Farplane (Final Fantasy X)



The Farplane (異界) is a gathering place for the dead in the world of Spira, in Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2. The spirits of the dead enter the Farplane either after they have been sent by a summoner, or after they die having accepted death. If the spirits are not sent to the Farplane, they remain as the unsent and begin to envy the living, which then turns into hatred transforming them into fiends.

The Farplane can be visited by the living through an entrance at Guadosalam. The pyreflies react to the visitors' memories to conjure an image of the dead person, but if one thinks of a person still living, the image will not be shown. The Farplane still is not completely understood by the inhabitants of Spira. The Guado are the keepers of the Farplane and they have the ability to sense the unsent.

Origin
The concept of the Farplane may draw inspiration from the Japanese mythology, of yomi (黄泉), the Japanese word for the underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits; according to Shinto mythology this is where the dead go to dwell indefinitely. The realm of the dead seems to have geographical continuity with the world of the living and cannot be thought of as a paradise, nor can it appropriately be described as a hell; rather, all deceased carry on a shadowy existence in perpetuity regardless of their behavior in life.

Final Fantasy X
Everyone in the party, except for Rikku and Auron, enter the Farplane while the party travels through Guadosalam. Rikku, being an Al Bhed, believes the dead in the Farplane are just an illusion created by pyreflies reacting to the visitors' memories (though she cannot explain how living people cannot appear). Auron refuses to enter but doesn't give a reason for his reluctance, although it probably has to do with him being an unsent and perhaps would not be able to physically leave upon entering.

It is revealed to Tidus that his father, Jecht, is indeed alive, as he doesn't appear in the Farplane, while his mother does. While the group moves out of the Farplane area, they are met by the ghost of Maester Jyscal Guado that creates a great stir, since only spirits who died unclean deaths can leave the Farplane. Yuna Sends Jyscal back into the Farplane and during the Sending, Auron falls to his knees.

Lulu visits the Farplane if the party returns to Guadosalam after the events in the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth to mourn the Lady Ginnem who remained unsent until the party defeated her. Tromell can also be found on the Farplane mourning Maester Jyscal and Maester Seymour Guado, but the party only sees Maester Jyscal, because Seymour stays an unsent until Yuna finally sends him Within Sin.

The Venus Crest for Lulu's Celestial Weapon, Onion Knight, can be found in a chest at the Farplane.

Final Fantasy X-2
It is revealed late in Final Fantasy X-2 that the Farplane is at the heart of Spira, most likely meaning its core. Furthermore, the living can actually traverse through even the deepest reaches of the Farplane without the immediate danger of dying, unless one falls to the hordes of fiends.

Two years after the Eternal Calm's beginning, Shuyin begins his quest to destroy all of Spira and digs tunnels into each of the Yevon temples under the fayth statue that lead into the Farplane where Shuyin had taken Bevelle's ancient machina weapon, Vegnagun. Fiends begin pouring directly into the temples from the Farplane; unfortunately, the aeons, which were once connected to the fayth statues, are also caught up in the wake of Shuyin's hatred and have to be destroyed. The final battle against Vegnagun and Shuyin takes place deep in the Farplane after Yuna, Rikku and Paine jump into the tunnels to follow Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal.

After the party returns from the Farplane for the first time, Shinra hypothesizes there is boundless energy in the Farplane that could be harnessed to build cities full of light, like the Zanarkand of the past, but Yuna soon realizes this would never be accomplished within her lifetime. Kazushige Nojima has actually revealed in the official Ultimania guide interviews this scene of Shinra speaking of harnessing the Farplane's power to produce energy ties to Final Fantasy VII and the Lifestream the Shinra Electric Power Company uses to produce Mako energy.

Areas

 * Road to the Farplane
 * Farplane Abyss
 * Heart of the Farplane
 * Vegnagun

Enemies

 * Adamantortoise
 * Aeshma
 * Aka Manah
 * Anima
 * Arast
 * Azi Dahaka
 * Cindy
 * Claret Dragon
 * Dark Elemental
 * Dolmen
 * Earth Worm
 * Great Malboro
 * Gug
 * Jahi
 * Lich
 * Mindy
 * Monolith
 * Omega Weapon
 * Sandy
 * Shiva
 * Taromaiti
 * Tindalos
 * Varan
 * Volcano
 * Wight

Road to the Farplane

 * Mega-Potion x2
 * Mana Tonic
 * Turbo Ether x2
 * Elixir
 * Shining Gem x2

Heart of the Farplane

 * Megalixir
 * Turbo Ether x3
 * Mega Phoenix x2

Musical Themes
"Wandering Flame" is a track which plays in Final Fantasy X', whilst "Farplane Abyss" plays in Final Fantasy X-2.

Gallery
Abyssum Etéreo