Final Fantasy X is one of my favorite video games of all time. Between the lively cast of characters, the extensive amount of additional challenges, the gorgeous art and, of course, the touching story, it is easy to see why it’s regarded as one of the greatest JRPG of all time by many, including myself.
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My first playthrough was on PlayStation 2, and the feeling of getting to experience the story of Tidus and Yuna on PC with the HD Remaster multiple times more is unmatched. Rarely has a 100 % completion in a game felt so satisfying. Let’s carry the memories of dodging a hundred lightning strikes in our heart, whilst we take a moment to remember the most emotionally impactful scenes of the game.
10
The Infamous Laughing Scene
20 Years Later, and It’s Still the First Thing Many People Think of Whenever I Mention FF X
Look. It’s corny, it’s awkward, and I remember cringing so very hard at the forced laughter. Sure, the scene is meant to be all of those things, but that didn’t change the fact that it was a hard first watch.
When I first replayed the game, my reaction was a little bit different. I found myself smiling along with the characters amidst the silliness of the situation, and in every playthrough after? I’ve been doing it right along with them. A bit of comedic relief in a seemingly impossible situation has never hurt anyone, or maybe I’ve also just been going mad, just like Wakka worried about.
9
Auron’s Monologue Before Defeating Yunalesca
Auron Isn’t a Man of Many Words, but These Hit
Auron can be gruff and a little insensitive, but he absolutely got it right at that moment. Throughout the game, we never see him wallow in self-pity, and he managed to turn his trauma and pain into perseverance. He always made sure Tidus and Yuna were well-informed about all the choices they made, and then backed them fully.
Even more than 20 years after its release, the things he said in his monologue are so very relevant, now maybe more than ever. Hope will always be stronger than despair. Your fate is in your hands, and when Auron says that, I’m sure he is not just speaking to the cast, but to all of us.
8
Via Purifico
A Sharp Reminder of How Far Our Heroine Has Come
Via Purifico was so emotionally meaningful when I first played Final Fantasy X that I was worried it would be much less so in all subsequent playthroughs. I have rarely been happier to be wrong. The party ends up here after being condemned, as Via Purifico is intended to be a prison with no way out. In the rare case that someone does get out, they are considered purified, and their crimes are forgiven.
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This moment in the game comes after Yuna’s very sudden loss of faith, and it’s a beautiful moment in which she finds her way back to herself. This passage is the only time in which Tidus is not the party leader which we get to control on screen. At that moment, Yuna has to rely on herself and the strength of her Aeons, at least before being reunited with some of her guardians.
7
The Opening Cinematic
And Yes, This Also Includes the Real Opening Cinematic
“Listen to my story. This may be our last chance.”
Trust, I was sat for everything that followed afterward. Over 20 years, and somehow the opening cinematic following the intro is still the most hype opener to any video game I have ever played. Some of the hardest guitar riffs and vocals to have ever blessed a JRPG, some fine Blitzball, Tidus jumping up to hit the shot and holding onto the ledge, whilst Auron is casually being an absolute badass toasting to the monstrosity rising from the sea—I am sure the adrenaline both younger and present me feel when seeing this cutscene could generate enough energy to light up the entirety of Spira and Dream Zanarkand.
Hope will always be stronger than despair.
But even despite the hype, what makes this scene so much better after already having played the game once is the fact of just how effective it is at foreshadowing everything that will be happening.
6
Receiving Brotherhood
This Scene Truly Cemented Wakka as the Best Big Brother to Have Existed in Video Game History
Final Fantasy X had some awesome cover art, and yes, said cover art features the sword Wakka gifts to Tidus. In the scene, not much is explained, other than the person Wakka originally gifted the sword to never actually used it. Only much later, in the Farplane, Tidus and us, the players, learn that the sword once belonged to Wakka’s deceased brother Chappu, unlocking some sweet upgrades for the sword.
Having this knowledge right from the get-go in a subsequent playthrough makes it all the more meaningful, as it is most definitely one of those moments that get better the second time around.
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5
Yuna Being Saved By Valefor
My Girl Valefor Always Came Through When It Truly Mattered
Look, I might be biased here. No matter which Final Fantasy game is the topic of conversation, whether it’s Summons, Eidolons, Espers, Guardian Forces, Aeons, Primals, Astrals or Eikons, the creatures are always by far my absolute favorite part about any game.
The relationship between Yuna and Valefor – the first Aeon she learns to summon whilst on her pilgrimage – is so incredibly sweet and special. She is the only Aeon Yuna gives a pet to every time she is summoned, and she is also the only Aeon to have two different overdrives.
Their bond is further deepened in Bevelle, at Yuna’s arranged marriage. Yuna’s guardians swooping in on the airplane to rescue her is badass, but as it turns out, Yuna is even more of a badass. Yuna escapes the wedding after being forcibly kissed by Seymour, not without aggressively wiping said kiss from her lips, falling into what everyone presumes to be her death. With everyone watching, she summons Valefor, being ultimately rescued by her. They just don’t make cutscenes like this anymore.
4
Yuna’s First Sending
The Chilling Destruction Against the Beautiful Backdrop Still Haunts Me
Being tossed around on a boat while a giant whale emerges from the water is terrifying, but it doesn’t even come close to the gruesome horrors the people of Kilika had to endure. The quaint seaside town had been fully torn apart, with Sin leaving death and destruction in its wake. To lay the souls to rest in the Farplane, Yuna had to perform a sending—her first one. The cutscene was gorgeous, the graphics far beyond anything I had ever seen at the time.
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But even more bittersweet is what came afterward: Tidus’ resolve was strengthened, his goal clear: no more sendings for Yuna. What he and the players don’t know, and what Lulu omitted from him at this point because the conversation managed to receive a lot more attention than it should have, is an explanation of what “until the end” actually means for Yuna. If you’ve played Final Fantasy X before, you know that it means that Yuna will have to die to defeat sin, and that makes the scene ultimately even more heartbreaking.
3
Tidus Finding Out What Happens To Summoners
Every Single Time I Upset Right Alongside Tidus
This scene is such a punch straight to the gut. Every single time. Tidus accuses the Al-Bhed of having no right to try and stop the pilgrimages, with Rikku bursting out into tears saying that “Yunie could die.” Tidus being angry about why everyone hid this from him, falling to the floor, having the most relatable breakdown of the century, because Yuna always sacrificed herself for him and everyone else in Spira, so they could find happiness, all whilst being comforted by Valefor herself.
It was absolutely terrible finding this out together with Tidus, but it’s so much worse knowing all along, understanding every moment of foreshadowing up until this moment. This is masterful storytelling, and the moment where Tidus turns from a rambunctious young man into Yuna’s sworn protector.
2
Macalania Woods Lake (Suteki Da Ne)
Engulfed in Water, Light, and Love. What More Is There to Romance in JRPGs?
At the beginning of this scene, Yuna is crying and in a crisis of faith after having experienced Bevelle’s corruption. She confides in Tidus, and, for the first time, genuinely admits being upset by something. After figuring out that he knows about the faith awaiting her, he apologizes to her for every time he alluded to the time after Sin.
They dream about a life in which they can be together, fantasizing about Yuna giving up her pilgrimage. They get so excited about all the possibilities their life could hold. Yuna ends up crying, because ultimately, she has her heart set on defeating Sin.
Suteki Da Ne translates to “Isn’t It Wonderful?”
And as if all of this isn’t upsetting enough, Square Enix delivers the most beautiful cinematic the world has seen up until then, having our two main characters kiss and share the most romantic night in the Macalania Woods Lake.
At least Yuna sheepishly suggesting that Tidus should maybe walk back first brings us some comedic relief.
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1
The Ending
They Saved Spira, but at What Cost?
Before I even delve into the final cinematic of the game, let’s talk about the fights leading up to this. The true final fight is the fight against Braska’s Final Aeon, which you’ve learned in the lead up to this is actually Jecht, Tidus’ father. Once defeating both phases, you’re rewarded with a heartwarming cutscene briefly reuniting the pair.
Afterward, the party needs to defeat every single Aeon that Yuna was able to collect on her travels, to finally let the Fayth rest. Subsequent playthroughs hit so much harder here, because once again, you know what’s coming and that it’s inevitable.
Because I like to suffer, for all my subsequent playthroughs, I’ve opted to fight them backwards, slaying Valefor last.
If you have a weapon with Scan equipped, you can see a unique message from every single Aeon.
Lastly, you finally defeat Yu Yevon, and what Tidus prophesied becomes true: He is indeed forced to leave Spira, disintegrating into Pyreflies, but not before sharing an incredibly gutting scene with Yuna.
Whilst the party has managed to change their story by overthrowing evil, letting Yuna survive and the rest of Spira live in the Eternal Calm, Wakka loses another little brother, and Yuna loses the man she loves. Yuna’s final speech, inspiring the people of Spira, hits harder every time I play through the game again.
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- Released
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March 18, 2014
- ESRB
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T For Teen due to Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
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Square Enix
- Engine
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PhyreEngine
