Tidus - Final Fantasy
Tidus is the primary protagonist of the role-playing game Final Fantasy X, which was developed by Square and released on the PlayStation 2 in the year 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, showed up in several spin-off games, given rise to plenty of merchandise, and has been recreated as a number of different figures. Since his first debut, Tidus has made appearances in Dissidia Final Fantasy, Opera Omnia, Theatrhythm, Record Keeper, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Final Fantasy X-2, and other titles. Tidus has also made cameo appearances in the popular Disney-Square fusion game, Kingdom Hearts.
Appearance
Tidus has messy, spiky blond hair with darker roots, but childhood flashbacks show that his hair used to be completely brown. The logo of the Zanarkand Abes, his blitzball team, is printed on his right trouser leg and also appears on a silver pendant that he wears around his neck. One side of his trousers is cut significantly shorter than the other, a design that is similar in fashion to 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 that has a blue pauldron and armor covering his left shoulder. His outfit also includes a black belt and metal chain that connects to a black mini overcoat with overall-like straps. Before the original version of the game was released, promotional materials show Tidus having much darker hair that was almost black in color. This change in hair color might be connected to the protagonist’s name being finalized, as “Tidus” is based on the word for “sun” in the Japanese Okinawan dialect. In other words, Tidus’ hair likely changed to a lighter color to better reflect Tidus’ name in his character design.
Personality
Tidus has a laid-back, easygoing attitude and almost seems childish and immature at first. However, he becomes serious at times, likely due to his difficult past. He also has a sensitive side to his personality and was bullied by his father when he was a child. Those hard times impacted him emotionally and had a strong effect on his character as he matured. He shares some traits with his father Jecht, like his “do-it-tomorrow” attitude. Despite Jecht mistreating Tidus as a child, deep down he loves Tidus, and the two come to terms with Tidus’ past and the relationship with his father. When Tidus begins living in Spira, he matures from a self-indulgent athlete into a selfless, heroic man.
Backstory
In Final Fantasy X, Tidus is a rather skilled blitzball player in the technologically advanced land known as Zanarkand. He has a feud with his father Jecht, initially because of the neglectful and abusive treatment he gave Tidus as a child, but later because of the blitzball rivalry that formed between them. During a tournament, Zanarkand is destroyed by a huge creature named Sin, which results in Tidus and Auron being transported to the world of Spira. On the Island of Sin, Tidus joins a number of Guardians to help Yuna a young summoner and main character of the game to defeat Sin and find his way home. Tidus learns that Auron and Jecht made the same trip many years ago to save 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 swears to not let her die after learning from the Guardians that she will die in the battle with Sin due to the process of the Final Summoning. As the party approaches Zarnakand, he learns the land and himself are actually made from the dreams of dead people called Fayth. This dream Zarnakand was created during a war between Zanarkand and Bevelle and the original place was destroyed and when Sin was born.
If Sin is permanently defeated, the dream Zanarkand and all of its people, Tidus included, 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 of this, the Fayth are allowed to leave and dream Zanarkand ceases to be. Tidus bids farewell to his friends and enters the afterlife.
Reception
Tidus’ character had a generally positive critical reception. A GameSpy publication compared him to Leondardo Di Caprio and said that Tidus’ 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 commentators commended the character’s depth and complexity, arguing that he was well-conceived.