History Awesome / KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance

* There's a subtle one in Riku's final boss fight against the Armored Ventus Nightmare. As his desperation attack, the boss readies a [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Shotlock]], which is a bit of an Uh-Oh, since Riku doesn't have anything readily available in his arsenal to take that on [[note]]His best magic or his Spirit Links weren't anywhere ''near'' as powerful as the shotlock {{Limit Break}}s[[/note]]. However, Riku falls back on his Dream Eaters, who give him enough of a generic boost in power that he's able to meet the boss's LimitBreak head on with sheer force. Even better the if you pay close attention the attack he's using is his signature move Dark Aura. That's right, one of his moves in the first game is used to beat a Shotlock.

* There's a subtle one in Riku's final final boss fight. As his desperation attack, the boss readies a [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep ShotLock]], which is a bit of an Uh-Oh, since Riku doesn't have anything readily available in his arsenal to take that on [[note]]His best magic or his Spirit Links weren't anywhere ''near'' as powerful as the shotlock {{Limit Break}}s[[/note]]. However, Riku falls back on his Dream Eaters, who give him enough of a generic boost in power that he's able to meet the boss's LimitBreak head on with sheer force. Even better the if you pay close attention the attack he's using is his signature move Dark Aura. That's right, one of his moves in the first game is used to beat a Shotlock.

** It should also be mentioned that, in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'', Young Xehanort was fought as the game's ''[[BonusBoss optional]]'' boss, and was considered [[SNKBoss one of the toughest boss fights in the entire series]]. Likely only a small fraction of people who played ''Birth By Sleep'' managed to successfully defeat him. Now it's a '''mandatory''', storyline battle, and with the identity of The Mysterious Figure finally revealed. The [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic music]] playing, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHOrW6sUKDQ L'Impeto Oscuro]], is a remix of the song that played in BBS: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfGN-nrge00 Dark Impetus]]. Players everywhere likely had goosebumps when hearing it for the first time.

* Managing to beat [[SNKBoss difficult]] (but ''[[SubvertedTrope fair]]'') BonusBoss [[WesternAnimation/RunawayBrain Julius]] is already quite an accomplishment, but doing it with Riku has the latter delivering a BondOneLiner that just ''screams'' "PWNED":

** In a meta sense, the fact that he went from a minor villain character who was supposed to die at the beginning of 2 to a main character who saves the heroes multiple times and even earns a Keyblade through sheer stubbornness is a big one for [[EnsembleDarkhorse Axel/Lea]].

--> '''Riku:''' ''"Next time, behave."''
* On a meta level, the game itself got one when it [[http://kh13.com/forum/topic/28927-kingdom-hearts-3d-nintendo-3ds-bundle-sells-out-on-amazoncom/ reportedly]] "reached the expected number of sales ''within four hours".''

** This one bears extra attention: the fight is the climax of a boss rush (battles separated by cutscenes, of course) featuring Anti-Black Coat, immediately followed by two back-to-back ASOD fights, after which comes this fight. WordOfGod states the when Riku fought Young Xehanort, it was in fact the ''older, most skilled and experienced'' Master Xehanort, [[BodySurf assuming direct control]] of the Young Xehanort's body (which is how Mickey's Stopza was bypassed). And don't think for one second that Master Xehanort didn't liberally abuse all of the abilities of Young Xehanort, because he did. Riku fought the BigBad of the entire series, at said BigBad's [[UpToEleven most powerful state, in perfect control of his own youthful body in peak physical condition]], and Riku? [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Took. Him. Down.]]

* Just seeing Quasi doing the same thing swinging to rescue Esmeralda just like in the movie ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame''.

* The opening CG sequence of the game is a quick, but very impressive, recap of the main points of the series so far. The main point of attraction though, is the final scene which appears to actually foreshadow both ''III'' AND ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsX χ]]''; Mickey uses magic from a spellbook that launches several glowing pages from it; the pages then transform into Terra, Ventus, Aqua, Roxas, Donald and Goofy. They all land together, in front of Master Xehanort, with Sora leading the assault for the implied final battle.

--->'''Riku:''' Are you what's trapping him in that nightmare? Because if you are... [[BadassBoast I'm what Nightmares fear!]]

* Riku passing the Mark of Mastery. After everything that's happened in the previous games, like [[NiceJobBreakingItHero inadvertently destroying his home]], acting as TheAtoner and being stuck in [[GrandTheftMe Ansem's body]] due to using darkness... it's very much an epic EarnYourHappyEnding.

** This one bears extra attention: the fight is the climax of a boss rush (battles separated by cutscenes, of course) featuring Anti-Black Coat, immediately followed by two back-to-back ASOD fights, after which comes this fight. WordOfGod states the when Riku fought Young Xehanort, it was in fact the ''older, most skilled and experienced'' Master Xehanort, [[BodySurf assuming direct control]] of the Young Xehanort's body (which is how Mickey's Stopza was bypassed). And don't think for one second that Master Xehanort didn't liberally abuse all of the abilities of Young Xehanort, because he did. Riku fought the BigBad of the entire series, at said [[UpToEleven BigBad's most powerful state, in perfect control of his own youthful body in peak physical condition]], and Riku [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Kicked. His. Ass.]]

** Another one in The Grid is when Sora manages to escape from a whole army of Black Guards while '''being arrested'''. It helps that, unlike back in Space Paranoids, Sora was alone; thus, there was no one to take hostage to make him comply. Not only that, he escapes while [[{{OneManArmy}} derezzing dozens of guards who try to recapture him]]. Of course, [[TearJerker he soon encounters an old face]]...

* '''My name is Lea. [[CatchPhrase Got it memorized]]?'''

*** Translation: "You're the one who has to live and fight for the both of us, because you care so much for others." That's right, Roxas is willingly acknowledging that Sora is a better person than he is. It takes some guts to do that, [[SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan especially in his situation.]]
* The World That Never Was has been revealed to be the ruined one following the climax of ''[=KH2=]''; when Sora confronts Xemnas and Xigbar there, he repeats his "my friends are my power" line... causing Xemnas and Xigbar to freak out as a vision of ''Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Terra, Ventus, Aqua, Roxas and Xion'' appears before them. Before the video inevitably gets pulled from Youtube you can see it [[https://youtu.be/_-hcLlXHDhY?t=28s here.]]
** The whole scene counts because it's basically a WhamEpisode of big proportions that mocks [[PowerOfFriendship one of the big Aesops]] in the series, and then proceeds to show exactly why it is so powerful and useful, topped of with one of the best uses of the "my friends are my power" line in a KH game. What basically happens is that near the end of Sora's story, Sora catches up to Riku and Kairi, only to see them transform into Terra and Aqua, and himself into Ven. This confuses him and makes him recall the time when Aqua visited him and Riku when they were kids. Suddently, Ansem [=SoD=] appears in the dream, and he eventually finds himself back on a path of buildings, together with Xigbar who explains that everything he saw was a dream, and that Xigbar put him to sleep. Xigbar asks Sora about how his heart felt by experiencing them, to which Sora says that he felt painful, and that it made him chase the dreams. Xigbar reveals that by chasing the dreams, Sora's heart made sure that Sora himself have practically fallen into their (read: New Organization XIII's) clutches. Sora retorts that Xigbar and the rest of the Nobodies must have had hearts themselves, because he felt both Roxas', Xion's, and Axel's tears. At that point, Xemnas (who has antagonized Sora throughout the game) appears and confirms this. When asked why the Organization were lied to, Xigbar proceeds to reveal that the Organization were not created to give the Nobodies new hearts, but to plant part of Xehanort's heart into all of them, turning them into Xehanort. When asked why he would agree to something like that, Xigbar quips that he is [[WhamLine already half Xehanort himself]]! Xemnas proceeds to go on about how most of the people that were chosen by the Organization, weren't fit for it, and that they instead used them and their budding hearts to achieve other goals. This pisses of Sora who replies that the heart isn't a plaything for them, and that his [[ThePowerOfFriendship friends' hearts]] are what gives him power. This prompts Xigbar to ''mock'' him, stating that because Sora's power comes from others, he himself is virtually a zero and a nobody on his own, before saying that there's no way that the Keyblade would have chosen him had he not been connected to others who do. Sora then proceeds to say that even if it wouldn't have chosen him on it's own, he is still happy to be part of something bigger, and this is what causes the vision of almost every protagonist in the series to appear beside him, freaking Xigbar and Xemnas out. After being played for a fool by the new Organization for almost the whole game, he manages to make them freak out at the time where they were at their most triumphant, and it is awesome!

* Riku vs. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness and the entire cutscene leading up to it. Ansem, [[TheCorrupter as usual]], is trying to goad Riku to embrace the darkness, tempting him with the promise of being able to rescue Sora. Riku then calls out Ansem on how he now knows the truth of Ansem being the heartless of a former Keyblade Master, and how Darkness stole away his right to wield a Keyblade; He uses this to show the difference from him and Ansem, even after all this time and all of his struggles, he STILL wants to prove himself worthy to wield the Keyblade rightfully, and then mentions [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep his encounter with Terra]] (who, initially wanted for Riku to become a worthy Wielder and Master someday when he gave him the Rite of Passage). Riku resolves now to go to the real world to Sora's aid--completely rejecting Ansem's offer and showing that Ansem will not get to him ever again. For once in the series, things are not going according to Xehanort's plan, and [[VillainousBreakdown he is pissed]]. Cue an epic, [[SequentialBoss three-phase]] boss battle, which culminates in Riku echoing the words he told Terra years ago, accompanied by [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic his leitmotif.]]

** Even more so since Mickey takes the full NoNonsenseNemesis approach, just ambushing the scene with a StoryBreakerPower. And while Master Xehanort does pull a BigDamnVillains and dispels it, it still took more effort than just swatting aside a standard charge.

** This one bears extra attention: the fight is the climax of a boss rush (battles separated by cutscenes, of course) featuring Anti-Black Coat, immediately followed by two back-to-back ASOD fights, after which comes this fight. WordOfGod states the when Riku fought Young Xehanort, it was in fact the ''older, most skilled and experienced'' Master Xehanort, [[BodySurf assuming direct control]] of the Young Xehanort's body (which is how Mickey's Stopza was bypassed). And don't think for one second that Master Xehanort didn't liberally abuse all of the abilities of Young Xehanort, because he did. Riku fought the BigBad of the entire series, at said [[UpToEleven BigBad's most powerful state, in perfect control of his own youthful body in peak physical condition,]] And Riku [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Kicked. His. Ass.]]

* ''[[TheBadGuyWins Xehanort fucking wins this round.]]'' [[XanatosGambit Everything falls as he wants it too.]]
* Managing to beat [[SNKBoss difficult]] (but ''[[SubvertedTrope fair]]'') BonusBoss [[WesternAnimation/RunawayBrain Julius]] is already quite an accomplishment, but doing it with Riku has the latter delivering a PostMortemOneLiner that just ''screams'' "PWNED":

** The cherry on top though is that on the bottom screen, until the aforementioned foreshadowing, a silhouette of Mickey is seen conducting the music/events a la ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}''. Oh, and he's reacting to what's happening on the top screen, until finally jumping up there to help out!
* Just seeing Quasi doing the same thing swinging to rescue Esmeralda just like in the movie ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame''.

* Sora's boss fight against the Ice Clawbuster in Trickster's Paradise is a pretty cool fight. Right before the fight the boss freezes Monstro, and you actually fight around the frozen whale. Near the end of the fight, the game prompts you to hit a crack on Monstro so you can use your Reality Shift on him. What follows is literally chasing the boss on Monstro which is encased in a bubble.