Lulu
An installment in the "The Real Story of Spira" chapter of Ultimania Omega. This contains a timeline of Lulu's life before and during the events of the game, as well as a brief character analysis.
The Story as a Guardian
Lulu's story as a guardian began for Yuna's sake. Before Yuna could lose her life through the Final Summoning, Lulu would set out on a pilgrimage as a guardian for another summoner to defeat Sin. She felt this was the least she could do for Yuna, whom she loved like a sister. Unable to stop Yuna from pursuing the path of a summoner, Lulu made this decision after much anguish. However, this marks the beginning of new suffering for her.
The first pilgrimage abruptly ended with the death of the summoner Ginnem, whom she was guarding. Not only did she fail in her initial objective, but she also couldn't fulfill the minimum duty of a guardian, which is to protect the summoner at all costs. Lulu is tormented by this. The second pilgrimage was an attempt to overcome her own weaknesses, but it also ended in failure. Still unable to overcome her bitter past, Lulu embarked on her third pilgrimage as Yuna's guardian.
Since she originally became a guardian for Yuna's sake, she had no hesitation in protecting her. However, her experiences from the previous two pilgrimages had created a new goal for Lulu as a guardian: to overcome her own weaknesses. Lulu believed that to become someone better than her current self, she must see the pilgrimage through to the end as a guardian. Protecting Yuna and ensuring she completes her pilgrimage is ultimately also for Lulu's own sake.
When the Final Summoning disappeared, the role of "summoner and guardian" became practically meaningless. Nevertheless, Lulu aimed to overcome herself by protecting Yuna and saving Spira. This time, it was to become someone.
Bearing Her Fiery Self
Just like Wakka, Lulu was someone who couldn’t come to terms with Chappu's death. When she saw Tidus, who resembled her lover, her heart was surely shaken like Wakka's. However, unlike Wakka, she did not simply see Tidus as Chappu's reincarnation. She *couldn’t*, and therein lies her complexity.
Because she shared the same situation as Wakka, being abruptly confronted with the death of a loved one, Lulu could empathize with his weakness. It is precisely because she could empathize that she believed she must not fall into that same weakness. She sees her own former weakness reflected in Wakka. By disciplining Wakka, she disciplines herself.
Lulu is not calm. She merely strives to be. Her sharp words and actions towards Wakka, her closest companion, reveal her true nature—prone to intensity and weakness. It is because she knows her own personality that she tries desperately to remain calm, even if only in appearance.
A Representative of the Older Generation
Up to the middle of the story, Lulu served as a guide for the pilgrimage, so to speak. With her wealth of experience as a guardian, she naturally took on the role of imparting knowledge and leading the group. She treated Yuna like a younger sister and taught Tidus the ways of Spira. However, her role ended around the middle of the journey.
Lulu's knowledge is that of the people of Yevon and only applies within that framework. She and Wakka represent the older generation, bound by traditional thinking. Thus, once the group begins to stray from the teachings, the knowledge she can offer becomes limited. In fact, her traditional knowledge starts to become a hindrance.
The reversal of the supporter-and-supported relationship between Lulu and Yuna is subtly implied at the base of Mt. Gagazet. Acknowledging Yuna's strength after overcoming the crisis of failure, Lulu reveals her own weaknesses. From that moment on, and in her behavior thereafter, we can see her kind and hesitant side, her true nature.