X-2 follow the story of Auron and Jecht's generation, they eventually let this idea pass due to the concept making the game "too traditional", deciding instead to go with the trio of Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. In initial versions of Auron was a Crusader, an exterminator of monsters from Zanarkand, but as the story involved deceased people, the staff decided to make him an Unsent. Auron was planned to be Jecht in disguise, but such idea was scrapped. Auron appears in Kingdom Hearts II as a party member exclusive to the Olympus Coliseum. He is brought back to life by Hades in order to kill Hercules but Auron refuses to aid him. He joins Sora's group in escaping from the Underworld, but he is later brainwashed by Hades into fighting Hercules. During the battle, Sora restores Auron's free will, and he joins them and Hercules to defeat Hades. A super-deformed version of Auron appears in Itadaki Street Special. In 2008, GamesRadar ranked Auron's glasses tenth in "The top 10 famous glasses". In 2009, Shelby Reiches of Cheat Code Central ranked Auron among the "Top 10 Video Game Swordsmen", commenting that "the calm resolve with which he faces monstrous foes and the strength with which he can wield his blade (even one-handed, if so desired) both go toward earning him a spot on this list above his Final Fantasy cohorts." Auron ranked fifth on Electronic Gaming Monthlys Top Ten Badass Undead. In a Famitsu poll done in February 2010, Auron was voted by readers as the thirty-third most popular video game character. In its December 2010 cover feature, Game Informer named Auron one of their "30 characters who defined a decade," describing him as "one of the most complex RPG companions in gaming history." In 2011, GamesRadar used Auron as an example of a badass commenting: "a smooth-talking, shades-wearing, longcoat rocking snarker who can wield a huge sword with his one good arm. He is a badass, and nobody can deny it. With that perfect storm of cool, he has nothing to worry about." In 2013, Complex ranked Auron fourth in "The 20 Greatest Final Fantasy Characters of All Time" and eighteenth in their "25 Dead Video Game Characters We Wish Were Still Here". Wakka Motion capture: Akihiko Kikuma is a 23-year-old professional blitzball player who is characterized by having a long reddish-orange quiff and, being tall and muscular in appearance.