Rikku

Rikku is an Al Bhed girl who is a playable character in both Final Fantasy X, and its direct sequel, Final Fantasy X-2.

Before the events of Final Fantasy X, Rikku's mother died in an incident involving a faulty machina. Rikku's father is Cid, the leader of the Al Bhed faction, and she has an older brother named Brother. Cid's sister (Rikku's aunt) married summoner Braska, Yuna's father, thus making him Rikku's uncle. Rikku and Brother are Yuna's maternal cross cousins.

In Final Fantasy X, Rikku is the first friend Tidus makes in Spira, and she becomes Yuna's final guardian on her pilgrimage.

In Final Fantasy X-2, Rikku convinces Yuna to become a sphere hunter, and accompanies her on her personal quest.

Final Fantasy X


Rikku is fifteen years old and has medium-length blonde hair in a ponytail and braided pigtails with orange feathers. She has the Al Bhed trademark green eyes with swirled pupils, although in FMV cutscenes Rikku's eyes have normal pupils instead.

When she is first met aboard the salvage ship, Rikku wears a full Al Bhed combat diving suit that conceals her identity. Later when she joins Yuna's pilgrimage and sheds the suit, she wears a pair of flared green short-shorts with an orange belt and an orange sleeveless tank-top with side straps and two long blue ribbons hanging from the back. She wears a pair of goggles around her neck, a pair of boots, a gauntlet and arm guard for her right arm and a large protective forearm mitt for her left. Around her right thigh, she keeps a pouch, in which she keeps her alchemy materials and equipment. Rikku's nails are painted bright yellow. Despite carrying goggles around her neck and wearing them while salvaging and piloting machina, Rikku never wears her goggles again after she takes them off on the Moonflow.

Rikku's Final Fantasy X HD Remaster cutscene model lacks earrings.

Rikku is loyal to Yuna – whom she affectionately calls "Yunie" – and is the most vocal opponent against the ongoing pilgrimage. She bonds with Tidus, perhaps because of their similar personalities and devotion to Yuna.

Rikku is kind-hearted, spirited, happy-go-lucky, and energetic, which sometimes clashes with the more stoic group members. She looks up to Lulu as a role model, being impressed with her calm level-headed nature. Rikku tries to maintain a positive outlook and but makes a stark contrast when she is upset, and despite her outwardly happy exterior, she carries some insecurities, particularly when it comes to her future and what she wants to be. Rikku is bilingual and skilled in chemistry and alchemy. She suffers from astraphobia, the fear of lightning, after a mishap involving Brother and a stray Thunder spell in her youth, but has overcome it by Final Fantasy X-2 by camping out in the Thunder Plains for a week.

Final Fantasy X-2


The now 17-year-old Rikku wears her longer hair loose and braided, tied atop her head, adorned with colorful beads, and held by a blue bandana. Rikku has a separate appearance for each of the thirteen dresspheres used in combat, with details that distinguish her in each dressphere from Paine and Yuna. Rikku's default look is the Thief dressphere where she wears a yellow g-string bikini and an olive green mini-skirt, carrying two pouches at her waist and ruffle sleeves. A long yellow and red scarf hangs loosely around her neck. Wearing the Thief dressphere in combat she wields two red dagger-like blades designed for motive attacks.

In other dresspheres, she wields Yuna's Tiny Bee guns and summoning staves El Dorado and Spiked Rod, as well as Tidus's Crystal Sword, Auron's Katana blade and his Masamune katana. Her deck theme for the Lady Luck dressphere is clubs, and her Mascot dressphere is a Cait Sith.

Remaining loyal to her cousin Yuna, Rikku continues to care about her welfare while encouraging her to have more fun in life. She is now Yuna's role model as Yuna sometimes copies her erratic behavior and unique expressions, though Rikku sometimes reprimands Yuna for using foul language. Rikku remains the ever upbeat and somewhat reckless individual, occasionally causing trouble for her friends, and also remains insecure about her future.

Rikku fears snakes, sometimes shouting "Snake! Snake! Snaaaaaaake!" when entering battle against a snake-like enemy such as a Recoil.

Early Life
During Rikku's childhood a machina went on a rampage and her mother was killed. Rikku was attacked by a fiend while playing on the beach and Brother aimed a Thunder spell at the fiend to fend it off, but the spell missed and hit Rikku instead, leaving her with a fear of thunder.

Final Fantasy X
After Tidus is ambushed by a fiend in the Underwater Ruins, he is rescued by a group of Al Bhed led by Rikku. While the others believe him to be a fiend in human form, Rikku objects to killing Tidus and instead knocks him out so he can be taken to the Al Bhed Salvage Ship. As the bilingual member of the group, Rikku enlists Tidus in reactivating an underwater power plant to salvage a sunken airship. Striking up a friendship and surprised by his claims of hailing from Zanarkand, Rikku promises to take him to Luca so he can find someone he knows. The two are separated when Sin attacks the ship and Tidus is washed overboard.

Tidus drifts to Besaid and ends up joining Yuna on her pilgrimage. When Yuna's group crosses the Moonflow Rikku pilots an underwater machina to kidnap her and stop her pilgrimage, but Tidus and Wakka dive in after her and save Yuna by destroying Rikku's machina. Ejecting from the damaged machina, Rikku washes ashore and Tidus finds her. Rikku discards her Al Bhed uniform to move about incognito and joins Yuna's pilgrimage as her final guardian. While the others know of her heritage, Rikku's status as an Al Bhed is concealed from Wakka, who does not approve of the Al Bhed for personal reasons. Though she enjoys the hospitality at Guadosalam, Rikku stays out of the Farplane while the others go for a visit, saying that the images of the dead Farplane conjures for its visitors are mere memories, and she prefers keeping her memories to herself.

Rikku's astraphobia is revealed while the group cross the Thunder Plains, pleading with the others to rest at the nearby Rin's Travel Agency. Auron's harshness causes an upset Rikku to momentarily overcome her fear by the time they reach Macalania Woods. On the way to Macalania Temple Rikku defends Yuna from her brother when he attempts to kidnap her and when she tells him she will protect Yuna using her native tongue, Rikku finds herself insulted by a shocked Wakka. She retorts by telling him to think for himself for once without Yevon's influence, and show proof of his claims that her people are to blame for Sin. If Tidus rides a machina sled with Rikku to Macalania Temple, she reveals she is Yuna's cousin and articulates in a roundabout way that Yuna will die if she continues her pilgrimage, but Tidus is oblivious. At Macalania Temple, a guard, disbelieving an Al Bhed could be a guardian to a summoner, denies Rikku entry until Auron comes to her defense. After the group confront Seymour for his role in murdering his father, Jyscal Guado, which escalates into a battle that kills Seymour, they are pursued by the Guado and fall to the bottom of the frozen Lake Macalania where they encounter Sin that whisks them away.

The party regroup on Bikanel Island but cannot find Yuna. Rikku leads the others to the Al Bhed Home that is under attack by the Guado. They locate Rikku's father, Cid, and Rikku reveals to an unaware Tidus that Yuna will die if she performs the Final Summoning. They escape on the airship the Al Bhed had restored from the salvage operation Tidus participated briefly in. At Bevelle, the party drops in on Yuna's forced wedding ceremony to the now-unsent Seymour but are forced to watch it continue while held at gunpoint. After Yuna escapes on Valefor, Rikku tosses a flash bomb to blind Seymour and the warrior monks so that the group can retreat into Bevelle Temple. After Kinoc holds them up, Rikku tries to warn Tidus not to exit the Chamber of the Fayth with Yuna, but it is too late, and they are arrested and held on trial for treason.

Rikku is thrown into the Via Purifico with Tidus and Wakka but they escape from the dungeon's monster and reunite with Yuna and the others. On Bevelle's Highbridge, Seymour transforms into Seymour Natus and confronts the group. They defeat him and flee to the Macalania Woods where Rikku hopes Yuna would quit her pilgrimage now that they know the truth about Yevon's corrupt ways, and although Yuna is set on continuing Rikku and Tidus decide to come up with a way to save her. During the group's climb up Mt. Gagazet to the Zanarkand Ruins, Rikku becomes increasingly distraught over Yuna's impending fate and pleads with her not to go through with it. Yuna comforts Rikku and thanks her for her help, but Rikku refuses to accept Yuna's choice.

Within the Zanarkand Dome, the party learns of the Final Summoning's true nature as a continuation of Sin, and Rikku is overjoyed when Yuna rejects it as a false rite. The party decides to fight Sin via other means and Rikku tells Shelinda to spread word of the plan to pacify Sin by using the "Hymn of the Fayth". They fly the airship into the calmed Sin and traverse its innards to reach the core. After Wakka makes his peace with her people, Rikku joins the others in defeating Jecht in his Final Aeon form to destroy Yu Yevon. As Yuna sends her aeons Auron dissolves into pyreflies and departs for the Farplane. With Yu Yevon no more Sin, the fayth, the aeons, and Tidus begin to fade. The party returns to the airship and Tidus says his goodbyes to everyone, but Rikku does not accept his departure, saying they will meet again. Some time later, Rikku is present with Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri as Yuna delivers a speech in Luca Stadium to announce the onset of the Eternal Calm.

Final Fantasy X: Eternal Calm


In the two years that have passed since Sin's destruction, Rikku has traveled all over Spira salvaging machina and teaching people how to use them. She has overcome her fear of thunder by camping out in the Thunder Plains. Rikku and Brother have fallen out with Cid and have founded the Gullwings, an Al Bhed sphere hunting group based on their airship, the Celsius, with the help of Brother's friends, Buddy and Shinra. They are eventually joined by a young woman named Paine.

One day, Rikku rushes to Besaid on an Al Bhed ship to show Yuna a sphere Kimahri found on Mt. Gagazet displaying an imprisoned man resembling Tidus. Rikku invites Yuna to accompany her to Kimahri to learn more about the sphere, but Wakka says Yuna is too busy with visitors. Rikku argues that Yuna should embrace her new lease on life and after Yuna decides to journey again, Rikku reveals she brought new clothes for her to go "incognito". At Yuna's insistence, they leave Besaid immediately and embark on a new adventure.

Final Fantasy X-2


The Gullwings gain a rivalry with the Leblanc Syndicate, another sphere hunting group, led by Leblanc. One day, Leblanc steals Yuna's Garment Grid and performs a concert in Luca while posing as Yuna. Rikku and Paine crash the concert while Yuna dons a moogle costume to keep a low profile. Rikku and Paine chase Leblanc out to the docks and Yuna joins the fray and reclaims her Garment Grid.

The Gullwings explore the recently discovered Floating Ruins at the peak of Mt. Gagazet and claim the treasure sphere that contains images of Zanarkand. At the Zanarkand Ruins they find half a sphere. The Gullwings travel throughout Spira and encounter many old and new friends, including the three most influential Spirans: Youth League leader Nooj, New Yevon Praetor Baralai, and Gippal, leader of the Machine Faction. Gippal, a ladies' man and an old friend of Rikku's, embarrasses her with a crack about the two of them having "made quite the couple". News spreads about an "awesome sphere" found in Kilika, which draws the attention of both the Youth League and New Yevon. The Gullwings seize the sphere whose footage displays the mysterious man who resembles Tidus standing before a large weapon, mentioning someone named Lenne.

The awesome sphere is returned to either the Youth League or New Yevon, and it is learned from Nooj or Baralai the colossal weapon is called Vegnagun. Leblanc broke into the airship and stole the Gullwings' broken sphere from the Zanarkand Ruins, and in Leblanc's headquarters, Chateau Leblanc, the girls discover Leblanc already had the other half and stole their half to make it whole. After watching the restored sphere it is learned Vegnagun lies hidden underneath Bevelle. Forming a truce with the Leblanc Syndicate, the sphere hunters enter the underground passage under Bevelle formed after the fayth's disappearance and find a secret complex filled with machina.

When YRP reach Vegnagun's lair they face an antagonistic Bahamut and the girls are forced to fight it. Vegnagun is gone and a large hole is left in its place. Fiends pour out of the temples, and Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal go missing. After defeating a possessed Ixion in Djose Temple its surprise death blow attack sends Yuna falling down the hole in the former Chamber of the Fayth and into the Farplane. Rikku, Paine, and the others soon hear from Yuna again when she emerges in the Bevelle Underground.

Back on the Celsius, Yuna tells everyone about Shuyin and Lenne who lived during the times of the Machina War a thousand years ago, and Lenne's spirit coalesced into a sphere, which the Gullwings now use as the Songstress dressphere. After learning about Shuyin and Lenne from Maechen after Yuna's 1000 Words concert, Rikku pities Shuyin, as two years ago, she, too, went to great lengths to try and save Yuna from a tragic fate. Now knowing the holes in the temples lead to the Farplane, Yuna plans talking to Shuyin and tell him how Lenne felt.

Rikku feels that people are always leaving her behind, but Yuna thanks her for "kidnapping" her and letting her join the Gullwings. YRP descend into the depths of the Farplane in search of Shuyin and Vegnagun. After destroying Vegnagun and defeating Shuyin, Lenne's spirit puts Shuyin's hatred to rest and they return to the Farplane together. The Gullwings leave Spira's leaders at Luca and ride the Celsius to Besaid where Yuna reunites with a revived Tidus.

Final Fantasy X-2: Last Mission
Over the next three months the Gullwings have gone their separate ways. Each girl receives a letter that calls the trio back together at Luca to explore the recently discovered Iutycyr Tower. While climbing the tower, Rikku talks about working on missions and relays the status of their other friends throughout Spira. After Yuna refuses to help Rikku out, Rikku claims Yuna doesn't want to see her anymore, but Yuna says it is not true. Paine wants to tell them something but Rikku and Yuna don't pry.

When Paine asks Rikku what she wants to do with her life she is unable to think of an answer and expresses jealousy towards Yuna for settling down, something Rikku feels she's unable to do. She says Yuna is wasting her life but Yuna says Rikku is only fooling herself by always keeping busy. Paine reveals sent the letters because she felt something was amiss as she traveled Spira by herself after they split up.

Later, the girls learn that they have changed and fear growing further apart as long as they're together. Yuna believes they had gotten along before because they had to work together and that they probably never got along to begin with. Atop the tower the group finds a broken-down machina and realize that during their time apart, they had become different people. They decide to go their separate ways but to always cherish the memories of their time together. With their friendship renewed, the machina springs to life and their adventures continue...

Final Fantasy X


Rikku's character class is a mix of Chemist and Thief. She uses claws for weapons, and targes as armor.

She can, by default, steal and use special items. Rikku can instantly kill machina-type fiends with the Steal command. When counterattacking regardless of whether the opponent is on the ground or in the air, Rikku does a spinning backhand. When countering underwater Rikku punches the fiend if they are close, but if they move faster, Rikku will perform a regular underwater attack as a counter.

Her Overdrive is Mix, which lets her combine two special items for various effects.

Rikku is one of only three characters in Final Fantasy X (Tidus and Wakka being the other two) who can fight underwater.

Stats
She is agile and quick and her default Strength is the highest of the three girls, although still not particularly high. She has good HP.


 * ''Note: Values in parentheses are node stat bonuses.

Equipment
Rikku uses claws for weapons and targes for armor. It is never explained why Rikku uses claws rather than a machina weapon like other Al Bhed. One reason may be that she is the one who salvages machina from the deep sea, as demonstrated when she and Tidus salvaged the Fahrenheit, and machina cannot be used in those situations.

Abilities
Rikku's Sphere Grid area runs near Yuna's and Lulu's, and her Sphere Grid color is green. The unique abilities in Rikku's default position on the Sphere Grid include the following:
 * Note: Abilities denoted with an asterisk (*) are available in the International, PAL, and HD Remaster version of Final Fantasy X.

Final Fantasy X-2


Before and during battle Rikku can change job class by changing dresspheres. Her special dressphere is the Machina Maw and her Mascot dressphere is the Cait Sith. Rikku's default dressphere is Thief. As a Trainer her pet is a monkey called Ghiki.

Rikku specializes in inflicting status ailments on opponents, as all of the dresspheres unique to her possess status attacks.

Levels
It seems that even if the girls all have the same EXP totals they progress at different rates. Paine is a little faster than Rikku and Yuna tends to lag behind.

Boss
A possessed Rikku is fought in the Den of Woe by Yuna.

Voice
Rikku's Japanese voice actress is Marika Matsumoto, while her English voice actress is Tara Strong. Rikku shares her Japanese voice actress with Mutsuki Chiharano from Final Fantasy Type-0.

Tara Strong stated that she started voicing Rikku by first receiving the original recordings in Japanese, and that she received character's overall description to help her portray the character. Tara said Rikku was easy to portray and quite straightforward.

Rikku, as well as her English voice actress;, has received several awards for her portrayal. In 2004, Tara Strong was the co-winner of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences award for "Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance - Female" for her portrayal of Rikku in Final Fantasy X-2.

In the Final Fantasy X-2 HD Remaster Rikku will occasionally say lines in Japanese during battle. These lines were done by her English voice actress, Tara Strong. This is because in the original Final Fantasy X-2: International + Last Mission Square got the English voice actresses to record the new English battle dialogue for the Festivalist and Psychic dresspheres, and recorded Japanese quotes one might hear any time during a battle. For Rikku these new quotes are Konou (Grrrr!), Yossha! (Alright!), Choi choi tte kanji (Feeling good!) and Wasshooi! (Heave-ho!).

Musical Themes
"Rikku's Theme" in Final Fantasy X is a variant of the theme of the Al Bhed, "Oui are Al Bhed", and plays when Tidus reunites with her on the northern bank of Moonflow. "Rikku's Theme" is arranged for piano on the Piano Collections: Final Fantasy X album.

Her themes in Final Fantasy X-2 are two fast, upbeat pop themes that have been vocalized on the Final Fantasy X-2: Vocal Collection - Rikku album. The vocal versions of the themes are sung by Rikku's Japanese voice actor,.

Final Fantasy Tactics S
Rikku appears as a recruitable character in Final Fantasy Tactics S. She is of the Visitor race and has Thief as her main job. Her attack is Pilfer HP.

Dissidia Final Fantasy
Rikku makes a cameo as a tutor from the in-game manuals. Along with Wakka she explains how to use the shop system. She uses her Final Fantasy X portrait.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
Rikku appears as a playable character and one of the representatives of Final Fantasy X-2. Her appearance is based on the Final Fantasy X-2 Thief dressphere.

Pictlogica Final Fantasy
Rikku appears in Pictlogica Final Fantasy as a playable character. Her initial weapon is the Blind Dagger.

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade
Rikku appears as an ally and a summonable Legend in Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade. She is depicted in both of her Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 outfits. Her ability is Shockstorm.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Rikku appears in the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game and is represented by Wind-elemental cards. She is depicted in her promotional poster art and official artwork from both Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, as well as her renders from the latter.

Kingdom Hearts
Rikku was originally going to be featured in Kingdom Hearts at Traverse Town along with Aerith, Leon and Cid but due to the similarities in her name and a new character named Riku, Yuffie took her place. As such, Yuffie's appearance has some leftover elements from Rikku's design.

Rikku appears in Kingdom Hearts II alongside her fellow Gullwings Yuna and Paine wearing a slightly modified version of her Final Fantasy X-2 costume. The Gullwings are diminutive in stature and depicted as pixies. Rikku, Yuna and Paine are allied with Maleficent and spy on Sora, but are not loyal to her; Rikku calls her "pret-ty lame", and they seem out of the loop regarding her plans.

After Donald mentions Leon has treasure, the Gullwings change sides and help Leon defend Hollow Bastion. They later confront Sora and company in his lie, but having been told of his battle with Organization XIII, they let it slide and give him the Gullwing Keychain for his Keyblade. They do not seem to be as powerful as they are in Final Fantasy X-2, as it takes all three of them to defeat one Heartless that would otherwise be easily defeated by Sora.

Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Special
Rikku appears, in her Final Fantasy X-2 attire, as a playable character in this special edition of the Monopoly-like video game available only in Japan alongside Yuna and Paine.

Dead Fantasy

 * For more information, see Dead Fantasy Wiki: Rikku.

Rikku appears in the fan-made Dead Fantasy short films by Monty Oum in her Final Fantasy X-2 attire, along with Yuna, Rinoa, Kairi, Tifa, Cloud, and Dead or Alive characters. Monty has stated Rikku will be going through multiple dressphere changes in her battle against her main enemy, Ayane.

Rikku also appears in the Dead Fantasy - Gee music video in her Final Fantasy X attire.

Trivia

 * Rikku makes a reference to the Metal Gear Solid series by shouting: "Snake! Snake?! Snaaaaaaake!!!" (some variation of this is generally said by other characters whenever dies).
 * Rikku has three different phobias throughout the two games: She has a fear of thunder (although she gets over it by camping in the Thunder Plains), needles, and snakes.
 * Despite being astraphobic (fear of thunder), Rikku does not take additional damage or run away when hit by a lightning attack. In Final Fantasy X is the most audibly hurt when she gets hit by it, resulting in a yelp. In Final Fantasy X-2, Rikku doesn't squeal when being hit by a lightning-elemental spell.
 * During the events of Final Fantasy X, she never demonstrates fear of snakes.
 * Rikku's Sphere Grid crosses into Lulu's. This could be a reference to when the party is under Lake Macalania and Rikku expresses her wish to be more like Lulu. While the party travels through the Thunder Plains, Lulu advises Rikku to learn some spells to help her overcome her fear of lightning.
 * In 2005, Rikku won the award for "Hottest Character" in G4's 2004 G-Phoria awards show. Also in 2005, Rikku won the "Viewers' Choice: Baddest Good Girl" on G4's Video Game Vixens.
 * Rikku was used in the production of Final Fantasy XIII to stand in for characters who hadn't been finished yet.
 * One of Rikku's battle quotes, "Booyaka!", is the catchphrase of Selphie Tilmitt from Final Fantasy VIII.
 * In Rikku's Final Fantasy X-2 promotional poster, the words "Under Another Sky" are written in Al Bhed script albeit the 'H' is missing from the word 'Another'. It is written in English, rather than Al Bhed.