Final Fantasy XIII: Recapping The Essentials

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is in stores today, but its predecessor came out almost two years ago. That’s enough time to forget some important events (especially since some of them never even made sense), so here’s a recap of five key points from FF XIII that you should keep in mind as you start up FF XIII-2.  

Don’t be overwhelmed if you don’t remember any of this, or even if you never played FF XIII.  Considering that the characters and plot are such a departure, familiarity with the original (though helpful) is not a prerequisite for playing this sequel. However, there are spoilers ahead, so you may want to stop reading if you ever intend on finishing the first one.

Vanille and Fang Saved The World

For reasons that aren’t worth explaining, the entire floating continent of Cocoon was about to come crashing into Gran Pulse, the surface world. The results would have been catastrophic, but Fang and Vanille sacrificed themselves, transforming into an enormous crystal structure that enveloped and propped up the falling Cocoon. This crystal pillar, with Fang and Vanille trapped at its heart, plays a central role in the events of FF XIII-2.

Lightning Was There

After Fang and Vanille did their crystal thing, the remaining cast members (including Hope, Sazh, Lightning, Snow, and Serah) celebrated their triumph over the bad guys. The important thing here is that everyone was there, including Lightning. In FF XIII-2, no one except Serah remembers Lightning’s presence after the final battle, and most assume that she is just part of the crystal pillar with Vanille and Fang. Gamers learn this isn’t true in the introductory cutscene, but it takes the characters a while to get to the heart of this mystery.

Everyone’s l’Cie Brands Went Away

In FF XIII, all of the main characters worked together because they had been made l’Cie – slaves to the will of godlike sentient creatures called fal’Cie. They each had a tattoo-like brand to indicate their servitude, but when they saved Cocoon, these brands (and their obligations as l’Cie) disappeared. All of the goofy terminology aside, all this means is that all of the characters should be free to act as they see fit, and none of them should have the l’Cie brand anymore.

Snow and Serah Were Supposed To Get Married

Serah spent most of FFF XIII as a chunk of crystal, but saving her is what drove Snow (her fiancé) and Lightning (her sister). Serah and Snow were engaged, and after the end of the game, it looked like that was going to happen. However, as FF XIII-2 opens a few years later, the marriage still hasn’t taken place. The game explains why fairly early on, but don’t expect it to make a whole lot of sense. 

NORA Was…A Thing

Some of FF XIII’s early scenes involved a resistance group fighting against Sanctum soldiers (the bad guys). This group was called NORA, and it included characters named Gadot, Lebreau, Yuj, and Maqui. Don’t feel bad if you forgot them – they had practically nothing to do with the game after the introductory hours. However, they reappear in FF XIII-2’s opening chapter, so don’t be surprised when the game acts like you’re supposed to know them. 

You may notice a few other connections between the two titles, but those are the major things FF XIII-2 expects you to remember from the original. For more on Final Fantasy XIII-2, you can read my review or Jeff M's hilariously misinformed character rundown.