Tidus
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character
from the Final Fantasy
series by Square Enix
. He was first introduced as the protagonist
from the console role-playing game Final Fantasy X
in 2001. As the lead character, the player controls Tidus through the game, manipulating his actions through the unfolding storyline in traditional Final Fantasy style. Similar to the other characters in Final Fantasy X, Tidus' abilities are built around a classic Final Fantasy job class—in his case a Fighter, a balanced melee class.
In Final Fantasy X Tidus is introduced as a 17-year-old rising blitzball star player from Zanarkand. After a mysterious creature called "Sin" attacked his hometown, Tidus was seemingly transported to the world of Spira. Lost, confused, and feeling out of place, Tidus soon meets a newly fledged summoner, Yuna
, and her guardians. The summoner is soon to set out on a pilgrimage in an attempt to put an end to the very creature that attacked Tidus' city, and by joining them, Tidus hopes he will find his way home. He has also made appearances in other video games, such as Final Fantasy Xs sequel Final Fantasy X-2
, the Kingdom Hearts
series, and Dissidia: Final Fantasy
.
The character was designed with the intention of having a cheerful appearance in contrast to previous Final Fantasy protagonists as well as to give him a deeper relationship with the player. Tidus has generally been well-received by video game reviewers. His personality and relationship with Yuna has been praised while there has been criticism focused on his voice work and outfit design. Several types of merchandise based on Tidus' character have been produced, such as action figure
s and jewelry.
, Tidus is introduced in medias res
via an in-game cut scene showcasing the main characters around a campfire back dropped by the wreckage of a city, Zanarkand. He narrates most of the game events, revealing his thoughts on certain aspects of his journey, which continues until the party reaches the Zanarkand Ruins. Tidus recounts how events have led to the present, starting at his life in Zanarkand where he was a sports celebrity in blitzball, a fictional underwater sport. Despite showing a cheerful and carefree attitude, Tidus bears an enormous hatred towards his absent father, Jecht, initially due to the fact his mother did not pay attention to him when he was around, and later for the pressure he had when playing blitzball due to the fact Jecht was also a celebrity. During a Blitzball tournament, Zanarkand is attacked by an immense , shrouded creature known as Sin. The city is destroyed in its path, and Tidus is taken by Sin and Jecht's friend Auron to the world Spira.
After arriving in Spira, Tidus drifts to the island Besaid. While on the island he meets Yuna
, a summoner who is planning a pilgrimage to destroy Sin, along with her guardians: Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri Ronso. Tidus joins them in the hope of finding his way home, and ultimately becomes one of Yuna's guardians, alongside Auron who reveals that Jecht became Sin. Ten years ago, Jecht and Auron did the same pilgrimage protecting summoner Braska, Yuna's father, to defeat it, but Jecht became the reborn Sin. As the journey continues, Tidus starts losing hope of returning home as he decides to stay with the other guardians and develops a romantic relationship with Yuna. As the party approaches Zanarkand, Tidus learns that he and the Zanarkand he hails from, are the cumulative dreams of deceased people known as fayth. Dream Zanarkand was created at the same time as the destruction of the original Zanarkand, when Sin was created in the war between Zanarkand and Bevelle. However, if Sin permanently defeated, the summoning of Dream Zanarkand and all its people—including Tidus—will disappear.
Inside Zanarkand, the group learns Yuna must choose one of her guardians to become her fayth for the Final Summoning. The group decides to find another way to destroy Sin forever and that should not involve the sacrifice of a guardian or a summoner. The group then attacks Sin directly and enter its shell. Eventually, they find Jecht, who they have to defeat to eliminate Sin. After killing the corrupt deity Yu Yevon responsible for Sin's reborn, the fayth are allowed to depart and their summoning of Zanarkand ends. As he vanishes Tidus says farewell to his friends, and is reunited with the spirits of Auron, Jecht, and Braska in the Farplane.
, though his appearances in the sequel are few. Also, because players have the option of renaming Tidus in Final Fantasy X, he is exclusively referred to with pronouns ("he" and "him") just like in the previous game. Two years after the events of Final Fantasy X, Yuna sees a sphere displaying a young man who looks like Tidus trapped in a prison. This compels Yuna to join the Gullwings, a sphere-hunting group, and travel around Spira in the hopes of finding more clues that Tidus may be alive. The individual seen in the sphere is eventually revealed to be another man named Shuyin instead. Depending on the player's development during the game, the fayth will appear to Yuna in the game's ending, telling her they can make Tidus return to her. Tidus then appears in Spira and is reunited with Yuna. If the player can manage to complete the game with 100% completion rate, there is another final scene with Tidus and Yuna, in which the former reveals the nature of his return, stating that although he is unsure whether he is still a dream or not, he wishes to stay with her. He is also an unlockable character to play blitzball in the game but under the name of "Star Player". In the updated version of the game, Final Fantasy X-2: International + Last Mission, an illusion of Tidus appears as a boss character, and after the game's playthrough, he is mentioned to be living in Besaid alongside Yuna.
series as a friend of the protagonists Sora
and Riku. In the first Kingdom Hearts, he appears with younger versions of Wakka and Final Fantasy VIII
s Selphie, serving as an optional sparring opponent. The character makes a cameo in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
and in Kingdom Hearts II
, he is briefly mentioned by Selphie. A digital replica of Tidus also appears in Kingdom Hearts coded
as a boss character. Tidus appears in Itadaki Street Special, a board game-based video game, along with Auron and Yuna. Tidus' dialogues, monologues and character songs were also included in the CDs Final Fantasy X Vocal Collection and feel/Go dream: Yuna & Tidus.
In Dissidia: Final Fantasy
, an action game that features several Final Fantasy heroes and villains, Tidus is featured as the hero from Final Fantasy X along with his father who is his respective villain. To match the overall character designs of Dissidia, Nomura designed Tidus to look younger than his Final Fantasy X appearance. As in Final Fantasy X, Tidus hates his father, which causes him to separate from his comrades in order to face him personally. In the outcome, he manages to reconcile with Jecht and gains a crystal he and the other characters were asked to obtain. Various of his traits such as his thoughts and actions are references to Final Fantasy X. Along the entire cast, Tidus reappears in the prequel Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
, representing Chaos in order to confront Jecht who is a Warrior of Cosmos. When confronted by Yuna, Tidus sacrifices his life to save her from an attack from the Emperor, but is saved by Jecht to later become a Warrior of Cosmos. Besides his previous outifits, Tidus has another design based on an illustration by Yoshitaka Amano
.
, has expressed his concern regarding the relationship between the player and the main character in a Final Fantasy title, and wanted to try something new while penning Final Fantasy X. Since both the player and the main character find themselves in a new world, Nojima wanted Tidus' understanding of the world to reflect the player's progress in the game; a connection that allowed the player to advance Tidus' first-person narration of most of Final Fantasy X. Nojima created a brief description for Tidus to give the character designer, Tetsuya Nomura
, a rough scenario to work with. Nomura used the description to create a sketch to get input from Nojima and other staff members. Nomura was also requested to design Tidus to look different from the game's theme in order to make him stand out. For the sequel, Final Fantasy X-2
, producer Yoshinori Kitase
thought that the fans' biggest expectations of the game was a reunion between Tidus and Yuna after their separation in the first game.
With the concept of the undead people used in the games, the staff wanted it to use it on one of the playable characters. Tidus was meant to be undead character, but during development of Final Fantasy X, Nojima watched a movie which used a similar idea with the protagonist. Therefore, Tidus was not an undead person during the game, and such role was given to Auron, as he was a secondary character. Nomura has expressed after designing serious and moody main characters for Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, he wanted to give Tidus a cheerful attitude and appearance (while still keeping the recent trend of giving him a name related to the sky), which is reflected in the name Kazushige Nojima chose for him (Tiida is the Okinawan
word for "Sun"). Initially, Tidus was going to be a rude plumber who was also part of a delinquent gang, but Kitase pointed it would make him a weak protagonist, so he was changed to a sports star. Nomura also explained he wanted his clothing and accessories to suggest a relationship with the sea. For example, his outfit bears a distinctive blue theme, and the symbol of Tidus' Blitzball team on his clothing is designed after a fishing hook. The symbol is designed as an amalgamation of the letters "J" and "T" (the first letters of Tidus' name and that of his father, Jecht).
Nomura has also mentioned a contrast between the lead male and female protagonists was established by Yuna's name meaning "night" in Okinawan. This contrast is also represented with the items required to empower their Celestial Weapons; the Sun Sigil and the Sun Crest for Tidus', and the Moon Sigil and Moon Crest for Yuna's. Due to the player having the option to change his default name, Tidus is never directly referred to by name during audible dialogue, though one character in Dream Zanarkand says his name in a dialogue box. The only other in-game appearance of his name is on a name plate on an Auroch locker in the Luca stadium as "Tidu", written in the fictional script used in Spira. Because his name is never spoken out loud in Final Fantasy X, its intended pronunciation has been a subject of debate among fans. Interviews with James Arnold Taylor
, Tidus' English voice actor, and spoken dialogue from the English versions of Dissidia, Dissidia 012, and Kingdom Hearts—which featured the character in a cameo—portray it as ˈtiːdəs , whereas one instance in the English version of Kingdom Hearts 2 exists in which the character's name is pronounced ˈtaɪdəs .
s and jewelry. Tidus was described by GameSpy
as a "garishly dressed Leonardo Dicaprio
", commenting that his flaws are what make him appealing. PSXextreme's Arnold Katayev liked Tidus' personality which contrasts the ones from previous Final Fantasy protagonists. His role as the male lead was found outstanding in comparison to previous characters by GameZone
due to his "perpetual feel of youth and innocence". The 1UP.com
staff initially described him as the "good kind of jock" due to how he supports the other protagonists of the game and yet they noted that his anger and his growth throughout the game avoided him from being a "stereotypical boy scout". GameSpot
commented players might not initially like the character, but would eventually find him "suitably endearing." They stated that he had the "surprising depth" characterized by past Final Fantasy protagonists, and called the ending involving Tidus "emotionally charged and satisfying". Eurogamer
stated that Tidus and the other characters "make much more dignified and believable decisions than those made by their predecessors in other Final Fantasy games." Tidus was also listed as the fourth best Final Fantasy hero of all the time by GamesRadar
who described him as "One of the most complex and bizarre heroes yet seen in the series". In the article "The Top 7... "That's a Dude!?" game characters" GamesRadar featured him seventh commenting on his androgynous appearance. Tidus' revelation of his real nature in the game's ending was third in a 1UP article of video game spoilers; such event was stated to have reduced "[to] at least two 1UP staffers to a state of misty-eyed mourning" yet they criticized how Tidus' resurrection in the sequel makes his fate unrealistic. On the other hand, GamesRadar found Tidus' fate in the first game confusing as in the epilogue he appears alive despite having previously disappeared, and such scene is not explained until the sequel's ending. In a Famitsu
poll done in February 2010, Tidus was voted by readers as the twentieth most popular video game character.
Tidus was also compared to Squall Leonhart
, the protagonist from Final Fantasy VIII
. IGN
noted the differences in appearances between the two, comparing Squall's darker colored outfit and "permanent mope" against Tidus' brighter outfit and weapon along with "an indelible grin". Additionally, Gamasutra
thought that Tidus' character was more entertaining than Squall's despite being "a bit whiny". Because of his English-language voice work, GameSpot commented it would have preferred "an almost-mute lead character, a la Squall from Final Fantasy VIII." Regarding the character's English-language voice work, IGN stated the character "has a tendency to speak a little too high and fast when he gets excited." RPGamer
criticized Taylor's work, stating that while Tidus is supposed to sound "impulsive and energetic", his dialogue leaves him as "stupid and childish." On the other hand, PSXextreme found that Taylor does a good work voicing Tidus. GameSpot referred to Tidus as "annoyingly whiny", and Eurogamer echoed similar statements by referring to his voice acting as "whiny" and "detestable". 1UP listed him as the worst dressed video game character, citing a "deal with it" outfit design by Nomura. They further commented that despite the "preposterous" design, Square was able to "successfully sell" Tidus as Final Fantasy Xs main protagonist. He was also featured fifth in 1UP's "The Top 5 Most Irriating RPG Protagonists" with criticism focused on his personality and his outfit. James Arnold Taylor has also commented on his voicework for the character, stating that it did not seem realistic to him to have Tidus react in any other way than to truthfully show his emotions. While he also said there were things he would change about his performance if he could do it over again, Taylor said he loved voicing Tidus and thanked fans of the game for complimenting him on his work.
The relationship between Tidus and Yuna was listed by GameSpot as one of the "Great Loves" in video games. It referred to their relationship as "one of the best (and ultimately saddest) examples" of a mature romance in games and cited the progression of the romance throughout the story as one of the game's best elements. GameSpot called the story revolving around their relationship "interesting" and "tender". In a general overview of the romances from Final Fantasy, Gaming Age stated that Final Fantasy X had "the sparks fly" between Tidus' and Yuna's relationship. GamesRadar listed their relationship tenth in their "The 14 Best Videogame Couples", commenting that they have the most realistic relation from all the Final Fantasy games. The site also listed them second in the "Top 10 Square Enix Couples" commenting that despite the sacrifices they go through in the series, they still look for a chance to be together. Kotaku
listed the relationship second in the "Gaming's Top Five Love Stories" by Mike Fahey who stated that the popularity of their relationship and the fact Tidus fades away in the game's ending was what forced Square to make its direct sequel so that the two characters could meet once again. Gamasutra featured it fifth in their list by Leigh Alexander who despite citing Tidus as a "forgettable hero" praised the importance of his and Yuna's relation in the game's story. Both Tidus and Yuna also won the "Best Couple of the Year" award from Game Informer
in 2001. Yuna's English voice actress, Hedy Burress
, commented that thanks to Tidus' interactions with Yuna gave her character a more "womanly aspect", and thus, more humanizing.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
. He was first introduced as the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
from the console role-playing game Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
in 2001. As the lead character, the player controls Tidus through the game, manipulating his actions through the unfolding storyline in traditional Final Fantasy style. Similar to the other characters in Final Fantasy X, Tidus' abilities are built around a classic Final Fantasy job class—in his case a Fighter, a balanced melee class.
In Final Fantasy X Tidus is introduced as a 17-year-old rising blitzball star player from Zanarkand. After a mysterious creature called "Sin" attacked his hometown, Tidus was seemingly transported to the world of Spira. Lost, confused, and feeling out of place, Tidus soon meets a newly fledged summoner, Yuna
Yuna (Final Fantasy)
is a player character in the Final Fantasy series. She is the female protagonist of Final Fantasy X and the main protagonist of the sequel Final Fantasy X-2. She was designed by Tetsuya Nomura and voiced by Hedy Burress and Mayuko Aoki in the English and Japanese versions, respectively...
, and her guardians. The summoner is soon to set out on a pilgrimage in an attempt to put an end to the very creature that attacked Tidus' city, and by joining them, Tidus hopes he will find his way home. He has also made appearances in other video games, such as Final Fantasy Xs sequel Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
, the Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
series, and Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
is an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008...
.
The character was designed with the intention of having a cheerful appearance in contrast to previous Final Fantasy protagonists as well as to give him a deeper relationship with the player. Tidus has generally been well-received by video game reviewers. His personality and relationship with Yuna has been praised while there has been criticism focused on his voice work and outfit design. Several types of merchandise based on Tidus' character have been produced, such as action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s and jewelry.
Final Fantasy X
In Final Fantasy XFinal Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
, Tidus is introduced in medias res
In medias res
In medias res or medias in res is a Latin phrase denoting the literary and artistic narrative technique wherein the relation of a story begins either at the mid-point or at the conclusion, rather than at the beginning In medias res or medias in res (into the middle of things) is a Latin phrase...
via an in-game cut scene showcasing the main characters around a campfire back dropped by the wreckage of a city, Zanarkand. He narrates most of the game events, revealing his thoughts on certain aspects of his journey, which continues until the party reaches the Zanarkand Ruins. Tidus recounts how events have led to the present, starting at his life in Zanarkand where he was a sports celebrity in blitzball, a fictional underwater sport. Despite showing a cheerful and carefree attitude, Tidus bears an enormous hatred towards his absent father, Jecht, initially due to the fact his mother did not pay attention to him when he was around, and later for the pressure he had when playing blitzball due to the fact Jecht was also a celebrity. During a Blitzball tournament, Zanarkand is attacked by an immense , shrouded creature known as Sin. The city is destroyed in its path, and Tidus is taken by Sin and Jecht's friend Auron to the world Spira.
After arriving in Spira, Tidus drifts to the island Besaid. While on the island he meets Yuna
Yuna (Final Fantasy)
is a player character in the Final Fantasy series. She is the female protagonist of Final Fantasy X and the main protagonist of the sequel Final Fantasy X-2. She was designed by Tetsuya Nomura and voiced by Hedy Burress and Mayuko Aoki in the English and Japanese versions, respectively...
, a summoner who is planning a pilgrimage to destroy Sin, along with her guardians: Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri Ronso. Tidus joins them in the hope of finding his way home, and ultimately becomes one of Yuna's guardians, alongside Auron who reveals that Jecht became Sin. Ten years ago, Jecht and Auron did the same pilgrimage protecting summoner Braska, Yuna's father, to defeat it, but Jecht became the reborn Sin. As the journey continues, Tidus starts losing hope of returning home as he decides to stay with the other guardians and develops a romantic relationship with Yuna. As the party approaches Zanarkand, Tidus learns that he and the Zanarkand he hails from, are the cumulative dreams of deceased people known as fayth. Dream Zanarkand was created at the same time as the destruction of the original Zanarkand, when Sin was created in the war between Zanarkand and Bevelle. However, if Sin permanently defeated, the summoning of Dream Zanarkand and all its people—including Tidus—will disappear.
Inside Zanarkand, the group learns Yuna must choose one of her guardians to become her fayth for the Final Summoning. The group decides to find another way to destroy Sin forever and that should not involve the sacrifice of a guardian or a summoner. The group then attacks Sin directly and enter its shell. Eventually, they find Jecht, who they have to defeat to eliminate Sin. After killing the corrupt deity Yu Yevon responsible for Sin's reborn, the fayth are allowed to depart and their summoning of Zanarkand ends. As he vanishes Tidus says farewell to his friends, and is reunited with the spirits of Auron, Jecht, and Braska in the Farplane.
Final Fantasy X-2
Tidus figures prominently into the plot of Final Fantasy X-2Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
, though his appearances in the sequel are few. Also, because players have the option of renaming Tidus in Final Fantasy X, he is exclusively referred to with pronouns ("he" and "him") just like in the previous game. Two years after the events of Final Fantasy X, Yuna sees a sphere displaying a young man who looks like Tidus trapped in a prison. This compels Yuna to join the Gullwings, a sphere-hunting group, and travel around Spira in the hopes of finding more clues that Tidus may be alive. The individual seen in the sphere is eventually revealed to be another man named Shuyin instead. Depending on the player's development during the game, the fayth will appear to Yuna in the game's ending, telling her they can make Tidus return to her. Tidus then appears in Spira and is reunited with Yuna. If the player can manage to complete the game with 100% completion rate, there is another final scene with Tidus and Yuna, in which the former reveals the nature of his return, stating that although he is unsure whether he is still a dream or not, he wishes to stay with her. He is also an unlockable character to play blitzball in the game but under the name of "Star Player". In the updated version of the game, Final Fantasy X-2: International + Last Mission, an illusion of Tidus appears as a boss character, and after the game's playthrough, he is mentioned to be living in Besaid alongside Yuna.
Other appearances
Tidus has also appeared in games outside of the Final Fantasy X continuity. A more youthful version of Tidus appears in the Kingdom HeartsKingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
series as a friend of the protagonists Sora
Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Square Enix's best-selling Kingdom Hearts series. Introduced in the series' first game in 2002, Sora is a cheerful teenager who originates from Destiny Islands and has been best friends with Riku and Kairi since early childhood. When they plan to...
and Riku. In the first Kingdom Hearts, he appears with younger versions of Wakka and Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
s Selphie, serving as an optional sparring opponent. The character makes a cameo in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and Japanese studio Jupiter and published by Square Enix in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. The game serves as an intermediary between the two larger-scale PlayStation 2 games in the Kingdom Hearts series. It was one of the first GBA games to...
and in Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
, he is briefly mentioned by Selphie. A digital replica of Tidus also appears in Kingdom Hearts coded
Kingdom Hearts coded
is an episodic puzzle video game developed and published by Square Enix, in collaboration with the Walt Disney Internet Group for mobile phones. It is the fourth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series and is set after the events of the Kingdom Hearts II. The story focuses on a message written in...
as a boss character. Tidus appears in Itadaki Street Special, a board game-based video game, along with Auron and Yuna. Tidus' dialogues, monologues and character songs were also included in the CDs Final Fantasy X Vocal Collection and feel/Go dream: Yuna & Tidus.
In Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
is an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008...
, an action game that features several Final Fantasy heroes and villains, Tidus is featured as the hero from Final Fantasy X along with his father who is his respective villain. To match the overall character designs of Dissidia, Nomura designed Tidus to look younger than his Final Fantasy X appearance. As in Final Fantasy X, Tidus hates his father, which causes him to separate from his comrades in order to face him personally. In the outcome, he manages to reconcile with Jecht and gains a crystal he and the other characters were asked to obtain. Various of his traits such as his thoughts and actions are references to Final Fantasy X. Along the entire cast, Tidus reappears in the prequel Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
is a 2011 fighting game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was developed by the company's 1st Production Department...
, representing Chaos in order to confront Jecht who is a Warrior of Cosmos. When confronted by Yuna, Tidus sacrifices his life to save her from an attack from the Emperor, but is saved by Jecht to later become a Warrior of Cosmos. Besides his previous outifits, Tidus has another design based on an illustration by Yoshitaka Amano
Yoshitaka Amano
is a Japanese artist. He began his career as an animator and has become known for his illustrations for the anime Vampire Hunter D and for his character designs, image illustrations and title logo designs for the Final Fantasy video game series developed by Square Enix . His influences include...
.
Creation and development
The game's scenario writer, Kazushige NojimaKazushige Nojima
is a Japanese game scenario writer and is the founder of Stellavista Ltd.. He is best known for writing parts of Square Enix's Final Fantasy video game series—namely Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2—and the Kingdom Hearts series...
, has expressed his concern regarding the relationship between the player and the main character in a Final Fantasy title, and wanted to try something new while penning Final Fantasy X. Since both the player and the main character find themselves in a new world, Nojima wanted Tidus' understanding of the world to reflect the player's progress in the game; a connection that allowed the player to advance Tidus' first-person narration of most of Final Fantasy X. Nojima created a brief description for Tidus to give the character designer, Tetsuya Nomura
Tetsuya Nomura
is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix , best known for his work on both the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series.-Time before Square:Nomura was born in Kōchi, Japan...
, a rough scenario to work with. Nomura used the description to create a sketch to get input from Nojima and other staff members. Nomura was also requested to design Tidus to look different from the game's theme in order to make him stand out. For the sequel, Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
, producer Yoshinori Kitase
Yoshinori Kitase
is a Japanese game producer and former game director that has been working for Square Enix since April 1, 1990. He is mostly known for his work on the role-playing video game series Final Fantasy and is currently the manager of 1st Production Department....
thought that the fans' biggest expectations of the game was a reunion between Tidus and Yuna after their separation in the first game.
With the concept of the undead people used in the games, the staff wanted it to use it on one of the playable characters. Tidus was meant to be undead character, but during development of Final Fantasy X, Nojima watched a movie which used a similar idea with the protagonist. Therefore, Tidus was not an undead person during the game, and such role was given to Auron, as he was a secondary character. Nomura has expressed after designing serious and moody main characters for Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, he wanted to give Tidus a cheerful attitude and appearance (while still keeping the recent trend of giving him a name related to the sky), which is reflected in the name Kazushige Nojima chose for him (Tiida is the Okinawan
Okinawan language
Central Okinawan, or simply Okinawan , is a Northern Ryukyuan language spoken primarily in the southern half of the island of Okinawa, as well as in the surrounding islands of Kerama, Kumejima, Tonaki, Aguni, and a number of smaller peripheral islands...
word for "Sun"). Initially, Tidus was going to be a rude plumber who was also part of a delinquent gang, but Kitase pointed it would make him a weak protagonist, so he was changed to a sports star. Nomura also explained he wanted his clothing and accessories to suggest a relationship with the sea. For example, his outfit bears a distinctive blue theme, and the symbol of Tidus' Blitzball team on his clothing is designed after a fishing hook. The symbol is designed as an amalgamation of the letters "J" and "T" (the first letters of Tidus' name and that of his father, Jecht).
Nomura has also mentioned a contrast between the lead male and female protagonists was established by Yuna's name meaning "night" in Okinawan. This contrast is also represented with the items required to empower their Celestial Weapons; the Sun Sigil and the Sun Crest for Tidus', and the Moon Sigil and Moon Crest for Yuna's. Due to the player having the option to change his default name, Tidus is never directly referred to by name during audible dialogue, though one character in Dream Zanarkand says his name in a dialogue box. The only other in-game appearance of his name is on a name plate on an Auroch locker in the Luca stadium as "Tidu", written in the fictional script used in Spira. Because his name is never spoken out loud in Final Fantasy X, its intended pronunciation has been a subject of debate among fans. Interviews with James Arnold Taylor
James Arnold Taylor
James Arnold Taylor is an American voice actor, Impressionist, and Announcer. He is the current voice provider for Fred Flintstone as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and also the movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Johnny Test in Johnny Test...
, Tidus' English voice actor, and spoken dialogue from the English versions of Dissidia, Dissidia 012, and Kingdom Hearts—which featured the character in a cameo—portray it as ˈtiːdəs , whereas one instance in the English version of Kingdom Hearts 2 exists in which the character's name is pronounced ˈtaɪdəs .
Reception
Tidus has received an overall positive reception, and has also had various types of merchandise modeled after his likeness; for example, action figureAction figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s and jewelry. Tidus was described by GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
as a "garishly dressed Leonardo Dicaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
", commenting that his flaws are what make him appealing. PSXextreme's Arnold Katayev liked Tidus' personality which contrasts the ones from previous Final Fantasy protagonists. His role as the male lead was found outstanding in comparison to previous characters by GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
due to his "perpetual feel of youth and innocence". The 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
staff initially described him as the "good kind of jock" due to how he supports the other protagonists of the game and yet they noted that his anger and his growth throughout the game avoided him from being a "stereotypical boy scout". GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
commented players might not initially like the character, but would eventually find him "suitably endearing." They stated that he had the "surprising depth" characterized by past Final Fantasy protagonists, and called the ending involving Tidus "emotionally charged and satisfying". Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
stated that Tidus and the other characters "make much more dignified and believable decisions than those made by their predecessors in other Final Fantasy games." Tidus was also listed as the fourth best Final Fantasy hero of all the time by GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
who described him as "One of the most complex and bizarre heroes yet seen in the series". In the article "The Top 7... "That's a Dude!?" game characters" GamesRadar featured him seventh commenting on his androgynous appearance. Tidus' revelation of his real nature in the game's ending was third in a 1UP article of video game spoilers; such event was stated to have reduced "[to] at least two 1UP staffers to a state of misty-eyed mourning" yet they criticized how Tidus' resurrection in the sequel makes his fate unrealistic. On the other hand, GamesRadar found Tidus' fate in the first game confusing as in the epilogue he appears alive despite having previously disappeared, and such scene is not explained until the sequel's ending. In a Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
poll done in February 2010, Tidus was voted by readers as the twentieth most popular video game character.
Tidus was also compared to Squall Leonhart
Squall Leonhart
is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VIII, a role-playing game by Square . He was designed by Tetsuya Nomura, with heavy influences coming from game director Yoshinori Kitase. Squall has appeared in several other games, such as the Kingdom Hearts series, where he appears under the name ;...
, the protagonist from Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
noted the differences in appearances between the two, comparing Squall's darker colored outfit and "permanent mope" against Tidus' brighter outfit and weapon along with "an indelible grin". Additionally, Gamasutra
Gamasutra
Gamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
thought that Tidus' character was more entertaining than Squall's despite being "a bit whiny". Because of his English-language voice work, GameSpot commented it would have preferred "an almost-mute lead character, a la Squall from Final Fantasy VIII." Regarding the character's English-language voice work, IGN stated the character "has a tendency to speak a little too high and fast when he gets excited." RPGamer
RPGamer
RPGamer is a media and news website dedicated to covering computer and video game RPGs. Its coverage includes North American game news, European game news, Asian game news, gaming industry news, game reviews, game previews, hands-on game impressions, gaming conventions, game merchandise, release...
criticized Taylor's work, stating that while Tidus is supposed to sound "impulsive and energetic", his dialogue leaves him as "stupid and childish." On the other hand, PSXextreme found that Taylor does a good work voicing Tidus. GameSpot referred to Tidus as "annoyingly whiny", and Eurogamer echoed similar statements by referring to his voice acting as "whiny" and "detestable". 1UP listed him as the worst dressed video game character, citing a "deal with it" outfit design by Nomura. They further commented that despite the "preposterous" design, Square was able to "successfully sell" Tidus as Final Fantasy Xs main protagonist. He was also featured fifth in 1UP's "The Top 5 Most Irriating RPG Protagonists" with criticism focused on his personality and his outfit. James Arnold Taylor has also commented on his voicework for the character, stating that it did not seem realistic to him to have Tidus react in any other way than to truthfully show his emotions. While he also said there were things he would change about his performance if he could do it over again, Taylor said he loved voicing Tidus and thanked fans of the game for complimenting him on his work.
The relationship between Tidus and Yuna was listed by GameSpot as one of the "Great Loves" in video games. It referred to their relationship as "one of the best (and ultimately saddest) examples" of a mature romance in games and cited the progression of the romance throughout the story as one of the game's best elements. GameSpot called the story revolving around their relationship "interesting" and "tender". In a general overview of the romances from Final Fantasy, Gaming Age stated that Final Fantasy X had "the sparks fly" between Tidus' and Yuna's relationship. GamesRadar listed their relationship tenth in their "The 14 Best Videogame Couples", commenting that they have the most realistic relation from all the Final Fantasy games. The site also listed them second in the "Top 10 Square Enix Couples" commenting that despite the sacrifices they go through in the series, they still look for a chance to be together. Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
listed the relationship second in the "Gaming's Top Five Love Stories" by Mike Fahey who stated that the popularity of their relationship and the fact Tidus fades away in the game's ending was what forced Square to make its direct sequel so that the two characters could meet once again. Gamasutra featured it fifth in their list by Leigh Alexander who despite citing Tidus as a "forgettable hero" praised the importance of his and Yuna's relation in the game's story. Both Tidus and Yuna also won the "Best Couple of the Year" award from Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
in 2001. Yuna's English voice actress, Hedy Burress
Hedy Burress
-Early life:She was born Heather Elizabeth Burress in Edwardsville, Illinois, to teacher parents. She attended Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, before relocating to Los Angeles, California, in 1995.-Career:...
, commented that thanks to Tidus' interactions with Yuna gave her character a more "womanly aspect", and thus, more humanizing.