it couldn't have been anyone but sora - here's why

as everyone knows im autistic and therefore im the kingdom hearts expert so i have the credentials for this

i was thinking about what could have happened if riku was the protag instead of sora, and i came to a very saddening conclusion. Kingdom Hearts Would Not Happen If Riku Was The Protagonist. 

sora is, pun intended, the key to kingdom hearts' story. he has the connections, and he has the heart needed to save the world(s). riku, despite being the intended keyblade master, could Not be the one to close the door. not because of his past with the darkness, but because of his reclusive personality even from the start. he doesn't have the ability to make the genuine connections that sora does. this is because Riku Is Too Logical. he wouldn't care for making friends or connections in the same way sora does, he just wants to save his world and the friends he already has.

sora, even without the connections he already had before KH1, proves to be a very kind and compassionate person, which is why donald and goofy so willingly team up with him, and why they get along so well. sora's ability to stay upbeat is what gets people to want to stick around and help him & his trio; his perseverance and integrity is admirable by both the player and the characters they interact with, and That is why Sora Is The Protagonist Of Kingdom Hearts.