Tidus - Reception

Reception

Tidus has also had various types of merchandise modeled after his likeness; for example, action figures and jewelry. In comemmoration of the franchise' 20th anniversary, Square released figurines of him alongside other Final Fantasy protagonists. Tidus has received positive reception with GameSpy describing him as a "garishly dressed Leonardo DiCaprio", commenting that his flaws are what make him appealing. PSXextreme's Arnold Katayev liked Tidus' personality which contrasts the ones from previous Final Fantasy protagonists. His role as the male lead was found outstanding in comparison to previous characters by GameZone due to his "perpetual feel of youth and innocence". The 1UP.com staff initially described him as the "good kind of jock" due to how he supports the other protagonists of the game and yet they noted that his anger and his growth throughout the game avoided him from being a "stereotypical boy scout". Although GameSpot's Greg Kasavin commented players might not initially like the character, they would eventually find him "suitably endearing." Furthermore, he stated that he had the "surprising depth" characterized by past Final Fantasy protagonists, and called the ending involving Tidus "emotionally charged and satisfying". Eurogamer's Tom Brawell stated that Tidus and the other characters "make much more dignified and believable decisions than those made by their predecessors in other Final Fantasy games."

Tidus was also listed as the fourth best Final Fantasy hero of all the time by GamesRadar who described him as "One of the most complex and bizarre heroes yet seen in the series", while in another article they referred to his look as androgynous. In a Famitsu poll done in February 2010, Tidus was voted by readers as the twentieth most popular video game character. GameZone listed him as the third best Final Fantasy character praising his energetic personality and his actions across Final Fantasy X that make him "the true star of the title". Tidus' revelation of his real nature in the game's ending was third in a 1UP article of video game spoilers; such event was stated to have reduced " at least two 1UP staffers to a state of misty-eyed mourning" yet they criticized how Tidus' resurrection in the sequel makes his fate unrealistic. On the other hand, GamesRadar found Tidus' fate in the first game confusing as in the epilogue he appears alive despite having previously disappeared, and such scene is not explained until the sequel's ending. Matthew Walker from Cheat Code Central commented that the game's final scene was meant to give hope that Tidus was alive, the ending still felt sad.

Tidus was also compared to Squall Leonhart, the protagonist from Final Fantasy VIII. IGN noted the differences in appearances between the two, comparing Squall's darker colored outfit and "permanent mope" against Tidus' brighter outfit and weapon along with "an indelible grin". Additionally, Gamasutra thought that Tidus' character was more entertaining than Squall's despite being "a bit whiny". 1UP listed him as the worst dressed video game character, citing a "deal with it" outfit design by Nomura. They further commented that despite the "preposterous" design, Square was able to "successfully sell" Tidus as Final Fantasy X's main protagonist. His Dissidia outfit was noted by 1UP to be consistent with other outfits by Nomura due to the number of accessories it has. Because of his English-language voice work, GameSpot commented it would have preferred "an almost-mute lead character, a la Squall from Final Fantasy VIII." Regarding the character's English-language voice work, IGN stated the character "has a tendency to speak a little too high and fast when he gets excited." RPGamer criticized Taylor's work, stating that while Tidus is supposed to sound "impulsive and energetic", his dialogue leaves him as "stupid and childish", while Eurogamer echoed similar statements by referring to his voice acting as "whiny" and "detestable". On the other hand, PSXextreme found that Taylor does a good work voicing Tidus. He was also featured fifth in 1UP's "The Top 5 Most Irriating RPG Protagonists" with criticism focused on his relationship with his father and his outfit. Matthew Walker noted that while in the climax Tidus still told his father he hated him, he actually came to appreciate him despite his initial feelings.

The relationship between Tidus and Yuna was listed by GameSpot as one of the "Great Loves" in video games. It referred to their relationship as "one of the best (and ultimately saddest) examples" of a mature romance in games and cited the progression of the romance throughout the story as one of the game's best elements. In a general overview of the romances from Final Fantasy, Gaming Age stated that Final Fantasy X had "the sparks fly" between Tidus' and Yuna's relationship. GamesRadar listed their relationship as the tenth best romance in gaming as well the second best romance in Square Enix game, commenting on "that they have the most realistic relation", and noted that despite the sacrifices they go through in the series, they still look for a chance to be together. Kotaku listed the relationship second in the "Gaming's Top Five Love Stories" by Mike Fahey who stated that the popularity of their relationship and the fact Tidus fades away in the game's ending was what forced Square to make its direct sequel so that the two characters could meet once again. Gamasutra featured it fifth in their list by Leigh Alexander who despite citing Tidus as a "forgettable hero" praised the importance of his and Yuna's relation in the game's story. Both Tidus and Yuna also won the "Best Couple of the Year" award from Game Informer in 2001. Yuna's English voice actress, Hedy Burress, commented that thanks to Tidus' interactions with Yuna gave her character a more "womanly aspect", and thus, more humanizing.