50 Fun Facts About Final Fantasy XIII

Which creature nests in Sazh's afro throughout Final Fantasy XIII, a gift he bought for his young son?

A chocobo chick lives in his hair for the whole journey. The sequel reveals that the bird later takes human form as Chocolina, a travelling merchant.

Which British singer's song My Hands became the theme of Final Fantasy XIII outside Japan?

Leona Lewis had already released My Hands on her album Echo. Square Enix licensed it because its American branch lacked the staff to produce a new theme song from scratch.

Which luxury fashion house featured Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII as a virtual model in a 2015 advert?

Louis Vuitton was not her last brand deal. Lightning later starred in a Chinese Nissan commercial alongside Snow.

What vehicle do the Shiva Sisters, Snow's twin Eidolons in Final Fantasy XIII, combine to form for him to ride?

A motorcycle forms when the sisters Stiria and Nix combine. Before that, Stiria heals Snow and casts ice spells while Nix attacks up close.

What is the birth name of Lightning in the English version of Final Fantasy XIII, dropped after her parents died?

Claire replaced Éclair, her name in the Japanese version, because English speakers associate that word with a type of pastry.

Which battle mechanic in Final Fantasy XIII lets the player switch all three fighters' roles at once in mid-fight?

Paradigm Shift swaps the party between line-ups prepared before the fight. It is the only way to direct the two allies the computer controls.

In Final Fantasy XIII, what mindless monsters do branded humans become if they fail the task a fal'Cie set them?

Cie'th are what the branded become when their time runs out. Those who succeed are turned to crystal instead, and legend says they gain eternal life.

Which weapon type does Lightning wield in Final Fantasy XIII, first carried by Squall in Final Fantasy VIII?

Gunblade models in this game, unlike the originals, really fire bullets. Hers, the Blazefire Saber, folds between sword and firearm, echoing the way the game's summons change shape.

Which resistance group does Snow lead in Final Fantasy XIII, sharing its name with Hope's mother?

NORA was explained in the English version as an acronym for No Obligations, Rules, or Authority. Hope's mother dies fighting beside the group, which sets him against Snow.

Which recurring series name belongs to the Cavalry's brigadier general, surnamed Raines, in Final Fantasy XIII?

Cid Raines secretly serves the villain as a l'Cie. That makes this only the second game in the series, after Final Fantasy XII, to cast a character of that name as an antagonist.

What rank had Lightning reached in the Guardian Corps before the events of Final Fantasy XIII made her a fugitive?

Sergeant was meant to be a stepping stone, as she was scheduled for officer training. Stripes on her shoulder guard still show the old rank.

What is Snow's relationship to Serah, the sister Lightning sets out to rescue in Final Fantasy XIII?

Her fiancé proposed only two days before the game begins. Lightning strongly objected to the match.

Which hair colour did the designers give Lightning in Final Fantasy XIII after first planning to make it silver?

Pink was chosen instead, and the silver hair first planned for her was handed to Hope.

Which role does the relentlessly optimistic Snow proclaim for himself in Final Fantasy XIII, vowing to protect everyone?

Hero is his own word for it. Snow was first conceived as a more negative delinquent type before the team reworked him into a big-brother figure.

What duty does Vanille alone have among the six leads of Final Fantasy XIII, while hiding her origins from them?

Narrating the tale fell to Vanille because the director wanted a single unified viewpoint on a plot that keeps switching between its leads.

Which real-world accent do Vanille and Fang share in the English dub of Final Fantasy XIII, marking them as outsiders?

Australian accents mark the two women as natives of Gran Pulse, the wild world below Cocoon, while the Cocoon-born party members all speak with American accents.

What was Sazh's job in Final Fantasy XIII before a fal'Cie branded his son and upended his life?

Airship pilot Sazh looked very different in early designs: a white man with long brown hair, then named Baz.

What is the name of Sazh's six-year-old son in Final Fantasy XIII, seized by the Sanctum to track other l'Cie?

Dajh was planned as a nine-year-old, but his designer made him younger so that players would feel more sympathy for him.

Which thrown weapon does Hope use in Final Fantasy XIII, with models named after birds of myth?

Boomerang throws keep the party's youngest member at a distance, which suits a fighter with the lowest health of the six playable characters.

Which weapons does Sazh carry in Final Fantasy XIII, having wielded a shoulder cannon in early design sketches?

Pistols fit the game's theme of transformation, since his pair can lock together into a single assault rifle.

Which Eidolon does Lightning tame in Final Fantasy XIII, transforming into a white horse for her to ride?

Odin was designed as a father figure for Lightning, who lost her parents young. His horse form is called Sleipnir, after the god's steed in Norse mythology.

Which Eidolon answers Sazh's despair in Final Fantasy XIII and transforms into a race car armed with machine guns?

Brynhildr is a fire-wielding newcomer to the series. Sazh summons her at his lowest ebb, just after learning who was behind his son's branding.

Which Eidolon does Fang command in Final Fantasy XIII, carrying the whole party down to Gran Pulse on his back?

Bahamut first confronts Fang inside the Fifth Ark, at the moment she turns on her friends for planning to defy their fal'Cie masters.

Which Eidolon belongs to Vanille in Final Fantasy XIII, transforming into a two-legged mech with four gun turrets?

Hecatoncheir is the last Eidolon the party earns. He appears in the tunnels of Mah'habara when Fang forces Vanille to admit the truth she has been hiding.

What name does Final Fantasy XIII give the transformation of a summoned Eidolon into a vehicle or mount?

Gestalt Mode grew out of a design theme of changing shape, which is also why several of the characters' weapons switch between two forms.

What title does Galenth Dysley hold as head of the Sanctum in Final Fantasy XIII, before being unmasked as a fal'Cie?

Primarch Dysley is really Barthandelus, lord of the Cocoon fal'Cie. He steers the party toward destroying the very world he governs.

Which fal'Cie is the final boss of Final Fantasy XIII, the hidden power source that keeps Cocoon afloat?

Orphan wants to be destroyed. The Cocoon fal'Cie cannot harm it themselves, so they groom the party to do it, believing the catastrophe will bring back their creator.

Which Pulse fal'Cie brands Lightning and her companions as l'Cie near the start of Final Fantasy XIII?

Anima had lain hidden inside a relic from Pulse. Its discovery near a seaside resort is what sets off the mass deportation that opens the game.

Which PSICOM lieutenant colonel in Final Fantasy XIII uses Sazh's captured son to hunt down the fugitive l'Cie?

Nabaat commands the warship Palamecia, where she holds Sazh and Vanille prisoner. Her own master then kills her, saying she has outlived her usefulness.

Which beast are the l'Cie of Final Fantasy XIII fated to become, as shown in the vision they all share?

Ragnarok is the monster meant to bring Cocoon down. In the ending Vanille and Fang take that form together to save the falling world instead.

What name do the l'Cie of Final Fantasy XIII give the unspoken task a fal'Cie brands them to complete?

A Focus is never spelled out. The branded receive only a hazy vision and must work out for themselves what their fal'Cie wants.

What does the Sanctum call its forced removal of citizens exposed to Pulse at the start of Final Fantasy XIII?

The Purge was presented as relocation to Pulse for a whole city, unlucky tourists included. It ends in a massacre at the Hanging Edge.

Which ancient conflict in the lore of Final Fantasy XIII saw l'Cie from Pulse tear a hole in Cocoon's shell?

War of Transgression is Cocoon's name for it. The hole was patched with material lifted from Pulse, and the Sanctum has used fear of another invasion to stay in power ever since.

Which seaside city of Cocoon, known for its fireworks display, is home to Lightning and Serah in Final Fantasy XIII?

Bodhum's festival grants each visitor one wish by tradition. It is on that night that Serah accepts Snow's proposal.

Which city in Final Fantasy XIII, nicknamed the City of Dreams, is built around a huge amusement park?

Nautilus is shaped like the shell it is named after. Its Pompa Sancta parade retells the old war between Cocoon and Pulse as entertainment.

Which port city of Cocoon is Hope's hometown in Final Fantasy XIII, nicknamed the Capital of Commerce?

Palumpolum earned that title for its lively street markets, a rarity on a world where most people shop online.

Which deserted village on Gran Pulse, home of Vanille and Fang in Final Fantasy XIII, appears in both their full names?

Oerba comes first in each woman's name, followed by her clan, Dia or Yun. The party travels there hoping to shed their brands and finds no living people.

Which region of Gran Pulse is the only place in Final Fantasy XIII where the player can ride chocobos?

Archylte Steppe doubles as a post-game area. Players can return there from the final dungeon to finish the optional monster hunts.

What do Vanille and Fang create at the end of Final Fantasy XIII to stop Cocoon crashing into Gran Pulse?

A giant pillar of crystal catches the falling world. The two women remain sealed in stasis inside it when the game ends.

Which country's landscapes did the art team photograph as the basis for Gran Pulse in Final Fantasy XIII?

United States scenery replaced the Asian influences of earlier entries. Cocoon, for its part, was meant to feel like a melting pot of different ethnicities.

Which levelling system in Final Fantasy XIII resembles the Sphere Grid of Final Fantasy X, with a branch for each role?

Crystarium progress is capped by the plot. The full grid is not available at the start, and new tiers open only at set moments in the game.

What condition does an enemy in Final Fantasy XIII enter once its chain gauge fills, sharply raising damage taken?

Stagger comes quickest from spell attacks, but the gauge drains again unless physical hits sustain it. A staggered enemy may also be launched into the air.

Which of the six combat roles in Final Fantasy XIII did the designers add after settling on the original five?

Saboteur, the role that weakens enemies with status ailments, was added because the designers felt those abilities were missing and fitted none of the other five.

Which staple of earlier entries did battle director Toshiro Tsuchida remove from the combat of Final Fantasy XIII?

Magic points were dropped because the designers felt the cost made players hold back their strongest spells, which made battles less interesting.

Who directed Final Fantasy XIII and devised its story, after working on Final Fantasy X and X-2?

Motomu Toriyama put the game's lower-than-expected review scores down to critics used to open worlds, arguing that so much freedom makes a compelling story hard to tell.

Which composer wrote the score of Final Fantasy XIII, after co-composing the music of Final Fantasy X?

Masashi Hamauzu had earlier led the music of Dirge of Cerberus. Parts of his score here were recorded with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.

Which shared mythology links Final Fantasy XIII with the games first announced as Versus XIII and Agito XIII?

Fabula Nova Crystallis games share themes and a mythology but not a plot. The two announced alongside this one were eventually released as Final Fantasy XV and Final Fantasy Type-0.

Which actor voices Snow in the English version of Final Fantasy XIII, a part he kept in both sequels?

Troy Baker went on to bigger leads after Snow, among them Joel in The Last of Us and Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite.

Which actress voices Lightning in English in Final Fantasy XIII, returning for both sequels and a Dissidia spin-off?

Ali Hillis is also the voice of Liara T'Soni in the Mass Effect series. Lightning's personality had been settled before her outfit was designed or any voice actress was cast.

Which film's Japanese home release came bundled with a playable demo of Final Fantasy XIII?

Advent Children Complete carried a demo that was never in the original schedule. The director said making it finally gave the team a shared vision of how the game should look and feel.