Crackpot Theory - Lightning Turns Into "Ixion" (with evidence)

[Kuja Las Vegas]

I believe in giving credit where it's due, so I must state I was not the one that originally came up with this theory.

The gamefaqs user fzero in this thread:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=928790&topic=41270428

had the idea that the FF13 logo discreetly depicts Lightning transforming into some kind of Ixion as a major plot twist in the game.

• Final Fantasy logos usually depict a major plot point that is related to the particular game, like FFVII's Meteor, FFVIII's Squall & Rinoa, FFXII's Judge Gabranth, et cetera.

Reasons how and why this could happen (spoilers):
• FF Precedence - in FFX Tidus was basically a Hume-Aeon hybrid, a dream conjured up by the Fayth to fight against Sin. They already had an entire game where your main guy is basically a "summon."

• FF Precedence again - in FFVI Terra was a half-Esper half-Hume who started out as a Hume, went batshit berserk, then eventually learned how to control her powers and could morph at will. Could the same thing happen to Lightning?

• I've heard it mentioned that in FFXIII "Lightning" is her code name, she doesn't remember her real name. What if she's really an Esper / Aeon / Fal'Cie or whatever who was "summoned" by the crystal to end the world?

• What if, in a parallel to FF7, Lightning was originally a soldier of the Holy government of Coccon, and they experimented on her like how in FFVII Shinra mako-infused Zack and Cloud, and in the process of Coccon's experimentation, Lightning was "turned into" an Aeon/Esper/Summon?

• What if Lightning's true form is similar to "Ixion" from FFX? Ixion is a unicorn / horse of the thunder element. Lightning = thunder. Some have asked why she uses fire magic in human form. Maybe she has thunder magic when she morphs into her unicorn form halfway through the game (speculating).

• And finally, what better evidence can I present than the Final Fantasy XIII logo itself? Look at it closely, look at it upside down to see what I mean. Or better yet, allow me to turn it 180 degrees in MS Paint and then point out what I think I see (view the JPEG attachment).

Surely I'm not the only one imagining the horse's head which looks like nothing when the logo is viewed right side up, but looks clearly like a horse when the logo is turned upside down?

[Mystearica]

You know if that ever happened I WOULD worship this game for the crazy plot twist... but in all honesty - I can't imagine it..... 'cause

- Other than Xenogears - they have yet to produce a complicated story and this theory would definitely produce a huge range of complications (and OMGs this is awesome!)

- I kinda have lost hope for S-E... to me their latest releases have not been up to par with what they used to be... so for them to venture and do something that unpredictable is kinda beyond them (as of now)...

BUT I want to be surprised and love them again!


Hmmm but then how would you explain "Snow" though - I mean the link between lightning and Ixion is genius along with the logo

[Daemon]

I really don't buy it. Besides, it's far too early to call.
To me it looks like two women, cocoon and a dragon (with wings) from every angle, but i dont think you can read too much into the logos of the games. Remember when people pointed out that XII's logo looked like a face upside down? Interesting, but probably over-analysing - sometimes you go looking for a hidden meaning that just isnt there to start with.

Mind you, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and this is just mine.

[Shiranui Reborn]

that's a very interesting speculation
i dont really like the idea of lightning turning into a horse though personally

[Ark]

To be honest I see more of a Yin/Yang type of deal than anyone transforming into anything.
Besides, if you think about it in that way, FF 1-6's emblems didn't have THAT huge of a meaning. Same goes for X

[Saki Liu]

The lady (who might be lightning) is definitely turning into something now that I see the logo upside down. I never notice that. Kinda cool actually.

[Mike]

Uh, oh! Now I have a terrible feeling that I've stumbled upon a major spoiler. This theory makes so much sense I could not even read your entire post, FFx13Fanatic, in fear that this information would sink deeper into my long term memory. I'm just gonna turn around, walk away, and try to forget about this possible twist... (http://finalfantasy-xiii.net/forums/member.php?u=5499)

[cheesepizza]

Interesting theory O_o Hope they twist the story a lot and make us all happy

I just don't think the woman looks like Lightning though... and it looks like there's 2 women as someone said above. Could always be Vanille and Lightning but then normally the characters in the logo should look like the characters in game.... unless she/they are in some other form :O

On a side note: The logo is awesome

[Astraia]

...i can't imagine lightning turning into a horse. still, the idea is pretty interesting now that i gave a second look at the logo.

But still, lightning has to be MORE SPECIAL, you know. Ixion's not that significant compared to other summons like bahamut..

[Kätharina]

Why the fuck would she turn into a horse. :wtf:
Horses are pretty fucking stupid and have the most shortest attention span ever, i should fucking know. :aldo:

[Thunder]

Did you fell off the horse by chance?

[The Brat Prince]

Y'know as dumb as this theory sounds, looking at that inverted logo it actually makes sense, I wouldn't say it's spot on or that's all there is to it, but it definitely looks like a giant horse/dragon/woman hybrid thing is a big threat to pulse. Whether it's lightning or not is the part I'd have the most trouble with.


Horses are pretty fucking stupid and have the most shortest attention span ever, i should fucking know. :aldo:

Why? Are you a horse?

[19-aerith-91]

Do the two women not represent the shiva sisters??
The theory sounds good but i think lighting turning into ixion is a bit too weird.

[a random ninja]

that's an interesting theory, and it actually makes a lot of sense. i'd say there's a good chance it will end up not being the case, but it'd be pretty fucking cool if it did. the trailers have said the 'summoned' would be the salvation of the l'cie, so maybe that's tied to this somehow?

[Kätharina]

Why? Are you a horse?

Your not funny, shut up.
And to answer your question, I've owned and ridden horses since i was 3. They are easily the most stupid animal I've actually ever come across, they jump at such trivial things, over excite themselves and jizz balls over trotting, refuse to jump which sends you flying, and crib to their hearts content, which is really fucking annoying.
(you can look horse cribbing up, i can't be bothered to explain)

[Aurelia]

The FF logos were never really complicated once you actually play the game. :wtf: Right now it looks like a cryptic metaphor, but just wait until FFXIII comes out and then it will be blatantly obvious to us.

[Thunder]

This thing explains nothing because there are two women behind the horse.
Also there was the same topic once, but now is lost somewhere.

[secretgal1234]

If Lightning were to turn into a summon, wouldn't that make her more like Terra than Cloud? Maybe if the gravity feild were a thunder pulse, I could understand. I thought that the logo was an image of that moon thing shown in the trailers and the three figures on the sphere were the representation of the crystals that have been mentioned so much.

Just have to wait and see.

[Vongola Decimo]

I like this idea. It's crazy and messed up (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MindScrew).
I love screwy stories. This makes since in my book- but then again, I hope this isn't going to be exactly how it happens, because I like surprises.

[Devegas]

the logo does show a woman transforming into a horse WE DON'T KNOW who the bitch looks like but what we DO KNOW is just that bitch ain't normal the logo might not mean what everyone's making it sound like cause if someone could mistake the logos of the other games for anything important or a plot twist then they are RETARTED AS SHIT!! IT MEANS NOTHING!!!!!!

[a random ninja]

cause if someone could mistake the logos of the other games for anything important or a plot twist then they are RETARTED AS SHIT!!

what? that doesn't even make any sense. plenty of logos are important and relevant to the plot, so i don't know what you're talking about. now calm down, man. it's just a THEORY. an admittedly crackpot one at that. we're all well aware that it may not be anything like this. jesus christ.

also learn how to spell retarded.

[Devegas]

i'm sorry someone made me angry and secondly........ since u were so willing to point that u may now shut the FUCK UP AND SIT THE FUCK DOWN U RETARDED ASS MONKEY

R-E-T-A-R-D-E-D HAPPY NOW BITCH!?!?!?!

[craiglmjj]

i very much doubt that lighting will transform into an ixion/esper/summon or whatever else.
as the shiva twins are in the logo aswell im guessing the horse is just another summon or somthing we've not seen yet.
remember shiva's used for transport in this game, so the horse is probably gunna be used for the same thing. as i also remember reading that chocobos won't be used for transport in this game, or at least not all the time.

[Momo329]

i always thought it had to do with the shiva sisters but your theory's pretty interesting, too
i kinda like it

[Kuja Las Vegas]

If you ask me, the "two women" in the logo, who may or may not be Shiva sisters, might also be Lighting in one phase (the top woman), then Lighting in a "transitional" phase (the middle woman) then finally she becomes a Horse, so what it depicts might be the full transitions of transformation between woman and horse.

Think also about the name of the planetoid Cocoon. What goes into a cocoon? A caterpillar, right before it transforms into a butterfly. Cocoon is significant as well, and I'm betting it has something to do with the summoned. Then again, half the time I tend to be wrong about these things, so we'll just have to wait and see who exactly the woman or women in the logo are supposed to be.

And to those who don't fancy Lightning turning into an Ixion, what if she were some kind of cool metallic horse? Would that make a difference?

[iv4nsbc]

I think this could be an interesting plot ... But I don't think that she woul literally morph into a horse, more like a spirit ... A Guardian Spirit/Summon/Esper/Whatever ...

Spirits could be a nice dichotomy to the game scenario ... Like Cocoon/Pulse, Nature/Technology ...

About the logo ... No one (untill the game arrives) will persuade me that the moon(that I belive to be Cocoon) won't eventually fall into the planet(Pulse)...

[The Brat Prince]

Your not funny, shut up.


Tad touchy aren't we? It's you're by the way.

And to the guy wetting his pants over people speculating about logo's, pretty much every FF cover symbol from 7 FFVII onwards has had pretty hefty importance to the story so yeah, not retarded.

[Naunen]

Tad touchy aren't we? It's you're by the way.

And to the guy wetting his pants over people speculating about logo's, pretty much every FF cover symbol from 7 FFVII onwards has had pretty hefty importance to the story so yeah, not retarded.

----It's logos, by the way.

I just hope this is speculation. It's not like anyone can prove that that's Lightning at all. It looks like one of the Shivas, Siren, and a horse to me.

[SORA HEART]

i don't think so .. i think that the tow girls in the logo is shiva sisters wich means snow and the horse ixion mean lightning .. and the ball means cocoon .. ^^