How Do You Feel About the Characters' Similarities?

I wasn't sure where to post this since it's just a general Kingdom Hearts topic. Mods feel free to move it if there's a better location.

Do you all like the similarities between various characters throughout the series? Here's some examples I thought of off the top of my head. (Spoilers from basically every game btw)

Spoiler

Similar Name:
Master Xehanort, Xehanort the apprentice
Ansem the wise, Ansem (Heartless), Riku (as Ansem)
Riku, Riku Replica
Terra, Terranort
Ventus, Vanitas
x-blade, Keyblade
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Similar appearance:
Sora, Vanitas
Roxas, Ventus
Riku, Riku Replica
Organization XIII and their former selves
Terra, Terranort, Xehanort the apprentice, Xemnas
Master Xehanort, Terranort, Xehanort the apprentice, Xemnas, Ansem (heartless), Riku (as Ansem)
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Similar connections:
Sora, Vanitas, Ventus, Roxas, Xion, Namine, Kairi
Riku, Riku Replica, Riku (as Ansem), Ansem (heartless)
Terra, Master Xehanort, Terranort, Xehanort the apprentice, Xemnas, Ansem (heartless)
Normal worlds, Worlds in Sora's memory, Worlds coded into data, Sleeping worlds

I've heard a lot of people say they like the plot of KH1 the most because the sequels can get pretty confusing for your average player.
Do you think these character parallels add depth to the series and make it more interesting, or would you rather everything be more clearly laid out?

 

I like it just the way it is. It's not really that confusing if you think about it a lot and/or you are addicted to it. In my case, it's the latter.
I think it makes the series more interesting. Kinda like the whole evil twin thing, before it was cliche.

 

I, personally, enjoy the series' complexity. :)

One of the central themes in Kingdom Hearts is "being connected"--no matter what distance, death, or distrust separates you. In each title, the main characters usually end up separated from one another but their hearts stay connected. In the end, they are always reunited.

I kind of see the complex inter-connectiveness of the characters as a reflection of this theme. I also see it as a way to express that everyone is important, because it takes many individuals to shape a single one. A character like Xion, for example, who is considered less than a Nobody, is actually vital to influencing Roxas and Axel. Her mere existence changes the entire course of the storyline.

 

I guess, since I've been playing this series for so long, The series wouldn't be the same without it's complex structure.

Each character has their own charm that attribute to it. When put together, the story really comes together. Each step that one character takes influences another, then another. As each story unfolds for each character, we the viewer, are on edge to see what comes next!

Granted the story line is very focused. Meaning that if you miss even one game, then you can easily become lost. Plus the disney aspect really had a way of drawing people in. Having Mickey as a Keyblade bearer and Yen Sid as a former master seems really abrupt, but necessary.

The fact that each character look like another isn't just a coincidence. Each commonality is explained and make sense with the core of the game. (Depending on which game your playing)

But I can see how somebody could hate the story. simple plot for the simple minded.

 

I don't think the series would be the same without this complexity. I mean, you could have a game with a bunch of names and make it complex like that, but with this you've got people with either similar names, or people taking names from other people, which can make the game complex in its own way, which is a nice way. I'm not sure how the game would be if we didn't have these similar names, because then it just wouldn't feel like Kingdom Hearts

 

Spoiler

It makes a lot of sense actually. The similarities between Sora and Ven's appearances and personalities are a result of Sora sharing his heart with Ven in BBS. Roxas's appearance is a direct result of this as well. The Riku/Repliku similarities are pretty self explainitory, but Repliku eventually develops a bit of his own personality. I'll admit, trying to keep Master Xehanort, Terranort, Ansem SoD and Ansem the Wise separate while I explain nuances to my brother is a bit annoying, but using the fan names makes it a lot easier. I think that the people who complain about the complexity of the character similarities are the ones who aren't paying attention as well as they could be, or the ones who don't do additional research. If I didn't understand something in the games, I wiki'd it.

I just really want to know how Nomura ties it all together.

 

I don't think a simple plot is necessarily less interesting. All of the classic Disney stories have simple plots for example, but that doesn't make them less meaningful or enjoyable.

I like this. The connections that characters have to each other definitely add depth to the story imo, but at the same time it can make things feel very jumbled up. I feel like you should be able to piece together all the important ideas of the story just by reflecting on it, rather than needing to look it up on a wiki or even read through the Ansem reports.
I think it all rests on the writers' shoulders now to bring the plotlines together so that people can more easily appreciate the connections that make these characters so dynamic.

 

True. I love the disney classics and even some of the current disney movies. But I just love story's with complex plot twists. When you know what's gonna happen before it happens, the story becomes bland and basic. Though sometimes, it's great to go with cliche. depends all on personal preference I suppose.