Oerba Yun Fang

Oerba Yun Fang is a playable character in Final Fantasy XIII and a temporary party member in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Her full name stands for "Fang of the Yun clan, from the village of Oerba."

Fang is introduced as a Pulse l'Cie working with a division of the Sanctum's military under unknown pretenses, but it is later revealed that she is working with them for her own reasons. A strong woman surrounded by mysteries and driven by a personal agenda, Fang aims to complete her Focus to save her friend Vanille from a fate worse than death.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, she makes a cameo appearance alongside Vanille when they rescue Serah Farron from a dreamworld.

In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Fang is the leader of a guild of bandits based in the Dead Dunes called Monoculus.

Appearance and Personality


Fang is a tall woman, standing at 5'9". Despite her chronological age, she has the physical appearance of a twenty-one-year-old. Fang has bronze skin and wavy dark brown hair with a braid behind her left ear. Fang's eyes are green and there is a beauty mark beneath her right eye. Fang wears purple claw-shaped earrings. She has scars on her right arm and shoulder, and wears blue clothing resembling a traditional Indian adorned with tribal accessories. In addition to the sari, Fang wears a short black top, black sleeves over her forearms, tan leather open-toed sandals, and two fur pelts hanging from a cord beneath the belt that holds her spear. Fang has the brand of a l'Cie on her right shoulder and a large tattoo on the other. Unlike the other l'Cie whose brands are black and progress, Fang's l'Cie brand is white and static.

Character designer Tetsuya Nomura has stated that when compared to the other characters personality-wise, Fang is stronger than Lightning and more stubborn than Snow Villiers. In Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise- Lightning comments on Fang having a "wild fearlessness to her". This is supported by Fang's unwillingness to back down regardless of her opponent, and her strong belief in Lady Luck. Although she comes across as cocky and confident, Fang also has a caring and compassionate side, especially towards Vanille, whom she would protect by any means.

Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-


Fang, formerly a resident of Gran Pulse, hails from the village of Oerba along with Vanille. Six centuries before Final Fantasy XIII, during the War of Transgression between Pulse and Cocoon, Fang and Vanille lost their families at the hands of Cocoon's l'Cie and fal'Cie, and became close friends after meeting at Oerba's orphanage. Fang developed a grudge against Oerba's patron fal'Cie, Anima, for failing to protect the people of Gran Pulse, and became a l'Cie to protect both Pulse and Vanille; with Vanille becoming a l'Cie alongside her. Together, Fang and Vanille gained the power to become the beast Ragnarok to fulfill their Focus of destroying Cocoon.

Vanille was fearful of the power bestowed upon them and Fang became Ragnarok alone to complete their Focus. Fang's Ragnarok cracked Cocoon's shell and, taking pity on the people of Cocoon, the goddess Etro intervened and crystallized both Vanille and Fang before they could complete their Focus. Fang and Vanille's crystallized forms ended up in the Pulse Vestige, Anima's resting place. In the war's aftermath, Cocoon's fal'Cie raided Pulse to get materials to fix the damage Cocoon had sustained and the crystallized Fang and Vanille were brought into Cocoon.

Six hundred years later, Fang and Vanille awaken from crystal stasis. Fang awakens with no memory of the past events dealing with Ragnarok. Vanille lies about losing her memory as well, and takes on the burden of Ragnarok to spare Fang the guilt. Fang finds her l'Cie brand scorched and unchanging but Vanille's brand is still active, and over the next two days, Fang tries to remember their Focus to prevent Vanille from becoming a Cie'th. Within the Vestige, Fang and Vanille find an unconscious Serah, who has been transformed into a l'Cie. They take Serah outside and watch over her until she regains consciousness and leaves. Fang thinks their Focus must have something to do with attacking Cocoon. Two days later, using stolen ID cards, they board a train to Euride Gorge to see its fal'Cie, Kujata. Fang proposes she and Vanille attack it to restore their memories. Before they can make their move, Sazh Katzroy's son, Dajh, happens upon them. Kujata senses Fang and Vanille's threat and brands Dajh a Sanctum L'Cie. Realizing the depth of the situation, the two flee before Sazh finds them.

Sanctum troops flood the facility and Fang forces Vanille to escape alone. Fang fights off their pursuers and returns to Bodhum, but is captured by the Cavalry the next day. She is brought aboard the Lindblum and meets Sanctum official and Cavalry leader, Cid Raines, who explains that the Cavalry stands apart from PSICOM. Captain Rygdea reveals the Cavalry helped her escape from Euride Gorge and makes a deal with Fang to search for Vanille. When Rygdea returns from Bodhum empty-handed the following day, Fang is not surprised he did not find her.

In the four days since the Euride Gorge incident, Fang stays on the Lindblum to avoid capture, but worries she is wasting Vanille's time by not resuming her search for her. Two days later, Fang revisits the Vestige while still in contact with the Cavalry and unknown to her, she just missed Vanille. Fang, warned of PSICOM's presence by Rygdea, retreats to the Bodhum beach café and watches the annual fireworks display. After Fang is called back to the Lindblum, it is announced PSICOM has discovered Anima within the Vestige, and the Sanctum is ordering a Purge of everyone in the quarantined area.

Knowing Vanille will be herded onto a Purge train, Fang has Raines and Rygdea help her rescue Vanille in exchange for the promise she and Vanille will help them take down the Sanctum. Two days later, after the last Purge train leaves Bodhum, the Lindblum lands on the surface of Lake Bresha, and Fang rides in an airship with Rygdea to the Purge train's destination, the Hanging Edge.

Final Fantasy XIII


After Vanille and the newly branded l'Cie, Lightning, Sazh, Snow, and Hope Estheim have been cast down to the now-crystallized Lake Bresha, their difference of opinions regarding their shared Focus splits the group up. Snow stays behind to dig out Serah's crystal while Lightning leads the others out of the lake to outdistance PSICOM. When Fang arrives with Rygdea and several Cavalry troops, she only finds Snow guarding his crystallized fiancée from a PSICOM attack. After Snow tames his Eidolon, the Shiva Sisters, Fang orders the Cavalry to capture Snow and take Serah's crystal with them. Aboard the Lindblum, Raines tells Snow of the Sanctum's plan to publicly execute the l'Cie once they are captured, and leaves Snow no choice but to help him find the others. Fang tells Snow she is looking to hunt down the l'Cie herself, although she does not divulge her connection to Vanille.

The Lindblum flies out to the Capital of Commerce, Palumpolum, where Fang and Snow rescue Lightning and Hope from the Sanctum's attack. They split up as Snow leaves with Hope and Fang with Lightning, keeping in contact with a wireless communicator. After deciding on Hope's home in Felix Heights as their rendezvous point, Fang reveals her origins to Lightning and that she and Vanille were indirectly responsible for Lightning's sister Serah being made a l'Cie.

Fang and Lightning realize Pulse and Cocoon are more similar than they initially thought, but Fang is willing to be an enemy of Cocoon if it will save Vanille. Fang explains how a l'Cie's brand shows the time they have until they transform into Cie'th, and how strong emotions can speed up the process. Fang reassures Lightning that Serah will come out of crystal stasis one day. PSICOM Warmechs fly overhead, alerting them that Hope and Snow are in trouble. Lightning and Fang find Snow and Hope just in time to help the latter fight an Ushumgal Subjugator. They go into hiding in Hope's home and take refuge with his father, Bartholomew Estheim. The house is attacked by PSICOM forces led by Yaag Rosch. Rygdea arrives with Cavalry troops disguised as PSICOM soldiers and saves them. The party is led onto the Lindblum, where they learn Vanille and Sazh were captured in Nautilus and are being held captive aboard the Palamecia.

With the Cavalry's help, the group infiltrates the Sanctum airship to rescue the prisoners, and Fang and Vanille are reunited. Fang checks the progression of Vanille's brand, and is relieved she still has time left. Before the party escapes the Palamecia, they face the Sanctum Primarch, Galenth Dysley, who reveals his true form as the fal'Cie Barthandelus. After defeating him in battle, they learn their Focus: to destroy Cocoon by transforming into Ragnarok and destroying Orphan, the fal'Cie that sustains Cocoon. While the rest of the party are coming to terms with the gravity of their task, Fang is troubled by Barthandelus taunting her for forgetting her Focus. The party escapes using an airship Dysley left behind and travel into Eden while Rosch pursues them, before crashing into the Fifth Ark hidden beneath the city.

In the Ark, the party's l'Cie powers are fully awakened. They meet Cid Raines, who is revealed to have been a Sanctum l'Cie branded by Bartandelus all along, with the Focus to help them destroy Cocoon. Raines tells the party the Cocoon fal'Cie want Cocoon's destruction to call back the Maker and remake the world. To defy his fal'Cie master, Cid attacks the group intent on killing them to stop the fal'Cie's plan. The party defeats Raines and he unexpectedly turns to crystal.

While the rest are inspired by Raines's sacrifice and vow to fight their Focus as well, Fang refuses to abandon their Focus and tries to turn on the party, willing to "smash Cocoon out of the sky" if it means saving her friends from turning Cie'th. Her Eidolon Bahamut manifests and after the battle, Fang relents and agrees to help the others search for a way to defy their Focus and wipe their brands clean. A path to the Ark's lowest level is revealed and they board an old Pulsian airship and fly through a gate to Gran Pulse, their only way forward.

After emerging in Pulse's atmosphere, a wyvern attacks the airship. With Lightning's help, Fang summons Bahamut and saves the others. As the Vallis Media as their base camp, the party spends days searching Pulse for answers but come up empty-handed. Hope's brand advances and he falls unconscious. Vanille suggests returning to her and Fang's village of Oerba to look for answers. After Hope comes to, he tells the others to go on without him. His Eidolon Alexander appears and Fang and Lightning help him tame it, now knowing the Eidolons' true purpose. The party's hope is renewed and everyone decides to go to Oerba together. In the ruins of Paddra in the Yaschas Massif, Fang and Vanille tell the others about their role in the War of Transgression. Fang says she does not understand why she entered crystal stasis despite not doing anything in the war, but Vanille continues lying to hide her guilt.

The group crosses the Archylte Steppe and in the Font of Namva, Fang apologizes to Sazh for her part in what happened to Dajh. He forgives her, ultimately blaming himself for not watching his son. The group enters the Mah'habara Subterra, where they stop briefly in the Flower-filled Fissure. Fang lies to Vanille about remembering her Focus to coax a confession out of her. When Vanille's Eidolon Hecatoncheir appears, Fang realizes Vanille had always remembered everything about their Focus. After taming the Eidolon, Fang assures Vanille she is not angry with her for lying and that they no longer just have each other; they now have a new family.

After passing through the Sulyya Springs and climbing Taejin's Tower, Fang and Vanille are shocked to see Oerba abandoned and dilapidated. The party rides a capsule down to Oerba's outskirts and encounters Barthandelus. After defeating him for a second time, he claims he has arranged for Cocoon's destruction even without the Pulse l'Cie's help, by resurrecting Raines as the new Primarch and tricking the Cavalry into attacking Orphan. The party heads to Eden to stop his plan.

After Sazh pilots an airship into the Eden Grand Prix, the party ambushes the city with their Eidolons and head straight for Orphan's Cradle. They find members of the Cavalry turned into Cie'th. As Fang falls under pressure, Vanille proposes they promise to protect Cocoon as their new home. After defeating Barthandelus in the Narthex, Orphan rises from its pool and tortures Vanille to make Fang become Ragnarok once more. Fang submits and Orphan releases Vanille. Fang tries to kill Vanille to protect her but the others stop her. Everyone except Fang and Vanille transforms into Cie'th, who relentlessly attack Fang, who questions if this is her punishment for choosing salvation. Fang's brand becomes active and she transforms into an incomplete Ragnarok. She attacks Orphan, but only breaks the protective barrier around the fal'Cie before turning back into a human.

To force Fang into taking the form of Ragnarok again and finish the job, Orphan tortures her in an agonizing cycle of being attacked and then healed. Fang begs Vanille to run but she refuses and prepares to face Orphan. The fal'Cie is then attacked by the others and sinks back into its pool, releasing Fang. The rest of the party overcomes the illusion of being turned into Cie'th with the help of the powerful memories of everything they had gone through. Fang is released from Orphan's clutches and together they resolve to defeat Orphan once and for all; not to destroy Cocoon, but to save it, and with that promise, all of their l'Cie brands turn white.

With Orphan's destruction, Orphan's Cradle vanishes and the party is left floating over Eden as Cocoon begins to fall. As Lightning, Hope, Sazh, and Snow drift away, Fang and Vanille sacrifice themselves to save Cocoon. They become Ragnarok together and surround Cocoon with lava. They summon the crystal dust from Oerba and crystallize Cocoon, the pillar of lava, and themselves. The crystallized Cocoon is left erect over Pulse, supported by an enormous crystal pillar. On Pulse, the others awaken from their crystal stasis to find not only their brands wiped clean, but Serah and Dajh safely returned to them. They realize the sacrifice Fang and Vanille have made to save them all. Fang and Vanille's crystallized bodies remain inside the core of the pillar, holding hands, in a crystal sleep.

Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i-
Seeing Dajh smile helps Fang finally forgive herself for the Euride Gorge incident. Fang wants Serah to forgive her as well, but Vanille reassures Fang that Serah is a kind person and therefore she will. With the responsibility to support Cocoon, Fang does not mind wasting away in a deep sleep as long as Vanille is with her. They feel the goddess smiling at them, and Fang feels missing pieces of her memory returning, although she still cannot remember everything. Looking down upon her friends, Fang knows both Snow and Lightning will want to save her and Vanille despite her trying to tell them not to.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
Inside the pillar, Fang wonders why Lightning is protecting Etro in Valhalla, believing her to be a cruel goddess who sends the Eidolons to dispose of her l'Cie. Seeing that Lightning has no way out of Valhalla, Fang urges Serah to listen to her heart, as she might hear Lightning's voice if she does. Fang sees Snow is determined on getting to the Coliseum for her and Vanille's sake, and wishes that instead of worrying about them, he would help reunite Serah and Lightning.

In Serah's dream in the Void Beyond, Fang meets Serah and says she and Vanille want to save her from being trapped in the endless dream Caius Ballad put her in. Fang creates a spacetime distortion and tells Serah she needs to help someone else out before he becomes trapped in an endless dream himself. Vanille and Fang disappear, leaving the portal to lead Serah to Noel Kreiss. After missing her chance to apologize to Serah for her role in Serah's transformation into a l'Cie when they met, Fang does so and vows she and Vanille will repay their debts by holding up Cocoon. She tells Serah to help Lightning and deal with Caius.

In the year 500 AF, Hope and the Academy as well as Sazh, safely remove the crystal holding Fang and Vanille from the pillar just before Cocoon falls.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII


After Nova Chrysalia comes into being, Fang is freed from her crystal stasis and takes residence in the Dead Dunes, where she founds a band of thieves called Monoculus. Having kept tabs on Lightning since her arrival at the Dead Dunes, Fang reunites with her former ally when she is brought to her by Adonis as a new recruit. In the 2013 Gamescom trailer, it is revealed that she will be a guest character to help Lightning in a battle.

Final Fantasy XIII


Fang wields a double-bladed spear that can split into a. Fang's Full ATB Skill, Highwind, is a powerful jump attack. Out of all six playable characters, Fang has the longest Crystarium expansion. She is the only one to not obtain the Ravager role before the Crystarium expansion in Chapter 10.

Fang consistently has the strongest physical attack power, which makes her an excellent Commando. Her Full ATB Skill, Highwind - a reference to the Dragoons of earlier installments - is a powerful Commando attack that will wipe the target's stagger gauge after execution. Despite not majoring in the Ravager role, Fang learns all elemental strikes as well as spells up to the -"ra" level with Water and Wind being her -"ga" specialty. Fang is a powerful Saboteur, specializing in abilities that hinder enemy movement.


 * Base Statistics

Eidolon


Fang's Eidolon is Bahamut, who has no element. Bahamut takes flight in his Gestalt Mode.

Bahamut uses physical attacks and non-elemental spells. Using Fang's Saboteur role with it provides a deadly combination to some of the toughest enemies in Pulse and later on in Orphan's Cradle.

Weapons
See Fang's Spears Fang uses a spear that has two forms, like most weapons do in Final Fantasy XIII: her two-bladed spear can split into a three-section staff (sansetsukon in Japanese) in battle. On the blades of her spear, Fang's name is engraved in the Pulsian alphabet. Fang's ultimate weapon is an allusion to Kain Highwind, a Dragoon from Final Fantasy IV.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Fang will aid Lightning in battle as an uncontrollable guest character. She wields her default weapon in Final Fantasy XIII, the Bladed Lance.

Creation and Development
Fang was originally written as a male character. Early in development, Lightning was meant to be a flirtatious character with more sex appeal; these traits were transferred to Fang to make Lightning a more serious character.

The idea to cast two characters with Australian accent came from the localization team, who requested the voice directing team to look for either Australian or New Zealand sounding voices; the rationale was that the team wanted Fang and Vanille to sound like from another world, but more in a sense of having a different melody to their voices, rather than a thick accent.

Musical Themes
In Final Fantasy XIII, "Fang's Theme" is a short and uplifting orchestral piece, something unusual for a character of the "strong, serious female" archetype. It contains a small variant of the main battle theme, "Blinded By Light", and plays at many points during the game.

Two rearrangements of her theme include the second version of "The Pulse l'Cie", which plays during her flashback of the fifth day when she and Vanille separate at the Euride Gorge energy plant, and "Dust to Dust", a melancholic theme with vocals that plays as Fang tells Lightning about her past in Palumpolum and as the background theme for Oerba.

Final Fantasy XIII: Original Soundtrack PLUS
A "prototype" version of her theme titled, "M181 Shugeki2 Prototype", can be found on the album.

Piano Collections: Final Fantasy XIII
An piano arrangement of "Fang's Theme" can be found on the album. It is the album's eighth track.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Fang makes a cameo appearance in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy as a tutor in the in-game manual. She teaches the player about Assists alongside Hope.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Fang appears as a card in the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game. She is shown in a close-up view, the same picture shown on her Status screen in the main menu.

Merchandise
Action figures of Fang were released as a part of the Play Arts series.

Etymology and Symbolism
In Korean 'Yun' means "allow, consent" or, "soft, sleek".

In Chinese, the name 'Yun' means "cloud".

The characters of Fang and Vanille are based on the Ragnarok myth of Líf ("life") and Lífþrasir ("eager for life") - the only humans who will survive Ragnarok. They sleep through the destruction of the earth and upon awakening will find the earth green and verdant again. will become the progenitors of a new race of humans, and their descendants will inhabit the world. This is congruent with the idea that Fang was originally envisioned as a male character.

Trivia

 * Many assumed Fang's eidolith is supposed to take the form of a fang, as an allusion to her name. However, Fang's crystal appears in Final Fantasy XIII-2 as an adornment for monsters, where it is called "Crystal Petal".
 * Fang's crystal is used for the "Treasure Hunter" trophy/achievement.
 * Fang loves salty foods, as mentioned in Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-.
 * A photo of Fang and Vanille can be found in Oerba, proof of their past existence on Gran Pulse.
 * Fang is the only playable character not present in Chapter One. She is briefly seen in Snow's flashback at the end of Chapter Two, and makes her first proper appearance in Chapter Three. This makes her the only party member who was not in the Purge.
 * If one were to turn subtitles on at the beginning of Chapter 7, Fang's name would appear when she is talking, but her Datalog entry will still not display her name.
 * Unlike Vanille's, Fang's full name is never spoken in-game.
 * Fang shares a battle quote with Rikku: "It's all in the wrist!"
 * Fang is the only character in Final Fantasy XIII to see Lightning's l'Cie brand.
 * Fang is the only character to ride a chocobo sidesaddle.
 * When Fang uses the elevator lever in the Taejin's Tower, she pushes it with her leg, while the others use their arms.