This possibly means that 0.2 might not end with Aqua getting rescued. Perhaps they'll leave that for KH3. I don't see us playing as Riku or Mickey in KH3, but a small, rescue scenario might be a possibility.

On one hand I want to say it's Aqua but on another hand I feel like it's actually someone connected to chi. Also a smidge heart breaking that Kairi gets zero mention in Sora's list of close friends.

Well, it feels good to know that the Key to Return Hearts is still a thing.

Okay, this isn't too much spoiler.
Idk, I'm not really excited for KH3 atm

It's an old summary, but with a lot more updated information so it is nice to see!

Also great to know that the Key to Return Hearts plot isn't gone. (what sucks is that we all know it isn't an actual key but probably the big realization Sora will have late-game lol so that mystery isn't hard to solve)

Is Master Eraqus not literally battle-scarred? ;)

Very nice! It isn't that much different from the initial plot summary we got when the game was announced, but I do like how descriptive it is. It makes me even more excited for all the promotional stuff we will probably get for the game after 2.8 is finally released.

Does anyone find it weird how like tons of interviews mention the key to return hearts is like focus of Sora's quest...but there wasn't a single mention of it in any KH3 trailers?

Reading the summary was actually a good reminder of how far Sora has come since KH1. Defeating Xehanort once and for all truly is his final challenge

I personally feel that the "Battle scarred Keyblade Wielder" is Ephemer and the "Key to Return Hearts" is Skuld. Maybe Ephemer and Skuld are remembered in the legend of the Keyblade War as the "Battle scarred Keyblade Wielder" and "Key to Return Hearts" respectively. As Dandelions that are to survive beyond the Keyblade War, I feel as though they need to be found to prevent Xehanort's catastrophe from occurring again.

Whoah this is all new to me. Where've I been for the last years? o.O
#hypeintensifies

Since chi was like really long ago it'd be truly weird if Ephemer or Skuld would return to the story. I'd say the battle-scarred keyblade wielder is probably Aqua mainly because both Yen Sid and Mickey knows about her and if they really need additional guardians, it'd be safe to consider her as a possible ally.

I'm too excited about 2.8 right now to properly feel KH3 but... our little Sora has come so far ;_;

Could "the key to return hearts" be aqua?? I was thinking about it and it makes sense. Aqua is the key to return ventus' heart and in the opening we see sora reaching out to aqua. Any more thoughts?

I really hope the "key to return hearts" is Aqua and the battle-scared wielder is Terra but thats just wishful thinking.

Battle-scarred suits a Chi character more than Aqua imo. It "can" suit Aqua, but I feel "a light lost in darkness" would have used to describe her instead.

Looks like Kairi isn't mentioned anywhere in the summaries. The KH3D ending implied a greater role in the future, but it's still possible she'll just be sort-of thrown in there with a "hey look, I'm fighting too...again!".

I also agree that the key to return hearts isn't, and shouldn't be just another keyblade. I always felt the series emphasized a powerful bond as the strongest "weapon" against sorrow and evil.

maybe the key to return hearts was the friends we made along the way~

"don't you see yet? the key to return hearts is responding. it's been there all along. the key to return hearts rests within you!"

Ewwwwwwww, no!

Please something else!

Bah, it probably is going to be something cheesy.

this is kingdom hearts.

I mean I think it will be like DDD. The key to returning hearts is Sora and the keyblade but it's a hidden power within the keyblade and innate to the heart itself that must be found through self discovery. I like to think maybe we have even already seen it in action when Sora was returned from a heartless to a heart with physical form. So in the end Sora will wake the power to return hearts in his own heart, and then any keyblade wielded by him becomes the key to returning hearts.

Ugh, if the KTRH is really as cheesy as everything else in KH... bah.

Hey, what if it's Kairi (who has given Sora back "his heart" someway after all) and Sora has to go find her because he already forgot about her existence after her being so irrelevant for the last 5 games or so?

have y'all just like forgotten what series you're playing, where it literally goes out of its way to say that bonds and friendship are the most quintessential elements in the universe

Believe me "the key to return hearts" is aqua

I was loving this description (absolutely loving it, for: the talk of how Sora used to want to see worlds, his sense of justice getting brought up again, the idea that Sora's realized everything's gone according to how Master Xehanort wanted it to--perhaps hinting at the more mature Sora in this game we've heard about--and even that they called him "dashing" like Merry-Weather does was really, really great), and then I got to the part where they didn't mention Kairi.

And before someone jumps down my throat (because I know I'm always complaining about her, and tbh I know it gets old and I sympathize with you guys always having to hear that from me all the time), I was fine with it at first--when it was just talking about what everyone's doing in III, because I realized maybe they want to keep what she's doing secret; or maybe she's training all of III, and so it wouldn't be worth mentioning it--but then they listed all of Sora's closest friends in the last paragraph and not her.

I can't. I just can't, guys.

They're never going to learn their lesson, and this series is never going to get better about her. Are they? If anything, it just seems to get worse, as this is twice now that we've heard lately about the friendships that make up this series, where Kairi isn't mentioned even once (what Hashimoto said a while back, I mean).

And you know, I'm somewhat irked that they didn't mention Naminé, either, because she's also one of Sora's top friends.

The part about Aqua being battle hardened (or whatever the exact wording was) sounded really good, though--and tells me that they're taking her development from the end of BbS and her time in the Dark Realm very seriously and I'm glad for that.

Despite what you guys might be thinking, all-in-all, I enjoyed this summary (there really are some things of interest here, and things I'm hopeful about, too); and it's just nice to finally know more about KHIII's story after all this time.

But I hate how this series since Coded, I'd say (and if we're being technical, since CoM), has tried to make Kairi disappear and has acted like she never existed. Just sayin'. (I'm really starting to think Blackdrazon is absolutely right, about all the writers/developers just deciding that they didn't like Kairi partway through KHII's creation, which would explain a lot, actually.)

And Naminé could use a bit more love, too, imo.

Hm... I don't know what to think about this, it sounds like the gameplay will be split and you'll be playing as Mickey/Riku along with Sora. I don't mind playing as Riku or Mickey but I hope that we mainly play as Sora. Something like 90% Sora, 10% the other characters.

Wow, was not expecting this. As others have mentioned, it's not really new, but a lot more descriptive. The bit about the battle scarred keyblade wielder has me intrigued. It could be Aqua, but I can't help but feel it might be someone entirely different. And also like others have pointed out, Kairi is left out of Sora's list of friends. Seriously, it's almost as if Nomura has totally forgotten Kairi at this point.

I get what you lot mean about Kairi's development... The most development she got was pretty much the end of Kindgom Hearts 2 when she saved Sora and Riku with her note in the bottle haha... Still, we never know what they could do with her, they might just be keeping her part hushed for now.

I think the Key to Return hearts is going to be a feelsy esque group hug type of ordeal (aka what Kairi did) and I'm totes fine with that. As long as they give it proper weight and not just an off handed event that happens and then they all laugh and cartwheel away.

Heck, maybe the princesses do have that power, they are what's holding the worlds together right now, so why not. Kairi's coming to understand her power/importance moment cause no one ever seemed to acknowledge her status after Sora's "Kairi's a princess???" moment.

Whatever they come up with, as long as it isn't as tricky and complicated as Xehanort's time travel shenanigans, I'm sure it'll be fine.

I'm more interesting in this 'battle worn' person they're looking for. Logic says Aqua, desire says Terra, heart says maybe Chi will actually come into play finally.

I feel like the "wielder" part in battle scarred wielder is important. Like, if it were Aqua, wouldnt it say "master"?

*goes to look at 0.2 trailer and product pages*

Well, most of the stuff surrounding Aqua these days specifically calls her Aqua without the Master part. We definitely aren't supposed to know who they're looking for yet hence their vagueness.

No one calls Aqua "Master" either. If they wanted to describe Aqua, like someone else said, they might have specified "lost to the darkness" or like you said, called her Master or something or other. This leads me to believe now that maybe it isn't Aqua.

Terra would make a ton of sense. Surely Aqua gave him some clues when they met in the dark realm. (which I assume she did since Mickey was pissed at Xehanort for all three of them). Aqua wouldn't know he's nothing but an empty armor husk, but maybe Mickey thinks he can find Terra elsewhere now somehow?

But even still, that's a stretch. It must be someone else and I think Chi is likely.

Confirmed(not): Ephemer ends up scarred at some point.

That is why I think they meant someone from Chi like Ephemer, Skuld, or the player.

And we're still not acknowledging that Kairi is a person that exists. Can't say I'm surprised, but wow Mickey, you're apparently a closer friend to Sora than the girl he grew up with, since you deserve a mention and she doesn't.

Battle scarred wielder makes me think Chi too. Aqua makes sense, I guess, but I'm not sure the 0.2 openig would make a big deal of Sora helping Aqua when Riku and Mickey are the ones to save her. Terra is also a possibility, but I feel like Chi is more likely.

But they DID have plenty of chances with her. Here are a few simple ways...

1.DDD Sora and Riku are cannonically reset to their KH1 bodies and before they learned how to wield the keyblade. This literally would of been the perfect time to stick Kairi into play because she be starting from their same level and we finally would have the trio embark on the raft not Sora and Riku taking the raft together just the two of them...

2. Change Coded's plot have the letter be summon to SRK that they found a mysterious journal message and need help solving it. Remove the coded computer nonsense and bring in Merlin with his magic to warp Sora, Riku, and Kairi's minds into the world of the journal's memories. Hey look we finally get SRK in their KH1 forms experiencing a form of KH1's adventure together and now the real Sora is experiencing everything so this all becomes relevant and is at least now a worthwhile KH1 rehash.

3. Not have Kairi stuck on the islands in KH1's end. There was never any reason Kairi had to remain when the plot literally goes and tells us SDG don't go back to their worlds cause "exception" and they could of made that exception for Kairi to no one would of thought it strange.

4. Not have Kairi be kidnapped and off screen 90% of KH2. Let her adventure around she has Pluto with her to sniff out dark corridors affording her a way to travel worlds and Axel pursuing her gives her a personal villain to deal with keeping her from meeting Sora. Then have Saix come in near the end to take her so she can still logically reach the org' world and act as a way for Sora to get in.

5. If Lea can get hyperbolic time chamber training and have that entire plot point created solely to bring him up to par with the others then god dang it we can do that for Kairi to.

There have been so many chances to do right by Kairi but they shelved her at every turn...

honestly, no one needs to see lea or kairi train. kairi more than held her own in kh2. having her train off screen (or not even bring it up) is a small price to pay for her to actually have a role in kh3. no one really said anything when roxas was able to wield the keyblade effortlessly, after all, and the dude could barely form complete sentences.

I don't need to see Kairi train or become powerful. I expect her to be able to hold her own in a process off screen (much to some peoples disappointment I'm sure)

There's only been a few characters we've seen from the bottom up, and there are plenty of others that we haven't but no one questions it.

I like Kairi and I hope they do great things with her just like they've done for Aqua, but I'm starting to think there are too many fans that are expecting way too much when you know it's probably not going to happen. It's doubtful we'll be getting a full training session of Kairi from 0 to 100.

I imagine at the beginning of the game, we'll see her at 0, and at about 25% of the way through, she'll probably show up again ready to fight. It didn't take wooden sword boy Sora to grow and take on Ansem SoD, I imagine it won't take long toooo much longer for Kairi to get to a reasonable power level. Probably the level of most party members or Leon's gang. I definitely think she'll probably be a party member at some point, just like Riku was at the last minute in KH2.

Do we even need to have her train? Why can't she just go on an adventure partnered with say Sora or Riku and learn through trial by fire. The challenges will be tougher but that will logically result in her growing stronger much more quickly and having friends or partners can help offset challenges that alone be to much for her. I kind of resent the idea that Kairi needs to training to go on an adventure and be helpful, Sora and Riku needed training because they are spear heading the attack and acting as the main offense against Xehanort along with Mickey. But no one is like busting Lea's tail on him needing formal training and heck I don't think anyone is going to be talking about how Roxas and Xion need training before they can help when they come back.

Thus far the main team has always been Sora, Donald, and Goofy. It's highly unlikely Kairi is going to start with them. It'd make sense for her to tag along with Riku and Mickey since she's getting the same speech, but I'm going to assume she hasn't even begun her off screen training at that point so she won't be going along (at first).

Unlike most everyone else we've seen on the island, we've never seen Kairi fight save for that one scene in KH2 when Riku gave her a keyblade. Before she goes head first into danger where she's a possible target by the bad guy, I hope they'd fill her in on basic fighting, get her proper gear, and tell her more about how the worlds work since she obviously hasn't been to very many of them. Then she can go on her way just like Sora and Riku did and learn by trial (hence my suggestion of her reappearance 25% through the game and able to kick butt by then)

I really hope given how similar in color and design KH3 Kairi is to KH3 Sora this time around, to the point it almost makes them look like exchangeable protagonists, that Kairi and Sora are both the playable "main" character of the story with you subbing out whoever you are not playing as. You know like our party member system except for playable characters instead of party members. I know that is extremely wishful thinking but dang it I am a hopeful person.

i just want to see kairi and riku design in kingdom shadder if the annivsty art is there true outfits that is

I also wanted to add here, about where Kairi is going to start out.

Unlike Sora and Riku who were just thrust into a bad situation and had to figure things out, Kairi is in a unique situation where she can set out on the right foot with proper direction, just like Mickey, Aqua, Terra, and Ven.

Supposedly, DDD existed to make Sora and Riku start all over again and become Masters the proper way. I think it only makes sense that Yen Sid would make sure Kairi starts out on proper footing. Same with Lea.

Interchangeable protagonist would be cool. If they do that though, I hope they would fix the cutscenes better to make sure all party members are there when they supposedly should be. I think KH2 did an ok job of this though so I wouldn't worried. (the pop up of your party members in and out was annoying)

If they really wanted to, they could just extend that little bit they had with Sora and Riku at the end of KH2 where you had to play Riku temporarily to save Sora.

Like I just said, when the opportunity is there to start Kairi out on the right foot, why the heck would they throw her out with little to no direction cause "Sora and Riku did it just fine!"

We saw the mess they got into just fine indeed. I really don't think it's that big of a deal for Kairi to get a lecture or two compared to Sora and Riku who were thrust into the wilderness and barely made it out ok and TAV who spent years and years under a strict teacher like Eraqus so that they can buy spells from a moogle.

But it wasn't until Yen Sid said that they used their Keyblades wrong, and we realized that "everything's been Xehanort's plan ALLLLLLLLLL ALLLLLLONG" that Sora and Riku's accomplishments were at all painted in a bad light.

And that bothers me, because I think they did pretty dang well? Before DDD had to come and rain on their parade. They did better than the actual people with training, even.

And seeing characters learn as they go is much more original and rewarding (and not to mention, visually appealing) than age-old Master/Apprentice stuff (especially with video games, when we're not allowed to catch our breaths; so you can bet that if Kairi's going to be trained in this game, we won't see it; but if she actually went with us, we could actually have her and see her improve), but maybe that's just me.

Really, I hate the Master/Apprentice thing in KH in general, and think it was a huge mistake from the get-go and should go.

Still hoping for a more FF-esque party system at some point.

Kairi could end up being the unofficial 4th party member later in the game.There's no reason it needs to stay SDG now when there's so many potential characters that can tag along.

I understand Riku and Mickey have a job to do but after it's done,assuming it doesn't take the whole game.

Wouldn't it make sense to have an option for them to tag along?When Aqua and Ven are saved,there would be no reason for them to go on their own again.

An option to have them join SDG's group and have them travel together would be great.

I didn't feel that at all. DDD said to me there was more that they could have learned if they had a little bit of guidance which they didn't. Now that they've learned it the 'proper way', Riku can do things like help Sora out for example, or whatever other special things people with control over their keyblade can do. With very little knowledge of the keyblade, Sora and Riku did amazing things. Now they can do even more amazing things.

You would rather Kairi be like KH1/KH2 Sora and Riku running around not properly knowing anything about the keyblade because...?

Ignoring the whole master/apprentice thing, why would you want Kairi to start of knowing nothing with people who know almost everything is right there to give her some tips before she rushes out into a greater threat than even Sora and Riku have faced so far?

I don't get it. I understand the eagerness to have Kairi do stuff and they should have already, but they shouldn't write it poorly or have Kairi be stupid for stupid reasons when they can give her the knowledge then and there. I don't want them to rush with Kairi if they're finally going to do something about her. They need to do it right, and I think Kairi starting off with Yen Sid's guidance is best for her character.

This was cute.

Granted I'm as underwhelmed about the Kairi snub as others in this thread: my hope is that there's something important going on with her which we're not supposed to know about so they're being deliberately coy, but then history hasn't been kind to her and there were plenty of ways to include a mention of her as a member of Sora's core group of friends without spoiling anything. Still, it's a rough synopsis printed on the back of a toy box, I don't imagine it's the definitive last word on anything that's going to happen in-game.

well, when they first revealed this summary back in 2013, Nomura said this about Kairi:

"About Kairi, we really considered the question but we can not say anything about it yet. During the summit announcement at E3, we did not mention Kairi at all. We will share information when we are ready, so please be patient during the wait (laughs). And of course, there is the matter of the other Keyblade Bearer at the end of KINGDOM HEARTS 3D. Unfortunately we are not allowed to disclose the details of this character presently."

Perhaps they are keeping both her and Lea's roles in KHIII quiet partly to avoid spoiling DDD for people (especially now with 2.8 about to come out)?

Getting a lecture or two about the keyblade and basic training does not take an entire game.

Story wise, just thrusting her out there is bad. There's no way around it. Personal feelings or not, for the sake of HER character KH3 and onwards, they should take her character and do it properly.

I am not excusing Nomura basically ignoring Kairi much of the time and I am eager to have her with her buddies and do some cool things, but I care most about the plot and reasoning for things that isn't totally absurd. I'm completely willing to pretend that in a quarter of the time it took Sora and Riku to get to where they are, Kairi was also able to become powerful thanks to Yen Sid setting her on the right path from the getgo. He gives her tips. He shows her the proper use of the keyblade. He tells her everything he can. Then he sets her loose on her own adventure to learn her new powers. A real time version of Sora and Riku's time in the Realm of Sleep, which I think most of us agree could hardly be called actual training even if it's called that.

Such a thing would not take an entire game. There are plenty of games where main characters or characters who are important parts of the party don't appear right away (I'm thinking about FFX where Rikku appears a bit later). Kairi officially joining the overall team (whether it's with Sora or with Riku) about a quarter of the way through the game when she has her bearings, her new outfit, and her abilities all powered up seems totally justified to me. I can totally imagine a situation where she shows up out of the blue and gets them out of a sticky situation, completely impressing everyone there with her new skills.

TAV, especially Aqua, are some of the most beloved characters in the franchise and I rarely see anyone crapping on them for needing to be trained for years and years only to fail to beat old rickety Master Xehanort. But your solution is to just thrust her into the story with little to no explanation on how she might quickly reach Sora and Riku's level because you don't want to hear some whiny idiots complain about Kairi learning to properly use a keyblade? Ok, that totally won't have people talking about Kairi badly (even though they do already)

Nomura should do right by her in KH3 based on what is currently available to her. People who hate Kairi because she has no screentime will also hate Kairi when she does have screentime. They will also hate her if she has a proper reason for being around and they will also hate her when she doesn't. I would prefer Kairi be given every legitimate reason possible to become a strong and involved character because that's the right thing to do, not just stuff her anywhere possible thinking it's going to shut up some haters that will hate her anyway. They do not matter to me, Kairi getting treated justly does, and I am crossing my fingers for her.

*echoes severe frustration about Kairi everyone else has already said*

*really nothing else for me to add about it at this point*

*FFS Square*

Do people honestly believe Kairi is going to be unimportant in KH3 despite being the main focus of the secret ending of DDD? Every secret ending in past KH games has heavily alluded to a large part of the story, so why would the KH team suddenly go off that trend? I want Kairi to have a bigger role in the series just like everyone else but i'm not really worried if it'll happen or not, since it seems like such a certainty.

I think a likely scenario is that she'll have a more unpredictable role in the story than most imagine. I really doubt that the whole game will involve her in training.

KH1's secret ending implied she be important in KH2.
KH2 opens with Kairi deciding waiting isn't good enough and so she will go on a quest to find her friends...she spends 90% of the game off screen or kidnapped and then is forced back onto the islands to wait for her friends anyway.
KH2 gives Kairi a keyblade and has her say that from now on she and Sora will always be together, she won't be left behind again.
BBS's ending has Kairi telling Sora to hurry back because she is going to wait on the island, directly contradicting that.
Coded ends with a letter saying everything rests within Sora, Riku, and Kairi...then Re:Coded's secret ending has ONLY Sora and Riku being summoned.
BBS has this whole thing where it makes a point that Sora and Riku have these grand destinies and will save the world in the future, all Kairi gets is being told one day she will be in danger and have to be protected by someone else. While Riku and Sora are given the power to protect or in Sora's case asked to protect someone. Hell Sora gets considered for a keyblade, Riku gets selected, and Kairi gets one by accident while cowering in fear of monsters.

DDD's secret ending is meaningless they fooled us not once but twice with the "look Kairi will be important in the future promise". It's completely fair that people are skeptical right now because they have never had a problem saying Kairi will do stuff, but they have ALWAYS failed to follow through on it.

To be fair, at the time of Coded's secret ending, Yen Sid didn't know Kairi could use a key blade, hence why at the end of DDD he said it's been brought to his attention, meaning he didn't have prior knowledge of it, meaning he wouldn't summon her if he didn't know she could use one. And how did KH1's secret ending imply she was important? Didn't it just show her waiting on the island? And in BBS, she was labeled as having a pure heart. Aqua knew the others with pure hearts were in danger, I mean, Snow White didn't go on a grand quest. So Aqua knew someone would need to protect her. So it actually made sense. the only reasonable claim in your pose is that she stayed ok the island instead of going with them in DDD.

Your double standard is ridiculous. Yensid's plan was to reset Sora and Riku to zero there is no reason Kairi couldn't of been included in this since she is already at zero. And heck even if Kairi isn't invited to the test she could of still been there to watch over her friends and offer moral support. You know the entire reason Donald and Goofy were there? Do also note every female hero appears in that game and the only one who says anything is Aqua, and it's a single word. The rest just stare in silence, run away, or are a memory of them being helpless.

No the female characters and DiZ were off screen for most of KH2. Mickey, Riku, and Axel all got pretty ample screen time and DiZ got way more screen time than Namine, he also quite possibly has more lines than Kairi I would need to go back and count. Please note also while Hayner and Pence at least pathetically try to stop Axel from taking Kairi...Olette literally stands there like a board and does nothing but watch and cringe.

My expectation is they never had to make her the helpless damsel in BBS but they did it anyway. They could very easily have Kairi meet Aqua and Mickey without monsters around, you know like they did for Riku and Sora. They could of had one of TAV be inspired and see themselves in Kairi like they did for Sora and Riku, really create some kind of bond for her to them. But they didn't instead they deliberately had Kairi be a damsel in distress, have people talk about how she needs to be protected cause of her light, and had her get a keyblade by accident. Like how can you not see the difference is treatment here? Riku gets a keyblade because he is a kid with a pure heart filled with dreams of protecting his friends that resonated with Terra. Sora nearly got one because he was so bright and kind Aqua saw herself in him and that is why she didn't give him one. Even then later on Sora would unknowingly receive a second keyblade via Ventus because he is just sooo great and wonderful and sensitive. Kairi however has to be rescued and touches Aqua's blade out of fear not even out of say a desire to fight and thus she gets a blade by accident and no one says a word. It's so incredibly offensive it's boggling they okayed that plot. My point with the destiny thing is the writing beyond the fact it makes it sound like Sora and Riku will save the day together alone, even though you know the one who brought their trio back together and allowed them to accomplish that task was Kairi. It would not of been hard to add some mention of Kairi playing a pretty critical role in that to.

I say DDD's secret ending is about as substantial as Kairi claiming she never be left behind again, they already failed. This is basically their last shot to redeem themselves...

In fact, I think ignoring her for so long knowing that she had any ability to hold her own from KH1 onwards would have been even worse. They really wouldn't have had any excuse or reason to exclude her.

I do personally believe they could have fit her in DDD perfectly, even if she wasn't taking the test like Sora and Riku and had her own little training session, but I digress.

Ariel acts like she can't fight Heartless, then she slaps them to oblivion. Same with other Disney characters with arguably little to no experience in fighting hordes of demons.
Sora switched from fighting little kids with sticks and balls to gigantic demons in life threatening situations with apparently no problem. And let's not talk about the Chi players: "Here's a Keyblade, now exterminate thousands of enemies with future powers".
Young Xehanort was given a borrowed power and started kicking asses, particularly the TAV asses. Yes, he is Xehanort, but an untrained Xehanort vs three semi-Master class warriors. Just having Ansem telling you things doesn't make you capable of doing them.
Riku and Kairi started destroying Shadows with one-hit almost casually, then spent all of Ansem's monologue trying to hit the same Shadow who just avoided them like a freaking ninja.

It's Kingdom Hearts.
I feel like too much in-depth fighting analysis is out of place here. People, and Kairi, will be able to fight as a Saiyan trained by a Jedi Master if the plot demands it.

Sora's sudden acrobatics at the end of KH2 always bothered me, but I digress. ha. It's truly why I don't mind if Kairi learns quickly and is able to keep up with them. As long as it's not RIGHT AWAY, it's all good. For KH3, I'm not worried about Kairi and I trust whatever Nomura has planned for her. What gives me this confidence? Aqua does. I like Aqua, I like how she's written, and I love the focus she's getting. If Nomura can create a character like Aqua, his other female characters are not lost.

People should continue to demand more of Kairi so that Nomura and the team know that people want more of her, but at the same time, don't expect her to be shoved in everything because the writing will suffer. I think Nomura can still dig himself out of the lack-of-Kairi hole, but shoving her straight into the action is not for the best imo.

Kairi will most definitely be as overpowered as her pals in KH3 at some point.

Interesting I didn't know these Play Arts Kai figures had much of a background or story printed on the boxed for their characters. Seriously can't wait to get my hands on this one though.
I never expected them to reveal too much given that it's just a figure after all but I like that it doesn't reveal too much and keeps things ambiguous and up to our imaginations and speculations.

I heard a guy say that Tetsuya Nomura say in an interview that Aqua will be save in 0.2. Can anybody confirm or deny?

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Ventus as the battle-scarred wielder. He's literally been scarred down (twice) through his heart. Plus Riku and Mickey's venture into Castle Oblivion doesn't seem too far-fetched either, but I have a feeling the Trinity Team are probably gonna be inserted there in some way or another (related to their mission most likely).

This is the first time in a long time that the "Key to Return Hearts" has been mentioned. For a while there I was wondering if it got dropped.

I really expect Ven to be saved last because Aqua made a promise that she would bring Terra back with her when she returns to Ven to wake him up. You know this series promises are serious things that pretty much always will be followed up on even if they have to make last minute excuses to do so. Case example Sora said he return to Kairi at the islands when he got Riku back. Despite KH2 making it seem like that promise was broken at the last 10 minutes of the game Kairi is departed from her trio and forced back onto the island. Then as promised Sora returns to the island with Riku in tow and returns the good luck charm. So I very much expect that Bentus won't awaken until Aqua and Terra are together...even if they have to bend the plot backwards to do so. Like thrusting him to sleep and tossing him back into the chamber of waking through shenanigans.

i think i know what role kairi i think riku will be killed this will will lead sora to start to go into the darkness because his best friend been killed then kairi will try to bring sora back into the light after all kairi is sora light and like somebody already kairi is the glue to hold the trio toghter if something happen to one of them kairi she will amend it

No, Goso. This isn't some shonen anime

Eraqus probably isn't dead the game heavily implies he escaped death by having his heart transfer into Terra at the last moment.

Riku isn't going to die. Sora's got super heart magic powers and would probably break the laws of time travel or use Kingdom Hearts to bring him back lol.

Eraqus was different, mainly because older parental/mentor figures are easy death fodder in media. He's coming back anyways.

I mean I totally expect somebody to die but it isn't going to be Riku.

This is a new KH game new chatacters and new major concepts will be introduced.

I son't think what the two grups are searching for is something necessarily revelaed/hinted at in a previous game.

the one thing i dont get everybody expect sora to be this savor and do great things but he not he just a n ordinary boy that can do specail stuff

This is interesting. At least it's some KH III details that we've all been wanting for a long time now. I'm happy about that!
I of course like it a lot because this particular article features Sora... Coooooool!

The part where it mentions a battle scarred master is truly fascinating. I have a feeling it's not just Aqua they're talking about. I'm with some of those other ideas about it being someone connected to our KHUX game. I've been wondering about why Ephemer has seemed to be popping up in images and drawings with Sora. Could it be someone like him?
I still don't know how that character's story turns out, and I don't want to spoil it but find out on my own time adventuring in the game as my Keyblade wielder Aera.
I'd definitely say the key to return hearts is the same thing that was revealed and focused on in Re:coded, with all the painful memories of others connected to him. That makes sense. Funny that just about everyone close to Sora already knows this but has yet to tell him about it. Are they really going to have Sora go out on his journey and hope he discovers the truth on his own? And if so, why? My us going to be the one to take those matters into his own hands and have the role in revealing this to him, I just know it! (>~<)

And, this Sora play arts is a work of art that I'd love to own so I could admire it continually.

Isn't the next logical step for Riku to be a teacher? You say he is done but I feel like we barely scratched the surface. He is no more done than a person who graduated college. The only friendship of his remotely fleshed out is Sora's and with everyone coming back there is a lot of potential ground to cover. His friendships with Roxas, Xion, and Kairi need a lot of expansion and this isn't counting the new friendships/relationships he can form with TAV. He has a new duty to go out, spread the keyblade, find an apprentice, impart all he had learned to others not just about the keyblade but darkness as well. Becoming the world traveling spokes person for darkness while being a hero and showing the good it can do...you know the exact opposite of Xehanort. But even more so who says bring a master is what Riku wants to do with his life. He wanted to be strong to protect the things that matter but that doesn't mean he wants to spend his entire life as a wandering warrior and teacher. Maybe he wants to go out in the new Xehanort free world and find what he actually like to do as a job for his life. Perhaps he ends up enjoying uncovering secrets and decides to be an archeoligst type dude. Maybe he starts to delve into science himself and starts trying to use it to better the world. Maybe he finds the pirate life is for him and settles down as a pirate in another world.

Riku's story isn't done yet just that one single arc of his fall and redemption is.

I have a feeling once Terra comes back, instead of Terra being Riku's master, Riku's going to be Terra's master for a while. Think about it.

Terra chose Riku, but Riku became a master without him and also learned to control the darkness that Terra can't. I can see Terra learning from Riku, seriously...

I'd actually really like that, maryadavies:) To be honest, I don't like the Master/Apprentice system at all in KH, but this would be one time I'd absolutely adore it if that ended up being the case.

Also, I know the chances of this being true are negative five million, but I'd love it if the battle worn person they're talking about is Naminé.

That poor girl has been through so very much.

But for that to happen, the writers would finally have to acknowledge her suffering--and really dive into it--and I don't see them doing that, sadly.

I'm not really sure if I should be amused, concerned or facepalming at the fact that getting a sort of more detailed version of the KH III story summary which opens up some possibly new light on the mission Riku & Mickey have to tackle as well as hammering home that Sora did many of the special feats he did through "many friends having lent their support and powers" (without calling everyone by name obviously as that wouldn't fit in) turned into yet another ten-page-long almost-rant focusing solely on Kairi.

Falling into the other extreme to "combat" the undoubted neglect the character has experienced by feeling the need to shove/expect her in(to) every new information that comes out will probably not help and possibly even make things in worse in the long run.
Fact is that she has been detached from almost all the important plot points and connections with other important original characters, especially the ones mentioned in the summary.

The ones who drive the plot and share the close connections with the other originals like TAV (even more so since 0.2 apparently will somehow deepen the connection between Aqua and Sora, on top of the latter's already close connection with Ventus) are undoubtly Sora, Riku and Mickey primarily while Donald and Goofy are those who will be Sora's primary assistance (and the main selling point for the casuals due to the "SDG"-dynamic) hence why those are the only ones mentioned by name.

Sora & Riku are the protagonist and deuteragonist respectively while Mickey, Donald and Goofy are the "main" Disney representatives. These are the most known to the casual crowd and the wider fandom up to now and since this is only a little more detailed version of the summary already known since 2013 it should not be that much of a surprise that there are no additional names mentioned.