Some villains are not people; there's a supernatural element to them, something that makes them seem so much more powerful than anything humanity can ever create. It's the super predator, the beast of destruction; a being so beyond humanity, that we are to it what ants are to us. It is a creature of immeasurable power, and it destroys with no thought. Today's villain is a great example of this type of villain: Sin from Final Fantasy 10.
Sin is no more a character than it is a force of nature, in spite of its supernatural origins. Created by Yu Yevon about a thousand or so years before the game began, Sin was supposed to be Zanarkand's avenger. Zanarkand, Yu Yevon's hometown, was at war with Bevelle, another city state, and losing. Yu Yevon used all of his magic to create Sin, a great and unbeatable monster. Sim began ravaging the world of Spira, and Yevon's daughter, Yunalesca, told the people of the world that Sin was their punishment for using machina, Spira's fantastical machines. Yunalesca then creates a new religion based on worshiping Yu Yevon, rejecting machina, and the hope that Sin will one day vanish.
There is one way to temporarily stop Sin; a summoner must make a pilgrimage to the ruins of Zanarkand, make a pact with Yunalesca herself, sacrifice a guardian, and create the Final Aeon, the only beast capable of defeating Sin. However, this is only temporary, as Sin will always return; further, the summoning the Final Aeon will cost the summoner their life. However, Sin's defeat is always heralded with joy and cheer, and the period Spira experiences between Sin's defeat and regeneration is called the Calm.
But again, Sin always comes back. Why? Because Yu Yevon lives inside Sin, and he always takes the Final Aeon and turns it into the new Sin. Using the energy of the Final Aeon, Yu Yevon's ethereal form summons Sin once more, sometimes taking weeks, sometimes days, but never too long. Once Sin is summoned once more, the cycle of death begins anew.
Sin travels the oceans of Spira, destroying anything in its path. It cares not for the people; it merely exists to destroy. The player sees Sin in action within the first ten minutes of the game, destroying the city of Zanarkand, where Tidus, the point of view character, lives. Yes, I still insist Yuna is the main character of Final Fantasy 10. A few hours later, the player sees Sin destroy the island town of Kilika, leaving few survivors. Even children died to this beast.
The people of Spira pray to Yevon daily, hoping to absolve themselves of whatever transgressions their ancestors committed to bring Sin to the world. The Church of Yevon leads them in their prayers, but it is all for naught: Sin is eternal so long as Yu Yevon lives. With this newfound knowledge, Summoner Yuna and her guardians seek to find a way to rid Spira of Sin, once and for all.
Yu Yevon's destruction puts and end to Sin, but also to all aeons. The age of summoners passes, but with it, a new era begins in Spira, one where the people can finally build their future in peace and tranquility: the Eternal Calm.
Sin, as I said before, isn't so much a character, as it is a force. But at the same time, there's a depth to this beast that allows it to stand out among video game villains. Sin is a creature deliberately made to bring death and destruction, the bringer of the end times, if you will. Everywhere it goes, it leaves death and destruction in its wake. And somewhere, deep inside, is a person watching everything Sin is doing, helpless to stop it.
Actually, there are two people: Yu Yevon, and whoever was sacrificed to become the Final Aeon. The latter is still conscious, somewhat, observing their new form wreaking havoc upon Spira, helpless to do anything, knowing full well that their sacrifice was in vain. I personally don't know what's worse: living with that knowledge, or knowing the next summoner who comes at you with the Final Aeon is just going to repeat the mistakes you did while naively believing that maybe THIS is the one where Sin goes for good.
An entire religion was based on Sin's destructive nature, one of false hope. Yunalesca knew Sin's true nature, yet she let the people of Spira believe that Sin would one day disappear if they prayed hard enough. The people of Spira were fooled by false promises, all the while Sin would rampage for over a millennium, stopped only a handful of times, at great sacrifice. The higher ups at the Church of Yevon knew the truth too, but chose to keep it hidden. After all, why deny people their hope? False hope, after all, is better than hopelessness, correct...?
I think that what makes Sin such a memorable villain is more than just what it is, but what it represents. Sin is death and destruction in all its forms, be it physical or spiritual. Sin's very presence is enough to send anyone into the depths of despair, with the sole shelter being the empty promises of a false god. But that's just it, there IS no shelter from Sin. Sin is eternal, Sin is despair, Sin is emptiness.
Sin. Is. Death.
The fourth greatest video game villain: the embodiment of destruction itself, eternal, everlasting, unbeatable, awe inspiring. The summary:
Name: Sin
Type of Villain: The Apocalyptic Beast, The Doombringer
Greatest Crime: Existing.
Current Status: Destroyed for good.
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