I’m gonna say it, and it may be unpopular,
I don’t like the idea of Sora having amnesia in KH4.
Or rather to clarify better, I do not like the idea that he has 100% amnesia, 100% cannot remember anything about his past life, how he’s here, or anything or anyone outside of his name and that he’s a keyblade wielder.
My reason is because I think it takes away Sora’s agency in the story and is just another excuse to bury Sora’s emotional trauma in favor of keeping the narrative plot driven. It was the reason for my mixed feelings in KH3 regarding his arc, and it’s still the case now.
Because if he doesn’t remember his past life, why would he assume he has a past life at all? The steam description of the game states that he is trying to get home. Why would he want to go home if he doesn’t remember home?
I will accept PARTIAL amnesia tho. Specifically if the things he doesn’t remember are the most traumatic events that happened to him that his heart, if broken, (which is likely), is choosing not to recall because it’s too painful and damaging him. So his broken heart is trying to keep itself from breaking more by blocking those out of his mind.
THAT would give a lot of context to his mental state as while it could be explained by magic in universe, that is a very real coping mechanism for people who suffered immense trauma. Especially ones like Sora who often choose to not address it through smiling and trying to stay positive. In the end that has consequences and it’s literally stripping away his identity the more trauma he suffers and refuses to acknowledge.
Basically, he remembers he has a past life, he remembers he has a home, and he does remember his friends (Riku, Donald, Goofy) and his relationships with them. But NOT the keyblade war and not the reason he’s stuck in Quadratum. (Basically he forgets the sacrifice Riku made, and maybe even a number of his worst memories with Riku, but not Riku himself)
I prefer if he just didn’t have amnesia at all and him passing out upon seeing Donald and Goofy is because of what the image is showing him that we don’t see in the trailer that could re-ignite some hurtful stuff that’s, again, literally killing his identity. BUT I don’t mind partial amnesia if this is the direction that amnesia takes.
My theory is if this alleged broken heart is his is not acknowledged and cared for, then he could just lose every memory he has bit by bit until he does forget everything even down to his own name, and just become some empty husk overtaken by darkness. But that’s my angst brain ringing.
It really depends on execution for me. Because that could either elevate the stakes and the character, or the entire story and character suffer for it on a writing standpoint.
I have a prediction that Riku isn’t able to see or hear Sora or any of the Quadratum members because he’s alive, so it’d be devastating if Sora tries to reunite with him only to realize he’s a ghost to him so he can’t.
But in the case where they can reunite here, if Sora doesn’t remember Riku at all, I would expect that by that point this is later in the game, maybe halfway, because then him forgetting is a devastating sign of his mental state having collapsed. If he does remember Riku, then that’s also gonna be harsh on his mental state because he’s going to assume Riku died, and thus his sacrifice was for nothing.
Which, GOOD. Come to that conclusion that your sacrifice made all your friends lives worse and they’re miserable without you! THEY LOVE YOU AND THEY WANT YOU ALIVE AND YOU SHOULD WANT TO LIVE TOO.
AND ALSO GET A THERAPIST.
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