Players would be hard-pressed to find a franchise with more iconic hits than the Final Fantasy series. Despite the debatable fluctuating quality of the titles, each has at least something that really makes it stand out from the rest of the series and other comparable JRPGs. Final Fantasy 7 had Cloud and his relationship to Sephiroth, Tifa and Aerith, Final Fantasy 15 featured an all-star cast driving around in the luxurious Regalia, Final Fantasy 4 had a rotating cast of characters who kept dying noble deaths. However, perhaps one of the most iconic things of the entire series is Tidus and Yuna's romance in Final Fantasy 10.
Like most Final Fantasy games, there are plenty of iconic moments, scenes and characters in the game. Some are remembered fondly like the thrill-inducing Blitzball matches or the beautiful Sending scene in Kilika while a certain scene revolving around the line "let's try laughing" is remembered less fondly. At the end of the day, the thing that most people remember about Final Fantasy 10 is the game's tragic love story. It's one of the best elements of the entire game and one of the most memorable things from the entire series, however, Square Enix doesn't seem to be able to capture the same spark as they did with Tidus and Yuna in recent entries. FF10 proves that the studio could do it again if it changed the way it views love stories.
This article contains story spoilers for Final Fantasy 10.
The Focus of Final Fantasy 10's Romance
Final Fantasy 10 has a great ensemble cast, the same as most entries in the series. An interesting component to Final Fantasy 10, however, is that while Tidus is the main character of the game, he's hardly the main character of the overall plot. The story actually revolves around Yuna's pilgrimage to Zanarkand and her quest to defeat Sin, and Tidus is just another one of her guardians. Yes, there's something special about him with all the time travel business, but in other Final Fantasy games, the player character is oftentimes the "chosen one" who's tasked with saving the world and beating the big bad, not just hanging around as a bodyguard.
Despite each party member having their own motivations and goals, there's a clear emphasis that Yuna is supposed to be the driver of the narrative. Final Fantasy 10 does this by having the entire party be devoted to her safety as guardians. Everyone is constantly telling Tidus, and by extension the player, to be thinking about her safety. That paired with the fact that Yuna is an overall charming and kind character makes her one of the main focuses of the game. By the time Tidus and Yuna start expressing feelings towards each other, it feels believable because of how much time is devoted to the two of them, and the development of their relationship.
The romance between Tidus and Yuna is beautiful, but most importantly, believable. Despite the beauty of it, the entire relationship is elevated by its somber undertone. Both Tidus and Yuna understand that it can't last forever because of Yuna's journey as a summoner and Tidus' longing to return home. Final Fantasy 10 is able to communicate the very human and relatable feeling of fleeting love in each moment they share together.
It all culminates in the springs of Macalania Woods where the two share a kiss, but understand that in the end, they'll have to go their own ways. Final Fantasy 10 manages to tell a successful love story because the player is there for the entire thing and it develops on screen for the player to experience.
Other Final Fantasy Romances
It's clear that Final Fantasy 10's romance was at the center of the story's development because of how central it was to the plot: it doesn't feel like an afterthought or like it was added after the fact. No other game in the series, however, has managed to capture the same emotional romance arc as was featured so prominently in Final Fantasy 10. There have definitely been attempts at romance in other entries, but they all fall flat in comparison.
Final Fantasy 13 had Snow and Serah's romance, but its development wasn't central to the game's plot. The two were already engaged by the time the game starts, and the flashbacks with them didn't add any real depth to their relationship. The game was criticized for a lot of things, but the romance plot in particular wasn't as strong as Final Fantasy 10.
The entire story of Final Fantasy 15 is building up to the protagonist Noctis and his fiancée Lunafreya's wedding, however, the game hardly spends any time with the two of them together. Similar to Final Fantasy 13, there are flashbacks where the pair address their future marriage, but their dynamic isn't something that the entire story hinges on.
With the recent remake of Final Fantasy 7, plenty of fans pointed out the strong love triangle element between Cloud, Tifa and Aerith. While it is a step in the right direction, it still pales in comparison to Final Fantasy 10. Part of it has to do with Cloud's unwillingness to express his true emotions, which is an interesting element to his character, but ultimately does a disservice to any relatable love story. At the end of the day, Final Fantasy 13, Final Fantasy 15, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake try to incorporate love stories, but the actual development of the relationships aren't given the screen time they need to believable and impactful.
Falling in Love With Future Final Fantasy Stories
It's clear that Square Enix is capable of creating a relatable and memorable love story in Final Fantasy. As mentioned above, Final Fantasy 7 Remake came close to recapturing some of the same elements as Final Fantasy 10, but because Cloud had his sights set elsewhere, the romantic focus of the game suffered. As exemplified with both Final Fantasy 13 and Final Fantasy 15, it's not enough to simply base a game's plot around romance if the player doesn't see it. Being told two characters love each other falls flat to compared to the on-screen, moment-to-moment development of their love.
If future Final Fantasy installments want to create believable love stories, then Square Enix needs to center the game around the development of the relationship, not the fact that a relationship exists. However, the studio seems like it's willing to try with Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but any hopes of another inspired romance plot seem to be lost with the upcoming Final Fantasy 16. The trailers haven't put any time into showing off a central love plot, so it's likely that it won't grab players' hearts in terms of romance.
Final Fantasy 10 Remaster is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox.