Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII allusions

This is a list of allusions from Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

Final Fantasy series

 * Lightning is called 'the knight of light': a synonym for 'warrior of light', a recurring motif in the series.
 * The Red Mage garb is based on the recurring job, Red Mage.

Final Fantasy V

 * The Gorgeous Admiral garb is placed on Yoshitaka Amano's artwork for Faris Scherwiz.

Final Fantasy VI

 * The Heartstealer garb is based on Yoshitaka Amano's artwork for Locke Cole.
 * The moogle Moghan is a named after one of the Ten Moogles.

Final Fantasy VII

 * As part of the Garb system, Lightning can wear Cloud Strife's "SOLDIER 1st Class Uniform" along with the Buster Sword, and also comes with with the Braver ability, Cloud's victory pose and Final Fantasy VII victory theme. Lightning's official render pose in her SOLDIER outfit mimics Cloud's idle battle stance. This alludes to the fact that Lightning is said to be based on Cloud.
 * A garb modeled after Aerith Gainsborough's Final Fantasy VII attire named "Flower Vendor of Midgar" is set to appear in the game. The victory pose is similar to Aerith's and the victory theme is the one heard in Final Fantasy VII. Also, the trailer for the outfit contains a scene where Lightning is pierced through the chest, a reference to the iconic scene from Final Fantasy VII.

Final Fantasy X

 * Yuna's Summoner costume is available as one of the outfits available for Lightning, under the title "Summoner of Spira". The render for this garb is reminiscent of Yuna's battle stance from Final Fantasy X as well. The victory pose is similar to Yuna's and the victory theme is replaced with the track from Final Fantasy X. The video showcasing the garb presents a scene where Lightning is welcomed by moogles, a reference to a situation from Final Fantasy X-2 where Yuna was wearing a moogle outfit as a disguise.

Final Fantasy X-2

 * The announcement trailer and various demos show Lightning changing 'Schemata', similar to the Paradigm Shifts from the first two installments. Aside of changing abilities, it changes her attire as well: this refers to the dressphere system from Final Fantasy X-2 where the party could change her job class mid-battle, changing their attire and abilities.

Final Fantasy XIII

 * Two prominent colors from Lightning's default outfit – red and white – refer to Lightning's Final Fantasy XIII attire, where red and white are also the dominant colors.
 * Having only three Schemata being available in battle refers to how a character was more proficient with three roles out of available six.
 * Lightning calls Hope "Mr. Hope Estheim", but he asks her to "just call [him] Hope": this is reminiscent of the cutscene in Chapter Four where Lightning asks Hope to call her 'Light' after he calls her 'Lightning'.
 * The name of the weapon Devil's Daughter may refer to Lightning's 'homeworld' Cocoon which was created by Lindzei who is called a succubus (female demon) in one of the Analects.

Final Fantasy XIII-2

 * The opening is similar to the opening of Final Fantasy XIII-2: Lightning watches over the city from a high point while narrating and has a battle with a powerful long-haired male character wearing dark-colored attire.
 * Lightning's default sword is yellow-and-red just like Noel Kreiss's Flame Fossil dual blades.
 * The Cactuar Statue in Yusnaan refers to episode from Snow's life during Final Fantasy XIII-2 where Snow met fal'Cie Cactuar and together fought against Royal Ripeness.

Final Fantasy XIV

 * The default female Miqo'te costume is one of Lightning's garbs. The victory pose is modeled after the Miqo'te victory pose and the victory theme is changed to that from Final Fantasy XIV.

Allusions to the Number Thirteen
Being the third and final chapter of the thirteenth installment of the series, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII makes some references to the number itself. Although many of these are not necessarily deliberate allusions to the number 13 (whether they are or not is speculative), they are nonetheless present.
 * In the beginning, Lightning has a seven day limit before the world will end, but that limit can be extended to thirteen days.
 * Hope Estheim was transported from Nova Chrysalia to the Ark one hundred and sixty-nine years before the start of the game: 13 × 13 = 169.
 * The default sword for Lightning, Crimson Blitz, raises Lightning's Strength and Magic by 130 points (130 is a multiple of 13).
 * The quest, Born from Chaos, says that thirteen brave heroes lost their lives while trying to kill Reaver.

Lithuanian Mythology

 * The monster Zaltys is named after a benevolent, with the name itself being the Lithuanian word for the.

Norse Mythology

 * The silver horns on Oerba Dia Vanille's headdress may pay homage to, a cow goddess that is known for freeing the first god from a block of ice, and saving , the first of the Frost Giants, from death by feeding him chilled milk (ice cream). Since Vanille's name is French for "vanilla", it may allude to the ice cream flavor.

Illuminati

 * The Dead Dunes' bandit group is called 'Monoculus': monoculus is a Latin word meaning "one-eyed" and a symbol of the Illuminati is a single eye which is also a symbol of spying. Also, Adonis says to Lightning that the group was following her, aptly referring to the group's name.
 * The prominent use of black-and-white chequered board also refers to the Illuminati, who supposedly categorizes the world for the good and the evil. This motif is also prominent in Hope Estheim's new scarf.
 * Lightning's task as a savior who guides people into the new world which will be created after the current one ends is similar to the goal of Illuminati who plan to create a new world by 'guiding' people, albeit via different means than Lightning.