Yuna
An installment in the "The Real Story of Spira" chapter of Ultimania Omega. This contains a timeline of Yuna's life before and during the events of the game, as well as a brief character analysis.
A Daughter Surpassing a Great Father
Even though both Yuna and Tidus have great fathers, their attitudes toward them are contrasting. Yuna openly expresses her love and respect for her father. She follows the same path as him, who was a revered summoner enshrined and worshiped by the temples. However, Yuna's motivation to respect and follow her father's path is not because he achieved the respect of the people of Yevon. What she truly inherits from her father is a pure love for Spira and a desire to save it, regardless of Yevon’s teachings or the Temple’s doctrines.
Yuna, who set out on a pilgrimage to defeat Sin, realizes the emptiness of Yevon's teachings she believed. These realizations are brought on by the remarks made by the foreigner Tidus, as well as several incidents. At one point she almost gives up on her pilgrimage. Given that the summoner’s pilgrimage is based on the teachings, it would be natural for her to abandon the pilgrimage once she loses faith in the teachings. However, Yuna does not do so and continues her journey despite being labeled a “traitor.” This is because of her pure love for Spira inherited from her father.
The conversation between Yunalesca and Yuna near the end of the story is symbolic. Unlike her father, Yuna refuses the Final Summoning. This decision reflects her deeper understanding and respect for her father's true wishes. While inheriting her father's heart, she seeks out methods beyond those used by her father, and ultimately surpasses him.
As a Girl, Not Just a Summoner
Tidus is Yuna's first love. Initially, this love might have been mixed with her fascination with the grand city of Zanarkand. As Lulu suggests, her interest might have also been piqued because Tidus is the son of Jecht, who was her father's guardian. However, Tidus becomes special to her when he breaks Spira’s conventions and risks his life to save her in the Cloister of Trials.
Tidus' specialness to Yuna also stems from his unique perspective as an outsider. He sees her not through the biased lens of Spiran expectations but as just Yuna. Spira’s society, expecting much from “the daughter of High Summoner Braska,” distances itself from her due to her fate. Such an environment made her mature beyond her years, and she could no longer be just a girl. Tidus’ lack of special treatment allows her to return to being “just a girl” Yuna.
Initially, their relationship is based on Tidus’ ignorance. Hence, Yuna does not discuss her pilgrimage’s true purpose or her fate with him. However, after Tidus learns everything, their bond deepens, bringing Yuna both joy and sorrow.
The Feelings Tidus Gave Her
By the end of the story, Yuna and Tidus’ roles are reversed. Seeking a way to defeat Sin without sacrificing her own life, Yuna ends up with a method that inadvertently leads to the disappearance of the first person she loved romantically: Tidus. No matter how many times her guardians try to dissuade her, Yuna never wavers in her determination to fulfill her mission at the cost of her own life, but now she finds herself in the shoes of those who would be left behind. She feels the pain she intended to shield from others.