Outside Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 10 is arguably the most popular entry in the franchise. After all, its Southeast Asian-inspired setting brought a fresh perspective to the series. However, aside from its compelling narrative and cast of characters, FF 10 shines in its worldbuilding. In FF 10's Spira lies the Al Bhed tribe– a group of technology-inclined clans that use machina, unlike Spira's other cultures.
Fans who take an in-depth look into FF 10's worldbuilding might notice the level of detail placed in Spira's population and ethnic groups. There's more to the Al Bhed than meets the eye. While they're grouped together with Humans, some things make the Al Bhed stand out compared to other ancestries like the Peruperu, Hypello, Guado, Ronso, and the Cactuar. Here are some hidden facts and details about the Al Bhed:
10 A Focus On Distinction
Fans of Final Fantasy will likely recognize FF 10 for its unique aesthetic. They can thank sub-character designer Fumi Nakashima for this. Nakashima explains much of the design process behind FF 10 in Beyond Final Fantasy. This content takes the form of a bonus DVD included in the PAL and International versions of the game.
According to her, she placed a lot of emphasis on giving each Spiran culture a distinct "look" throughout the design process. As such, the Al Bhed's inclination towards machines should reflect in their clothing in culture. Additionally, this explains their distinct machine-oriented look, which includes masks and goggles.
9 A Tragic Origin
Players will likely wonder why a lot of Spira's denizens don't like the Al Bhed. Unfortunately, it turns out much of this treatment has to do with the Al Bhed's tragic origins. The FF X-2 sequel novel Final Fantasy X-2.5 ~Price of Eternity~ revealed that a mechanic Alb was responsible for creating the Al Bhed, originally called the Bedohls.
In ancient times, the Bedohl found themselves incapable of using magic. However, they had a talent for operating machina. As such, Alb used the Bedohls to fight the forces of Zanarkand. Unfortunately, when the arrival of the Yevon faith and the creature Sin, Spirans blamed the Bedohls for the ensuing tragedy. After Spirans outcast and executed much of Bedhols from society, the world began calling the surviving members of the race as Al Bhed.
8 Unique Biology
As with other Spiran races, the Al Bhed possess unique biological traits of their own. For instance, regardless of their skin color, all Al Bhed have blonde hair and green eyes. Moreover, instead of circular pupils, Al Bhed possess spiral-shaped pupils, all the more cementing their unique appearance.
Interestingly, they have special skills that aid them in their natural fascination for exploration and discovery. All Al Bhed are great swimmers and can hold their breath underwater much longer than others, which helps a lot during underwater excavation work.
7 Eccentric And Unique
Unlike other societies and cultures in Spira, one might say the Al Bhed are the most expressive. Players might notice this distinction with characters such as Rikku who tend to be extremely upfront or even "odd." In fact, Al Bhed children also appear clothed in bodysuits, with most Al Bhed either wearing masks or goggles.
Unfortunately, it's perhaps this peculiar behavior that made Spirans continue to treat Al Bhed as outcasts in society. Some unfortunate Al Bhed experienced attacks from Yevonites across the years. In addition, Al Bhed openly reject Yevonite teachings, including the ban on using machina.
6 Not Entirely Outcast
Despite the ostracism and judgment they receive, not all Al Bhed are treated as outcasts. In fact, some Al Bhed received international recognition. For instance, Spirans consider the Al Bhed Rin as one of the most prolific entrepreneurs and merchants on the planet. After all, he's in charge of Rin's Travel Agency which facilitates travel all over Spira.
Moreover, despite blitzball tournaments being Yevon-sponsored, Al Bhed can participate in the league via the Al Bhed Psyches team. In addition, although banned from temples, Rikku got to enter one as she's one of the guardians of the summoner Yuna.
5 Their Own Language
Interestingly, of all the fictional cultures in Final Fantasy, the Al Bhed seems to be one of the few (if not the only) to get their own "language." In FF 10, the Al Bhed language functions with a substitution cipher. This factor means English characters (in the English version) and kana syllabaries (in the Japanese version) replace much of the characters in Al Bhed.
Moreover, the complexity of the Al Bhed language appears to be understated in the game. For instance, it appears easy to "switch" from Japanese or English to Al Bhed if one knows the sounds and characters. However, in the game world, people need books to translate one Al Bhed letter. As such, in the lore, Al Bhed readers will find the language much deeper than anticipated.
4 Language & Gameplay
Interestingly, the Al Bhed language also affects its appearance in the gameplay. In the English version of FF 10 and X-2, the Al Bhed language contains the same grammar and syntax as English. When spoken, Al Bhed appears in purple characters. Meanwhile, translated Al Bhed characters appear in pink.
Al Bhed text appears as hiragana in the Japanese version. Moreover, words pronounced the same in Al Bhed and Spiran or Japanese appear in pink katakana. Regardless of these differences, they do highlight the attempt of FF 10 to introduce a completely unique culture in its game world.
3 Bilingual Crests All-Around
Another peculiar aspect of the Al Bhed society seems to involve a bilingual crest that appears all over Al Bhed belongings. These include machina, lifts, cranes, hovers, ships, and even the Fahrenheit ship. When translated, the Spiran script reads "Cid" while the Al Bhed script reads "Salvage Dream."
Unfortunately, the game hasn't released confirmation what "Salvage Dream" could mean. However, the "Cid" part seems to evidently reference Cid, a recurring character in the Final Fantasy franchise. In the case of FF 10, Cid heads the Al Bhed faction and the Fahrenheit ship.
2 A Fruit, A Home
The Al Bhed home (called Home) also represents their unique culture and aesthetic. Unlike the more tropical settlements, Home finds itself in the desert Bikanel Island. Interestingly, what sets Home apart from other locations in Spira is its unique appearance. In Final Fantasy 10, Home appears as an underground fortress designed to house Al Bhed settlements.
However, perhaps more interesting is its shape. Despite its mechanical appearance, Home looks like a "bursting fruit" from afar. Isamu Kamikokuryo, also known for his works with FF 12, FF 13, and FF 15, said (in the artbook of the FF X/X-2 HD Remaster Collector's Edition) that he designed Home with the mental image of an exotic fruit that's bursting open.
1 A Noble Mission
Perhaps one of the highlights of Al Bhed culture would be their shared desire alongside summoners to "defeat Sin." Unfortunately, summoners initially thought they had to sacrifice themselves in order to stave off Sin's presence in Spira. It's the Al Bhed, in their defiance of Yevon faith, that sought to find a better way to defeat Sin– which becomes a highlight in the game's story.
As such, the Al Bhed kidnap summoners during their pilgrimage in order to keep them in the Summoners' Sanctum, located in Home. They wholeheartedly believe that summoners don't have to sacrifice themselves to defeat the threat of Sin, and there may be another way to avert catastrophe.