Seymour Guado

Seymour Guado is the secondary antagonist of 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 him the authority to handle records of the sealed histories. He is also the High Priest of Macalania Temple. Seymour is a skilled mage and a summoner himself.
==Profile==
===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', being predominantly dark blue with red trimmings and a green sash. The robe above Seymour's waist is open, exposing his chest with leonine tattoos , 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. Seymour appears courteous and affable, and is popular among Yevonites.
Due to his harsh and lonely upbringing, Seymour has nihilistic views on life. When confronted 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 that 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. The Guado considered his birth a heresy and he had to witness his mother turn into a fayth. Final Fantasy X-2 shows that Seymour gave Baralai refuge without asking anything in return.
==Story==
===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 remote 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 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, Anima, 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. Only two weeks prior to Tidus's arrival in Spira Seymour murdered his father under mysterious circumstances, and succeeded him as the leader of the Guado and as a maester of Yevon. Seymour is the first summoner ever appointed a maester of Yevon in the temple's long history.
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 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 Lady 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, one of Yuna's guardians, 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 secret settlement 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 her guardians 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 so he can 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 in his way. At the mountain's summit, Seymour overhears Tidus speak 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 Gullwings obtain 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. He 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 dreaming of Seymour striking him on the head, Flan Azul believes his master is not truly gone and decides to travel Spira a bit longer.
==Gameplay==
===Final Fantasy X===
====As a party member====
Seymour temporarily joins Yuna and Auron as a guest during the battle against Sinspawn Gui in Operation Mi'ihen. Though he can gain sphere levels, he is never controllable again after the battle.
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. When using an item, he reaches into his sleeve.
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.
If Seymour is hacked into the party, he doesn't appear in the menu screen or on the Sphere Grid, and the player cannot view or change his equipment. Using a Save Sphere will not heal him either, and he lacks an in-game portrait. Though he has a victory pose, a Provoke animation, an alternate ability animation (for Skills, Lancet, and Entrust), and can appear in the Switch menu, these cannot be seen in the battle he participates in. He also cannot learn any Overdrive Modes.
=====Stats=====
Seymour's base stats cannot be viewed normally, barring Strength and Magic, which can be seen by using Scan on him.
Stat 	Base Value
HP 	1200
MP 	999
Strength 	20
Defense 	25
Magic 	35
Magic Defense	100
Agility 	20
Luck 	18
Evasion 	10
Accuracy 	10
=====Abilities=====
right|250px
Seymour is a proficient sorcerer, able to cast a variety of low level Black and White Magic. Although he has an aeon, Anima, that is among the most powerful aeons, she cannot be summoned during the time Seymour is playable. His Overdrive, Requiem, deals non-elemental damage to all enemies. If Requiem is used in other battles (not possible in a normal playthrough), the camera will not shift away from Seymour.
Ally Abilities 	Ally Abilities
Wht Magic 	Blk Magic
Cure, CuraScan, NulBlaze,NulShock, NulTide	Fire, FiraBlizzard, BlizzaraThunder, ThundaraWater, Watera
====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 in the second and third fights, and dispel the party all at once in the second, third, and fourth.
===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, Flare, and Requiem, though he can also use Black Sky, Meteor and Hero Drinks. Like all monster allies, Seymour can use any of the common dresspheres and he is controlled by the game's AI.
====Boss====
====Sphere Break====
==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. It was composed by Nobuo Uematsu and 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. "Fight With Seymour" was rearranged by Nobuo Uematsu and Tsutomu Narita.
==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 Brave Exvius as a summonable vision.
*Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as a series of cards.
==Behind the scenes==
===Final Fantasy X===
One of the character development system proposals for Final Fantasy X was a "tattoo system" where characters would have a 100x100 grid, and upon level up could place "tattoos" down to boost stats and learn abilities. Seymour's, Jecht's and Brother's tattoos (which they still have in the final game) are a remnant of this system where different tattoos would confer what abilities the bearer could use.
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.
===Dissidia Final Fantasy===
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 are 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. Highlighting their similarities, the background music for fighting the Emperor as Yuna and Tidus, respectively, in both games' story modes is "Fight With Seymour."
===Miscellaneous===
Seymour Flux appearing as a boss on Mt. Gagazet and his ability to transform party members into zombies with the Lance of Atrophy attack served as one of the influences for the Dragon Zombie's inclusion as a boss on the Hallowed Massif in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin. The Hallowed Massif location in the title is based on Mt. Gagazet. 
===Voice===
Seymour is voiced by Jun'ichi Suwabe in the Japanese version, sharing the said voice actor with Tseng from the Final Fantasy VII series, 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.
==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.
Seymour-play-arts.png|Play Arts figurine.
Seymour-natus-action-figure.jpg|Final Fantasy X Monster Collection #7 figurine.
Final-Fantasy-Creatures-Diamond-Weapon-Seymour-Natus.jpg|Seymour Natus packaged with Diamond Weapon.
Seymour-coca-cola-bottle-cap.png|Coca-Cola figurine.
==Gallery==
==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 being 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 is often depicted 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.
==Notes==
===Annotations===
===Citations===
de:Seymor Guado
es:Seymour Guado
fr:Seymour Guado
it:Seymour Guado
pt-br:Seymour Guado
ru:Сеймур Гуадо
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy X
Category:Guest characters
Guado, Seymour
Category:Guado
Guado, Seymour
Category:Mixed races
Category:Antagonists