A male main character would have been better?

[Thula]

As title says, do you think a man would have been better to impersonate the role of main characther in this game?
If yes, what kind of thing do you think the game have benefit?

Discuss.

[Kitmitsu]

The game would have benefited from more fangirl interest? I seriously have no idea how it matters.

[abrikken]

Does it really matter about gender?

[Thula]

Perhaps someone can find annoyng the fact that Lightning as the typical attributes that usually males main character have (strenght, cold personality etc...) and would prefer the charater to be a boy to feel more empaty whit it.
Also fangirl interest is what keep the hype of many games :aldo:

Does it really matter about gender?
Is what im asking to you ^_^

[Yue]

I don't care about the gender but it would be a scandal if Sqaure Enix make a main character which a gender bender Dx, I'm glad that in FFXIII the main character is a girl, because is something different. She isn't like Yuna in FFX-2, that' s make me happy. ^_^

[jenovasilver]

Why? We had like what 3 FFs with guys as the center, Lightning looks to be more male then all of them combine.

SE knows that FF and girls works, maybe they're trying to bring back the boys again.

[Yue]

Why? We had like what 3 FFs with guys as the center, Lightning looks to be more male then all of them combine.

SE knows that FF and girls works, maybe they're trying to bring back the boys again.

She something different as the other main female characters in FF, "because" she look manly.

[iv4nsbc]

imo gender matters ...

in a game like this, if the main character was a man, the game could probably assume a different focus ... because of the obvious difference ... It's not preconcept or machism, men and women are different afterall ...

The questions, the thinking, the whole thing is different, it doesn't matter how baddass Lightning is ...

Take VXIII, the main character is a man, the game is probably assuming a different route ( i know the game has it own world, but it actually sounds diferent ) because the game spin aroud the main character ( most times ) ...

So yes, I think it matters ... But I'm liking the route XIII is taking ...

[rutea7]

it doesnt matter to me wether the main character is either female or male as long as its a well writen character.

so far lightning seems like a good main character

[jenovasilver]

She something different as the other main female characters in FF, "because" she look manly.

Well she was designed to be a female Cloud, like that's a stretch....but it's not just in looks, it's in mannerisms, her speech...

Lightning is a very strong woman and it shows through her actions that we've seen so far, alot more then any female in a FF thus far. She looks like she can carry the game alone.

Vanille is the safety for some guys that can't handle/like Lightning, she's the opposite and it appears she can handle herself enough.

Most games/stories/movies etc that have females at the center always has a counterbalance, it's targeted to the male audience; tough chick, young girl, floozy with a heart of gold are standards...FF's aren't so different.

Lightning-Tough chick

Vanille-Young girl

Asian broad-Floozy

Guys have the same, the badass, playboy, geek etc...

Of course throughout the course of the game things begin to blur and roles change. But that's the idea.

[Yue]

Well she was designed to be a female Cloud, like that's a stretch....but it's not just in looks, it's in mannerisms, her speech...

Lightning is a very strong woman and it shows through her actions that we've seen so far, alot more then any female in a FF thus far. She looks like she can carry the game alone.

Vanille is the safety for some guys that can't handle/like Lightning, she's the opposite and it appears she can handle herself enough.

Most games/stories/movies etc that have females at the center always has a counterbalance, it's targeted to the male audience; tough chick, young girl, floozy with a heart of gold are standards...FF's aren't so different.

Lightning-Tough chick

Vanille-Young girl

Asian broad-Floozy

Guys have the same, the badass, playboy, geek etc...

Of course throughout the course of the game things begin to blur and roles change. But that's the idea.


But I can't remeber that one FF game, have a cool and strong female character. But somehow... I really wish that Lightning have a weak site too, although she doesn't looks like.

[jenovasilver]

imo gender matters ...

in a game like this, if the main character was a man, the game could probably assume a different focus ... because of the obvious difference ... It's not preconcept or machism, men and women are different afterall ...

The questions, the thinking, the whole thing is different, it doesn't matter how baddass Lightning is ...

Take VXIII, the main character is a man, the game is probably assuming a different route ( i know the game has it own world, but it actually sounds diferent ) because the game spin aroud the main character ( most times ) ...

So yes, I think it matters ... But I'm liking the route XIII is taking ...


^^That's very true, the focus would be a great deal different or maybe it wouldn't...perhaps they would lean to romance more with a male lead.

But it's obvious that Lightning is SE's wake up call, for the pass FFs we've had strong female characters in party battles, story scenarios etc. But Lightning seems to buck the trend completely by looking and acting exactly like what she's suppose to be.

No more of this waif magic crap, summoner BS or 'strong-willed princess' nonsense, the real deal.

But I can't remeber that one FF game, have a cool and strong female character. But somehow... I really wish that Lightning have a weak site too, although she doesn't looks like.

Don't worry, she will...she has amnesia, that's like a default weakness right there....

[NEALBLEWMEONCE]

I am very happy with the decision to go with a female lead.

I think it's very refreshing, especially the atypically strong/stoic personality.

[Lord Of Dumbasses]

I agree with korozen. They needed to amek 6 more FF's to realize they sould put a woman as a lead character. I'm a guy, yet I know that women like Lightning and Terra are great as main characters.

[Ordella]

doesn't anyone ever get tired of male-lead characters? or are we just so used to it now ;p
I don't mind a switch up in leadership roles every now and then as long as they fit the role
I think lightning is a very refreshing character and isn't such a cutesy like yuna in FFX/X-2
then again, I really don't mind if its guy or girl, as long as it fits

[3FinalGamer3]

Well FFvXIII gets a male lead character so for all the people with a problem with female lead character should buy that game, but I don't think a lot of people will think that way. I think it's good SE gives us a female lead again, I mean most of the time there is also an important female character but not as the leading character. But I think they should've made her less tomboyish or serious of course not a hyper active teenage girl but just a little bit more female.. or something like that. But in the end I'm glad with a female character again, now it's just hoping for a good game :3

[NEALBLEWMEONCE]

But I think they should've made her less tomboyish or serious of course not a hyper active teenage girl but just a little bit more female.. or something like that.

I think Lightning is feminine, just not in a weak way.

I actually prefer that the female characters (especially leads) show a little strength and emotional stability.

Just not ALL strength and no vulnerability.

The key to a making a good lead character (of either gender) that people feel attached to and empathize with is, in my opinion, vulnerability. (e.g. Cloud, Squall, Yuna, Niko Bellic . . . etc.)

[NikDK]

Of course they need a male main character!!! the girl would be too scared to fight for the world and say "OH SNOOOOWYYYY SAFE ME FROM THE BAD ENEMY!!!" then "Snowy" would reply "safe it bitch, should have thought of that before you became the lead character!!......"

that would be for the better......... :aldo: "notice my sarcasm?"

[Pain Clone]

I dont mind a female being the main character, and so far lightning seems to be the most kick ass women on an ff game so far.

[3FinalGamer3]

I think Lightning is feminine, just not in a weak way.

I actually prefer that the female characters (especially leads) show a little strength and emotional stability.

Just not ALL strength and no vulnerability.

The key to a making a good lead character (of either gender) that people feel attached to and empathize with is, in my opinion, vulnerability. (e.g. Niko Bellic)

I agree with what your saying, I prefer a strong and not too emotional woman too but maybe a little bit more feminine like the woman from FFvXIII they show but well she weares a dress and she's not a the leading character anyway so it's not fair to compare them. I think that when I've played the game or saw more of Lightning in trailers I will think different about her, but right now I will probably be infected with the thought that she looks too much like Cloud cause everyones saying that:aldo:
One thing though, I know it's easier for the player to be introduced to a protagonist with amnesia (and perhaps it gives a better story) but I'm really sick that a lot of characters seem to have this unfortunate.. problem:wtf:

[.simon]

I like her, and I'm pretty sick of male (?) protagonist. Still, she has to be a well-written character too, otherwise tha game'll be shit even if we have a woman as the leading character :wtf:

[sobchack]

no one knows shit about the game yet anyway, how can you possibly know

[CloudStrife1992]

I'm very happy that Lightning is a girl. For one, it's a big step forward to have a lead female character that has very few 'girlie' attributes for a Japanese game. I haven't played all that many FF's, but I've only seen a couple characters so far that are less of the typical 'girlie' character that you see in Japan (Ashe is the main one).

Second, girls like Lightning are just plain awesome. I love her costume too. :D

[NEALBLEWMEONCE]

I haven't played all that many FF's, but I've only seen a couple characters so far that are less of the typical 'girlie' character that you see in Japan (Ashe is the main one).

Speaking of Ashe, her character design seems uncannily similar to Lightning's.

Right down to the skirts. :rolleyes:

[iv4nsbc]

I think Lightning promisses to be great ... But I still have my doubts ... A badass character doesn't mean a great character or a grown up character.

I still think she needs some more feminine touches ( based on what I've seen so far ), because I won't be glad to se a boy in skirts fighting evil... But there's much more to discover since we know more about the battle system then we do about the estory...

Just saying that Lightning coul kick ass and and wear make-up if you know what I mean ...

[Renn]

Lightning's gender does matter. Society labels people by gender both in reality and fiction more often than some people apparently notice.

The fact that she's a girl puts a twist on what Final Fantasy females have always been like--helpless, and most of the time, overly feminine or princess-like. She deviates from the typical (and I daresay generic) pattern of having a male lead. While the concept of having a tougher, less "girly" female has been around for awhile, it's pretty new to the FF universe and I rather like the twist.

Speaking of Ashe, her character design seems uncannily similar to Lightning's.

Right down to the skirts. :rolleyes:

I barfed a little.

[CloudStrife1992]

Speaking of Ashe, her character design seems uncannily similar to Lightning's.

Right down to the skirts. :rolleyes:

That's true. I was just thinking the same thing ^_^ I kinda wish they'd stop giving all their female characters very short skirts (or bikinis) though.

Lightning's gender does matter. Society labels people by gender both in reality and fiction more often than some people apparently notice.

The fact that she's a girl puts a twist on what Final Fantasy females have always been like--helpless, and most of the time, overly feminine or princess-like. She deviates from the typical (and I daresay generic) pattern of having a male lead. While the concept of having a tougher, less "girly" female has been around for awhile, it's pretty new to the FF universe and I rather like the twist.

Said much better than me ^_^

[Yue]

Lightning have a hort and not a miniskirt:blink:
And I don't think that her clothes are like underwear, but the clothes of the asian girl.

[abrikken]

:aldo:


Is what im asking to you ^_^

Ahh I see. I don't really care either way.

[bringsan90]

no.


A Woman is better.

[SonOfAPenguin]

Most of my thoughts on the matter have already been stated, but I wanted to comment on the mindset I've seen on other forums where guys find it hard to empathize with female characters.

I think the majority of the time it's a self-constructed mental barrier...just because someone is a different gender doesn't mean you can't try and put yourself in their shoes and see things from their perspective.

Granted, if it's a poorly written character empathy is difficult regardless of sex. But the point stands, I think male gamers can easily just get too accustomed to having things "their way" and not breaking out of their safety zones.

Always exceptions of course.

[HammerScythe]

I find Lightning intresting for a leading character but to be honest I'd prefer a male one, not for some particular reason.
Please excuse me for any improper english.

[Zezlar]

I think lightning is great. They don't need to use male characters all the time. We don't need another cloud...or in other words...an emo prick.

[bringsan90]

I think lightning is great. They don't need to use male characters all the time. We don't need another cloud...or in other words...an emo prick.


Cloud is not emo! He have a subdue character but with alot of heart and very human.

[Bun]

Unfortunately, women are generally seen as unable to control their emotions, more nurturing, not strong, etc, so on and so forth. While that is true in many cases, it's not always true in others. For me, it was a beautiful day when I heard that the lead character was going to be female AND that she wasn't your "typical" woman. It was like I finally had someone to relate to.

Anyway, I probably wouldn't have cared if they made the lead character a male, but it's nice to see another real woman.

[Saki Im]

I cant imagine this game without Lightning, Im pretty sure she's one of the TOP reasons why I like FFXIII.

[Kooichi]

I'm always up for more female leads in video gaming. As long as it isn't something like Bayonetta xD;

[Dark Chaos]

I think the creators of this game were trying to get more male fans,as long as I know there are more female fans of FFgames than males.

[HammerScythe]

By the way, here in Greece (my country) the 95% of the FF gamers are males.

[CloudStrife1992]

Cloud is not emo! He have a subdue character but with alot of heart and very human.

Thank you!

But I do agree that we don't need another Cloud. He was amazing and he's my favorite character ever, but each main protagonist needs to be different from any other. They may have copied Cloud's face onto Lightning, but I think her personality will be quite different, but just as great. :D That's another reason I'm glad we have a main female protagonist for FFXIII. We need a really awesome woman.

[bringsan90]

Thank you!

But I do agree that we don't need another Cloud. He was amazing and he's my favorite character ever, but each main protagonist needs to be different from any other. They may have copied Cloud's face onto Lightning, but I think her personality will be quite different, but just as great. :D That's another reason I'm glad we have a main female protagonist for FFXIII. We need a really awesome woman.


Thank you. He have a tormant past but dosen't make him emo? NO.

And I agree that we don't need another Cloud. I glad Square decide to do a female character again.

[jenovasilver]

Cloud is not emo! He have a subdue character but with alot of heart and very human.

I love Cloud, he has emo moments but definitely not emo (anyone who's played CC knows that)...Squall on the otherhand, that's emo and for really no reason to be. But I digress.....

Lightning is pretty much emotionless (from what we've seen of her),she's pretty much focused. But her design is modeled after Cloud.

Everything else is up to Nomura and co.

[bringsan90]

I love Cloud, he has emo moments but definitely not emo (anyone who's played CC knows that)...Squall on the otherhand, that's emo and for really no reason to be. But I digress.....

Lightning is pretty much emotionless (from what we've seen of her),she's pretty much focused. But her design is modeled after Cloud.

Everything else is up to Nomura and co.


Lighting is ex-solider from the Coccon. I can see why she emotionless and focus because she is a soilder. She want complete her "mission".

[iv4nsbc]

I'd like to think in a "Lara Croft" style Lightning, grown up, sexy but yet baddass ...

Lara is a good example, despite the average movies, she is strong-willed, gorgeous and kick ass like no other girl ...

Our girl (Lightning) has been hardened by the army, that's why she have trouble sharing her emotions, ok, good plot ... But it would suck if the script that Demi Moore's movie, that I don't recall the name ...

[OmiVersusXIV]

well just like nomura or the director said, FFXIII doesnt really have a main character because it will go around and spotlight each character of the party. And to me it doesnt matter to me just as the character has a personality or trait that i like.

[Caelum]

I'm not gonna lie, I prefer male characters simply because they're fun to look at, considering I'm a chic. I could not stand FFX-2 because the three female leads drove me nuts! Lightning however looks promising and I'm glad there is hope for another good main female like Terra.

[Zezlar]

I wasn't talking about Clouds past. I was fine with him in Crisis Core and 7, it was Advent Children that did it. He acted like a cry baby, oh..i need to be "forgiven"...oh boo hoo.

[Rokuro]

If VII actually had facial expressions Cloud would have acted the same in all of the games anyway, its not like they showed a completely different character in AC, that's what cloud is like in everything.

[Acerbus]

well just like nomura or the director said, FFXIII doesnt really have a main character because it will go around and spotlight each character of the party. And to me it doesnt matter to me just as the character has a personality or trait that i like.

That's somewhat true. They said they want to have the plot focus on all the main characters (like VI) but they said unlike VI, Lightning clearly shows that she is the main, main character.

As for gender, I don't particular care but I do admit, if I have the choice I tend to lean female a) I am one and b) it's a nice shift but the most important thing to me is undoubtedly story/character. For example, Mana Khemia 2 is coming out and you get the choice to play as Ulrika or Roze (though you have to play through both stories to see the full story) and I'll probably play Roze instead of Ulrika first because his story looks more interesting than hers.

Still, it's amazing how bringing up the idea of female protagonists bring out the closet or unaware sexists. This ain't precisely a knock but I remember when XIII was announced there was a **** storm over a *gasp* FEMALE being the main character! And when that badly translated rumor about her not being the heroines popped up there were soooo many guys going "Thank god!". It's not just big franchises either. For games like the Persona series, whenever someone brings up the idea of having a female protagonist you'll get mixed responses and loud complaints about the idea, despite the fact the series did have a female lead once and that's considered one of the best games in the series.

@Cloud/Squall and "emo": Original VII Cloud, wasn't exactly emo. He wasn't bad, kind of boring *gets shot* but overall, he wasn't too bad. He even cracked jokes at the end of the game and was normal. Unfortunately, AC came and he got emoized. That's the only times I started seeing him that way. Squall I didn't really see as emo. He was more antisocial if anything.

[unnisn]

When I first saw the trailer for FFXIII and realized the main would be a woman, I thought, "Hell no. I'm buying Versus now."
But as I kept watching the other trailers Lightning grew on me and I actually felt like it would be nice to have a female lead for once. I was too used to playing as a male lead.

So I'm looking forward to being able to play FFXIII. And I'm glad that Lightning is a "strong" woman and not another Yuna from FFVII.

[Cassette Assassin]

I'm just glad Lightning isn't another Yuna-type girl. Ergh... Yuna... *shudders* :aldo:

[elqueff]

well, personally i don't mind if the main character is female.

though about the question "does it really matter".... it seems to me as if it matters to some extent since we're having this discussion at all. because let's face it, if lightning was a man (practically imposible to imagine by now) would we even consider having this discussion?

what i'm saying is that the fact that she's female ads a lot to our initial perception of her, before even playing the game. prejudice? sadly yes, but that's the way that humans seem to work, ey? it's due to our prejudice concerning how a character should be that we're having this discussion.

What i would like for SE to do is to expand on some of the stereotypes. i mean, i don't want her to be a dark character, with like antisocial behaviours. i think we get enough of that from past ff games. i want her to be realistic, but with a motive strong enough to make her exceed her personal traits, ya follow? someone that is not really stereotypical but still interesting. someone with a flexible personality, showing strength, sadness etc. because sometimes, in my opinion, some ff characters can seem a bit one dimensional.

Even though i get the point of streamlined stereotypes being accessable for the audience when trying to describe a character in a short ammount of time, i hope to see SE bending the rules with xiii. maybe by mixing some unexpected stereotypes or something? maybe that's hoping too much, but i gotta say, if she turns out like a cloud copy, then ffxiii isn't as revolutionizing as i'd hope it would be.

to make myself a bit more clear (relating a bit more to the initial question):
a male character might have been better for those seeking a character with the stereotypical traits that match their own perceptions of how a person of a certain gender generally acts (phew, tricky scentence:rolleyes:). if the male lead however acts in an unexpected way, then this type of audience probably wouldn't feel like he's realistic. Throw in a female lead with the expected male traits and the crowd goes crazy, from what i believe, due to the fact that it's not generally approved yet to be a person with traits not according to the general perception.

my opinion is that i don't care about the gender as long as SE doesn't feel like they have to make her a certain way to plaese the crowds. though they'll probably do that anyways just because it's easy and they somewhat have to. just make her interesting, that's my only demand. what part the character plays in a sexual act shouldn't be any of my buisness. imo at least:)

btw, sorry for the wall of text, got a little bit carried away i guess :whistle:

[Naunen]

Hey Thula. I'll bet you haven't noticed but there are lots of guys in Versus XIII. :rolleyes: Can't do to have the main XIII title have a main guy. Plus, Lightning's at least a strong woman.

[Sundance Kid]

I'm liking Lightning thus far, reminds me of Paine except....better. SE doesn't seem to have screwed up on the whole female stereotype. X-2 anyone? There seems to be a good even amount of both sexes in XIII so it's all good to me.

[Loaxe]

no I'm actually glad that its a female lead this time.. there have been too many males
I like that Lightning has a colder personality and is more independent, its a change from most of the "sweet" image girls who are shown as supporting characters
besides they have a guy for Versus and most likely for Agito

[Thula]

By the way, here in Greece (my country) the 95% of the FF gamers are males.
Lul. In Italy women that play videogames are rarer than women whit balls :aldo:

Lightning's gender does matter. Society labels people by gender both in reality and fiction more often than some people apparently notice.

The fact that she's a girl puts a twist on what Final Fantasy females have always been like--helpless, and most of the time, overly feminine or princess-like. She deviates from the typical (and I daresay generic) pattern of having a male lead. While the concept of having a tougher, less "girly" female has been around for awhile, it's pretty new to the FF universe and I rather like the twist.



I barfed a little.
This what i would have said if i had a better english :wtf:


Hey Thula. I'll bet you haven't noticed but there are lots of guys in Versus XIII. :rolleyes: Can't do to have the main XIII title have a main guy. Plus, Lightning's at least a strong woman.
The thread title doesnt reppresent the OP opinion :cunning:

[Whiplash]

The short answer is 'no', but that's not 10 characters.

[Solunar]

I wouldn't be as excited about FFXIII if Lightning were a male.

[Yue]

A male as the main character with such a personallity like Cloud or Squall isn't different, I think it will be interesting to play such a girl like Lightning.

[yourmomma]

Well the reason SE didnt ever have a female lead character like Lightning is because of the whole japanese culture, and i may be wrong but unlike the western overal cultural life in the east women has in general another diffrent role in life than in the west, but that whole thing is slowly changing and its now more common for the younger generation to be more like in the west...
and i'm not saying that there's something wrong with the eastern culture but the youth of today is just way diffrent than before...

Thats why SE probably went with a female lead like Lightning, because the girls will very much like her as being a strong young woman and the guys wont care so much because she's pretty manly...
But still if you're a guy you would prefer to play with a male lead but then again this is FF and no FF fan or anyone that knows its reputation will pass this game because of Lightning...and she's kinda hot too so its ok >_<
And when that badly translated rumor about her not being the heroines popped up there were soooo many guys going "Thank god!"
Well we all remember X-2 and that was a totally nightmare for some guys, i myself had to force myself to play it through just to see a happy ending of FFX... Its not everyday we see a good female lead in JRPG's.


(excuse the bad spelling)

[PriscyIchigo]

I wouldn't be as excited about FFXIII if Lightning were a male.
Same here. And the idea of a woman that don't need to be protected by a men sounds very well for me :3

I know that it will sound strange because I'm a girl, but.,.. I'm sick of male main characters! @_@´´
I don't think that Lightning is a character like Cloud or Squall, but someone who have emotions and know when it's best to show/hide they. I always though that Lightning looks very feminine, not like Yuna (I'm cuuuute -flowers-) or others (save me i///i), but feminine anyway. Well, we know a little more than nothing about her... So it's hard to judge.

[jenovasilver]

Same here. And the idea of a woman that don't need to be protected by a men sounds very well for me :3

I know that it will sound strange because I'm a girl, but.,.. I'm sick of male main characters! @_@´´
I don't think that Lightning is a character like Cloud or Squall, but someone who have emotions and know when it's best to show/hide they. I always though that Lightning looks very feminine, not like Yuna (I'm cuuuute -flowers-) or others (save me i///i), but feminine anyway. Well, we know a little more than nothing about her... So it's hard to judge.

That's not strange at all, I'm a chick but I'm tired of male character centered roles in general, I started to care about XIII after a friend told me there was a 'female Cloud' in the starring role. That was like peanut butter to my jelly...

We all just didn't want to play the game with another Yuna/Rinoa lead character that's all...hence our love of Lightning before we know anything about her. Outside of the anemia stricken ex solider from Cocoon.

But we'll see when the game comes out....hopefully Lightning is every bit as badass as we've seen so far.

[Special K]

Overall as long as the game has a good story I do not care if the main character is male or female. Heck it could be a moogle for all I care cause if it has a good story I still would be happy.

[Zezlar]

Lol wtf a moogle as the main character in a main series FF game. Taht would be weird as hell.

[Luriana]

HELL FUCKING NO. Lightning is the salvation of XIII, look at Versus. Prince Noctits is just another damn Cloud/Squall, he's going to feel so predictable.

Lightning, on the other hand, is making me MUCH more hyped for XIII. When I heard the protagonist of the main game was going to be a female, that caught my attention. Finally Squeenix stopped giving a man-only protagonist policy. Since FFVI I've been missing that feeling.

[Dark Chaos]

A moogle as main character? ,mmh , I think its interesting.....

[Cassette Assassin]

There's still a bit of female stereotype in Lightning. I mean, she's meant to be a tough, strong and quite a manly-type woman and yet she's wearing a tiny skirt. A bit... strange, to me. I would have liked if she was wearing pants or shorts, but, meh. She's still awesome. :awesome:

[jenovasilver]

There's still a bit of female stereotype in Lightning. I mean, she's meant to be a tough, strong and quite a manly-type woman and yet she's wearing a tiny skirt. A bit... strange, to me. I would have liked if she was wearing pants or shorts, but, meh. She's still awesome. :awesome:

Where did it say that Lightning was suppose to be a manly-type woman?

Just because she's tough doesn't mean she can't be feminine, looks are deceiving and her outfit is a design choice of the male designers....she could always look like the Asian floozy. Personally I find her outfit more reasonable then Ashe's....

She can still be tough wearing a skirt, how would a skirt be any different then wearing shorts or pants? Because it's covering her legs? What difference would clothing be in fighting?

Lightning could be in next to nothing but as long as she's being badass and taking names that's what matters.

Not meaning to come after you...but it's a comment I hear from people about L's design.

[Thula]

There's still a bit of female stereotype in Lightning. I mean, she's meant to be a tough, strong and quite a manly-type woman and yet she's wearing a tiny skirt. A bit... strange, to me. I would have liked if she was wearing pants or shorts, but, meh. She's still awesome. :awesome:
Peolpe must stop to associate stregnht coolnes as manly attributes :aldo:


I mean... look at her in the trailer when she's outnumbered by the soldiers of Cocoon! She's actually smirking and enjoyng the fight, not just thiking emotionlessly :awesome:

[Cassette Assassin]

Where did it say that Lightning was suppose to be a manly-type woman?

Just because she's tough doesn't mean she can't be feminine, looks are deceiving and her outfit is a design choice of the male designers....she could always look like the Asian floozy. Personally I find her outfit more reasonable then Ashe's....

She can still be tough wearing a skirt, how would a skirt be any different then wearing shorts or pants? Because it's covering her legs? What difference would clothing be in fighting?

Lightning could be in next to nothing but as long as she's being badass and taking names that's what matters.

Not meaning to come after you...but it's a comment I hear from people about L's design.

Most girls I know who are tough-ish seem to hate skirts and stay as far away from them as possible, but, then again, I don't know many.

Lightning's outfit is good, and it doesn't make her look like Asian floozy as you said.

And, yeah, she can be tough while wearing a skirt, but they do restrict movement. I mean, she's flipping around in the trailer doing all these gym moves.

Acrobatics + a miniskirt = not the best idea.

But, it doesn't really matter and plus she is a badass woman which is cool :awesome:. And she is wearing a short-type thing underneath her skirt. But, I still would like to see a tough, badass woman not revealing any skin.

[jenovasilver]

Most girls I know who are tough-ish seem to hate skirts and stay as far away from them as possible, but, then again, I don't know many.

Lightning's outfit is good, and it doesn't make her look like Asian floozy as you said.

And, yeah, she can be tough while wearing a skirt, but they do restrict movement. I mean, she's flipping around in the trailer doing all these gym moves.

Acrobatics + a miniskirt = not the best idea.

But, it doesn't really matter and plus she is a badass woman which is cool :awesome:. And she is wearing a short-type thing underneath her skirt. But, I still would like to see a tough, badass woman not revealing any skin.

That's odd, tough girls I know don't pay much attention to clothes when they're kicking your ass, LOL! Not a knock to your friends of course but I've seen my friends brawl in skirts all the time, you see a snatch, you see a snatch.

Lightning's outfit fits her, it's girl enough to show that she still has some bits of femininity but enough function for her to move. She's been doing all types of kicking and flipping so obviously she doesn't care about who sees her vag.

Not all skirts restrict movement...quite the contrary, many female marital artists I know rather practice in a skirt with some spankies (cheerleaders wear them all the time) underneath or stretch pants as oppose to loose cloth pants, hell I've seen them in less *WOOT*. Mostly because the cloth pants' weight diminish the speed of their attacks or are too long, now this isn't for all women of course.

If you're looking for tough females that are clothed 'reasonably' MegaTen/Persona, Fire Emblem, Suidoken, MGS and many others have strong women wearing a sufficent amount of clothes.

Ultimately, this is a design choice from a man and male designers think like men. I understand where you're coming from believe me (I was there once so long ago), however I've looked pass attire on women wearing skimpy outfits in games. Because it has no factor in the game or gameplay period, mere eyecandy to sell the game, ultimately if the character is well balanced then what she wears won't be a problem in the long run.

If we demand more clothes on girls in games, girl roles in games might take a step back to the good ole 'Princess in the tower or Defensless Holy Priestess' roles again. Why? Because less clothes means more 'freedom' in most designers eyes (girls gotta give up something apparently), we have to remember female gamers are still in the minority. Companies have to appeal to the audience that pays the most, which are adolencent boys and men. SE and XIII is are no different.

Now designers have to appeal to both crowds, certain groups of males like seeing skimpy skirts or less on female characters and certain girl groups like seeing girl characters looking tough and sexy for them to cosplay (sometimes horribly). If a girl is too purdish she might not get the attention of both groups, if she's too whorish then she might only attract the one group or a small percentage of the other.

It's unreasonable to request female characters to not show any skin because what can be defined as 'too much' skin? A flash of leg? Some clevage? What's borderline hookerbot to you maybe totally fine to another gamer.

In comparsion to many other female characters in JRPGs' outfits, Lightning's outfit is down right purdish.

I think the only outfit in FF universe that bothers me the most is Princess Ashe's...that outfit defies logic, hell, Fran's boots bother me as well. But that's another story.

Now, would we be discussing this if Lightning was a minor character and a male was in the lead? Probably not...because for the past what...20 years the FF fanbase has become decidedly female heavy and so alot of the design choices for the males have been in, let's say...'Shonuen Ai' flavor (this includes the designs from Amano to Normura). XIII seems to have lowered the gay bar a little by making it clear that Snow is a dude (masculine features, facial hair, muscles.). But he's still attractive enough for the ladies to fawn over.

It's really a learning process about your fanbase really, I believe XIII is the result of that.

[3FinalGamer3]

Lightning's clothes are perfect. It fits her besides she's wearing shorts underneath her skirt and even if she didn't wear them, so what? Men can enjoy some views then or perhaps even some women, who cares? The only clothing in FF I really thought was unreasonable was Ashe's, you CAN NOT run or fight decent or comfortable with such a tiny skirt on! But it's a game anyway so no problem at all~.

[IsStillCallNoctis'vsGuy']

Unfortunately, women are generally seen as unable to control their emotions, more nurturing, not strong, etc, so on and so forth. While that is true in many cases, it's not always true in others. For me, it was a beautiful day when I heard that the lead character was going to be female AND that she wasn't your "typical" woman. It was like I finally had someone to relate to.

Anyway, I probably wouldn't have cared if they made the lead character a male, but it's nice to see another real woman.


I't called hormons, fucks up our system and makes us cry..
.'WE'RE 'SORRY' WE'RE BORN THAT WAY'':blink:

[Aurelia]

HELL FUCKING NO. Lightning is the salvation of XIII, look at Versus. Prince Noctits is just another damn Cloud/Squall, he's going to feel so predictable.

Lightning, on the other hand, is making me MUCH more hyped for XIII. When I heard the protagonist of the main game was going to be a female, that caught my attention. Finally Squeenix stopped giving a man-only protagonist policy. Since FFVI I've been missing that feeling.

Please, Lightning is just as predictable as Noctis. She's the "TUFF RUFF GIRL RAWR, I USE MY MENSES FOR PAINT AND STOMP ON CROTCHES" female, but she's not a lesbian. Oh no. She's definitely not a lesbian. Because you see dear Lightning will fall in love with a man. Which man I cannot say for sure, most likely Snow because SE lacks originality. Snow will "change" her, and when I say change I mean she's going to go back to the kitchen where she fucking belongs making me and Snow a delicious sandwich. She suffers from amnesia so expect A Traumatic Mysterious Past TM. Lightning is as predictable as they come, just like the ending to Harry Potter. If you kids couldn't tell that Harry was ending with Ginny from Book 2, you should stop reading because you obviously lack reading comprehension. (Hey I stopped reading at Book 4, and even then I knew what was going to happen in Book 7)

And FFVI? Oh please that game should hardly count as the "protagonist gender" change. You could technically make any one your protagonist. Also, the women of FFVI were retarded twats. Relm is your requisite annoying child that should have been aborted, but didn't. Terra is an abomination. "Baww woe is me. I r speshul and born of a forbidden union. I has powers. Everyone is after me. What is love? Can I eat it? I R SO ALONE BAWWWW." Yeah that's YOUR protagonist you're missing, if you are from the "TERRA IS THE FF6 HERO" camp. That's the "feeling" you've been missing, except with a vagina. She's just as "emo" as the others. And Celes has some good points, but over all she's Terra-Lite without the furry sex.

[jenovasilver]

Please, Lightning is just as predictable as Noctis. She's the "TUFF RUFF GIRL RAWR, I USE MY MENSES FOR PAINT AND STOMP ON CROTCHES" female, but she's not a lesbian. Oh no. She's definitely not a lesbian. Because you see dear Lightning will fall in love with a man. Which man I cannot say for sure, most likely Snow because SE lacks originality. Snow will "change" her, and when I say change I mean she's going to go back to the kitchen where she fucking belongs making me and Snow a delicious sandwich. She suffers from amnesia so expect A Traumatic Mysterious Past TM. Lightning is as predictable as they come, just like the ending to Harry Potter. If you kids couldn't tell that Harry was ending with Ginny from Book 2, you should stop reading because you obviously lack reading comprehension. (Hey I stopped reading at Book 4, and even then I knew what was going to happen in Book 7)

And FFVI? Oh please that game should hardly count as the "protagonist gender" change. You could technically make any one your protagonist. Also, the women of FFVI were retarded twats. Relm is your requisite annoying child that should have been aborted, but didn't. Terra is an abomination. "Baww woe is me. I r speshul and born of a forbidden union. I has powers. Everyone is after me. What is love? Can I eat it? I R SO ALONE BAWWWW." Yeah that's YOUR protagonist you're missing, if you are from the "TERRA IS THE FF6 HERO" camp. That's the "feeling" you've been missing, except with a vagina. She's just as "emo" as the others. And Celes has some good points, but over all she's Terra-Lite without the furry sex.

^^That's borderline beautiful right there, almost poetic.

Lightning isn't even in the barometer of ground breaking anymore then Terra or Celes. Everyone loves to look in rosecoloured glasses when it comes to pre-VII FFs..(FFVII being the great evil for alot of oldskool fans...:rollseyes:)

There are very and I mean very few FF females in FF that actually break ground, they all follow the same mold as the males, except they have a uterus and tits.

SE lacks originality, most definitely....but isn't that why we love them? They're safe.

I'm really not expecting anything sparkle fantastic new in XIII, hell I'm not expecting anything in XIII outside of a better game then their last iteration.

[BUTTCHEEKIES, OOH]

Please, Lightning is just as predictable as Noctis. She's the "TUFF RUFF GIRL RAWR, I USE MY MENSES FOR PAINT AND STOMP ON CROTCHES" female, but she's not a lesbian. Oh no. She's definitely not a lesbian. Because you see dear Lightning will fall in love with a man. Which man I cannot say for sure, most likely Snow because SE lacks originality. Snow will "change" her, and when I say change I mean she's going to go back to the kitchen where she fucking belongs making me and Snow a delicious sandwich. She suffers from amnesia so expect A Traumatic Mysterious Past TM. Lightning is as predictable as they come, just like the ending to Harry Potter. If you kids couldn't tell that Harry was ending with Ginny from Book 2, you should stop reading because you obviously lack reading comprehension. (Hey I stopped reading at Book 4, and even then I knew what was going to happen in Book 7)

And FFVI? Oh please that game should hardly count as the "protagonist gender" change. You could technically make any one your protagonist. Also, the women of FFVI were retarded twats. Relm is your requisite annoying child that should have been aborted, but didn't. Terra is an abomination. "Baww woe is me. I r speshul and born of a forbidden union. I has powers. Everyone is after me. What is love? Can I eat it? I R SO ALONE BAWWWW." Yeah that's YOUR protagonist you're missing, if you are from the "TERRA IS THE FF6 HERO" camp. That's the "feeling" you've been missing, except with a vagina. She's just as "emo" as the others. And Celes has some good points, but over all she's Terra-Lite without the furry sex.
AAAAAAAH

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

I WANT TO HAVE AGRESSIVE SEX WITH THIS POAST

IT'S FUCKING GORGEOUS I CANNOT STOP JIZIIIIIIIIIING

There are very and I mean very few FF females in FF that actually break ground, they all follow the same mold as the males, except they have a uterus and tits.

SE lacks originality, most definitely....but isn't that why we love them? They're safe.

One day, I will marry the both of you.

[Lord Noctis]

it really shouldn't matter on gender, as long as it's a good game.

[jenovasilver]

it really shouldn't matter on gender, as long as it's a good game.

Ideally, yes, it shouldn't matter...but it does, in marketability and in future decisions affecting whether or not a female lead would carry another FF. Look how long it's been since VI....

Outside of Tomb Raider and Metroid, they're aren't many females leads that star in successful games. Many are in critically acclaimed games but none have reached the same stardom of Master Chief or Solid Snake.

So the choice of having Lightning lead XIII isn't necessarily risky on SE, they'll get money either way but if people don't warm up to Lightning as with the other FF characters. We might not see another female lead LIKE her for a while.

[Fenryr]

I always seem to spot these posts that try to point out that [Final Fantasy Character] personality was predictable from the very start. But now I stand baffled, exactly what kind of personality is it that the people that portray the characters as being "predictable" would like to expect.

[jenovasilver]

I always seem to spot these posts that try to point out that [Final Fantasy Character] personality was predictable from the very start. But now I stand baffled, exactly what kind of personality is it that the people that portray the characters as being "predictable" would like to expect.


LOL! Me too, I guess the predictability beam made the mark after many of us learned that Lightning has amnesia (RPG cliche #2, number 1 being the village destroyed and _________ was the chosen survivor thing). Until then, we just thought that Lightning was a tough as nails cop living on the edge! j/k

Hell, for many people the predictability came from just the tiny bits of info we had PRIOR to learning the little bit about Lightning.

And thirdly, it's SE, really. I'm positive that they are capable of making something borderline against type....kinda, but XIII anit looking like it's going to be it. Now I'm going to go on and say I'm biased because I have more faith in vXIII mostly because there LOOKS to be something else going on there outside of the potential Romeo and Juliet bullshit.

I dunno...all I'm looking for is a soild game that's all. If they can throw me a loop de loop somewhere in the game then I'll give them props...

[Fenryr]

LOL! Me too, I guess the predictability beam made the mark after many of us learned that Lightning has amnesia (RPG cliche #2, number 1 being the village destroyed and _________ was the chosen survivor thing). Until then, we just thought that Lightning was a tough as nails cop living on the edge! j/k

Hell, for many people the predictability came from just the tiny bits of info we had PRIOR to learning the little bit about Lightning.

And thirdly, it's SE, really. I'm positive that they are capable of making something borderline against type....kinda, but XIII anit looking like it's going to be it. Now I'm going to go on and say I'm biased because I have more faith in vXIII mostly because there LOOKS to be something else going on there outside of the potential Romeo and Juliet bullshit.

I dunno...all I'm looking for is a soild game that's all. If they can throw me a loop de loop somewhere in the game then I'll give them props...

I wasn't aware of the Amnesia part. I guess if the amnesia is due to something more interesting it can be redeemed. Or perhaps the previous memories she had are other than the usual cliche memories.

[Thula]

Has the Amnesia ever been confirmed?

[jenovasilver]

Has the Amnesia ever been confirmed?

I wasn't aware of the Amnesia part. I guess if the amnesia is due to something more interesting it can be redeemed. Or perhaps the previous memories she had are other than the usual cliche memories.


I believe it was, I remember reading it as a translated news article on this site...I'll try to find the article.

[elqueff]

^In UK PLAY (issue no. 163) they talk about the amnesia being confirmed. It's not a direct statement from SE, though I guess that what PLAY writes isn't just speculation:cunning:

http://finalfantasy-xiii.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3395

[jenovasilver]

^In UK PLAY (issue no. 163) they talk about the amnesia being confirmed. It's not a direct statement from SE, though I guess that what PLAY writes isn't just speculation:cunning:

http://finalfantasy-xiii.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3395

Man, I looked everywhere....thanks.

It might as well be a confirmation, I read it in EGM, GI, PSM3...amnesia is the go to for RPG heroes/heroines.

I'd be seriously surprised if Lightning didn't have amnesia...it means SE is actually trying this time.

[chaosblade77]

The amnesia thing disappoints me. It's such an easy cliche to fall back on to build up the story.

[SANAO]

i prefer male as main characters but it doesn't matter really

[Ultima Death]

Most girls I know who are tough-ish seem to hate skirts and stay as far away from them as possible, but, then again, I don't know many.

Lightning's outfit is good, and it doesn't make her look like Asian floozy as you said.

And, yeah, she can be tough while wearing a skirt, but they do restrict movement. I mean, she's flipping around in the trailer doing all these gym moves.

Acrobatics + a miniskirt = not the best idea.

But, it doesn't really matter and plus she is a badass woman which is cool :awesome:. And she is wearing a short-type thing underneath her skirt. But, I still would like to see a tough, badass woman not revealing any skin.



Acrobatics + a miniskirt = Will you marry me? lol:lol:

[Aurelia]

For predictability, I have played enough JRPGs to generally know how the formula works. A group of misfits save the world from impending doom from a kingdom/empire/country/government/nation/ancient magical force and wind up fighting someone that was affiliated with the kingdom/empire/country/government/nation/ ancient magical force. The male protagonist is NEVER cooler than his best friend. There will always be the submissive kitchen dwelling female; she will be the magic user and/or healer. And trust that there will be an underage character somewhere. Etc, etc, we all know the drill.

Yes Lightning has amnesia. So by all means think of the absolute worse: it'll save you from disappointment. I don't mean to sound grandiose, but we all have this gut feeling how the characters are going to be. And as much as we pray or beg for them not to turn out a certain way, we know it will happen. The Japanese are that generic and boring. Yes I said it, because they are, at least the mid and younger generations are. Hell look at what their number one game, the Dragon Quest series, and you'll see exactly what I mean.

I just want to play this game and hope it's good. I don't care about the delays because not only is that expected, but it's wonderful trolling material.

I will laud Square-Enix if Lightning does not wind up falling in love or have any implications of having a love interest. One thing I do admire of their games is that not every character is forced to fall in love (I'm looking at you Odin Sphere). But I'd better shut my mouth because I have a very nasty tendency for bad things to come true when I say them aloud. (e.g. I made Fire Emblem jokes at Florida for Hurricane Ike and then Ike decided to be an asshole and hit Houston where I live. Har har har...)

[yourmomma]

lol almost every person praising how good it is and how diffrent it is with Lightning is a female... the only thing that I like about Lightning is that she's the only character (besides Zack,Cloud & Squall) in the whole FF series that i actually feel like playing with...i'm still having nightmares from FFXII's boring characters...

The thing is that Lightning is pretty much a generic character that works!! I dont care if they had made her like Cloud or his mother, as long as they dont make her a girly girl with no guts (rofl).. Everytime SE tries to go and do something diffrent (like in FFXII) it just gets to complicated for them.. People love the badass character type with a somewhat sensitive side or a romance with no happy ending, well you know..

[Joseph Handibode]

No Lighting doesn't look like a man. Never meant to look like a man. She was just made to have same attributes of clould if he were a female. But I don't see any of his attributes so far: She isn't a crybaby kid like cloud. For the note, Squall looked manly all the way as a character.

To get back to the point. So the main character is female. Its a good thing in my opinion and about time.

[Aurelia]

he isn't a crybaby kid like cloud. For the note, Squall looked manly all the way as a character.

I'm quite sure you'd have probably killed yourself if you went through absolutely everything Cloud did. Your dad dying at a young age, the entire village hating and blaming you, failing at everything you do, your hero destroying the shit out of your town, a good friend is slaughtered by said hero, finding out your life is a lie, the entire world is going to end Armageddon style, getting Square Enix AIDS, etc (yes there is an etc) yeah you'd cry too.

[jenovasilver]

No Lighting doesn't look like a man. Never meant to look like a man. She was just made to have same attributes of clould if he were a female. But I don't see any of his attributes so far: She isn't a crybaby kid like cloud. For the note, Squall looked manly all the way as a character.

To get back to the point. So the main character is female. Its a good thing in my opinion and about time.

Wait...Squall...manly? VIII Squall? SQUALL? For really reals?

No, no my dear boy, Squall doesn't become a 'man' until KH and even then he is a bitch calling himself 'Leon'. There is only one 'Leon' in the world of videogames and that Leon is Leon S Kennedy (RE4).

Now in all fairness, if you equate 'manliness' to emotionless bastard then yes, Squall is a 'man'. I however like flaws (read i.e Human) in my characters and would like to hear what they think outside of ...... whatever. I don't know how I got through VIII, I don't remember and maybe that's best.

Conversely...I would do Squall over a broken lawn chair.

I'm quite sure you'd have probably killed yourself if you went through absolutely everything Cloud did. Your dad dying at a young age, the entire village hating and blaming you, failing at everything you do, your hero destroying the shit out of your town, a good friend is slaughtered by said hero, finding out your life is a lie, the entire world is going to end Armageddon style, getting Square Enix AIDS, etc (yes there is an etc) yeah you'd cry too.

^^Exactly, Cloud's mentally/emotionally a weakling (physically he's a bloody tank)...a hell of alot more realistic then alot FF characters from the past. Realistically not everyone can shake off the mass amount of shit that can happen to them and carry on like a badass mofo, some can but not everyone.

He's not the best character in the FF world, but he's certainly relatable (human) then alot of them IMO.

And yes, I too would do him over a broken lawn chair as well...

To get back on topic-

Lightning will have probably one or two traits from either man, she already shows more emotion at points then either of them combined so I think she'll develop into her own character.

It might not be MGS-worthy development, but it'll be something if she manages to do it.

[LOL]

^^Exactly, Cloud's mentally/emotionally a weakling (physically he's a bloody tank)...a hell of alot more realistic then alot FF characters from the past. Realistically not everyone can shake off the mass amount of shit that can happen to them and carry on like a badass mofo, some can but not everyone.

He's not the best character in the FF world, but he's certainly relatable (human) then alot of them IMO.

And yes, I too would do him over a broken lawn chair as well...

To get back on topic-

Lightning will have probably one or two traits from either man, she already shows more emotion at points then either of them combined so I think she'll develop into her own character.

It might not be MGS-worthy development, but it'll be something if she manages to do it.


Exactly. At least Cloud has emotions when it comes to being screwed in life. Most other FF characters go "Crap, my parents are dead, my home was destroyed, some evil bastard stole everything form me, oh well time to go and save the world!!:D"

Lighting isn't a man more is she masculine, she is a strong female who doesn't cry about random shit and doesn't need to be saved by a plumber. A strong female is a nice change in a mostly male character dominated video game world and FF itself. But the amnesia thing is a little bit too cliche.