r/SoRiku

Like, look at the lighting on Riku.

You can't make this shit up lol

Even if Sokai "is" Canon, it never had moments like this to back it up.

even disney knows soriku is peak lmao

RIKU.. IT’S RIKU, RIKU’S HERE…

Original post is here! Please share it on bsky too

Happy coco everyone 💕🌈

I've been somewhat curious about how other SoRiku's formed a connection with this ship. Personally, as a queer person, I saw a lot of myself in both Sora and Riku.

In Sora, I saw the little signs of compulsory heterosexuality in Sora's behavior in CoM, KH2 and KH3. The instant I saw the reunion scene in KH2, I thought: "Wait, didn't he imagine dancing with Kairi in Halloween Town? Why is it so awkward now? This feels familiar.", because I do remember doing something to that effect as a young child, making fantasies in my head about romance with boys because that was what I was taught was normal back then.

As for Riku, I felt that his struggle with light and darkness had the component of being a metaphor for internalized homophobia. I also interpreted some of his actions as a display of the internalized belief that since Sora had to be in love with Kairi, that Kairi has to be his light, that his love would never be requited. And it just breaks my heart, because at the end of CoM, he chooses the Road to Dawn, and if the theory of Light being Selflessness and Darkness being Selfishness is true, it means that he chose the middle ground, and the middle ground between selflessness and selfishness is love. From my understanding, he chose to love Sora despite feeling that he was unworthy of Sora reciprocating those feelings, and that just hurts.

Those two observations just really hit home for me, and with all the other things that make the ship the way it is, I just can't help but cherish it.

https://www.tumblr.com/remight/824495519789416448/all-my-soriku-treats-for-my-friend-she-likes?source=share

They’re literally alone together in the heart in the background together, hello?? Plus, their backs are connected by the line that makes up the KH-style heart :,) No wonder KH2 was the game wherein so many of us began to ship SoRiku..

P.S. The direction in which they’re facing are nearly the same between the image in the heart and their pose outside of it.. I know I’m reaching but it looks almost like a kind of mirror.

Ok so this is basically a longer copy of a portion of a comment I made in another post I made, but oh well..

Just a heads up: this is probably a crack theory, but it’s late and I really need to get the full thought outta my head before I forget all of it. So here we go. (please also tell me about any errors i made or thoughts you have abt this theory, thanksssss)

Kairi in KH1 was written as a Princess of Light, the heart of pure light, opposite of Darkness. In that game, she was constantly associated with light, was implied to be Sora’s light. However, time skip to CoM & KH2, we find that Sora’s true light is Riku. Yet, Kairi’s status as Sora’s “light” hasn’t been removed— Kairi leads Sora into darkness, and back into light.

Let’s look at the events of the games.

(KH1, Hollow Bastion, EotW (darkness) -> Kingdom Hearts(light, Riku),

Sora is led to Hollow Bastion, Kairi’s home world, and sacrifices himself to free her heart. (Falling.. falling.. falling… into darkness.) She saves him using her PoL powers, before Sora has to go to the EotW(Darkness) to try to save Riku. The game ends with him reaching KH, giving his “KH is light!” speech, and meeting Mickey and Riku at the door.

(It’s also theorized that the light from KH came from Riku, given the speculation that he’s the Child of Destiny/he has some connection to KH).

CoM(although it's Naminé, not Kairi), Sora forgets his true memories -> Naminé reveals the truth & tries to guide him to his light (Riku or Kairi, although given that Kairi was a red herring in that game, his light is Riku) -> Sora falls asleep(Darkness) -> Sora wakes up after KH2’s Prologue(Light)

KH2, TWTNW, reunion scene, she asks Sora to close his eyes (darkness) and when he closes his eyes he sees Riku (the light), and also TWTNW -> RoD -> Destiny Islands

Interesting thing here to note is that Kairi acts as a bridge, closing the gap between Sora and Riku & opening Sora’s eyes to the truth.

For the 2nd case, Kairi leads Sora to TWTNW(Darkness) because she got kidnapped, Sora fights Org XIII, Sora and Riku fight Xemnas, they get stuck in the realm of Darkness, Kairi’s letter comes through and a door to light appears before them. They get to live & go home to the Realm of Light.

KH3, Kairi dies, Sora saves her and gets transported to Unreality(Darkness) -> ??

When Sora initially dies at the Keyblade Graveyard, we know that Kairi and Riku are the ones keeping him together. (Kairi keeps his form together, Riku’s words to Sora kept his heart and mind alive) However, when he abuses the Power of Waking & goes through the tunnel, he recognizes the light as Riku. But then when Sora abuses the PoW one last time to save Kairi, after YX’s speech about the “price to be paid”, Sora suddenly thinks Kairi is the light. There’s a subtle hint denying this claim (Kairi eclipsing the light they’re floating towards). This is where Kairi leads Sora into darkness again, and this does not get a resolution in KH3 (but hopefully will in KH4).

KHMoM, Kairi tries to get Sora back to no avail -> She steps aside so Riku can fulfill his role as Sora's knight in shining armor, as Cinderella going to the ball.

This is the part of the story that represents Kairi leading them back into light, I think.

And the opening sequence of KH1 could support this, too. I don’t know if Nomura truly planned it this way, but he could have made this connection later on and implemented it.

The opening sequence of KH3 is a copy of the opening sequence of KH1, but where Riku is supposed to be, is a ball of light instead. After that sequence, we’re greeted with The Final World, the Darkside, & the 1st chapter of KH3, beginning his journey(Light)..

Light, into Darkness, and back to Light.

Now compare this to KH1.

After the Riku portions(Light) Sora rises from the sea to meet up with Kairi. They smile at each other, before Kairi sees something behind Sora— and then Sora realizes that he’s still falling. Kairi acts shocked as Sora falls again, Sora lands in the Heart Stations. He fights some heartless, the Darkside(Darkness), then Kairi wakes him up beginning his journey(Light)..

Light into Darkness, and back to Light. The ending of these cycles always end in Light, and that Light is usually accompanied by Riku.

She's their bridge, their Chirithy, guiding Sora on the right path-- into darkness, back to their lights. She always leads Sora back to Riku, and Riku back to Sora. Sora and Riku are each others' light in the darkness. They do what they need to do once reunited, then, she finally guides them both to the end of their journeys.

So really, it’s Darkness into Light into Darkness into Light, but that’s just not catchy.

TL;DR Kairi is guiding Sora and Riku to each other, then to their rightful places.

P.S. Would it be more accurate to describe the endgame as Dawn? I described it as Darkness here because this is where we had to fight all the final bosses and vanquish the “darkness”, but may e it’d better be described as Dawn?