Kingdom Hearts II Riku's hand

...I've explained that on the first page....

 

Guys.. this thread already ended. DX

We know it's an arm brace, because there's a picture, and in that picture it looks nothing like a bandage, it looks like an arm brace. Plus Riku is practically invincible, so his injuries wouldn't last too long.

 

Well, what if that injury was recent? Also, if it WAS an arm brace, why doesn't Riku ever move his left besides using Dark Aura in Kingdom Hearts II?

 

If you had an arm/wrist ingury, you wouldn't want to move your arm that much xP

 

That's my exact point that I've been trying to throw accross.

 

Riku fights with both hands in other games, but only one in this one, his other hand is bandaged, and doesnt swing as much when hhe walks, indicating that its been damaged. f you were hit with a 3 foot long metal key, wouldnt you be hurting a bit?

 

LMHO! It would hurt a bit, but the 3 foot long metal key isn't the point the point here. My point is that Dark Firaga could have done some side effect damage to his wrist.

 

That's a possibility.

Personally, I think it's actually just an accesory. Most video game characters have stuff like that.

 

You said it yourself that you wouldn't want to move around your arm too much if it had an injury on it.

 

I found out why Riku has his arm in a brace!!!

*SPOILER!*
http://www.kh-vids.net/newplayer.php?id=dnincg_SeZ8

Look real closely at 1:29!

Riku takes a big shot from Roxas, and he blocks it primarily with his left arm. Me may have only partially blocked it with his Dark Shield.

Also, Riku stumbles and is wounded.

And this scene apparently happened the day before KH2 started with Roxas. So, Riku might not have had time to heal yet. He was after all, hit by one of the most powerful weapons in existance... so saying he is almost invincible doesn't mean anything.

 

It's aesthetic, it wasn't made a story point therefore speculation is alright but not to the dramatic level it has thus escalated (unless KH3 proves otherwise). Regardless, shame on people who spouted off an "Riku is emo" comment.

What I find immensely astounding is that people comment on something he wears on his arm and make no notice of his entire wardrobe revamping...which if it needs to be pointed out is quite an overhaul between games. I wonder why people cannot connect that, if he can find an entire new set of clothing why can't he find a funny little arm-decoration thing?

As stated earlier, speculation is fine as per the Nomura Loophole clause but I don't really think it is something drastic. And if his arm is indeed burned from the Dark Firaga or whatever other theory was spouted off...shouldn't there be some marks from the times he went into Dark Mode (the black, blue and red...suit thing)?

Doesn't work, one doesn't lean on the arm that is primarily wounded, which he does...it is easy to miss the block though considering how dark it is. I personally think he blocks with both arms in addition to the shield, the actual injury he probably suffers isn't so much from either arm but the effect of the weapon, etc.

However, the bottom line and most confirming evidence he did not injure his left arm is that he LEANS ON IT after going down. He also fires off a Dark Firaga with his right in this.

 

I'm still thinking it's an injury like a sprain probably from his fight since he has been seen using both hands in holding his sword prior etc and this time he just fires powers from it. It's obviously not broken since he does move it about and can get into a scene of grappling with Xemnas, but he does not do much with the wrist unless he has to.

Some of you mentioned Dark Firaga but I doubt that is it at all. He used Dark Firaga repeatedly in CoM and Dark Aura, the harsher version than the one in KH2. I don't think the powers has anything to do with it but it may. I could be wrong there but it just doesn't seem to fit. I do think the sprained wrist came from fighting Roxas just as Roxas also wears the bandaids on his fingers. He obviously didn't get hurt horribly since its a brace, but a sprained wrist can be a bother.

Riku did seem to recover quick from the fight where he had his back slammed by Xemnas pretty quickly though some of that I wonder if it wasn't because of the doorway to light that was formed and returning home. He did seem a lot better once he was back on DI. He wasn't walking very fast before entering the door.

 

Another thing I noticed...

Riku always had his palm up throughout CoM... but in KH2, he has his handed extended straight, almost as if his left hand is injured, I now believe that he may have been injured.

Also, he was hit with two keyblades on that arm... even if he heals like Wolverine... that hit still has to linger for a while.

 

The bandages you mention, are they the white and black things on his (Roxas's) fingers? If so (as in they are), they're actually rings if you look closely at the game art. The reason why they are blended in on Roxas's hand in the cutscenes is because it's easier to render so.

*also, quick-edited my previous post*

*EDIT*
Most injuries do not exist in KH unless pertinent to story or plot progression. Hence why I doubt this sprained-arm theory as being "canon".

 

That's the point. It -does- have plot progression. Riku went through a lot and the brace shows it since they obviously didn't want to go through breaking limbs on him to show his rough year.

 

Yeah... I noticed it too, but... his elbow is beant, and does not appear to be braced, meaning he isn't putting much weight on it. He seems to be leaning almost all his weight on his right knee, and only using his left hand to balance himself.

Also, you will notice that even in Ansem Form, he covers his left hand, and even when you battle him in Ansem Form, he still has the locked right wrist. So its entirely possible that thats where he sustained his injury.

He may have blocked it with both arms, but his left arm was further forward, so if any part of him would get injured its going to be his left arm.

As far as "Injuries only happen if it advances the plot" Maybe when they were designing the new Riku character, someone said, "If Riku is supposed to have lost the fight to Roxas once... shouldn't he be injured?" So Nomura said... "Right, put an armbrace and a limp on him!"

 

That's probably exactly how it went, ICSP. Just to have some sign of injury, be it that it wasn't that important. I could so see that as the logic.

 

I will concede the blasted video is far too small and dark/dim for me to give a 100% evaluation on his condition (I was judging mainly by overall stance), however for someone who is right-hand dominant, I find it *strange* that he leans on his left arm (a detail, if it were an error, would be staggering given the amount of time put forth into making everything else perfect). Xehanort's Heartless also had a habit of folding his arms in the exact same manner.

You're free to speculate, but I assure you all, a loose sock does not equal to an arm brace. Riku might not be a genius but getting a brace for a sprained arm is not beyond basic logic. I know people will probably argue the viability of a sock vs bandages for sprained limbs...but compare the texture of say, what the objects are:
Riku- his arm ornament of great debate.
Raijin- and his OWN wrist ornaments to compare.
Cloud- and his sword's actual...binding/band-aid things.
I doubt Nomura, a reputable artist would make as horrible as an inconsistency of an arm sock with say, Raijin's wristgaurds or Cloud's sword bindings. Check the top and sides especially of Riku's arm sock, it is thick with softness and wrinkles, something which is meant to brace or be stiff will not wrinkle according to Nomura's style (compare how Raijin's wristGUARDS do not wrinkle despite sharing one of the weirdest cloth similarities with each other). And if the boy could find a spare set of clothing I believe he could find a more suitable arm brace....

On a final note, Nomura is not known for making practical character designs, colorful yes, fully-functioning...not so much. I agree Riku had his struggles but I do not think nor believe that he was in a dire enough situation that his arm was sprained/injured and he lacked the necessary supplies to find something better than an arm sock to aid him (and given he could pilfer better things at any moment, I see no reason why he couldn't).

....And long live the Nomura Loop Hole clause. 8D

 

For those who say Rikus nobody is impossible I wouldent put it right out there.

Remember before you fought ansem for the first time in the end of the world?

'Don't bother his heart belongs again to darkness'

At the time Xehanorts heartless was using rikus body to become a physical being.

And when he said 'his heart belongs again to darkness' In other words he said his heart went back to kingdom hearts. Later when Ansem was defeated I asume his body returned to him. Which would trigger a similar nobody to sora. One without a memory ect.

 

This is about Riku having an injury...not about him having a Nobody, which he does not have a Nobody any way. Nomura, when asked directly about Riku having a Nobody said he does not have one.

And yes, ICSP pointed out with the video the point I was referring to that Riku may have been injured which would not have been a year ago etc. It was only probably a day or two at most before Roxas's part in KH2 in the fake Twilight Town.

Also, Riku has used both hands in fighting so he's ambidextrous, even if he does tend to use the right hand more. Riku just tends to fight with one hand -or- the other one whereas Sora will use both hands simultaneously often when he fights. The brace isn't that 'durable' sure, but if his wrist bothered him to put pressure on it, it might have helped. In the end, it is not a very good brace but it doesn't seem Riku was given much either. He's not like Sora, who seemed to be given things constantly including new clothing by friends here and there.