• Riku
• Riku-Ansem
• Gameplay
• Forms
• Gallery
• TCG
• Dark Riku
• Quotes
• Riku-Ansem

Riku
Japanese	リク
Rōmaji	Riku
Game	Kingdom Hearts
Variations • •
KH tracks Battle theme -Bustin' Up on the Beach

	HP	STR		DEF	MP rec		EXP
Destiny Islands	90	5		5	0		5
Weapon	Fire		Blizzard			Thunder
x1.0	x1.0		x1.0			x1.0
Percentage	Stop		Stun			None
x1.0	x1.0		x1.0			x1.0
Rewards
Potion
World(s)
Destiny Islands

Riku
Japanese	リク
Rōmaji	Riku
Game	Kingdom Hearts
Variations • •
KH tracks Battle theme -Scherzo Di Notte

	HP	STR		DEF	MP rec		EXP
Hollow Bastion	500	31		24	45		2000
Weapon	Fire		Blizzard			Thunder
x1.0	x0		x0			x0
Percentage	Stop		Stun			None
x0	x0		x0.5			x0.5
Rewards
Trinity Detect
World(s)
Hollow Bastion

	HP	STR		DEF	MP rec		EXP
Hollow Bastion	500	28		20	49		2000
Weapon	Fire		Blizzard			Thunder
x1.0	x0		x0			x0
Percentage	Stop		Stun			None
x0	x0		x0.5			x0.5
Rewards
Trinity Detect
World(s)
Hollow Bastion

	HP	STR		DEF	MP rec		EXP
Hollow Bastion	500	31		24	45		2000
Weapon	Fire		Blizzard			Thunder
x1.0	x0		x0			x0
Percentage	Stop		Stun			None
x0	x0		x0.5			x0.5
Rewards
Trinity Detect
World(s)
Hollow Bastion

Riku
Japanese	リク
Rōmaji	Riku
Voice actors	(Ja:)Mamoru Miyano Akio Otsuka (En:)David Gallagher Billy Zane
Game	Kingdom Hearts
Variations • • •
KH tracks Battle theme -Forze del Male

	HP	STR		DEF	MP rec		EXP
Hollow Bastion	900	31		24	49		8500
Weapon	Fire		Blizzard			Thunder
x1.0	x0		x0			x0
Percentage	Stop		Stun			None
x0	x0		x0.5			x0.5
Rewards
Ragnarok
World(s)
Hollow Bastion

	HP	STR		DEF	MP rec		EXP
Hollow Bastion	900	28		20	52		8500
Weapon	Fire		Blizzard			Thunder
x1.0	x0		x0			x0
Percentage	Stop		Stun			None
x0	x0		x0.5			x0.5
Rewards
Ragnarok
World(s)
Hollow Bastion

	HP	STR		DEF	MP rec		EXP
Hollow Bastion	900	31		24	49		8500
Weapon	Fire		Blizzard			Thunder
x1.0	x0		x0			x0
Percentage	Stop		Stun			None
x0	x0		x0.5			x0.5
Rewards
Ragnarok
World(s)
Hollow Bastion

Mysterious Man
Japanese	なぞの男
Rōmaji	Nazo no Otoko
Game	Kingdom Hearts II
Variations • • •
KHII tracks Battle theme -The 13th Struggle

Location		HP	Strength		Defense	EXP
The Land of Dragons Episode 2		760	34		19	0
Physical	Fire			Blizzard
×1.0	×0.5			×0.5
Thunder	Dark			Neutral
×0.5	×0.5			×0.5
World(s)
The Land of Dragons

Location		HP	Strength		Defense	EXP
The Land of Dragons Episode 2		760	34		19	0
Physical	Fire			Blizzard
×1.0	×0.5			×0.5
Thunder	Dark			Neutral
×0.5	×0.5			×1.0
World(s)
The Land of Dragons

????
Japanese	????
Rōmaji	????
Game	Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Variations • •

????
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Little is known about this man, save that he wears the coat of our Organization. He has not been seen to engage members in combat, instead merely jumping and guarding while watching our movements. Do enough damage, and he'll warp away.

Mission	HP				EXP		STR/DEF
	International		Japanese
74	—		—		—		69
Fire		Blizzard		Thunder			Aero
x0		x0		x0			x0
Ignite		Freeze		Jolt			Air-Toss
x0		x0		x0			x0
Defense Power Adjustment					Heart Points
—					—
					Flinch?		Bloom-Out?
					◯		X
Rewards
Missions 73-93 —
World(s)
Twilight Town

Riku
Japanese	リク
Rōmaji	Riku
Game	Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Variations • •
KHD tracks Battle theme -Another Side -Battle Ver.-

Riku
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
This warrior of the dark wears our Organization's coat. A master of combat, he combines combo attacks with a tight defense, a homing projectile, and a block-counter. His weapon grows in power when the tides turn against him, increasing his attack range.

Mission	HP				EXP		STR/DEF
	International		Japanese
93	2072		2589		2341		98
Fire		Blizzard		Thunder			Aero
x0.33		x0.33		x0.14			x0.41
Ignite		Freeze		Jolt			Air-Toss
x0		x0		x0			x0
Defense Power Adjustment					Heart Points
• Full Body: 1.20					—
					Flinch?		Bloom-Out?
					△[1]		X
Rewards
Missions 73-93 —
World(s)
The World That Never Was

Riku is a recurring boss in the series, and is also the final boss ofKingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

Strategies[edit]

Kingdom Hearts[edit]

Riku (Duel)[edit]

Sora can fight Riku on Destiny Islands before reporting to Kairi for the first time. Riku is the most difficult challenge on the island. His attacks are similar to other battles with his normal strikes. He has two special attacks; if Riku takes a few hits, he will jump back up kicking Sora, this can be dodged by jumping out of the way. His other comes if Sora hits him while he is guarding three times, he will unleash a powerful strike though this can be countered or dodged. The difficulty of this battle comes from falling off the small battle arena (if Sora goes out of bounds, the battle ends in defeat). Riku is worth 5 EXP.

Technique		Element	Tech	Power Bonus	Guard?
Stab (突き, Tsuki?)		None	x0.1	0	Repellable (Recoil: 20)
		Thrusts his wooden sword forward.
Spinning Art (回転技, Kaitengi?)		None	x0	2	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Swings his wooden sword while turning his body.
Continuous Art (1st Stage) (連続技（１段目）, Renzokugi (1-danme)?)		None	x0.1	0	Repellable (Recoil: 20)
		Swings his wooden sword down diagonally.
Continuous Art (2nd Stage) (連続技（２段目）, Renzokugi (2-danme)?)		None	x0	2	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Swings his wooden sword up diagonally.
Damage Counter (ダメージカウンター, Damēji Kauntā?)		None	x0	4	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Kicks while jumping up.
		Used after taking 4 hits, after 1-2 hits when low on HP. In the original Japanese version, it is used after being hit with a combo finish.
Guard Counter (ガードカウンター, Gādo Kauntā?)		None	x0.1	2	Repellable (Recoil:90)
		Swings his wooden sword down after blocking an attack.
Guard: Repellable = Can be blocked and interrupted; Returnable = Can be blocked and deflected back; Preventable = Blockable by Goofy's shield only.

Riku (Sword)[edit]

Sora will be reunited with Donald and Goofy. The Beast will not join Sora's party, so make sure Sora's Strength and Defense are up. Riku can't be hurt by magic, so use Dodge Roll to avoid lunging attacks, then counterattack him from behind.

His moveset is similar to the battle at Destiny Islands, but now that he has the Soul Eater with him, they can be very damaging. He moves very fast too, so Dodge Roll out of harm's way. Melee attacks are recommended for this battle and simply heal when necessary.

Consider summoning Tinker Bell to restore Sora's HP periodically and to revive him if he falls.

Technique		Element	Tech	Power Bonus	Guard?
Vertical Swing (縦振り, Tate Furi?)		None	x0.002	2	Repellable (Recoil: 50)
		Jumps forward and slashes.
Scourge (振り払い, Fruriharai?, lit. "Shake Off")		None	x0	4	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Swings his sword while spinning sideways.
Dash Swing (ダッシュ振り, Dasshu Furi?)		None	x0.002	2	Repellable (Recoil: 50)
		Swings his sword down, then charges forward while slashing.
Guard: Repellable = Can be blocked and interrupted; Returnable = Can be blocked and deflected back; Preventable = Blockable by Goofy's shield only.

Riku (Keyblade)[edit]

This fight pits Sora againstAnsem, Seeker of Darkness, who is possessing Riku and wielding theKeyblade of Heart. Since Sora is alone in this fight, restock his items and make sure he is in top notch condition before fighting Riku. He should also have theOlympia Keyblade equipped from completing the first three cups atOlympus Coliseum, alongside theGuard,Dodge Roll,Glide, andCounterattack abilities.Metal Chocobo is also a decent Keyblade to equip.

Riku's HP is made up of several bars. In his first HP bar, he'll attempt to toy with Sora, passing around him and only using Vertical Swing and Dash Swing; just simply dodge and attack him. Whatever combo is used, try to refrain from executing the combo finisher (unless Sora has Blitz equipped); Riku has fast recovery and can unleash devastating counterattacks. If Sora hasArs Arcanum equipped, save it for later. Using magic causes Riku to counterattack withDark Firaga. Occasionally, Riku will put up a blocking stance. Do not attack at this point- doing so will cause him to retaliate. However, using Ars Arcanum can break through and deal damage without flinching him.

After Riku's first life bar has been drained, he will start using Shake Off; he'll spin around while swinging his Keyblade, similar to Sora'sVortex. He uses this attack very often, mostly to break Sora's combos. During this time, try keeping Sora at a safe distance, but not too far or Riku will make a high leap and attempt to stab him with his Keyblade, creating shockwaves that move sideways from his position. Now will be a good time to use Ars Arcanum, but just use it a few times and try saving MP, because Sora will be needing it later.

Eventually, Riku will activate Darkhand mode, where he cloak himself with darkness and a purple aura will surround him. During this period, his speed and agility increase and his attacks gain additional effects, like shock waves or projectiles (be careful when countering the projectiles, as if it hits Riku he will use Dark Firaga) and his infamousDark Aura. Fortunately, the projectile can be deflected either by guarding or striking with perfect timing; for each successful deflect, Riku will receive damage and be momentarily stunned. Seize this opportunity and attack relentlessly.

When Riku's health bar drops to his final one, he'll stay in his Darkhand state permanently and become more aggressive and uses Dark Aura very often, telegraphed by him announcing, "Behold the power of darkness!" or "Open your heart to darkness!". Riku's Dark Aura is predictable, but it can be difficult to dodge. When he begins floating and charging, stay a safe distance away from him and High Jump followed by Glide right before he starts shooting around. Immediately execute Glide and move around in a circular fashion. Near the end of his assault, repeat the phase and start Gliding again. Riku's finisher covers about 60% of the arena, so it'll be pretty hard to evade it. Alternatively, when he charges to one particular end of the arena (he usually starts with the top left corner), jump and stay there: Riku will not charge into the same area twice. Avoiding the first charge and staying next to one of the computers of the arena may help avoid the entirety of the attack. In the PS4 version, the speed of the attack is increased.

Attacking and counterattacking are good tactics while Riku is in this form, just pay attention to what he says and heal occasionally.

If Sora stands directly next to the computer when Riku uses Dark Aura, Riku cannot hit Sora at all except for the first hit. However, he will unleash Shock Slashes and combo Sora immediately afterward.

When Riku's health reaches critical levels, be sure to finish him quickly, as he will use Dark Aura very often, prolonging the fight. Aside from that, he'll start to keep his distance from Sora, so track him down and continue attacking. A good pattern to get into that causes great damage is immediately after executing a full or half combo, Guard, and repeat, almost never giving him a chance to attack.

However, a strategy to cause Riku to loop his tactics can make the fight much easier at any level. During the first phase, spamming magic on him (especially Fire or any of its variants) at him just to goad him into using Dark Firaga works wonders, as Sora can deflect it back at him each time, gaining Tech points and inflicting damage back at him. For the second phase however, whenever Riku is open, time Sora's basic attacks correctly so that his combo finisher gets deflected by his spinning attack (normally done with hitting him once before returning to neutral, then proceeding with the usual three-hit combo which requires no Combo Plus abilities equipped), and repeat the cycle after Riku recovers. Looping him like this will prevent him from using Dark Aura.

Technique		Element	Tech	Power Bonus	Guard?
Vertical Swing (縦振り, Tate Furi?)		None	x0.002	2	Repellable (Recoil: 50)
		Jumps forward and slashes.
Dash Swing (ダッシュ振り, Dasshu Furi?)		None	x0.002	2	Repellable (Recoil: 50)
		Swings his Keyblade down, then charges forward while slashing.
Scourge (振り払い, Furiharai?, lit. "Shake Off")		None	x0	4	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Swings his Keyblade while spinning sideways.
		Used after Sora's combo finish, after his fourth hit, or when parrying an attack.
Helm Split (兜割り, Kabuto-wari?)		None	x0	4	Repellable (Recoil: 99)
		Jumps high, then falls with his Keyblade pointing down.
Darkhand Vertical Swing (ダークハンド縦振り, Dākuhando Tate Furi?)		Dark	x0.002	4[KH I] 6[KH I FM]	Repellable (Recoil: 90)
		Uses "Vertical Swing" while in Darkhand state.
Darkhand Vertical Swing (Racing Shock Wave) (ダークハンド縦振り（地走り衝撃波）, Dākuhando Tate Furi (Jibashiri Shōgekiha)?)		Dark	—	6	—
		Releases shock waves to the left and right after using "Darkhand Vertical Swing".
Darkhand Dash Swing (ダークハンドダッシュ振り, Dākuhando Dasshu Furi?)		Dark	x0.002	4[KH I] 6[KH I FM]	Repellable (Recoil: 90)
		Uses "Dash Swing" while in Darkhand state.
Darkhand Dash Swing (Shock Slash) (ダークハンドダッシュ振り（衝撃斬）, Dākuhando Dasshu Furi (Shōgekizan)?)		Dark	x0.004	6	Returnable (Recoil: 0)
		Releases rings of light after using "Darkhand Dash Swing".
Darkhand Scourge (ダークハンド振り払い, Dākuhando Furiharai?, lit. "Darkhand Shake Off")		Dark	x0	6[KH I] 8[KH I FM]	Repallable (Recoil: 100)
		Uses "Scourge" while in Darkhand state.
		Used as counterattack.
Darkhand Helm Split (ダークハンド兜割り, Dākuhando Kabuto-wari?)		Dark	x0	6[KH I] 8[KH I FM]	Repellable (Recoil: 99)
		Uses "Helm Split" while in Darkhand state.
Darkhand Helm Split (Fire Pillar) (ダークハンド兜割り（火柱）, Dākuhando Kabuto-wari (Hibashira)?)		Dark	—	4[KH I] 6[KH I FM]	—
		Generates pillars of fire after using "Darkhand Helm Split".
Dark Firaga (ダークファイガ, Dāku Faiga?, lit. "Dark Figa")		Dark	x0.004	8	Returnable (Recoil: 0)
		Shoots a purple bullet from his hand.
		Can be used as counterattack, notably if Sora uses magic.
Dark Aura (闇のオーラ, Yami no Ōra?)	(main)	Dark	x0	8	—
	(final thrust)	Dark	x0	8	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Performs several high-speed rushes, then releases a wide range of shock waves.
		Used at low HP. Only the first rush aims at Sora and can be avoided by jumping. The other rushes can be avoided by staying in the edge of the arena or gliding around. Stays invincible during the attack.
Goes occasionally into Darkhand state while the HP is decreased below a certain amount. Stays in Darkhand state while the HP is low.
Guard: Repellable = Can be blocked and interrupted; Returnable = Can be blocked and deflected back; Preventable = Blockable by Goofy's shield only.

Kingdom Hearts II[edit]

Riku-Ansem engaging in combat in the Land of Dragons.

Riku-Ansem is a boss in the Land of Dragons, his identity only confirmed by his usage of theSoul Eater. Because Sora is alone in this fight, he cannot useDrive Forms (exceptLimit Form inKingdom Hearts II Final Mix) orSummons, and the onlyLimit he has access to isTrinity Limit.

Riku does not flinch from any form of attack. He can be damaged with the Reaction Command provided by theRapid Thrusters that surround him. If enough Ethers are stocked, a good way to damage Riku is by using Trinity Limit or using Limits from Limit Form inKingdom Hearts II Final Mix. The battle ends when Sora deals enough damage to Riku. If Sora is struggling, just battle the Rapid Thrusters since they are endless and try to level up.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days[edit]

Mission 74[edit]

Main article:Mission 74: Search for the impostor

Riku will block almost all of Roxas's attacks, but will not counterattack. Pursue and attack Riku in order to herd him to the southern tunnels. While several Heartless will appear throughout the area, just ignore them and focus on Riku. Once Riku is chased into the southernmost tunnel, he will escape through a Dark Corridor and the mission will end.

Mission 93[edit]

Main article:Mission 93: Believe

In this battle, Roxas loses his Dual-wielding and fights only with Oathkeeper. InMission Mode, Riku is replaced withAnti-Riku, who behaves the same.

Riku is weak toAero, and can be brought down from long-range with little risk to Roxas is he has stocked enough of the spell, but make sure not to let them be negated by Guard Counter. Stocking severalCures is also useful, unless grinding Riku for EXP using theExtreme. In that case, Roxas should rely only on Aero to avoid taking damage.

Technique		Element	Status	Power	Block?
Continuous Slash (連続斬り, Renzoku Kiri?)		—	—	0.35 (1st hit) 0.40 (2nd hit) 0.70 (3rd hit)	O △ (shining)
		Slashes twice, then finishes with a powerful forward thrust.
Guard Counter (ガードカウンター, Gādo Kauntā?)		—	—	1.67	X
		Forms a wall before himself that repels attacks, and counterattacks any repelled physical attacks.
		Telegraphed by Riku raising his left hand, as well as a"shink" sound. Can be avoided by simply attacking Riku from the side or rear. If the counterattack is triggered, quickly dodge to the side.
Helm Split (兜割り, Kabuto-wari?)		—	—	1.40	△
		Leaps into the air, warps above the target, and slams the Oblivion to the ground to create a massive shockwave, then repeats two more times.
		Can be dodged withGlide or well-timedDodge Rolls.
Wandering Shot (浮遊弾, Fuyūdan?)	(light shot)	—	—	1.45	△
	(stab)	—	—	1.40	△
		Fires a blast of dark energy that homes in on the target.
		Used when at a distance. If it connects, Riku will warp to the target's location and attack with a shockwave. Can be dodged or guarded.
Dark Firaga (ダークファイガ, Dāku Faiga?, lit. "Dark Figa")		Flower	Blind (40%)	1.50	△
		Releases a pillar of dark fire. The pillar will first move straight ahead, before tracking the opponent.
		Telegraphed by Riku hopping backwards.
Dark Aura (ダークオーラ, Dāku Ōra?)	(rush)	—	—	1.38	△
	(stab)	—	—	1.40	△
		Rushes targets repeatedly with the Oblivion, then finishes by stabbing the Oblivion into the ground to generate a shockwave and several small explosions.
		Only used while the Oblivion is shining. Can be dodged withGlide or well-timedDodge Rolls.
When Riku is low on health, he infuses the Oblivion with shining energy, increasing the range and power of his attacks for the rest of the fight. During this phase, Riku no longer staggers from Roxas's attacks.
Guard/Block: △ = Can be blocked; O = Can be blocked and interrupted (melee) or deflected back (projectile); X = Cannot be blocked.

Videos[edit]

Notes and references[edit]

• Entelechy
• Original characters
• Kingdom Hearts characters
• Kingdom Hearts bosses
• Kingdom Hearts II characters
• Kingdom Hearts II bosses
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days characters
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days bosses
• Optional bosses
• Gameplay