They said that a FOCUS was the fate of no escape. 
Complete it, or go Cie’th.
We beat the odds.
We proved that a FOCUS could be broken and we could change it.
We made the impossible, possible.

Fang and Vanille decided to sacrifice everything, in exchange for the freedom of their friends. Their happiness is a bitter one, knowing that their two saviors will sleep for long beyond this lifetime. The resolve for this decision was a heavy burden, and must not be forgotten by those who can live freely upon their gift.

Irony: when the one who is destined to be the destruction of mankind preserves the lives of those who must stop her. Fang is a beautiful, incredibly strong and stoic character. To have lost her memory of the destruction of Pulse on her hands, and to unknowingly be walking into the same fate once again-

Her redemption is sought through crystal stasis.

(Source: vegabondgamer)

Sazh is such a strong character, but is often overlooked. Out of the 6 of them, he has the most wisdom, has experienced more of life, and knows both pain and fear.

He lost his wife, and then he lost his son. He winds up in the company of a young, brash soldier who shares his determination, but acts so carelessly in comparison. While Lightning is fighting to restore Serah from her crystal stasis, Sazh is pushing forward, unsure of what will become of Dajh, but willing to lay down his life if he can ensure his safety, and his future, even if it scares him half to death on the way there.

Wouldn’t you be proud to have a father as strong as this man?

Trials and tribulations.

• Lightning overcomes the fact that she doesn’t need to do everything alone in solitude in order to keep her loved ones safe. This acknowledgement awakens a greater power within herself, one that allows her to rely on others to cover her back when it’s turned.
• Snow. The hero. He wants to save everyone, leaving not a single person behind, friend or foe. Unconditional regards upon human beings, Cocoon citizen, Pulsian, l’cie alike. When he lost Serah, there was nothing that could stop him from throwing himself into the front lines. He had strength; what he needed was wisdom and self-restraint to slow down and analyze the situation before bounding in headlong.
• Sazh draws from within himself the wisdom he preaches, accepting that some things in the past can’t be changed, but that shouldn’t control how people approach their future. Forgiveness is a greater strength than hatred and resentment could ever amount to. Even if the people he’s fighting for exile him, he’s resolved to protect them with his life.
• Hope accepts the friends around them, realizing if they should place themselves in danger for him, he should work his hardest to not become a burden. To become not one who needs protection, but one who can provide it to his friends laying down their lives for the survival of Cocoon, and humanity as a race.
• Fang’s anger drives her to pull strength from a darkened part of herself, one tainted with sin and regret. Ragnarok herself, she unknowingly twists this power for the sake of Vanille and her fellow l’cie. Damned as she is, why not?
• Vanille wants nothing more to protect those whom she’s doomed. She would gladly sacrifice herself for their safety, but only when she realizes that what they want is not her death, but to survive alongside them and overcome this together, does she pull herself together and face the enemy beside them, the desire to live fueling her determination.

Fighting with the man who will take away the last living family member she has; the man who will be the start of her loneliness.

Lightning is a strong character, yes, but her motivation is and has always been Serah. With the death of her parents, she gave up everything, for her sister. If it hadn’t been for Serah, Lightning may have lost hope altogether; found nothing worth living for. She’s spent her whole life working to build a safe, stable future for her sister, and this man comes in out of nowhere to take that from her. To take the one person that keeps her going; the one constant in her life.

She may take lives, and she may be cold, but she cannot deal with being alone.

caitlyn479
8D Ahha I'm more than satisfied! I hope you didn't do all that for me lolol, but they were so great to read. The way you look into it not only gives a deeper appreciation for the characters, but it also shows how in-depth the development of the stories and characters are, a true indicator of what makes a Final Fantasy. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Ahhh yay! Well more or less it’s good practice from when I was majoring in English, I just want to emphasize and reiterate the good parts and hard work/effort that went into the game that so many people overlook with “it’s too linear.” In hindsight, the plot required a very linear game. Everyone had doom cast on them! Think about it! Would you dawdle around in a town if every day that passed you were closer to death? I’d be running like hell.

But those are just my two cents on FFXIII.