People of Spira, I thank you for your generous welcome.
Yo Mika
Yo Mika is the grand maester of Yevon and spiritual leader of Spira in Final Fantasy X and minor character in Final Fantasy X-2. He is revered as a peaceful and stabilizing influence in Spira, having brought both the Ronso and the Guado to the Yevon faith during his tenure as grand maester.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Mika is an elderly figure who wears traditional Yevonite clothing. He is bald and has a prominent, triangular neck-length beard. He is typically seen with his eyes half closed.
Personality[]
As the spiritual leader of the world of Spira, Mika appears as a calm, conciliating, grandfatherly, and wise person, able to provide guidance, peace, and reassurance to the world, showing a warm, polite disposition.
In truth, Mika is a master manipulator and cunning liar, perpetuating Yevon's false preaches of salvation while hiding the religion's true face. He does not tolerate opposition neither to himself, much less Yevon, and feels nothing about executing people if necessary. Yuna initially believes that he will listen to their reasoning after Seymour's death. However, Mika supports Maester Seymour who admits to killing his father during the trial. When Mika learns that Maester Kelk is disturbed by Seymour's patricide, he scorns the Ronso leader behind his back, claiming that his race is "hard headed, and hardly useful", hinting that despite welcoming Kelk as a maester to improve race relations, Mika holds racist views.
The bulk of Mika's motivations may be rooted on nihilism and disillusionment rather than avarice and self-profiting, as he sees the futility of defying Sin and its spiral of death. He believes no true salvation exists, much contrary to what his religion preaches, preferring to offer Spira a false sense of hope, and thus stability, than have it sink in despair and potentially into chaos. Given his desire to remain leading the religion even as an unsent, he is self-serving, arrogant, and at heart a hypocrite, caring about Yevon—and by proxy his interests—first, instead of doing actual good to the world. Mika is inconsistent with his beliefs and opportunistic. Despite prisoners being exonerated if they escape the Via Purifico, Mika ensures it will not happen by having Seymour stand guard at the exit to kill Yuna and her guardians. After learning that Yuna visited Yunalesca, Mika forgives her group's crimes and allows them to return Bevelle, hoping they will bring another Calm.
Contrary to his attachment to his duty, Mika has a weak will that collapses after learning of Yunalesca's demise, succumbing to despair and refusing to believe in alternatives or fight to save the world. Mika sees the destruction of Yevon's core practice as tantamount to the loss of the world's only hope, however false it was.
Story[]
Final Fantasy X[]
Mika in Luca.
Mika first appears in Luca, where he is celebrating his 50th year as grand maester by attending the blitzball tournament held in his honor. He introduces Seymour Guado, the newly appointed maester who has succeeded his father, Jyscal, following his death. When Tidus learns Mika has been grand maester for half a century, he asks "Shouldn't he be retired now?", much to Wakka's annoyance.
After the battle with Seymour at Macalania Temple, Mika appears in Bevelle at Yuna's forced marriage to the now unsent Seymour. When Yuna escapes upon Valefor into the temple, Mika places her and her guardians on trial for Seymour's murder.
Mika reveals his true nature.
It becomes clear there is a deep conspiracy surrounding Bevelle and Yevon. Mika reveals himself as an unsent, claiming that even in death, his leadership is "invaluable to Spira." As Yuna and her friends dig deeper into this web of lies, Mika reveals that Sin cannot be defeated, and the teachings claiming that atonement for the crimes committed during the Machina War can defeat it are false. Only the hope that summoners bring when temporarily calming Sin keeps Spira going.
When Mika learns that the party have destroyed Yunalesca and thus the only means of producing a brief Calm, he descends into despair and disperses into pyreflies, willingly leaving Spira to its destruction with no intent to witness it. Before vanishing, he mentions Yu Yevon, which gives Yuna's party the clue they need to ending Sin permanently.
Final Fantasy X-2[]
Mika in Via Infinito before becoming Concherer.
When Yuna, Rikku, and Paine encounter Mika two years later in the Via Infinito, he has become the fiend Concherer.
Musical themes[]
Mika's theme is called "Grand Maester Mika" on Final Fantasy X: Original Soundtrack. It is first played at Maester Mika's appearance in Luca and was composed by Junya Nakano.
Voice[]
Mika is voiced by Dwight Schultz in the English version.
Gallery[]
Citations[]
- ↑ Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega