Notes:
Tiida, although he is the main character, is more of an outsider than a marginal. Although his appearance is that of a normal human, because he is from 1000 years in the past, he has no knowledge of the culture, customs, and religion of the world at all. He glibly refers to his hometown, Zanarkand, only to find out that it is now abandoned and viewed as a holy place. Before he becomes a Guardian, he runs inside the sacred inner portion of the temple, even though it is reserved for Summoners and Guardians. He is disrespectful to religious leaders, and is in awe of Yuna's spiritual powers. Even with all these cultural blunders, however, he still attempts to pass as a normal human. He only tells a few people where he is really from, and explains his strange behavior to others as a sort of amnesia -- “I got too close to Shin, so I'm a little messed up” (Mallory). The fact that he tries to pass even though he is such an obvious outsider emphasizes the great need for social belonging in Japanese culture. Also, because the player controls Tiida, his sense of loneliness and his lack of belonging seem more poignant. Because there is such an emphasis on empathy in Japanese culture, this may be a subtle way to help people understand what being marginal is like.