Riku Replica

OOC INFORMATION
Name: Mega
Contact: AIM - derpisms; dorked
Other Characters: N/A

CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Riku Replica
Age: Physically 15. A few weeks in actuality.
Canon: Kingdom Hearts
Canon Point: Post-death
Character Information: Here!

Personality: When one looks at the Riku Replica, one of the first traits that sticks out is his stubborn streak. This manifests even before he gets his memories rewritten by Naminé, and it shows even in his last moments. When the Replica puts his mind to something, he'll do it, even if it kills him. When Riku defeated him in their very first fight, he didn't wimp out. No, he claimed he was new, that he'd become better, stronger, and eventually beat Riku just as he'd planned.

Post-rewrite, this gets dialed up to eleven. Believing it's his duty to protect Naminé, he acts like a guard dog, snapping at anyone who gets in his way, even Sora. The Replica initially believes that Sora no longer cares, that Naminé's sick of him, and that he doesn't care about the Replica's feelings or hers. This causes friction between the two, as Sora genuinely believes he's Riku and continues reaching out to him, trying to "jog his memory." It gets worse when the Replica learns that Sora shares his precious memory of the promise he made with Naminé. He even has a fake, lookalike charm! Rather than stop, think rationally, and consider the possibility that something's amiss, the Replica jumps to the worst conclusion-- Sora's trying to get in the way of him and Naminé, making up lies to take her away. Thus, Sora becomes a threat, and he grows more and more violent towards him, even trying to kill him until Naminé intervenes.

His stubbornness also leads him to face Riku at the end of the game, believing that the only way he can be real is to kill him and take his place. The odds don't matter. He's so determined to be someone that he develops tunnel vision, not stopping to consider Naminé, Sora, or anyone else. And that's the thing: when the Replica puts his mind to something, he'll do it regardless of the risks. He's an incredibly driven individual, for better or worse, and that's ultimately what killed him.

This feeds right into the Replica's next major trait: his aggressiveness. The Replica does not do well with the possibility that he's wrong. When pushed to the limit, he will snap, verbally and physically, with little regard to his opponent's safety. When the Replica's angry, he practically explodes, and his temper's so short that it doesn't take much. Threaten Naminé? He becomes furious. Insult him by calling him weak or emphasizing that he's a fake? Better watch out. He also doesn't do well with situations he can't comprehend, such as Sora's eerily similar memories. In such situations, he becomes highly defensive, believing the other side is in the wrong, not him.

But this isn't to say that the Replica's always a fuming mess. In his very first appearance, he's actually very smug, snarky, and confident. For the bulk of the game, he thinks he's the toughest guy on the block. Unlike Riku, he wields darkness like an extension of himself. He's not some coward. Oh, and Naminé? He's the only one strong enough to protect her, and no one, not even Larxene or Marluxia, will stop him. He frequently taunts his enemies, as shown by the way he mocks Riku's fear of the darkness and Sora's desperate attempts to "jog his memory".

Which brings us back to Riku. Arguably his most important relationship is his connection to his original. Now, the Replica initially sees Riku as a weakling and a loser, showing no fear in facing him and not really thinking of himself as just a cheap double. After losing, he's convinced he'll just have to do better... and then his memories get reworked, and he forgets that he is a replica. The Replica then becomes Riku, albeit a Riku who's abandoned everything from the islands to his old friends. He sees everyone back home as losers who held him back. His entire identity at this point hinges less on what made Riku Riku and more on his promise to protect Naminé...

But after she smashes his heart, he remembers. He realizes he's just a copy, and while he's able to put on a strong front in front of Marluxia, insecurities start to slip through the cracks. He says that he's "just an imitation," openly admits that he never had anything but his promise, and once Marluxia's gone, he becomes very, very lost. However, those insecurities are tucked under an aloof guise; even with his internal woes, he covers it with overconfidence, refusing to appear weak. This ultimately drives him towards his demise.

He wants to be someone else. He doesn't want to just be Riku 2.0, and he goes to great lengths to try and achieve this, killing and draining the power from Zexion, trying to kill Riku himself. Riku goes from weak loser to an obstacle, someone who's keeping him from truly living. That tunnel vision I mentioned earlier? Well, it also stops him from considering that, oh, killing Riku might upset Sora as well as Naminé, the only two people he really cares about. He's so desperate to break free from the role he was given that he'll do anything and everything to get there.

And yet, when Riku beats him, he exposes his vulnerabilities to him, asking him what will happen to his heart when he dies, and the funny part? Riku actually consoles him. In his last moments, the Replica doesn't really lash out like before. In the GBA version of the game, he gives the snarky remark of, "How original..." In the PS2 version, he says something drastically different, admitting he's a faithful replica to the end, and that's okay. This suggests that he might've warmed up to Riku a little bit, though there'd certainly be lingering friction.

Just like Riku, Sora and Naminé are major players in the Replica's life story. While it's true that the Replica sees Sora as a threat and an enemy at first, towards the end of the game, the Replica realizes just how much he'd hurt Sora and treats him very differently. He's willing to jump in, help him fight Marluxia, and even asks for permission to protect Naminé, where before he would've done so without hesitation. When Sora tries cheering him up by insisting he's his own person, the Replica no longer snaps at him. Instead, he admits that Sora's a good guy, smiling weakly before he turns away. I suspect that because Sora showed him genuine kindness, he really did want to be his friend, but his own insecurities kept him from pursuing that path. All the same, his late-game interactions with Sora show that he can be swayed from his preconceptions and learn from his mistakes. It might take a lot of hardships for him to realize his faults, but underneath all his rage, rashness, and replica issues lies a good heart.

Naminé, naturally, is his driving force and one of the only people he treats kindly before his heart gets smashed. His memories show him a scared little girl who he swore to protect, thus, everyone who tries to harm her becomes a threat. Anyone who wants to see her must go through him. In her presence, however, he's much calmer, speaking softly, smiling, and encouraging her. The moment Larxene gives her a hard time, he steps in, telling her to back down. And, while he learns that the promise is fake, he's still willing to return to her aid, because the promise really means so much to him and because it's all he has. Through Naminé, we see that the Replica is very loyal to the people he cares about.

Lastly, I feel that it's important to touch upon his relationship to the Organization. Now at first, he really doesn't care one bit about them, not even Vexen. While Vexen created him, he talks to him the same way that he spoke to Riku-- with heavy amounts of confidence, suggesting he doesn't look up to Vexen, but sees him as the convenient means to his existence. Worse, when Vexen agrees to let Naminé change his memories, he goes from creator to betrayer. How dare he turn the Replica into just another loser?

But arguably his most personal enemy in the Organization is Larxene. After all, she's the one who suggested getting his memories tweaked in the first place, talks down to him like he's just some toy, and he reacts to her... just as you might expect: with violence. Yes, the Replica attacks Larxene, but his efforts prove fruitless. His anger quickly changes to fear as he begs her not to change his memories. You could argue that she's the source of all his strife. After all, it's thanks to her that he lost what little identity he had in the first place.

Post-rewrite, he has very few face-to-face reactions with other Organization members. Nonetheless, he shows that he's not afraid to face any of them, not even Marluxia, who holds power over Castle Oblivion. What's interesting is that he doesn't actually attack any of them until after his heart gets shattered, suggesting that he reluctantly worked with them in order to stay with Naminé. He never speaks to Lexaeus, and his only interaction with Zexion occurs when he takes the weakened Nobody, strangles him to death, and sucks out his power, showing a complete disregard for him altogether... and then there's Axel.

The two only really interact briefly. During the Re:CoM credits, Axel is shown walking up to the Replica, and then we see that him manipulate the Replica by tricking him into thinking that killing Zexion will make him real. Seeing how that didn't work, I believe that the Replica would carry with him bitterness and even hate towards Axel, who ultimately led him on the path to his death.

5-10 Key Character Traits: Protective, Stubborn, Loyal, Sarcastic, Arrogant, Brave, Cocky, Impulsive
Would you prefer a monster that FITS your character’s personality, CONFLICTS with it, or EITHER? Fits!
Opt-Outs: Troll, Goblin, Vampire, Nymph, Kelpie

Roleplay Sample: here, here, here

Mostly just plotting some options for if Rep gets accepted!