Yevon

Yevonism is a fictional religion in Final Fantasy X, a computer role-playing game, by Squaresoft for the PlayStation 2.

In Final Fantasy X, the people of Spira follow the Teachings of Yevon. (Yevon and Yu Yevon refer to the same person). Yevon was a summoner who lived in Zanarkand 1000 years before the start of the game.

Yevonism—the Teachings of Yevon—was practiced throughout Spira in the various temples of the fayth (people's souls trapped in statues whose dreams manipulate a phenomenon called pyreflies, which are 'lights' that emanate from an organism upon its death). Priests of Yevon were usually summoners or ex-summoners, and would tend to the temples in multicoloured vestments of white, green and orange.

The people of Spira venerated Yevon by attending the temples (found in Besaid, Kilika, Djose, Macalania Lake, and Bevelle, as well as secret temples at the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth, Baaj, and Remiem Temples) and by praying to him through a complicated gesticulation that starts with the hands out to either side before bringing them into the chest, as though holding a sphere, and bowing. This evolved from a Blitzball ritual.

The Maesters of Yevon were the leaders of Yevonism—with Grand Maester Mika their leader. Other Maesters included Maester Seymour, Maester Wes Kinoc, & Maester Kelk Ronso.

At the time when Yu Yevon was a summoner there was a great war between Zanarkand and Bevelle. It was at Yevon's order, many of the people of Zanarkand gave up their lives to become fayth. Yevon merges with the life-force (pyreflies) of the people to create an invincible armor called Sin. With Sin, he decimates Bevelle's army but also destroys Zanarkand in the process. He orders the Fayths to create a dream of Zanarkand as it was before its destruction, so 'Zanarkand' would never truly fade into history.

Yevon had a daughter, Lady Yunalesca, who created a technique called the Final Summoning, the only way Sin's hard armor can be pierced. A summoner who trains her aeon-summoning abilities can call the Final Aeon. The Aeon is a ultimate summon created from a guardian of the summoner, who has a close bond with her; the guardian is killed and turned into a fayth, who then controls the aeon. Summoning the Final Aeon destroys Sin, but Yevon would endure & merge with the Final aeon to craft a new Sin from it. The summoner also cannot withstand the energy caused by this phenomenon, and dies as well. Yunalesca proclaims that this rite can defeat Sin for a time and give Spira hope for a short while, but unless the world embraces the teachings of Yevon and atones for their sins, Sin will never disappear completely.

Bevelle is still terrified of Yevon and Sin, and in order to appease Yevon, St. Bevelle begins to follow his teachings, which Yunalesca brought to them. The teachings mainly revolve around the Final Summoning and the ban of machina, as it is Yevon's wish that there will never again be a machina war. St. Bevelle begins to set up temples throughout Spira, and in each temple is a Fayth. To govern these laws, the Order of Yevon came to be, with four Maesters at the top, a High Priest for each temple, and many other priests and monks.

A Zanarkandian song which later becomes known as the Hymn of the Fayth is taken up by those who defy Bevelle, including the fayth inside the temples. At first Bevelle prohibits the use of the song, but after realizing that this isn't working, they instead spread a story about it being sung in defiance of Sin. Eventually it is adopted as a holy song by the Yevonites.

The End of Yevon

At the end of the game, Tidus, Yuna, and Yuna's other guardians entered Sin and killed Yu Yevon, ending his control over Spira and breaking the people's faith in Yevonism.

Two years later, in Final Fantasy X-2, the moral teachings of Yevon were revitalized in the form of the New Yevon Party under Praetor Baralai.