Last Fantasy X has (for my part) the most effective story and setting in any Last Fantasy sport. Not solely is the core narrative one of many strongest in gaming, however the world-building round Spira and the Summoners’ pilgrimage sticks with you without end.
You play as Tidus, the star of the Zanarkand Abes Blitzball crew, who’s taken to Spira after his house is attacked by the monstrous entity referred to as Sin. Finally, you end up on the island of Besaid, a quiet and peaceable island that is gearing as much as ship the summoner Yuna on her pilgrimage. After impressing Yuna’s Guardian, Wakka, you are allowed to accompany the group as they make their strategy to Luca, ultimately changing into a Guardian to Yuna your self.
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As we proceed on this quest, we study alongside Tidus why Spira is the best way it’s, the thriller behind Sin’s origins, and why Tidus ended up on this unusual new land. All of this units the sport up for a strong second playthrough, totally understanding all of the character motivations and the way the sport foreshadows its main lore drops in a while.
Listed here are 10 moments in Last Fantasy X that you’re going to see in another way as soon as you already know the ending.
Main spoilers for Last Fantasy X!
10
Sin is Jecht
“Sin’s my outdated man?”
One of many earliest plot twists within the sport comes proper after the Blitzball Tournament in Luca. After defeating fiends that assault the stadium, you are reunited with Auron, who will let you know unprompted that your dad, Jecht, is actually Sin.
This instantly recontextualizes a lot of the sport already, answering questions like: Why did Auron converse to Sin in Zanarkand? How are you alive after so many encounters with Sin? Why is Jecht nonetheless lacking after his pilgrimage with Lord Braska? The twist reveals a lot, but solely begins to scratch the floor of the origins of Sin.
As we proceed enjoying the sport, we study that Jecht and Tidus’ connection to Sin is deeper than anticipated. Throughout a dialog with Ifrit’s Fayth, it is revealed that Jecht (and by extension, Tidus) had been goals till they got here in touch with Sin, changing into actual after touring to Spira.
Taking part in via the sport a second time, realizing all of those twists, actually helps to understand Jecht’s character extra. After watching all of the spheres he leaves behind, you may’t assist however really feel sorry for Sin each time he reveals up. Having the context that he is dropping management, however barely hanging on out of affection for his son, is yet one more well-executed intestine punch by the sport.
9
Any Time Tidus Talks About Defeating Sin
“I have been telling Yuna…let’s go to Zanarkand collectively!”
It is across the fifth awkward silence after Tidus will get giddy about defeating Sin that we begin to count on a bleak finish to Yuna’s pilgrimage.
All through the sport, we’ll be warned about Summoners being kidnapped, and even save Yuna on two separate events. It is by no means defined why individuals would hope to stop a Summoner from finishing their pilgrimage, so to keep away from spoiling their destiny for Tidus, we’re left to imagine sinister intentions. As soon as we study the reality, a lot about our early interactions with the Al Bhed and the overall melancholy that haunts our journey falls into place.
It is not till we attain the house of the Al Bhed that we study that the group was abducting Summoners to avoid wasting them from finishing their pilgrimage. It is also right here that Rikku lastly spills the beans and divulges that Yuna will die if she summons the Last Aeon.
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Summoners in Spira bear an exhausting journey, praying on the temples of Fayth throughout Spira in order that they might study the Last Aeon to defeat Sin. As individuals imagine, the price of summoning this Aeon is so taxing that it kills the Summoner for doing so. Nevertheless, because of Yevon’s teachings, the individuals of Spira have satisfied themselves that this sacrifice is for the higher good. Defeating Sin with the ultimate Aeon will bestow the land 10 years of calm, free from the murderous whale.
Realizing the destiny of summoners who full the pilgrimage not solely inflicts us with second-hand embarrassment for Tidus, however contextualizes the tragedy of summoners and the religion individuals put in them.
8
Something to Do With Yevon
“Reward be to Yevon”
It is turn into a Last Fantasy staple to depict benevolent authorities as evil and corruptible, be they kings (Last Fantasy IV & VI), governments (Last Fantasy VII & VIII), and even religions (Last Fantasy X & XIII).
From the second the teachings of Yevon are launched, there’s an air of skepticism the sport hints at all through. This solely continues to develop as we study extra about their oppressive teachings and the corrupt Measter’s who function its management.
As we come to appreciate all through the sport, the church is compromised and completely hypocritical. Not solely is its head, Maester Mika, an unsent, however the church additionally makes use of loads of forbidden machina itself. We additionally come to study that the church and its teachings are all a lie, and the deity they worship, Yevon, is actually the one perpetuating Spira’s struggling.
After reaching the ruins of Zanarkand, we get to satisfy Yunalesca, the primary summoner to defeat Sin. As an unsent, she tells us about Sin’s origins and the deadly worth wanted to summon the Last Aeon. We additionally come to study that the temple of Yevon perpetuates the cycle of Sin, believing no different resolution exists to defeat it. However as Yunalesca tells us, the Last Aeon summoned to defeat Sin ultimately turns into Sin, returning after 10 years of peace to inflict loss of life on Spira as soon as extra.
A second playthrough of Last Fantasy X solely additional exposes the hypocrisy of Yevon’s teachings and makes Auron’s disgust with the establishment all of the extra relatable.
7
Auron’s Tense Encounter With Seymour
“Why are you continue to right here, sir?”
In your first journey to Guadosalam, you may be requested to briefly cease by Seymour’s stuffy mansion so he can proposition Yuna’s hand in marriage, and to point out off his cool “The Sphere”-esque holodeck.
Auron, lower than amused, takes it on himself to dismiss all the occasion from Maester’s home. Seymour would then go on to lob a sarcastic retort, “Why are you continue to right here, sir? I encourage your pardon. We Guado are eager to the scent of the Farplane.” In a vacuum, it is easy to suppose that is only a callous manner of calling Auron outdated. However as we come to study, it is one in every of many threads teasing that Auron is in an unsent.
Shortly after, we’ll additionally see Auron recoiling in ache when seeing Lord Jyscal being despatched to the Farplane, hinting once more at him already being useless.
Whereas these clues are apparent in hindsight, on my first playthrough, I completely missed the foreshadowing. Maybe it was wishful pondering, hoping Auron would survive the occasions of the sport. However the information of Auron being an unsent provides a pleasant rigidity each time anybody questions him being alive.
This provides a deeper layer to Kimahri’s character as effectively, because it’s revealed Auron requested him to deal with Yuna together with his dying breaths. Which solely additional certifies the Ronso’s as the last word experience or die.
6
Seymour Summoning His Aeon Anima
“Use me and defeat Sin. Solely then will the individuals settle for you.”
From the second we meet Seymour, we are able to already inform that he’s one creepy dude. Sadly, he does possess probably the most aura farming sequences within the sport.
After the Blitzball match in Luca is interrupted by fiends, Seymour summons the Aeon, Anima, who shortly dispatches the world in mere moments. In case you hadn’t already clocked Seymour as a foul man by now, that is certain to boost some crimson flags.
Unsurprisingly, Seymour is ultimately revealed to be an irredeemable sicko, however his backstory does have some tragedy behind it.
It is upon revisiting the Baaj Temple that we get to satisfy Anima’s fayth, who we study is Seymour’s mom. As Seymour grew up alone and ostracized for being half human and half Guado, his mom sought to bestow nice energy onto him.
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Years in the past, Seymour and his mother got down to full the summoner’s pilgrimage, reaching Zanarkand, the place he discovers he should sacrifice somebody he likes to turn into his Last Aeon.
As Seymour’s mom would reveal, although, he was dissatisfied together with his Last Aeon, and needed extra energy, sparking his obsession with Sin. This additionally ties into his obsession with Yuna and eager to turn into her Last Aeon, in order that he might be possessed by Yu Yevon and turn into Sin itself.
Anima’s backstory helps contextualize Seymour’s character and his motivations for changing into Sin, displaying that the character was at all times doomed to be a villain.
5
Assembly Belgemine
“You present promise. With extra coaching, you can defeat Sin.”
Belgemine is a form Summoner who will typically problem Yuna to a well mannered Pokémon Aeon battle to check her talent. These work from a gameplay sense, as Belgemine will reward gamers with upgrades like educating your Aeons new skills and growing their stats.
Though it is revealed later that Belgimine is an unsent who’s tied to Spira within the hopes of discovering a summoner robust sufficient to defeat Sin.
As gamers attain the hidden Remiem Temple within the Calm Lands, she’ll reveal her unsent standing to you. She’ll politely request that Yuna maintain off on sending her till you are in a position to beat her gauntlet of Aeons, which would require you to gather each different Aeon within the sport.
After defeating her ultimate summon, you may obtain the Moon Sigil, one of many ultimate elements for Yuna’s final weapon, Nirvana.
Whereas Belgemine does not essentially influence the narrative, her foreboding story provides to the load of the duty summoners should carry. A burden so heavy, Belgemine cannot move into the afterlife till she’s certain you might have the potential to defeat Sin.
4
Operation Mi’Hen
“Is not this operation in opposition to the teachings of Yevon? Aren’t you gonna cease them?”
Operation Mi’Hen is probably the most tragic occasion to happen in Last Fantasy X.
As you attain the doorway to Mushroom Rock, the occasion is invited (or fairly compelled) to witness the joint operation between the Al Bhed, the Crusaders of their try to destroy Sin completely. Representatives of Yevon additionally come to watch the state of affairs after giving it their blessing.
The plan right here entails utilizing a sinspawn as bait to lure Sin to gather it. Because it arrives, the joint events will unleash an all-out offensive on Sin utilizing forbidden machina. Wakka, being the devoted Yevonite, appropriately questions the hypocrisy of the church for ignoring its personal teachings. Representatives Maester Seymour and Maester Kinoc acknowledge his complaints, however functionally inform him to “recover from it.”
As anticipated, the operation fails, with virtually everybody being slaughtered after a single assault from Sin. You will ultimately get up on the seashore, surrounded by useless our bodies and traumatized survivors whereas the saddest tune to grace a Last Fantasy soundtrack performs within the background.
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What makes this whole part so brutal to play via a second time is realizing why the operation was doomed to start with, and why Yevon supported the operation to start with. Instantly after Operation Mi’Hen fails, the survivors double down, begging the temples of Yevon to forgive them for forsaking their teachings.
Phrase additionally unfold throughout Spira that the Crusaders (a former insurgent arm unaffiliated with the temple of Yevon) and the Al Bhed used machina in a failed effort to defeat Sin. This simply makes the remaining inhabitants of Spira double down on their beliefs, accepting that no different path is out there to defeat Sin exterior the Last Aeon.
Briefly, the Temple of Yevon prayed on the hope and collaboration of everybody in an effort to cull non-believers and consolidate its affect. Operation Mi’Hen was not more than a strong propaganda instrument for Yevon to make sure nobody would query an alternative choice to their teachings once more, and it makes a second playthrough immensely upsetting.
3
Encountering the Fayth on Mt Gagazet
“We have been dreaming so lengthy… we’re drained.”
At first of Last Fantasy X, our understanding of the Fayth is pretty simplistic. Lulu would inform us that the Fayth are individuals who gave their lives to battle Sin, providing their souls to Yevon, who would flip them into statues that reside without end. When a Summoner beckons their assist, the souls of the Fayth emerge once more and manifest as an Aeon.
When summoned, Aeons embody the Fayth’s strongest emotion, as we see within the case of Anima, who, in life, was somebody deeply in ache and tortured by guilt. We additionally study that it is via the Fayth that Sin is allowed to live on. It’s Yunalesca who tells us that upon defeating the entity together with her Last Aeon, Yu Yevon shortly possessed it, killing her and utilizing the Aeon as the following Sin.
This data performs a significant position in our ultimate battle in opposition to Yu Yevon. Within the battle, we’re compelled to summon all of our Aeons to be possessed, solely to chop them down in an effort to weaken him sufficient in order that the occasion can lastly kill him. Sadly, doing so additionally kills the Fayth, that means no extra Fayth may be summoned by the tip of the sport.
We additionally study all through our journey in Last Fantasy X that Fayth can summon extra than simply Aeons, and that the Zanarkand Tidus is aware of is solely a dream of being maintained by the Fayth.
2
Exploring the Metropolis of Zanarkand
”A Zanarkand that by no means sleeps.”
The thriller of Zanarkand is dangled in entrance of gamers all through all the playthrough, and it is not till the tip of the sport that we’re in a position to perceive what occurred to Tidus’ dwelling.
After seeing Sin destroy “our” Zanarkand at first of the sport, we come to find out about one other Zanarkand ready on the finish of Yuna’s pilgrimage. It is not till the occasion reaches the ruined metropolis that Tidus can totally settle for that the Zanarkand he knew is just not solely gone, however was by no means “actual” to start with.
A thousand years earlier than the occasions of the sport, the summoners of Zanarkand entered right into a tragic full-scale battle with town of Bevelle. Because of Bevelle’s superior expertise, Zanarkand stood no likelihood of profitable, and as Bahamut’s Fayth would say, was “doomed to oblivion.” Thus, the summoner Yu Yevon turned his metropolis’s individuals into Fayth to summon a dream model of town, whereas additionally summoning the entity referred to as Sin to wreak despair the world over in retaliation.
Whereas it is not explicitly talked about within the sport, it is also implied that forbidding machina and Sin destroying cities on the cusp of technological development is Yu Yevon attempting to guard the dream Zanarkand from ever being found.
The thriller of Zanarkand is pretty convoluted, and it could take a second playthrough to really comprehend the complete story behind how Dream Zanarkand got here to be, and what occurred to the unique.
1
Using Sin at Macalania Temple
“The tune… you had been listening, too!”
This one threw me for a loop the primary time I performed it.
After the enormous yeti smashes Lake Macalania, inflicting you and all the occasion to plummet beneath, you get up underneath the lake in a surreal location. Finally, your occasion realizes Sin is resting, listening to the hymn emanating from the temple. The way in which the cutscene is framed, it seems as if you are beneath Sin, however actually, all the occasion landed on him to start with.
One other key giveaway right here is that the infrastructure within the surrounding space matches the exact same buildings and pillars discovered inside Sin within the ultimate dungeon of the sport. Whereas that is minor in comparison with the main lore implications of different entries right here, it does make clear how the occasion all ended up in Bikanel proper after.
Last Fantasy X is one in every of my favourite video games of all time, and it is one I at all times uncover one thing new after revisiting it, even in any case these years. If you have not shortly, give the HD Version a attempt. Simply do not forget to get all these Destruction Spheres in your first time round.
- Launched
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December 17, 2001
- ESRB
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T for Teen: Delicate Blood, Delicate Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Sq. Enix
- Writer(s)
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Sq. Enix
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