Character Profile 🔥🌸
Yume Aino
Since it is VERY long, it is under a cut. If you do read all of this, thank you so much for taking the time out to do so!!! Enjoy! 🥰
Updated as of Dawntrail Patch 7.5, 07/09/2026
BASICS//
Name: Yume Aino
Name Pronounciation: Yoo-may Eye-know
Name Meaning: Yume = “Dream”, Aino = “Of Love”, both of Japanese origin. In her lore, "Aino" is the name of the now dormant volcanic mountain that Aino Castle is built upon, and the clan itself took its name from the volcano. Theoretically, Yume was named as such because she was to be the "Dream of the Aino Clan".
Nicknames: “Little Bird”, is a nickname from her childhood but is adopted by Zenos as a pet name for her; “My Fire”, “My Light”, and “Mea Amata”, are all other pet names Zenos has for Yume (“mea amata” is Latin for the feminine form of “my beloved”, and is a reference to the Garlean native language).
Unsundered Name: Nemesis (Not Azem)
Titles: Warrior of Light, Warrior of Darkness, Hydaelyn’s Chosen, Scion of the Seventh Dawn, Champion of Eorzea, Eikon Slayer, Savior of Ishgard, Liberator of Doma and Ala Mhigo, Savior of the Star, Wandering Flame, Ronin of Eorzea, Former Heir of Lord Masanori Aino
Age: 24 in ARR, 31 as of the Beginning of Dawntrail
Nameday: 13th Sun of the 3rd Astral Moon (May 13th)
Gender: Female, Cis
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Race: Au Ra
Tribe: Raen
Nationality: Hingan
Languages: Modern Hingan, Most Far Eastern Dialects, Old Auri Tongue, and Eorzean Common Tongue
Profession: Former samurai and heir apparent of the Aino Clan; Currently a ronin, adventurer, and Scion of the Seventh Dawn
Education Level: Home schooled by private tutors in Hingashi, and is particularly knowledgeable in history, cultures, and languages.
BLOODLINES//
Father: Lord Masanori Aino (48 in ARR)
Mother: Lady Michiko Aino (45 in ARR)
Siblings: 2 younger brothers, Daichi and Kentaro (Ages 8 and 6 in ARR); Numerous half-siblings born of her father and his concubines
Extended Family: Large extended family, but her best friend is her first cousin Rei Tokugawa (25 in ARR)
In-Laws: All in-laws deceased
Children: None, and cannot have any biological children due to her injuries from attempted Seppuku
Pet: An amaro named Nightmare who also serves as Yume’s mount; the amaro was named after Yume’s black horse, also named Nightmare, that Yume was forced to leave behind in Hingashi after she was banished by her father.
ROMANCE & SEXUALITY//
Sexual Orientation: Demisexual
Romantic Orientation: Demiromantic
Significant Other: Zenos Galvus, in a long-term monogamous relationship as of Post-6.0; Will marry at some time in the future
Past Relationships: 1) G’raha Tia during the investigation into the Crystal Tower in ARR, broke up shortly before G’raha locks himself in the Tower; 2) Cid Garlond from HW 3.0 till SB patch 4.4, broke up before Cid proposed marriage to Yume; 3) Yume’s ancient self as Nemesis was eternally bonded with Ares, Zenos’ ancient self
RESIDENCE//
Place of Birth: Born in Aino Castle, in Lord Masanori Aino's territory, located not too far outside of Kugane, Hingashi
Current Residence: Small house in Shirogane (Located in game at Rafflesia, Shirogane, Ward 17, Plot 33.)
TALENTS AND SKILLS//
Canon Battle Jobs: Samurai (Trained since early childhood; canonically referred to as a Ronin; some of Yume’s abilities are unique and distinctive from the in game job) and Reaper (Taught by Zenos before going to Tural in 7.0)
Canon Non-Battle Jobs: Archer, Ninja, and Monk (Jobs that Yume knows but she doesn’t use in battle)
Canon Phantom Job: Mystic Knight (Canonically has learned some limited abilities of soul stone from Occult Crescent and uses them in battle)
Canon Hand/Land Jobs: None
Abilities: Kenjutsu, Martial Arts, Marksmanship, Thaumaturgy, Black Magic, Void Magic, Writing Poetry, Calligraphy, Dancing, and Polyglot
Bad At: Singing, All forms of healing magic, Household chores, Public Speaking, Confiding in others when stressed, and Controlling her anger.
APPEARANCE//
Hair: Naturally jet black in color with straight bangs and pulled back into a high ponytail most of the time, and long in length.
Eyes: Large, wide set eyes; sapphire blue in color with lighter blue limbal rings surrounding the iris.
Face: Heart-shaped, with ivory colored scales on cheeks and bridge of her long, thin nose.
Lips: Full, plump lips
Complexion: Fair, can mildly tan with extended sun exposure
Blemishes: None
Scars: Though she has many small scars accumulated over the years, the most prominent one is a large, very deep scar from the right side of her abdomen to her belly button that she has been quite ashamed of for many years; she only shows the scar when necessary.
Tattoos: One large tattoo of a Phoenix spreading its wings that covers her entire back in all red ink.
Height: 5 fulms 2 ilms (Tallest Height for female Au Ra)
Weight: 120 ponze
Build: Petite and athletic but curvy with a large chest.
Features (Au Ra): Horns are slightly curled and sloping backwards away from her face; tail is long and smooth with a few small spikes near the base. Scales adorn her body and face with a small speckling of scales above the bridge of her nose.
Usual Hairstyles: Usually pulled up into a high ponytail for battle, but she tends to also pull up her hair into a side ponytail with braids while not fighting, and recently she has worn her hair loose.
Usual Face Look: Usually wears reddish-pink eyeshadow, black mascara and eyeliner, and mauve colored lipstick.
Usual Clothing: Black leather, black colored robes, black or dark colored kimonos, black dresses, and some dark red and dark purple accessories. Basically, Yume asks, “Does this come in black?”
Face and Voice Claim: Chinese actress Fan Bing Bing for both face and voice claim.
PERSONALITY//
Introverted / Extroverted / Ambiverted (bold what applies)
Positive Traits: Friendly, polite, respectful, reserved, courageous, brave, kind, compassionate, empathetic, open minded, pragmatic, intuitive, loyal, faithful.
Most Positive Trait: Honorable to a fault. Yume follows the Honor Code of the Samurai and will not fight an unarmed opponent, tries her best to not bring harm to the innocent, and she is extremely loyal to those she has sworn to serve. Will give her life in an heartbeat if she deems it to be an honorable death and a worthy sacrifice for a good cause.
Negative Traits: Temperamental, prideful, aggressive, cynical, jealous, possessive, distant, insecure, reckless.
Most Negative Trait: Besides falling in love with Zenos? Yume has a problem with anger management. When she doesn’t keep her anger in check, she gets violent, and will kill an enemy with no hesitation. She has killed many people this way in her past in Hingashi, including killing those that she felt had dishonored her in some way.
Fears: Living a life without making her own choices, having regrets, and the death of her loved ones, though not afraid of dying herself.
Aspirations: To live a life that she has chosen for herself and not forced upon her by someone else, to help others and use her powers for good, and to see the entire world for herself.
Traumas: For past traumas before ARR, you can read Yume’s history below. Most of the events of ShB and EW were really traumatic for her, especially with Yume and Zenos both almost dying after their battle at the end of 6.0.
Hobbies: Writing poetry, calligraphy, travelling, learning about other cultures, learning history, reading, and shopping.
Vices: Eating too much junk food, bottling up emotions until she explodes, shutting out others when feeling depressed, feeling insecure about herself outside of being a Warrior of Light.
Faith: Believes in the concept of Karma and that everything happens for a reason, but does not believe in the Kami or any other kind of god, at least ones that aren't primals anyway.
Turn Ons: Exceptional skill in combat and warfare, Loyalty, Confidence, Bravery, Integrity, Intelligence, unique eyes, beautiful smile, muscular physique, and a large chest.
Turn Offs: Cowardice, Dishonesty, Disloyalty, Deceitfulness, Superficiality, Greed
Temperament: Choleric
MBTI: INFP-A
Soul Type: The Warrior
Tropes: The Chosen Many, Lady of War, Aloof Dark-haired Girl, Dark and Troubled Past, Samurai, Ronin, Warrior Poet, Honor Before Reason, Seppuku, Black Mage, Lady of Black Magic
Songs: “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones (This one is also her OC tag), “Weight of the World” from Nier Automata, “Sayuri’s Theme” from Memoirs of a Geisha, and “Wandering Flame” from FFX
Character Inspirations: Chiyo/Sayuri from Memoirs of a Geisha, Mariko from James Clavell’s Shogun, Auron and Lulu from FFX, Tifa Lockhart from FFVII, Rei Hino/Sailor Mars from Sailor Moon, Trinity from The Matrix, Daenerys Targaryen from A Song of Ice and Fire, and Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin
FAVORITES//
Book: Chūshingura, translated as The Treasury of Loyal Retainers, commonly known as The 47 Ronin.
Deity: Nald’thal the Traders
Holidays: Heavensturn
Month: 5th Umbral Moon (October)
Weather: A warm, sunny day with a light breeze and fair to clear skies.
Time of Day: Dawn
Places: Kugane, Eastern Thanalan, The Royal Menagerie in the palace in Ala Mhigo, Rak’tika Greatwood, Thavnair, and Urqopacha
Sounds: The wind, chimes, Taiko drumming, birds chirping, and crackling wood of a campfire or a fireplace.
Scents: Cherry blossoms, tea brewing, incense burning, campfires, fireplaces, and candles burning.
Foods: Anything spicy, sushi, curry, ramen, savory meats, and anything chocolate for desert.
Drinks: Matcha green tea, sakura tea, chai latte, many varieties of coffee, and red wine.
Feels: Leather, flower petals, Hingan silk, and a warm fireplace or campfire.
SYMBOLISM//
Main Colors: Red and Black
Element: Fire
Gemstone: Ruby
Metals: Gold & Titanium
Animals: Birds of all kind
Mythological Creature: Phoenixes
Flowers: Cherry blossoms and Chrysanthemums
Season: Autumn
Planet: Mars, the Bringer of War
Astronomical Objects: The Sun and Meteors
HISTORY//
History (Pre-ARR): ((Content/Trigger Warnings: Ritualistic Suicide/Seppuku, Attempted Suicide, Mental and Emotional Abuse, Slight Depictions of Self-Harm, and Discussion of Potential Incestual Marriage; Feel free to skip over this section to avoid!))
Yume was born the eldest daughter of a Daimyo (a feudal lord who ruled over a territory in Hingashi), Lord Masanori Aino, and she was his heir apparent. Yume was raised from birth to become the ideal samurai, who would be able to beat any opponent in battle, and to one day succeed her father as daimyo. She excelled in all her studies and was driven to be the best on the battlefield, yet she always felt like something was missing from her life.
As she got older, she travelled often to Kugane, the famed port city where merchants from all walks of life congregated. Yume was exposed to people with vastly different cultures and traditions from the ones she knew. She was fascinated with the travelers from distant lands that she had never seen before, especially the Eorzeans. Yet she would always do her duty and aspired to live up to her father’s expectations.
When she came of age, Lord Aino began the search for his beloved daughter’s suitor, and he had narrowed down his criteria to a very short but nigh impossible list: 1) Must be a son of a prominent noble family, 2) Must be able to sire children, and 3) He must be Yume’s equal in battle, as determined by a 1v1 duel with Yume herself. The first two criteria were the easy part. Many clans were interested in marrying their son to the daughter of Lord Aino, but Lord Aino looked for perfection, and no man around her age was good enough for his daughter. This is because every would be suitor who dueled Yume for a chance to win her hand in marriage was defeated. There were none that proved worthy of her.
Yume pleaded with her father to allow her to decide for herself who she wants to marry in her own time, but her father forbade her from ever speaking of it again, for she would shame him and bring dishonor to the family name. Soon after Yume’s 18th nameday, her father announced her betrothal to Lord Nobu Aino, her own uncle. Nobu had lost his wife due to illness, and he never fathered children with her. To ensure that Nobu will have children of his own, he wished to wed a young woman with many years ahead of her so that she can give him many children. Yume was appalled; it was commonplace centuries ago for uncles and nieces to marry in Hingashi, but it is a dying tradition that only a few remaining noble families participate in, as most of Hingashi frowns upon it in modern times.
Yume soon felt trapped in the station in life that she was born into. Her family never sought her approval of her uncle as her suitor, nor was there any room for her to decline the betrothal. Though she wished for nothing more than to become a samurai, she did not want to be forced into a marriage with her own uncle, nor to be bound to a fate that she never decided for herself. This led to the biggest decision she ever made: she confronted her father and outright refused to marry Nobu no matter what.
Her father answered her by saying that she has dishonored him and the family, but Yume responded that he has shamed her and she cannot live like this anymore. Lord Aino ended the confrontation by telling her that if she cannot live with the shame, then she must commit Seppuku, or ritualistic suicide.
The next day, the ceremony has commenced, and Yume is fully prepared to take her own life. But just as she began to slit her belly open, her father stops her and tells her that she does not have to die but must live in shame. Lord Aino’s change of heart allows Yume to survive the attempted seppuku, but the damage to her organs was so extensive that her reproductive organs had to be removed, so Yume can never have biological children. Soon after she recovers from her wounds, the family disowns her, she is stripped of all her power and titles, and she must leave her father’s lands, never to return. Yume agrees to this, and she never sees her family again.
After she has fully recovered and left her father’s lands behind, Yume is now known as a disgraced ronin, a samurai without a master. To survive, she makes a name for herself as a mercenary and assassin in Kugane for five years, and was known as the “Wandering Flame”, which derives from her clan living on a dormant volcano, the “flame” part, and “wandering” for her being a ronin.
One fateful day, after hearing the voice of Hydaelyn calling to her day after day to go to Eorzea, Yume decides that since there really is nothing left for her in Hingashi, she leaves her homeland behind for Eorzea, a land that she has always dreamed of seeing, and soon becomes a Scion of the Seventh Dawn and is known as a “Warrior of Light”.
OTHER//
Smokes: Never
Drugs: Never
Drinks: Only drinks wine and certain kinds of cocktails, and she is overall very responsible with her alcohol consumption. She will never drink on the eve of battle, nor ever indulge at times when she needs her mind to be clear and focused.
Mount Issuance: Yume was never given a chocobo, as she flat out refuses one. She does not like chocobos because of their smell, and still usually calls them “horse birds” out of habit from growing up in Hingashi. She rode a motorcycle built by Cid for a few years (from ARR until ShB) until she is gifted an amaro named Nightmare by the Crystal Exarch.
Been Arrested: Was technically going to be arrested for Regicide during the events of the Bloody Banquet, but Yume escapes Ul’dah along with her fellow Warrior of Light Hali Aloke.
UNSUNDERED AND SHARDS//
Unsundered: Nemesis (Not Azem)
Source: Yume Aino, Warrior of Light, 8 times rejoined
First: Ardbert Hylfyst, rejoined during ShB 5.0
Second: Firion, rejoined in 3rd Calamity (Fire)
Third: Refia, rejoined in 4th Calamity (Earth)
Fourth: ???, status unknown
Fifth: Faris Scherwiz, rejoined in 1st Calamity (Wind)
Sixth: Celes Chere, rejoined in 5th Calamity (Ice)
Seventh: Tifa Lockhart, rejoined in 7th Calamity (Bahamut)
Eighth: ???, status unknown
Ninth: Zelenia Triantafylli, deceased 400 years prior to patch 7.2, current status unknown
Tenth: Lulu, rejoined in 6th Calamity (Water)
Eleventh: ???, status unknown
Twelfth: Lightning Farron, rejoined in 2nd Calamity (Lightning)
Thirteenth: Rubicante, bound to Yume as her Reaper avatar since patch 6.3; Zero is Zenos’ Thirteenth Shard in Yume’s canonverse
CURRENT STATUS//
In patch 7.5, Yume and Zenos fight off Voidsent in Hingashi and then Hali visits them in Kugane afterwards to inform them of everything that Halmarut and Calyx have told the Scions.
NOTE: Yume's story follows all of the major events of the MSQ as she is a Warrior of Light. The only major canon diversion is that in her canonverse, there are multiple Warriors of Light (notably with my main OC Hali Aloke @starrysnowdrop) and Yume’s ancient self is NOT Azem. Yume won’t always be the main focus of certain MSQ events either, as my main WoL is Hali. Feel free to ask me for any specifics in this regard.
