Seymour Guado

Seymour Guado is an antagonist in Final Fantasy X, as well as a guest in a battle. As a Maester in the temple of Yevon, Seymour has influence over Spira, but uses his power towards a sinister end. According to the Final Fantasy X Scenario Ultimania Seymour is the Minister of Temple Affairs, which maintains the temples' rituals and teachings and oversees the summoners. This position allows one the authority to handle records of the sealed histories. Seymour is a skilled mage and a summoner himself.

Appearance
Seymour is a tall Guado-human hybrid who has purple eyes, light blue hair with two long horn-like locks running down his back, and a large bang of hair falling over his face. His ornate robes are unlike the other Maesters' of Yevon, being predominantly dark blue with red trimmings and a green sash. The robe above Seymour's waist is open, exposing his chest, and his sleeves fall to partially cover his hands.

As a half-Guado Seymour's fingers are more pointed than a human's, but not as long as a Guado's. His ears are rounded and human-like unlike the elfish ears of the Guado. The veins on Seymour's face are pronounced and there are veins arching over his stomach, another trait passed from the Guado. Seymour wields a staff in battle, though he is more proficient with magic.

Personality
Seymour believes, as many do, that Sin is eternal and sees death as a release from the sorrow of life, a mindset that gains him respect from the majority of Spira with only Tidus and Auron showing distrust and dislike for him in their first meeting. Seymour appears courteous and affable, and is popular among Yevonites.

Due to his harsh and lonely upbringing, Seymour has nihilistic views on life. When called upon he drops the pretenses and reveals his true nature as an arrogant and cruel man. He has feelings for summoner Yuna, whom he proposes to, but much of this attraction is due to a desire to gain her powers, so he can become the next Sin.

Seymour does not hesitate to kill anyone who stands in the way of his objectives, rationalizing that by murdering them, he has saved them from the pain of life. In his last battle with the party he states he will use the power of Sin to continue Spira's cycle of sorrow forever.

Though he is undoubtedly evil-natured, much of his malice stems from the trauma he suffered in his childhood. The Guado considered his birth a heresy and he had to witness his mother turn into a fayth. According to the Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega, Seymour genuinely cares for Yuna, and Final Fantasy X-2 shows Seymour gave Baralai refuge without asking anything in return.

Final Fantasy X
Seymour is the son of Jyscal, who became leader of the Guado, and a human woman. Though his existence was meant to foster friendship between the Guado and human races, it only made him the target of both races' hatred. Fearing strife from his people over what they saw as an impure abomination, Jyscal had the wife of his retainer, Tromell, take the eight-year-old Seymour and his mother out of Guadosalam in the dead of night and bring them to the island of Baaj to live in exile.

When he was but ten years old Seymour was brought to Zanarkand where his mother intended to become a fayth so her son could use her aeon incarnation, Anima, to win the peoples' love by destroying Sin and bringing the Calm. Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega elaborates that Seymour's mother was dying, motivating her desire to become a fayth for her son even though she knew of the mechanics of the Final Summoning through Jyscal, as the Guado possess their own records that tell of Spira's sealed histories in fragments. Jyscal was aware of Seymour and his mother going to the Zanarkand Ruins, and privately supported it. Not caring for acceptance if it meant losing her, Seymour mourned for his mother and didn't use her aeon to battle Sin. Seymour returned to Baaj alone and spent his remaining childhood in the temple where his isolation inspired his nihilistic views on life and death.

At eighteen years of age, during High Summoner Braska's Calm, Seymour's exile was revoked and he was summoned back to Guadosalam to help his father in the duties of a Yevon priest. A year later, Jyscal became a Maester of Yevon as part of Grand Maester Yo Mika's "sub-races appeasement policy."

Seven years after returning to Guadosalam, Seymour assumed the post of high priest of Macalania Temple at Mika's nomination. He secretly traveled to the Zanarkand Ruins to transport Anima's fayth to the abandoned Baaj Temple and sealed it up. Afterward Seymour frequented Baaj and during these visits began formulating his plan. The rejection and loneliness of his childhood and his mother's sacrifice had made Seymour nihilistic and he longed to become Sin and destroy the world, "releasing" Spirans from the suffering of existence. Seymour made his first move only two weeks prior to Tidus's arrival in Spira by murdering his father to succeed him as the leader of the Guado and as a Maester of Yevon.

Yuna and her guardians encounter Seymour in Luca, when Grand Maester Yo Mika announces Seymour's position as a Maester. Seymour secretly has fiends released within the blitzball stadium to win the spectators' trust by summoning Anima to dispatch them. Seymour meets Yuna and her companions soon after when their pilgrimage is hindered due to a combined effort of the Crusaders and Al Bhed to battle Sin using machina called Operation Mi'ihen. Though machina use violates Yevon's teachings, Seymour respects the groups' hope of saving Spira, though both he and Maester Wen Kinoc believe it will fail. As Sin appears at the call of Sinspawn Gui, Seymour protects Yuna from the creature before aiding her and Auron in destroying it. Afterwards, while discussing with Yuna how her role as a summoner is to be a beacon of strength to the people, Seymour offers to be her beacon.

When Yuna's party arrives in Guadosalam, having entertained Baralai before them, Seymour summons the party to his manor where he shows a sphere depicting the ancient city of Zanarkand. It displays images of Yunalesca and Lord Zaon, the first summoner said to have defeated Sin with the Final Aeon and her husband. Seymour asks Yuna to marry him, if not for love, then to give the people of Spira reason to celebrate. Seymour gives her leave to think his offer over and departs to Macalania Temple. Seymour recognizes Auron as an unsent, stating that the Guado are keen to the scent of the Farplane.

When Yuna's visit to the Farplane ends with her sending the spirit of Jyscal that had tried to leave, Yuna learns of Seymour's act of patricide from the sphere the spirit leaves behind. Not wanting to get her guardians involved, Yuna decides to accept Seymour's proposal to personally deal with him. Arriving after Yuna and Seymour entered the Macalania Temple's Cloister of Trials, her guardians find Jyscal's sphere in Yuna's belongings and view it. Confronted by Yuna's guardians before Yuna emerges from the Chamber of the Fayth, Seymour admits his crime while deducing Yuna's true intentions. The confrontation escalates and after his bodyguards and Anima are defeated, Seymour falls in battle and dies. Tromell and the Guado carry away his lifeless body, refusing to let Yuna perform the sending. Due to his emotional ties to the world, Seymour's spirit becomes an unsent.

When Yuna is taken by the Al Bhed to their Home on Bikanel island, the Guado abduct her during their attack on Home. Once Yuna is brought to Bevelle, Seymour marries her despite her guardians crashing the wedding. Seymour uses them as hostages to force Yuna to comply under the lie that he would spare them once the ceremony is complete. Yuna summons Valefor to escape, while her guardians use Rikku's flash bomb as a distraction to meet up with her in Bevelle Temple, after which they are arrested by Yevon officials.

Yuna and her guardians are placed on trial for treason, with Yuna pleading her case to the Maesters of Seymour's actions and nature. Kelk Ronso is disturbed to learn Seymour murdered his father, and Mika reveals himself as an unsent. Yuna and her guardians are thrown into the Via Purifico, and Seymour volunteers to guard the exit in case they emerge alive. Maester Kinoc, not trusting Seymour, accompanies him. After Yuna and her guardians escape, they find Seymour waiting for them on the Highbridge. Seymour has murdered Kinoc and explains his views on life and death along with his goal to use Yuna to become the next Sin to fulfill his goal to save Spira by killing everyone. Seymour absorbs surrounding pyreflies, including those around Kinoc's corpse, and becomes Seymour Natus whom the party battles. He is defeated, and the group escapes Bevelle.

Yuna and her group continue the pilgrimage to Mt. Gagazet where the Ronso live. Kelk Ronso, having abandoned Yevon, allows Yuna to pass while he and his kin hold off her pursuers. The Guado invade Gagazet with Seymour killing off Kelk and any Ronso standing his way. At the mountain's summit, Seymour overhears Tidus speaking about his father, Jecht, who is the current incarnation of Sin. Offering Tidus his father's freedom, Seymour tells Kimahri—a Ronso and one of Yuna's guardians—the fate of his people before transforming into Seymour Flux. He is again defeated and vanishes.

Yuna makes it to Zanarkand, but upon learning of the Final Summoning's true nature she rejects it. The party is forced to kill Yunalesca, ending the tradition of Final Summoning for good. The party finds a new way to battle Sin by attacking it directly and invading it with Cid's airship. They discover Seymour has been absorbed by Sin as he attempts to learn how to control it from the inside. Stating that Sin is unstoppable without Yunalesca and the Final Aeon, Seymour becomes Seymour Omnis. Once he is defeated, Seymour prophesies that Spira's sorrow will prevail even after he is gone, and Yuna finally sends him.

Final Fantasy X-2
In the next two years, due to their allegiance with Seymour, the Guado have been ostracized from most of Spira. If the party obtains Baralai's Sphere, it shows Seymour before greeting Yuna's party when he gives Baralai sanctuary in Guadosalam after the ordeal he went through in the Den of Woe.

In the International and HD Remaster versions, the Fiend Tale of a Flan Azul reveals that the fiend was once a Guado who was loyal to Seymour. The Guado died two years ago trying to find him, and upon learning Seymour was sent, Flan Azul asks to be taken to the Macalania Woods where he first met his master with the intent to pass on to the Farplane. After having a dream of Seymour striking him on the head, Flan Azul believes his master is not truly gone and decides to travel Spira a bit longer.

As a party member


Seymour temporarily joins Yuna and Auron during the battle against Sinspawn Gui in Operation Mi'ihen. After this battle, he is never controllable again. If the player hacks Seymour into the party permanently, he doesn't have a Sphere Grid and the player can't equip him with anything new. He can still gain sphere levels but he doesn't show up in the menu screen so the player can't upgrade his stats or customize him. Since Seymour doesn't appear in the main menu, he doesn't have an in-game portrait. Also, using a Save Sphere will ignore Seymour and not heal him.

When Seymour is low on HP he will slouch over. When he is at below quarter HP he will kneel on one knee with his staff supporting him. Though Seymour has a victory pose, the battle he participates in doesn't use victory poses, and thus the player can only see it if they hack Seymour into their party for other battles.

The staff Seymour wields has a unique model. It is simply named Seymour Staff, and has the Piercing ability. He also wears a unique piece of armor around his right ankle, simply named Seymour Armor, which has the Sensor ability.

Stats
Seymour is a guest, and as such he doesn't have a Sphere Grid, so his base stats (barring Strength and Magic, which can be seen by using Scan on Seymour) can't be seen or upgraded.

Abilities
Seymour is a proficient sorcerer, able to cast a variety of low level Black Magic and White Magic. Although Seymour has an aeon, Anima, that is among the most powerful aeons, it cannot be summoned during the time Seymour is playable. His Overdrive is called Requiem, and deals non-elemental damage to all enemies.

Boss


Seymour is faced as a boss in Macalania Temple accompanied by two Guado Guardians. He summons Anima during the battle. Later, Seymour can absorb pyreflies to transform into increasingly powerful forms: Seymour Natus, Seymour Flux, and Seymour Omnis. During these battles Seymour is accompanied by the Mortibody, the Mortiorchis, and the Mortiphasms.

Seymour relies on casting elemental magic and using combo attacks with whichever form of the Mortibody he has with him. He will Banish any aeon summoned after one turn.

Final Fantasy X-2
Seymour can be recruited as a party member through the Creature Creator system. To recruit Seymour, the player must defeat him in the Farplane Cup in the Fiend Arena and must win the cup after.

The abilities Seymour can naturally learn are Demi, Black Sky, and Meteor, though he can also use Flare, Hero Drinks, and Requiem. Like all monster allies, Seymour can use any of the common dresspheres and he is controlled by the game's AI.

Voice
Seymour is voiced by Junichi Suwabe in the Japanese version. He shares his Japanese voice actor with Tseng from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Jassu, Zanar, and the Hypello race from Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, and Nimbus from Final Fantasy Type-0.

He is voiced by Alex Fernandez in the English version.

It is unknown who voiced young Seymour, as no voice actor is credited for the role.

Musical themes
"Seymour's Theme" is a haunting piece with a slow tempo played with many different instruments, with string instruments playing the main melody for most of the piece and was composed by Nobuo Uematsu. It also has three variations: "Seymour's Ambition," "Patricide," and "The Unsent Laugh." "Seymour's Ambition" plays during the first fight against him in Macalania Temple and when he reveals how he will execute his ultimate goal at Mt. Gagazet. "Patricide" plays when he reveals his plans to Yo Mika. His final character theme, "The Unsent Laugh" plays when the party confronts Seymour the final time inside Sin in the Garden of Pain. During the battle with Seymour Omnis, "Fight With Seymour", an original track containing a motif from Seymour's character theme, plays.

For Final Fantasy X HD Remaster, Junya Nakano arranged "Seymour's Theme" and "Seymour's Ambition," while Masashi Hamauzu arranged "The Unsent Laugh" with real instruments. "Seymour's Ambition" got more church choir along with more prominent metal beat, and "The Unsent Laugh" received slightly more modern and mysterious tone.

Other appearances
Seymour has made appearances in the following games in the Final Fantasy series:
 * Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia as a playable character.
 * Theatrhythm Final Fantasy as a boss.
 * Pictlogica Final Fantasy as a playable character.
 * Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade as a summonable Legend.
 * Final Fantasy Record Keeper as a playable character and a boss.
 * Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as a series of cards.

Merchandise
Seymour has a Play Arts action figure. Seymour Natus appears as an action figure in the Final Fantasy X Monster Collection of figurines, although it is called "Seymour Evolution" on the box. This figurine has also been packaged together with a figure of Diamond Weapon from Final Fantasy VII for a Final Fantasy Creatures set. Four Coca-Cola bottle cap figurines for Seymour also exist; a chibi version and a figure with normal proportions, and colored and "red crystal" versions of both.

Etymology and symbolism
His name in romaji is Shīmoa. As shī can be translated to "death," this is likely the reason Seymour's name was chosen. This is further reflected in the fact he is fought four times, with four—or shī—being symbolic of death in Japan.

The names of Seymour's forms in the Japanese games translate to "Reincarnation" for Seymour Natus, "Final Reincarnation" for Seymour Flux, and "Ultimate Reincarnation" for Seymour Omnis. Their English names are taken from Latin: natus means "born." flux is derived from fluxus, meaning "flow," and omnis means "to all."

Seymour's character has some religious allusions to Jesus. Kimahri's Celestial Weapon, Longinus, refers to the soldier in the bible who stabbed Jesus Christ with his spear before he was taken down from the cross. In Bevelle, when the party meets Seymour, Kimahri stabs Seymour in the chest with his spear. Previously, when Seymour died in Macalania Temple, he fell to the floor assuming the same pose as Jesus on the cross. Seymour Guado envisions himself as a messiah, but he can be compared to a false prophet, as he preaches for unification yet tricks the people of Yevon and plans to become Sin with the intention of destroying Spira.

Trivia

 * Seymour is one of the few Final Fantasy interracial characters, along with Cecil Harvey, Golbez, Terra Branford, Aerith Gainsborough and Yuna.
 * The Guado Mansion's foyer has portraits of a young Seymour, Jyscal, and two other Guado. The latter two are likely Jyscal's father and paternal grandfather.
 * Seymour was considered to be in the original Dissidia Final Fantasy as the Chaos representative of Final Fantasy X, but was rejected in favor of Jecht. Various traits of his, however, were included with Emperor Mateus in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, and the rivalry between Yuna and the Emperor in that game, and to a lesser extent, the rivalry between Tidus and the Emperor from Dissidia is similar to their rivalry with Seymour Guado.
 * If the player obtains the aeon Anima and uses her against Seymour, he responds, "You would oppose me as well? So be it."
 * According to a female Ronso in Luca, Seymour was the first summoner ever appointed a Maester of Yevon in the temple's long history.
 * According to Japanese voice actor Junichi Suwabe, Seymour was known by many nicknames, including "naked necktie" due to the beads that form a similar shape to a necktie on Seymour's chest.