When it comes to gaming franchises, Final Fantasy is, by far, one of the most popular and successful series. Taking place in a world full of magic, moogles, and weirdly dressed protagonists, these games follow heroes on their journeys to save their world. While the games don't always take place in the same lands, it's always the same culture, community, and people. Most recently, the whole Final Fantasy universe changed when Lightning, the hero of Final Fantasy XIII, took her people of Nova Chrysalia someplace totally new. This set up Final Fantasy XV and changed the game as fans knew it forever.
Though Final Fantasy XIII is one of the most divisive games, it does have a lot of important events. Almost all of those events circle around Lightning Farron, the main character of the FFXIII trilogy. Her story begins when her sister is turned into a crystallized l'Cie and she's determined to save her.
Lightning is already a bit different, with pastel pink hair and a bias towards gunblades first, talk later, but she definitely fits the hero role. With all her downfalls, she's still a strong warrior trying to save something she cares about, growing as a person along the way.
One of the most interesting parts of Lightning, by far, is her body and physical capabilities. While her game establishes a lot of lore rules, Lightning breaks many of them and becomes something much more than anyone would ever expect. As an anomaly of power with connections to Gods, she has a lot going on in her seemingly frail mortal anatomy.
Here are 20 Crazy Details About Lightning's Body.
Lightning Resembles Her Mother
In Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning and Serah make it clear that they didn't have an easy childhood. They lost their father when they were very young and their mother passed on from a mysterious illness when she was just fifteen. Only a teenager, Lightning figured out how to take care of her and her sister without any help. Because of this, Lightning is very protective of Serah.
Though Lightning doesn't talk much about those times, Serah is more sentimental. She says Lightning looks quite a lot like their mother and acts very motherly, too. While Lightning doesn't connect well with others, her maternal side is what keeps her connected to the world.
Lightning may distance herself from their past, but it makes sense when her own face a constant reminder of the woman she lost.
Survived Valhalla
While some Final Fantasy titles only have one game, some have multiple. In the case of Final Fantasy XIII, they have an entire trilogy under their belt. In the second game, Valhalla is another dimension in between the unseen realm and the real world. Valhalla is an eternal place, where conflicts go on forever and the goddess, Etro, makes her home.
However, Valhalla is being drained of life and Lightning is trapped there, a knight for Etro. Serah had to go on a journey to save her from there, despite the fact most people can't go there.
Of course, Lightning's body is special and can not only enter Valhalla but flourish there. Within this realm, she's a hero and champion of a goddess.
Bonded With A Summoning Beast
Summoning beasts have always been an important part of Final Fantasy. In Final Fantasy XIII, these ones are specifically Eidolons, created by Etro to serve her chosen emissaries. Throughout the game, the player will fight and defeat many of them.
After Lightning and Hope defeat the tumultuous Odin, he becomes her bonded summoning beast. He's fighting them so that Lightning can prove her strength to him. Like Lightning, Odin uses thunder and lightning magic. While in combat, he takes on the form of a knight. However, he also can be a metallic, majestic horse.
Once Lightning has proven herself in battle, she can summon Odin to help them in any fight. Not everyone can bond with a summoning beast, so Odin is a testament to her abilities.
Gunblade Master
Throughout the time players spend with Lightning, she mostly relies on her trusty gunblade. As a trained member of the Guardian Corps, she's spent years with the weapon, using it to it's full potential.
Gunblades are large, ornate blades that can transform into firing weapons. In the beginning of the game, Lightning's specific blade of choice is the Blazefire Sabre, only used by the most skilled gunblade experts. However, once she becomes Etro's champion, she's given Overture. This blade is specially engraved and created by the goddess for Lightning.
With the ability to skillfully use long-range and melee attacks, Lightning is a versatile, impressive warrior. Very few, even in the Guardian Corps, can use the gunblade with the same prowess as her.
Has A Naval Piercing
While they're hard to see, Lightning has quite a few adornments hidden under her clothes. Her outfit is normal flexible or armor, not clothes that are supposed to be cute or show off her body.
However, she has a very interesting, kind of uncharacteristic part of her hidden under her shirt: Lightning has a naval piercing. Sometimes, at the right angle and the right animations, fans can catch the belly button piercing through the flaps of her top. Otherwise, though, she keeps it to herself.
Similarly, she has a lightning necklace that doesn't show up in all of her shots because it's hidden under her clothes. It can be frustrating for fans who want to see her unique accessories, but it just adds to her personality.
Body Trained For Battle
When she was old enough, Lighnting joined the Guardian Corps. There, she not only had a job but was learning how to protect Serah in any scenario. For years, she was trained with other warriors to protect and serve. Over time her body became toned, battle-ready, and able to combat anything at a moment's notice.
During the introduction of Final Fantasy XIII, the world is falling apart. However, Lightning is ready to fight the enemy and do everything she can to save her sister. Whether she's a l'Cie or not, she's her little sister and she's determined to protect her. With the capable team that forms around her, Lightning is able to use her battle-ready body to its full potential.
Plays Moogle Throw
Though Lightning is known for her unemotional affect, she does have some sentimentality and fun to her. After all, her drive to protect and love Serah is exactly how she gets involved with the plot of Final Fantasy XIII. Once the pair are reunited, Lightning is desperate to bond better with her sister. When she joined the Guardian Corps, it was easy to focus on work instead of spending the time she should with family.
In accordance with some of the abilities of the game, Lightning wonders if she should play Moogle Throw with Serah when the danger is over. Childish and goofy, it's a surprise she even knows how to play such a game. But it seems like Lightning's body and character are full of surprise abilities.
Can Enter Temple Ruins
The temple ruins are a unique part of Final Fantasy, a place that is part normal ruins and another part mystical place of danger. There are murals and old history, but also time doors and teleportation objects. In theory, most people could enter the ruins. However, Lightning's strengths make it easier for her to navigate the chambers. After all, she isn't just a normal human, she's a thunder-powered battle expert. (Though having an omniscient player controlling her doesn't hurt).
Between her combat abilities, her secret strengths, and her intelligence, Lightning is one of the few people that can get through all of the ruins without falling prey to enemies or other perils. There are serious perks to being basically a superhuman.
She Once Was A l'Cie
The l'Cie are people marked by Pulse l'Cie and given special powers to fulfill a task for them. While the magic is cool, the compulsion to complete a goal for someone else. They are ultimately controlled by fal'Cie, the gods of the Final Fantasy world. When that goal is completed, the l'Cie become crystallized, but not gone.
Lightning's quest began to save her crystal sister, but things get complicated when the party that came together all become unconscious and wake up as l'Cie themselves. As she isn't too excited to listened to anyone else's rules, Lightning takes the thunder magic but rebels against any other aspect of the mark.
Once they destroy Orphan, though, Lightning and her friends are all freed from their l'Cie branding.
Thunder Magic
Once a person becomes a l'Cie, they are gifted with magical powers. For Lightning, fittingly, she got the power to control thunder and lightning. Between her expert swordsmanship and explosive powers, she quickly became a force to be reckoned with.
Though she wasn't keen on being a pawn in fal'Cie plans, her strength was invaluable in destroying the fal'Cie threat, Orphan. For awhile she lost her powers, but once she became Etro's champion in Valhalla, that changed. With blade and thunder in hand, she was able to rival Caius Ballard in between worlds.
Her thunder magic has a hand in other parts of her, though. Her summoning beast is Odin, the thunder stallion. Furthermore, she chose Lightning as her name before any of this happened. She was destined to be Etro's thunder champion.
Can Send Dream Messages
While in Valhalla, Lightning became even stronger than before. All summoning beasts were at her beck and call, her thunder magic was returned, and she gained the ability to send messages to mortals in their dreams. This is how she kept in contact with Serah, despite being on an entirely different plain of existence. Though Serah already believed her sister, the dreams only affirmed her suspicions that Lighting was alive.
As a champion of Valhalla, Lightning was more powerful than ever before, able to tap into the lives of mortals like the gods she protected. However, it did come at a cost. She felt like her humanity was slipping further and further away each day. There are downsides to being the savior.
She Collects Eradia From Peaceful Souls
After all the trouble Lightning and her friends go through, the gods of their world make it clear that apocalypse is inevitable. Using Serah as a hostage, Bhunivelze in particular wants Lightning to become the savior and lead everyone into a new world. With Serah on the line, of course Lightning agrees.
To help in the process, she collects and rescues souls to be prepared to send on to the other world. Not only does this get the apocalypse escape moving forward, but it also delays the worst parts of it.
Though the savior title is shiny, Lightning doesn't feel pride in her work. It's just the universe using her again for it's own machinations.
She Lost Her Emotions
During that harrowing time where Serah's soul was held hostage and she was forced to play savior, Bhunivelze tried to be merciful by taking Lightning's emotions away. After all, not only could she be more efficient at saving souls, but also she wouldn't have to feel so awful about Serah.
Unfortunately, losing her emotions only make Lightning feel empty and made the people around her suffer.
Even worse, Bhunivelze purging her of emotions was just his first step in a plan to purge every human of emotions, thinking those are impure and unnecessary. After defeating him, Lightning gets her emotions back and is able to shed a tear. As their old world fades away and they explore their new one, she can be herself again.
Can Dual-Wield The Zantetsuken
When Odin is in human form and ready to attack, his weapon of choice is the Zantetsuken. This is a double-sided set of curved swords, connected at their hilts to form a hooked weapon. Very distinct to him, the hilts are golden horses' heads and hooves. For anyone attacking him, the fused blades are highly intimidating.
Once Lightning bonds with Odin, not only is she able to fight in tandem with him, but also she can use Zantetsuken herself. Granted, it's only while mounting him in his horse form, but it's impressive she can use it nonetheless. As a legendary, god-like set of blades, not everyone can wield Zantetsuken well.
However, it's fair to assume that when everyone left Nova Chrysalia, Odin kept his unique weapon with him. Lightning still has her gunblades.
She Wasn't Always Named Lightning
After they lost their mother and became orphans, Lightning needed to start over. To feel in control and capable, she did a complete re-branding of herself. Instead of a sweet young teen, she now needed to be a tough woman who could take care of her sister.
This is how Claire Farron became Lightning Farron. Born with a much softer name, she had to sharpen things up to become the protector she needed to be. During this time, Lightning changed her name, joined the Guardian Corps, learned how to fight, and became a much more guarded person.
Though Lightning wasn't who she was born to be, losing both parents took a serious toll on the young Claire. So much so that she needed a new name to fit her new existence.
Is Etro's Champion
In the world of Final Fantasy, there are countless legendary creatures, mystical powers, and gods. When it comes to Lightning and company, players meet many gods in the form of the fal'Cie. The most important immortal to them, by far, is the goddess Etro. As Lightning is her champion and she is a goddess of Valhalla, she's a key player in the pink-haired warrior's story.
Acknowledging her power and struggles, Etro and Lightning have a heart-to-heart about humanity, time, and their role in it all. When Etro is forced into a deep sleep, the stoic main heroine stays in Valhalla, accepts championship, and protects her. With new abilities from Etro, she becomes even more powerful than ever before.
Can Defeat Immortals
Unlike most other residents of Valhalla, Lightning is no immortal, all-powerful being. Despite that fact, she is a true and intimidating champion. Protecting Etro and fighting in her stead, she repels threats. One of the most dangerous is Etro's rival, Caius Ballard. In the past, Etro used to favor Caius and granted him immortality. Unfortunately, that gift hasn't worked in her favor, as he now lays siege to her and Lightning.
However, his immortal status doesn't change things for Lighting. They have equal power and, ultimately, her forces defeat his. With this extra lifespan edge, he still can't overpower her. Though she isn't immortal, she can go toe to toe with the best of them.
Has Visions Of The Past And Future
Etro, however complicated, loves humans. She adores connecting with them and giving them gifts humans could never imagine. In Final Fantasy, one of her most famous gifts are the Eyes of Etro. This is the ability to see visions of the past and future. During a vision, the seer's eyes may fill with Etro's symbol.
While the Eyes of Etro seem like a great gift, they are also a curse. Whenever a seer has a vision, it drains their life force. If the vision becomes too intense or goes on for too long, the seer may even pass on. Furthermore, seers know when their lives will end but may not interfere, otherwise great calamities may befall their worlds.
Both Farron sisters possess the Eyes, though Lightning, living in Valhalla as Etro's champion, does not have fatal side effects.
Lumina Lives Inside Her
When Serah's soul is taken hostage, a young girl, Lumina, appears to safeguard her soul while Lightning completes her mission. Simultaneously, the pink-haired hero's emotions are taken from her. Throughout the game, she's frustrated by Lumina's presence. Between keeping Serah away and getting in her way, she can be a serious pain in the heroine's side.
However, by the end of the game, it's revealed that Lumina is also a pink-haired gal for a reason. She is the embodiment of Lightning's emotions, taken out of her to protect Serah from harm. They just don't get along because Lightning doesn't deal well with her emotions in the first place.
In the end, Lumina returns to her rightful body and together, emotions and all, they save the people of Nova Chrysalia.
Lightning Is The Savior
Though Lightning seems like the average angry, stand-offish warrior, fans learn she is so much more than that. Her body is that of the savior, the person to save the apocalyptic Nova Chrysalia's people from certain destruction. In the beginning, she was the hero, then the champion, and now, ultimately, the savior.
During her journey, she only becomes more and more important to her world and her people. She's forced to rise above her stubborn personality and grow into the hero her friends need to survive into the next world.
Between her combat prowess and dedication to those she loves, she is a perfect person to get things done and change the universe. While that's a lot to put on one person, Lightning makes it happen.
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Were there any other wild truths about of Lightning's body in Final Fantasy that we missed? Let us know in the comments below!