Hope Estheim

Hope Estheim is a playable character in Final Fantasy XIII and appears in Final Fantasy XIII-2. He is the son of Nora and Bartholomew Estheim, who works for the Sanctum.

In Final Fantasy XIII, Hope loses his mother during the Purge. He chooses to travel with Lightning in order to become stronger, and avenge his mother's death by getting revenge against the person he holds responsible, Snow Villiers.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, a 24-year-old Hope appears as a major supporting character. He is the head of a scientific expedition team called the Academy. Because of his research, he knows that Serah and Noel Kreiss are traveling through time, and he helps them in their quest to find Lightning and save the future.

Final Fantasy XIII
Hope has short silver hair along with light blue-green eyes, and of all the playable characters, he is the shortest and the youngest. In Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-, when Lightning sees Hope and Nora shopping, she says Hope's face resembles that of his mother's. He wears a short-sleeved orange and yellow jacket with a detailed green neckerchief over a black shirt, and black gloves with white palms. He wears deep green cargo pants with a black storage pack hanging from a black belt over his left leg, and light green boots. His l'Cie brand is on his left wrist, mostly covered by his yellow wristband.

As evident in Episode Zero -Promise-, Hope has a close relationship with his mother Nora, always confiding in her and relying on her for protection, due to having a rather distant relationship with his father ever since reaching adolescence. Being a victim of circumstance, Hope starts off as sensitive and insecure. In Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i-, Hope describes himself as helpless since he always runs away from his problems instead of confronting them. On the other hand, he has an intense grief-induced resentment towards Snow for the part he plays in his mother's death.

On multiple occasions, he wants to confront Snow about his mother's fate, but is too grief-stricken to form the words he wants to say. Hope's speech is usually reserved, but due to being dragged into the Purge, bearing witness to his mother's death, and becoming a l'Cie, he tends to make outbursts of anger and frustration whenever his emotions get the best of him. He is also easily affected by harsh words and rash actions, especially when they involve personal subjects. Despite this, he has a warm side as well as a subtle sense of humor, briefly seen when he is with Nora in Bodhum during a flashback, and again late in the game.

After Nora's death, Hope turns to Vanille for emotional support in response to her kindness. Even though he is continuously confused by her cheerful nature, he easily strikes up a friendship with her and accepts her attempts to comfort him. As a result, Hope also has a tendency of clinging onto her whenever he becomes scared or frantic. However, he becomes dependent on Lightning for support and guidance as she shares his hatred for Snow, and he sees her as a strong and independent person that he can learn from. Looking up to Lightning as a role model of sorts, Hope tries to follow her example as a former soldier in order to gain experience in battle and knowledge of how to survive in the world.

Due to his time under her tutelage, he matures into an efficient fighter prepared to face any opponent. He is also able to speak in a more straightforward manner and control his emotions to a certain degree. He develops a symbiotic relationship with Lightning and comes to bond with and confide in her as a surrogate mother figure and mentor as they help each other understand things about themselves. After he forgives Snow for his part in Nora's death and overcomes his grief, Hope becomes willing to throw himself into harm's way for the sake of others, give his companions words of encouragement and wisdom, as well as remain positive in otherwise negative situations, ultimately living up to his namesake.

Final Fantasy XIII-2


In Final Fantasy XIII-2, Hope initially appears at 10 AF, when he is 24-years-old. Now mature in appearance, he has more straight, slightly longer hair, and a new outfit. Though he retains his yellow wristband, he now wears different gloves and an outfit reminiscent to a PSICOM uniform. It consists of a long-sleeved yellow and white coat with a light blue necktie. He also wears light gray pants, black boots, and has black and red storage packs along the left shoulder and waist of his coat. Hope now keeps his boomerang as a memento and doesn't use it often.

Ever since the events of Final Fantasy XIII, Hope has grown into an intelligent and confident leader, even though he sometimes shows moments of vulnerability.

Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-
Hope and his mother, Nora, are staying in a beach resort on vacation in the seaside town of Bodhum to see the annual fireworks show. His father, Bartholomew is due to join them, but calls at the last minute to cancel due to being too busy with work, much to Hope's relief. Hope and Nora visit the Euride Gorge, but with buzz still circulating about the incident three days prior, Hope and Nora return to Bodhum in lesser spirits.

Three days later at the fireworks display, Hope laughs at his mother's insistence on the wish-making tradition, since he believes it is for children. When Hope asks Nora what she wished for, he is disappointed when he learns that his mother wished for his father to be able to be with them next time, and says they are better off without him. Unbeknownst to both of them, PSICOM discovers the Pulse fal'Cie, Anima, within the Bodhum Vestige. Hope and Nora are caught within the subsequent quarantine the next day and forced upon the Purge train, alongside a young woman they bump into on the platform, Vanille.

Final Fantasy XIII


On the way into the Hanging Edge, the Purge train is derailed by Lightning and her ally of convenience, Sazh Katzroy. Hope, Nora, and the rest of the Purgees, are rescued by the resistance group, NORA, and their leader, Snow Villiers. Being chased by Sanctum troops, the Purgees decide to fight alongside NORA and despite Hope's silent protest, Nora is one of the last to join Snow's cause. As she and the other armed Purgees follow Snow and Gadot down the skyrail, Lebreau and the other NORA members lead Hope's group away. Later, Vanille and Hope helplessly watch the bridge with the other Purgees collapse, and his mother fall to her death after saving Snow's life.

Hope is frozen with shock and Vanille has to slap him in order to keep him moving. Vanille tries to comfort Hope on his loss, and he, in turn, decides to stick by her during the rest of the escape. When Snow and Gadot return and reconvene with the other Purgee group, Vanille encourages Hope to confront Snow about Nora's death, but despite her attempts to get Hope to approach Snow, he hesitates long enough for Snow to leave. Hope's grudge towards Snow intensifies when he learns Snow's group bears the same name as his mother. Hope is still hesitant, but Vanille shoves him into Gadot's abandoned aerobike and they follow Snow into the Pulse Vestige.

After they crash-land inside the Vestige, Hope immediately regrets following Snow out of fear of becoming a l'Cie and being Purged to Pulse, but Vanille insists that they go ahead. They hear Snow's voice and realize he is heading their way. Hope's anger grows from hearing Snow call himself a hero, and they are soon ambushed by a group of Cie'th. Much to Hope's chagrin, Snow saves them and tells them about Serah Farron. Furious, Hope yells at him and calls him insane for wanting to save a Pulse l'Cie since they are the enemy, but Snow leaves to save her anyway.

Hope becomes frantic, asking why any of these things are happening to him since he and his mother were only visiting Bodhum when the army discovered the fal'Cie there. Snow promptly returns to have Hope and Vanille stick with him for their safety. With encouragement from Vanille to take the chance to talk to Snow or regret it forever, Hope decides to go with them. Hope witnesses Serah's crystallization outside Anima's Throne alongside the two rebels who had derailed the Purge train. As the army proceeds to destroy the Vestige, Hope grabs Vanille's hand and hides behind her in fear as the door to Anima's Throne opens. After Lightning, Sazh and Snow aggravate the sleeping fal'Cie, it awakens and brands them all l'Cie - including Hope, despite his attempt to escape.

In the crystallized Lake Bresha, Hope is the first to notice everyone in the group are now l'Cie after Snow inadvertently uses magic to protect Lightning from a Cie'th. Distraught about being caught up in what he believes to be other people's problems, Hope lashes out at the others for attacking Anima. Unable to tell Snow about his mother, he blames Snow and Serah for dragging him into the mess and getting him cursed by the fal'Cie. Vanille reassures Hope that everything will be alright, and he comes out of his frantic state. Despite their differences, everyone decides to work together to solve their Focus. Though they identify the legendary beast Ragnarok in a shared dream vision, they still cannot work out what they have been tasked to do.

Snow eventually finds the crystallized Serah stuck in the crystallized lake and the others choose to leave him behind. Hope once again tries to tell Snow about Nora, but Snow tells him to hurry or he will be left behind. Snow says they will meet again, and before leaving, Hope tells him to count on it. He and the others soon see PSICOM looking for Purge survivors. Hope's attitude and bleak view of the situation cause Vanille to scold him. She grabs his arm but quickly withdraws after she sees his brand on his wrist. In some abandoned ruins at the edge of the lake, the party finds an old airship. Sazh attempts to pilot it, but it sustains damage from a PSICOM pursuit and crashes in the Vile Peaks.

Lightning leaves the group to outrun PSICOM and Hope follows her. After learning how Lightning joined the Purge to save Serah, Hope tells her it is easy for her to charge into danger without a second thought like that since she's strong. Lightning abandons him, and Sazh and Vanille eventually find him. Sinking into despair, Hope tells them it is over for him. He explains how he and Nora became involved in the Purge during their visit to Bodhum, and how she tried to fight to get them home but was tricked and used by Snow. Vanille assures Hope they will get him home since his father should be worried, but Hope says to let his dad worry. Hope travels with Sazh and Vanille until Lightning rejoins the group.

She eventually reveals her plan to go to Eden and again leaves the party. Hope decides to follow her despite her reluctance to continue "babysitting" him. The two decide to go through the Gapra Whitewood and Hope's hometown, Palumpolum, to catch a train to Eden. At one point, Hope takes control of a Pulsian Dreadnought against Lightning's warnings and clears a path for them. However, Lightning's patience with Hope runs thin as he fails to keep up with her. As she threatens to leave him behind a second time, Hope demands her to take him along. She curses his weakness, and in her frustration, she inadvertently summons her Eidolon, Odin, who attacks Hope. Lightning saves him and his aid in defeating the Eidolon persuades her to have faith in the boy and help him 'toughen up'. After Lightning returns from checking the area, Hope is fast asleep as Lightning watches over him.

The two manage to outrun PSICOM and escape the Vile Peaks. In the Gapra Whitewood, Hope asks to take the lead, and, in the hopes of keeping him safe, Lightning gives Hope the survival knife Serah gave her for her birthday. At one point, Hope senses something coming their way and pulls Lightning away to hide. Some local soldiers fly pass them causing Lightning to realize they do not know anything about the fugitive l'Cie. By the Bulkhead fal'Cie, Hope and Lightning wonder how the others are doing, particularly Snow. After Lightning reveals what NORA stands for, Hope's grudge against Snow grows. He eventually reveals his hatred for Snow to Lightning and how the chance to eventually get even was his reason for following her.

After Lightning tells Hope to form a strategy to help him survive, he conceives 'Operation Nora', his plan for revenge against Snow. Hope tells Lightning he knows that killing Snow will not bring his mother back, but "sorry won't cut it." Lightning says to Hope that Snow did not kill his mother, the Sanctum did, prompting the boy to resolve getting revenge against the Sanctum as well as Snow. After defeating an Aster Protoflorian and exiting the Gapra Whitewood, they see Palumpolum on the coast in the distance. Lightning suggests they stop by his house, but Hope objects since he doesn't want to meet his father. She tells Hope he needs to let his father know what happened to Nora.

To avoid the PSICOM troops stationed throughout the city, Hope leads Lightning underground into the Nutriculture Complex, where they see the fal'Cie Carbuncle, which provides Cocoon with its food supply. Upon hearing Hope talk about how the fal'Cie treat humans like their pets, Lightning realizes fighting blindly to make up for doubt and confusion is not the answer and she tells Hope, "Operation Nora is over", much to his disbelief.

Confused, he asks Lightning what they should do now if they can't fight but she does not know. Then he learns about why she changed her name, and how she thought that it would make her more grown up. He tells Lightning not to say Snow's name since the mere mention of it causes him to replay his mother's death in his head and see Snow's smiling face, asking what Snow has to smile for after getting Nora killed. Then Hope says he knows that his mother is never coming back no matter what he does from now on, and how easy it felt to give in to despair before he learned how to fight. He apologizes to Lightning for being confused but she says that it's her fault. She tells him to talk to his father in order to find the hope that he needs to continue fighting.

Riding the elevator to the Agora, they are ambushed by Yaag Rosch and his troops. Lightning tells Hope to save himself while she distracts them, but he refuses to leave her behind. An explosion goes off with Snow and Fang arriving on the scene. Lightning forces Hope to run away with Snow and the two manage to escape. While hiding in a tunnel, Snow unknowingly insults Hope's mother and the events surrounding her death and smiles, only to fuel Hope's rage further. After Snow turns the other way, the enraged boy holds Lightning's knife behind his back, waiting for the right moment to kill him. During a wireless conversation with Lightning, Hope tells her that he is going through with Operation Nora against her wishes before she can reason with him. As they journey through the city, Snow's optimism and obliviousness to the situation continue to push Hope's rage beyond his control.

At one point, the two of them enter a crowd of people that PSICOM is preparing to Purge, and Snow fires a gun into the air, causing everyone to scatter. Later, Hope and Snow enter an alley and the former comes across a frightened young girl. Hope tries to help her but she throws her Carbuncle doll at him. Then the same crowd of people from before returns as an angry mob, having misunderstood Snow's intention of saving them. The girl runs to her mother, pushing Hope to the ground in the process, leaving him distraught. Snow uses his l'Cie power to shoot down an archway to block the approaching mob. Hope places the girl's doll on the fallen archway and apologizes before Snow flies him up to the Rivera Towers.

With his hatred for Snow reaching its boiling point, Hope asks him a series of personal questions to justify his belief for revenge. Hope asks him what he would do if someone took his family away from him, and he could not take them back but knew who was responsible. Snow's response about there being trouble causes Hope's rage to grow even further. An Ushumgal Subjugator ambushes them and Snow tries to stand between Hope and the machine, but the boy furiously pushes him out of the way and charges it for battle.

Afterward, Snow and Hope have a chance to catch their breath by the edge of a building. After seeing a vision of Nora from his childhood, Hope cannot contain his rage anymore and questions Snow about his past actions and how he plans to pay for them. Snow says that he can't pay for them, and tells Hope that words cannot make up for whenever someone dies. Hope accuses him of running away from his guilt, but Snow says all he can do is move forward until he finds the answers he needs. Hope says to him, "There are no answers! You're running from what you deserve".

Snow asks Hope to tell him what he deserves and he says the same fate: death itself. Hope uses his rage-induced l'Cie power to blast Snow off the ledge. Standing over Snow with Lightning's knife at hand, Hope finally reveals to him that his mother died on his account. As Hope is about to kill Snow, a Sanctum airship in the distance fires a shot behind him, sending him over the ledge. Snow jumps off after him, catching him in midair and shielding him from the fall with his body.

Hope awakens on the streets below to find that Snow had saved him. Snow apologizes for his part in Nora's death and returns Lightning's knife to Hope, giving him a second chance at revenge. Reaching Felix Heights, Hope tells Snow that he always knew killing him would not bring Nora back, but he had to blame someone and give himself a reason to keep on fighting. After they settle their differences, they are again attacked by the Ushumgal Subjugator from before. It knocks Snow unconscious, prompting Hope to fight it alone until Lightning and Fang arrive to help. Hope returns Lightning's knife, thus ending Operation Nora. Lightning embraces Hope promising to keep him safe, before he promises to protect her as well. The reunited party travels the rest of the way to the Estheim Residence and meet Hope's father.

After Hope tells his father what happened to Nora, Hope tells him he and the others will rest up and leave soon to prevent him from being Purged as well. However, Bartholomew is willing to be arrested by the Sanctum for harboring l'Cie, and Hope repairs his relationship with his father. When PSICOM attacks the house, Lightning and Fang fight them off while Snow hides with Bartholomew. At one point, a soldier takes aim at Hope, and Lightning saves him in the act of keeping her promise to protect him.

Snow steps outside and confronts Yaag Rosch about his actions until chaos breaks out. Under Lightning's orders, Hope makes his father look like an unwilling accomplice. With his father's reassurance, Hope promises him he will do what needs to be done and return soon. Rygdea and more of the Cavalry soldiers arrive, and Hope and the rest of the party leave with them, boarding the Lindblum.

They head to the Palamecia upon learning Sazh and Vanille are being held captive onboard. They eventually reunite with the prisoners, and are forced to face Dysley in his true form, the fal'Cie Barthandelus, who reveals to them their true Focus: to become Ragnarok and kill the fal'Cie Orphan, the source of all of Cocoon's power. Sazh attempts to pilot an airship to freedom, but it is under Dysley's control. Hope notices Yaag Rosch coming their way, and he pursues them in an onslaught. They fly into Eden and lose him, but land in the Fifth Ark, where the party's l'Cie powers are fully awoken. After Fang tames her Eidolon, Bahamut, Hope resolves to make his own decisions from now on, without any influence from the Sanctum or the fal'Cie, and see what Gran Pulse is like for himself.

Using an old Pulsian airship, they exit the Ark out into Gran Pulse. A monster attacks and damages the airship, causing Hope and Vanille to get sucked out and plummet to the ground. They are saved by the others on Bahamut, and they fly off to create a base camp in Vallis Media. Hope gathers food and supplies with Sazh's Chocobo Chick until his brand advances and he falls unconscious and found by the rest of the party.

Coming to back at camp, Hope begins questioning their journey. He is fearful of his friends getting hurt because of him, and begins sobbing. As Snow and Lightning try to console him, he inadvertently summons his Eidolon, Alexander. Lightning tells Hope that Alexander represents his inner strength, and has appeared because he can continue fighting. After taming the Eidolon with Lightning and Fang, he begins to believe they come to give l'Cie hope, not to end their journey through death. He says that he will ask for help earlier next time and decides to continue on his journey with the others.

As they travel through Pulse, Hope has a talk with Vanille in the Yaschas Massif. He tells her that if he and his mother had not been at the fireworks in Bodhum and gotten forced onto the Purge train, then he wouldn't have learned that a world like Gran Pulse ever existed. She mentions the promise they made to see Pulse together, but Hope does not remember making such a promise. Vanille says it's possibly another one of her many lies.

Hope tells her people sometimes lie to keep themselves going when they are afraid and protect others from harm, but it is what they do after the lie that matters; and that if one works hard enough, they can make it come true. He tells her that one can find out that everything in the world they believed to be true are really nothing but lies, and they probably did promise to see Pulse together as well as Cocoon. Then Hope says to Vanille, "Do something for me, will you? Keep smiling. I - it makes me happy when you smile". Vanille becomes flustered by this, but then Hope laughs, reveals he was joking, and runs off with Vanille chasing after him.

Returning from the Paddra ruins, the fal'Cie Dahaka passes them. Vanille says it resides near Oerba, so Hope suggests they follow it. The party crosses the Archylte Steppe to the Mah'habara Subterra. In the tunnels, Hope tampers with another Dreadnought and falls into the path of the incoming fal'Cie Atomos. A group of Dreadnoughts saves him from getting crushed, and enables the party to travel to the Sulyya Springs. Reaching the top level of Taejin's Tower, Fang and Vanille see their home village void of life and color, but Hope comforts Vanille by holding her hand and tells her to keep having faith.

They finally arrive in the dilapidated village where the party is once again confronted by Barthandelus, who reveals his plan of having tricked the Cavalry into destroying Orphan. The party wonder whether they can return to Cocoon to help if it means playing into Barthandelus's hands, but Hope reminds Lightning that she once told him it is not a question of can or can't, they just have to go and do it, even if it means getting one person to listen to their plight.

Cocoon, interrupting a race on the circuit in Eden with their Eidolons. They fight their way through the city and eventually make their way to Orphan's Cradle. Hope tells the party that Barthandelus is turning innocent people into Cie'th in order to make them feel guilty, lose faith, and become Ragnarok. Reaching the Nascent Throne, the party fights Barthandelus again.

Briefly upon his defeat, his familiar Menrva flies into the pool, awakening Orphan. After Fang complies to become Ragnarok and put Vanille out of her misery to protect her, Hope and Lightning try to shield the latter while Sazh and Snow handle Fang. Orphan transforms everyone except Vanille and Fang into Cie'th, but remembering everything they went through reverts them back to normal. They save Fang from her cycle of torture at Orphan's hands and say that they now have a new Focus. Then Hope concludes that if they have the power to destroy Cocoon, they also have the power to save it.

After Orphan's defeat, Cocoon loses power and falls from the sky as the party begins to crystallize. Hope grabs Sazh's and Lightning's hands as Orphan's Cradle vanishes and they are left hovering midair over Eden. They witness Fang and Vanille sacrifice themselves to become Ragnarok and save Cocoon. Hope is crystallized alongside the rest of the party at the base of the crystallized Cocoon. Soon after they awaken from the crystal stasis, with their brands wiped clean. Though Serah and Dajh Katzroy also awake from crystal stasis, Hope is upset to find that Vanille and Fang have not awoken. With Lightning's support, he still remains positive, remarking they have defied their fate before.

Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i-
Hope sees a group of soldiers from the Cavalry, and runs off towards them with the others in tow. He asks one of the soldiers about his father, and learns he is still alive, much to his surprise and relief. Upon learning about Bodhum sustaining heavy damage and the horrible irony of its population being 'saved' by the Purge, Hope wonders how Lightning and Snow are handling the news since Bodhum was their hometown. After Sazh leaves with Dajh, he remains with Snow and Serah. Then another soldier comes and tells Hope that his father is arriving on the next cargo transport, and Hope leaves with the soldier to reunite with him.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
After Lightning disappears, time has been altered to have Hope finding her survival knife near the base of Cocoon's crystal pillar and giving it to Serah. When Serah and Noel arrive in the Paddra Ruins of Yaschas Massif -010 AF-, he comes to their aid by finishing off the giant Aloeidai they were fighting with his boomerang to negate the spacetime vortex it generated as a last resort. He is glad that Serah remembers him and introduces himself to Noel as the leader of the Academy, revealing that Noel and Serah's appearance in the Bresha Ruins five years ago enabled the Academy to analyze the gates and predicted their arrival to the ruins.

Hope takes Serah's hands and expresses his relief that she is safe before letting go of her, seemingly embarrassed. He says that within the last ten years, Serah was not the only one who disappeared but Snow, Sazh, and Dajh as well. Then he says that the paradoxes started happening a few years ago and believes if he can solve what is causing them, then he can see everyone again.

Then they meet his assistant, Alyssa Zaidelle, who happened to have been involved with them in the events at Bresha. After Alyssa tells him off for running off without her, Hope tells Noel and Serah that he has something to show them. Alyssa playfully grabs his arm before he softly pushes her off and leads the way. He says that he joined the Academy as a way to atone for what happened to Lightning, Fang and Vanille, and to build a society using man-made power. He also tells the legend of the seeress Yeul, who foretold Paddra's destruction and how it came true when its people brought their nation to ruin in a civil war.

At Alyssa's insistence, Hope shows Serah and Noel the Oracle Drive, an ancient device that shows images of events that should be considered impossible. Noel activates it and everyone sees images of the events that took place ten years ago. Hope believes that a seeress probably left behind records of the future. He uses the Oracle Drive and projects blurry images of Lightning's fight with Caius Ballad in Valhalla. Hope theorizes that the current paradox affecting the area might be in turn affecting the Oracle Drive. Then Hope reveals an artefact and gives it to Noel and Serah so they can find the cause of the paradox to rectify the viewing trouble.

After the paradox is resolved, negating their initial meeting, Noel and Serah are forced to repeat the process of being welcomed by Hope before he again uses the Oracle Drive to show them the now clear images of Lightning in Valhalla. Then he asks Serah if he will be able to pass through time himself and meet Lightning again, since it's the reason why he has been researching all these years. Despite the threats Noel and Serah face for traveling through time themselves, Hope confesses that he too wanted to change history, and not just bring back Lightning, but also Vanille, Fang, and his mother. When the Oracle Drive shows images of Cocoon's falling connected to Caius, Hope resolves to do what he can at his end to prepare for the crisis while Serah and Noel continue to fix the timeline.

During 013 AF, while overseeing the construction of Augusta Tower, Hope and Alyssa devised the Proto fal'Cie Project as a means to re-levitate Cocoon. However, acting on its own whim from the future, the Proto fal'Cie Adam arrives to that moment in time to reprogram the tower's AI and slaughter Hope, Alyssa, and all the Academy members to maintain the time and order it is thriving in. Luckily, Hope caught a glimpse of Serah and Noel's fight with Adam at 200 AF, with Serah yelling at him for building the fal'Cie through the Oracle Drive and abandoned the project. Then he began the New Cocoon Project to build a new man-made one.

Soon after, Hope invented a time capsule for him and Alyssa to enter suspended animation and reawaken in Academia 387 years in the future at 4XX AF. Welcoming Serah and Noel to "the future they protected", and assuring them that he and Alyssa are the real deal, Hope invites them to Academy headquarters. At HQ, Hope reveals how he was forced to abandon any hope of saving Cocoon and began the New Cocoon Project. He and Alyssa say that after the Thirteenth Ark appeared in the sky, the Academy discovered that it floats through the use of a Graviton Core. Hope then concludes that the new Cocoon can be powered by 5 Cores.

After Noel, Serah and Mog bring him the Graviton Cores needed, Alyssa gives them an artefact to open the new gate in the city. Then Hope and Alyssa go to see them off. After listening to Alyssa talk about people are affected by seemingly hopeless situations, Hope speaks of the time where if not for his friends, he would have let himself be consumed by hate. Then he tells Serah of how her wish to save Cocoon motivated him and the others to work together, how Fang and Vanille continue to fulfill that wish, and that he will be using the time capsule again to oversee the final step in his New Cocoon Project.

In Academia -500 AF-, Hope and a squadron of soldiers appear to provide Noel and Serah backup as they are attacked by Chaos Bahamut and a summoned swarm of monsters. He eventually joins Noel and Serah in pursuit of Chaos Bahamut, offering to help them catch him. However, Serah tells Hope not to follow and instead make sure that Fang and Vanille are safe, which he does. As Caius is defeated by Noel and Serah, Hope learns from Sazh that Vanille and Fang have been safely removed from the crystal pillar. Soon enough, Cocoon falls to the ground and the new Cocoon, which Hope christens "Bhunivelze" rises.

Learning that Noel, Mog and Serah have returned from Valhalla, Hope takes an airship to greet them only to find Noel silently telling him that Serah is now dead. As they mourn over her, Noel reveals to Hope that Serah was a seeress like Yeul, and was killed by her visions of the future. Then the world begins to go dark and Hope catches a weakening Mog in his arms. Mog tells them that the goddess Etro is now gone and passes out. A seal appears in the sky and Bhunivelze and everything on Pulse is consumed by chaos before Valhalla appears within the world.

Abilities and Equipment


Hope fights with boomerangs that work differently from normal boomerangs; thanks to futuristic technology and design, he is able to throw the boomerang once and hit multiple enemies without having to throw it again.

Hope's true strength lies in his magic power; he has the highest Magic growth out of the six playable characters and is the only one to learn all elemental spells as a Ravager, though he lacks the -strike skills, meaning he cannot physically attack in the role. Hope's Full ATB Skill, Last Resort, deals non-elemental magic damage to all foes.

Hope is the most supportive-oriented character. As a Synergist, he is more proficient with defensive buffs, learning the Bar-Spells very early in the game; and he also learns the entire family of Cure spells as a Medic. Hope is the only character with only one offensive primary paradigm role and is the only playable character in "Final Fantasy XIII" that may acquire every -ga leveled spell in all of the roles. However, Hope has the lowest HP of all the playable characters.

Interestingly, in the Commando role, when performing multiple physical attacks using his boomerang, Hope moves his hand as if to throw it again, even though it is not in his hand. Hope is also the only one being able to cast Ruin without holding his weapon; this can be accomplished by choosing Attack first and stacking Ruin after.


 * Base Statistics

Eidolon


Hope's Eidolon, Alexander, is a non-elemental Eidolon who has the ability to turn into a fortress in his Gestalt Mode. When Hope calls for Alexander, he is launched from an even larger fortress in the sky.

Hope is the only member of the main party whose Eidolon is the same gender as its l'Cie partner.

Weapons
See Hope's Boomerangs Hope's weapons have inscriptions with the names of mythological birds; Hope's initial weapon, Airwing, has an inscription that reads Phoenix. Also, in his appearance in the Final Fantasy XIII-2, his weapon appears to have an inscription reading "To the heavens soars the phoenix" upon close inspection. In Final Fantasy XIII Hope is the only character whose default weapon has a passive ability.

Hope's weapon is the only one not visible while outside of battle. Oddly, he puts it away as his Victory Pose, but if seen from behind, it's fairly obvious that it slides into the middle of the seat of his pants, rather than into a pocket. Cutscenes avoid showing where he pulls it from with camera angles putting it offscreen. Also, it is never implicitly stated where Hope received his first boomerang. The first scene where it was shown was during the scene where Vanille receives her weapon, but she did not give the boomerang to him. It is left unclear as to whether or not he had it with him in Bodhum.

Creation and Development
Hope was designed by Tetsuya Nomura in Final Fantasy XIII and Hideo Minaba designed his clothes in Final Fantasy XIII-2. Lightning was originally designed as a silver haired character, but when the decision was made to make her pink-haired, the silver color was transferred to Hope instead.

Final Fantasy XIII
In Final Fantasy XIII, "Hope's Theme", composed by Masashi Hamauzu, is a melancholy tune composed with acoustic guitar representing his sensitive and vulnerable nature, as well as the emotions he goes through while coping with the loss of his mother.

There are two variants of his theme: the orchestral version is titled "Sustained by Hate", and the slow acoustic version is called "This Is Your Home".

A piano version of his theme titled, "Hope PfNer3", is included on the Final Fantasy XIII: Original Soundtrack PLUS album.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
In Final Fantasy XIII-2, "Hope's Theme ~Tomorrow's Dream~" is a calm, mellow, and rustic rearrangement of his original theme, and a variant of the main theme, "FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 ~Wishes~". It is composed with acoustic guitar, violin, and piano. While it hints at his vulnerability like his original theme, it also symbolizes his wish to bring back the people who are dear to him.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Hope is featured on two cards as part of the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game. One of his cards depicts a FMV shot of him in the Hanging Edge, and the other is his CG render.

Etymology
Hōpu is the romanized version of the Japanese boys' name Kibou, which means hope. It is possible the name was chosen for him, because he was somewhat "hope" for Cocoon, to free her from the control of the fal'Cie. Est is Latin for "is", whilst Heim is German for "home". Concluding, his full name means "hope is home", which may refer to Nora's final request to Snow about Hope: "Get him home".

This is also somewhat alluded to by Lightning in Chapter 7 in Palumpolum's Nutriculture Complex, when she says that he needs to know what hope he was named for by going home and talking to his father. By doing so, he finds the newfound hope enabling him to continue on his journey.

Trivia

 * While Hope sometimes refers to Lightning as "Light" in the English version, he calls her "Light-san" for the rest of the game after she tells him to in the Japanese version. Presumably a minor error, Hope will sometimes call Lightning "Light" in battle shortly before the cutscene in which she tells him to do so.
 * Hope's crystal is in the shape of a star, almost resembling the crystal in the Final Fantasy IX [[Media:FfixLogo.jpg|logo]].
 * Hope's crystal is used for the "Instrument of Change" trophy/achievement.
 * The animation sequence for Hope's full ATB skill, Last Resort, greatly resembles the White Magic spell Holy in previous Final Fantasy games. Furthermore, Alexander is the series' main Holy-elemental summon.
 * Hope makes a cameo appearance in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy as a tutor in the in-game manual. He teaches the player about assists alongside Fang.
 * Hope is the only playable character who can use a Dreadnought (first in a portion of the Vile Peaks, then during a cutscene in the Mah'habara Subterra).
 * In Episode Zero -Promise-, it is revealed Hope once visited the Sunleth Waterscape on a school field trip.
 * In Hope's house, there is a photo of Nautilus.
 * Hope, along with Orphan, is one of the two characters in the game to use a healing spell outside of battle.
 * Hope names the new Cocoon Bhunivelze but it is not clear where he got the name from, as Bhunivelze is only referred to as The Maker in both games. Only in a few fragments is that name mentioned.