Part 42: Interlude 11 - Rogue's Gallery 3

Interlude 11 - Rogue's Gallery 3

Lenne and Shuyin

So yeah, this is the big parallel, the one the game has been building to since we watched the New Beginnings sphere. Like any good literary device, it has a lot of facets, but I'm going to concentrate on three specific comparisons.

Lenne vs. Yuna

We don't know that much about Lenne, but we know that, despite having been in very similar situations, Lenne and Yuna are quite different people. For a couple of examples: Lenne, being a performer, has a kind of outgoing confidence that Yuna lacks; and Lenne and Shuyin's relationship seems much more clearly defined, and adult, than Yuna's and Tidus'. As the game progresses, Yuna seems to become more attuned to Lenne, which could be chalked up to creeping possession, but is also representative of Yuna's growth into those of Lenne's characteristics to which she aspires. Unfortunately, as I alluded to much earlier, Yuna's growth has much more to do with the first example than the second.

Shuyin vs. Tidus

Same dedication, same motivation, but where Tidus was willing to die to protect Yuna, Shuyin was willing to kill. And Tidus ultimately saved Yuna (or helped, anyway) while Shuyin got both Lenne and himself killed. You know, we could argue about whether Tidus is supposed to be an idealized version of Shuyin or just related to him, but the specifics don't really matter. The big condemnation of humanity we get from this matchup is that the qualities necessary to break the cycle of destruction could only be found in someone so idealized he didn't actually exist.

Shuyin vs. Seymour

Didn't expect this one, did you? But they have a lot in common, both being dead, manipulative nihilists. The big difference is that Seymour is just a sociopath; by the time the team meets him in the prequel, he's been hurt for so long that he's dead inside, and nothing but force can dissuade him any longer. But Shuyin was preserved at the height of his rage, which ironically means he's still vulnerable to emotional appeals. The well-meaning character who becomes what he hates most is a classic, and it's why I say Shuyin is the better villain; it's possible to sympathize with him, and, judging from some of the "fuck this planet" reactions I've read in the thread, to empathize with him too. You may not like his methods, but he's kinda got a point.