Tidus - Final Fantasy
Tidus is the main protagonist of the role-playing game Final Fantasy X , which was developed by Square and released for the PlayStation 2 in 2001. He was originally created by Tetsuya Nomura , a veteran character designer of the Final Fantasy series. The game is based on a group of adventurers and their ultimate mission to stop a rampaging monster named Sin. Since his first appearance in Final Fantasy X , Tidus has inspired fan art , appeared in several spin-off games , spawned numerous merchandise , and been recreated in various figures. Since his debut, Tidus has made appearances in Dissidia Final Fantasy , Opera Omnia, Theatrical Rhythm, Record Keeper, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius , Final Fantasy X-2, and other titles. Tidus has also made appearances in the popular Disney-Square fusion game, Kingdom Hearts None.
Appearance
Tidus has spiky, messy blond hair with darker roots, but childhood flashbacks show that his hair was once completely brown. The logo of the Zanarkand Abes, his blitzball team, is printed on his right pant leg and also appears on a silver pendant he wears around his neck. One side of his pants is cut significantly shorter than the other, a design that resembles that of his father Jecht, who had a similarly unique style. Tidus has black and yellow shoes and a black glove on his right hand and a gauntlet on the other. He also wears a yellow jacket with a white hood with a blue pauldron and armor covering his left shoulder. His outfit also includes a black belt and a metal chain that connects to a black mini-coat with overall-like straps. Before the release of the original version of the game, promotional materials show Tidus having much darker, almost black, hair. This change in hair color could be related to the protagonist's finalized name, as "Tidus" is based on the word for "sun" in the Okinawan dialect of Japanese. In other words, Tidus's hair was likely changed to a lighter color to better reflect Tidus's name in his character design.
Personality
Tidus has a laid-back, easygoing attitude and appears almost childish and immature at first. However, he sometimes becomes serious, likely due to his difficult past. He also has a sensitive side to his personality and was bullied by his father as a child. These difficult times affected him emotionally and had a strong effect on his character as he grew up. He shares some traits with his father, Jecht, such as his "do it tomorrow" attitude. Although Jecht mistreated Tidus as a child, deep down, he loves Tidus, and the two eventually come to terms with Tidus's past and relationship with his father. When Tidus begins living in Spira, he transforms from a self-centered athlete into a selfless and heroic man.
Background story
In Final Fantasy X, Tidus is a rather skilled blitzball player in the technologically advanced country known as Zanarkand. He has a feud with his father Jecht, initially over his neglectful and abusive treatment of Tidus as a child, but later over the blitzball rivalry that formed between them. During a tournament, Zanarkand is destroyed by a massive creature named Sin, resulting in Tidus and Auron being transported to the world of Spira. On Sin's island, Tidus joins several Guardians to help Yuna , a young summoner and the game's main character, defeat Sin and find her way home. Tidus learns that Auron and Jecht made the same journey many years ago to rescue the summoner Braska (Yuna's father) and defeat Sin, though Jecht became the next incarnation of Sin as a result. Tidus falls in love with Yuna and vows not to let her die after learning from the Guardians that she will die in battle with Sin due to the final summoning process. As the group approaches Zarnakand, he learns that the land and himself are actually created from the dreams of deceased people called Fayth. This dream of Zarnakand was created during a war between Zanarkand and Bevelle and the original place was destroyed and when Sin was born.
If Sin is finally defeated, the Dream of Zanarkand and all its inhabitants, including Tidus, will cease to exist. In the real Zanarkand, the group finds a way to destroy Sin without using a summoner or sacrificing a guardian. They attack Sin and defeat Jecht and the spirit Yu Yevon. After all this, the Fayth are allowed to leave, and the Dream of Zanarkand ceases to exist. Tidus bids farewell to his friends and enters the afterlife.
Reception
The character of Tidus has received generally positive critical reception. A GameSpy publication compared him to Leonardo DiCaprio and stated that Tidus's flaws are what make him an appealing character. A Gamespot review stated that players might not like him at first, but would later find him enduring. Other reviewers praised the character's depth and complexity, stating that he was well-designed.
