Thanks to FinalMantasyX for the inspiration!

This is not about Final Fantasy X-2. This is about Yuna. Let discuss Yuna’s character:

First, her appearance:

In Final Fantasy X, Yuna wears an ensemble similar to, but widely varied from, those worn by Yevonites: a purple pleated, flower-patterned dress; black boots; a black spaghetti-string camisole under a white sash that wraps around her neck and over her chest; and a yellow patterned obi with a chōchō musubi knot and a decorative obidome to clinch the cords. Two separate, kimono-like sleeves complete the outfit. The design of her staff is based on the Khakkhara, a staff used by practitioners of Buddhism.

She wears a blue-beaded earring on her right ear, hidden by a lock of her hair, woven into blue beads with gold rings around the larger, middle bead. She wears a silver pendant. Yuna has heterochromia: her left eye is blue, while the right is green to represent her half-Al Bhed heritage, though without the characteristic spiral.

In Final Fantasy X-2, two years later, Yuna has undergone a transformation with a new revealing dress style and a more adventurous personality. Yuna retains her beaded earring and silver pendant, but her hair is cropped shorter, resembling Tidus’s hairstyle, with a red braid stretching down to her ankles.

Second, her personality:

Yuna is a kind, loyal, honest, and polite humanitarian who strives to see the best in others and has a strong conviction to complete whatever task she feels is her duty. She is, however, naive, always believing the best of people, and often places the needs of others above her own, becoming apologetic when she feels she has let someone down. Like most summoners, Yuna is a devout follower of Yevon‘s teachings. She hides her feelings of fear and sadness while encouraging her friends to express themselves in her place. She is willing to carry others’ burdens and sacrifice everything she has to destroy Sin, giving up chances for her own happiness if it means helping others.

In Final Fantasy X-2 Yuna has a new lease on life. Though still unflinchingly polite, soft-spoken, and driven, she is now athletic, cosmopolitan, outspoken, and playful. Yuna has developed a go-getter attitude, willing to jump headfirst into danger, but also considers to resolve issues without resorting to violence. She has learned to think and desire for herself.

During her time with the Gullwings, Rikku serves as a role model for Yuna, as she mimics some of Rikku’s eccentric behaviors and uses some of her expressions, though others sometimes reprehend her for this. Yuna has also gotten in touch with her Al Bhed heritage by learning the language. Though Yuna’s friends tease her for always getting dragged into trouble and being a pushover as she cannot refuse a call for help, she can be stern and intimidating if angered. Yuna has developed a distaste for sacrifice in the name of victory and peace, a trait Tidus instilled in her. A number of changes in her personality have her resembling Tidus, including her looks, attitude, and combat style in certain dresspheres.

So throughout the series, Yuna shows a change in her character. In X, Yuna’s reserved. In X-2 she’s still a bit reserved. But Rikku’s personality rubbed off on her. Pretty three dimensional! This is what people want, right? Character development?

Oh, not this way lol? But then again, people change. Yuna grew. I guess many people don’t like it, but why not also accept it? I don’t know if many of you can remember the past, but many people change who they are when they’re discovering themselves. The hot cheerleader from high school may wear sweatpants and a baseball cap in university. Even so, the nerdy girl could become a punk rocker chick with a year. People change.

And the shift of tone in from X to X-2 solidify this.

I don’t mean to offend or sound accusatory, but I think most gamers are kinda shy and inexperienced when it comes to women – I know I was. Yuna, being the girl-next-door type, is an example of some gamer’s perfect dream girl. She’s polite, soft-spoken and generally agreeable; this is the Yuna some gamers prefer (as she’ll probably patiently watch you play Final Fantasy X). The Yuna gamers stress out over is athletic, worldly, outspoken and exploring herself. She’s a bit too forward, in a way most inexperienced guys would be uncomfortable with, maybe even intimidated by. She knows what she wants. Fans might worry it’s not them.

Do many gamers wish Yuna was still the quiet, submissive (i.e. manageable) girl she was in X? Why not have her explore her personality to the fullest, the way she finally wants to in X-2? I don’t know.

I like the idea of the “Sad Ending” so that she doesn’t meet Tidus. In this way, she gets over him and lives on with her new life as a lesbian. Joking.