Since the start of Yuna's journey throughout Spira,
Rikku has been the young cheerful girl of the group.
But this girl is more than just a party member and close friend,
Rikku has a history and personality all in her own.
Rikku has been the young cheerful girl of the group.
But this girl is more than just a party member and close friend,
Rikku has a history and personality all in her own.
Heritage and Upbringing
Rikku is an Al Bhed, meaning she uses machina (machines-like objects), and has probably grown up knowing how to take machina apart and put them back together. Where she was born is forever unknown, however we do know that she grew up in a place inhabited by the Al Bhed, known to them simply as “Home”. At the start of the journey, the Al Bhed are greatly disliked by many, and are prejudiced against simply because their actions and beliefs oppose Yevon's. At that point in time, Yevon’s teachings were the most popular and accepted belief. The people of Spira either obeyed Yevon's teachings, or leaned toward the beliefs of the Al Bhed. Rikku was born into the Al Bhed lifestyle and wouldn’t transfer over to Yevon even if given the choice.
Being an Al Bhed, Rikku most likely experienced prejudice more than once in her life. An example of this being the scene when Auron asks Rikku to look him in the eye, knowing that Al Bhed have swirls around their pupil, in order to confirm his suspicion of Rikku being an Al Bhed. Knowing this, Rikku became hesitant and even appeared ashamed. Later on in the game, Wakka throws a fit after discovering Rikku’s heritage, and refuses to even be near her. Rikku’s experience with prejudice against her could also be the reason she was emotionally distant at the beginning of the game, particularly when she first meets Tidus. Apparently Tidus had a drastic affect on Rikku and her feelings about what others think of her heritage. He showed her that not everyone is discriminatory about her race. During the scene in Macalania while riding on the back of a snow drifter with Tidus, it's shown that Rikku pushes past these inconveniences and looks at the brighter side.
"He [Wakka] didn't have to be so mean, yeah? I almost cried. [...] Just kidding! It's okay. At least you're still nice."
Rikku, FFX - Macalania
A drastic change occurs in Final Fantasy X-2 when Yevon and Al Bhed beliefs switch roles in popularity. Al Bhed becomes the new way of life. The language is spoken all over Spira, and the Al Bhed are no longer largely discriminated against. Rikku feels strongly about her way of life and her people. She's a very traditional person and is loyal to the Al Bhed, no matter how popular their lifestyle is.
Rikku's family consists of her father and brother, along with her cousin Yuna. Her mother is never mentioned, so I suppose she died before Rikku got to know her. Her father Cid has many personality traits that are similar to Rikku's. Despite having similar personalities, they argue quite a lot. Cid always carries out actions which he believes to be right, and Rikku usually has an opposite stance on the issues Cid tries to fix. They constantly bicker, but it’s still evident that they love each other anyway. Cid will always be there when Rikku needs him the most; and after being scolded by Rikku, Cid often ends up taking her advice. Cid naturally wants what's best for Rikku and her brother, even if he sometimes has a hard time communicating with Rikku.
Rikku's brother is not given a direct name, but is referred to as Brother. When Rikku was around five or six years old, she went with Brother into the water to attack a monster. While attacking, Brother used a lightening attack and it hit Rikku instead of the monster (ouch!). This left her with a phobia of thunderstorms. In Final Fatansy X-2, we learn that Rikku has actually overcome her fear of thunder by camping out in the Thunder Plains. This truly shows how courageous she has become in only two years; very few people would actually face their biggest fear the way she did. In the end, Rikku never did hold a grudge against her brother for what he did, proving her to be a very forgiving person. In general, Rikku and Brother have a typical brother-sister relationship; they rarely ever agree and are constantly nit-picking at each other.
As far as raising a family of her own, Rikku confesses to Tidus while in Guadosalam that she thinks about her future a lot. She wishes to marry young and have many children, so that all of them would have plenty of brothers and sisters.
Her Playful Exterior
Rikku has become one of the most open characters in the game. You can always count on her to speak her mind, even if what she's thinking doesn't make sense to anyone but herself. Throughout the journey she often blurbs out things that sound childish or only make sense to her, and will often overreact or blow simple things out of proportion. This also makes Rikku one of the few comic relief factors throughout the game, especially in Final Fantasy X.
Rikku has become one of the most open characters in the game. You can always count on her to speak her mind, even if what she's thinking doesn't make sense to anyone but herself. Throughout the journey she often blurbs out things that sound childish or only make sense to her, and will often overreact or blow simple things out of proportion. This also makes Rikku one of the few comic relief factors throughout the game, especially in Final Fantasy X.
The Selfless Center
She's extremely loving and affectionate; you can always count on Rikku for support. This is evident by the way she talks to people when they're upset and by her actions towards others. Rikku is the type of person to give you a hug when you're depressed, even if she's never seen you before. Rikku is very selfless and constantly puts others before herself.
"Rikku sometimes visits us here in Besaid. She's been travelling around Spira salvaging ancient machina and teaching people how to use them. It's tiring work, but you wouldn't know it from looking at her."
Yuna, FFX-2 - Eternal Calm, Another Story
She also cares a great deal for Yuna. Ever since Yuna entered Rikku's life, she has always been Rikku's first priority.
"[...] I don't believe it. After everything Yuna did for us! Why can't she just do what she wants to do now? Why? You know, every time I visited here, I wondered...why is it, that when everyone's out making their dreams happen and everyone's getting their chance, Yuna's dreams are on hold?"
Rikku, FFX-2 - Eternal Calm, Another Story
Rikku's affection shows if a variety of different ways. For example, when Yuna is feeling down during their mission Rikku will go out of her way to comfort her. But with someone like Brother, or even Gippal, Rikku shows her affection in an opposite and almost childish way, like teasing.
Rikku is Rikku
All in all, I guess the best way to sum up her personality is upbeat and affectionate. Rikku knows when she can party and act childish, but unlike a child, she knows responsibility. She was the kid of the group in the first game, but has matured and grown to be independent and strong. Although her maturity has failed to meet up with Yuna's, her heart has only grown stronger.
All in all, I guess the best way to sum up her personality is upbeat and affectionate. Rikku knows when she can party and act childish, but unlike a child, she knows responsibility. She was the kid of the group in the first game, but has matured and grown to be independent and strong. Although her maturity has failed to meet up with Yuna's, her heart has only grown stronger.
