Zanarkand Zanarkand is a former metropolis at Spira ' s northernmost edge in " Final Fantasy X " and " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . In the English localization , Zanarkand is . Story . " Final Fantasy X - 2 . 5 ~ Eien no Daishō ~ " . Many summoners used to live on Besaid Island during the time of the Machina War between Bevelle and Zanarkand . Summoners are described as those with an enhanced sensitivity to pyreflies , trained to fight against Zanarkand while living a life of suppression regardless of their own desires . Summoners took the name of a " god " and once they died or became an unsent , they gave up that name , reverting to their original name with another succeeding the god ' s name . During this time mages and assassins from Zanarkand invaded Besaid , carrying bombs that resembled blitzball s to eliminate the summoners , and the practice of summoning was apparently wiped out from the island . " Final Fantasy X " . There are , in fact , two Zanarkands : the real Zanarkand that was annihilated by Sin at the end of the Machina War against Bevelle 1000 years ago , and the Dream Zanarkand , the exact reproduction of what Zanarkand was before its destruction , created directly from the memories of its former inhabitants . The original Zanarkand was a city state whose people wished to enhance their lives using a mix of magic imbued within machina . The city state of Bevelle was militarized and focused on machina . Bevelle believed Zanarkand was planning a war and so Bevelle struck first . During the war Yu Yevon , the leader of Zanarkand and the most powerful summoner in Spira , used this might to fight off the armies of Bevelle . They were unable to stop Bevelle and Yu Yevon sacrificed the people of Zanarkand , turning them into the fayth needed for the ultimate summoning , to preserve the metropolis in a dream state at the height of its power . Yu Yevon summoned a creature of unspeakable power to defend it , that became to be known as Sin . Yu Yevon gave the creature two objectives : defend Dream Zanarkand and destroy any large city or cities that rely on machina . Unable to control Sin ' s power , Yu Yevon ' s mind became consumed and the newly summoned Sin turned on Zanarkand itself , destroying the metropolis . A thousand years later the Zanarkand Ruins is the final destination of the summoners ' pilgrimage to defeat Sin . Known as a holy place by Spirans , the ruins are unseen by all except the few summoners and their guardians who prove themselves worthy . Thus , Zanarkand has become mythologized as a fabled land at the end of the world where summoners can obtain the Final Aeon . Swarming with pyreflies , Zanarkand is a haven for many fiends , including zombie forms of Warrior Monks who lost their lives during the Machina War . The pyreflies react to memories and recreate events from times past . During their journey through the ruins , Tidus , Yuna and their comrades witness visions of their predecessors , including Lady Yocun , a young Seymour and his mother , as well as Braska , Jecht , and a young Auron . Upon entering the Zanarkand Dome and completing the Cloister of Trials , one last challenge awaits the travelers : the Spectral Keeper . When the monster has been defeated Lady Yunalesca welcomes the summoner and the guardians and bestows upon them the Final Aeon , albeit at a heavy price . The summoner must ask Yunalesca to turn their guardian into the fayth required for the Final Summoning . If the bond between the summoner and their former guardian is strong enough , the Final Aeon will destroy Yu Yevon ' s armor , Sin . The freed Yu Yevon will then possess the Final Aeon , killing the summoner , and fashion a new Sin with the Final Aeon as its core . Summoner Yuna and her guardians journey to Zanarkand and set up camp outside the ruins before continuing . Upon meeting Yunalesca and learning of Sin ' s cyclical existence , Yuna rejects the tradition of Final Summoning as false hope , and refuses to choose any of her guardians for a sacrifice . Yunalesca attempts to kill Yuna and her guardians to release them from the sorrow of having lost their final hope , and for having rejected the teachings of Yevon . Yuna and her guardians prevail and Yunalesca fades away , and with her the practise of Final Summoning . Outside the Zanarkand Dome the party spots Sin , but it appears mournful rather than aggressive . One of Yuna ' s guardians , Tidus silently promises Sin they will find another way to release it , for Sin ' s core is Tidus ' s father , Jecht , who was made the Final Aeon during a previous pilgrimage . The party is picked up by Cid ' s airship , the " Fahrenheit " . If the party returns to Zanarkand , they may find summoner Dona and her guardian Barthello mourning the lack of Final Aeon ( only if the party encouraged her to keep with her pilgrimage earlier ) , and if they descend to the Dome again they are attacked by Dark Bahamut . " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . During the Eternal Calm , Cid and Isaaru turn Zanarkand into a tourist attraction and people from all over Spira visit it . Buddy detects sphere waves emanating from the Zanarkand Ruins and Yuna , Rikku and Paine go investigate . Yuna and Rikku are angered the ruins have become a tourist attraction , Rikku comparing it to turning the ruins of Home into a theme park . They explain their views to Cid who leaves Zanarkand to spend his time pondering his options at the Thunder Plains . YRP runs into both the Kinderguardians and the Leblanc Syndicate , and at the bottom of the ruins finds half of a broken sphere . After encouraging the local monkey species to populate the ruins , Cid , the tourists , and eventually Isaaru , abandon the ruins . Near the end of their journey the Gullwings meet Maechen in Zanarkand and discover he is an unsent . Ready to rest in peace , Maechen departs on the Farplane . If Yuna asked the fayth to revive Tidus the two travel to Zanarkand Ruins where Tidus ponders about how the fayth put him back together again , and how they should enjoy the time they have together . Quests . " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . Chocobo Treasures . Sending a chocobo to Zanarkand Ruins to look for treasures finds the following items ( depending on the chocobo ' s level ) : Episode Complete . To get Episode Complete in Zanarkand , the player must follow these steps : Zanarkand is known for the Episode Complete bug . If the player completes the episode in Zanarkand last they won ' t be transported back to the " Celsius " and thus the scene where the Gullwings earn the Mascot dressphere is never triggered , even if the player fulfilled the requirements for it . The player stays in Zanarkand , so they can talk to Maechen without having to revisit . However , if the player has not yet completed the Den of Woe or the Chocobo Ranch sidequests , this will remedy the problem as they will be transported back to the " Celsius " upon completion . Missions . Claim the Treasure Sphere . " Treasure Sphere Waves have been traced to the Zanarkand Ruins , once holy ground . Don ' t be the last sphere hunters to claim the prize ! " Musical themes . Several different music tracks are played in Zanarkand in " Final Fantasy X " . When the party first reach the Zanarkand Ruins , " Zanarkand " is played , which is also the main theme of " Final Fantasy X " . " A Fleeting Dream " is played along the road towards the Zanarkand Dome and the random encounter battles . The Zanarkand theme also makes an appearance during " Dissidia Final Fantasy " as the background music during Tidus ' s story segment . An entirely new track for the ruins , called " Zanarkand Ruins " on the original soundtrack , plays in " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . The track is arranged on a solo piano in the " Final Fantasy X - 2 Piano Collection " album . Other appearances . " Dissidia Final Fantasy " . One of the rooms from the Online Lobby in " Dissidia Final Fantasy " is named Zanarkand . " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " . Zanarkand is present as a room for preset characters of the game ' s Multiplayer Mode Online Lobby . " Final Fantasy Record Keeper " . Zanarkand is unlocked by completing Mako Reactor No . 5 in the " Final Fantasy VII " realm . Completion of this dungeon unlocks Besaid in the " Final Fantasy X " realm . " Theatrhythm Final Fantasy " . Zanarkand , both during day and night , appears as the Field Music Sequence for " Zanarkand " , and " A Fleeting Dream " respectively . The former only appears during a Dark Note . " Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call " . Zanarkand returns as the FMS for both themes , and " KUON : Memories of Waves and Light " . " Final Fantasy All the Bravest " . The Zanarkand Ruins appears as a downloadable world in " Final Fantasy All the Bravest " . Etymology . The name Zanarkand comes from Samarkand , In the original plot draft for " Final Fantasy X " , Zanarkand was called , but the name was changed because an actual place of the same name exists . It was Kazushige Nojima ' s idea to use a name ending in either " - stan " or " - kand " .