Final Fantasy X: A tragic story of child abuse

[Culain]

There will be spoilers, this is a brilliant game.

 

This has always been my favourite final fantasy game and a personal favourite by many, but a lot of people hate it for it's whiny MainCharacter. The main struggle of the story is of the broken relationship between the main character named Tidus and his father Jecht, and the secondary relationship of a Girl who feels obligated to family and societies wants.  There are many other relationships in the story but this post will just go over Tidus and his Father. Feel free to play the game to see the others, the HD remake is soon coming out for sale.

 

The story begins with Tidus having recently become a young professional athlete at the popular physical sport of Blitzball(Kind of a soccer mix football type of sport). Tidus' goal is to become 'The Best'.

 

Jecht was a professional athlete, he was considered to be the 'The Best' at Blitzball. But fame overtook him and became arrogant. Only performing to showoff. He ending up wedding a fan of his who was only shallow enough to want the popularity as well. At some point she became pregnant and Jecht fell Alcholism and his career began to tank. When Tidus was born his mother showed no interest in him as she tried to maintain a broken marriage. Jecht being stressed out would take it out on his child by beating him and taunting about how good at the sport he still is.

 

Tidus felt abandoned as a child and tried to regain the love of his family by being The Best at his fathers sport.

 

And then his mother died...

 

Of course in order to be a final fantasy game, there must be fantasy elements. I'll try my best to keep it focused on only Tidus and Jecht. I will also just remove all the fantasy elements leaving the rest up to interpretation.

 

Last chance to leave before major Spoilers

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In the middle of one of his games 'SIN' appears. SIN is Tidus' father coming in a monstrous rage causing wreckage everywhere. Tidus is devastated and runs away from home where he meets a young girl named Yuna.

 

  Yuna was a very shy girl whom was trying to conform to the obligations placed on her by family and society. Tidus fell in love with this girl at first site and traveled all over with her and her own friends. Tidus having found a new circle of friends is overjoyed to be with them and comes to live in the house they share.

 

They travel everywhere together until Tidus has a run in with his father which resulted into an abusive situation. Tidus continued to stay away from home and eventually has sex with Yuna. During this time his father became ill and is on his deathbed, likely from alcohol poisoning. Tidus wants both himself and his girlfriend to be accepted by his father and meets Jecht lying in the hospital on his deathbed.

 

Tidus breaks into tears about how he never got the chance to properly prove himself by beating his father at blitzball, also with the support of his friends he confronts his father about SIN, which was the abuse he received as a child and wanting acceptance. In the end of a very emotional struggle his father admits that he was a terrible father and that had no idea how to raise a son or stop the harm he caused. Jecht apologizes with the last of his strength and gives the couple acceptance before passing away.

 

Tidus is then assaulted with a wide arrange of emotions pertaining to the death of his father. Yuna confronts each of these emotions and does her best to calm each of them.

 

In the end Tidus informs Yuna that he is leaving despite still loving her; he needed time to collect his thoughts together. After a tearful farewell he disappears into the world. The game shortly concludes.

 

***FFX2 is a sequel which was later released to show the remainder of the story from the girls point of view in her search to find her boyfriend.***

 

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Thoughts?

[King David]

This is outstanding, great work!  I thought the characters swords were the greatest in this game, which could probably be a sub plot in itself.  I always thought the Chocobo to be very peculiar aswell.

KD

[TheRobin]

First of all: Cool, I didn't know about the remake, but so looking forward to it now :)Second (and in regards to the game/sotry/interpretation) (obviously spoilers ahead): I think I'd add a little bit about it all being his personal escape fantasy. Before his adventure really starts and he gets thrown into this other world/future he gets swallowed by SIN iirc(which I would interpret as meaning he couldn't handle the abusive situation anymore). And somewhere close to the end, he finds out he's just a ghost/dead the whole time.So imo I would look at the whole storyline that happens in that world as either his internal dream (i.e. all being symbolic for his emotional struggle) and/or it all being his personal escape fantasy (in terms of, not being able to deal with the real situation so he creates and alternative world in which he's the hero and loved by people (and not powerless, helpless and un-cared for).But cool to see FFX being brought up I really enjoyed that game a ton, so thanks a lot for that alone 

[Culain]

I listened to one of Stefs movie interpretations and thought I'd try dissecting some of the stuff I watch or play.

 

Forum needs more geeks.

[Guest Exceptionalist]

The reunion Final Fantasy X-2 is great, too. I finished X and X-2 international + last mission in their original form on the PS2.

[MysterionMuffles]

Oh man this was the last good FFX before they started biting Star Wars. I do remember Tidus' daddy issues. 

But wow I never saw that aspect about Yuna being obligated to family and royalty. I was behind her in her actions without really knowing why. Now I do. Thanks.

 

Also Blitz Ball was the best mini game in an FF ever!