Roxas Is The Best

ITS TIME EVERYONE! We got a blond BOYO to discuss, and he's the best of the best from kingdom hearts! Let's talk about ROXAS!

[@exera47]

Roxas has been my favorite KH character for a long time, and one of the main reasons comes from how he treats Xion. His dynamic with her is incredible because he not only cares for her safety and wellbeing, but also supports her goals and believes in her ability and strength. For example, when Xion loses her keyblade in 358, he doesn't hesitate to double his workload to help her. He encourages her and when she gets it back, he's so excited for her. He never doubted that she could do it. I hope we can see this same kind of confidence in Kairi coming from Riku and Sora someday.

[@thatguywithapencil]

EXACTLY! I didn't even really cover how healthy and supportive his relationship with her is, but that is a major factor why he's so great! Honestly, I'd love to see it continue now that their resurrected, and I also hope he spreads the positivity to the full him.

[@kieranroche597]

Even when I only had experienced Roxas through KH2 Roxas was my favorite character. The struggle for identity and individuality is always compelling, it's like Jean Val Jean in Les Mis.

[@thatguywithapencil]

YES! THIS ONE! THIS ONE RIGHT HERE!

[@serene1929]

This is what i genuinely love about Roxas’s character: Roxas NEVER once let circumstances define him as a person. Every single time he was faced with a problem, Roxas turned towards himself and ask, “what can i do to fix this situation?” He never once complain about the situation he was in, he didn’t complain that he was worked to the bone when his strength was sapped by Xion, he just kept going. He didn’t complain when Axel insisted keeping the truth away from him, he respected Axel’s decision and basically said, “you do you, but at the same time i have a right to not trust you anymore”. He was devastated when Xion perished, but he didn’t complain about how unfair destiny was, he saw a chance to get Xion back and he went for it 1000%. And it’s the same situation in KH2 aswell, at first he was forced to gave himself up for Sora, again, no complains about how DiZ didn’t give him any shred of respect, or how Fate was cruel to him. And then Axel died to save Sora, the person who took (almost) everything from Roxas. Roxas wanted to know WHY it had to be Sora and not himself, he challenged Sora, and lost. If it were any other person, i think at this point they would break down in tears and go on a monologue about how they didn’t deserve this, they did nothing wrong , etc. However, this is Roxas, and he proved that there is one thing you can’t take away from a person: How they choose to respond to a situation. And so, after he tried everything to get his life back and failed, he chose to accept failure honourably, acknowledging Sora won fair and square, hence, “You make a good Other”. Later on in DDD he said to Sora, “It could’ve been the other way around, but it really has to be you. There are so many hearts that are connected to yours.” Just the way Roxas was able to see the bigger picture, understanding why it had to be Sora, and finally how he could accept harsh circumstances that weren’t even his fault proved how strong mentally he was as a person. I love how Roxas as a character defines what a “strong person” means, it isn’t about how you’re strong enough to NOT shed tears and being upset, it’s about having the guts to accept that being devastated is okay and coming to terms with it. Another thing surrounding Roxas which i found heartwarming was the actual reason he returned in KH3. Nomura revealed he brought Roxas back because the fans cherish him. I love this explanation more than the in-game reason, because imagine this: why is it that the fans like Roxas? Dual wielding? Sora can dual wield. His appearance? You have Ventus in the story, and they share the same VA. And this is the moment anyone would realize that despite Roxas being a nobody, the lesser part of Sora, he has successfully established himself as an actual character. Neither his appearance or his powers were the traits that defined Roxas’s character. It was his personality, his outlook towards life, and his motivations. I find this heartwarming because of how genuine it is, Nomura didn’t write, “after 358/2 days Roxas is going to be a beloved character by the fans, so he’s going to return.” Imagine writing a character compelling enough even though both his appearance and his powers(arguably) are only borrowed from someone else to the point the audience acknowleged your character for the very thing he’s supposed to lack: an identity of his own. TL;DR; Roxas didn’t let circumstances define him as a person, he didn’t even let his powers or even his appearance define him. It has always been his thoughts, his outlook, his motivations, his decisions. So yeah, i definitely agree, he is the best character in KH. Sorry for posting a long essay. Props to anyone who managed to read this entirely.

[@thatguywithapencil]

That is facts! Roxas is a character who was filled with an inhuman determination to live his own life, defined by him, with choices by him, to a degree even higher than Sora. In a way, he's Sora's opposite, with his whole story being about his own autonomy compared to Sora being pulled along by his friends. I think its a great dichotomy! Exactly! Whenever Roxas is put in a place where his person is compromised, he accepts it. Even without choice, he makes it his choice to accept it. No complaints. He just understands. AND YES! Roxas, of all people, a person who didn't ask to be born and did not want to die, when the world told him he was not the one to live, when he lost to his other, he didn't break. He smiled. He respected his role and his other, and went proudly into the night. EXACTLY! Roxas is strong enough to understand his place in life even if he would like otherwise. No matter how much it hurts. I love that he is the one, deep in the World That Never Was, within the heart of the man who bested him, he tries to save him. Because he knows that Sora is the key to so many others. That is amazing. That the story of Roxas, a copy of a copy with nothing to his own but himself the character, touched so many people that the creator of the series had to bring him back. No other reason than a fraction of a man being so good that he touched the souls of so many. TL DR : Roxas is Roxas, no matter what. And that's amazing. YES! And thank you for leaving the essay! I love reading stuff like this.

[@Kjwippy]

Roxas was always my favorite. Days was my first KH game, and honestly he was just awesome. I knew of sora but sora was obnoxiously way too happy all the time. Roxas had character and depth, and his tragedy always broke me as a kid and even now.

[@thelaststorm6311]

I’ve been watching your kingdom hearts stuff again recently, u should make some more vids with your more recent video styles love kh and roxas

[@hillaryslack2884]

I really like Roxas he has a great character arc and is one of maybe ten people that have a complete character arcs as of KH3. Most characters are somewhere in the middle of their arc but that is alright after all it is an ongoing story. However because he has a finished character arc I will admit that really had no guess as to what his next arc would be about for a long time. I did know that I wanted to see more of Roxas and Xion now that they were back to life and everything but I really wasn't sure what I wanted them to do. I know that they are somewhat tied to Lea and Isa who have ties to Subject X and freeing her but I really have no clue how soon those treads are going to show back up, and also Lea and Isa might want to do the Subject X storyline mostly by themselves. Then about a month ago it hit me. One of the theories that I had for a while is that the foretellers are going to take over Twilight Town and we are going to lose it as a hub/home world. It was one of those things that it just makes so to much sense to me that I really have a hard time seeing it not happen. Though I am not sure when it will happen. However Roxas, and Xion are now treating Twilight Town as their home or at lest it is hinted that they are. I think that their next arc is going to be dealing with losing their home not really understanding why they are so upset about the fact and learning what home means to them. If the lost of Twilight Town doesn't happen then I am sure that the writers will come up with something really great. KH writers are really good and I honestly only have a few characters that I actively disliked that is almost always because of a lack of information about the character rather then because the character is bad. As for Roxas being part of being Sora back. I honestly think that Sora is mostly going to have to being himself back. Characters like Roxas, Riku, Ventus, Xion, Kairi, and Namine might have little parts in helping but Sora is likely going to have to do most of it on his own. I wouldn't mind Roxas being a bigger part of getting Sora back but I really thing that the realm of light is going to start going down hill very fast in the near future and the people that are looking for Sora and going to have to put their search on hold to deal with the foretellers and any other bad people that might start showing up soonish.

[@thatguywithapencil]

You’re right about very few characters having arcs completed. Thing is, I feel like characters can get new arcs, and I feel like KH3 should have been a hard conclusion to pretty much all the arcs. However, you’re also right about it being an ongoing narrative, but I’m just getting worried. I like your interpretation for Roxas and Xion's next possible arc! It makes sense since they have so little experience with their hearts, and the Foreteller's taking over worlds is very likely, so seeing them grow through more turmoil would be fantastic! I know, especially since Sora is the main character, that he's likely to bring himself back. I just think it’d be cool if Roxas could actually help his other half in a big way. However, you’re right, Roxas wielding Oathkeeper and Oblivion in defense of the Realm of Light to make up for the loss of his other half, would be amazing. I hope we get more different playable characters. Thanks so much for your comment!

[@hillaryslack2884]

@@thatguywithapencil Your welcome. And I agree that those people that have completed arcs are most likely going to get new ones. After all I really can not see them getting rid of characters like Riku or Aqua and in fact have already started to shown signs of giving most of the characters with completed arcs new ones. Roxas Xion and Namine are the only characters that it is a bit rocky to try and guess what their new arc is going to be now that they have completed there old one. However even them it is fairly easy to make two or three guesses as to where they are going to go next. I can't imagine the writers bringing them all back, in stable forms without having some plan to use them in the future. As for different playable characters I really do think that they are planing to do that as well. Every playable character in KH3 Remind is likely going to have a game in the near future where they are playable and maybe some of the others will be playable to as side characters in said games. After all they would make a character playable for only one fight, they are going to be reusing and polishing up the gameplay.

[@thatguywithapencil]

You're right, its great to see how Nomura is not just throwing good characters away. You're also right, there's a reason they were all given bodies and kept all their abilities. I could really see their arcs dealing with their complete hearts without any real experience, and really falling to their emotions. I really hope so. I am pretty sad Kairi did not get an actual game, just a rhythm one, but I hope we get more side games or segments of main ones with other playable characters.

[@hillaryslack2884]

@@thatguywithapencil I am not really seeing KHMOM as Kairi's game. Or rather I think that she is going to have another one later on. KH is at a crossroads where there are so may ways that it can go that they need to narrow it down a little. That is what I think KHMOM is going to be. It is a small game to point us into which theories about the future we should be focusing on. I am expecting Kairi's childhood. Maybe what happened to her grandma. The night Kairi got to the islands. I am also expecting the start of Kairi's and Riku's journey to find Sora. And maybe even an answer to if the two of them are going to have a game together or if the two of them are going to end up separated. I kind of think that they will end up separated but they will either show that in KHMOM or hint at it or they will show/hint that they two of them will stay together. There likely will be more hints to other plot threads but I really have no real guesses as to which threads they will be. I am really not expecting any answers in KHMOM that don't have to do with Kairi's past. Hints towards other things. Pushing us in the right direction as to what will be happening next but not much more then that. Kairi's true game will likely come later. KHMOM is going to be the set up for it and likely the start of Riku's next character arc as well. Though I really think the focus is going to be on Kairi. Well unless they have decided to keep her a non character. Which would be sad. After all she is the third character we see the face of and the second we hear the voice of in the whole story.

[@thatguywithapencil]

That's the thing! I HOPE it's not her main game. What scares me, is that it's being advertised as such. All the promotional art features her, but I'm really hoping your right, and that this is just the soft transition to a new era.

[@jl53588]

The promise he made The fate he faced

[@thatguywithapencil]

All he could do was fade, As the boy was erased.

[@sora_roxas2562]

the fact he almost did not come back

[@Borgar-qf5dj]

Roxas is fucking perfect, I just got into the series and he’s the STANDOUT character, I like riku a lot but roxas’s story is so uniquely tragic that I can’t help but love him, part of me wishes his story ended as a tragedy but it’s nice to see him with his friends again

[@thatguywithapencil]

YES! MORE KINGDOM HEARTS FANS! YES! And yeah, while Riku is also amazing, Roxas' story of living such a short life that ends in death, yes, he's the perfect little microcosm of a character. And yeah, while his tragedy (along with Xion's) got undermined, I'm excited to see his new journey from here on in the latest saga.

[@christhechilled]

Roxas is top 3 for me!

[@thatguywithapencil]

YOU HAVE GREAT TASTE!

[@sora_roxas2562]

ROXAS IS HIM

[@princeofthelake]

👍

[@thatguywithapencil]

Thanks for the support!

[@jordanmakazuki6998]

I absolutely love roxas:but I honestly wished that in some way he had instead two become one in kh3

[@thatguywithapencil]

That would have been amazing. Even if he somehow had two of them, cause I love the dual wield.

[@ThatCharZeninGuy]

How strong do you think Roxas is compared to The Other Keyblade Wielders??

[@thatguywithapencil]

It really depends. If we're counting all of them, I'll lock down Xehanort to one, I'd say Roxas is probably top five or six. Sora is stronger, Riku is stronger, Aqua is likely stronger, Xehanort is stronger, and then its a fifty-fifty on Terra being stronger or weaker, and I think he beats Ven.

[@ThatCharZeninGuy]

@@thatguywithapencil personally I've always had him above Riku because Riku supposed to be narratively relative to King Mickey (who I've always had below characters like Terra and Aqua), and it's a 50/50 if hes actually better than Terra or not personally. Both (Mental Battle Roxas and The Lingering Will) fought a Pre-Roxas boost Sora and gave up before the fight could be decided, but its blatant that Roxas got stronger between KH2 and KH3 because of how well he performed against Xemnas and even more so The Xehanort Replica's (Him and Terra were the only ones who could block attacks from them and Terra noticably took on two of them).