Auron

Auron is a playable character in Final Fantasy X. He is a former warrior monk of Yevon, a guardian of Summoner Braska, and Tidus's caretaker.
Auron watches over Tidus while concealing his mysterious past tying him into the stories of Braska and Tidus's father Jecht. After Auron takes Tidus to Spira, the latter learns Auron is revered as one of the greatest guardians who ever lived due to serving Braska on his successful pilgrimage. He becomes a guardian for Yuna, Braska's daughter, on her pilgrimage, and is, in many ways, the party's mentor, as the others come to him for advice or ask for his permission.
Auron wields katana and bracers in battle. His initial Sphere Grid path boosts his HP and Strength, making him slow but hard-hitting while granting him Break abilities, which weaken opponents. His Celestial Weapon, the Masamune, deals more damage the lower Auron's current HP is. His Overdrive is Bushido, and he learns new abilities by collecting movie spheres.
==Profile==
===Appearance===
Auron wears a red haori closed with a black and blue strap with two brown belts wrapped around it. Auron tucks his left arm into the front of his haori, making it look like his arm is in a sling. He removes his left arm from the haori when fighting, but his right arm remains in its sleeve. This aspect (along with the jug on his side) is a tradition among rōnin, wandering masterless samurai, and is likely an homage. He wears a black armored gauntlet on his right hand and an armor brace on his left forearm.
Auron wears a brown shoulder pad on his left shoulder intricately decorated with tan, green, and blue patterns with a beaded ornament dangling from it. He wears black pants and shoes that have brown straps and triangular metal plating. Auron wears a black shirt with a high gray collar with intersecting brown straps. His hair is black with gray streaks held back by a gold ribbon, and he has some stubble on his chin.
Auron has a scar on the right half of his face over his eye, which remains shut as a result. His left eye is amber, and he wears black sunglasses. On his right hip, Auron carries a jug with the word "Nog" written on it (in Spiran script), a term used to describe some beverages, including rum. The drink is featured in two of his Overdrives: when executing Banishing Blade, Auron takes a drink and spits it on the blade, and when using Tornado, Auron hurls the jug into the cyclone to ignite it. The former is likely a homage to Japanese samurai who would spit sake on their swords to "feed the spirit of the blade".
In Final Fantasy X HD Remaster, Auron's character model was remodeled so his skin would resemble more of a real life mid-30s man. as His hair was elongated and more disheveled, his shades have better transparency, and as for his clothing details are sharper.
Auron was 25 when he became an unsent. While the other met unsent appear static, still appearing youthful even after hundreds of years, Auron has aged since his transition. Whether this is the pyreflies aging him accordingly or Auron's own choice to appear older is never explained.
===Personality===
Auron is a strict, no-nonsense warrior with a dry wit who carries himself with grace and dignity, maintaining many subtle mannerisms of a traditional samurai. He is the strong silent type, speaking when he feels it's necessary—usually offering his knowledge and insight in relevant situations or sharing stories of his past experiences as a young guardian. As a result of his devotion to High Summoner Braska, Auron is idolized across Spira by many aspiring guardians.
Auron proves his imperishable loyalty to Braska and Jecht, but beneath the silence, he is outraged over the events of ten years ago. He has become cynical, having little-to-no respect for Yevon. Despite his usually collected demeanor, Auron harbors feelings of self-loathing. He claims to Tidus and Wakka that though he is seen as a great guardian, he considers his past self (like them) foolish and young.
Auron exhibits some fatherly tendencies with Tidus and Yuna, due to the promise he made to Jecht and Braska that he would look after their children. Auron is patient with Tidus's childish behavior and insists that he be accepted as a guardian to Yuna, much to others' surprise. Tidus reminds him of Jecht, and Auron enjoys pointing out the similarities, much to Tidus's annoyance. Auron becomes irritated at hold-ups during the pilgrimage, although he ultimately lets the party do as they please, provided it doesn't infringe on the journey. He does not hesitate to enter shops operated by the Al Bhed or use machina, despite Yevon's opposition of them.
Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima has compared Auron to Vincent Valentine of Final Fantasy VII, stating that though the two are meant to be silent characters, they often have something important to say. "Auron's Story" in the Final Fantasy X Scenario Ultimania sheds some more light on his character. Auron resents the adoration he receives as the "legendary guardian", feeling it undeserved, as he never partook in Braska's pilgrimage to become famous but to support Braska's sincere desire to rid Spira of sorrow. He is overcome with regret for their failure to save Spira and views Braska's sacrifice as futile, blaming himself for being unable to stop him.
==Story==
===Final Fantasy X===
As a young man of 25 years, Auron was a devoted warrior monk of Bevelle, well-regarded by Yevon's upper echelons groomed for a high-ranking position within the clergy. His personal convictions halted any career ambitions he might have had when he refused to marry the daughter of a high-ranking priest. Auron fell out of favor with the Yevon elite, and the promotion went to his friend Wen Kinoc, who would eventually become a Maester of Yevon.
Auron was enlisted by Summoner Braska to serve as a guardian on his upcoming pilgrimage to fight Sin, the monster that has terrorized Spira for a millennium. Auron was drawn to Braska due to his noble character and honest intentions to defeat Sin for the sake of Spira, developing a fierce devotion to him and his cause, addressing him with honor, and defending him to detractors.
Before departing, Auron and Braska paid a visit to a Bevelle holding cell, having heard of a man claiming to hail from Zanarkand being kept there. The other monks dismissed Jecht's proclamations as the ramblings of a drunkard, but Braska took him seriously, telling Jecht that if he joined the pilgrimage, he could go home. Though Auron protested and thought Jecht an unfit guardian, Braska thought it "delightful irony" that a disgraced monk, a summoner with a "heathen" Al Bhed wife and "half-breed" daughter, and a drunk from Zanarkand, would be saving Spira together. Auron relented, and the three outcasts began their pilgrimage. Contrasting with the patient Braska and the laid-back Jecht, Auron stayed focused, insisting the trip "is no pleasure cruise" when Jecht attempted to record a travelogue to show his family back in Zanarkand and reprimanded Jecht for his frequently reckless behavior. Throughout the pilgrimage, Auron grew to trust Jecht despite his flaws, and the three became close friends.
After arriving at the ruins of Zanarkand, the three were debriefed by Lady Yunalesca, an ancient unsent summoner who bestows the Final Aeon to those who complete the pilgrimage. As with all previous summoners and previously unknown to the three, one of Braska's guardians would have to volunteer to become the fayth for the Final Aeon. Auron protested, claiming Sin will return and their sacrifices would be in vain, but Braska held onto hope that Sin would be gone for good this time. Jecht volunteered to become the aeon as he had accepted he would never return home, but asked Auron to find a way to his Zanarkand and look after his son Tidus in his stead. Jecht and Braska lost their lives fighting Sin, but brought forth a Calm.
After Sin's defeat, Auron returned to attack Yunalesca, outraged at Braska and Jecht's sacrifices. Yunalesca struck him down, scarring Auron's face and blinding him in one eye. Heavily wounded, Auron crawled down Mt. Gagazet to the Calm Lands, resting in a travel agency owned by Rin before continuing to Bevelle. Auron landed on the city's outskirts and was found by the recently-disgraced Kimahri Ronso.
Dying, Auron asked Kimahri to protect Braska's daughter Yuna and take her to Besaid, as Braska had deemed it a lovely place during his pilgrimage, hoping his daughter could grow up there. Auron died, but due to the promises he had made to Braska and Jecht, his loyalty bound him to the mortal realm, and he remained as an unsent to complete these tasks. Sin returned after Braska's Calm was over, and Jecht, now the Final Aeon, became the reborn Sin's core as the cycle continued. Being an unsent and thus composed of pyreflies, Auron rode Sin out to sea where he found the Dream Zanarkand which Jecht called home. There, he mentored and watched over Jecht's only son, Tidus, keeping the promise he made to his friend.
Ten years later, Jecht, in the form of Sin, returns to Dream Zanarkand, communicating to Auron to bring Tidus to Spira. Auron helps Tidus fight off Sinspawn as Sin destroys Dream Zanarkand, and the two are drawn into the beast. Tidus surfaces in the ruins of Baaj, but Auron is nowhere to be found.
Auron reunites with Tidus in Luca during a fiend outbreak secretly organized by Maester Seymour Guado, joining Braska's daughter Yuna on her pilgrimage. Tidus, who has joined Yuna's party, blames Auron for all that has happened and demands answers. Auron tells Tidus Sin is Jecht, but Tidus does not believe him. Tidus and Auron join Yuna as her guardians and begin their trip toward Zanarkand. Auron conceals the truth of Yevon and the pilgrimage from the group, and while Tidus comes to accept Jecht's fate, Auron explicitly instructs him not to tell the others, especially Yuna.
"Auron's Story" in the Final Fantasy X Scenario Ultimania reveals that Auron doesn't intend to let Yuna repeat the same mistakes as he and his friends had, but understands the resolve summoners possess. Auron knows that for Yuna, who has inherited Braska's will, Spirans' happiness is her life's purpose. Even if Auron told her about his futile pilgrimage, it would be meaningless if Yuna doesn't learn the truth with her own eyes and doesn't pass judgment on it herself. Auron must also look after Tidus, the youth who, like Jecht, goes on the pilgrimage without knowing anything about Spira. In Dream Zanarkand, life had been easy, but Auron knows Jecht didn't wish for his son to live that way. Thus, Auron wanted to lead Tidus into Spira to weave his own story of no regrets, which Auron wasn't able to achieve, and devotes himself to assisting Yuna and Tidus as he does not want to "force the script of his design onto them". This is the essence of the pilgrimage—discovering the truth about Spira.
No one suspects Auron is an unsent, but as Yuna performs the sending for Jyscal Guado in Guadosalam, Auron doubles over in pain. Shortly before this, Seymour had remarked Auron smelled of the Farplane. During their trek through the Thunder Plains, the party regroups in a travel agency and Rin, who treated Auron ten years ago, mentions he had doubted someone could walk with such a severe wound the next day. Upon learning Seymour had murdered his father to succeed him as Maester, Yuna confronts him. The situation escalates as Seymour summons his aeon Anima against them, and the party is forced to kill him. Seymour becomes an unsent, and Yuna and her guardians are labeled traitors of Yevon. Auron encourages Yuna to continue her pilgrimage regardless, saying it is the fayth who grant summoners their powers, not the temples.
When the party reaches Zanarkand, the pyreflies in the air replay moments of Braska's journey through the ruined city. During a particularly painful memory, Auron attacks the specter of his past self speaking to Braska. Confronting Yunalesca, now informed on the true nature of Sin and Yevon, Yuna refuses to use the Final Aeon, which would only continue Spira's spiral of death. Yunalesca prepares to engage the party as Auron spurs them on. After the group defeats Yunalesca and exits Zanarkand Dome, Auron tells Tidus he is an unsent and that Yunalesca killed him.
Having learned of Yu Yevon, the ancient summoner who uses Sin as his armor, the party comes up with another way to save Spira by invading Sin's innards with the Al Bhed's airship. Inside Sin Auron and Tidus meet Jecht one final time, who transforms into Braska's Final Aeon. The party defeats him, forcing Yu Yevon to emerge, and after the latter is vanquished, Yuna sends the fayth but falters when she sees Auron fading into pyreflies. Auron tells her to continue, now able to rest peacefully with Braska and Jecht avenged and the cycle of Sin's rebirth broken. Auron dissolves into pyreflies and is sent to the Farplane. As Tidus fades from existence with the fayth no longer dreaming him, he leaps off the deck of the airship to find the spirits of Braska, Auron, and Jecht waiting for him in the Farplane.
===Final Fantasy X-2===
Auron appears during a brief flashback when Maechen's memories flare outside Zanarkand. If "Gippal's Sphere" is obtained, it's revealed that when the party was separated in the Bikanel Desert two years ago, Auron met Gippal and convinced him to stop running and hiding from Yevon and fight back. Together with the voices of Braska and Jecht, Auron encourages Yuna, Rikku, and Paine in the final battle against Shuyin and Vegnagun in the Farplane. Auron is viewable in Shinra's Dossiers.
===Final Fantasy X -Will-===
A year later, Tidus, Wakka, Lulu, and Yuna meet a young woman named Chuami, who claims to be Auron's long-lost daughter according to her deceased mother. Lulu claims she doesn't look like Auron and that many have claimed to be children of Auron, Jecht, and Braska. Chuami says she resembles her mother, who wouldn't have lied to her, but Lulu says Auron would have mentioned having children as he wasn't the type of person to hide such a thing.
==Gameplay==
===Final Fantasy X===
Auron has high HP and Strength, making him a strong physical attacker able to defeat the tougher fiends. He has low Agility and low Accuracy, making him slow and less reliable against fiends with higher Evasion. Auron's Sphere Grid path provides many Break abilities that weaken opponents' defense and strengths. His Overdrive is Bushido, which provides various abilities that deal damage towards many or a single enemy depending on Auron's stats if buttons are correctly input, with more abilities unlocked by acquiring Jecht Spheres. His Celestial Weapon is Masamune, and he wears Bracers for armor.
===Final Fantasy X-2===
====Boss and party member====
In the International and HD Remaster releases, Auron can be fought as a boss during the Farplane Cup in the Fiend Arena.
After defeating him and winning the cup, Auron can be recruited as a party member through the Creature Creator system. The abilities he can naturally learn are Full Break, Dragon Fang, and Shooting Star. Like all monster allies, Auron can use any of the common dresspheres and he is controlled by the game's AI.
====Quests====
An Auron Sphere Break coin is available, won from the Bevelle Core Sphere player in the Luca Stadium.
Auron also appears in Gippal's sphere, the only part in the story where he appears in person. Gippal's sphere is received from Rin if he is found culprit in the Mi'ihen Highroad Mystery quest. The sphere shows a record of Gippal's meeting with Auron in the Bikanel Desert.
==Musical themes==
"Auron's Theme" is featured on the original soundtrack, and is first heard when Tidus catches up with him in Luca and demands to know just who he is. It can also be heard in Auron's Sphere (where Auron last spoke to Kinoc up until Operation Mi'ihen), the flashback when Jecht told Auron to go to Zanarkand and take care of Tidus, and after the final battle.
For Final Fantasy X HD Remaster, "Auron's Theme" was remastered by Junya Nakano using real instruments. It is slightly more upbeat than the original.
==Other appearances==
Auron has appeared in the following games in the Final Fantasy series:
*Final Fantasy Tactics S as a playable character.
*Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia as a playable character.
*Theatrhythm Final Fantasy series as a playable character.
*Pictlogica Final Fantasy as a playable character.
*Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade as summonable Legend.
*Final Fantasy Artniks as a series of cards.
*Final Fantasy All the Bravest as a playable character.
*Final Fantasy Record Keeper as a playable character.
*Final Fantasy Brave Exvius as a summonable vision.
*War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius as a summonable vision.
*Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as a series of cards.
*Triple Triad as a card.
==Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances==
Auron has made key guest appearances in the following non-Final Fantasy games:
*Kingdom Hearts series as a supporting character.
*Itadaki Street series as a playable character.
*Square Enix Legend World.
*Puzzle & Dragons as a playable character.
Auron is one of three Final Fantasy characters featured in Kingdom Hearts, along with Cloud Strife and Zack Fair, who are active party members. He is also implied through his audible memories to be the same character as in Final Fantasy X, rather than an original version for Kingdom Hearts.
==Other media==
In Gunslinger Stratos 2, a costume based on Auron is available.
Auron is the name of a Ghost Card in Dissidia Final Fantasy. The Auron ghost is a Level 100 Jecht and has the Blue Gem and Al Bhed Primer to be won through battlegen. The quote on the card, "This is it. This is your story. It all begins here," is what Auron said to Tidus in Final Fantasy X as they left Zanarkand in the beginning. Jecht's alternate costume alludes to Auron's outfit, coloring his clothing and spikes red and his sword black, red, and gold like Auron's Masamune.
In Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood Benchmark Trailer a male Hyur Samurai in a red outfit is featured and resembles Auron's physical appearance.
==Behind the scenes==
Auron's age in the story kept changing during the design phase, to the point Character Designer Tetsuya Nomura ended up confused over what age he was and thus Auron ended up looking older than his 35 years would suggest. Scenario Writer Kazushige Nojima has said this probably happened because they were too used to having Nomura decide the characters' ages. While Auron was supposed to be an untalkative type, his role as a mentor and guide resulted in the second-greatest number of lines of dialogue after Tidus.
In the original plot draft for Final Fantasy X, Auron was the acclaimed commander of the Crimson Blades in the present day. A plot twist involved Tidus being undead, but due to the release of The Sixth Sense, this was moved from the main character to Auron. Scenario writer Daisuke Watanabe considered having Auron be Jecht in disguise, watching Tidus all along, but the team did not want to make Jecht have a leading part in the story, so they gave up on this idea.Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega, Creator's Salon, p. 476-477
===Voice===
Auron is voiced by Hideo Ishikawa in the Japanese version. He shares this voice actor with Cait Sith from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Squall Leonhart from Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy (and by extension, from the series), and Qator Bashtar from Final Fantasy Type-0.
He is voiced by Matt McKenzie in the English version. The localized versions did not reanimate the characters' lip movements from the original Japanese version. As his mouth is covered, Auron's voice doesn't need to match mouth movements, giving him slightly more freedom in his delivery compared to most characters.
==Gallery==
==Etymology==
 As Tidus's name derives from the Okinawan word for "sun", Auron's name could symbolize his bringing of Tidus into Spira.
==Citations==
de:Auron
es:Auron
fr:Auron
it:Auron
pl:Auron
pt-br:Auron
ru:Аурон
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy X
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy X-2
Category:Samurai
Category:Unsent