Final Fantasy X: Yuna is Jesus Christ [SPOILERS]

[SPOILERS WARNING] This essay contains huge spoilers of Final Fantasy X! 


Maybe it's because it's nearing the end (of the year) or maybe sleep deprivation has gone to my head, but yesterday as I was walking around the kitchen waiting for my noodles to boil, it suddenly hit me:

Yuna is Jesus Christ.

Yesus Christ

Before you think I've inhaled too much noodle steam, hear me out:

What I've always liked about the Final Fantasy series are their complexity: The games are not like Super Mario, where you go from check mark A to check mark B. They captivate and move you. Each Final Fantasy game contains such great amount of intricate plot elements, metaphorical details, and deep, underlying messages that it takes you a good amount of time and imagination to really notice and appreciate them all. So while for some of you this essay might seem far-fetched, that is only if you interpret the game literally. But with an open and analytic mind, and perhaps a good dose of noodle steam in your face, you might also see what I saw when I looked into my pot of delicious imagination.

As we all know—assuming that you've played the game—Final Fantasy X revolves heavily around religion. It's one of the most apparent themes in the game although it was convoluted by mystical creatures and corrupt politics. The first thing Tidus learns about Zanarkand, beside that it's destroyed a thousand years ago, is that the ruins, according to some Yevon thing, have become a "holy place." So straight from the bat, we know we're dealing with some spiritual matter in this whole new world we've arrived in.

So, point one: Existence of a religion. Check.


In Spira, Christianity obviously doesn't exist. Instead, this cult-like school of thought called Yevon spans over Spira, functioning as some sort of philosophy of hope for many zealous followers all over the continent. Tidus, who comes from a different time and culture, is dazed by this unheard religion because it never existed while Zanarkand was alive. In fact, it was created due to the very extinction of Zanarkand.

In many ways, the religion of Yevon does mirror Christianity, such as the existence of Bevelle, which functions similarly to the Catholic Church; the concept of sin and a higher power governing it; and the movement of Crusaders .. the name itself—'nuff said. However, Yevon does draw inspirations from other real world religions as well, particularly Buddhism with the whole ritualistic aspect of it. Other school of thoughts seem to also prevail in Spira, most notably Seymour's delusional philosophy, which can be considered a religion in itself; and the Ronso's, who has a completely different, more sacred perspective of life altogether. Nonetheless, they all tie together to meet at one inevitable point of junction: Sin.

What is Sin?

Wakka explained it very clearly when Tidus sought for explanation behind the sacredness of his destroyed blitzball city.

"Long time ago, there were a whole lot of cities in Spira. Big cities with machina—machines—to run 'em. People played all day and let the machina do the work. And then, well, take a look." 

"Sin came, and destroyed the machina cities. And Zanarkand along with 'em. Yeah, that was about a thousand years ago, just like you said. If you ask me, Sin's our punishment for letting things get out of hand."  

"What gets me, though... is we gotta suffer, 'cause of what some goofballs did way back when! 'Course, we must always repent for our sins! That's important! It's just that, it's hard to keep at it sometimes, you know?" 

Credit: Final Fantasy Worlds Apart

Doesn't this remind me you a bit about this one story where some girl ate some fruit despite not being allowed to do so—therefore ended up getting both herself and her boyfriend expelled, and this apparently ended up with the rest of us having to suffer the rest of our lives due to their lack of judgment? Hmmmm?

Sin is the manifestation of immorality, a personification of Spira's sin.

So, point two: Humans are sinful.



Now, where does Yuna play in?

There are two things that immediately come to mind when we talk about living beings that walk on water: First one is Jesus Christ, and the second one is Jesus Christ lizard, but let's focus on the more graceful walker here.

When Yuna first walked on the water, I immediately thought about Jesus Christ. Beside from the fact that Jesus pretty much is the O.G. when it comes to water-strolling, the whole atmosphere and theme of life and death made the connection really strong. I didn't think more about it for the rest of the game, but in afterthought, I'm quite fascinated by how closely Yuna's role in the game functions as the Messiah of Spira.

First of all, Yuna is a summoner.

"The summoners are practitioners of a sacred art, sworn to protect the people of Yevon. Only a chosen few become summoners, who call forth entities of great power: the aeons. The aeons hear our prayers and come down to us. They are the blessing of Yevon."

Ok, so aeons are described "entities of great power" and a "blessing" that can only be drawn forth in temples, and Yuna is the direct contact person between those holy creatures and the normal, sinful people. In a way, the aeons function as some kind of holy creatures, closely resembling divine powers of God. Now, based on the numerous Final Fantasies we've gone through, we all know that "God" doesn't really exist in the universe of Final Fantasy. Instead, it is a giant, floating piece of crystal that wields immense, destructive power with defense level -9999 as it seems to always be either shattered or stolen or both.

But back to topic: the aeons function as holy divinities that protect the people of Spira. So indirectly, the summoner wields holy power that ward off evil spirits. There are only a few people who can become summoners → Yuna is a "chosen one."

So, point three: There's a chosen one with spiritual power.




Moving on the topic of divine powers: The summoner also perform the sending, which is a type of ceremony for the dead: To rinse their body of the evil before they lay to rest.

"The dead need guidance. Filled with grief over their own death, they refuse to face their fate. They yearn to live on, and resent those still alive. You see, they envy the living. And in time, that envy turns to anger, even hate. Should these souls remain in Spira, they become fiends that prey on the living.

The summoner performs a ritual that "saves" people from turning worse than just dead—as if that's not bad enough—but also to prevent them from being engulfed by evil thoughts and turn into fiends that can possibly hunt on their friends and family. (By that definition, defeating fiends is also some sort of sending ... or well, more accurately, an exorcism). So Yuna is kind of preventing a zombie apocalypse. Kinda.

 "The sending takes them to the Farplane, where they may rest in peace."

On the note of theology, we can also make the parallel that the Farplane mirrors Heaven, where people rest in peace. The ultimate end-stop for people in Spira is to end up at the Farplane, but if they are too engulfed by darkness, they can no longer be sent there. An example is when Tidus and company faces Lady Ginnem and Yuna fails to send the latter into the Farplane because she's been in the cave for so long and has been too affected by the evil spirits surrounding her. Also, perhaps she felt too angry about her failed pilgrimage and her anger consumed her humanity.

 "There is no human left in you now, is there?"

And to connect this back to Christianity: Yuna is not only on a mission to bring peace to Spira, but also to guide the death to Heaven on the way. Doesn't that sound like a known someone who travels around the world on a mission to save humanity and purify it?

Point four: A pilgrimage is involved.

"Lady Yuna, are you going to bring us the Calm?"

In retrospect, this is one of those lines that you didn't think much about in the game but which 

completely breaks your heart after the game. Can you imagine Yuna's thoughts when she hears the hopefulness in the child's voice, asking her if she can bring the Calm, something of which the child innocently associates with happy and peaceful times while being completely ignorant the pain and sacrifice behind the summoner's promise to do so? 

Yuna has the power to defeat Sin, the consequence of humanity's wrongdoings, thanks to the holy power she borrows from supernatural deities. She's on a quest to defeat the sin of humanity, and she has to sacrifice herself in the process of doing so. 

When talking about sacrifice for humanity, it's hard to ignore the story of Jesus Christ who died on the cross in order to repent for the evilness of humanity. Summoners sacrifice themselves to bring the Calm to Spira ... almost as if they are repenting for the wrongdoings of Spira. The only issue here is that the Calm is temporary.  

Point five: Sacrifice to repent for humanity.

Now, I know that almost every hero in every fantasy out there follows the same guideline as Yuna. Naruto has had his fair of saving and sacrificing and a holy divinity inside of him. Harry Potter is the chosen one with a fancy scar to prove so. However, not every hero deals with spirituality and complete selflessness, which I think sets Yuna apart from most heroes. For most heroes, it's been about a personal gain, some kind of goal or ambition, to learn about their past etc. and triumph from it. Jesus Christ was all selfless sacrifice: Born to be the Messiah, destined to die for the people. For Yuna, it's been about Spira and death since the beginning. A pre-destination to follow her father's path. A preparation for her own death. 

Although the story and endings played out quite differently for Yuna (she never died, which is nice), she did end up sacrificing (and we all know what she sacrificed). The parallel between her and Jesus becomes more interesting because of the different twist at the ending: Final Fantasy X implies that a person cannot repent for humanity. As Yunalesca nicely put it:

"Will humanity ever attain such purity?"

No. According to Yevon, humans are sinful and always will be. But really ... what is Sin? In Final Fantasy X, it was created. And defeated. And in the process, the whole religion of Yevon fell apart with it alongside the deities. The whole cycle of death broken. So in a way, the concept of "sin" was created by the people of Spira, the human mind, and misused by the Yevon religion. Thus, a human cannot get rid of "Sin," only the concept, whatever that might be, and those who impose it. 

I hope this essay wasn't too abstract?


I kind of wrote this in a rush but WHO CARES IT'S NEW YEAR'S EVE GUYS
HAPPY 2017 SEE YOU NEXT YEAR 

Final Fantasy X: Analysis of Yunalesca's Speech

Just gonna post an analysis of my favorite dialogue in FFX: Yunalesca's speech. But uhm ... before I start:  If you are playing FFX and haven't heard the name "Yunalesca" yet, then you probably shouldn't be reading this essay because I'm basically gonna spoil the whole game.


I decided to dissect Lady Yunalesca's speech because when I first heard it I went kind of daaaaaaaaamn. But after losing quite a few times and having to go through that 5 minutes speech again and again and again and again and again, I actually got to absorb her words and I realized that her speech actually makes quite sense. A tad psychopathic maybe, but it still makes sense. It is beautifully phrased (kudos to the storyteller, scriptwriter and voice actor) but most of all it artistically conveys the paradox of human nature, which I find so, so fascinating.


I'm adding analysis and random thoughts as I go. If you want the analysis part of Yunalesca's speech only, scroll down until you reach the first picture.


Gatekeeper in priest's outfit: Journeyer of the long road, name yourself.
Yuna: I am the summoner Yuna. I have come from the island of Besaid.

When Tidus and his crew reached Zanarkand, the emotional momentum was already building up from the moment he walked into Zanarkand and "Someday the Dream will End" blasted out in the background. That song was literally the saddest shit I've ever heard because of the context: Tidus had finally reached back to his home, which is in absolute ruins, and Yuna was about to throw away her own life in her attempt to bring the Calm to Spira. On top of it all, Tidus and Yuna were doomed to meet an end to not only their travel but also their romantic relationship, which just makes everything 13 folds worse because ROMANCE IS TRAGIC OK. But most of all, it was because I was as much as part of the journey as everyone in the cast were. The idea of finally reaching the end of it almost made me bawl my eyes out. 

Plus not having to listen to that hippy battle theme every time I fought a monster was really relieving. I really liked how the game would smoothly transition into the battles without changing the background music. Listening to "The Dream Will End Someday" made me feel so empty and hopeless and it captured the atmosphere perfectly. It made me miserable as hell. Good job, Nobou. 

It's called "Someday the Dream will End."
If the title alone isn't depressing enough, I don't know what is.

As you Tidus proceeded to enter deeper and deeper into Zanarkand, more hidden secrets, or more accurately, memories, became unveiled. 


Wakka: Looks like the Farplane.
Auron: Close enough.


Zanarkand ruins is filled with pyreflies, the unique phenomena in Final Fantasy games that is dispersed from the body after death. The pyreflies either remain in their translucent, non-threatening state, or turn into the more dangerous forms of fiends and undeads, depending on the dead person's extent of acceptance of his/her death. The latter resulting in the tiresome endless fighting that extends the 20 hours game to full blown 80 hours+ gaming on your part. The pyreflies, although existing throughout the game, has never had such a big role until at Zanarkand, where its appearance gives the place an eerie and almost spiritual atmosphere. I mean, you're basically surrounded by souls of dead people. And not to mention, Auron died here. So this is his Farplane*. 

But the most important part of pyreflies is that they react to memories and recreate events from the past.
*it's also the farthest place on Spira's square plane map. So Far Plane hahaha  :D


Auron: This dome is filled with pyreflies. It's like one gigantic sphere. People's thoughts remain here. Forever.


Past summoners who have walked the exact same path, past guardians who have experienced the same fate: last moment dolorous but hopeful statements exchanged between summoner and his/her guardians, all resurfaced from the dark into sight and perfectly enhanced the expectations of what were to come.  

But most heart-breaking but fascinating of all: Auron's memories.

It's easy to forget that that Auron had already once gone through the exact same journey as Yuna is going through, although we do get reminded of that like once or twice. The reason being because he KEPT EVERYTHING TO HIMSELF THAT MOTHAFU...

Anyway, so we get to witness part of his memories, which is amazing. Considering that he's always been such a quiet and mysterious badass, actually getting into his head, like visually, is just fascinating. However, the fact remains that he knew what was going to happen all along but he never thought it was necessary to divulge it, which partly explains why he's so annoyingly calm all the time because, well, he's already experienced it. 


Auron: Yuna... We're here.
Yuna: The hall of the Final Summoning.
Auron: Go. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Speaking of getting into heads, let's get ahead with the analysis. 


(first of all, credits goes to Auronlu's Collection for the whole dialogue. You didn't think I'd be listening and jotting down the whole speech while playing the game, did you?)

Yuna:  Sir Auron! Everyone!

The first secret is unveiled! The original fayth of the Final Summoning is dead!

First of all, it's interesting to note that Yuna immediately calls out Auron before anyone else. I'd like to imagine in my head that she went "OMFG YOU KNEW ALL ALONG DIDN'T YOU WHY DIDNT YOU JUST TELL ME I ALMOST GOT HEART ATTACK YOU MOTHAFUC..." but I doubt that's what went down in her head.  The detail doesn't have much value except that it highlights the importance of Auron in the scene because it shows that Yuna relies on and prioritizes his knowledge. Up until that point he's not really had much to contribute except being cast as permanent member in the battlefield and grunting now and then.


Tidus: Yuna, wait! Auron, you knew this was going to happen, didn't you?
Auron: Yes.
Rikku: Why didn't you tell us!?
Auron: If I had told you the truth, would that really have stopped you from coming?


Asshole.
He got a point, but still ... asshole.

Yuna: This isn't a fayth. It's just an empty statue.

Dome Gatekeeper: (Appearing) That statue lost its power as a fayth long ago. It is Lord Zaon, the first fayth of the Final Summoning. What you see before you is all that remains of him. Lord Zaon is...his soul is gone.
Wakka: Gone!?
Rikku: You mean, there is no Final Aeon?


For those that don't know the details, during the war between Bevelle and Zanarkand a 1000 years ago, the Final Summoning was created by Lady Yunalesca, a summoner from Bevelle who sacrificed her husband Lord Zaon to be her fayth in order to summon a powerful aeon that would destroy Sin. Lord Zaon and Yunalesca were revaeled in a sphere at some point in the game. When Yuna went into the cloister to summon the Final Aeon, she discovered that the statue of the powerful aeon is just .. an empty statue. 

Anyway, the fact that the fayth is gone is obviously a significant plot twist of the game that keeps your mouth open, but it's also significant in another way, which I will come back to later. But do note one thing: the Final Summoning is used to defeat Sin, but it's technically dead from the beginning. 

Gatekeeper: But fear not. Lady Yunalesca will show you the path. The Final Aeon will be yours. The summoner and the Final Aeon will join powers. Go to her now. Inside, the lady awaits. (Makes symbol of Yevon and vanishes)

This is the part where it starts getting interesting. It is quite ironic that the Gatekeeper in Zanarkand makes the symbol of Yevon after referring Yuna to Lady Yunalesca because Yu Yevon is who summoned Sin in the first place, and Lady Yunalesca's Final Aeon is a means to destroy Sin. There's a darker secret hidden behind this, which Yunalesca will partly reveal later in her speech.

The fact that Zanarkand Ruins is a holy place is a giant joke in itself. Holy based on what? Oh right, religion. The religion in Spira purports the idea that machina is evil, but Zanarkand used to be a city buzzing with magic imbued machina. Now that it's become ruins, it's become a holy place? So destruction is the ultimate key to purity?* 

*hint hint  

In fact, the whole Yu Yevon religion in Spira is a giant irony that nobody seems to have realized. They are basically worshipping the guy who put everyone in this miserable situation in the first place. I think this mirrors religion in general. The idea behind religion is always positive—it is empowering, satisfying some kind of personal dilemma, answers the unknown, creates safety and order, etc.—but in the end, it always deludes everyone into losing the understanding behind its creation in the first place because it's such a vulnerable and abstract concept. We have the people of ignorance, those who follow dogmas blindly because they're told to do so *cough Wakka cough* without questioning the truth behind the system, those that take advantage of people of ignorance for sake of selfish power (Seymour and Bevelle), and then we have those who ends up completely destroying the purpose of religion in the first place and turns destructive force into faith. Yunalesca is a prime example of the latter.

While religion often becomes a political weapon and appears as an unreliable judgment, there's still truth behind religion. In fact, there's truth behind every religion—well, maybe except pokemon evolution shit. What religion accurately reveals is not the basis of life and existence of divine powers but the ultimate insight into unconcealed human psychology. Yunalesca's speech is a masterpiece that carries a lot of truth. 

Yuna: Lady Yunalesca. 


Again, the same with previous where she immediately calls Auron: a sign of respect. Kind of like "Your Holiness" because Lady Yunalesca is a sacred High Summoner, residing in a junk pile of a temple. Her interior design preferences aside, Lady Yunalesca jumps straight into her good host mode and warmly welcome the guests before throwing the ultimate bomb at them.

Yunalesca divulging to the cast the naked truth and body.

Yunalesca: Welcome to Zanarkand. I congratulate you, summoner. You have completed your pilgrimage. I will now bestow you with that which you seek. The Final Summoning...will be yours. Now, choose. 
Yuna: ... 
Yunalesca: You must choose the one whom I will change ... to become the fayth of the Final Summoning. [They gasp]

GASP. 

Yunalesca: There must be a bond, between chosen and summoner, for that is what the Final Summoning embodies: the bond between husband and wife, mother and child, or between friends. If that bond is strong enough, its light will conquer Sin. A thousand years ago, I chose my husband Zaon as my fayth. Our bond was true, and I obtained the Final Aeon. There is nothing to fear. You will soon be freed of worry and pain. For once you call forth the Final Aeon, your life will end. Death is the ultimate and final liberation. Your father, Braska, chose this path. [leaves]


I like how she just fucking leaves afterward.

This little speech segment should've already raised some heads in regards to the questionable nature of the Final Summoning practice. In my head, Lady Yunalesca's short speech sounded something like this  

"So... you want the final summoning?? It's really powerful and amazing, it's the ultimate test of true love. I really recommend it! Don't worry gurl I went through the same thaaaang. I know what you feel. You just need true bond and voila! Just like me! Like, I had my husband back then, and, we were soooo in love so yep we went through the ritual just like that and got the Final Aeon. It's just that simple! All you have to do is to ... sacrificeyourpartnerandthendieafterwards. But I mean, beside that there's really nothing to worry about! Really! Nothing! You'll soon be happy and relieved of pain. Death is wonderful. Yea! Oh and remember your daddy also chose this path also and so should you."  

Apologize if I ruined the scene for anyone, but she's wearing a pretty revealing thong and those unflattering fashionable headbands, so I can imagine her going all Valley Girl in her speech.  


Beside the fact that Yuna needs to choose a guardian to sacrifice alongside herself, everything she says is reasonable and unbiased except the last part: "You will soon be freed of worry and pain... Death is the ultimate and final liberation." This line should've raised some warning signs. But although I found it a bit odd that she'd refer to death as "liberation," she still has yet said anything too psychopathic. If you die, you do indeed get relieved of worry and pain. However, the ultimatum to attain peace was just too much and too sudden to digest.  

Still, I was too shocked by the fact that a guardian needs to die alongside Yuna to think deeper into it. As if sacrificing Yuna's love and future isn't enough; as if completely destroying Tidus emotionally in every way possible isn't enough; as in forcing Auron through a second painful journey, we now need to deprive someone else of his/her future as well?! All for what? The possibility of 10 years of Calm before Sin returns again and force another summoner to go on a heart-breaking journey?

The price is too much to pay. 

Flashback
Auron: Sin always comes back. It comes back after the Calm every time! The cycle will continue and your deaths will mean nothing! 
Braska: But there's always a chance it won't come back this time. It's worth trying. 
Jecht: I understand what you're saying, Auron. I'll find a way to break the cycle. 
Auron: You...have a plan? 
Braska: Jecht? 
Jecht: Trust me, I'll think of something. (Laughs) 

I think this is a significant part of the main characters that isn't highlighted as much in the game, which makes it much sadder. Yes, we know that Tidus has daddy issues and yes we know that Yuna has the pressure of living up to her father, but the fact remains that they've both been deprived of parents. They're both orphans since the very start. 

Some people argue that Tidus and Yuna are like light and day, and thus don't fit together as a couple, but I think they're missing out the obvious point that that is why they fit so perfectly. Among other things, Yuna's name means "moon" in Okinawan, to oppose Tidus, whose name means "sun". This is also represented in their respective Moon and Sun Sigils used to power their Celestial Weapons. Yuna and Tidus were meant to be opposites, but if you look behind those superficial aspects, they are very compatible. Their growing up were similar. In two different worlds and cultures, maybe, but they grew up by themselves, without parents, exposed to the head-light, with one purpose in life: to live up to their deceased fathers.   


The guardians had at that point pretty much made up their mind.

That's why Auron's sudden memory outbreak of Lord Braska's interaction at that exact point was significant. It helped fuel the idea of a paradigm break. 

Especially with the sacrifice of Yuna's and Tidus' fathers. Repeating what has already been done is useless and idiotic. The method is obviously not working, and as Tidus once exclaimed dumbfoundly in the beginning of the game to the Crusaders when they proudly presented their league's purpose:

"What,you've been fighting eight hundred years and you still haven't beat [Sin]?"

Auron: And the cycle went on. 

Can you hear the pain and regret dripping from this statement? He carried on this journey alongside his friends with hope and faith, only to have the illusion of salvation shattered by the reality of doom. Deaths lost in vain in attempt to achieve a dream that can't be actualized. 

But fear not, we got a secret weapon. Insert the annoying screeching voice: Tidus.


Tidus: We'll break it! 



While Auron represents the regret and knowledge of the past, Tidus represents the youthful innovation and hopeful dreams of the future. 

Wakka: But how? What, you got a plan now? 
Lulu: If one of us has to become a fayth...I volunteer. 

Wakka: Me too, Yuna! 
Tidus: Tidus: That still won't change anything, you know? You'd bring the Calm, and then what? That won't break the cycle! 
Wakka: Listen... You wanna defeat Sin and keep Yuna alive... You don't want Sin to come back, ya? That is just not gonna happen, brudda, you know? 
Lulu: If you want everything, you'll end up with nothing. 
Tidus: But I want everything! 
Wakka: Now you're being childish! 



And Wakka and Lulu represent the stubborn followers of religion. Unable to steer away from their set paradigms.

Tidus: I don't know, but I have to try. This is my story. It'll go the way I want it...or I'll end it here. 
Yuna: Wait. You say it's your story, but it's my story, too, you know? It would be so easy...to let my fate just carry me away...following this same path my whole life through. But I know...I can't. What I do, I do...with no regrets.

Her soft voice carries strong message in this part of the game. It is easy to follow the same path as what you think is expected of you. Your parents, your peers, your teachers, society .... but at the end of the day, you gotta do what you feel is right (of course, within reason). Nobody has the right to steer your life. Yuna represents the present, with the voices of the past (Auron) and the future (Tidus) on each of her side, she makes her own decision ... with no regrets.

 Religion is a means to an end. It is used to justify and as encouragement to something that your inner self wants. It can be manipulated or used to inspire. After all, religion doesn't exist, it is created.

I need some speech courses with Lady Yunalesca. Her ethos, pathos, logos game is too strong.



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Yunalesca: Have you chosen the one to become your fayth? Who will it be? 
Yuna: Might I ask something first? Will Sin come back even should I use the Final Summoning to defeat it? 
Yunalesca: Sin is eternal. Every aeon that defeats it becomes Sin in its place... And thus is Sin reborn. 
Tidus: So that's why Jecht became Sin. 
Yunalesca: Sin is an inevitable part of Spira's destiny. It is neverending. 
Wakka: Neverending? But...but...if we atone for our crimes, Sin will stop coming back, ya? Someday, it'll be gone, ya? 
Yunalesca: Will humanity ever attain such purity? 
Wakka: Uh... 
Lulu: This...this cannot be! The teachings state that we can exorcise Sin with complete atonement! It's been our only hope all these years! 
Yunalesca: Hope is...comforting. It allows us to accept fate, however tragic it might be. 
Tidus: No!





Auron: No! Where is the sense in all this? Braska believed in Yevon's teachings and died for them! Jecht believed in Braska and gave his life for him! 
Yunalesca: They chose to die...because they had hope.imahri protect Yuna. 
Rikku: Well, I'm fighting! 
Wakka: I can't believe we're gonna fight Lady Yunalesca! Gimme a break! 
Lulu: You can always run. 
Wakka: Hah! I'd never forgive myself--no way! Not if I ran away now. Even in death, ya! 
Lulu: My thoughts exactly. 
Tidus: Yuna! This is our story! Now let's see this thing through together. 
Yuna: (Nods and smiles) 

[They beat the stuffing out of Yunalesca]

Yunalesca: If I die, so does the Final Aeon. And with it, Spira's only hope. 
Tidus: Then we'll find Spira a new hope! 
Yunalesca: Fool. There is no other way. Even if there was... Even if you did destroy Sin... Yu Yevon the immortal would only create Sin anew. 
Tidus: Yu Yevon!? 
Yunalesca: Ah... Zaon... Forgive me... Spira has been robbed of the light of hope... All that remains is sorrow. (Dissolves) 
Yuna: I cannot believe what we just did. 
Tidus: Let's do something more unbelievable. 
Rikku: What? 
Tidus: Destroy Sin. So it won't come back, and without the Final Aeon. I don't know how just yet. But I'll find out.


Wakka: Neverending? But...but...if we atone for our crimes, Sin will stop coming back, ya? Someday, it'll be gone, ya? 
Yunalesca: Will humanity ever attain such purity? 

So Sin is by the purpose of its existence, a holy creature? 

Mind blown, yet?

Sin is a metaphorical representation of people's wrongdoings. Kind of like karma. Sin can never disappear according to Yunalesca because humans have innate greed and many vices. The interesting thing here is that "sins" are something that only humans have. We create the concept of sins out of our morals. Animals do not have the idea of what's right and wrong. The kill each other, eat each other and destroy. They also love, protect and sacrifice.
Animals live based on biological survival only while humans, due to their intelligence and emotional , create choices for themselves. These choices result in the creation of sins and vices.

Humans establish a complex order of behavior in order to organize a civilization where large amounts of people to live side by side without, well, killing each other off.
This order includes mental and emotional orders as well: you should love thy neighbor, you should not steal, you shall not kill .. Sounds familiar?



Lulu: This...this cannot be! The teachings state that we can exorcise Sin with complete atonement! It's been our only hope all these years!
Yunalesca: Hope is...comforting. It allows us to accept fate, however tragic it might be.

Tidus: No!

[Just as Tidus yells and charges, the ghost-image of young Auron reappears and does likewise, brandishing his sword]
Auron: No! Where is the sense in all this? Braska believed in Yevon’s teachings and died for them! Jecht believed in Braska and gave his life for him!
Yunalesca: They chose to die…because they had hope.
[Young Auron gives a horrible yell and leaps, and Yunalesca zaps him. He flies across the room and crumples, then fades away.]

Yunalesca: Yevon’s teachings and the Final Summoning give the people of Spira hope. Without hope, they would drown in their sorrow. Now, choose. Who will be your fayth? Who will be the one to renew Spira’s hope?
Yuna: No one. I would have gladly died. I live for the people of Spira, and would have gladly died for them. But no more! The Final Summoning…is a false tradition that should be thrown away.
Yunalesca: No. It is our only hope. Your father sacrificed himself to give that hope to the people. So they would forget sorrow.
Yuna: Wrong. My father… My father wanted…to make Spira’s sorrow go away. Not just cover it up with lies!
Yunalesca: Sorrow cannot be abolished. It is meaningless to try.
Yuna: My father… I loved him. So I… I will live with my sorrow, I will live my own life! I will defeat sorrow, in his place. I will stand my ground and be strong. I don’t know when it will be but someday, I will conquer it. And I will do it without…false hope.
Yunalesca: Poor creature. You would throw away hope. Well… I will free you before you can drown in your sorrow. It is better for you to die in hope than to live in despair. Let me be your liberator.

Auron: Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!
Kimahri: Yuna needs Kimahri. Kimahri protect Yuna.
Rikku: Well, I’m fighting!
Wakka: I can’t believe we’re gonna fight Lady Yunalesca! Gimme a break!
Lulu: You can always run.
Wakka: Hah! I’d never forgive myself–no way! Not if I ran away now. Even in death, ya!
Lulu: My thoughts exactly.
Tidus: Yuna! This is our story! Now let’s see this thing through together.
Yuna: (Nods and smiles) 
[They beat the stuffing out of Yunalesca]
Yunalesca: If I die, so does the Final Aeon. And with it, Spira’s only hope.
Tidus: Then we’ll find Spira a new hope!
Yunalesca: Fool. There is no other way. Even if there was… Even if you did destroy Sin… Yu Yevon the immortal would only create Sin anew.
Tidus: Yu Yevon!?
Yunalesca: Ah… Zaon… Forgive me… Spira has been robbed of the light of hope… All that remains is sorrow. (Dissolves) 

"Sorrow cannot be abolished. It is meaningless to try." That's true.


Just like how we keep on doing things that make is happy, there will be things that make us sad. The one cannot be without the other.

Usually, when people think of when the unique story of Tidus and Yuna actually starts, they say that for Tidus, it's the moment Tidus gets swallowed by Sin, and that for Yuna, it's the moment she departs from Besaid on her journey. I say nope. The moment Tidus' "our story" starts, is the moment Yuna.  

Why? 

It's a bit curtailed, but in my eyes, the whole game of Final Fantasy X starting from the moment Tidus got swallowed by Sin and entered "future Spira" was simply a build up to the point Tidus reached Zanarkand. Everything in between was just preparations and extraneous–although of course, if you didn't play the whole game, then the climax wouldn't make as much impact as it did. I often say FFX is art because it is paced and sectioned extremely well. Already before you played the game, the whole story had already been displayed to you. 


As Tidus gets up and leaves the crew, only after he first touches Yuna's shoulder and she sorrowfully accepts his departure, to stand on the hill, overlooking the ruins of Zanarkand, and somberly narrates:

"Listen to my story. This may be our last chance."

we have already been told everything there is to know. 

Tidus reach Zanarkand, and he will leave with it. 

Final Fantasy IX: What happened to Vivi?

[SPOILER WARNING]: This essays contains heavy spoilers of Final Fantasy IX.
Yes, Vivi died. As sad as it is, the little black mage does stop working at the end of the game. I don't want to rub salt into the wound but he dies. He dies. He dies. He dies.

Dead like a fish.

There, I said it. I'm sorry but I don't get why this has become such a difficult conclusion to accept. A lot of characters die in this game. Garnet's mom died in the beginning. Queen Brahne died in the middle. Garland died at the end. Bunch of black mages and people from Alexandria and Lindblum and Burmecia died in between. Why is it so different because the most lovable, innocent,  saddest and sweetest character is implied to have died as well? Oh, right.


Anyway, before we dive into this heart-breaking analysis, let's first start off with an excerpt from final.fantasy.wikia, my favorite website: 

"Vivi is a black mage created in Dali by Alexandria after Queen Brahne learns of this technology from Kuja. Vivi is a prototype black mage who fell out of the cargo ship into a forest near Treno.^[2] Two months later^[2] he was found by a qu named Quan who raised Vivi out of the hope he would grow big enough for him to eat, but after six months Vivi was still as short as before." 

So, what do we know? 

Beside that his loving relationship with his grandpa is kind of hilariously disturbing, we know that Vivi was one of the first black mage prototypes created by Queen Brahne (or Kuja), and that it is mentioned in the game that Vivi's prototype "lasts longer." While not specified how long, it is implied to be longer than that of normal black mages, which I believe lasts around  1 year. MysterPixel nicely states: "After Vivi was created, black mage production moved to creating mages that were less advanced and less durable, but allowed them to produced more easily and quickly."

Ok, so we know this: 

Vivi lives longer than normal black mages
but he's still a black mage
... which means he has an expiration date.

Vivi was 6 months old at the beginning of the game. Tantalus visits Alexandria once a year to perform, so the ending takes place exactly 1 year after Zidane first kidnapped Garnet. Vivi stopped working sometime during this period of time. 

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How do we know it's exactly one year (or less than one year if counting from Garnet's departure from Zidane?) and not two or three years? 

Because first of all: no apparent changes in characters. Eiko, most apparently, is still a child, as well is Puck. Since Garnet and Eiko are of same species, we know that Eiko will change in appearance. Also she only just recently addressed Cid as her father as we can infer from his astonished yet blissful reaction. She probably wouldn't take several years before deciding to call him father after being adopted. 

Secondly, Beatrix' resign. Beatrix said "My duty is finished here" as was about to leave the castle. This is because she has fulfilled her duty in protecting the princess now that Garnet is the Queen. If you remember, Garnet was never crowned a Queen during the game because Bahamut attacked Alexandria during the coronation festivities. There's not reason for her to say "My duty is over" two-three years into Queen Garnet's reign. 

Thirdly, it makes no sense why it shouldn't. Exactly one year after the beginning of the game sounds great and makes sense because the characters all finally get to unite again after being apart for several months. If they were apart for five years, then I don't think they'd be as sentimental as they appeared to be at the end of the game. They'd probably be like "Fuck, it's  "I want to be your canary again"?! I've watched it 5 times already!"

Lastly, This is not an important aspect of the game, neither in the story or in proving my Vivi is dead theory. Ehem. 

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How do we know he stopped? Look at the ending.

"I always talked about you, Zidane. 

How you were a very special person to us, because you taught us all how important life is."

"You taught me that life doesn't last forever. 

That's why we have to help each other and live life to the fullest."

"Even if you say goodbye, you'll always be in our hearts. 

So, I know we're not alone anymore."

"Why I was born... How I wanted to live... 

Thanks for giving me time to think."

"To keep doing what you set your heart on... It's a very hard thing to do. 

We were all so courageous..."

"What to do when I felt lonely... That was the only thing you couldn't teach me. 

But we need to figure out the answer for ourselves..."

"I'm so happy I met everyone... I wish we could've gone on more adventures. 

But I guess we all have to say goodbye someday."

"Everyone... Thank you. Farewell." 

"My memories will be part of the sky..."

The unspecified end monologue dedicated to Zidane is the most evident, uhhh, evidence that Vivi went "BYE" and expired because those were Vivi's last words.

"My memories will be part of the sky..." is not everyday statements. Most people usually don't utter "Everyone... Thank you. Farewell" unless they know they're about to fade into eternal sleep. The word "farewell" should be an obvious indicator that he's departing from the world. 

We know the monlogue belongs to Vivi nobody in the game is as philosophical and deep as Vivi, although he is only six months old (So, Mozart. You composed a song at 6 years old? Well, Vivi questioned his life when he was 6 months). Steiner is simple-minded. Amarant is arrogant. Quina is a nuthead. Freya and Eiko never had any deep life philosophy conflicts. It would make no sense if Garnet said the speech. I don't recall Garnet having some existential crisis. 

Vivi's so deep. I could totally imagine him following up with "To be, or not to be?" 

At the end of the day, Vivi has the mentality of a growing child. A child needs guidance. If they were forced from creation to obey and destroy like the black mages in Kuja's army, they'd lose all their self-will. But Vivi was raised by a toad and fell under Zidane's lead, who him to seek out the truth behind his existence, to believe in himself (as well as leading him into a casanova lifestyle with his girl advice) and to make decisions for himself. Vivi was inspired by the monkey's confidence and enthusiastic outlook on life more than anyone else, and so it would be natural that he would dedicate his last breath to his hero.

The most significant evidence, though, is the fact that he was the only one who didn't appear at the ending. 

Another excerpt from final.fantasy.wikia agrees with the conclusion: 

"The monologue during the ending is spoken by Vivi, indicating he has expired by the time the ending takes place, as he is saying goodbye to his friends and the final words of his monologue are "Farewell. My memories will be part of the sky", an allusion to death in the world of Final Fantasy IX. Because the speaker of the lines is not specified it has incited speculation among fans on Vivi's fate and who is the speaker of the monologue. The game's Japanese version is more explicit on the issue, as the speaker uses a speech pattern and pronouns that only Vivi used throughout the game."

Always trust the Japanese with their legitimate version. 


But still. Some people believe that Vivi is alive because he sent his sons to watch the play instead. Sons? Oh, right. The mini Vivis. A lot of people seem to believe that mini Vivis are Vivi's sons.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Speaking of which, I want to talk about whether or not Quina gave birth to Vivis son or whatever idiocy people come up with.

The mini Vivi lookalikes are not  Vivi's biologically  reproduced heirs. The idea alone just sounds ridiculous to me. Vivi is 6 months and has a body of a 9 years old! 6 months!! 9 years old!! Did you reproduce at the age of  6 months?! Could your body reproduce when you were 9 years old? Can you imagine Vivi reproducing? 

For people that say since he married Quina, they must've had children afterward ... this is probably the weirdest and sickest fan fiction I've ever come across. Quina and Vivi's marriage, first of all, doesn't hold any genuine significance whatsoever. In the game, it's optional. Zidane and Garnet married too, but it doesn't mean they lawfully married. It was a ploy to get past the gate. Secondly, Quina is a he/she. It doesn't have a specific gender. Thirdly, it was never never hinted that Quina and Vivi had any sort of relationship going on. Unless you think the fact that Vivi always thought Quina looks like his grandpa has some kind of hidden romantic, sexual implication. Not to mention, Quina probably would've accidentally eaten Vivi during the process. Yuck. 

Makes me question the cause behind Vivi's death

Also, black mages can't biologically reproduce. 
Oh whoops, did I just throw Life at your precious Iifa tree?

Kuja told the party that black mages were made to obey and destroy; in order words, they were created to use black magic.  While the obey part obviously didn't work his way, there is no denial in the fact that black mages are some powerful creatures.  But the important part here is: they were created. Indeed, black mages (who all seem to be males) were created of giant balls of trapped Mist. So in that sense all black mages are related. Who is the mother of all mages? A machine! Tadaaah! 

Because Vivi is an older prototype, he is apparently stronger as well

So nope, Vivi and Quina can't reproduce because I don't even think Vivi has any kind of reproduction system going on. He's a male because what distinguishes females from males is the sexual part and since none of the black mages can reproduce they're all by default males. Plus the Black mages all look like Vivis and I'm sure some toad mixture would fuck up the system, at least appearance-wise. 

Mini Vivi: "So, this is Alexandria..."

Puck: "Pick up the pace, will ya!? ....I don't believe it! Vivi!"

Mini Vivi: "Vivi?... How do you know that name!?"

Puck:  "What are you talking about? It's me, Puck! How could you forget me!?"

Mini Vivi:"Puck...?"

Puck: "You know, Puck!"

Mini Vivi: "The-The Prince of Bumecia!?"

Puck: "Oh, come on! What's wrong with you? If you're not Vivi, then who are you!?"

Mini Vivi:"I'm... Vivi's son!"

Puck: "Yeeeeow! Look at all the Vivis!"


Mini Vivis obviously have a relation with Vivi, since they are the exact replicates of Vivi. 

But how are the mini Vivis created? The first part I don't know. Since Mist doesn't exist anymore, I'm not sure how they make black mages without it. But because we don't know doesn't make the theory that they were reproduced by Vivi and more reasonable. It's still stupid. I'd take a guess and say that they found a way to produce black mages via black magic. Maybe used the remains of expired black mages or something.

Why are they dressed as Vivis? Well, why were the previous black mages dressed the same? They were dressed in clothing decided by their creator. It would make sense if the mini Vivis dressed similarly to Vivi because Vivi created them. Vivi is an extraordinarily strong black magic user after all. And maybe with the help of that smart black mage no. 288, they figured something out. That or the mini Vivis were created by someone else but spent some time with Vivi or were told of him so they dressed up the same way as he did to imitate or honor him. The mini Vivi doesn't know Puck personally but he knows of him because Vivi has told them of his journey and of his friendships.

But why does the mini Vivi call himself Vivi's son? Because why not? Just like how Vivi called his toad adoptive parent his grandpa, it is normal for children to call people close to them for their relatives. The black mage was searching for a word to describe his relation with Vivi and he hesitated before he came up with "Vivi's son!" I also don't think the word "son" in this context has the biological meaning attached to it but rather the psychological aspect of it.

However, there is an overarching idea covering all these points: Vivi's memories live on.
A good chunk of FFIX was dedicated to the abstract discussion of memories and how they will live on from one living to the next. That all life is connected, and thus we all have a purpose in life. This is implied explicitly in the mini Vivis. Their clothes, their referring themselves as to Vivi's sons, and their own memories of Vivi, are all proofs that Vivi's memories live on. 

Hope this clear things up.

If you still want to believe he's alive or mini Vivis are his sons and whatever, feel free to do so, but I'd say you're clutching on loose straws.

I don't know why it matters so much whether or not mini Vivis and Vivi are biologically connected because in the end, if anything we've learned from FFIX it's that biological relations don't matter. Garnet's mom and father died to protect her when she was a child and she was raised by Queen Brahne and the King. She was protected by Dr. Tot, Cid, Steiner and Beatrix. None of which are related to her. Zidane is a genome created among many others to be a vessel for Terra's souls but he found his home among the Tantalus crew and he fought against his own creators. If biological relations mattered, he and his Kuja would be "brothers," and you saw how he reacted to that news. Eiko's parents died and she was protected by moogles and eidolons.  She is later adopted by Regent Cid and his wife. Quina .. well, Quina has one parent that functions as both mom and dad. Vivi himself was raised by a toad. The message of FFIX was never "Biological family matters!" but "Be yourself, value friendships and live happily, knowing that you have a place among your loved ones." 

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Well. 

If that is true, Vivi is still dead.
If it's not true, Vivi is still dead.

It doesn't make sense that Vivi would be able to prolong his life span because we already learned from the fight with Garland, that when he created Kuja, he gave Kuja a limited life span. If Kuja isn't able to prolong his own lifespan and he's the one who created Vivi, how'd you expect Vivi to figure it out? Also, if anything, the very end of the game when that random final boss-that-nobody-needed Necron (shortened for Necro, meaning death) popped out of nowhere  should have made the issue pretty damn clear.


Credit to chaos2 for the narration:

Necron:

You stand before the final dimension, and I am the darkness of eternity...

All life bears death from birth.

Life fears death, but lives only to die.

It starts with anxiety.

Anxiety becomes fear.

Fear leads to anger... anger leads to hate... hate leads to suffering...

The only cure for this fear is total destruction.

Kuja was a victim of his own fear. He concluded he could only save himself by destroying the origin of all things -- the crystal.

Zidane:

What the heck are you talking about?

Why are you telling me all this?

Necron:

...Now, the theory is undeniable.

Kuja's action proves it. All things live to perish.

At last, life has uncovered this truth. Now, it is time to end this world.

Zidane:

Wh-What do you mean by that!?

Necron:

I exist for one purpose...

To return everything back to the zero world, where there is no life and no crystal to give life.

In a world of nothing, fear does not exist. This is the world that all life desires.

Zidane:

Who the hell do you think you are!?

You're not ending anything! Never, not as long as we have the will to live!

Necron:

Foolish creature...*

Your fears have already deluded you.

One day, you will choose destruction over existence, as Kuja did.

When he sought to destroy the crystal, the purpose of life ended.

Now, come...

Final battle against Necron

Necron:

Why defy your fate? Is the will to live that powerful...?

This is not the end. I am eternal... ...as long as there is life and death...

          

* why does this remind me so much of another speech I've heard ...? *coughyunalescacough*

What the battle with Necron shows is that those that search immortality are deluded with fear for death. "All life bears death from birth ... and lives to die." The paradoxical cycle is an element that goes throughout the game. From the fact that Lifa Tree is actually dead to  the fact that the Mist from a dead tree is used to create life that only lives to die.  Kuja, who is created to destroy life in Gaia to give life to Terra, gives life to black mages in order to kill other life.  FFIX implies and in some places outrightly screams in your face that life and death go hand in hand, and one cannot be without the other.

Vivi, as well, is meant to die some day. 

But why did Vivi have to die at the end? Why couldn't they have included him and made him date after the game was over?

Because his death is needed to fulfill his character completely. Vivi's purpose in the game is to shed light to the concept of life itself.  Every character is used to represent some facet of life. Zidane with "VIRTUE," Garnet with "DEVOTION," and Steiner with "DILEMMA" etc. In his character image, he is shown to represent "SORROW" because sorrow and life are intertwined in the sense that you can't have one without the other. Arguably, the purpose of life is to be happy and thus the opposite emotion, sorrow, will be a constant companion. That's why all living things need to be able to cope with sorrow. Vivi's journey in the game from the beginning was to discover the truth behind his existence and realize the sorrow that came along with the discovery, which included among others: the purpose of his creation, the danger of his kind, and the forthcoming death. Vivi is, in my eyes, the embodiment of life.

Eyes brighter than my future

Vivi's character was from the beginning portrayed to be that of a newborn child. He is full of innocence, naivety, harmlessness, and curiosity. He is pure and untainted albeit a bit on the clumsy side. Together with Zidane, Vivi learned many aspects of life through the adventures, including the harsh facets of it. War, betrayal, injustice, evilness, death... Vivi lived through others' lives while journeying through his own. 

But during his journey he also experienced life as he witnessed in awe the wonder of a newborn chocobo in the Black Mage village. The irony of birth happening in a village where its citizens are all doomed to forth-coming death is both a heart-wrenching and significant turning point. The birth of a new life gives a sense of hope, conviviality and purpose to the black mages. Those who are dying can live by protecting an innocent life. The newborn chocobo was not born a monster, and Vivi himself realized that he was once also born like that. He might have been created for an evil purpose, but his birth itself is significant and innocent. 

At some point in the game, he had a break down as he became despaired by the reality he faced; but by the end of the game, he came to terms with his sorrow and to peace with himself. He had found the true meaning of his life and he had conquered its difficulties and reaped its benefits. He had been happy. He had, in a sense, fulfilled his life journey. Although Vivi only lived for a short while, he lived.

... 

But in the end, all life lives to die.

And Vivi's death symbolizes that.

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