” haha
I actually really enjoy the vids more when you show the scene & kind of break it down! I feel like your analysis really shines in those moments instead of listing the points & moving on. I understand that you prob felt the vid was long enough tho lol You'll figure out a way to balance the details you want to say!
I feel like it would have been important to highlight Riku's feelings of needing to isolate himself even more when he thinks Sora replaced Donald & Goofy, & even Kairi tbh. I kno you pointed it out, but I feel it needed a bit more emphasis since it was a big reason for his fall. I also appreciate you sharing that Riku still has things to work out & his development isn't finished like a lot of the fandom assumes. I think there was more that went on with Riku during his sacrifice. That he was showing Sora that he doesn't need to rely on his friends to use his power, that he has his own power. But I really appreciate what your view added to that scene! Def much to think about. Thank you for the vid!
Ahh thanks for that feedback!! I sometimes worry I get too detailed but then kind of flip to the opposite and don’t spend enough time on things! I hope to keep experimenting and find a good balance ^^
@@BioRoxas I feel that! You're doing great & I kno you'll get that balance! ^^b
I think it's clear to me that Nomura always had the general idea of where to go with Riku, his charachter development and redemption arc are fantastically written. One of the examples I use all the time for really good redemption arcs. I also don't think he get's left behind in 3, quite the opposite we finally get to see him at peace with himself and in control of his emotions for the first time in a long time. Capped off with a really good come full circle moment by taking back what he said about Sora being weak in hollow bastion, and infact is now the one encouraging Sora about how strong he is.
This was so insightful! Ive always had problems with understanding Riku because ive always been more similar to Sora irl and have a good time understanding myself
Love your warning on top in the description bud. Protect our LGBTQ friends from the hate ❤
Honestly cant wait for ventus and the others. Riku and terra both had a diff journey with darkness
I was planning on doing a psychological discussion with some of my friends using Kingdom Hearts as a base. Oh my goodness, this is great. While not word for word, you explain a lot of what I wanted to say beautifully, thank you!
Hope the discussion goes well :>
Oh as someone who has struggled with depression and Riku being my fav character since kh1 this is so cool. Thanks for this.
You've saved me! I'm doing a project on the same thing and I've been needing someone to bounce ideas off of
Riku is often my favorite character in the frachise
Riku is my favorite Kingdom Hearts character, and I always loved his development throughout the series. I never thought of his development by aligning it with depression symptoms. Awesome work Bio. I enjoyed every second.
Insightful ^^! Thank you for giving your analysis on Riku ^^ it’s a good series :) I always hated Riku as a kid and seeing all of this more lined out, his path felt similar to my own upbringing. I think it’s why I really didn’t care for him, reminded me too much of myself 😅😅😅 When it got to DDD, I saw Riku in a much kinder light.
Riku has developed a lot through the series, good to see him get better with time ^^
I would to see you go over Ven! He has for so long had a lack of autonomy and how that has effected him through the years🙏
Haha got a little “too real” for you when you were kid? I feel that!
Yeah I’d love to dive into Ven he’s such an interesting character for sure
I’m sorry. But to this day.. the best thing in the story was teaming up with Riku at The World That Never Was.
Great video! Love seeing the unique and new ways people interperet and present information from a 20+ year old series. Especially if they're passionate about it! Your knowledge and love for both the Psych field and KH come through so well in these videos. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Chaineh 🥺
One thing I'd like to mention, it's worth noting that during the Mark of Mastery Exam and leading through the Keyblade War, Riku more liberally uses Darkness attacks and magic in his repertoire. Not so much out of begrudging necessity, though it could still be that, but more... confidently? Especially in moments where he's confronted with powerful enemies like Dark Aqua or the Organization (And gameplay-wise in 3D). So even if he's still struggling with himself, he can still exert control over his darkness and use it to his advantage so long as he has the resolve.
Riku is and has always been my favorite character in this series. And I think now I understand a little better why. I have a lot of the same tendencies. I want to save and protect everyone close to me even if it kills me. That’s something I struggle with. For a long time I saw myself as unworthy of having friends and like I was a monster due to my isolation and my anger when people pushed against the things I believed about myself I was so afraid of questioning it. I’m still in a dark place a lot of the time but I understand a bit more about myself and am able to catch myself a lot more often. Thank you for this video. Honestly riku and Roxas are some of my favorite characters in any media not just gaming. I’d love to see Roxas on a video like this at some point
Awareness is the first part of any process :) I hope this video helps push you towards some healing!
I always get enthralled by online summaries of Riku's journey. The complex twists and turns it takes to get him where he is today are so jarring compared to anyone else in the series (of course it helps that he basically has the most screentime 😅) and even to most "hero" characters in media given his circumstances. He'll always be one of, if not my favorite, characters in the series.
What I'm actually surprised at is that my take on Riku solo-clashing with the Demon Tide is totally opposite. It's all up to interpretation, which is cool. But, I didn't see it as him slipping back to his self-sacrificing ways for Sora at all. I saw it as the full-circle moment of his journey in the current saga so far. A man no longer afraid/insecure about staring down seemingly insurmountable darkness, even if he attempts it alone, even if it leads to his downfall. As long as he goes down trying. If anything, it was a last push to get through to Sora and inspire him to remember what he instilled in Riku about 'it not being over' after they beat Xemnas in KH2 and had to walk in the seemingly never-ending void. It's the best way he knew how to get through to Sora, with bold follow-your-heart action rather than coddling (hence why he refrained from putting a hand on Sora to comfort his grief). Was it the right way to go about it? Up to debate for sure, and a balance of bluntness and coddling could for sure be met down the line with further character development (I still think Riku's ultimate path is to become proper leader of the Guardians, to mirror his faux leader beginnings on the island), but it definitely spurred Sora to action in the Final World and forward.
This was a really great video. It’s a great idea to mix the love of games with your psychology degree. Riku definitely has some struggles. Cannot way for the aqua one. As she was also pretty scarred due to the end of bbs.
This was such an amazing video and warms my heart. It helped me understand Riku a lot more and it’s no wonder I cry to the end of KH2 from 2005 to now 😭👏🏽👏🏽
This was a good video, Riku arc can be relatable to those who have to isolate themselves to fix themselves when they fell into darkness of depression or in a way of being taunted by our inner demons that we all have difficulty to fight back and grow. I went through depression of being abandoned and have my hopes from my last relationship were shattered, and I'm still in my isolation phase to do my best to work things out with myself. I chose the path of working on my faith which helped me heal from most of the pain. I feel like i would understand and relate way more with aqua arc much more. I can see she goes through some form of depression too. i can't wait for that video
At one point I was wondering how you'd interpret Riku getting protected by Sora when Anti-Aqua was assaulting him. The same slightly applies to the moment when Sora deflected Xigbar's shots. Cutscene moments where we see him leaning on his friends help.
Ahh those would’ve been good to include!
A big reason that he said he's going to miss Ansem comes from a place of fear and anxiety.
Nobody wants to deal with depression, but as you heal and recover, everything feels new, sometimes too new.
The world you knew, the things you thought you had figured out, the things you found familiar, are all going away.
Its something I still deal with in my own life. Getting the help I always needed gave me months of positive improvement, but eventually I would actively look for my past, for that familiarity.
It can be incredibly difficult to admit that once and for all, you're not going back. And the closer you are to a full recovery, the harder that pull can be. Its why so many people relapse, be it mental health, substance abuse, abusive relationships, etc.
This is a great video. You dropped a lot of Gems about depression.
I loved these. It actually helped me to work through myself and my trials. I thought I was a lot like sora, however I think I am more like riku for the reasons mentioned here. It puts into perspective on the things I need to work on. I loved it, thank you.
Very excellent analysis of Riku's character. I do want to touch on one point:
@4:20 This is actually not the last time we see Riku's depression. He is depressed in both DDD and in KH3, but he's depressed for different reasons and he expresses his depression differently in both games.
In DDD, his depression is expressed through his doubts about himself. His depression is not as strong as in KH2, but he's still at a point where he's ashamed of his past behavior and wanting to atone for it. He doesn't believe he has what it takes to be a Keyblade Master without being tested, and even when he does pass the Exam he still doubts himself. He doesn't yet believe in himself.
In KH3, Riku is a lot more confident...until the end when Sora goes off to find Kairi and never returns. Riku is masking his depression. He is putting on a brave front when he's around the others, and if you notice, Riku's facial expression hardly changes in the game at all except in a few major scenes. But there is one minor cutscene in Remind when Riku seeks help from the FFVII Crew in Radiant Garden, where they discuss Sora's disappearance and when everyone turns to see if Cid found any clues about Sora in the computer, Riku's brave face immediately drops into the most worrisome look. Riku waits until the exact moment everyone is no longer looking at him to show his true feelings. Riku is still not at a point where he is comfortable with sharing his feelings with others, or seeking comfort in others. That too is a part of depression. I have it, so I unfortunately know. Its common to hide it so you don't bring others down.
so thats why i kept watching rikus arc back then.
As someone who has struggled with depression (and still does, but to a lesser extent now), and also someone who found Kingdom Hearts while in that state, which helped to pull me through it, I connected to Riku like I'd found a kindred soul. My depression doesn't manifest exactly the same way his does, but I knew that he felt the same way I was feeling, and it gave me such comfort to know that even these people who I love and, in a way, admire, could feel the same way I did.
I really like how you analyze the kingdom hearts characters the sora one really had me tearing up.
And one was great too. I personally really enjoyed Riku once he came to resolve in dream drop and kh3. And I feel like it was such a good direction to take his character slowly to it so feels very rewarding to see how much he's changed in a way.
Riku was always my favorite character, I identify with him and the road to the dawn because of how i dealt with my depression, but i've never linked those things so deeply until i watch this video, wich came on a very convenient moment because i'm struggling with some things again, it's crazy how these 40 minutes put me back on track like nothing did till now, it's incredible how the kingdom hearts series keep growing these bonds in my life.
great work, man.
Ahh I’m so happy to hear this video could help you :’) I hope you find your way and if you haven’t, reach out to your supports!
35:23 i put riku in the same category as zuko in the sense that once said character "mellows out" , they become less "reactive" and more calm, stoic...or at least not as xtremely temperamental or reactive....
37:14 one thing to note in that moment is that riku had to resort back to his usual MO, because literally all support of friends was gone in that moment..... its poetic in the sense that because the light expired, riku...in order to protect his friends, had to revert back to fighting alone like that... he had alot more strength to do so...but braving the darkness by yourself does not last long in this series...
Hearing people say that Riku is boring is pretty suprising to me considering that when I played the game for the first time, he strikes me as a really chill person who knows what he's doing. Not BORING. That hurts 💀
(TL;DR at the bottom of the comment if you do not want to read smth so long-winded. 😅)
Super glad to have caught the video as it premiered! Thank you so much for this. I genuinely am so grateful that I can finally put my own feelings into words thanks to this video. Riku has been my all-time favorite character ever since I got into the series, and I've heavily identified with a lot of his struggles.
I often felt that I had no worth if I couldn't be of help to those around me, and the guilt of that is what drove me to isolate myself from most of my relationships, which eventually ended up as a habit. Isolation was, and somewhat still is, one of my biggest tendencies when I go through rough patches. To see that replicated in a game that was already one of my favorites before my habits even began really made me feel validated, even if I couldn't figure out why at the time.
TL;DR: This silly little video game character has permanently altered my brain chemistry, and now I know why. I don't usually like being called out so heavily, but this was incredibly refreshing.
You do have worth and value :) this video serves as a reminder that even when we fall into certain mindsets, there’s always light to remind us that we matter
Wow I’m so sorry you’ve wrestled with those thoughts :( I’m glad this resonated with you though! You do have worth even if it’s hard to believe sometimes :)
I just came across your video of sora and now this one for the first time ever about an hour ago today. Sincerely, thank you.
While listening and watching this as I’m playing FFVII Rebirth, videos like this are what make me want to stop, download all of the Kingdom hearts games, plug in some headphones, silence all other distractions and let myself been immersed in this complex, vastly deep masterpiece of a series from start to finish all over again. Thank you.
Well it’s coming to steam soon :D may be time for that replay haha
Absolutely amazing!! I wasn't expecting this video so soon, but I definitely needed it! One if my favorite parts about them is the focus on the clinical terms and analysis, so I would love to keep seeing that!
Unrelated but I had a major irritation for Riku not getting the Keyblade-D (the golden kingdom key) after losing his inevitable place to get the kingdom key after falling into darkness he slipped down a dark and painful path. He then overcame the darkness in himself and gained the strength he always desired after returning to the light. Getting the Kingdom key -D would have been great symbolism for him mastering the darkness while also returning to the light and in a way regaining the kingdom key but his own unique version. Riku did his own version of what the psychologist Carl Jung talked about of “ shadow integration” facing the darkest parts of ourselves and overcoming those fears, traumas, and doubts then gaining incredible strength. That is what Riku embodies. Mickey found the golden kingdom key shining by itself in one of the darkest parts of the dark realm. Asymbolism of that hope, strength, and happiness within the vast voiud of darkness. If Mickey held onto it temporarily until Riku was ready that moment he got his new keyblade in KH 3 revealing the kingdom key D would have been a symbolic masterpiece. On top of all this when Riku helped close the door he was lost in the dark realm Mickey spoke to him far into the darkness letting him know he found the other kingdom key all of that would have been great build up if they followed through but I still love Riku. After all Riku was the true warrior th ekingdom key was meant for only losing it to Sora after giving into the darkness. What better writing than for Riku to get the kingdom key but the kingdom key D. Its the keyblade of darkness yet shines gold symbolizing Riku's growth and mastery.
This Video Bangs. Riku always resonated with me so I love seeing someone really dig into it.
I love how sick it is that Riku is the only one that lasts any meaningful time against the Demon Tide when light expires. dude is a whole beast.
I think there's a certain poetic irony in the duality of Aqua and Terra each interacting with and shaking the views of the ones who would save the other, Teresa imparts a need to seek strength to protect what is important to him, which in turn lead him down a path that grants him the understanding of the pain Aqua feels and allows him to save her, Aqua imparts the importance of bond and friendship onto Sora, which in turn gives Sora the resolve to push Terra to remember why he wanted strength and helped pull him from the darkness
This is fantastic. On the clinical point, I think you did an excellent job of drawing the parallels between empirical psychological research and how that translates to works of fiction and art, so you don't necessarily need to let up on it. Also, I would LOVE to see a Psychology of Xehanort video someday soon.
I definitely want to cover Xehanort!! He's for sure on my short list :>
This video is so beautiful and well done. One of my favorite characters for a reason.
Ahh thanks ^^ I’m glad you liked it!
This was FANTASTIC!!!! Riku’s my favorite Kingdom Hearts character because of his journey through darkness and all of the points you made in this video.
Everyone in the comments really wants Roxas, so I want that eventually as well. But the first character that I thought of when thinking of the next character on the Psych of KH series was Aqua. Her journey is very similar to Riku’s in that her ties to the darkness almost break her and that she made big sacrifices in order to save her friends, so I’m very interested to see how that pans out!
I do want to suggest one more character for Psych of KH though. The person who has supported Riku and Aqua the most: King Mickey. His journeys alongside Aqua and Riku have really changed his view of darkness and light, and I think making a video about him and his journey (and especially why he kinda gravitates to Aqua and Riku as opposed to other KH characters) would tie a neat bow around the Keyblade Master trio.
I plan to do aqua next actually :> but maybe roxas will be next!
Mickey's analysis could be soooo interesting
He is MUCH more complicated than it seems at first
He doesn't really trust Donald and Goofy (for a good reason, they are not the most loyal companions (kh 1 keyblade going to Riku scene-) OR subordinates (them disobeying his order in kh 2 cause "Sora will be saaad if we leave :c")), and we could think that he just prefers to do things on his own - but HE DOES NOT, he sooo readily joins Riku and ITS RIKU who keeps distance from him in kh2
We forget that Mickey was THE ONLY KEYBLADE WIELDER FOR 10 YEARS, he had to watch over all of the world ALONE while having HIS OWN WORLD to look after as the King
Speaking of which - he was not born into royalty, he wasn't prepared to rule a kingdom, he married the princess (musketeers whole thing) and now he has THAT responsibility as well
He has a looot to feel guilt about - three of keyblade wielders he met disappeared, he tried to help them and failed, only to find out one of them was trapped in the dark realm for 10 years, then she sacrifices herself which prolonges her stay there, amd he JUST CAN'T GO AND SAVE HER cause there's an evil organisation doing stuff while two reckless teenagers get themselve almost killed times and times again (remember that we play is Mickey if Sora "dies" in boss fights in kh2)
I could go on and on, there's soooo much to uncover with this mouse, but people don't even try cause "that's just a disney mascot, let's blame him for bullshit he didn't do and meme about hating him, haha"
Love this style of videos! very unique perspectives on beloved characters
The battle with the darkness never ends, regardless of whether you were a previous of slave or not.
Great video , I liked it , It also shows why i Liked riku as a character so much as well. That being said , i didnt see that moment in KH3 where i sacrifices himself as isolation though , More of a action to show sora no matter how bad it is they shouldnt give up. But that was a personal view for me . I really liked this video and the soroa video aswell , Suprised that i hadn't subbed back then X'D
Just watched both the Sora and Riku videos and I really enjoyed them. Excited for whats to come
This video was incredibly comprehensive, and I absolutely adored the analysis which finally gave words to my thoughts and identification with Riku
This was an amazing analysis! I see this also having many parallels with addiction. Thank you for the amazing video!
Yeah I actually work in addictions counseling and recovery talk was definitely slipping into my script haha
❤ woah!
super cool.
I just finished watching the break down on Sora, and was curious if you’d make this.
And it comes out close to my B-day! I’m very excited!
Thank you so much!
Oooh happy almost birthday ^_^
@@BioRoxas thank you! :)
The more characters you do the more i ma wkdnering how did i miss this
I've seen some of these complaints from people of Riku suddenly being boring or too chilled out etc in 3, like motherfuckers after all the crap that boy has gone through, yes you'd be pretty chill too if you conquered your inner demons, earned forgiveness from your friends and loved ones, found a place and purpose as a Master and overall decided to start being true to yourself a little more by not letting that crap get to you 24/7. People like that genuinely exist in real life who become really laid back and Zen chill after so much crap in life because those experiences shape them along with the lessons learned and finding a path to heal oneself both internal and external. He literally says "I'm tired of being the role model, it's more fun to follow my heart." Ergo suck it 3 critics of whinging, it's keeping continuity of him taking another step of being himself in the best and most positive way possible.
gay, depressed, and a complicated relationship with your childhood best friend? he is boy me.
Wow what a fantastic video, so much useful info for anyone dealing with depression, thank you. Bravo!
This is really well done! I really enjoyed this along with your Sora video. This is superb work as a deep dive on their mental development. One thing that always sticks out to me (that you touched on briefly) is how critical Dream Drop Distance is. That is the crossover point where we see both Sora and Riku effectively invert their mental viewpoints. This is where the doubts finally overcome Sora and he has to confront the idea that life isn't all sunshine and roses. Conversely, Riku finally makes peace with his journey through the dark and gains new confidence in who he is. I find it very fascinating how much their mental states go through a scrambling and then a subsequent untangling there. It's the climax of their character development and sticks out as a moment of genuine human emotions being portrayed.
Although i have yet to be diagnosed with depression or other psychological issues and disorders, your 'The Psychology of' videos (especially this one) have helped me identify various traits and symptoms that might suggest the possibility of said issues. On top of this, these videos have also made me appreciate, love and relate to these characters more than i may have before (Sora and Riku are just like me). Thank you for making these videos and I hope to see more of this kind of content in the future. Godspeed and much love
Thank you so much for this comment :') I really hope this helped build insight into your own life! Psychology of Roxas is soon ^^
Like you said, depression is an ongoing battle 36:50. Brilliant video
really hope im not alone in getting called out by this vid and the sora one, this is some pretty eye opening stuff. great vid as always bio :D
I honestly like much you put into these videos, the sora one and this one made me really think about my own mental health problems and how I can improve/notice when these type of things and hopefully help me improve, those two videos were heavy hitters for me but I still really enjoyed them.
This was such an interesting video! Thank you for making it!
I’m glad you enjoyed it :)
Riku's conversation with Ansem at the end of KH3 seems to me that he misses it but he also acknowledges that he never would've reached this point without Ansem dragging him down as deep as he did.
YESS!! I was hoping for a video on Riku as well!
Great video. Looking forward to seeing more of this series.
I really enjoyed this video. I myself loved the amount of psychology info you put here to explain Riku's character. To me it was easy to digest and understand. Looking forward to more videos from you!
Ahh I’m so glad to hear that! :)
just thank you so much, this means a lot
Love how you mentioned how he dealt with all his emotions.
Bio-Roxas Made a video covering my all time favorite character in the entire Kingdom Hearts series? Let's go! Hope you plan to do these on other characters like Roxas, Xion and Terra.
For sure :) I would love to cover all the major characters if I can!
Great video ! I love Kingdom Hearts to death, but now I'm way more excited for your Cloud video, simply because of how much there is to unpack there. At many points, his brain might as well be a mess of shattered pieces desperately trying to hold themselves together. Also, plz do the psychology of Neku Sakuraba from TWEWY at some point, I would be very interested in your take. Wish all the best !
Ooooh Neku would be fun!!
I hope you look forward to Cloud :> I’m working with some ff7 creators so hopefully it’ll be fully fleshed out!
@@BioRoxas I'm sure it's gonna be great, will be looking forward to it =)
Yesss my boy riku. Yay
Wonderful work. I also really like how him retiring Way to the Dawn represents his character growth as well. If keyblade’s reflect the wielder’s heart, and Way to the Dawn reflected his inner conflict between his light and darkness, I like to think that him leaving Way to the Dawn for the other him and gaining braveheart is him once again consuming the darkness and returning it to light.