Auron

Auron is a playable character in Final Fantasy X. He is a former warrior monk of Yevon, a guardian of summoner Braska, and Tidus's caretaker. He is, in many ways, the party's mentor, as the others come to him for advice or ask for his permission. Auron's mysterious past ties into the stories of Braska and Tidus's father Jecht.

Appearance
Auron wears a red haori closed with a black and blue strap with two brown belts wrapped around it. Auron tucks his left arm into the front of his haori, making it look as though his arm is in a sling. He removes his left arm from the haori when fighting, but his right arm remains in its sleeve. This aspect (along with the jug on his side) is a tradition among rōnin, and is likely meant as homage: a rōnin is a samurai who does not serve a lord. He wears a black armored gauntlet on his right hand, and an armor brace on his left forearm.

Auron wears a brown shoulder pad on his left shoulder intricately decorated with tan, green and blue patterns with a beaded ornament dangling from it. He wears black pants and shoes that have brown straps and triangular metal plating. Auron wears a black shirt with a high gray collar with intersecting brown straps. His hair is black with gray streaks held back by a gold ribbon, and he has some stubble on his chin.

Auron has a scar over the right half his face and over his eye, which is always shut as a result. His left eye is amber, and he wears black sunglasses. On his right hip Auron carries a jug with the word "Nog" written on it (in Spiran script), a term used to describe a number of beverages, including rum. The drink is featured in two of his Overdrives: when executing Banishing Blade, Auron takes a drink and spits it on the blade, and when using Tornado, Auron hurls the jug into the cyclone to ignite it. The former is likely a homage to Japanese samurai who would spit sake on their swords to "feed the spirit of the blade."

In Final Fantasy X HD Remaster, Auron's character model was remodeled so his skin would resemble more of a real-life mid-thirties man, his hair was made longer and more disheveled, his shades have better transparency, and the details on his clothing are sharper.

Personality
Auron is a strict, no-nonsense warrior with a dry wit who carries himself with grace and dignity, maintaining many subtle mannerisms of a traditional samurai. He is the strong silent type, speaking when he feels it's necessary—usually offering his knowledge and insight in relevant situations, or sharing stories of his past experiences as a young guardian. As a result of his devotion to High Summoner Braska, Auron is idolized across Spira by many aspiring guardians.

Auron proves his imperishable loyalty to Braska and Jecht, but, beneath the silence, he is outraged over the events of ten years ago. He has become cynical, having little-to-no respect for Yevon. Despite his normally collected demeanor, Auron harbors feelings of self-loathing. He claims to Tidus and Wakka that though he is seen as a great guardian, he considers his past self (like them) foolish and young.

Auron exhibits some fatherly tendencies with Tidus and Yuna, due to the promise he made to Jecht and Braska that he would look after their children. Auron is patient towards Tidus's childish behavior and insists he be accepted as a guardian to Yuna much to others' surprise. Tidus reminds him of Jecht, and Auron enjoys pointing out the similarities, much to Tidus's annoyance. Auron becomes irritated at hold-ups during the pilgrimage, and does not hesitate to enter shops operated by the Al Bhed or use machina despite Yevon's opposition of them.

Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima has compared Auron to Vincent Valentine of Final Fantasy VII, stating that, though the two are meant to be silent characters, they often have something important to say. "Auron's Story" in the Final Fantasy X Scenario Ultimania sheds some more light on his character. It is revealed Auron resents the adoration he receives as the "legendary guardian," feeling it undeserved, as he never partook in Braska's pilgrimage to become famous, but to support Braska's sincere desire to rid Spira of sorrow. He is overcome with regret for their failure to save Spira and views Braska's sacrifice as futile, blaming himself for being unable to stop him.

Final Fantasy X
As a young man of twenty-five years, Auron was a devoted warrior monk of Bevelle, well-regarded by Yevon's upper echelons, and being groomed for a high-ranking position within the clergy. His personal convictions put a stop to any career ambitions he might have had when he refused to marry the daughter of a high-ranking priest. Auron fell out of favor with the Yevon elite, and the promotion went to his friend Wen Kinoc, who would eventually become a Maester of Yevon.

Auron was enlisted by summoner Braska to serve as a guardian on his upcoming pilgrimage to fight Sin, the monster that has terrorized Spira for a millennium. Auron was drawn to Braska due to his noble character and honest intentions to vanquish Sin for the sake of Spira, developing a fierce devotion to him and his cause, addressing him with honor and defending him to detractors.

Prior to departing Auron and Braska paid a visit to a Bevelle holding cell, having heard of a man claiming to hail from Zanarkand being kept there. The other monks dismissed Jecht's proclamations as the ramblings of a drunkard, but Braska took him seriously, telling Jecht that if he joined the pilgrimage he could go home. Though Auron protested and thought Jecht an unfit guardian, Braska thought it "delightful irony" that a disgraced monk, a summoner with a "heathen" Al Bhed wife and "half-breed" daughter, and a drunk from Zanarkand, would be saving Spira together. Auron relented, and the three outcasts began their pilgrimage.

Contrasting with the patient Braska and the laid-back Jecht, Auron was focused, insisting the trip "is no pleasure cruise" when Jecht attempted to record a travelogue to show to his family back in Zanarkand, and reprimanded Jecht for his frequently reckless behavior. Over the course of the pilgrimage Auron grew to trust Jecht in spite of his flaws, and the three became close friends.

After arriving at the ruins of Zanarkand, the three were debriefed by Lady Yunalesca, an ancient unsent summoner who bestows the Final Aeon to those who complete the pilgrimage. As with all previous summoners and previously unknown to the three, one of Braska's guardians would have to volunteer to become the fayth for the Final Aeon. Auron protested, claiming Sin will return and their sacrifices would be in vain, but Braska held onto hope that this time Sin would be gone for good. Jecht volunteered to become the aeon as he had accepted he would never return home, but asked Auron to find a way to his Zanarkand and look after his son Tidus in his stead. Jecht and Braska lost their lives fighting Sin, but brought forth a Calm.

Auron returned to Yunalesca, outraged at the sacrifices Braska and Jecht had made, and attacked her. Yunalesca struck him down, scarring Auron's face and blinding him in one eye. Heavily wounded, Auron crawled down Mt. Gagazet to the Calm Lands, resting in a travel agency owned by Rin before continuing on to Bevelle. Auron landed on the outskirts of the city, and was found by the recently-disgraced Kimahri Ronso.

Dying, Auron asked Kimahri to protect Braska's daughter Yuna and take her to Besaid, as Braska had deemed it a lovely place during his pilgrimage, hoping his daughter could grow up there. Auron died, but due to the promises he had made to Braska and Jecht, his loyalty bound him to the mortal realm and he remained as an unsent to complete these tasks. After Braska's Calm was over, Sin returned and the cycle continued with Jecht, as the Final Aeon, as the core of the new Sin. Being an unsent and thus composed of pyreflies, Auron rode Sin out to sea where he found the Dream Zanarkand Jecht hailed from. Dream Zanarkand is a summoned city modeled after the Zanarkand of a thousand years ago summoned into existence by the ancient summoner Yu Yevon who exists inside Sin. There he mentored and watched over Jecht's only son Tidus keeping the promise he made to his friend.

Ten years later, Jecht, in the form of Sin, returns to Dream Zanarkand communicating to Auron to bring Tidus to Spira. Auron helps Tidus fight off Sinspawn as Sin destroys Dream Zanarkand and the two are drawn into the beast. Tidus surfaces in the ruins of Baaj, but Auron is nowhere to be found.

Auron reunites with Tidus in Luca during a fiend outbreak secretly organized by Maester Seymour Guado, joining Braska's daughter Yuna on her pilgrimage. Tidus, who has joined Yuna's party, blames Auron for all that has happened and demands answers. Auron tells Tidus Sin is Jecht, but Tidus does not believe him. Tidus and Auron join Yuna as her guardians, and begin their trip toward Zanarkand. Auron conceals the truth of Yevon and the pilgrimage from the group, and while Tidus comes to accept Jecht's fate, Auron explicitly instructs him not to tell the others, especially Yuna.

"Auron's Story" in the Final Fantasy X Scenario Ultimania reveals that Auron doesn't intend to let Yuna repeat the same mistakes as him and his friends had, but understands the resolve summoners possess. Auron knows that for Yuna, who has inherited Braska's will, Spirans' happiness is her life's purpose. Even if Auron told her about his futile pilgrimage, it would be meaningless if Yuna doesn't learn the truth with her own eyes and doesn't pass judgment on it herself. Auron must also look after Tidus, the youth who, like Jecht, goes on the pilgrimage without knowing anything about Spira. In Dream Zanarkand life had been easy, but Auron knows Jecht didn't wish for his son to live that way. Thus Auron wanted to lead Tidus into Spira to weave his own story of no regrets, which Auron wasn't able to achieve, and devotes to assisting Yuna and Tidus as he does not want to "force the script of his design onto them." This is the essence of the pilgrimage—discovering the truth about Spira.

No one suspects Auron is an unsent, but as Yuna performs the sending for Jyscal Guado in Guadosalam, Auron doubles over in pain. Shortly before this, Seymour had remarked Auron smelled of the Farplane. During their trek through the Thunder Plains the party regroups in a travel agency and Rin, who treated Auron ten years ago, mentions he had doubted someone could walk with such a severe wound the next day. Upon learning Seymour had murdered his father to succeed him as Maester Yuna confronts him. The situation escalates as Seymour summons his aeon Anima against them and the party is forced to kill him. Seymour becomes an unsent and Yuna and her guardians are labeled traitors of Yevon. Auron encourages Yuna to continue her pilgrimage regardless, saying it is the fayth who grant summoners their powers, not the temples.

When the party reaches Zanarkand the pyreflies in the air replay moments of Braska's journey through the ruined city. During a particularly painful memory Auron attacks the specter of his past self speaking to Braska. Confronting Yunalesca, now informed on the true nature of Sin and Yevon, Yuna refuses to use the Final Aeon, which would only continue Spira's spiral of death. Yunalesca prepares to engage the party as Auron spurs them on, exhorting them to "live and fight your sorrow." After the group defeats Yunalesca and exits Zanarkand Dome, Auron tells Tidus he is an unsent, and that he was killed by Yunalesca.

Having learned of Yu Yevon, the ancient summoner who uses Sin as his armor, the party comes up with another way to save Spira by invading Sin's innards with the Al Bhed's airship. Inside Sin Auron and Tidus meet Jecht one final time who transforms into Braska's Final Aeon. The party defeats him forcing Yu Yevon to emerge, and after the latter is vanquished, Yuna sends the fayth, but falters when she sees Auron fading into pyreflies. Auron tells her to continue, now able to rest peacefully with Braska and Jecht avenged and the cycle of Sin's rebirth broken. Auron dissolves into pyreflies and is sent to the Farplane. As Tidus fades from existence with the fayth no longer dreaming him, he leaps off the deck of the airship and is met by the spirits of Braska, Auron, and Jecht in the Farplane.

Final Fantasy X-2
Auron's voice, together with those of Braska and Jecht, encourages Yuna in the final battle against Shuyin and Vegnagun. He also appears during a brief flashback when Maechen's memories flare outside Zanarkand, and in the "Gippal's Sphere" recording set during the events of Final Fantasy X when the party is separated in the Bikanel Desert. Auron is viewable in Shinra's Dossiers.

Final Fantasy X -Will-
A year later, Tidus, Wakka, Lulu and Yuna meet a young woman named Chuami who claims to be Auron's long-lost daughter according to her deceased mother. Lulu claims she doesn't look like Auron and that many have claimed to be the children of Auron, Jecht, and Braska. Chuami says she takes after her mother, who would not have lied to her, but Lulu says Auron would have mentioned having children as he wasn't the type of person to hide such a thing.

Gameplay


Auron has high HP and Strength, making him a strong physical attacker able to defeat the tougher fiends. He has low Agility making him slow and less reliable against fiends with higher Evasion. Auron's Sphere Grid path provides many Break abilities which weaken the defense and strengths of opponents. His Overdrive is Bushido, which provides various abilities which deal damage towards many or a single enemy depending on Auron's stats, and if buttons are correctly input, with more abilities unlocked by acquiring Jecht Spheres. His Celestial Weapon is Masamune, and he wears Bracers for armor.

In the International and HD Remaster releases of Final Fantasy X-2, Auron can be fought as a boss during the Farplane Cup in the Fiend Arena. After defeating him and winning the cup, he can be recruited as a party member through the Creature Creator system. The abilities Auron can naturally learn are Full Break, Dragon Fang, and Shooting Star. Like all monster allies, Auron can use any of the common dresspheres and he is controlled by the game's AI.

An Auron Sphere Break coin is available, won from the Bevelle Core Sphere player in the Luca Stadium.

Creation and development
In the original plot draft for Final Fantasy X Auron was the acclaimed commander of the Crimson Blades in the present day. A plot twist involved Tidus being an undead, but due to the release of the film The Sixth Sense this was moved from the main character to Auron. Scenario writer Daisuke Watanabe considered having Auron be Jecht in disguise, watching Tidus all along, but the team did not want to make Jecht have a leading part in the story so they gave up on this idea.

Voice
Auron is voiced by Hideo Ishikawa in the Japanese﻿ version. He shares his Japanese voice actor with Cait Sith from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Squall Leonhart from Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy (and by extension, from the  series), and Qator Bashtar from Final Fantasy Type-0.

He is voiced by Matt McKenzie in the English version. McKenzie has not voiced any other video game characters.

The localized versions did not re-animate the characters' lip movements from the original Japanese version. As his mouth is covered, Auron's voice doesn't need to match mouth movements, giving him slightly more freedom in his delivery compared to most characters.

Musical themes
"Auron's Theme" is featured on the original soundtrack, and is first heard when Tidus catches up with him in Luca and demands to know just who he is. It can also be heard after the final battle.

For Final Fantasy X HD Remaster, "Auron's Theme" was remastered by Junya Nakano using real instruments. It is slightly more upbeat than the original.

Other appearances
Auron has appeared in the following games in the Final Fantasy series:
 * Final Fantasy Tactics S as a playable character.
 * Theatrhythm Final Fantasy as a playable character.
 * Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call as a playable character.
 * Pictlogica Final Fantasy as a playable character.
 * Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade as summonable Legend.
 * Final Fantasy Artniks as a series of cards.
 * Final Fantasy All the Bravest as a playable character.
 * Final Fantasy Record Keeper as a playable character.
 * Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as a series of cards.
 * Triple Triad as a card.

Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances
Auron has made key guest appearances in the following non-Final Fantasy games:
 * Kingdom Hearts series as a support character.
 * Itadaki Street series as a playable character.
 * Square Enix Legend World.
 * Puzzle & Dragons as a playable character.

Games
In Gunslinger Stratos 2, a costume based on Auron is available.

Etymology
As Tidus's name derives from the Okinawan word for "sun," Auron's name could symbolize his bringing of Tidus into Spira.

Trivia

 * Auron's battle stance is similar to that of Blank from Final Fantasy IX.
 * Auron is the name of a Ghost Card in Dissidia Final Fantasy. The Auron ghost is a Level 100 Jecht, and has the Blue Gem and Al Bhed Primer to be won through battlegen. The quote on the card, "This is it. This is your story. It all begins here," is what Auron said to Tidus in Final Fantasy X as they left Zanarkand in the beginning. Jecht's alternate costume alludes to Auron's costume, coloring his clothing and spikes red and his sword black, red and gold like Auron's Masamune.
 * Auron was twenty-five when he became an unsent. While the other met unsent appear static, still appearing youthful even after hundreds of years, Auron has aged since his transition. Whether this is the pyreflies aging him accordingly, or Auron's own choice to appear older, is never explained.
 * Of the characters featured in Kingdom Hearts, Auron is one of three Final Fantasy characters, along with Cloud Strife and Zack Fair, who are active party members.