Apathetic Auron?

[Busta]

Ok, so someone today was questioning me about why Auron seems to not give a crap about anything that takes place in the game. They said he just walks around and mumbles and keeps his head tucked in his "coat" and shows no emotion whatsoever.

I think his quiet, wisdom-like, and stoic attitudes were a result of him having already gone through this story once before. He was there to accompany Braska on his pilgrimage with Jecht, and he suffered that first time through. He was a jumpy youthful warrior in which his spontanuity got the best of him. His sudden attack on Yunalesca left him fatally wounded; that was his mistake.

Now, 10 years later, he's more experienced and is watching others take the same journey he once traveled. He's there to guide, and assist. He doesn't ahve to be the youthful rambunctious warrior he once was; he's now a legendary warrior ronin who has suffered greatly, but has become a hero because of his past.

Any additional arguments you think I could use, or else just any plain thoughts of what you thought of Auron's personality?

 

[Saga]

I don't think it helped that Yuna was Braska's daughter and Tidus was Jecht's son either. Auron knew what happened when Braska went through it, knew the fate that had befallen his friends, and so knew that Yuna and Tidus were going to suffer the same way. Personally, I think he kept quiet because of this. As much as he didn't want to see the events of his past repeat, he did make a promise.

I hate it when people say that he's uncaring and cold. Because I think in keeping to himself and not telling them exactly what awaited them, let them witness it all for themselves, was the kindness thing he could have done. He wanted them to witness the corruption themselves, and therefore let all doubt be erased from their minds.

He is a man scarred by his past. Yuna and Tidus were his remaining ties to Braska and Jecht. It had to be hard on him.

 

[DLFlux]

I think Auron is set on the fact that this journey isn't about him.

As he says "I wanted to change the world, but changed nothing, that was my story" and at Macalania when Yuna is walking away with Tromell, he apologises to Tidus, saying that that was his line.

He's constantly reminding Tidus that this is his story.

He made a promise to watch over Yuna and Tidus, so after appointing Kimarhi to Yuna, and going to the Dream Zanarkand for Tidus he's furfilling that wish. So when he meets up with both in Spira, he's watching over them both.

Protecting, but never interfering. He's more of a spectator, after already making the journey himself. He was asked to watch over the two, and he is doing his job.

If he told everyone the whole story as soon as they met him, then maybe they wouldn't have progressed emotionally and become as strong the way they did.

 

[Aztec Triogal]

I think Auron is a person who not only has seen it all, but has seen it all go horribly wrong. I think he doesn't speak up a lot, not because he knows what's going to happen before it does, but because he realizes how impossible it is to predict the future. He has a lot of real life experience so he can identify problems as they arise... but he knows the outcome he expects is never guaranteed.

He is the equivalent to the man who stand back, keeps his mouth shut, and watches things play out. I do not think Auron is not comfortable with believing in any outcome. It's almost like he believes he'd curse the outcome of a situation by predicting it -- like with Roethlisberger's fucking inteception the other day. Damn announcers...

 

[aki_aku]

Auron is already dead but unsent. He's also party angry possible because he knows his time left is limited and maybe he's got a conflict inside so he dosnt become a fiend.

He knows what lays ahead and maybe the easiest way to deal with the others ignorance is to just detach himself from them. He is more or less the only person in the game with a FULL overview of whats going on.

He has being, seen and taken part in things that every other person in history/the spiral has never returned from.


I think he is a very complex and loyal character. The journey in the game is also a journey for himself to get over his past ties and rest peacefully.

 

[You]

I hate it when people say that he's uncaring and cold. Because I think in keeping to himself and not telling them exactly what awaited them, let them witness it all for themselves, was the kindness thing he could have done. He wanted them to witness the corruption themselves, and therefore let all doubt be erased from their minds.

I pretty much agree with you. I think Auron took a step to the side to let Tidus and Yuna see the results of their actions themselves. He was there to guide them when it was needed but it allowed Tidus and Yuna to grow and learn when they could make mistakes. When it was an important decision or event Auron was always there to push them towards the right path. So imo he is far from cold and uncaring, he was just allowing them to experience spira for themselves.

 

[Auronlu]

Part of it is game mechanics and the classic archetype of the enigmatic teacher: Auron has to stand back and be enigmatic, not hand the player the plot on a platter, or it will kill the drama of the story.

However, I think DLFlux and Aztec Triogal caught the most important reason: he's doing this for Tidus and Yuna, not for Spira, which has royally shafted him. He's letting THEM find their way. It's important to help them grow.

The VERY last bit of optional dialog with Auron in the game is very telling. You have to go back to the Airship and talk to him several times AFTER killing Seymour in Sin. If you do, Auron finally says this:

¬Ten years ago...I honored Jecht's last words, and travelled to Zanarkand. I planned to stay there, watching over you. But when Sin attacked Zanarkand that day, I changed my mind. Outside the dream world, life can be harsh---even cruel. But it is life. He wanted you to have a shot at life. I saw it in Sin's eyes. That's why I brought you here, to Spira.

(from my handy-dandy transcript)

Also, if you take the snowmobile ride with Auron, he says, "Make mistakes... That is what youth is for after all. Do not waste it."

Auron wants Tidus to find his own path, give him a chance to live, all the more because his life in Zanarkand wasn't really life, exactly. In some ways Auron is pushing Tidus (and Yuna) away so that they'll have a chance to enjoy themselves-- something Jecht and Braska never succeeded in getting him to do when he was young!

On the other hand, Aztec Triogal makes the important point that Auron is NOT all-wise. Auron seems to feel cursed, and doesn't want his bad luck rubbing off on them. We tend to assume Auron knows what he's doing. Yes and no. He knows the secret of the Final Summoning, and he's an amazing warrior. But he still doesn't have all the answers. He knows that Jecht turned into Sin... but did he know about Yu Yevon before Tidus and Yuna had their second conversation with Yunalesca?

Older-Auron had knowledge and wisdom, but he still didn't have enough to break the cycle. At the end of Braska's pilgrimage, Auron's only idea had been to turn back. He said then, "there must be some other way," but he couldn't think of anything. After Braska fell, Auron fought Yunalesca and failed like a bug on a windshield. Until Cid's airship came along, there was no power besides aeons strong enough to defeat Sin.

So Auron couldn't have known how to win. He was helping Yuna and Tidus, but I honestly don't think he knew what was going to happen at the end of Yuna's pilgrimage. He was simply counting on Tidus to throw some sort of spanner in the works and FORCE the hidebound Yevonites to try something different. Maybe Auron welcomed Rikku in the party for the same reason. Auron didn't have a plan-- all he had was strength and knowledge. So he kept pushing the younger party members... pushing them to think for themselves, NOT count on him to save the day. I think he was hoping that if Tidus and Yuna began to question everything (even him), they would come up with a plan that even Braska, Jecht, and the great Sir Auron hadn't thought of.

And they did!

 

[Roy Mustang]

After all Auron's been through, I thought he'd have a reason to be all sad panda.
He went on a long as adventure with just 2 other guys.

Spoiler

Then he got saw one of his best friends turn into an aeon and the get turned into sin.

Spoiler

Then he gets owned by Yunalesca.

Has to some how get onto Sin ride him to Zanakand.
Then put up with Tidus' whining.
Get sucked up into one of Sin's holes.
And does another long adventure.

Yeah, I basically don't know what I was going on about there, just got to into it.

 

[Oliver Queen]

It sounds like Auron had a really screwed up life. Sees his friends die, dies himself, then has to go through a journey with his friends' kids. Not to mention he goes through most of the game listening to Tidus complaining about one thing or another.

 

[joeyfinalfantasygod]

He wasnt like that he became like that when his best friends died and he couldnt do a thing only ask yunalesca for help and she killed him thats why he is without emotions he lost his reason to be happy.

 

[aki_aku]

Auronlu has a good idea. But maybe Auron...Knowing Jecht is Sin knew Tidus could stop the cycle whilst still honouring his promise to watch over him. Jecht also had some sort of plan in this by attacking the Dream city.

Been a long time since I played it, but do we get to see Flashbacks between Tidus and Auron before Tidus came to spira?

 

[Jimmy]

Well it's true Auron does not seem to show much emotion, but i think it's understandable since he lost two of his comrades and that gets to you. While initially i believed he simply did not want to create a emotional bond with the likes of Tidus and Yuna, i know believe he was simply there as some type of watcher, helping Tidus and Yuna move on, not knowing himself what to do when they reached their final destination.

We do see him showing emotions of anger when they meet Yunalesca, and he remembers the encounter he had with her in the past. So in the end he does show a little something.

 

[Auronlu]

aki_aku -- Yes, there's a few flashbacks of Auron looking after Tidus.

There's one where Auron's talking to Tidus and saying, "If she dies, I wouldn't know what to do." Tidus gets upset, and Auron apologizes. Raised as a monk, he really doesn't quite know how to raise Tidus, although it's clear he's trying his best.

There's also one of Auron listening to Tidus singing the hymn on the dock by his houseboat, although the game's presentation of it is slightly unclear.

Other than that, we really don't get much about Auron raising Tidus.