Rikku

General VG character
name = Rikku


caption = Rikku artwork by Tetsuya Nomura
series = "Final Fantasy"
firstgame = "Final Fantasy X"
artist = Tetsuya Nomura
voiceactor = Tara Strong
japanactor = Marika Matsumoto
inuniverse = Final Fantasy character
class = Thief
weapon = Claws
Dagger x2 ("Final Fantasy X-2")
skill = Steal, Use ("Final Fantasy X")
specialattack = Mix
specialattacktype = Overdrive
race = Al Bhed
home = Bikanel Island
age = 15 in "Final Fantasy X", 17 in "Final Fantasy X-2"
height = 1.59m (5'2")nihongo|Rikku|リュック|Ryukku is a playable character in the PlayStation 2 games "Final Fantasy X" and most notably in "Final Fantasy X-2". She is a lively, kind-hearted young Al Bhed girl with blonde hair and spiral-shaped pupils instead of the ordinary "dots" – features that all Al Bhed share – and is highly skilled in mechanics, alchemy and thievery. She is the daughter of Al Bhed leader Cid, the younger sister of Brother, and younger cousin of Yuna, whom she calls "Yunie". She speaks English fluently, is mechanically-minded, makes eccentric gestures, and has a tendency to use humor in tense situations.

In "Final Fantasy X", Rikku uses a variety of claw-like weapons, her ultimate equipment being the "Godhand". Her choice of shields are targes worn on the left arm. In "Final Fantasy X-2", Rikku uses two daggers, one in each hand, while in her default Thief "dressphere". In "Final Fantasy X", Rikku is the only character with the default abilities to steal and to make use of a subset of items: some offensive (for example "grenades" or "smoke bombs") and some healing or defensive (for example "Al Bhed potions"). This, together with her "Overdrive" ability to mix any two items for greater effect, makes her one of the more versatile characters in the party.

Concept and creation

Rikku was created by "Final Fantasy X" and "Final Fantasy X-2"'s character designer Tetsuya Nomura. He also drew Rikku's artwork. When creating the characters for "Final Fantasy X", Nomura emphasized yellow as Rikku's image color because she had a bright personality.Fact|date=August 2008

Appearances

"Final Fantasy X"

Rikku first appears in "Final Fantasy X" to aid Tidus shortly after he first arrives in the vicinity of Spira's mainland. Their meeting takes place at Baaj Temple, an ancient temple of Yevon. After helping Tidus defeat a fiend, her Al Bhed comrades manhandle him, believing him to be a fiend in human form, and wonder whether or not to kill him. Rikku forbids them from doing so, and tells them to bring Tidus with them. She whispers that she is sorry in Tidus' ear then hits him hard in the stomach, winding him so much he passed out cold.(All in Al Bhed language) Al Bhed 1: "What is this?" / Al Bhed 2: "A fiend! In human disguise!" / Masked Al Bhed: "Yes. It is so. (Draws knife) We kill it?" / Rikku: "Wait! What if it "is" human?" / Masked Al Bhed: "They are the same in death." / Rikku: "I forbid it! We bring it with us. Sorry." (hits Tidus)("Final Fantasy X")]

When Tidus wakes up on their salvage ship, Brother tries to interrogate him using hand signals. The other Al Bhed get frustrated when Tidus cannot speak Al Bhed, but Rikku translates Brother's comical sign language, saying he could stay if he makes himself useful. Tidus then accompanies Rikku on a salvage operation to activate the power source of a sunken airship. After returning to the salvage ship, Brother and the others leave Tidus on deck. Rikku brings him something to eat and they strike up a fast friendship. When Tidus says he came from Zanarkand, Rikku is reluctant to believe him as Zanarkand had been destroyed 1,000 years previously. As Tidus continues telling about himself, his life and Sin's attack on his home, Rikku realizes that he is oblivious about Spira and that he had been affected by Sin's toxin. She then promises to take him to Luca in the hope he might find someone he knows. However, Sin appeared and washed Tidus off the salvage ship into the sea, leaving Rikku and the other Al Bhed behind.

Afterward, Rikku and another Al Bhed went after Yuna, whom Cid had given top priority on his Summoner hunt. She and her friend lay in wait under the Moonflow river in an Extractor submersible Rikku piloted, waiting for Yuna to cross. While Yuna and her guardians are crossing the Moonflow along the path of her pilgrimage, Rikku's accomplice grabs Yuna from atop the shoopuf she was riding. But once Yuna was on board the Extractor, it was intercepted and put out of commission by Wakka and Tidus. Rikku managed to make it to the riverbank, where she collapsed with exhaustion. As she lay there, she sees Tidus wander by and calls out to him. After explaining herself to Yuna and Lulu, and gaining the approval of Auron, Rikku became the last member to join Yuna's guardians.

Rikku's first stop as a guardian was Guadosalam, where Maester Seymour Guado proposed to Yuna. The party then had to cross the Thunder Plains in order to reach Macalania, but as they enter the plains, Rikku panics. She suffered from severe astraphobia, left over from a mishap in the past where Brother accidentally hit her with a thunder spell he tried to aim at an attacking fiend. However, seeing that Yuna was troubled about her upcoming marriage to Seymour, Rikku starts dealing with it to offer her comfort.

As the party made their way through the Macalania Woods, Barthello came along and told them that he'd lost Dona – and Rikku realized some Al Bhed were responsible. As they approached Lake Macalania, Brother brought a large posse of Al Bhed to abduct Yuna once again – as well as a Crawler, a large machinegun-meets-cannon machina. After the party destroys the Crawler, Rikku tells Brother in the Al Bhed language that she has become a guardian. Wakka gets angry and vents his hatred of the Al Bhed and their machina at Rikku, who – far from taking it lying down – challenges his stubborn penchant for following Yevon's teachings without thinking for himself, and tries to reason with him. Despite this, other party members, such as Lulu and Kimahri, offer support for Rikku if Tidus rides with them on the snowmobiles. If Tidus rides with Rikku, she knew he was still ignorant to what will happen to Summoners if they go ahead with the Final Aeon, and that she was running out of excuses to keep it from him after their run-in with Brother. She also realized that telling him would break his heart since she knew of his feelings for Yuna. With all that in mind, Rikku tries to gently break it to him in veiled terms, but it passes over his head-Rikku: "Yuna's not the only one I want to protect. We Al Bhed want to protect all of the summoners, you know? Summoners are... well, you could say that... they sacrifice themselves to, well... to bring happiness to Spira." / Tidus: "What do you mean? Rikku?" / Rikku: "Yes?" / Tidus: ""Sacrifice themselves"?" / Rikku: "You know, the pilgrimage... it takes a lot out of you." / Tidus: "Oh, right. But you know, Yuna's real serious about being a summoner. For Yuna, the pilgrimage kinda means everything to her. You are going to help her, too, aren't you, Rikku? So you shouldn't say that Yuna's sacrificing herself. Rikku?" / Rikku: "I hope you're right."("Final Fantasy X")] Also, Rikku seems to embrace Tidus in a way that seems she has an almost crush on him (this is determined if the player chose Tidus to be in love with Yuna).

At Macalania Temple, the party watches a sphere recording of the late Jyscal Guado, which tells of Seymour's true nature, and following that, confronted him and succeeded in killing him. Before Yuna could send him, Tromell Guado appears and is shocked upon seeing his leaders dead form. Rikku suggests showing Jyscal's sphere to prove their actions were justified, but Tromell draws it and shatters it before them. Having no choice but to run for it, the party eventually reaches the floor of Lake Macalania. However, Sin appears, and the group winds up being transported to Sanubia Desert – minus Yuna. Despite Wakka's angry scowl, Rikku offers to take them to the Al Bhed base, Home, in hope of finding her there with Cid. But as they near, Rikku is stricken with horror at a terrible sight: Home is under attack by Guado forces. As the guardians make their way through the chaos, they come across the Summoners Dona and Isaaru, whom the Al Bhed had already captured. Rikku, realizing she couldn't keep it from Tidus any longer, tells him that Yuna's pilgrimage will eventually result in her death, a revelation that – as she feared – devastates himPacce: "What's "sacrificed"? The Al Bhed said Summoners were being "sacrificed", that they shouldn't have to do a pilgrimage." / Tidus: "Why couldn't they trust guardians to protect Summoners... The Al Bhed had no right stopping their pilgrimage." / Rikku: "The pilgrimages have to stop! If they don't, and they get to Zanarkand... they might defeat Sin. Yunie could... but then she... Yunie will "die", you know?! You know, don't you? Summoners journey to get the Final Aeon. Yuna told you, didn't she? With the Final Aeon, she can beat Sin... but then... if she calls it, then the Final Aeon's gonna kill her. Even if she defeats Sin, it will kill Yunie too, you know?"("Final Fantasy X")] . Yet despite Tidus' grief, it also puts the Al Bhed's actions into perspective for him: where once it's thought they were abducting Summoners out of banditry, in reality it's because they were trying to stop the "spiral of death" – the repeating cycle of Sin being defeated, the Summoner who did so being killed, and Sin returning – that had plagued Spira for a millennia. After this, Rikku and Wakka – who is horrified to see supporters of his beloved Yevon resort to such blatant violence, even to a race he hates – bury the hatchet and forget their previous falling out.

Finding that Yuna wasn't there, Rikku and the other guardians board Cid's airship, the "Fahrenheit" – the same airship Rikku and Tidus found underwater near Baaj Temple. Cid orders that Home be destroyed by the ship's weapons as they leave, which saddens Rikku deeply, despite Wakka's attempt to cheer her upWakka: "Hey, look. Don't get so down. Boom! Like happy festival fireworks, ya?" / Rikku: "You can cram your happy festival, you big meanie!"("Final Fantasy X")] . Cid uses the ship's onboard sphere oscillo-finder to locate Yuna, and discover that she was at Bevelle, being forced to marry Seymour. Rikku is shocked that Seymour had returned, and Auron explains to her that he is "as dead as Jyscal was", implying he had returned as an unsent. Racing to Bevelle, the "Fahrenheit" was greeted by the giant guardian wyrm Evrae, which was defeated by the guardians, leaving them free to rescue Yuna. Surfing down the ship's harpoon lines towards the wedding ceremony at the Palace of St. Bevelle, they battled through Bevelle guards to crash the party. When Yuna flies off on her Aeon Valefor, Rikku throws an Al Bhed flash bomb at Seymour's feet to cover their escape, so they can meet Yuna at Bevelle Temple. When Tidus goes into the chamber of the fayth after Yuna, Maester Kinoc and Bevelle guards held up Rikku and the other guardians at gunpoint. As Tidus is about to come out with an unconscious Yuna, Rikku warns him not to – but Tidus comes out anyway, only to be captured. Rikku was present at Yuna's trial before the four Maesters, where Grand Maester Mika reveals the true nature of Yevon. Afterwards, Rikku, Wakka and Tidus are locked in the Via Purifico sewers, where they defeat Evrae – now in zombie Evrae Altana form – a second time.

Escaping Bevelle, the party crosses into the Calm Lands where Rikku and Tidus, knowing that the end of Yuna's pilgrimage was near, vow to think of a way to prevent Yuna's death and to finish Sin for good. Along the way over to Mount Gagazet, Rikku and Tidus discuss how they hadn't thought of anything to help Yuna yet. Tidus tells her he's certain they will find something in the Zanarkand ruins that will help, which impressed Rikku with the way he sounded like a leader. But as the latter starts to walk on, Rikku is shocked when Seymour appears. Tidus tells her to run ahead and get Auron and the others, but Rikku stubbornly refuses to let Tidus fight him alone. On Tidus' insistence, however, she runs to fetch the others in the nick of time. After defeating Seymour, Tidus reveals that Sin is Jecht, his own father, who became Braska's Final Aeon ten years previously.

As they neared Zanarkand, Rikku feels upset that no one had thought of a way to stop Yuna dying yet, but she remains adamant that they'll see each other again. But Rikku's wish came true when, as they met with the unsent Lady Yunalesca, Yuna refused the Final Aeon. Afterwards, Rikku and Wakka came up with the idea that they should use the "Hymn of the Fayth" to lure Sin into a trap, but Lulu beat both of them from telling it to the others.

Her personality is perky and optimistic, although her positive nature hides her being concerned and worried. As an Al Bhed, she has suffered discrimination from the Yevonite majority. Despite this, she managed to keep a positive outlook and wanted to save Yuna from vainly giving her life with the Final Summoning. Rikku also has something of a sibling-like friendship with Tidus, supported by their similar personalities and their deep devotion to Yuna. Rikku also turns to Tidus for comfort at times, such as, when crossing the Thunder Plains, she collapses in fright and grabs hold of him. Some also believe that there also could be more to Tidus and her relationship due to this comfort, and the conversations held.

"Final Fantasy X-2"

Two years later, Rikku, now age 17, joins the Gullwings, a band of sphere hunters led by Brother. The only character from "Final Fantasy X" other than Yuna to be playable in "Final Fantasy X-2", Rikku remains steadfastly loyal to Yuna, giving her support when she discusses her feelings concerning the loss of Tidus, and her hopes to find him once more. In the two years that passed between the two games, Rikku managed to overcome her astraphobia – by camping out on the Thunder Plains for a week.Yuna (narrating): "Guess what! Rikku finally overcame her fear of thunder. Know how? She said she camped out here for a week!"] She also has a tendency to use odd expressions such as "disasteriffic" and "oh, poopie!" – expressions Yuna would sometimes pick up on (whether Rikku knew it or not, Yuna was now regarding her as something of a role model). She is the only main character in the game with no significant plot role.

Since the conclusion of "Final Fantasy X", Brother and Rikku had a falling out with Cid. When the Gullwings look for a sphere among the Zanarkand ruins, they find that Cid and ex-summoner Isaaru had turned the once sacred place into a tourist attraction, which comes as a shock to Yuna and Rikku. When Cid asks whether they have a bone to pick and Yuna replies "You bet I do," Rikku tells him it's just like turning the ruins of Home into a theme park, causing him to retreat to the Thunder Plains to sulk.

Rikku meets up with her old friend Gippal – now the leader of the Al Bhed Machine Faction – who, being quite the ladies' man, would tease Rikku with his flirtatious jokes, including one about them having "made quite the couple"Gippal: "Hey, it's Cid's little girl!" / Rikku: "I have a name..." / Yuna: "You seem close." / Gippal: "We made quite the couple." / Rikku: "Fryd yna oui cyoehk?" (What are you saying?) / Gippal: "Rikku's always good for a laugh."("Final Fantasy X-2")] – though it was unclear whether he was referring to romance, given his nature. Also, as Paine kept quiet about her past – and also that Gippal jumped a mile when he saw her, as well as the other faction leaders seeming to know her – Rikku would sometimes prod and poke her about it, only to succeed in annoying her. However, in their journey, Paine eventually tells them about her role as a sphere recorder for Crimson Squad, alongside Gippal, Baralai, and Nooj.

Upon meeting her young friend Calli on the Mi'ihen Highroad, Rikku and the Gullwings decide to help her catch a Chocobo. Later, during the Mi'ihen Highroad investigation sidequest, Rikku is one of the suspects when some machina malfunctioned after the Gullwings did this. If clues are arranged in a specific manner, Rikku is named the culprit and assigned clean-up service to make up for it.

In "Final Fantasy X-2 International+Last Mission", Yuna, Rikku and Paine reunited after being disbanded three months after the game ended. While exploring the Yadonoki Tower, it was later found out that Rikku spends her time searching for sunken machina on the ocean floor. She shows a bit of annoyance to Yuna and Paine, but it was because she felt she was cut off from them, and reluctant to consider that they may have lost their friendship in the times (Yuna living with Tidus, Lulu and Wakka in Besaid, and Paine traveling independently). After realizing that they all share that sentiment, all three girls promised each other that they will write and keep in touch, ensuring that their friendship will never go away.

Despite the fact she spends the majority of "Final Fantasy X-2" wearing a bikini as part of her attire, in the one story-sequence in the game that requires the character to wear a swimsuit she dons a different one-piece suit.

Other appearances

Rikku appears in "Kingdom Hearts II" along with her companions from the game, Yuna and Paine. The three appear as miniature fairy versions of themselves and wear modified versions of their "Final Fantasy X-2" attire as the original designs contained clothing that was too revealing for younger players (the yellow bikini top is now a tanktop, though still showing her midriff, her skirt is longer and orange, and she wears thigh high white socks). Much like her "Final Fantasy X-2" self, Rikku is a bit ditzy and good-natured as well as a treasure fanatic like her teammates. Her scarf acts more like wings for her to float off the ground, as all three levitate off the floor through various means (the scarf for Rikku, a hair-clip for Yuna, and demonic wings for Paine). The trio appear in Hollow Bastion to spy on Leon and company for Maleficent who offered them all the treasure they could want. Rikku almost told Sora who they worked for on their first encounter. However, they eventually aid in the defense of Hollow Bastion, after Maleficent abandoned them and then being lied to by Donald that Leon would pay the trio for their help. Rikku and others did forgive Sora and his partners for the deception by giving Sora the keychain of the Gullwing Keyblade. She was originally intended to appear in the original "Kingdom Hearts" as a member of Leon's group, but was replaced by Yuffie to avoid confusion over her name, since the "Kingdom Hearts" series already has an important character named Riku. In "Kingdom Hearts II", her name is never spoken, perhaps to avoid this confusion.

"Itadaki Street Special" features a miniature Rikku in her "Final Fantasy X-2" outfit, along with Yuna and Paine.

Reception

Rikku was positively received by critics and fans alike. She won the award for "Hottest Character" in G4's 2004 "G-Phoria" awards show [cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/doom3/news.html?sid=6103870|title=Spot On: Inside G-Phoria|publisher=GameSpot|first=Geoff|last=Keighley|date=2004-08-02|accessdate= 2008-08-06] and the "Viewers' Choice: Baddest Good Girl" on G4's "Video Game Vixens" in 2005. [cite web|url= http://www.g4tv.com/videogamevixens/episodes/4207/Biggest_Guns_Best_Bounce_and_Viewers_Choice_Baddest_Good_Girl.html|title=Biggest Guns, Best Bounce and Viewers' Choice Baddest Good Girl|publisher=G4|accessdate=2008-08-06] Her voice actor, Tara Strong, won an award for "Outstanding Character Performance" at the Interactive Achievement Awards in 2004 for her portrayal of Rikku. [cite web|url=http://www.interactive.org/awards.php?winners&year=2004&cat=200436#200436|title=Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance - Female|publisher=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences|accessdate=2008-08-06] In GameFAQs' annual "Character Battle" contest in 2005, Rikku entered the Dream Division against Ryu, but lost. [cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/sum05.html|title=Summer 2005: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle IV|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2008-08-07] She got to the division final in "Character Battle V" the following year, eventually being defeated by Samus Aran. [cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/cb5.html|title=Fall 2006: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle V|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2008-08-07] In "Character Battle VI", she was featured, but did not advance to the first round. [cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/cb6.html|title=Fall 2007: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle VI|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2008-08-07]

References