More Important to Plot: Yuna or Tidus

[Aztec Triogal]

FFX is told in first person minor objective. I think sometimes people fail to realize is that Yuna almost equally shares the main character spot with Tidus. Yes, in FFX we see everything unfold with Tidus' personal story, but it gets intwined into Yuna's much bigger "save the world" story. It makes the narrative different from previous FFs because while Tidus is the protagonist, he doesn't play the role if the figurehead hero.

I argued in response to this post that Final Fantasy has two separate plots. One dealing with the views of the everyday citizen. The Spira that everyone but Tidus has seen since they were children. The world of Sin, Summoners, and the Calm. However, this is all only a cover to the main plot of the game. The main plot is Tidus's discovery of the secrets of Spira, Yu Yevon, and Yunalesca's secrets (sounds like a bad lingerie brand).

So if Tidus really does represent the overall plot and Yuna the everday world plot, which one is more important to the story? I say both are important but that Tidus is sightly moreso because he's the true focus of the game. It's why it's his story and not hers.

 

[Ang]

I'd say Yuna purely because you could have the story without Tidus and it would make sense. However, if Yuna were not in FFX the plot would make no sense whatsoever.

 

[Bambi]

He could have easily fell in with some other summoner though

Every summoners story is the same, go on pilgramage -use final summonig - die - have a calm for a while, then do it all over again. So as much as she was important to the story, Id say Tidus was more important because if he wasnt there I doubt it would have even been questioned. Yuna and one of her guardians would have died

From Tidus being there, we learn about Spira as he does. He is also one of the reasons - probably THE reason why it didnt go ahead and they had the eternal calm. So Id say he was more important to the plot

Just my opinion

 

[Aztec Triogal]

Every summoners story is the same, go on pilgramage -use final summonig - die - have a calm for a while

LOL!!! That "die" part about killed me. You make it seem as if it were the most insignificant thing ever. Too freaking funny. Also, is a dummoner a dumb summoner? Or what?

You do have a point though. Every summoner has basically the same story. Tidus's story is what makes FFX unique. If he weren't involved, I'd be the story of Summoner Ohalland 230 years prior.

 

[Ang]

He could have easily fell in with some other summoner though

Every summoners story is the same, go on pilgramage -use final summonig - die - have a calm for a while, then do it all over again. So as much as she was important to the story, Id say Tidus was more important because if he wasnt there I doubt it would have even been questioned. Yuna and one of her guardians would have died

From Tidus being there, we learn about Spira as he does. He is also one of the reasons - probably THE reason why it didnt go ahead and they had the eternal calm. So Id say he was more important to the plot

Just my opinion

While this is true, the other summoner wouldn't have been Lord Braska's daughter and probably wouldn't have beaten Sin. Yuna was a special summoner. If you get my point.

As I said before. The story could have been nearly the same without Tidus, but not Yuna.

 

[DLFlux]

I say they are equally important.

Jecht wanted Tidus to end his reign of terror, but without Yuna and co. Tidus could probably never do it. Tidus was the link to Jecht/Sin that Yuna needed. The Hymn of the Fayth plan probably wouldn't have been thought up, making it harder for the party to infiltrate Sin.

Without Tidus, the whole Seymour/ traitor against Yevon thing would probably still happen, which brings me onto this:

Yuna vs Seymour
Tidus vs Jecht
Combined main objective = Ridding Spira of Sin

They both have their own motivations, tied in with Braska's original pilgrimage, but the main objective is the same.

They are equally important to me.

Daughter of a Hig Summoner, Son of a Guardian. Auron watching over Tidus, Kimarhi watching over Yuna.

Braska's pilgrimage ties them both together. We see the story from Tidus' POV, but as Yuna says "this is my story too, you know"

 

[Ang]

Damn... you've done the impossible... convinced me lol!

Yeah I kinda forgot the whole Sin is Jecht thing. Quite right. So thy're both equally important but BTW, Auron is guarding Yuna too, he made the same promise to Braska, that's why he becomes her guardian.

 

[DLFlux]

Damn... you've done the impossible... convinced me lol!

Yeah I kinda forgot the whole Sin is Jecht thing. Quite right. So thy're both equally important but BTW, Auron is guarding Yuna too, he made the same promise to Braska, that's why he becomes her guardian.

After Braska's pilggrimage, Auron gets Kimarhi to watch over Yuna, while he goes to watch over Tidus. Auron only starts to guard Yuna the same time Tidus is also guarding her.

 

[Ang]

Really. Dosn't he become a guardian first in Luca and tell everyone that Tidus is coming too?
That way Tidus was just tagging along. Meh. That's what I thought.

 

[DLFlux]

Suppose Tidus was just tagging along there, but you see what I mean.

 

[Big Casino]

Both i think. He was what gave Yuna the determination to defeat sin. Supposing Tidus never came to Spira, do you think the story would have ended the same? No i think perhaps Yuna would have gone ahead with the final summoning and died. The events with seymour would also have panned out different dont you think? Although saying that Yuna has her role aswell, without her there would be no pilgrimage. Hence all the events that happened in the game was due to her choice in becoming a summoner and without her Sin would still be alive.

I wrote so much more than this but my screen refreshed and it vanished. bastard firefox.

 

[Ang]

Yeah. They're both equally important but it does sometimes just seem that Yuna has a greater role to play. But they're both equally important. It's just Yuna's role was a little more memorable, for me at least.

 

[Big Casino]

Yeah. They're both equally important but it does sometimes just seem that Yuna has a greater role to play. But they're both equally important. It's just Yuna's role was a little more memorable, for me at least.

Yeah i see what your saying but i think overall they needed eachother, to help overcome all the obstacles that they faced. If they were apart, or had never met then the conclusion to the story would be drastically different. So i say they're both equal-ish.

 

[Ang]

Yeah, that's what I meant. I mean it just seem to me sometimes that Yuna had a bigger role to play even though they were equal.

 

[Donald Trump]

Tidus is more important. Tidus is the unique character that acts as catalyst making Spira change. Like Bam said, Yuna may've beaten sin, but sin would have come back. Because it's ultimately Tidus who challenges the status quo.
You could argue that Tidus wants to find away to beat sin without killing Yuna because he loves her, but then she is only of secondary importance. That her relationship, and not her character changes the plot.

 

[Karen_Leslie]

Isn't this like choosing between peanut butter and chocolate? They just go best together

For the reasons stated above I'd have to say that Tidus is more important to the plot-- it's his link with Jecht and his influence on Yuna that leads to the eternal calm. That said, Yuna is the more memorable character for many people, and she's a symbol for Spira: Tidus falls in love with her, we fall in love with Spira. You can't buy into that without loving Yuna just a little bit.

 

[looneymoon]

Wow, I kinda got in here a little late. I feel everything I want to say has already been said, but I'll post anyways because the first topic post concerns me and I am awsome

So if Tidus really does represent the overall plot and Yuna the everday world plot, which one is more important to the story? I say both are important but that Tidus is sightly moreso because he's the true focus of the game. It's why it's his story and not hers.

This. Yuna is the world, Tidus is the protagonist unaware of the world. Thus, Tidus is the player, unaware of his surroundings; thrust into an adventure way beyond anything he's ever seen before. Like I said before, making it Tidus' story creates an different narrative from most other FFs - he's an ordinary guy thrust in a very not-to-so-ordinary situation. He isn't really the saviour of the world, or anything.

Without Tidus, the whole Seymour/ traitor against Yevon thing would probably still happen, which brings me onto this:

Yuna vs Seymour
Tidus vs Jecht
Combined main objective = Ridding Spira of Sin

They both have their own motivations, tied in with Braska's original pilgrimage, but the main objective is the same.

They are equally important to me.

Not alot to add to that.

Supposing Tidus never came to Spira, do you think the story would have ended the same? No i think perhaps Yuna would have gone ahead with the final summoning and died. The events with seymour would also have panned out different dont you think? Although saying that Yuna has her role aswell, without her there would be no pilgrimage.

Probably. FFX is a pretty depressing game, but without Tidus it'd probably be even more depressing. Main character dying while eternal chaos hasn't ceased? Not gonna really leave the player feeling good.
Even if Yuna didn't die in the final summoning and did manage to beat Sin for good, the story would be pretty linear IMO.

Tidus is more important. Tidus is the unique character that acts as catalyst making Spira change. Like Bam said, Yuna may've beaten sin, but sin would have come back. Because it's ultimately Tidus who challenges the status quo.
You could argue that Tidus wants to find away to beat sin without killing Yuna because he loves her, but then she is only of secondary importance. That her relationship, and not her character changes the plot.

I think the point previous posters have made is that while Tidus' story relies on Yuna's, Yuna's story can be a standalone. It would completely change the nature of the story, but it would still make sense. Tidus' story can't really happen without Yuna's. In order for the game to reach its determined conclusion (without making Yuna some super special magical summoner), then Tidus is needed.

Tidus needs Spira in order for his story to happen. Spira needs Tidus in order for its story to conclude. It's this unity that makes me believe that both sides are equally significant.

 

[Donald Trump]

I think the point previous posters have made is that while Tidus' story relies on Yuna's, Yuna's story can be a standalone. It would completely change the nature of the story, but it would still make sense. Tidus' story can't really happen without Yuna's. In order for the game to reach its determined conclusion (without making Yuna some super special magical summoner), then Tidus is needed.

Tidus needs Spira in order for his story to happen. Spira needs Tidus in order for its story to conclude. It's this unity that makes me believe that both sides are equally significant.

I disagree, Yuna possibly would have defeated sin, but sin would have come back. It's a given that Yuna would not have challenged the final summoning. As you say, there is a storyline there, but not one for a game. It's no different from Braska's or indeed any other summoner.
Yuna just happens to be the summoner that Tidus meets, the plot would work the same with any other summoner, say Dona.

Tidus needs Spira, not Yuna. His falling in love with her leads to the change, but what's to say that Tidus wouldn't have fallen in love with another summoner?

 

[DLFlux]

I disagree, Yuna possibly would have defeated sin, but sin would have come back. It's a given that Yuna would not have challenged the final summoning. As you say, there is a storyline there, but not one for a game. It's no different from Braska's or indeed any other summoner.
Yuna just happens to be the summoner that Tidus meets, the plot would work the same with any other summoner, say Dona.

Tidus needs Spira, not Yuna. His falling in love with her leads to the change, but what's to say that Tidus wouldn't have fallen in love with another summoner?

I doubt Tidus would've been the same with any other summoner. Braska's pilgrimage is what ties the two together. Yuna had met Jecht, which made her believe about the dream Zanarkand. Any other summoner would've thought Tidus was nuts, coming from a place that doesn't exist, plus Zanarkand being considered a holy place probably would've led to other summoners being offended.

With Braska dead and Jecht being Sin, the two are still tied through Auron, who was entrusted with taking care of them both.

The two are invetiably tied together, before they even meet.

Tidus running into Rikku (who turns out to be Yuna's cousin) and then into Wakka may be considered a lucky coincidence, but it could also be considered destiny.

 

[Ang]

By Placebo:

I disagree, Yuna possibly would have defeated sin, but sin would have come back. It's a given that Yuna would not have challenged the final summoning. As you say, there is a storyline there, but not one for a game. It's no different from Braska's or indeed any other summoner.
Yuna just happens to be the summoner that Tidus meets, the plot would work the same with any other summoner, say Dona.

First of all... Dona?!

Now to the serious stuff: Yuna wouldn't have done the final summoning in my opinion. This is because, to do it, one of her friends would have had to die and she wouldn't do that. That's why she dosn't do it in the first place.