With Kingdom Hearts 4 separating Sora from the rest of the cast, the game will hopefully set up other characters to have more significant roles. Following the end on the Dark Seeker Saga, one particular character that could be fleshed out even more is Riku. Riku's been a fan favorite throughout the series, undergoing one of the most impressive character arcs since Kingdom Hearts 1, but Kingdom Hearts 4 can accomplish more with his character.
After the events of Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, Riku, with the power of waking and help from the Nameless Star, transports himself to Quadratum, the world Sora is currently lost in. Kingdom Hearts 4 is sending Riku on another search-and-rescue mission, similar to his mission to find Aqua in the Realm of Darkness in Kingdom Hearts 3. But players might hope that Riku's character could be more than just a static hero in the upcoming game. After Kingdom Hearts 3, it seems all of his loose ends from previous games were tidied up, so he needs something more to advance his story.
Riku Throughout the Kingdom Hearts Series
Throughout the Kingdom Hearts series, Riku's been at the forefront as the game's deuteragonist, yet his journey differed vastly from Sora's. Riku's story has been marked with guilt and conflict, as Riku's actions in Kingdom Hearts 1 resulted in him needing to resolve his struggles in subsequent games. In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Riku had to fight against the remnant of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, who constantly tried to influence Riku to give into darkness. Riku also had to fight against his replica, who personified himself as the fearless Riku who commanded darkness, irritating the real Riku who wanted to repent for his mistakes.
During Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts 2, Riku undergoes his redemption arc by helping restore Sora's memories and by fighting against Organization 13, even embracing the dark powers connected to Ansem to get the job done and to protect his friends. In Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, Riku proves his growth as a Keyblade Master, and by the time of Kingdom Hearts 3, Riku's matured and harnessed his dark powers to save his friends. Riku's development is certainly impressive given how grave his mistakes were in Kingdom Hearts 1.
Riku's Role in Kingdom Hearts 4 Can Evolve
However, Riku's role in Kingdom Hearts 3 wasn't all that impactful compared to his roles in previous titles. Despite Riku being playable in certain levels and having a decent amount of screentime, he was just another Keyblade wielder who served as Sora's helper throughout the game, appearing more as a major side character than a main character. By the end, all of Riku's personal problems have been resolved. He's no longer haunted by Ansem or darkness, his Replica accepted his fate, Namine was revived, and Kairi is back home and alive. The only thing left for Riku is to find Sora.
To make Riku's story in Kingdom Hearts 4 more interesting, a new source of conflict needs to personally affect him. One possibility would to introduce new adversaries like Yozora or another new or returning character, who could threaten Riku's life in the unfamiliar world or his relationships with Sora and the others. Maybe there could be a conflict that forces Riku to make tough decisions, such as trading lives or fighting allies, with Riku being manipulated again similarly to Kingdom Hearts 1. After all, Kingdom Hearts 4 is bringing in a new story and setting, so Riku doesn't know who to trust entirely.
After promising appearances in games like Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, Riku deserves more attention and action similarly to Sora. He can't just stay on the sidelines as a supportive ally for Sora and the crew, as he needs to forge his own path once more.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is in development.