Lightning is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy 13. Prior to the Purge, she was a member of the Guardian Corps Bodhum Regiment and maintained peace within the small seaside town. Once the calm of her hometown is threatened by the Purge, Lightning boards a train bound for exhile, not by force, but by her own accord.
Lightning is driven by her desire to save her sister Serah. When she discovered that Serah was branded as a l'Cie and captured by the Pulse fal'Cie, Lightning fought through ....., reluctantly followed by Sazh, in attempts to find Serah and help her fulfill her focus. However, once the group encounters Serah in the depths of the Pulse fal'Cie, she begs them to promise to save Cacoon. Once Snow and Lightning agree to her request, Serah fulfilled her focus and turned into crystal. Enraged by the loss of her sister, Lightning attacked the Pulse fal'Cie, only to be branded and presented an impossible focus of fulfilling Ragnorak, the end of the world.
Once she awakens on the frozen plains of Lake Bresha, Lightning decides that her true focus will be to discover the truth of the relationship between Cacoon and the fal'Cie and to fight her pre-determined focus by destroying the fal'Cie.
As the determined protagonist charges forward through unforgiving and unrelenting battles, she is followed by the young, Hope Esthiem. Filled with grief for the death of his mother and rage for Snow, whom he blames for her loss, Hope trails Lightning in an attempt to become stronger by learning from the reckless soldier.
Initially, Lightning is impatient with her companion's weakness and constantly tries to leave him behind until her callous treatment of Hope triggers her Eidolon, Odin. After protecting Hope from the wrath of the god, Lightning begins to accept Hope at her side. Hope becomes Lightning's closest companion throughout the game. It is this connection and Hope's constant internal struggles that brings out Lightning's compassion and vulnerability the most.
Lightning's personality is predominantly cold, controlled, focused, and headstrong. She does not form emotional bonds quickly and often appears to only care about herself and her own motives. She creates this cold demeanor to supplement her alias, Lihgtning, in an attempt to bury her inner vulnerabilty and replace it with strenth. Therefore, in order to execute this facade of strength and aloofness, Lightning immerses herself in combat as a Guardian Corps soldier. To compliment her role as a strong female lead in the game, the creator of Lightning's character, Motomu Toriyama, designed her with pink hair to reflect her femininity. Despite her distant personality caused by numerous losses in her life, Lightning eventually becomes emotionally invested in her companions. By the final section of the game, it becomes evident that she is driven by the need to protect, not only herself, but her friends as well. She also pushes them to remain motivated and confident that they will overcome their seemingly impossible focus and save Cacoon.
