Lightning (ライトニング エクレール・ファロン)

Voiced by: Maaya Sakamoto(Japan) Ali Hillis(English)
Weapon: Gun Blade

Lightning is the main character of Final Fantasy XIII, and her name, Lightning, is actually merely a code name she has issued to herself, hiding her true full name.

Lightning is said to be reluctant to talk about herself and her past. Mentally and physically, Lightning is a strong independent woman. She’s muscular (but not overly muscular as Character Designer Tetsuya Nomura thought any more and people wouldn’t like as a main character) but she is not sweet. She is strict to herself, to others, and has little respect for whiners. She is said to be comparable to a noble soldier.

Lightning wields a gun blade as a weapon, and frequently switches between the two modes during battle for a mix of both long range and melee combat.

Sazh Katzroy (サッズ・カッツロイ)

Voiced by: Masashi Ebara(Japan) Reno Wilson(English)
Weapon: Dual pistols

Sazh meets Lightning during a Sanctum lead “purge”. He is a very vocal character, but is not afraid to show his soft side as he is emotional and sympathetic. He has a pet chicobo, which lives in his afro for safe keeping. The chocobo was meant as a gift to his son Dajh.

Sazh uses two handguns for battle.

Snow Villiers (スノウ・ヴィリアース)

Voiced by: Daisuke Ono(Japan) Troy Baker(English)
Weapon: Coat/Glove Set

Snow Villiers is a Coocon’s fal’Cie, one of the “chosen people”. His character was designed with the idea that he should be able to carry a grown person under each arm and be able to run with them. He hasn’t been seen yet standing next to anyone, so it’s hard to guess roughly how tall he actually is.

He is seen for a moment in the Final Fantasy XIII trailers on the Shiva Sisters Motorcycle, pulling up guns blazing to what appears to be saving Lightning. He has said to be a Rushi, of whom are out to protect Cocoon, which complicates matters as to why he would kill Cocoon troops and save Lightning.

Snow’s weapon of choice are his fists of steel. His style of combat is said to be humorous as he is a wild character.

Oerba Dia Vanille (ヲルバ=ダイア・ヴァニラ)

Voiced by: Yukari Fukui(Japan) Georgia van Cuylenburg(English)
Weapon: Binding Rods

Vanille resides on Pulse, in the town of Oerba, and is a L’Cie. She has been seen wearing rather tribal clothing, as well as being disguised as a prisoner, so as to help Lightning and Team Nora free some residents of Pulse. Vanille always looks on the bright side of things, and when the rest of the party is feeling down, she always seems to find a way to cheer them up.

Her weapon of choice is a fishing rod type weapon, but her powerful magic attacks are her preferred method of combat.

Hope Estheim (ホープ・エストハイム)

Voiced by: Yūki Kaji(Japan) Vincent Martella(English)
Weapon: Boomerang

Hope Estheim is a fourteen year old boy who lived a peaceful life in Cocoon, until he was banished to Pulse for reasons unknown. Journeying with his mother, their transport to Pulse was interrupted by the battle on Hanged Edge. His mother, under Snow’s request, joined the battle, and lost her life in the process.

Hope now blames Snow for the loss of his mother, and directs all his sadness and anger towards him.

Hope’s speech is usually quite reserved, but with the duress of traveling with Lightning and becoming a l’Cie, he sometimes lets his emotions get the better of him and has outbursts of frustration or anger.

In battle, Hope uses dual weapons which can best be described as futuristic boomerangs. His magic attacks are fast and powerful.

Oerba Yun Fang (ヲルバ=ユン・ファング)

Voiced by: Mabuki Andou(Japan) Rachel Robinson (English)
Weapon: Bladed Lance

Fang is a l’Cie, one marked by the Fal’Cie for a greater destiny. Interestingly, she works for Sanctum, while all the other known l’Cies are rebels actively hunted by PSICOM. Fang eventually joins the main party, and it is revealed that she is also from the town of Oerba.

Fang is a typical dragoon, she fights athletically with spears and has the ability to summon Bahamut.