I am the blade of vengeance. They dare only whisper my name: Yojimbo.
Yojimbo, Final Fantasy X
Yojimbo is an optional aeon in Final Fantasy X. By visiting the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth, the player can hire him to become Yuna's aeon. Yojimbo acts as a sword-for-hire and has four attacks depending on how much the player pays him, as well as a complex mathematical formula based on his worker-employer relationship with Yuna and several other factors. Yojimbo functions similarly to Odin and Gilgamesh from previous Final Fantasy games. His most powerful attack, Zanmato, instantly kills fiends and bosses.
Characteristics[]
Yojimbo is a colossal ornamental samurai wielding a katana, clad in colorful robes in a gradient of gold, orange, and purple. He wears elaborately detailed full body armor: top-heavy pauldrons that protrude gold whorling spirals akin to the topmost post of tori Shinto gates and hang his high rank indicating jinbaori jacket akin to a cape, a gold embossed jingasa hat, geta shoes, and a fanged face mask evoking menpo masks on samurai armor. He is accompanied by his dog, Daigoro. His fayth is bound by ribbons, which read "SEAL" in Yevon script; this evokes similar practices of ofuda within Shinto practices, in where strips of holy paper with written prayers and incantations known as norito are used as talismans to help contain and control spiritual power or to repel demons, and have been witnessed to be done on swords that are considered powerful but calamitous or evil. On his fayth statue, his sword and shield read "Mea Culpa" in Spiran and Yevon scripts.
Yojimbo is a "lost" aeon, his fayth being held in the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth, presumably having been stolen away from a temple by those rebelling against the pilgrimage tradition. Some summoners and their guardians brave the fiend-infested cavern regardless to pray on his fayth and gain his allegiance. Yuna succeeds in this effort and Yojimbo joins her. If Tidus later returns to the fayth's chamber after learning the truth of Dream Zanarkand, Yojimbo's fayth assures him that he will never be forgotten.
Obtained[]
Yojimbo can be recruited at the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth near the entrance to Mt. Gagazet.
Yojimbo will first ask Yuna a question regarding her purpose in trying to acquire his help. Her choice here will affect Yojimbo's behavior in battle and his probability in using his attacks. As for his payment, Yojimbo will initially ask the player for hundreds of thousands of gil, but it is possible to haggle with him.
To obtain Yojimbo for the cheapest price, the player should select the third option, "To defeat the most powerful of enemies". He will ask for 250,000 gil, but the player should offer 125,001 (50% of his offer) gil. Yojimbo will counter with 225,000 gil, and the player should offer 157,501 (70% of his offer) gil. Yojimbo will counteroffer with 211,500 gil, and the player should offer 148,051 (70% of his offer) gil. Yojimbo will then give his final price of 198,810 gil, where the player must offer at least 178,931 (90% of his offer) gil, which Yojimbo should accept.
When attempting to offer Yojimbo the least amount of gil at any stage other than the very first, he may reject a seemingly valid offer. This occurs if the player begins to input a new offer too quickly. Waiting approximately 5–8 seconds before beginning to enter the new offer will resolve this.
If the player pays Yojimbo triple what he is asking at any point, he will give two Teleport Spheres as a token of appreciation.
Obtaining Yojimbo in the Final Fantasy X HD Remaster version earns the It's All About The Money trophy/achievement.
Battle[]
With a wave of the summoner's staff, a night-time dimension forms, featuring a single sakura tree in bloom with blue flowers. A bark is heard, and Yojimbo's dog, Daigoro, appears to greet the summoner. Yojimbo emerges from behind the tree, turns with a sweep of his coat and calls upon his dog to start the battle.
His victory pose has him make a hand gesture and bow his head.
When dismissed, Yojimbo makes hand gestures, commanding his dog, Daigoro, to flee, and will disappear into dust and cherry blossom petals.
Stats[]
Yojimbo's stats are modest, with particularly high Defense and Evasion. He lacks default abilities, nor can the player teach him any, since he cannot be controlled freely.
- Base stats
Stat | Base Value |
---|---|
HP | 1030 |
MP | 0 |
Strength | 29 |
Defense | 25 |
Magic | 16 |
Magic Defense | 23 |
Agility | 9 |
Luck | 17 |
Evasion | 59 |
Accuracy | 19 |
- Stat growth
The player can increase Yojimbo's MP, though he cannot make use of it.
Number of battles N | Max HP | Max MP | Strength | Defense | Magic | Magic Defense | Agility | Evasion | Accuracy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 59 | 1030 | 0 | 29 | 25 | 16 | 23 | 9 | 59 | 19 |
60 to 89 | 1120 | 0 | 31 | 26 | 18 | 26 | 9 | 62 | 20 |
90 to 119 | 1246 | 0 | 32 | 32 | 20 | 27 | 11 | 63 | 21 |
120 to 149 | 1327 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 20 | 30 | 11 | 63 | 22 |
150 to 179 | 1399 | 0 | 35 | 34 | 23 | 33 | 11 | 63 | 22 |
180 to 209 | 1561 | 0 | 37 | 36 | 23 | 37 | 13 | 71 | 24 |
210 to 239 | 1624 | 0 | 38 | 36 | 25 | 41 | 13 | 71 | 24 |
240 to 269 | 1714 | 0 | 40 | 38 | 28 | 41 | 16 | 72 | 25 |
270 to 299 | 1858 | 0 | 42 | 39 | 31 | 42 | 17 | 81 | 27 |
300 to 329 | 2020 | 0 | 44 | 51 | 32 | 46 | 18 | 81 | 28 |
330 to 359 | 2110 | 0 | 46 | 52 | 34 | 46 | 19 | 89 | 29 |
360 to 389 | 2182 | 0 | 47 | 53 | 35 | 51 | 21 | 89 | 30 |
390 to 419 | 2326 | 0 | 49 | 55 | 37 | 55 | 22 | 90 | 31 |
420 to 449 | 2452 | 0 | 51 | 56 | 38 | 55 | 23 | 97 | 32 |
450 to 479 | 2542 | 0 | 52 | 57 | 41 | 60 | 24 | 98 | 33 |
480 to 509 | 2650 | 0 | 54 | 69 | 42 | 60 | 26 | 105 | 34 |
510 to 539 | 2758 | 0 | 56 | 70 | 44 | 60 | 27 | 106 | 35 |
540 to 569 | 2830 | 0 | 57 | 71 | 44 | 65 | 27 | 113 | 36 |
570 to 599 | 2992 | 0 | 59 | 72 | 48 | 65 | 30 | 114 | 37 |
600 and more | 3064 | 0 | 61 | 73 | 48 | 69 | 30 | 122 | 38 |
Abilities[]
- See the Summon and Overdrive sequences here.
Description[]
At the start of his turn, Yojimbo decides whether he will attack for free, consuming the turn without allowing player input. When he chooses not to execute a free attack, the options available to the player are Pay and Dismiss. He cannot be directly controlled and cannot use Shield or Boost. At the expense of paying him a sum of gil each turn (paying 0 will dismiss him), he will personally use these attacks at his discretion:
- Daigoro: Yojimbo's dog will attack on his command. It is Yojimbo's weakest move, and he will shake his head in disapproval of the amount of money received. He cannot use this on long range targets.
- Kozuka: Yojimbo throws several kozuka (a special throwing knife made to fit inside a wakizashi's scabbard) at a single target.
- Wakizashi: Yojimbo draws a powerful ground-rending and air-cutting slash that targets single or multiple targets with his wakizashi (short sword).
- Zanmato: Yojimbo calls his katana out of a dark portal in the ground, from which it flies into the air. Catching it and inspecting its quality, he unsheathes it and rushes headlong into opposition, bisecting all enemies. It kills any enemy in the game, with the exceptions of Yunalesca and Braska's Final Aeon, who will move to the next form (unless they have already reached their final form, in which case Zanmato will kill them). Some enemies will not be sliced in half, instead displaying their regular death animation. Yojimbo will nod upon receiving the money.
Yojimbo acquires the ability to exceed maximum damage once Auron obtains and charges his Celestial Weapon, the Masamune.
Attack formulas[]
Yojimbo picks a move based on his motivation, a value calculated in two different ways depending on whether the attack is free or paid. Partly random, a new value for motivation is calculated at the beginning of each turn, and ranges from 0 to 249.25. Each of Yojimbo's moves has its own predefined range; range 0 to 32 belongs to Daigoro for instance. Each turn, motivation falls within a range that belongs to a single move, which decides the aeon's action for that turn.
Various factors affect Yojimbo's decisions. They are described further down this page, and are combined by the following formulas.
Formula | |
---|---|
Attack for free if... | |
...translates to odds of free attack | |
Free motivation | |
Paid motivation PAL & HD[2] |
|
Navigation | |
Math help • Compatibility • Payment • Hiring modifier • Zanmato resistance • Overdrive bonus • Insights |
If paid motivation is strictly below 80, it is immediately recalculated with the same formula, but a new random number is used and the enemy's Zanmato Level is overridden, always replaced with level 1. This may affect the Zanmato resistance factor.
Motivation | Attack |
---|---|
Up to 32 excluded | Daigoro |
From 32 to 48 excluded | Kozuka |
From 48 to 63 excluded | Single-target Wakizashi |
From 63 to 80 excluded | Multi-target Wakizashi |
80 or above |
|
|
- is a whole number from 0 to 63, taken randomly with equal chances for each value
- , this is the floor function
- The function should have its own button in your operating system's default calculator, or you can alternatively check pre-calculated results in the Payment section.
Compatibility[]
Yuna and Yojimbo's compatibility is a whole number between 0 and 255. It is the only non-random factor affecting Yojimbo's move during a free attack. When Yojimbo is summoned for the first time in a Final Fantasy X playthrough, compatibility is 128 in International, PAL and HD remaster versions, and 50 in original Japanese and NTSC versions. This value changes depending on how Yojimbo is treated and the attacks he performs. The game remembers it from one battle to the next, but the player cannot normally access this value and would therefore have to keep track of it manually whenever they would summon this aeon.
Event | 0-gil payment | Yojimbo's death | First-turn dismissal | Daigoro | Kozuka | Single-target Wakizashi | Multi-target Wakizashi | Zanmato |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Compatibility | -20 | -10 | -3 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +3 | +4 |
When Yojimbo is dismissed as soon as summoned, compatibility is lowered by 3; it is unclear whether the penalty also applies on a second-turn dismissal after a free attack was executed on first turn.
- Jump back to attack formulas
Payment[]
Yuna's gil payment to Yojimbo has a significant impact on motivation, especially in PAL and HD versions, but provides greatly diminishing returns. It affects motivation in thresholds. Each threshold starts at a power of two gil (e.g. 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, ...), and any amount of gil until the next power of two is nothing but wasted money. For example, a 1,023 gil payment weighs the same on motivation as 512 gil; 1,024 gil are needed to weight more.
The table below shows results for part of the paid motivation formula, namely, in PAL & HD versions:
Payment | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 32 | 64 | 128 | 256 | 512 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weight PAL & HD |
Dismiss | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 28 |
Weight NTSC |
Dismiss | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 |
Payment | 1,024 | 2,048 | 4,096 | 8,192 | 16,384 | 32,768 | 65,536 | 131,072 | 262,144 | 524,288 |
Weight PAL & HD |
32 | 36 | 40 | 44 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 |
Weight NTSC |
18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 |
Payment | 1,048,576 | 2,097,152 | 4,194,304 | 8,388,608 | 16,777,216 | 33,554,432 | 67,108,864 | 134,217,728 | 268,435,456 | 536,870,912 |
Weight PAL & HD |
72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 108 |
Weight NTSC |
38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 | 50 | 52 | 54 | 56 |
If the player needs to find the lowest payment needed to get at least a certain weight they want, they may use the following formula; with the 4s replaced with 2s in NTSC versions:
- Jump back to attack formulas
Hiring modifier[]
When Yojimbo is first met, he will ask Yuna why she wishes to wield his power. What she says cannot be changed and weighs on Yojimbo's motivation for paid attacks.
Answer | Hiring modifier |
---|---|
To train as a summoner | |
To gain the power to destroy fiends | 1 |
To defeat the most powerful of enemies | 1 |
The first choice is not recommended unless the party plans to have little to no money, because Yuna needs to pay half of her total gil just to get even with the other dialogue choices.
In addition to the hiring modifier, Yuna's answer has an effect on the Zanmato resistance factor.
- Jump back to attack formulas
Zanmato resistance[]
Every enemy in Final Fantasy X has a Zanmato Level, a whole number between 1 and 6 that is used to determine the "Zanmato resistance" factor of Yojimbo's paid motivation formula. By cutting down motivation coming from compatibility, payment and hiring purpose, Zanmato resistance makes it harder to reach 80 before the recalculation step of the formula, making Zanmato less likely.
Regardless, if Yuna's answer when she first hired Yojimbo was "To defeat the most powerful of enemies", relative to other answers, the aeon will have reduced chances to execute Zanmato against almost all random encounters (Zanmato Level 1), but increased chances to execute it in all other battles (Zanmato Level 2–6).
Answer | Zanmato Level | Zanmato resistance |
---|---|---|
To train as a summoner | 1 to 6 | |
To gain the power to destroy fiends | ||
To defeat the most powerful of enemies | ||
1 to 3 | 0.8 | |
4 to 6 | 0.4 |
As a rule of thumb, most bosses and all arena monsters from Area Conquest and Species Conquest are Zanmato Level 4, all Original arena creations but Neslug (4) and Shinryu (4) are level 5, all Dark Aeons but possibly Dark Ixion (6) are level 5, and Penance and Braska's Final Aeon are of the highest Zanmato Level; 6 in PAL and HD versions, 5 in NTSC.
- Jump back to attack formulas
Overdrive bonus[]
When Yojimbo's Overdrive gauge is full, an Overdrive bonus of 20 is added to his motivation for paid attacks. This will fully deplete the gauge. Yuna cannot decide to keep the Overdrive for later: when the gauge becomes full, the aeon will use it on his next paid attack.
- Jump back to attack formulas
Insights[]
- The following insights apply to the International, PAL, and HD versions of the game.
In battle, Yojimbo should be paid in powers of 2 (64 gil, 128, 256, 512, etc.) to avoid wasting money. When initially hiring the aeon, the best dialogue choice is the third one, "To defeat the most powerful of enemies", as it arguably produces the most interesting combination of "Hiring modifier" and "Zanmato resistance". All insights below assume this choice was made.
Against Zanmato Level 2–6 opponents, free attacks can never produce Zanmato. Yet, free attacks become more frequent as compatibility grows:
Compatibility | 0 | 50 | 100 | 128 | 150 | 200 | 255 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Odds | 0% | 4.7% | 9.8% | 12.5% | 14.5% | 19.5% | 24.6% |
The odds of Zanmato before Yojimbo has decided whether to strike for free or ask for payment are still somewhat lower at 0 compatibility than they are at 255. It is only justified to count free attacks as decreasing the odds of Zanmato when Yojimbo has non-negligible chances to be killed as a result of one, and the player was hoping to pay for Zanmato at least one more time. In all other cases, 255 compatibility is significantly better than 0.
To make it simpler for the player to manually keep track of compatibility, Yojimbo should not be left to die, should not be dismissed immediately after being summoned, and should be paid at least enough to avoid Daigoro.
Compatibility | 0–39 | 40–79 | 80–119 | 120–159 | 160–199 | 200–239 | 240–255 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gil | 4096 | 2048 | 1024 | 512 | 256 | 128 | 64 |
When it comes to free attacks, Daigoro is out of the picture starting from a compatibility of 128. Starting from a compatibility of 252, free attacks have a nearly 3 in 4 chance to be Zanmato against Zanmato Level 1 opponents, and will be multi-target Wakizashi in all other cases.
Once 255 compatibility is reached, a 64-gil payment slightly surpasses a one in two chance to get at least the multi-target Wakizashi when facing Zanmato Level 1–3 opponents. Certainty would cost 65,536 gil. Enemies with Zanmato Level 4–6 are best tackled with a full Overdrive gauge, something most reliably achieved through Grand Summon. The 20-point bonus to motivation is highly valuable against strong Zanmato resistance: even at 255 compatibility, let alone Zanmato, the minimum non-Overdrive payment to merely avoid Daigoro is 65,536 gil, compared to just 16 gil with the gauge full — slightly better motivation, 4,096 times cheaper.
Odds | 1 in 4 | 1 in 3 | 2 in 5 | 1 in 2 | 3 in 5 | 2 in 3 | 3 in 4 | 4 in 5 | Almost 9 in 10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gil | 16 | 128 | 1,024 | 16,384 | 262,144 | 2,097,152 | 16,777,216 | 67,108,864 | 536,870,912 |
Versus Zanmato Level 4–6 opponents, at the time of payment, when Yojimbo can be predicted to survive until his next turn if Zanmato fails, it is much cheaper on average to pay less with a readiness to pay twice, by dismissing and re-summoning after Yuna becomes ready for another Overdrive. As an example, at 255 compatibility, paying 16,384 gil twice nets a 3 in 4 chance to get Zanmato at least once, which is about 690 times cheaper than paying the 16,777,216 gil required to get those odds in one turn. Even if we account for the risk of getting a free attack on the re-summon, and we assume it is always followed by Yojimbo getting killed (thus preventing Yuna from paying a second time), this strategy still has odds nearly as good as paying 4,194,304 gil once, making it nearly 172 times cheaper.
To summarize, a default strategy is to go for 255 compatibility, pay the lowest amount of gil required to avoid Daigoro when fighting Zanmato Level 1–3 enemies, and use Grand Summon with a payment of 16,384 gil when facing level 4–6 foes, with a readiness to dismiss and re-Grand Summon as needed. It seems important to grow Yuna's Defense and maybe Magic Defense to make Yojimbo harder to kill, not only to reduce the risk of taking a hit to compatibility, but also to have significantly improved odds of Zanmato thanks to being able to pay several times in a single battle. Finally, when trying to predict whether there will be enough time to dismiss in case of a failed Zanmato, it is worth knowing that Grand-Summoning Yojimbo and all of his non-Zanmato attacks are Rank 3 moves — the same as a normal attack.
- Jump back to attack formulas
Boss[]
Final Fantasy X[]
Yojimbo is fought in the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth and at Remiem Temple. A possessed Yojimbo is also fought as part of the final battle.
In the International, PAL and HD Remaster versions, Dark Yojimbo can be fought in the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth after acquiring Yojimbo and re-entering the cave, reaching the end teleport pad and approaching the entrance again.
Final Fantasy X-2[]
Yojimbo returns, now possessed by Shuyin. The Gullwings fight him to save some tourists visiting The Cavern of the Stolen Fayth in the Chapter 3 "Tourist Trap" mission.
A shīsā called Kogoro, which physically resembles Daigoro, appears as part of Yuna's Trainer dressphere.
Other appearances[]
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT[]
While not physically appearing, Yuna can summon Yojimbo's Glyph to use Wakizashi.
Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia[]
Similar to Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, Yojimbo does not appear physically, however, during Yuna's Force Attack with Bartz, called Banishing Stroke, she can summon Yojimbo's Glyph. Alongside Bartz using Zeninage to pay his fee, Yojimbo will allow the two the use of his strongest Great Katana, Zanmato, to attack the enemy.
Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade[]
Final Fantasy Record Keeper[]
Yojimbo and the untargetable Daigoro have appeared together as an advanced boss. He uses his familiar moves from Final Fantasy X. Appearing in Destiny's Path, his defeat was required to obtain Yuna's Memory Crystal II as a First Time Reward. If Lulu is in the fighting party, her exchange with Lady Ginnem will be reenacted at the start of battle. Yojimbo's Final Fantasy X-2 appearance can also be encountered.
Mobius Final Fantasy[]
Yojimbo appeared as a boss during the Final Fantasy X crossover event, and could drop a dark-elemental ability card.
Final Fantasy Trading Card Game[]
Yojimbo's Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade appearance has a card.
Behind the scenes[]
Yojimbo is likely inspired by Ogami Ittō, protagonist of the manga Lone Wolf and Cub; a samurai turned killer for hire who travels the countryside with his son, Daigoro. While these characteristics are similiar, it is also possible that the Aeon is inspired by Akira Kurosawa's film of the same name, Yojimbo. In the film, the nameless samurai pits two gang lords against each other in a bidding war to see who can afford his service.
Although obtaining Yojimbo as one of Yuna's aeons is optional in gameplay terms, it is implied his acquisition is canon. Despite not explicitly being shown in the final FMV like Anima and the five primary aeons, a small being with a red hue appears towards the left before the aeons dissipate. It is unlikely that this is Anima, who dwarfs the other aeons, or the Magus Sisters, whose presence would have forced Yojimbo's acquisition anyway.
Because Yojimbo cannot learn any new abilities, the latter half of his ability animation is not normally seen, as his abilities have unique animations.
Merchandise[]
A figure of Yojimbo was made for the Final Fantasy X Action Figure Collection by ArtFX. Listed as No.2 in the series, the Yojimbo figure comes complete with Zanmato and Wakizashi swords, Kozuka throwing knife and Daigoro, as well as a mountable stand for display. A later version of "Dark Aeon Yojimbo" was released using the same figure mold and accessories, as Final Fantasy X-2 merchandise.
A figure of Yojimbo was also made for the Final Fantasy Master Creatures second set, featuring him slashing with Zanmato as Daigoro is pouncing.
Gallery[]
Etymology and origin[]
When Yuna visits Yojimbo's fayth to hire him as an aeon, he calls himself Yojimbo. Despite this, the player can still rename him. Yōjinbō (用心棒?) means "bodyguard" in Japanese. The kanji (Japanese characters) can also mean "sword/service for hire", befitting his payoff system.
In the Japanese version, Yojimbo's name is written in kanji as "用心棒" in the subtitle of every conversation, while in battle scenes and the Aeon menu, it is written in hiragana as "ようじんぼう".
Yojimbo is depicted as a samurai. Samurai were the military nobility of medieval and early-modern Japan. They were not just great swordsmen, but also powerful horse archers and martial artists of other fields. Though their status was that above commoners, samurai were bound to forms of etiquette and a way of life known as Bushido, stressing honor to one's devoted and preparing oneself in the face of death. Within samurai spirituality, while it was often thought for many samurai to be reincarnated as ashura or to continue lives of carnage and violence by their karma, many legendary samurai, from Miyamoto Musashi, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, were believed to have ascended and were deified as gods or buddhas of swordsmanship and bushido for using their craft for good.
Daigoro's aeon form resembles a komainu, a type of yōkai that resembles a mix between a lion and a dog that serves as a guardian.
External links[]
- Look here for a simplified, easy-to-understand mathematical description of Yojimbo and his attacks. It only applies to the PS2 NTSC versions originally released in Japan and North America.
- Look here for a more complex, harder to understand, but much more detailed mathematical description of Yojimbo and his attacks. It includes calculations for PAL/International versions of the game as well, along with probability (Percentile) tables for all versions.
Citations[]
- ↑ Yojimbo (HD and PS2 PAL versions) (Accessed: July 11, 2024) at GitHub
- ↑ In the original Japanese and NTSC versions, the 4s must be replaced with 2s and the 10 with a 30.