Final Fantasy is notable for having countless memorable characters throughout its illustrious thirty year history. Even if a particular entry has a lackluster or nonsensical plot, which even the most ardent fans will admit is sometimes true, the cast of characters always manages to stand out and make the game enjoyable. Despite their penchant for lively characters, they can sometimes fall into tired old tropes. Main characters can especially be overly brooding and introverted. Final Fantasy X’s main protagonist, Tidus, was created as an antithesis to the typical Final Fantasy hero. The star Blitzball player is cheery and outgoing, keeping this attitude throughout all of the hardships the game throws at him. This trait makes him stand out among the series’ crowded roster.
He’s one of the most beloved protagonists in all of gaming, but it is worth noting that there are some things about him that simply don’t add up. The famed RPG franchise has never been grounded in logic, but a few of the next twenty five entries are real head scratchers, though None of these are meant to detract from fans’ appreciation of him. If anything, these oddities are only noticed because of how critically people think about their favorite heroes.
So get ready to blitz, because here are 25 Things That Make No Sense About Tidus
Infinite Breath
Olympic swimmers have an impressive lung capacity, but theirs is nothing compared to Tidus’s, who breathes underwater indefinitely. In Blitzball, one could argue the play area contains something which allows the players to breathe while submerged, but there are plenty of moments in the game where he swims in the ocean for minutes on end without the assistance of a breathing apparatus. Tidus is not the only one either, as several other characters are shown doing the same thing. Is drowning simply not a concern for the people of Spira?
Physics Defying Blitz ball Skills
Anybody who can swim fast or has observed speedy swimmers knows that Blitzball players generally move underwater with a grace and swiftness not humanly possible. On top of that, they kick and throw around the ball as if they were floating in midair, completely ignoring the water’s effect on movement. As if this was not suspending disbelief enough, Tidus is able to pull off numerous superhuman feats of athleticism outside of water too. Sure, he exercises and trains a lot, but the human body still has its limits against the laws of physics.
Deep Pockets
The party carries a bevy of items, weapons, armors, and accessories with them on their pilgrimage. Perhaps they have a trunk or chest with them to hold them, but it does not explain how they are utilized in battle. Whenever Tidus needs one, the hero simply pulls it out of his pocket. His wardrobe does not even have visible pockets, so where are the items on his person? Those who wear tight pants know the struggle of just getting a wallet in the pocket, now just imagine a whole inventory.
Instant Sword Mastery
Tidus is in great shape due to his former profession. Even so, he shouldn’t be able to handle a sword so easily when it is first handed to him. he struggles upon first touching the blade, but quickly acclimates to it and has no trouble in battle. In real life, just becoming a novice with these dangerous weapons takes months, perhaps years, of intense training. One could argue that this is rationalized by his low starting stats, but the simple technique of striking with a blade should be difficult to pull off.
How Does He Come Back?
Final Fantasy X-2 is a polarizing title. Some enjoyed the return to Spira, while others found it redundant, unnecessary, or not their vision for what a sequel should have been. The weakest part about it is the canonical ending where Tidus miraculously comes back to life and reunites with Yuna. It comes out of nowhere with a half baked explanation and undoes what should have been a story about moving on from significant loss. In real life, loved ones don’t come back, no matter how desperately we want them to.
How Does The Sphere Grid Work
The progression system in the tenth numbered entry shook things up significantly. Instead of a traditional leveling system, experience grants spheres which are used to advance on the sphere grid whose nodes increase certain stats. It is an ingenious feature that contributes to the game’s quality, but how does this grid logically work in the universe? To add another layer of mystery, where is it located? It seems to have a physical existence somewhere, as the interface has a specific aesthetic and is not a menu typical to the series.
His Appearance In World Of Final Fantasy
Spinoffs are nothing new to the franchise, and sometimes they feature characters from mainline entries. World of Final Fantasy was released as a celebration of the whole series and contains elements from each game. It’s a cool idea that succeeds in its execution, but it does beg the question - how are these characters here in the first place? While “just because” might be good enough for some, not everybody is satisfied with this as an answer. Are they indeed the same exact characters or copies existing in a different dimension?
He Mysteriously Travels 1,000 Years In The Past
Not everyone may be aware of the sequel novel and audio drama that were released exclusively in Japan. They detail Tidus and Yuna’s relationship after their reunion at the end of Final Fantasy X-2. At one point, the pair are caught in a torrential storm which sees them shipwrecked on a mysterious island. They deduce that they traveled a thousand years in the past, but it is never explained how the tempest transported them. A later scene implies that they did not time travel, but were sent to a different world.
Why Does Shuyin Look Like Him?
The impetus to Final Fantasy X-2’s story is a video sphere that appears to show Tidus alive and well in a prison. Eventually, it is discovered that the person is not Yuna’s lost love, but a man named Shuyin who existed in ancient Zanarkand. Shuyin was in love with a woman named Lenne and the relationship ended tragically. The game never states why he looks so much like Tidus. Some have theorized that the hero’s look is based on Shuyin, but Square has never confirmed nor denied whether this is true.
Did A Real Tidus Exist?
One question raised by many but with no solid answer is whether a Tidus existed in the past or didn’t. The dream Zanarkand Tidus lived in is a dream crafted by Yu Yevon and the Fayth. It is never clarified whether the residents of this Zanarkand are copies of real people who did exist. What’s more confusing is when Tidus sees his mother. This could be excused by the idea that the Pyreflies in the Farplane are memories, and not the actual people, but it still muddies up matters a bit.
That Time He Bites The Dust
Final Fantasy X-2.5 ~ Eien No Daisho looks at the general outlandishness of the Final Fantasy series and says “hold my beer.” Its extreme inanity makes everything else in the preceding games seems grounded and plausible. One prime example of how upsettingly bonkers the story gets is when a ball rolls towards Tidus and blows up as he approaches it. This ends his life and cuts short the reunion with Yuna. It is exactly as unceremonious as it sounds and makes fans everywhere pray for a new game to retcon it in the future.
Does He Go Somewhere At The End Of Final Fantasy X?
Final Fantasy X’s ending goes down as one of the series’ finest. The final cinematic is so tear jerkingly dramatic that it makes one forget about the underwhelming boss battle with Yu Yevon that just transpired. One thing that never quite adds up is wondering precisely where Tidus goes after he disappears. He is said to vanish into oblivion, because he was just a dream, but he does eventually come back to life outside of being an imagined figure. This must mean he existed somewhere instead of ceasing to be.
His Outfit
Zanarkand of the past had an an entirely different aesthetic than contemporary Spira. As a result, Tidus’s outfit should be different than everyone else’s and should reflect something futuristic, but it ends up being a puzzling asymmetrical mess. One leg is longer than the other, there are overalls, and the hoodie barely goes past his chest. Maybe it makes sense for a Blitzball game, but he should change into something else when traveling. After all, star athletes in real life don’t go about their everyday activities while wearing their uniform.
His Appearance In Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts’ marriage of Disney and Final Fantasy characters was a dream come true. While the idea was enough to move copies, they also succeeded in making a phenomenal game. Tidus shows up in the debut title’s introduction. He is a child here, but why is he on Sora’s home island? Shouldn’t he be in Zanarkand harboring intense, but arguably justifiable, hatred towards his father? Wakka is there too, and their connection is never acknowledged. The answer to this will likely never reveal itself, as Final Fantasy has been almost entirely phased out of the series.
How He Is Brought Back To Life
After coming back to Yuna and reaching another explosive ending, he is mysteriously brought back to life once more. This time, his reawakening is attributed to Yuna’s intense love and strong feelings for him. This is nice for Yuna, but too much of a stretch for most fans. If people could be brought back to life because of love, then where is everybody else whose loved ones mourned so heavily? Are the writers saying they didn’t actually love their lost family enough? This implication probably doesn’t sit well with most people.
Where, Exactly, Is His Home?
Tidus’ hometown is revealed to be a dreamscape that has existed in an unchanged state for a thousand years. This revelation is surprising to everyone who learns it, and it also makes one wonder where it is, or if it takes up a physical space at all. Observant fans have deduced that the dream Zanarkand does indeed have a physical location somewhere around Baaj Temple. It is surrounded by barriers, which is why no one has come across it. So it is a dream that exists in the real world; that conclusion only makes people more confused.
Hair Of Steel
As a Blitzball star, most of Tidus’ life is spent underwater. How, then, does his hair never seem to be effected by the element? Any reader with long hair knows the struggle of unknotting and redoing one’s style after taking a dip in the pool or getting caught in the rain without an umbrella. Did his Zanarkand have a special product which allowed hair to remain unchanged by moisture? If this were the case, how does he maintain it once he reaches Spira. His hair damps in Macalania forest, but nowhere else.
He Acquires Teleportation Powers
After his explosive ending and revival in the sequel novel, He and Yuna still have to find a way back to their own world. In order to help them accomplish this task, a God grants him teleportation powers. All he has to do is think about the place he wants to visit and then start running. With this ability, he is able to return to Spira, but without Yuna. This power is utterly bizarre and and makes no sense, even when compared to other fantastic abilities people have in the universe.
He Is Unfazed By Physical Trauma
The beginning of the game is not kind to the main protagonist. For starters, his home town is completely destroyed by Sin before he is swallowed up the gargantuan beast. Then, he ends up alone in a ruined city, briefly encountering some scavengers, only to once again be engulfed by Sin. After washing up on Besaid Island, he manages to look stunningly beautiful, as if he just got up from the make up chair. Apparently the intense physical trauma of being spit out into the ocean by a monster has no effect on his physical appearance.
How Does He Ride A Chocobo So Well?
Being a Final Fantasy title, it is only right that there are Chocobo. Later into the journey, Tidus gets the opportunity to ride one and compete against a trainer. Fans of the game remember this as one of the most frustrating feats in the whole series. Really though, just the ability to mount and ride one of these birds should require plenty of training. If it is anything like riding a horse, one does not simply hop on their back and go. There are nuances to the activity that take time to understand and perfect.
