Keyblades are a crutch

Because I apparently spam the threads. xD



This is one I’ve had issue with for a while tbh. Now I’m not gonna whine about how everyone has one- rather what I have issue with is ‘why’ they have them.

The keyblade is basically treated like a promotion for a character now and that isn’t a good thing. It’s a crutch. Now you can’t be important unless you have a keyblade which destroys any uniqueness among characters.

Such as Kairi. Kairi should’ve been developed a long time ago. At least starting with Kh2 as I think her roles in KH1 and CoM were fine.
Rather than developing her in a more unique way, they’re just slapping a keyblade on her and saying “here ya go”. Kairi is a Princess of Heart. Yes the title seems silly but there’s only 7 of these beings in existence. We seen Kairi turn a heartless back into Sora. We know they have powers similar but unique to the keyblade, keyholes and the world at large.

She didn’t need a keyblade. Show me some unique powers and gameplay style to her.

Then there’s Axel. He already had a unique weapon and style and development. Whether Axel and the other nobodies should’ve came back is debatable but one thing that isn’t is his keyblade feels forced.

Then there was Riku. I found this one the most damaging. Riku develops from a dick in KH1 to this unique and powerful warrior in CoM. Riku’s existence with darkness is so unique that it highhandedly changed Mickey’s mind on it. Mickey has been around, he saw what Xehanort did with darkness, he’s been in the dark realm, to have this one boy change his world view meant something.

Riku already developed to tame darkness, instead of keeping this or perhaps showing him move past the keyblade he’s just randomly given one, OFF SCREEN, in KH2. Then the story proceeds to go in reverse and move Riku backwards. Yes he’s still a well developed character but to see him go from this existence so unique to just another keyblade wielder was just really disappointing.

My issue is the keyblade is a promotion now. If you want to be important or a main character, you need one. Before, characters were just relevant because they were. They had unique powers and skills to bring to the table.

The keyblade is homogenizing the characters.

That being said I don’t mind if more than one keyblade wielder exists. I just want reasons FOR that. I want to see them earn it or in the case of BBS, that be the set up for their character.

For example, I don’t mind Chi. The story set up is that it takes place in the old universe. It depicts the keyblade war and by definition lots of keyblade wielders will exist as a result. That doesn’t bother me.

Lots of keyblades don’t bother me, it’s what it’s coming to stand for that bothers me.

 

Huh Between here and other places I've placed it I've gotten a small number of likes. Figured this was on of my "only I would like" things. lol

Also. I think adding more detail to the keyblades backstory is becoming detrimental. Not that some things shouldn't be added but it seems it's being done a bit too much.

 

Axel is a fave among staff too I think which is likely his constant revival card which...really isn't a good thing. I think it also kinda really hurts Xehanort's character. His Aizen level BS for plots and foresight is already kinda ruining him but his keyblade also kinda cheapens it or makes you wonder why his halves never used it before.

When Xehanort was this potentially amnesiac but incredibly dangerous person he had an air of uniqueness for himself. He didn't need one, he was dangerous simply for his mind and lack of morality. I didn't mind the old version having one to an extent but if his memories really weren't gone it adds some headache and questions.

Riku and Kairi's bother me the most I think. Riku's was literally off screen for no reason and Kairi was an accident....that's their solution for her, accidents. I'm also kinda lost on why none of these people have unique abilities. They all share the largely same spells and powers, many of which were taken from Sora's movesets in KH1 & CoM.
DDD Riku and Aqua have a few spells only they can use but it's just further homogenizing them to deny them unique abilities....

All the pointless Keyblade info each game adds also kinda hurts it. Liiiikkkkeee there's several keyblades';
Dark Realm: Mickey has one, needed it to close that huge KH1 door but why did we need this distinction if they all function the exact same way? It'd be easier to just say Mickey went there because the door has to be sealed on both sides.
Light Realm: all the ones we see among the cast. Again why such distinction?
Keyblade of Heart: the thing Riku-Ansem uses in KH1. Okay it's made from the 7 PoH, if that's the case then how was it functioning when it was incomplete without Kairi? What purpose did it have when just having the 7 PoH, their hearts free, in the same location opens the final keyhole and the door?
Xblade: Good idea on paper, not so much in execution.

 

The official logic right now, just from in-game journal stuff alone, is that any dark realm keyblade would work. All that is required is that a wielder with a keyblade from the light realm and dark realm stand on each side and seal that door.

However it is also stated that the only difference between light and dark realm keyblades is their origin. Meaning they have all the same powers and functions. It's never stated if there's just one or if there's a dark counterpart to every keyblade made.
But the fact that they have literally no difference in how they work, to me, makes it feel like a moot point to make. It's a superfluous bit of information in a sense.

It's never really stated why the dark realm keyblade Mickey found looked like it did and how he found it in 0.2 is iffy at best. I'm assuming myself that each keyblade has a dark counterpart but that's just my headcanon. All we know is these keyblades only differ in origin and Mickey found one that looks like the Kingdom Key which was the keyblade meant for Riku but found it's way to Sora.

So to this end my mind views it as pointless information. If there's no difference then why have it ya know? Granted this may exist at retroactive lore. The series was never truly planned out so lots of stuff is added as it goes. Mickey's Star Seeker keyblade in BBS may just be a retroactive addition to explain what he used prior to KH1.

Hmmm not a bad point at all. It makes sense but I was thinking from a writers standpoint.
You'd think that by the logic of the Keyblade of Heart and Final Keyhole that the 7 PoH would have to be made into a complete keyblade for it to work but the keyhole was immediately completed the moment Kairi's heart was freed and Sora was using that incomplete keyblade as the keyhole completed meaning it was automatic.

I probably wouldn't mind as much if we saw more of this keyblades abilities but all we really know is that it seems to be a singular keyblade whereas others are more of a group. This keyblade also seems to be capable of releasing hearts by default when, normally, only a true keyblade master can do this using a normal keyblade. (like Xehanort does)