Someone posted this imdb article at killbill2.net, in which David Carradine states that Pretty Rikii and Bill are the same person
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0378194/board/nest/8181971
“1. He said that QT told him that the killer of O-Ren’s parents in the cartoon was indeed BILL. Apparently QT specifically requested this from the animators.
So the story would go, that O-Ren, becoming professional herself, forgives Bill as she understands that it was simply “business” and accepts his offer to work with him.
2. He confirmed that the sequel is a definitely serious idea and that Sofie Fatale raises Coppertop’s daughter, Nikki (who’s name i believed since my first viewing as inspired by NIKITA) who eventually seeks her vengeance on Bea. It’s safe to assume that she succeeds, for he went on the say BB would then seek vengeance on Nikki.
He also mentioned that when the idea of the sequels (yes, plural) was thrown about, QT whinged that it’d be hard because everyone was dead.
Mr Carradine continued by speculating that Elle Driver may have the training, skill and connections to not only get out of the trailer and desert, but also heal and seek vengeance of her own and that this may be a possible reason QT changed the original script (where she dies) to just losing the other eye. He also admitted about not knowing of this change until a while after it ws shot.
3. Mr Carradine also mentioned plans of a PREQUEL, which’ll detail Bill’s life from the age of 13, and that this will be entirely animated.
4. He also confirmed that his fight scene with Michael J White was completely shot and will be included in the DVD.
5. He claims he brought the flute into training fo this movie to play when warming up. This apparently inspired QT to incorporate the flute in the Chapel Massacre chapter. He also was supposed to tell Bea about Pei Mai while roasting marshmellows in the fire but it didn’t work, so they tried the flute again, whic hthis time was brought onto the set just to have lying in the background.
I was very surprised by the above and found Mr Carradine an entertaining speaker.”
I still find it odd they never had some type of ironic explanation in the film for Bill to be the killer…like perhaps The Bride knew this and could taunt O-Ren with something like, “Bill killed your dad you bitch” or something along those lines. I dunno. Just seems odd it would be Bill.
But it does help to explain the insane amount the anime focused on the character. If Pretty Rikki was just a random guy you would think they limit down his part.
[quote]
"1. He said that QT told him that the killer of O-Ren’s parents in the cartoon was indeed BILL. Apparently QT specifically requested this from the animators.
So the story would go, that O-Ren, becoming professional herself, forgives Bill as she understands that it was simply “business” and accepts his offer to work with him.[/quote]
I figured the man in the anime was Bill. I wonder why Beatrix never explains the part about O-Ren forgiving Bill in her voiceover?
[quote]2. He confirmed that the sequel is a definitely serious idea and that Sofie Fatale raises Coppertop’s daughter, Nikki (who’s name i believed since my first viewing as inspired by NIKITA) who eventually seeks her vengeance on Bea. It’s safe to assume that she succeeds, for he went on the say BB would then seek vengeance on Nikki.[/quote]
Although I would like to see it I just don’t think it’s going to happen. He needs to make it in let’s say 5 years instead of 15. 15 years from now who is really going to be interested in seeing Vol.3?
[quote]He also mentioned that when the idea of the sequels (yes, plural) was thrown about, QT whinged that it’d be hard because everyone was dead.
Mr Carradine continued by speculating that Elle Driver may have the training, skill and connections to not only get out of the trailer and desert, but also heal and seek vengeance of her own and that this may be a possible reason QT changed the original script (where she dies) to just losing the other eye. He also admitted about not knowing of this change until a while after it ws shot.[/quote]
I doubt there will be any sequels, but if he makes them he needs to make them sooner than later. Daryl Hannah isn’t getting any younger. ÂÂ
[quote]3. Mr Carradine also mentioned plans of a PREQUEL, which’ll detail Bill’s life from the age of 13, and that this will be entirely animated.[/quote]
This is something I see happening. I hope Tarantino hires the guys that did the animination for Ninja Scrool. ÂÂ
[quote]4. He also confirmed that his fight scene with Michael J White was completely shot and will be included in the DVD.[/i]
That’s cool.
[quote]5. He claims he brought the flute into training fo this movie to play when warming up. This apparently inspired QT to incorporate the flute in the Chapel Massacre chapter. He also was supposed to tell Bea about Pei Mai while roasting marshmellows in the fire but it didn’t work, so they tried the flute again, whic hthis time was brought onto the set just to have lying in the background.[/quote][/quote]
That’s interesting. I wish Tarantino would’ve have cut so much stuff out of the Pai Mei chapter.
Until I hear otherwise from Tarantino’s mouth, I am never going to believe that they are the same character. They don’t even look the same. Especially since one is… you know… Asian.
Ridiculous. As much as I liked the character of Bill, Carradine is kind of a chode.
[quote]They don’t even look the same.  Especially since one is… you know… Asian.
[/quote]
But Carradine played an Asian in Kung FU 8)
He was half asian in Kung Fu…
[quote]
3. Mr Carradine also mentioned plans of a PREQUEL, which’ll detail Bill’s life from the age of 13, and that this will be entirely animated.
[/quote]
yes!
[quote]Until I hear otherwise from Tarantino’s mouth, I am never going to believe that they are the same character. They don’t even look the same. Especially since one is… you know… Asian.
[/quote]
I don’t think you can conclude that the character is asian in that scene. The anime is highly stylized, and the characters aren’t meant to look lifelike. O-Ren definitely doesn’t look very much like Lucy Liu in the animated recap of the wedding scene. Also keep in mind that this is 18 years ago, so Bill would look younger.
Evidence of the animated character being Bill:
-The white buttoned shirt he wears in the animated sequence resembles the outfit worn by Bill in the Pai Mei scene and missing Michael J. White scene.
-The sword in the anime seems to have some relevance, as the camera focuses on it considerably. I don’t have the Vol. 1 DVD, so I can’t verify if it has any distinguishing marks that would match it to Bill’s or Budd’s sword (Budd’s sword would presumably still be in Bill’s possession at this time).
-The character wears a few rings on his fingers – similar rings are seen on Bill’s fingers while he talks to Elle on the phone.
-The animated character fires the gun in his left hand. Bill keeps his gun holstered on the left side of his waist, and fires it with his left hand at the TV and fruit basket. He does, however, fire the tranq gun with this right hand.
Can anyone confirm which hand he holds the plastic toy gun in?
[quote]
I don’t think you can conclude that the character is asian in that scene. The anime is highly stylized, and the characters aren’t meant to look lifelike. O-Ren definitely doesn’t look very much like Lucy Liu in the animated recap of the wedding scene. Also keep in mind that this is 18 years ago, so Bill would look younger. [/quote]
Alright, keep in mind your last line: “keep in mind that this is 18 years ago…”. And even though O-Ren doesn’t look a lot like O-Ren in the wedding scene, she at least looks the proper race.
[quote]Evidence of the animated character being Bill:
-The white buttoned shirt he wears in the animated sequence resembles the outfit worn by Bill in the Pai Mei scene and missing Michael J. White scene.
[/quote]
Why would he be wearing the same shirt 18 years later? Besides, it was a suit that the Yakuza Riki was wearing, and Bill wears a white chinese-syle shirt in the Da Moe scene, a red buttoning shirt in the campfire scene, and a blue buttoning shirt in the Pai Mei scene, buttoned low. Never a white suit.
[quote]-The sword in the anime seems to have some relevance, as the camera focuses on it considerably. I don’t have the Vol. 1 DVD, so I can’t verify if it has any distinguishing marks that would match it to Bill’s or Budd’s sword (Budd’s sword would presumably still be in Bill’s possession at this time).[/quote]
The Hanzo was a gift to Budd, and the inscription was put there by the blade’s maker, not scratched on later. It has no distinguishing features that would make it Bill’s Hanzo, except one, but no one has said anything about it yet, and so i I remain silent…
[quote]-The character wears a few rings on his fingers – similar rings are seen on Bill’s fingers while he talks to Elle on the phone.[/quote]
Bill wore one emerald ring, which in fact was not a costume peice, but was Carradine’s own ring he always wears. Riki was wearing a skull ring, and a silver ring with a red dot. Lots of people wear rings…
[quote]-The animated character fires the gun in his left hand. Bill keeps his gun holstered on the left side of his waist, and fires it with his left hand at the TV and fruit basket. He does, however, fire the tranq gun with this right hand.[/quote]
Lots of left handed people, and besides, he was using his right hand to wipe the blood of Bea’s face.
[quote]Can anyone confirm which hand he holds the plastic toy gun in?[/quote]
Yes, his right:
[quote] O-Ren definitely doesn’t look very much like Lucy Liu in the animated recap of the wedding scene. .
[/quote]
In the scene where O-REn is on the rooftop doing an assassination the drawing looks a helluva lot like Lucy Lui.
Not really. It looks like just about any asian woman, and its not like there was a close up on her face of anything.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Bill was Pretty Rikii, but I still doubt it at the moment. It would make for an excellent series of episodes on the upcoming Kill Bill prequel (if its made), though.
Good counterarguments, elWhite – it seems I mistook my vague memories of several scenes for facts. I’m now undecided on whether or not it’s Bill.
About the sword, though. After watching Vol. 1 again, I noticed that there are red beads in the handle of the sword in the anime. I believe there was also a fuller (the groove in the center of the blade that reduces the total weight). Are these on Bill’s or Budd’s sword?
That was what I was talking about earlier, the red dot. I watched Bill and Elle’s phone chat, and at one point it looks like there is a red dot. So that may be a link. 
I think it would be cool if bill was rikki, but i have absolutly no evidence to contribute to either side of the argument.
Finally, some one clears this up.
Awesome. I’m glad I wasn’t the first person to figure this out. The character even favors David Carradine a little bit…well, not the old, Jack Daniels swilling burn out of today, but the young, acid/reefer/cocaine abusing gung fu “expert” of the 1970s.
Keep 'em coming, folks!
Well…Pretty Riki is Bill,but i don’t believe O-ren ever knew he killed his parents…As she was hiding under the beth and never saw his face…(but she did saw Matsumoto’s face when he was sitting and smoking a cigare:angle) So this is my theory…after 3 years O-ren gets revenge on Matsumoto,but how can a little girl handle a gun? She was trained by…Bill. Bill has his own agenda,by killing the boss …he becomes the boss. BUT HE NEVER TOLD O-REN about the killing (kinda ridiculous).So O-ren was his first student. Second student is no one but…“the bride”. That’s why she and Beatrix know a lot about eachother :"Silly Rabbit (Bea) Trix are for kids. (Beatrix are for kids)…litte details.
Interesting theory, Yassin, however I think she does see Riki/Bill’s face. The camera pans up his sword to his face, and I think that shot is supposed to be from Oren’s POV. I do think Riki is Bill, though.
Question: How do you know that Riki’s name is Riki?
[quote]He was half asian in Kung Fu…[/quote]
I know some half-asians, and I have no clue how they passed DC as one…
Then again, wasn’t he bald?