Baralai

Baralai is a non-playable character from Final Fantasy X-2 and the current praetor of New Yevon. As their newly elected official, the other party members and the citizens of Spira deeply respect him. New Yevon takes a conservative approach, their motto being "one thing at a time". However, their furtive habits–including sphere theft–have earned them a general lack of trust.
==Profile==
===Appearance===
Baralai is a dark-skinned young man with brown eyes and short silver hair styled in a quiff, held back with a blue headband. He wears clothing typical of a Yevonite priest but with alterations; rather than a robe he wears a yellow trimmed green coat with orange panels and glyphs on the chest and black-and-white panels bearing glyphs on the lower portion. The collar comes up to his chin and he has a red rope running through silver eyelets, and he wears brown bands on the sleeves. An elaborate black and white strip extends down his back. Underneath the coat he wears a khaki wrap shirt, brown codpiece, khaki trousers, and brown boots. Despite being of Yevonite origin and stating in a Crimson Report that he is reluctant to use machina, Baralai uses a handgun for a weapon.
===Personality===
Baralai at first glance is softspoken and polite, eager to take on the role of praetor. He does not judge Yuna for her past crimes against Yevon, but asks her to have faith. Despite this, he harbors pain from past betrayals and can be quick to anger.
==Story==
===Final Fantasy X-2===
Baralai aspired to join the Crimson Squad, a new elite force of the Crusaders. Their final test was to enter the Den of Woe and investigate the rumored illusions said to appear within. Baralai's aim was to discover the true secrets behind Kinoc's orders while he attended to Operation Mi'ihen. Baralai was grouped with Gippal, Nooj and their sphere recorder Paine. The four found the mission easy to begin with, but things started to look different as they continued through the den.
When the squad reached the center of the cave they found the other squad members had slaughtered each other. Unknown to everyone they had been possessed by a malevolent spirit residing in the den, Shuyin, who can control those who are as deep in malice. Shuyin possessed Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal to have them kill each other, but Paine pleaded with them to put an end to the madness. Though the trio snapped out of their trance, Shuyin remained latent in Nooj's body as they escaped the den.
The four were the only surviving members of the Crimson Squad and Kinoc ordered them executed to cover up the failed mission. The four escaped and decided to part to draw less attention. Shuyin, still residing inside Nooj's body, took control of him to shoot his departing friends in the back. A wounded Baralai made his way to Guadosalam where Seymour Guado gave him refuge.
Soon after the Eternal Calm began and the church of Yevon collapsed, Baralai emerged from hiding and joined the New Yevon party, eventually being elected praetor. He bore a grudge against Nooj, now leading the opposing Youth League with a mission to collect ancient sphere recordings and release them to the public, contrary to New Yevon's approach of cataloging them but not publicizing all findings in fear of rousing unrest. Yuna, Rikku and Paine, now members of a sphere hunting group called the Gullwings, meet Baralai in Bevelle, but Baralai and Paine pretend to not know one another.
After acquiring the so-called Awesome Sphere in Kilika, the Gullwings give it to the Youth League or the New Yevon; if they give it to New Yevon they gain Baralai's trust, but if they side with the Youth League, Baralai will be cold toward them. The Awesome Sphere shows images of Vegnagun, an ancient machina weapon and one of Yevon's ancient secrets, and Yuna heads to Bevelle to take out the threat it poses to Spira. Vegnagun can act on its own and sense those who mean it harm, and so Baralai attempts to keep Yuna from approaching it and possibly activating it by accident. The Shuyin-controlled Nooj activates Vegnagun, and it retreats into the far reaches of the Farplane.
Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal gather within the depths of Bevelle to attempt to solve the Vegnagun crisis only for old wounds to be brought up. Baralai confronts Nooj about his betrayal and Shuyin reveals he was possessing Nooj by leaving him to control Baralai, feeding off his hatred towards Nooj. Baralai, now under Shuyin's control, follows Vegnagun's trail to the Farplane with Nooj and Gippal in pursuit.
During this time Yuna is busy running around Spira defeating the fiends that have appeared within the former temples of Yevon. After an incident with an Ixion possessed by Shuyin, she falls into the Farplane where she meets the Shuyin-controlled Baralai. Yuna is wearing the Songstress dressphere, making Shuyin mistake her for Lenne, his former lover from a thousand years ago. After telling "Lenne" he wishes for both of them to use Vegnagun to end all wars for good by destroying Spira, Shuyin in Baralai's body opens a portal to travel deeper into the Farplane. Nooj and Gippal follow him, asking for Yuna to keep things under control "topside".
Spira descends into chaos with the faction leaders missing and Yuna quells the populace's anger by performing a concert. She discovers Shuyin's true nature and that he is possessing Baralai, and decides to use Shuyin's love for Lenne to get him to leave Baralai's body and assume a physical form. Yuna and her friends team up with Nooj and Gippal and Leblanc to destroy Vegnagun together, and afterward Yuna confronts Shuyin still in Baralai's body. Shuyin abandons Baralai and assumes a physical form, allowing the Gullwings to defeat him. Lenne's spirit emerges from Yuna's dressphere and the two fade away together.
Baralai returns as the leader of New Yevon and settles his differences with Nooj and Gippal. The three give a speech at the Luca stadium and reassure Spirans that the Calm will continue.
===Final Fantasy X -Will-===
During the audio drama unlocked at the end of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, it is revealed that Baralai becomes the leader of the Spiran Council. He has sent two council members, Chuami and Kurgum, to Besaid to look for Yuna, as weird things have started happening and the dead are returning to Spira from the Farplane.
==Gameplay==
Baralai is fought as a boss in Bevelle during Chapter 2. An illusion of him, created by the pyreflies and Shuyin, is fought at Den of Woe during Chapter 5. Baralai can also be fought in the Fiend Arena.
Baralai is an agile fighter who attacks quickly and relentlessly. The player should watch out for his Drill Shot (a Blue Bullet ability), which in most cases will KO a character, and the Looming Glacier, which can inflict Stop and reduce MP to zero. In the Coliseum, Baralai can enhance his Strength and Magic.
In the International and HD Remaster versions of Final Fantasy X-2, the Creature Creator feature allows Baralai to join the party as an ally in battle. He retains his Glint and Looming Glacier moves from his boss battle and is available via a Trap pod SP in Bevelle from Chapter 3 onwards if the player has completed the events in the Den of Woe (outside of New Game Plus, he is only available in Chapter 5).
==Other appearances==
===Final Fantasy Artniks===
FFX-2 Baralai R+ L Artniks.png|Final Fantasy Artniks.
===Final Fantasy Record Keeper===
===Final Fantasy Trading Card Game===
Baralai appears in Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as Thunder- and Wind-elemental cards.
Baralai TCG.png|Baralai [2-077C] Chapter series card.
Baralai 1-200S from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Baralai [1-200S] Opus series card.
==Voice==
Baralai is voiced by Kenji Sobu in the Japanese version and Josh Gomez in the English version. His English voice actor is the younger brother of Rick Gomez, who voices Gippal.
==Gallery==
102b-baralai_v1.jpg|Coloured costume concepts.
102b-baralai_v2.jpg|Costume concepts.
Baralia_Nooj.png|Baralai threatens Nooj.
Baralai possessed.jpg|Baralai possessed.
Baralai possessed2.jpg|Baralai possessed.
Crimson sphere scene.jpg|Baralai and Gippal.
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy X-2
de:Baralai