Is Kairi that useless?

[HikariYami 354]

 I mean after KH1 she kind of disappeared sadly. She had potential.

Re:CoM she had some importance.

KH2: Kairi could have peacefully stayed in the island. It was not necessary for her to get kidnapped story would have fine.

Days: Not even in the focus other than the connection with Xion and stuff.

Re:Coded: see days

BBS: She is saved, like always, by Aqua and touches her keyblade and all that, which shows the connections between them.

DDD: She is going to get trained.

 

Lately, especially in KH2 ,l feel as if she is forced in the games more than she needs to be. Her role was fine in KH1, useful. She should have been a Mage.

It is like she is part of the trio, but there is no development behind her. I wish the would have developed her more so she would not she would not feel forced. Now, it is at the forcing point.

 

I think that she is not useless at all, but KH2 on forward she felt forced in when she is not needed to be.

Do I make any sense? No, probably not.

 

What do you think.

Edited December 28, 2012 by HikariYami

[Queen Tery 4,591]

I think... she's useful in her own useless kind of way. If that makes any sense.

[Weiss 8,279]

I think kh3 is when Kairi will finally get her chance to shine. She'll be able to fight along side the rest of the gang.

[Zola 3,038]

I think she just needs more development.  

 

I have finally found it in my heart to forgive her for being... Kairi.

[HikariYami 354]

I think... she's useful in her own useless kind of way. If that makes any sense.

Makes sense to me.

[aaronarrgh 41]

Yeah, the only time I thought she made an impact was in KH1 when Sora and Riku were somewhat "competing" over who gets to save her first. Even though she can wield a keyblade, I think even Lea will get more of a spotlight in KH3 than Kairi. 

[Queen Tery 4,591]

Makes sense to me.

 

Idk, just because a character doesn't fight or contribute CONSTANTLY doesn't make them "useless' per say. It just gives them less to stand out off of, so the fans tend not to notice.

[HikariYami 354]

Yeah, the only time I thought she made an impact was in KH1 when Sora and Riku were somewhat "competing" over who gets to save her first. Even though she can wield a keyblade, I think even Lea will get more of a spotlight in KH3 than Kairi. 

Probably so. She doesn't have a bigger fanbase than Lea.

[OkashiraKenrex 251]

I'm just hoping she can redeem herself in KHIII,in khII she was well too............girly?i don't knoow she just appears that way but in kh she seems more into it...

[riku13 148]

Yeah she is kinda useless, but she should toughen up by khIII.

[theultimatesorafan 684]

Love interest for the main hero.

[AnHeiressofaSOLDIER 358]

Kairi's only problem is that she doesn't get screentime. If you look back at the beta trailer for KHI, it strongly hints at one part of the game... Sora was going to be the one in need of saving, and then the saver would have been Kairi (because Riku was going to be the antagonist of the series at that point in development).

 

I've had this theory for a while, but sadly... I think in making Riku have such an impressive character arc, they had to sacrifice Kairi's. It is truly unfortunate, especially since Kairi's not a bad character. She has a ton of potential (just read some great fanfictions with her in them and you’ll see this); hopefully all of this will be remedied in KHIII. If we could just know her. Seriously. We know next to nothing about her. I want to know how she feels about things; I want to know how she's dealing with it all, more about her past, etc. Nomura made her Aqua’s Successor, and it's about time we saw her Aqua side.

 

To tell the truth, I'm more than disappointed she wasn't in DDD more. I could go into more detail with it, but I won't. But I just felt like 3D was a rehash of CoM in a lot of ways. Riku's character arc in it was kind of redundant and forced. Why couldn't Kairi have started being trained in the game instead of III or something? It just seems pointless to have waited.

 

Ugh. I swear, as much as I hate to admit it, I feel like Nomura's starting to run with the "yaoi fangirls" to make more money. And his desire for Naminé to be the main girl is making him brush Kairi aside more and more. It's a shame, because I think Kairi has much more to offer than her “clones”. I mean, unlike them she’s always had access to her heart for Christ’s sake! She's vibrant, strong, and feisty.

 

I liked that in KH1 Kairi was what made their trio function. She'd make sure Sora and Riku wouldn't kill each other through their silly rivalry. Or she'd tell Sora he shouldn't get water from the ocean. LOL. What happened to that girl?

 

I was a little miffed when Riku said it was "his job to keep Sora on his toes in 3D." I had always thought that was Kairi's job (and to make sure Riku was okay, too). But no. They're just reducing her to less and less. And it's so terrible. Because she has had growth and improvement (slightly weird personality change in KH2 aside). And the series just seems wrong without her somehow. Less meaningful. There's no denying that KHII, for instance, seems the better game since Sora was trying to save a kidnapped Kairi. In 3D, Sora and Riku were just taking their test, and it seemed shallow and all around unimportant.

 

I could go on about this forever, but it seems to me that what it really comes down to with Kairi's lack of inclusion so far... is that Nomura's written himself into a corner. For instance, in developing Days or something, the creators could have easily included Kairi in the game... Except for they'd already established in KH2 that she was living a normal life on the islands. See the problem? Hopefully, now that the series is starting to get back on track, and pull away from the massive detour it took, this will start to be averted. God, I hope so.

 

Kairi's a sweet, caring, mysterious girl that I'd like to know more about. There's so much to her, Square! Why must you neglect her? I mean, besides the awesome qualities that we already know, there are other things that haven't been explored! Like how she seems to know things in almost a psychic sort of degree. I want to know more about this, Square! I'm sick of all the Nobody and clone crap... Though I love those other characters to death, I am sort of irked that it made it impossible for Square-Enix to juggle all their characters that way.

 

Really, Kairi should have been the first one to get a game before the characters that were just recently invented. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh! Why couldn't the Organization have just kidnapped Kairi in CoM and had her have Naminé's role? (I know I'm going to get killed for saying that), but even though I truly love the other games... There's no denying that KHI is my favorite KH game, and I'm sad at how much unneeded and complicated things the series has added to it. Not only has it lost some of its charm that way, but also it made them pretty much make a perfectly fine character into a filler one. Grr.

Edited December 28, 2012 by DenizenofTwilight

[aaronarrgh 41]

Kairi's only problem is that she doesn't get screentime. If you look back at the beta trailer for KHI, it strongly hints at one part of the game... Sora was going to be the one in need of saving, and then the saver would have been Kairi (because Riku was going to be the antagonist of the series at that point in development).

 

I've had this theory for a while, but sadly... I think in making Riku have such an impressive character arc, they had to sacrifice Kairi's. It is truly unfortunate, especially since Kairi's not a bad character. She has a ton of potential (just read some great fanfictions with her in them and you’ll see this); hopefully all of this will be remedied in KHIII. If we could just know her. Seriously. We know next to nothing about her. I want to know how she feels about things; I want to know how she's dealing with it all, more about her past, etc. Nomura made her Aqua’s Successor, and it's about time we saw her Aqua side.

 

To tell the truth, I'm more than disappointed she wasn't in DDD more. I could go into more detail with it, but I won't. But I just felt like 3D was a rehash of CoM in a lot of ways. Riku's character arc in it was kind of redundant and forced. Why couldn't Kairi have started being trained in the game instead of III or something? It just seems pointless to have waited.

 

Ugh. I swear, as much as I hate to admit it, I feel like Nomura's starting to run with the "yaoi fangirls" to make more money. And his desire for Naminé to be the main girl is making him brush Kairi aside more and more. It's a shame, because I think Kairi has much more to offer than her “clones”. I mean, unlike them she’s always had access to her heart for Christ’s sake! She's vibrant, strong, and feisty.

 

I liked that in KH1 Kairi was what made their trio function. She'd make sure Sora and Riku wouldn't kill each other through their silly rivalry. Or she'd tell Sora he shouldn't get water from the ocean. LOL. What happened to that girl?

 

I was a little miffed when Riku said it was "his job to keep Sora on his toes in 3D." I had always thought that was Kairi's job (and to make sure Riku was okay, too). But no. They're just reducing her to less and less. And it's so terrible. Because she has had growth and improvement (slightly weird personality change in KH2 aside). And the series just seems wrong without her somehow. Less meaningful. There's no denying that KHII, for instance, seems the better game since Sora was trying to save a kidnapped Kairi. In 3D, Sora and Riku were just taking their test, and it seemed shallow and all around unimportant.

 

I could go on about this forever, but it seems to me that what it really comes down to with Kairi's lack of inclusion so far... is that Nomura's written himself into a corner. For instance, in developing Days or something, the creators could have easily included Kairi in the game... Except for they'd already established in KH2 that she was living a normal life on the islands. See the problem? Hopefully, now that the series is starting to get back on track, and pull away from the massive detour it took, this will start to be averted. God, I hope so.

 

Kairi's a sweet, caring, mysterious girl that I'd like to know more about. There's so much to her, Square! Why must you neglect her? I mean, besides the awesome qualities that we already know, there are other things that haven't been explored! Like how she seems to know things in almost a psychic sort of degree. I want to know more about this, Square! I'm sick of all the Nobody and clone crap... Though I love those other characters to death, I am sort of irked that it made it impossible for Square-Enix to juggle all their characters that way.

 

Really, Kairi should have been the first one to get a game before the characters that were just recently invented. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh! Why couldn't the Organization have just kidnapped Kairi in CoM and had her have Naminé's role? (I know I'm going to get killed for saying that), but even though I truly love the other games... There's no denying that KHI is my favorite KH game, and I'm sad at how much unneeded and complicated things the series has added to it. Not only has it lost some of its charm that way, but also it made them pretty much make a perfectly fine character into filler one. Grr.

 

At the part I highlighted, Riku said something very similar to Naminé in Chain of Memories in Twilight Town. But Sora also keeps Riku "on his toes" character-wise. In KH1, Sora slaps some sense into Riku about his douchiness, jealousy, and insecurities. In KH2, Sora always tries to make Riku think positive and upbeat, instead of being emo. 

 

And that would've been better, for Kairi to have Naminé's role in Chain of Memories! But I'm ok how that game went out overall.

[khoathkeeper13 429]

Yes, she has been useless about 90% of the time and she knows this. She expresses her dislike of it too. You know all the  "This time I'LL fight!" "I'm tired of waiting, so don't tell me to stay behind!"  "I wish I could fight like you and Riku... I know what you're thinking, but you guys shouldn't be the only ones getting hurt" stuff?

She's starting her training and I think she'll have a major role in KH3. Maybe she'll be the one doing the rescuing? I sure hope so or for the first time in my life I'll be greatly disappointed in Nomura.

Edited December 28, 2012 by khoathkeeper13

[AJTREY 70]

Yes, Kairi is just that useless

[Dracozombie 4,554]

Pretty much everything you said is the beef haters have with her.  It seems like Nomura just doesn't know what to do with her character, and in an action-packed series like KH, those who can't fight better damn well bring something important to the plate, or they'll get brushed aside.  Kairi's status as a Princess of Heart hasn't been given any attention since KH1, and since it was the only game that gave them significant focus, Kairi fell to the wayside.  BBS is the only other game that gave the Princesses of Heart some kind of importance, but it was hampered by it taking place ten years in the past where Kairi is too young to realistically do anything but exist, so they had to focus on the PoH old enough to be significant.

 

However, I'm optimistic for her future since she'll be using her keyblade, and since they didn't bother to develop her potential as a PoH, maybe they'll instead develop her as a keyblade wielder.  Everyone's getting those things these days, so she'll probably fit into the bigger picture better than before.

[Rayo_Rojo 253]

I just want more development in Sora and Kairi's relationship.

[Daniel Black 1,981]

I think she just needs more development.  

 

I have finally found it in my heart to forgive her for being... Kairi.

Just give the girl a chance. Maybe Kairi make the surprise in KH3 Who knows?

[TheKingdomkid 1,194]

I agree with everything DenizenofTwilight said.  She isn't useless really she has a lot of potential but they just don't use it.  In KH1 she was the main focus for Sora basically and then she kinda slowly faded away until KH2 where she got kidnapped again but it wasn't as big as a deal as it was in KH1.  Now a lot of the SoKai fans (me included) have there hopes up of there being some relationship making in future games but that will probably not happen but it really should.  Now from the secret ending in Dream Drop Distance is that it seems she will get a bigger role then ever before and that's fine but did they really have to wait for the secret ending to show that?  I mean it was kinda obvious to most people anyway.  But what Denizen said, I would also like to see and hear I guess on how she feels about all the stuff that has been happening and all that, and I really wish they had a cut scene at least where Sora and Riku are about to leave the island and Kairi is there and talking about how she wants to go and all that and stuff and really why wasn't she at the tower anyway?!?! you would think being Sora and Riku's best friend she would've been there to watch and wait as they took there mark of mastery test, I mean if my friends had to do something like that and I wasn't there to see it i would be so firetrucking pissed like really come on Square you really left that there all like "oh i bet people wouldn't even notice that shes not there" really come on but yea maybe if they had that cut scene of Sora and Riku leaving the island and saying why Kairi couldn't come (although I don't see why she wouldn't be able to) then maybe I wouldn't be so mad but since that isn't the case I am pissed but still.  Yes I will admit although I am a big Kairi Lover I have to say she has kinda fated from the story but hopefully she will get big character development and such in future games (and maybe get some Sora Kairi relationship I mean come on the Popu drawing in the cave those two have to talk about that sometime!!!)

[Rob 5,571]

If you call swinging a keyblade at some weak shadows useless.

[HelpMeRan-Sama 141]

I think... she's useful in her own useless kind of way. If that makes any sense.

This made me laugh so much.

 

And yes I think she's useless. Don't kill me orz.

 

But if she's gonna fight in KH3 can she be the healer or something lol. Imo she's not suited for HARDCORE KILLING YEAHH. And healers are great. We need more healers.

[Ruran 481]

Considering what we've been given I wouldn't call her "useless" because she's a wonderful plot device, just not much of a "character". I'm reluctant to call a character wholly "useless" when they only have about fifteen minutes of screen time in the entire series and Kairi's usually brought in only when they REALLY need her. Other wise she disappears off to the background somewhere only to be occasionally mentioned and waiting for the plot to need something convenient to happen to bring her in again.  

 

Though I do agree that after KH1 she became forced, especially in KH2 because it felt like the plot just had her running around because she was an established main character so they HAD to include her. Though the sad thing is that she really didn't have to feel so forced. Conceptually Kairi's a very interesting character but they don't take any of the ideas behind her anywhere or where they need to go or bother properly developing her and sadly, as Dracozombie mentioned, there's not much room for a none combatant character in a series like this so she got pushed to the way side instead of being explored. Which really makes her inclusion in KH2 disappointing because there really was a lot they could have done with her and unlike KH1 where she was unconscious we had the opportunity to see how she handles things and get more insight on her character. Some how though she turned out worse in KH2 than in 1 being reduced to a Sora fan girl who was defined by her relationship with him.

 

But while I consider Kairi over all a disappointment as a character I can't call her useless because when she's included directly into the story she usually does what she's supposed to do, no more no less, then disappears into the background or kept in a closet somewhere and taken once every few months to air out then put back.

[replika13 455]

Im gonna count on KH3. I wish Kairi will finally show her usefulness which she deserves.

Nomura should develop female characters like Kairi and Xion much more and give them respectful roles.

[Richard Seeger 1]

 No she isn't really useless, in BBS we learn she can actually use the keyblade and I am sure they are going to make of the next games concerning that, along with Lea/Axel learning how to use his.

 Trust me, she is important to the series as that is what Sora needed to get back to in which he did finally after II. She is bound to have an important role in a future title.

[Heike 53]

Well I wouldn't say she is useless. Hadn't she been Kidnaped in KH2 Sora wouldn't have so much passion in trying to kill the Organization and save her (He loves Riku (in no way (YAOI) but he loves even more Kairi)