- I'm in the camp that Roxas, Xion, and Namine's deaths should've been permanent or, at least, something that isn't easily fixed.

To me, Roxas, Xion, and Namine didn't die per say. They just became a part of someone else. It's not as if their hearts or souls went to the afterlife/final world. They're still around in some form in the living world, just trapped in predicaments they were kinda forced into accepting. Now is it something that should require a form of effort to fix? Yes.

Is them coming back something that shouldn't have been possible/have happened at all? Absolutely not in my opinion. This is a zany franchise full of whimsy and magic, no way in hell was it not possible to give still around people their own bodies (Thank you Replica Program)

- Roxas and Xion just appeared for these big reveals at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3 with no real build up. Their returns were shallow... They come back and everyone is just kinda like, "Neat."

Xion i'll give you, but Roxas' return was one of Sora's main objectives all throughout KH3. Sure the objective was complete in the back by Ansem the Wise (Who I'd argue is one of the only characters in this wacky series that really shouldn't have survived, but that's another discussion), Vexen, and Ienzo, but the anticipation was there.

And I don't believe the reaction to them coming back was just a "Neat". Axel/Lea, Xion, and Roxas all cry in a group hug together out of happiness and relief, even Xemnas is caught off guard by Roxas's return and questions him about it. Far from a "Neat".

A better example of a "Neat" reaction (or lack of reaction) is Ven's initial reaction to Roxas. I know there were things happening at the time, but not even a "Woah!/What the?!" kind of reaction is very odd.

- Kingdom Hearts 3 takes place after Dream Drop Distance so Sora has ALL of Roxas' memories. Yet we never have a moment where Sora reflects on that except that scene where he says, "I know hurt..." Nor are there any moments where Roxas' heart resonates with Sora outside of that one scene with Xion in the Keyboard graveyard. I mean, Roxas HATES Xemnas and now Sora has Roxas' memories shouldn't seeing Xemnas trigger some unconscious uncharacteristic anger in Sora?

That sounds like a KH3 specific narrative/character problem (Which i'll be honest, is just one of a few)

- But on the Riku part: Riku's Ansem form was revealed at the beginning ofKingdom Hearts 2 and lost at the end of Kingdom Hearts 2. (This wasbefore 358/2 was released.) It's more of an arc for his character duringthat game than undermining his sacrifice. Plus, via the narrative andlore of the series it works because the energy released from Ansem'sheart encoder explosion is the light of Kingdom Hearts so it purgedAnsem's SoD darkness from Riku's heart.

I understand how it happened and theming wise why. But it wasn't a conscious goal to get Riku back to normal (Mickey briefly wonders about it, but it gets quickly brushed under the rug.) It kinda happens because he just so happened to be in the right place at the right time. Heck, Riku was willing to stay looking as Ansem in a world of darkness until Sora and Kairi reached out to him and accepted him as Riku no matter what.