Sora and Riku: Their young appearance, clothes, and time travel • Kingdom Hearts Analyses

Dream Drop Discuss playlist • • Dream Drop Discuss
0:00 • Beginning
0:44 • Why Sora and Riku look younger
2:21 • Sora and Riku's new clothes
3:56 • Addressing why their appearance and clothes are inconsistent
7:11 • Did Sora and Riku actually time travel
7:51 • Case for them actually time traveling
11:34 • Case for them entering Destiny Island's dreams of the past
KHNyctophiliac
patreon.com/khnyctophiliac
Video transcript PDF • drive.google.com/file/d/1L3eG...
TSR discussion blog • / secret-reports
My free edited KH stock • / kh-stock
Thank you 13th Vessel for the DDD dialogue rips!
/ migueligero
Music used in video • Destiny Islands, Kingdom Hearts II

[@MartenDE]

My favorite thing in this video is the fact that one hypothesis relies on the fact that MIckey is, in fact, a mouse.

[@taputrainer8463]

I know now, without a doubt, that Mickey is a mouse!

[@jayswindonley1128]

Not just any mouse, a black mouse 🐭

[@braechaldea2450]

"Mickey, a non-human" sent a chill down my spine

[@ZeranZeran]

Mickey is a Cryptid

[@jamescreed9728]

I watched this while high and damn near had an exsistential crisis

[@Evnyofdeath]

DDD is definitely the most complex entry in the series when it comes to lore and the fundamentals of the universe. Nomura gave us all the cards and assumed we'd be able to follow along, not realize he'd written in an alien language.

[@TheSecretReports]

Absolutely!!! I'm glad I decided to start this DDDiscuss series because (without saying any spoilers) ReMind seems to hint at returning to a lot of DDD's logic, so I hope to god Nomura fully explains things if he truly wants to have another go around these specific subjects...

[@magnasupreme]

The Secret Reports he’s gonna do something to explain it in the ff7 remake some secret hidden cutscene just watch

[@josuke6869]

I have a theory, after watching this video. That Sora and Riku appear younger because when they are entering the dream realm, it is not their physical body anymore that is fighting, but rather their spirit, or in the kingdom hearts universe, their heart. And for both Sora and Riku, them being young, symbolizes the purity of their hearts, still very naive and with good intentions. I also think it makes sense as to why Sora is not suprised by his change in age because to him, he does not realize it. What do you think?

[@God-T]

@@TheSecretReports Nomura isn't crazy, he's bad shit Insane !

[@xXLunatikxXlul]

@@magnasupreme lol no.

[@Etrodecim]

I want to address the time travel point you brought up. in KH3's San fransokyo world, Dark Riku told Sora "unlike a certain Wizard you know, I had to play by the rules to travel through time. which meant leaving my body behind." Which means Yen Sid's method of time travel is different than the Organizations because he can somehow bypass the rules. Thus Sora and Riku didn't need to leave their bodies behind in DDD when traveling to KH1.

[@TheSecretReports]

I literally 10000% forgot Dark Riku ever said that LMAO! Thank you very much for telling me! It's still strange to me though, no offence Yen Sid LOL but I would absolutely think that Xehanort is the stronger wielder, and if Yen Sid could send others to travel through time, then Xehanort would be able to as well. I still don't know at what point Sora and Riku would return though. If they returned at a point when they used the Sleeping Keyholes (like at Destiny Islands or before TWTNW) to return to DDD's time, that Xehanort would try to take advantage of Sleeping Keyholes as well. And I don't think Yen Sid himself knew when Sora and Riku would return back, because Yen Sid makes it clear that he doesn't even know where they are. And Mickey plays a gamble to bet they're at the real WTNW. So I'm not saying I disagree with you, you're just mentioning a line from KH3. But I still can't ignore all the questions it brings up. Especially with ReMind and the idea of "nature taboos". I won't get into spoiler territory, but it certainly seems like if Yen Sid can overcome the rules of time travel, that he would have broken the same taboo that Sora does in ReMind.

[@Valderami]

I thought that particular line was a reference to Merlin and travelling to Timeless River in KH2 though?

[@TheSecretReports]

Tamlin Oh my god there are too many wizards who can contradict time LOL. The Timeless River is strange, as it also reacted to Pete completely independent to Merlin. So I can’t tell if Merlin has any power over the Timeless River’s door, or if he only summoned it over to Sora and co, not having any power of influence over the world inside. But anyway, I honest to god cannot explain the Timeless River. It’s a definite anomaly LOL

[@Hirokey123]

@@TheSecretReports Just because someone is stronger in combat with a keyblade doesn't necessarily mean they know everything. Yensid is a full on wizard and stated to be the strongest/greatest wizard alive (well so is Merlin so uh....go figure they might actually be equal) so it's not strange they would be capable of magic that Xehanort isn't. It's probably not even a matter of power just years of skill and study into magical arts that Yensid did that Xehanort didn't.

[@the_echoYT]

@@TheSecretReports I have a little pet theory that Timeless River is not time travel at all, but a world created from memories. Sort of like the card magic in Castle Oblivion, or data worlds.

[@TheSecretReports]

Thank you very much for the wait, everyone!! This one took forever to create for a multitude of reasons, but I hope it helps! *If I see any FAQ, I’ll answer them here :)* *_Dark Riku in KH3 mentions how "a certain wizard you know" (Yen Sid) doesn't have to abide by the rules of time travel._* -- For me, this is the same sense of evidence of Yen Sid, Xigbar, and Goofy all saying that Sora and Riku actually time traveled as well. It still doesn't explain at what point Sora and Riku returned to DDD's time. I would also think how could Yen Sid, just by using magic, not suffer any of the consequences Sora suffers in KH3/ReMind? Would Yen Sid be breaking a 'nature taboo'? And I'm assuming Xehanort is a more powerful person then Yen Sid, other wise why wouldn't Yen Sid just fight him on his own? But if Xehanort truly is more powerful, why is Xehanort not able to overcome the rules like Yen Sid is? I'm not saying you're all wrong, I just wish Nomura would better explain himself if this is his answer.

[@1465angelosornio]

I just wanna to say that I love your videos so much and I’m happy that your back 😊

[@Premiumalexander]

Playing that remind must’ve taken a chunk of time I bet

[@TheSecretReports]

@@Premiumalexander I actually haven't played that much of it! I watched a friend stream ReMind, and then we both looked up the secret boss since neither of us had the time to or skill to beat the data Organization LOL. Other then that I've tried not to think too much of it until this video is out. But now that it's finished AND hopefully a good UX story update is coming soon, I'll have more time to think about ReMind!

[@Premiumalexander]

DA RAT i mean yen sid can just make keyblades casually so who knows what he can do

[@LordMoldyButt18]

I assumed the "certain wizard" was Merlin when he made that door to go to the past of Disney's castle

[@alexxio8656]

Love when you used the Namine with moogle art work and the moogle sound at 3:54 it just fits perfectly. Amazing vid overall

[@Toxin__0]

I feel like Ansem remembers Riku noticing him because this isnt really Ansem Riku is talking to. That's just Rikus darkness. It manifest itself as Ansem and this was Rikus test to become a master. To conquer his darkness. He remembers Riku seeing him because he was with Riku the whole time.

[@TheSecretReports]

I see you, but I figure if Ansem was truly there at La Cite des Cloches, and in his own clothes, not the black coat, then it’s possible that it’s the real Ansem there in TWTNW as well. I would also consider that it was that Ansem who told Riku that he was in a dream within a dream. I could be absolutely wrong but I would think with Riku not knowing that, it would be hard having his own darkness be the one to reveal that to him.

[@Toxin__0]

@@trappercap DA RAT Riku says to Ansem "I locked you away, but here you are haunting me again." Riku didnt rid himself of Ansem he just locked him away. Still trying to run from the darkness. Before he fights Ansem he says he will "Consume the darkness. Return it to light" and his success in doing that to his own darkness that has been locked away is why I think this is his darkness, and not a vessel with a heart from the past or anything.

[@Toxin__0]

@@TheSecretReports I completely forgot Ansem showed up there. That does make it feel like it was the real Ansem. But since he was with the organization and they were watching Sora and Riku the whole time Ansem couldve just seen Riku see him.

[@jetstreamjackie3437]

Ansem’s heart lived inside Riku until the end of CoM, when Riku killed his personality after giving it physical form with a card DiZ gave him. His power however remained, which is what Riku tapped into during Days and KH2, and why he looked like Ansem. The last of Ansem’s remnants were expunged from his heart when DiZ’ KH Encoder exploded, signified by Riku returning to normal.

[@docxy7331]

The raft was gone in kh1 cause ddd sora and riku stole it.

[@TheSecretReports]

But even then, does that not create the same effect that Sora caused in KH3? If the raft is gone because Sora and Riku ACTUALLY time traveled, then that means they changed destiny because otherwise Sora, Riku, and Kairi could have used the raft. But if it's gone because of time travel, that would have created another "nature taboo" that Chirithy mentions to Sora in ReMind, which caused him to disappear. So the fact that Sora and Riku faced no consequences of taking the raft implies that they didn't actually time travel and didn't actually take the raft in KH1. Do you see what I mean?

[@naughtysenpai2294]

The Secret Reports I think the nature taboo Chirithy mentions is specifically referring to bringing people back from the dead (They mention the power of waking is to restore a sleeping heart, not one that’s already completely gone). And it’s possible that when Sora changes fate at the Keyblade graveyard, the original events weren’t *changed*, a new word line was created where Lingering Will arrived (we see word lines appear in the secret reports so anything is possible). So I don’t think that changing something in the past would be the nature taboo.

[@JapanFreak2595]

But we didn’t actually see if the raft was gone or not.

[@rookiedrifter4273]

@@naughtysenpai2294 Even if it's not that, the "rules" in regards to breaking a "nature taboo" have been super vague; from what we know, it is the restoration of Kairi specifically that causes Sora to pull a ninja vanish on his friends. I say specifically because we see Sora in KH3 use the exact same power on the other Guardians, which is what leads to his confrontation with Young Xehanort about traversing hearts to reach worlds, not traversing worlds to reach hearts. Sora uses this power MULTIPLE TIMES, but bringing back Kairi is what causes the "Nature Taboo" to be broken? Why? Why was it Kairi? Is it because it was Kairi and Nomura likes torturing and jabaiting us? Is it because Kairi is a Princess of Heart or whatever? Or because Sora had done it so many times already?

[@tytydino]

@@TheSecretReports I disagree they could have easily have done this and the reason they didn't have repercussions like sora did in remind is that what sora did in remind is the straw that broke the camels back and riku has only had broken 1 nature taboo or I'm completely wrong

[@ciennaquidd6486]

Hm. My take on this was always that. Upon diving into the dream worlds, both characters now had a 'dream self'. In the sense that, even though Riku ended up back in the real world in TWTNW, he was still his dreamself. That his real body was still asleep alongside Sora. Until he was woken up, in which case he was his older self. Then he dives back into Sora's dreams, becoming his dreamself again. Theoretically, once Riku reaches TWTNW he could return to Yen Sid's tower and see himself sleeping there. This is also why Sora and Riku are still their dreamselves when everybody goes to rescue them even though they are alongside clearly awake characters like Lea and Mickey. And by the time of the end of the game, Sora is no longer taking Yen Sid's test, so his dreamself no longer is under Yen Sid's magic and it returns to his KH2 look.

[@TheSecretReports]

I say in the video though, that Riku and Sora's sleeping bodies are no where to be seen in cutscenes with Mickey, Yen Sid, Donald, Goofy, and Axel. They COULD have just dragged their unconscious bodies out of the room-- BUT we also see that at the end of DDD, when Riku opens a portal into Sora's heart, we see Riku's WHOLE body enter the portal. So if Riku's whole body enters the dream at the end of the game, why would it not enter the dreams at the beginning of the game as well? Even in other instances of characters entering the dream world, you'd think if they'd had "dream selves" they would continue to appear like that after the exam. But Sora looks like his normal KH2 self in DDD's epilogue, and looks like himself whenever he enters the Station of Awakening (The Realm of Sleep), and when he enters dream Scala ad Caelum in KH3. So clearly, there's something different about the exam itself that makes Sora and Riku younger, and NOT just their 'dreamselves' in general. Does that make sense?

[@blksheepramirez]

We can all agree on two things 1. Secret Reports is easily one of the best Kingdom Hearts channels on KZbin, no debate 2. Phantom Ursula was Papa Nomura’s attempt at making us hate her even more

[@TheLemonsims]

Your formatting and style is so......SIMPLE AND CLEAN! I absolutely love it.

[@drgeniusphd]

I personally think that they both time traveled and were in a dream. They went to sleep and in order to access the Sleeping Worlds (a feat that Yen Sid implies to be difficult even though Sora and Riku and the Organization manage it), Yen Sid sent their dreamselves back in time to the only Sleeping World he knows they would definitely both have access to: Destiny Islands, when it fell asleep in KH1. This also explains why Ursula is there: she isn't summoned by anyone, she's just a dream Sora is having of his past. She might have been summoned by Ansem or someone (she says "he was right" about them being in DI) but I think her being a dream is supported by her just disappearing after they defeat her. It's also the reason why they're in their younger forms in the dreamstate and when Riku is functioning as Sora' dream eater; they started the exam by dreaming about their past lives. Everything about the opening sequence in Destiny Islands points to it being a dream that Sora and Riku are having together, especially them reliving their raft building. It also makes Destiny Islands the first of the seven keyholes. I know you think that their bodies not showing up in the cutscenes rules it out, but it actually makes more sense to me that they'd be in the next room and dragged Sora out once things got serious.

[@magicsquire1500]

PLEASE do more of these sort of videos!! Your content is incredible and a much needed addition to Kingdom Hearts KZbin

[@Altelier]

YES! I fucking LOVE how much quality you put into your content. It's the personification of Chef's Kiss

[@jacksoningram4314]

I love these videos so much. They're so incredibly crafted, not only in terms of how well you build your analyses, but god the VISUALS are beyond belief.

[@normal6483]

Regarding the lack of comatose physical bodies: there's precedent in the series for physical bodies kind of "disappearing" whenever the heart or soul leaves. Nobodies don't rise up from the exact place the heart is lost - they disperse and reform elsewhere. Likewise, when Maleficent time traveled it was because her body was completely destroyed, but she was able to form a physical appearance at the destination all the same. Dead Sora in KH3 had his body split up into 333 identical pieces, and he didn't even need all of them to go back to normal. It seems like the "physical" body in KH is a lot less physical than it seems. So when Sora and Riku leave their bodies and go to the past, their bodies sort of disperse into nothing. Then, when they return to the present, their bodies reform around them. Perhaps the reason Riku didn't have his body back is because he hadn't gone to Mysterious Tower yet, where the pieces of his body were waiting. And when he went back into Sora's dreams, his body dispersed again and he was back in Dream Eater form. (The youth bit is still weird, but a "dream self" probably has more leeway on appearance.) Meanwhile, when Sora went to the dream worlds in modern times, he didn't have to leave his body behind because he wasn't time traveling.

[@cadr003]

I agree with this point entirely. "Bodies" in KH universe operate with their own laws as shown through out the series.

[@1465angelosornio]

YESS YOUR BACKK ^~^

[@Dragynn999]

never believed Sora and Riku were flung back in time. I saw it more like they were invading a dream that played repressed memories and interacting with the sleeping keyhole allowed the world to let go of that memory and reawaken fully.

[@arnistle]

My gosh I love these videos. The visual/audio aesthetic is of a premium quality that is only rivaled by your theory crafting abilities!

[@GogetaEiyuuYamcha]

This channel is incredible. Just got done watching all of the videos you've posted and I can safely say I'm eagerly waiting for more. Your presentation is on point. Especially since I just got into Kingdom Hearts last year I'm very glad to find a channel like yours.

[@FranckyDGio]

Yes the new episode had finally release ! Love your works !!!

[@Moemoemono]

This channel is amazing and the quality of these analysis videos is fantastic! You definitely deserve way more recognition!!

[@lelesgab]

I really love the way you build yours video! Cool to watch and listen!

[@nattylight9494]

Your editing is incredible

[@NoahRogers19980618]

Yes another video, keep up the work TSR!!!

[@yashuki1]

Thank you for making these videos truly appreciate 😁

[@Trapleton]

Your videos are so well researched and the information is presented so nicely and clearly! I love how stylish your graphics are!

[@ventusdestinyislands]

Happy to see you back😁😁😍😍😍

[@michaelrichter3862]

I really love the style of your videos!

[@789syrus789]

You’re the best of the best!

[@imperiorodriguezdiaz7592]

Excellent video!!as always!!!

[@estomaterapiafacil]

I love the art and explanation! congratulations! And I can't see the time travel possiblity here, the game itself explains everything on how the sleeping worlds works and how they managed to get into it.

[@sebastianbreier2417]

This is a really great video. You are possibly the best at explaining information than any of these KH content creators I see on KZbin! Awesome video!! 👍 You’ve got my sub.

[@thecuriositas385]

Excellent vid as always!

[@KhalilEstell]

OMG! New secrete report video! I love these so much!

[@NrXJupiter]

Only just found your channel but I already love your videos

[@Clyburn9057hi]

Earned a sub just from how good your explanations are. Great work.

[@josspider100]

I CAN'T EXPRESS ENOUGH HOW EXCITED I AM FOR THIS

[@moscowfreak795]

Brilliant as ever!

[@sagacious03]

When I saw the intro, I was worried there was a video of yours I hadn't seen come out! Sadly, even after watching this, I'm not too sure on the matter myself.

[@TheLandiLodge]

You are a prime example of Quality > Quantity. Every time you drop a video it makes me want to get better at my own videos/analysis. I think its great how you played devils advocate on both cases , however I'm coming away believing that they only went into Destiny Islands dreams, the point you made about Mickey was a solid find. Keep up the good work!

[@TheItsGab]

A new video 💚 thanke queen 😭

[@Darth_Bateman]

9:20 actually. Ansem went to Young Xehanort and explained. He just sort of hung around Destiny Islands for the next 90-something years or so.

[@nickykingdomonlover2]

I think you only require to travel if you have once been separated from body and heart. But to move forward the heart can go leaving the body behind but the heart's time is limited without a vessel as a restriction. As for the restriction is for going to the past the person cannot change history since the outcome is already set. As when Maleficent went back to the age of fairytale the figure known as darkness said "You may travel back in time to a past in which a version of you had existed. This requires your body and heart to have once been split." which both Sora and Riku have been through this. So this is why they able to make it Ansem technically did this as well since he is just darkness without a vessel or replica and presumably went back to whenever young Xehanort was on the island to lead him on the path of darkness Ansem just sat there to find a vessel. Which means it should be possible to send someone back whole only if they have been split before.

[@Panchita114]

Great video !

[@Omagadam1]

She's back!

[@jetstreamjackie3437]

Also thank you for the video!!! I never considered that their younger appearance could be a glamour that Yen Sid applies, like Donald’s magic. That clears up a lot for me, thank you!!

[@ianthomas7857]

One thing you could say is that Rikus clothes when he becomes a dream eater by the will to protect Sora, influences what he’s wearing by the comparisons between his older real world selfs clothes, and the clothes he wears when he is a dream eater, if you notice, the colour palates of black, white, yellow and blue are evident in all 3 versions of him, (old, young, dream eater) but the style of clothing are only comparable between old Riku and dream eater Riku only. Just a hunch, but it could replace the idea that the developers didn’t have enough time to finish and get a finished product of both old and young Riku to look like each other as dream eaters.

[@edgeofultima7483]

Similar to you believing that there was a mistake with the outfits in certain portions of the game, I think that maybe there was either a mistranslation or terrible choice of wording when Riku says that he's in the real world, since he just finished discussing with Ansem that he was in a dream of a dream. I feel as though he might have actually meant that he was just in the dream of The World That Never Was rather than still in Sora's dreams. If this is the case, it would also explain how all of the organization have bodies before replicas are perfected in KH3, since in Pranksters Paradise, Sora explains that the dream worlds will replace things that are missing such as Jiminy, Pinocchio, and Geppetto (who we know are in the real world and were not caught up in the dream). So, if The World That Never Was is a dream, then the dream world could be giving them bodies in order to make everything the way it should be.

[@AlphaOblivion7]

Gosh your art for your videos is so cute (like Namine and Moogle), and other art is so good it looks official

[@TheSecretReports]

Oh disclaimer!!! The Namine and Moogle artwork is OFFICIAL KH artwork by Shiro Amano when he created some KH2-themed calendars. However, I will say that I shaded it a little more and gave it some highlights.

[@beefboy3357]

Perhaps I missed something while playing DDD but I always assumed that TWTNW at the end of the game was a dream version of the real one because it looked different and the reason they looked younger was because that’s how they see themselves. Sora went from his KH1 design to his KH2 design in the blink of an eye for him because of the events of chain of memories so it makes sense that he would see himself as younger as he hasn’t had the time to adjust to his new look. Riku looked like Ansem for a while so that’s why he sees himself as younger and something else that supports them (or Sora at least) feeling younger than they actually are is the tutorial of KH3. I think Nomura said it takes place after the end of KH3 yet Sora has his KH2 design for the tutorial so Sora sees himself as slightly younger than he actually is.

[@KingdomAce]

Sorry about only getting to this video now a few days late, I've been incredibly busy since Re:Mind release as you can probably guess, but man what amazing video, I don't know why im surprised every upload still, before I even watch I hit the like button because I already know I'm gonna enjoy it. You really knock it outta the park each upload, Mel. Well written, well spoken, well edited all around. I'm proud of you, thanks for another fantastic video.

[@honored7999]

Like every video a gem for the kh community

[@flowmotiiion9441]

very very very interesting video! quality content

[@Andrew-wl3hn]

Great video as usual!! had a whole two paragraphs of explanation before I finished the video but then you hit on the topics for me lol. I can't believe I'm saying it, but time travel in KH# makes way more sense than it does in DDD. Probably because the sue of replicas and Re:Mind ironed it out a little better

[@mrowtastic]

This is so GOOD

[@spacechase1247]

Thanks for all the great content! I have enjoyed your content so much that I made sure to subscribe to your patreon :)

[@TheSecretReports]

Thank you very much SpaceChase!! I'd like to save up money for either a desktop (I only have a laptop right now) or at least motion graphic software like After Effects which would hopefully really boost the visuals of these videos (since they tend to be static or stiff at the moment LOL), so thank you for all your support!

[@AnruiMurasaki]

I hecking love your videos and how much work you put into them nnnnngggg, and redrawing a lot of art??? Or making your own???? 100/10 I don't have anything to add because I'm not the type of peep who theorizes, but I'm happy to learn about other peep's theories!

[@TheSecretReports]

anrui i forever love you and would die for you my old friend 💜💜💜💜

[@masterluxu1]

I was starting to think you quit YT. So glad to see new contents(:

[@TheSecretReports]

If I decided to stop this channel I will make a final video explaining why. But until then, my videos take time to create since I often end up heavily editing each image I use ( like I drew the DDD outfits on the KH1 Sora and Riku artwork myself LOL ) and generally take time to plan every detail of the videos. Because of that, I can't commit to any schedule so I apologize if I seem to dip out after posting each video LOL!

[@masterluxu1]

The Secret Reports Please no apologies necessary, your content is head and shoulders above other creators. I’ll happily wait(:

[@93JB93]

That Certaint Wizard is narrowed down to 2 people. - Yensid: Mark of Mastery Exam DDD. - Merlin: Timeless River, Lea/Axel and Kairi training. Either way its inconsistent....that means either 3 things. 1) Nomura is planning to explain this in passing. (Info drop from Interview). 2) We are getting Dream Drop Distance/Coded Sequel. (Yozora/Sora/Riku hopping through Data/Dream Worlds). 3. FFV13/Untitled Xehanort Spin Off: Laying down Solid Rules and Boundaries for Time Travel.

[@93JB93]

@@trappercap Yensid wouldn't really be any more relevant than Merlin. If anything Merlin would be more relevant if we are speaking from a Narrative POV. Yensid is a former KBM, meaning him using different time travel methods wouldnt be too surprising and wouldnt need mentioning due to KBM's familiarity and common use of time travel. Merlin on the other hand him using it would be an oddity needing mention and on the very way he uses it. But at this point TN and TY fucked up a wee bit by not using names...and mind you its Tetsuya Nomura...him not using names...is not an accident...

[@vincentlorusso689]

I have re-watched all of these videos several times to absorb everything. I want to hear everything she has to say about Kingdom Hearts.

[@Vexx109]

I always enjoy your videos because the theories and discussions are intersting. As always i try to find the counter to your theories. I think i can make some sense of some the points you brought up. Im curious for your reply (its a long read lol). So here is my attempt... Younger Appearances: > I think Yen Sid uses time magic to make them look younger and have them time travel (more on that later). > We have to consider the fact that Sora and Riku had to go back to before the Destiny Islands were covered in darkness and before it was considered a sleeping world. While Sora and Riku returned to Destiny Islands at the end of KH2. Destiny Islands had returned to the realm of light at this point and was not a risk of being swallowed by darkness. There is no version of Sora and Riku older before Destiny Islands is turned into a sleeping world. Different Clothes: > When it comes to their clothes i feel like their clothes are not a result of the organization meddling but enables them to dive into sleeping worlds. > The organization did meddle with Sora giving him the sigil and Riku did become a dream eater. Those are facts but when it comes to their clothes thats a little hard to prove. Riku's real world outfit looks very similar to his dream eater one btw. > I agree that the developers may have made a mistake when it comes to Riku's model not being older when he thought he returned to the real world in TWTNW. But it may not be the case. Riku mentions that he visited all the sleeping worlds he needed to on his journey. He believed that he would be sent back to the real world. He notices that his clothes have the Dream Eater powers still. He concludes that he is still in Sora's dreams. >I could be wrong here but I always thought Riku opened a portal to get to Sora's dreams towards the end. Time Travel: >Between the two theories I think Theory 1 is more accurate than Theory 2. > Something that I do want to point out. When it comes to the rules of time travel...i think we have to look at KHUX to help tie the knot. A person can not just travel through time because the flesh from the body will be ripped apart and thus only the heart can survive and travel through time. We learn this from "Darkness" telling Maleficent how she can return to the future. >When Young Xehanort tells his story to Sora...he mentions how he left his body behind and only his heart traveled to points in the past which a version of himself exist. This is also explained by Riku and Mickey in KH3. >Now since both Sora and Riku bodies and hearts both existed in Destiny Island before it was turned into a sleeping world. Time travel is possible (and with help from Yen Sid). The heart can travel to Destiny Island since it is the source and destination >Without spoiling ReMind for anyone...its kinda obvious i think. Destiny Island Dream World: >Robe Ansem can not be from the dream world of Destiny Island because in KH3 it is explain how Ansem attached himself to Riku. I dont think that is possible if Ansem is a dream only. >If you do believe that to be the case...that would imply that Destiny Islands was always a sleeping world which doesnt seem possible if 1)Kairi is on Destiny Islands in KH2 and Riku tells Aqua in KH3 that she is on the Destiny Islands in the Realm of Light. Mickey and the replicas: >I do agree that Mickey cannot time travel and that he is not human. >However...Mickey never visited the Destiny Island before it was covered in darkness. Mickey has no past version of himself there. So his heart cant travel to the past because where would his heart go. >As for the replicas...well...all ima say is Re:Mind explains it.

[@wigymbertdieujuste4769]

I love watching these High

[@danahorton1468]

There’s a line in K 3 where someone says. “I have to follow the rules unlike a wizard you know”. Talking about Yensid not leaving their bodies behind to time travel.

[@mobgabriel1767]

that quote is possibly refering to merlin who in kh 2 just say "fuck the rules" and opens a door to timeless river with no explanation whatsoever

[@jetstreamjackie3437]

It’s possible that Ansem and Xemnas required replica vessels in KH3 because they had been so soundly defeated before, and so just before their destruction they time travelled as hearts to the future. This would also explain why Ansem would seem to know so much about his bond with Riku, despite his physical form having been destroyed shortly after the bond was formed (in kh3 he days “we’ve been through so much together” or something to that affect). In other words this might not have been a limitation imposed by time travel, but moreso a limitation imposed by being dead.

[@AlphaOblivion7]

I don't have good answers for some of these questions, but the game definitely places emphasis on the idea that they did travel back to the Destiny Islands of the past. But as you pointed out, there are a lot of holes in this story that haven't been explained properly I don't like the idea of plot holes, so I hope some of these things get explained in more detail at some point

[@savvysavster5262]

Maybe I'm thinking about this the wrong way, but is it possible that the Sleeping World's exist outside of normal time? Yen Sid talks about them being "woken" up, but in KH3 when Sora uses the Sleeping Keyhole at the Keyblade Graveyard, he's using it to travel. Maybe "unlocking" the keyholes simply creates the paths in the Sleeping Worlds that Riku and Sora can travel to. If that's the case, then maybe they time traveled to KH1 when Destiny Islands was being destroyed because they didn't have the power of waking yet, and needed to be there so they could be "sucked in" and enter the Sleeping World version of Traverse Town, like how Sora went to the real world Traverse Town in the first game. This way they wouldn't need a body at the destination either, because they go directly into the dream world. And if that's true, then that means they did BOTH; they traveled back in time so they could enter the dream world, but the dream worlds dont' exist in time, so once they achieve the power of waking they don't need to time travel anymore. There are still some parts that are a little confusing, but it also may explain Ansem's knowledge of what Riku did; he followed them to the past as well, and also dove into the dream so they could use the sigil on Sora. I'm not sure how accurate this could be, and I'm probably missing something, but its what I thought after watching your video!

[@TheSecretReports]

Hi Savvy! I think you should watch my video on Sleeping Keyholes if you haven't yet, because I agree: Sleeping Keyholes do seem to allow people to travel to different places in the Realm of Sleep (like in DDD) or the Realm of Death (like in KH3). Chirithy says "The Realms of Sleep and Death touch", and the Final World DEFINITELY seems to be outside of time, seeing how Namine's connection with the Lingering Will effected the 2nd timeline, not the first, and I PERSONALLY think KH3 was trying to visually express that Sora's time in the Final World only lasted an instant in normal time (but that's not confirmed, just what I got out of it!). SO, basically, I think the idea that the Sleeping World's exist outside of time is possible, but I would have to mention all the cutscenes of Axel waking up, looking around the Radiant Garden's castle, dealing with Maleficent, talking to Yen Sid, etc etc-- all that I'm assuming is taking place during the exam, which makes it seem like Sleeping Worlds DO have a sense of time. But it's weird, and I could lean either way to be honest LOL. Thanks for the input!

[@ChaosOmnimon]

Addressing the Ansem and Xemnas portion. While yes Xehanort exists after their defeats that doesn't matter for them as they don't not. Thus why both earlier versions of nort needed vessels as well. As for the model error it may be that Riku's dream eater attire change his appearance similar to drive forms or formchanges. As both changes mix up appearance and abilities.

[@peterbrooks5476]

15:00 ish that would imply all Disney worlds are dream worlds and all Disney characters are like dream entities manifest due to the original Keyblade war where everything gets separated and isolated. Also I think it's likely that Ansem SoD was aware of Riku noticing him because part of him is inside Riku. But he also could have just been observing.

[@calelkestifer3570]

I think you're right in that Riku should have had his Dream Eater clothes, but I can think of one thing that could explain it - dreaming characters cannot alter their real selves and vice versa in any way other than memories. This potentially not only explains the clothes and ages not changing when otherwise they should, but also explains why Yen Sid would send them to the sleeping worlds in the first place - to achieve the "clean slate" that he was talking about for their "training do-over" in full. I would also like to offer under this idea that Riku and Sora didn't have to leave behind their bodies in order to time travel because they were time travelling while already asleep. They took and broke the raft which is impossible within the real timeline, and Ursula was there to attack them which is equally impossible. They had already left their real bodies behind in falling asleep in the first place, which technically follows the rule in a loophole-y way. In following this idea, Sora and Riku's dream-selves entered the Sleeping Realm proper after riding Destiny Island's destruction in. I interpret the the Sleeping Realm as a point in space that is only accessible when a world is being transported to End of the World. In other words, I believe the Sleeping Realm is the Heartless' "collective stomach" when it comes to "eating" a World's Heart. In this sense, if Sora and Riku are both in the Sleeping Realm *just* after Destiny Islands was devoured in KH1, then all the other worlds there were also on their way to End of the World, which means that by KH2, Tron is still right to say that the Original System was destroyed - it's possible to me that either the Original System was being deleted during KH1, or that it was deleted beforehand and is stuck there since maybe virtual worlds don't get to go to Ends of the World when destroyed like real worlds do... either because it's not "real" or because it was not actually devoured by Heartless. This line of logic also potentially covers that Ansem remembered seeing Sora and Riku at the start of the test, not because he time traveled or was a figment but because all he had to do to follow them into the Sleeping Realm (thus placing himself where he needed to be probably according to his future selves) was fall asleep before Destiny Islands was lost. He confronts Sora in the Secret Place, then falls asleep until Destiny Islands is taken. The point where it maybe gets weird is the idea that the Ansem we fought in KH1 is bouncing back and forth from Sleep to Waking through the entirety of either game, but I think it's well within his skill level to pull off. Also, sometimes I feel like the Ansem that follows Riku around is entirely conjured by Riku for possibly most of the game, which covers at least some overlapping time where Ansem needs to be somewhere in the real worlds. I am definitely no loremaster and I'm sure there are things that probably ruin this set of theories I have, but like... feel free to steal this for a video if you want lmao

[@Gonza009]

I believe that Sora and Riku actually traveled to the past at the begining to Destiny Island. I think that you miss when Sora meet RikuReplica in SanFransokyo when they talk RikuReplica said "Unlike certain wizard you know, I had to play by the rules to travel trough time" That means that Yen Sid was able to send them to the past with his magic witouth Xehanort's rules Thank you for all your videos, I hope i would help you with this comment * i see that you was already noticed in other comment* shit

[@zaqareemalcolm]

He could break the "need to be heart" rule, but needing a version of oneself at destination, and everything else (can't alter fate, can only go forward in time after, can only travel to the most "present") presumably is in effect

[@laughingdungeon2468]

Brilliant video!!!🤣

[@ukyoize]

I think that Sora and Riku traveled to KH1 as hearts, disconected from their past selves, waited until world was plunged into darkness and then generated pseudo-bodies in now sleeping DI, after which we start the gameplay.

[@thedothackerkeyblademaster]

In regards to the question at 12:23, my understanding of the Realm of Sleep is that it's like the Realm of Darkness, where time doesn't really "progress", meaning you could be in the Sleeping Worlds for a number of years and yet never notice how much time has passed outside of it.

[@danielgamez5854]

I think this may help "- In the latter half of The World That Never Was, despite returning to the real world, why do Sora and co. stay in that form and why do Dream Eaters appear etc? Nomura: Sora and co.’s form is due to Yen Sid’s magic, so the way it works is that they can’t turn back until they return to the Mysterious Tower, and Dream Eaters were appearing because Sora was still asleep. Also, ever since Organisation XIII was defeated in KH2, the The World That Never Was’ existence as a world has become uncertain. In the first place, the worlds in the rift between darkness and light have different rules than other worlds. The Mysterious Tower isn’t always standing in a fixed place. Traverse Town too reforms its shape every time, which is why the version that appears in this title is clearly different than the version in KH1." - The Brown Robed Fgure, a Heartless born from that experiment, says “This world has been connected.” While in KH1 that meant that the island was connected to the darkness, in this title does it signify that Xehanort and co. have connected to the dream world? Nomura: It means both of those things. In that scene, the Brown Robed Figure becomes a “portal” himself as a result of contact with Sora and co., making it possible for the other Xehanorts to intervene within the dreams. -Were the 13 Seekers of Darkness, who were meant to be in different times, gathered by transcending time with magic? Nomura: Just as it says in the story, to transcend time one must ‘first’ discard their form. As a result of the actions of the Brown Robed Figure, they all were in a state where they had gained the power to transcend time. The Brown Robed Figure explains the facts. The thirteen were summoned at the same time, this time thanks to Young Xehanort who borrowed that power. However, apart from Young Xehanort, that does not mean that all the members transcended time. - In other words, Ansem and Xemnas were, at the same time, existing in the time and space of KH3D as well as having returned to their true human form after being destroyed? Nomura: Yes, it does turn out that way. However, as I said before, ‘The World That Never Was’, where the thirteen all met, is a special space. The mechanics behind how they were all able to exist at the same time is a mystery. From KH1 on, Ansem has returned no matter how many times he has been defeated, perhaps the same sort of thing happened. www.khinsider.com/news/KH3D-Ultimania-Interviews-Translated-2602#Scenario%20Mysteries What you think?

[@TheSecretReports]

I actually don't like to rely on Nomura's interview answers because he very frequently retcons himself unless something is explicitly stated in game. So I prefer to take only what the games themselves say. I also don't like to rely on OUTDATED interviews anyway because the world of KH has VASTLY expanded since DDD's ultimania. I personally put "expiration dates" on his interviews because eventually they just don't quite fit in the KH's expanded lore anymore. 1. But see, even Nomura's explanation does not explain why Riku appears younger when diving back into Sora's heart. Even though Riku already returned to Mysterious Tower, which by Nomura's explanation here should have gotten rid of Riku's younger appearance in total. That's why I say what I say in the video. 2. I am 90% certain Nomura is going to retcon the "Young Xehanort gained the power to time travel from Ansem SoD". I say this because its now being implied in ReMind that Xehanort can time travel because he took advantage with the Power of Waking (the "forbidden path" that Sora takes too). And that Young Xehanort in DDD when he said "When Ansem sent me on my way" seems to changed FROM "Ansem sent me on my way to time travel" TO "Ansem sent me on my way to Scala ad Caelum". There is also the fact that literally half the New Organization did NOT time travel, because they just reformed as Nobodies again after they became human (Larxene, Marluxia, Vexen, Saix, etc). So there's no reason they had to fade out of DDD's ending in the Room Where Nothing Gathers like those who time traveled ans were "out of time" relying on Xehanort's portal. This I assume is another inconsistency in Nomura's explanation.

[@the_echoYT]

In the Dream Drop Distance Ultimania, Nomura states that Sora and Riku's forms are due to Yen Sid's magic. They can only return to normal upon returning to the Mysterious Tower. In the same interview, regarding the rule of "leaving your body behind," he says that you must *"first"* leave it behind, and that the Robed Figure's actions are responsible for all Xehanorts being capable of traveling through time. In other words, "leaving your body behind" is like a one-time membership fee. Having returned to meet with his younger self, Ansem establishes that "Xehanort's heart" can time travel during that period of time, gifting the ability to that time's "Xehanort's heart" in the process. www.khinsider.com/news/KH3D-Ultimania-Interviews-Translated-2602#Scenario%20Mysteries Going by Xehanort's rules, Sora and Riku *both* have paid that membership fee by losing their bodies during KH1. Sora when he became a Heartless, and Riku when Ansem completely possessed his body, sending his heart to the Realm of Darkness. Though the games seem to push very hard the idea that it was Yen Sid who sent them back, they could have also done it themselves. And regarding Mickey's inability to "enter the world of a dream," I think it's a bit of a stretch to call on him being a mouse as an explanation. Rather, I believe it's simply because entering the Sleeping Worlds is a difficult thing to do. Yen Sid sends Sora and Riku to the Destiny Islands on the night of the storm, when the world was taken by darkness. With the threat of the Heartless greatly diminished, the Keyholes locked, and walls restored, Mickey would be hard-pressed to find a scenario allowing him entry to the Sleeping Worlds in the time of DDD, nor does he appear to have been present for any world's destruction for Yen Sid's magic-based time travel. Hence his question, "where will you go?" The Destiny Islands they visit is not a Sleeping World. According to the story summary in DDD's Reports, Traverse Town is the first Sleeping World they visit, however the Keyhole that led them there was the first Sleeping Keyhole. Also, The Grid is not a Sleeping World. Young Xehanort says it rather plainly--"data does not dream, cannot dream" and "this world is real." This is further backed up in the Reports: "Then the grey-haired youth implied that this "dream world" was not a dream at all..." Returning to your Sleeping Keyholes video, I believe the evidence is clearly stacked in favor of the idea that Sleeping Keyholes are not bound to specific worlds, but the Realm itself. As for Ursula... I honestly have no clue. I don't think there ARE clues. Unless somehow Nomura wraps it into Project Xehanort, I don't think we'll ever have answers for that one.

[@Azurfan]

Great reply, that's also my understandig as well. As for how Sora and Riku got back to the time of DDD: I thought there were two scenarios. Traveling forward and returning to your original time at the end of the journey while also loosing your memories (Young Xehanort) and traveling backward to a point in time and then simply moving forward as per the laws of time (Sora & Riku). Now the laws of time might be conveniently different in the Sleeping Worlds so they arrive at the same time they left when reaching the World That Never Was.

[@marcoa6319]

The whole Ursula thing can just be Xehanort reviving her spirit to mess with the heroes in exchange the the former’s complete resurrection which he never intended to.

[@animeotaku2031]

You and I have similar thoughts, but I'm still so confused with Tron's world. I did figure that it must be a real world and not a dream world, but (1) how did sora and riku get there in the first place; (2) why are sora and riku in their young bodies; (3) why are sora and riku still experiencing two different times in tron's world? Honestly, because of these questions it made me hate that world because it just doesn't make sense and I'm still trying to find a clear answer to it...

[@gioboss7374]

Remember that xemnas and ansem needed a vessel in kingdom hearts 3 because they had their own hearts by this point and since they were both destroyed they restored both xehanort and terra-xehanort. So a version of themselves does exist but by having their own hearts its not entirely them, so vessels are needed so their heart can traverse through time

[@Sora2016]

Yeah this is probably the easiest explanation for that, the 2 of them became their own entities at this point and had their own thoughts and feelings. So they aren't Xehanort anymore and thus had to use replicas still.

[@slateoffate9812]

I think Sora and Riku travelled back in time without their bodies, but ended up in a... [term I don't know*] of the past Destiny Islands, as it was already beginning to show signs of the fall approaching at the start of KH1. It'd still technically apply under the Sleeping Realm rule of 'You don't need a body because you're asleep. The dream produces an avatar.' Futhurmore, in Mickey's case, I think it's possible for a World not currently asleep to still have a Sleeping Realm counterpart, but Mickey can't enter one because his world, Disney Castle/Town, never fell. *That wierd phenomenon where you start to hear things when really tired and trying to go to sleep.

[@yandroskhaos]

Replica Riku mentions in San Fransokyo that it's Yen Sid's magic that allowed them to not play by the rules but they did travel through time

[@edgeofultima7483]

I assumed he was talking about Merlin in kh2

[@armin4863]

In kh3 repliku mentions that unlike a certain wizard they know they have to apply to the rules. Meaning yen sid can time travel without leaving his /someone's body behind

[@kinoleogeo7998]

I’ve been thinking about the concepts of “outside Sora” and “inside Sora” and how KH3 remind’s Time Traveling Sora operates. If my theory holds weight, it’s not Sora traveling to the past, but his heart being cast out traveling to occupy his past self. So, in a sense Sora Heart left older Sora into younger. Ergo, the Dream Drop Distance older Sora isn’t asleep, his heart in the younger, Dream Sora is. Older Riku never left the tower, just his heart. His heart must of leapt into Dream Riku, a past version in the Dream realm to make the dive. Honestly, it still might be the error by the developers or oversight to show Riku’s heart entering Dream Riku, but I think the mechanics still apply.

[@harrybechtle4333]

I definitely believe that the destiny islands at the beginning was real. Basically, when sora and Riku entered the sleeping keyhole, their hearts were sent forward to the present day, and Yen side used his magic to reunite their body’s with their hearts in the sleeping realm. Plus, the only reason why sora and riku could travel through time using a sleeping keyhole was because they had already been sent back in time. Which is why xehanort couldn’t exploit them, because it’s only good in this sense to return to the present.

[@caiomascarenhas5910]

I know the pretty sound effects are to make the video much beautiful and cool, but can you tone it down a little after the beggining (like after 5 minutos of video)? Maybe making it faster or something? I l really liked them so I don't want to see it gone, but sometimes I get distracted from what you are talking about because 9:30 happens and I get accostumed to these sounds later on haha Loved discovering your channel, it's really good!!

[@RebeccaOfTheForest]

So to explain: When Riku and Sora returned to The Mysterious Tower, Sora got turned back to his older form by Master Yen Sid and then also got rid of the tracking Recuscants Sigil and the clothes Organization 13 put on Sora. Riku also got turned back to his original age by Master Yen Sid. So maybe you could explain Riku not having the Dream Eater Symbol in TMT, by saying that when Yen Sid turned him back to his normal age got rid of it in the proccess? And then his younger form with the Dream Eater Symbol again in Sora's dreams, is because that is just what Riku looks like now in dreams/dream worlds. So because Riku has been a Dream Eater before he now has a (younger looking) Dream Eater form in any dreams he is in. And Sora's younger form in TWTNW is because of Yen Sid's magic and him not yet being turned back to his normal age by Yen Sid's magic.

[@Simeo905]

something i would like to say is that it is most likely that the Ansem that Riku sees in his heart is not the same Ansem he sees in the throne room of the world that never was.

[@jetstreamjackie3437]

Sorry for the comment spam, but I might have an explanation for Riku and Sora's appearances in Sora's SoA. We see in KH3 and in BBS' Secret Ending that peoples' "heart projections" do not necessarily reflect their physical appearance. In BBS we see Terra and Xehanort appear as themselves when talking to each other inside Terranort as hearts, and at the end of KH3 we see Eraqus and Xehanort's "heart projections" revert to their childhood state when they go back to being friends. Also in KH3, we see Repliku's "heart projection" in Dark Mode, despite his default form appearing as KH1 Riku. To me, this says that your "heart projection's" appearance is dependent on how you see yourself at that moment in time. It's possible that in Sora's SoA, Sora and Riku's appearances aren't reflective of their physical age because it hasn't been that long since they left the Sleeping Worlds, and so they still see themselves in those outfits and as their younger selves. When they return to the real world, their physical forms and clothes return to normal because they are no longer simply hearts. That still doesn't explain Riku's clothes in Mysterious Tower though. At that point Yen Sid's glamour has been removed but he should've still had his Dream Eater clothes. I don't have an explanation for that one lmao

[@shawnfarmer1066]

You may bring this up later but also in KH3, the repliku says something close to "unlike a certain wizard you know, I had to obey the laws of time travel". It's a cutscene in Sanfransokyo. This is implying repliku knows they time traveled and that they disobeyed the laws. I think that same repliku appears in KH 3D too.

[@Premiumalexander]

Also ventus tells sora he always had the power of waking (so when did he get it) and it works when someone needs it, sora didn’t know that but that may explain how riku subconsciously went into soras dreams cause they always kinda had it

[@philgaimz9847]

Actually, he said "you never lost it." Small difference, but I'm pretty sure the official explanation is that Sora got the power of waking during the exam, but then "lost it" (or it fell asleep or something) when he almost got norted. At least that's what I've heard

[@BowTiesareCool12]

I feel like, and I could be totally wrong, that I read somewhere years ago that the reason sora and riku have their kh1 models had something to do with them (square) only having access to those models/them being easier to use for the 3DS hardware for the gameplay parts of DDD. I know I read that *somewhere* but I can't for the life of me find it because I looked it up back in 2012 and now if you look it up the results are all (for good reason) theory based.

[@daith_izumi]

Well yes it makes sense how it’s time travel because it explains Riku seeing his old self, Pinocchio and Monstro, and Traverse Town, plus if Sora and Riku get to be young in the dream world, Xehanort gets to as well. And then there’s also Mickey before he was king when he was just Merlin’s apprentice and we see him in the Three Musketeers. The whole game is about messing with time...

[@TheSecretReports]

Riku seeing his old self was Dark Riku from KH3, we know this because he's wearing a black coat, something Riku never wore in KH1 while at Monstro. And the reason Mickey was before he was a king was because dream worlds repeat their events over and over, even filling in characters that are no longer there-- we get this information via a flashback Sora gets on his visit to Prankster's Paradise. It seems to me you missed a lot of DDD's explanations

[@NoirLilbomber]

I gave this some thought and I think the reason riku looks younger and has the same clothes again when diving back into soras dreams is because Riku was still acting as Sora's dream eater

[@Zelenal]

The only possible defense I can give for the whole "when did Sora and Riku return to the present time if they time traveled" bit is that time doesn't flow in the Realm of Sleep. There's some reason to believe this since we know that the Realm of Sleep is in the Realm of Darkness (or at least connected to it) and we know that time doesn't flow there. Since Sora and Riku are outside the flow of time, they could theoretically pop out whenever the hell they wanted to using a Sleeping Keyhole or a Portal. After all, Aqua entered the Realm of Darkness in BBS and didn't come out of it until 11-ish years later in KH3 despite time not flowing there. The only "counter" to this are the timers on the hands of the WEWY cast and how they flow different but that doesn't necessarily mean that time is actually passing since people in the RoD can do things like walk, talk, and beat up Heartless despite there being no time there. Whenever a series has a place that exists outside the flow of time and people can still do shit it in it, they conveniently ignore how that completely destroys our entire understanding of causality. Funnily enough, the only work of fiction that I know of where a place outside the flow of time actually makes sense is the Nasuverse (the Fate franchise et al). The Throne of Heroes exists outside the flow of time and thus every single Heroic Spirit from every point in time in every timeline exists there simultaneously and never change.

[@fortello7219]

A new video!

[@2geekygamers]

I think Sora and Riku did time travel to the past before Destiny Islands became a Sleeping World. But, I believe I know why both Sora and Riku retained their dream outfits in the real World That Never Was. I think it is because The World That Never Was is situated in the realm in-between, including the realm of sleep. It would make sense, considering the fact that Riku still has both his Dream Eater outfit and his powers even after returning to the real world.

[@WingerEdison]

The way I interpreted the fact that Sora and Riku, as well as the Organization, had bodies in the Sleeping Worlds or bodies different than in reality was because the Sleeping Worlds provide bodies for those without them. Joshua stated that "dreams take bodily form in that world" more or less, and in reference to the TWEWY cast I thought that what he meant by their "dreams" were all that was left of their Souls/Hearts. If you think about it, nobody takes their body into a dream with them, but they have a body there. That explained to me why Ansem and Young Xehanort had form in DDD, because Ansem has no body normally and YX had to leave his behind to time travel. The Re: Coded secret ending contradicts that a bit, but the dialogue is so clunky and info-dumpy that I have a hard time interpreting that scene as a real interaction between people who have ever talked to people before anyways. I think they didn't have Replicas yet, but it's possible that scene takes place during DDD and YX exited the Realm of Sleep with his dream body just like Sora, Riku, and the rest of the Organization do in the World that Never Was. Then he went back into the Realm of Sleep to continue manipulating Sora. Back to the Sleeping Worlds and Destiny Islands. I think what Yen Sid said about sending them back in time SPECIFICALLY to before it became a Sleeping World matters, because he was using that as an opportunity to get them an opening to the Realm of Sleep. It's kind of like how Mickey had to find a Corridor of Darkness in order to enter the Realm of Darkness. No worlds were entering slumber in the present and Sora and Riku were at the "destination" for time travel, the Islands, as they transitioned into slumber. If my theory is correct, then Sora and Riku time traveled to the Islands without their bodies and once the world went to sleep, they were in its dream and had bodies resembling their younger selves, but with memories of their present selves. That's why Riku's appearance resembled his older self with regards to his hair style, because that's closer to the shape of himself in his heart. Therefore the first moment we see them on the Islands, they're already in the world's dream after time traveling. I would also extrapolate that Ansem in the robe could've been a figment of the dream or himself after time traveling and entering the dream because he was also at the destination of the Islands before they fell to sleep. Either way, Xehanort had access to the Sleeping Worlds through Ansem's presence in KH1 the same way as Sora and Riku, just like Yen Sid realized later. My extra take is that Sora and Riku's real bodies were in the Mysterious Tower the whole time, just hidden away for protection. Therefore Riku and Sora's hearts were in their dream bodies up until they got back to the Tower, and their dream bodies were gone until Riku went into Sora's dream again. That could explain why they only have the outfits and the ages they do in Sora's Dive to the Heart and his dream after having the World that Never Was. Extra extra take: When people are referred to as "humans" in KH, it's usually in reference to the nature of the heart and darkness. The same rules apply for literal humans and any other sapient/mortal being in their universe, so I think Mickey would count as a KH "human", because he's just as much of a person as anybody. I think the reason he couldn't enter the Realm of Sleep is because he didn't have a point in time when he could travel to get into a world when it fell to darkness and sleep.

[@xrubyxlightx]

Cute, informative, and organised :> It's good that someone is still making videos about DDD bc oh dear, it's one of the most important entries in the series lol

[@PseudoFanboy]

honestly, i want to believe it's just yen sid's magic that accounts for the contradictions and it's not something Xehanort has access to partially beause it makes it simpler, and partially because merlin and fairy godmother have also proven to be OP rulebreakers with their magic - with creating the door to Timeless River and teleporting to the Final World respectively - that it just makes sense to me that yen sid could, like, fabricate new bodies for sora and riku in past destiny islands or something

[@treyw1822]

The possibility of them time traveling is real, but let's see the worlds as a character to when at the crossroads of becoming a sleeping one. As well most of the worlds in DDD were all in a connection to Sora in a way. For example, how Tron's world was in the future and during the other worlds had reflected from Mickey' s training days in the past. It's confusing to explain; I want to say yes both the dream worlds and time travel is happening at the same time, but I believe that it's based on experiences that Sora/Riku had traveled through as well since Ventus,Roxas, and Xion were still inside Sora had traveled to other worlds that had given them access to.

[@Toffee1497]

I absolutely adore your channel, you've done some truly fantastic work with not only the topics, but the visuals, editing and format. I just kinda have to say, man words cannot describe how much I despise KH3D. I've been playing since 2002 on the original KH, hardcore fan. But man does KH3D rub me the wrong way :D