Riki Naoe is the central figure of Little Busters!, known as the fifth member to join the original group of childhood friends. Due to his delicate build and gentle features, he is initially seen by others as the physically weakest member of the team. However, Riki consistently proves himself to be the most grounded, compassionate, and dependable of the group. He often acts with sincerity and thoughtfulness, offering emotional support to friends during their most vulnerable moments.

Riki experienced tragedy early in life when he lost both of his parents around the age of ten, which led to a period of deep depression. During this time, he was also diagnosed with narcolepsy, a neurological disorder that causes sudden, uncontrollable episodes of sleep. His life began to change when he was invited by Kyousuke Natsume to join the Little Busters, a group formed under the ideals of justice and adventure. Through this, Riki formed lasting friendships with Rin Natsume, Masato Inohara, and Kengo Miyazawa.

Although portrayed as the least athletic among the original five, Riki’s strength lies in his emotional intelligence and his ability to connect with others. In the visual novel, his character progressively grows stronger with each repeated scenario, symbolizing his internal development. His high levels of concentration and judgment allow him to approach situations with calm logic, even when others struggle.

While Kyousuke is considered the leader of the Little Busters, it is Riki who takes on the responsibility of recruiting new members for the baseball team. Unlike his friends, Riki is the only one able to truly connect with and gather classmates, often helping them confront their emotional challenges. His empathy and support build deep personal bonds, establishing him as the emotional core of the group. This trust eventually earns him the role of leading the team in their pivotal baseball match.

Throughout the story, Riki becomes closely involved in each character’s arc, especially the female classmates he recruits. In the anime, these interactions are largely platonic, but in the visual novel, his relationships often include romantic developments depending on the route taken. Despite the variations, Riki remains the character that binds the group together.

Riki is also introspective and philosophically inclined, capable of appreciating abstract ideas and deeper themes. He enjoys the poetic writings of Mio Nishizono and often reflects on the broader mysteries of the world especially the “secret of the world,” an elusive concept referenced through hidden messages received by Rin. Although Rin focuses more on completing the associated tasks, Riki’s curiosity leads him to contemplate their greater meaning.

Eventually, it is revealed that the world in which Riki helped his friends was an artificial construct created by Kyousuke and the others. This realm was designed to strengthen Riki and Rin emotionally, enabling them to face the real-world tragedy of a bus accident that would have claimed the lives of the Little Busters. Within this time-looping world, Riki unknowingly repeats events, growing stronger and more emotionally resilient with each cycle.

His emotional insight allows him to sense when something is off in this world, such as time halting in Yuiko Kurugaya’s scenario or Kyousuke’s manipulation of events. However, he remains unaware of the truth until the final loop. Motivated by a promise to protect Rin, Riki takes charge when Kyousuke’s plans go awry and Rin begins to suffer psychologically. He works to heal her, understand Masato and Kengo’s struggles, and ultimately brings Kyousuke out of his own despair.

Upon finally uncovering the secret, Riki accepts the reality of the impending tragedy and resolves to prevent it. In the visual novel’s conclusion, he uses his intelligence and unwavering resolve to guide everyone to safety during the real-world bus crash, fulfilling Kyousuke’s hopes and proving his personal growth and selflessness.

Riki has a noticeably slender build, appearing physically weaker than his childhood friends Kyousuke Natsume, Masato Inohara, and Kengo Miyazawa. He is also somewhat shorter than many of his male classmates. His straight, dark brown hair reaches the length of his ears, and he has distinctively large gray-brown eyes that stand out in comparison to his peers.

He wears the standard male student uniform of his school primarily black with red trim accompanied by a gold-trimmed, white-collared shirt and a red necktie, matching the attire commonly worn by Kyousuke and other students.

At the age of ten, Riki lost both of his parents, which plunged him into a deep depression. During this difficult period, he was also diagnosed with narcolepsy, a neurological condition that causes sudden and uncontrollable bouts of sleep. Isolated and emotionally fragile, Riki’s life took a positive turn when Kyousuke Natsume invited him to join a group of friends known as the Little Busters.

With Kyousuke’s guidance and the group’s playful ideals of “fighting evil” and “preserving justice,” Riki gradually emerged from his depression. He formed close friendships with the other members Rin Natsume, Kengo Miyazawa, and Masato Inohara solidifying his place within the group and finding renewed purpose in their companionship.

• Rin Natsume: Riki is one of Rin’s closest childhood friends and fellow founding members of the Little Busters. Over the course of the story, their bond gradually deepens, and in Little Busters! Refrain, the two officially begin dating.

• Saya Tokido: Riki met Saya during their childhood. In her route within the visual novel, she plays a significant role in his emotional journey. However, her story ends tragically, as she is revealed to have died in an earthquake.

• Kudryavka Noumi: Kudryavka, often referred to as Kud, is one of Riki’s classmates and a key character he supports throughout her route. In the spin-off visual novel Kud Wafter, Riki and Kud develop a romantic relationship, eventually getting married and having a daughter named Kaya Naoe.

The given name Riki (理樹) is composed of the kanji ri (理), meaning “reason” or “logic,” and ki (樹), meaning “tree.” His surname Naoe (直枝) combines nao (直), meaning “straight” or “direct,” and e (枝), meaning “branch.”