Hope Estheim

Hope Estheim is a playable character in Final Fantasy XIII, who also appears in a major supporting role in Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. He is the son of Nora and Bartholomew Estheim.

In Final Fantasy XIII, Hope and his mother are caught up in the Purge as victims of circumstance. After his mother is killed in the conflict that follows, Hope is made a Pulse l'Cie, and he chooses to journey with Lightning to become stronger and avenge his mother's death. In Final Fantasy XIII-2, an adult Hope heads the research institute called the Academy, and he helps Lightning's sister Serah and Noel in their quest to save the future.

In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Hope watches over Lightning from within his Ark, and acts as her faraway navigator and informant as she fights to save the world.

Final Fantasy XIII


Hope has short silver hair and light blue-green eyes. Of all the playable characters, he is the shortest and the youngest. 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 green cargo pants with a black storage pack hanging from a black belt over his left leg, and green boots. His l'Cie brand is on his left wrist, covered by his yellow wristband.

Hope is close to his mother, always confiding in her and relying on her for protection, but he has had a distant relationship with his father ever since he reached adolescence. In Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i-, Hope says he tends to run away from his problems, specifically things he can't change. Hope starts off as naive, insecure, and sensitive. His speech is reserved but he makes outbursts of anger and frustration whenever his emotions get the best of him. His naivety makes him quick to blame others for his misfortunes, and he is easily affected by harsh words and rash actions, especially when they involve personal subjects. Hope has little to no battle experience and is often afraid to get into confrontations, and thus tries to run from a fight or tense situation when he has the chance.

At first, Hope turns to Vanille for emotional support, but later comes to depend on Lightning and tries to follow her example as a former soldier to gain experience in battle. Due to his time under her tutelage, Hope matures into an efficient fighter and is able to speak in a more straightforward manner and control his emotions. Hope becomes willing to throw himself into harm's way for the sake of others, show his sense of humor, and comfort his friends. Hope gives his companions words of encouragement and wisdom, and remains positive in otherwise negative situations, ultimately living up to his namesake.

Final Fantasy XIII-2


Hope has straight and slightly longer hair. He retains his yellow wristband, but now wears an Academy uniform of a long-sleeved yellow and white coat with a light blue necktie. He wears light gray pants, black boots, and has black and red storage packs along the left shoulder and waist of his coat. Hope keeps his boomerang, but is not seen using it often.

With the skills he gained during his time as a l'Cie, Hope has grown into an intelligent and confident leader, admired by many, but continues to show moments of vulnerability whenever he reflects on his past.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII


Hope's physical appearance mysteriously resembles his 14-year-old self from Final Fantasy XIII, wearing nearly identical attire. The main difference is his green scarf, which is replaced by black-and-white chequered and spotted scarf.

Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-


Hope and his mother, Nora, are on a ten day 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 much to Hope's relief. They visit Euride Gorge six days later, but with buzz still circulating about the incident four days prior, they return to Bodhum. Two days later at the fireworks festival, Hope laughs at his mother's belief in the wish-making tradition, since he believes it is for children. He is disappointed his mother wished for his father to be with them next time, and says they are better off without him. That night, PSICOM discovers the Pulse fal'Cie, Anima, within the Bodhum Vestige.

In the next two days, Hope and Nora are caught within the town's subsequent quarantine unable to return home, and the Sanctum announces the Purge, the forced relocation of everyone in town to Pulse. As they wait in line for the Purge train in Bodhum Station, Nora begs with PSICOM that Hope be allowed to return home, willing to stay behind and be Purged herself, but her pleas fall on deaf ears. Hope and Nora are forced onto the Purge train alongside a young woman they befriended in line named Vanille.

Final Fantasy XIII


While the Purge train enters the Hanging Edge, it is derailed by Lightning and her ally Sazh Katzroy. Hope, Nora, Vanille, and the rest of the Purgees are rescued by the resistance group NORA and their leader, Snow Villiers. Some Purgees choose to fight alongside NORA and Nora joins Snow's cause. Vanille and Hope watch the bridge with Nora and the other volunteers destroyed in an army attack, and Nora fall to her death after saving Snow's life. Since Hope blames Snow for his mother's death, Vanille encourages him to confront Snow, but Hope hesitates long enough for Snow to leave for the Pulse Vestige.

Vanille and Hope steal Gadot's airbike and follow Snow. They crash-land within the Vestige and are ambushed by a group of Cie'th. Snow saves them and tells them about his mission to save his fiancée Serah, a Pulse l'Cie. Hope yells at Snow for wanting to save an enemy of Cocoon, unable to tell Snow about his mother. Snow takes them with him and they meet with Lightning and Sazh, and find Serah outside Anima's Throne. They witness Serah's crystallization and the army attacks the Vestige. When Lightning, Sazh and Snow awaken the sleeping fal'Cie, Hope tries to run but his path is blocked off. After Anima is defeated, everyone present is branded a l'Cie. The damaged Vestige destroys the Hanging Edge and falls to Lake Bresha below, crystallizing it on impact.

Everyone decides to work together to solve their Focus. They identify the legendary beast Ragnarok from a shared dream vision, and believe their Focus is to destroy Cocoon. The group finds Serah's crystal form stuck in the crystallized lake. Snow stays behind and dig her out while the others continue onwards. Hope tries to tell Snow about Nora but Snow tells him to hurry or he'll get left behind. In the abandoned ruins at the edge of the lake, the party finds an airship. Sazh attempts to pilot it, but it sustains damage from a PSICOM pursuit and crashes in the Vile Peaks.

Lightning tells the others about her plan to get vengeance against the Sanctum by going to the city of Eden to destroy its namesake fal'Cie that runs the government, and leaves the group. Drawn by Lightning's strength and seeing it as the chance to grow stronger and eventually confront Snow, Hope follows her. The two are separated from Vanille and Sazh and decide to go through the Gapra Whitewood and Hope's hometown of Palumpolum to catch a train to Eden. Against Lightning's orders, Hope takes control of a Pulsian Dreadnought and clears a path for them. Lightning's patience with Hope runs thin as he fails to keep up with her. She threatens to leave him behind and 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.'

Reaching the Gapra Whitewood, Hope asks to take the lead. Lightning gives him her survival knife to boost his confidence. Hope reveals his intent to make Snow pay for his mother's death and conceives 'Operation Nora', his plan for revenge against Snow. When Lightning tells him the Sanctum killed his mother, Hope decides to make both Snow and the Sanctum pay for it. To dissuade Hope from his goal, Lightning suggests they see his father and tell him about Nora.

To avoid the PSICOM troops stationed throughout Palumpolum, Hope leads Lightning underground into the Nutriculture Complex, where they see the fal'Cie Carbuncle, which provides Cocoon with its food. Upon hearing Hope talk about the fal'Cie treating humans like their pets, Lightning realizes fighting blindly to make up for doubt and confusion is not the answer. She tells Hope to abandon Operation Nora and talk to his father to find a new reason to keep fighting. Returning to the surface, Lightning and Hope are ambushed by Yaag Rosch and his troops. Snow and Oerba Yun Fang arrive on the scene and Lightning forces Hope to escape with Snow while Fang goes with her. As they hide from the army, Snow unknowingly insults Nora and the events surrounding her death. On a wireless communicator, the two groups agree on Hope's place in Felix Heights as their rendezvous point. When Hope talks to Lightning, he reveals that, against her wishes, he intends to complete Operation Nora.

Snow's optimism and obliviousness anger Hope and he asks Snow a series of personal questions to justify his belief for revenge, only to be further aggravated by Snow's answers. After escaping an angry mob and making their way through the Rivera Towers, they are attacked by an Ushumgal Subjugator. Hope confronts Snow and blasts him off the building's ledge. As he prepares to kill Snow, a Sanctum airship fires shots behind Hope, sending him over the edge of the building. Snow catches Hope in midair and shields him from the fall with his body.

Hope awakens on the streets below to find Snow had saved him. Snow apologizes for his part in Nora's death and Hope realizes he pursued revenge for the wrong reasons. The Ushumgal Subjugator returns and knocks Snow unconscious, prompting Hope to fight it alone until Lightning and Fang arrive to help. Hope returns Lightning's knife and ends Operation Nora. The reunited party travels the rest of the way to the Estheim Residence and meet Bartholomew.

Hope tells his father everything that has happened and the two repair their relationship. Bartholomew forgives Snow for fulfilling Nora's dying wish of getting Hope home. PSICOM attacks the house and Snow confronts Yaag Rosch and Hope ties up his father to make him look like an unwilling accomplice. Rygdea and more of the Cavalry soldiers arrive, and Hope and the rest of the party leave with them, boarding the Lindblum. With the Cavalry's help, they infiltrate the Palamecia upon learning Sazh and Vanille are being held captive onboard. They fight their way through the ship and reunite with the prisoners. The party faces Primarch Galenth Dysley, who kills the ship's crew and reveals his true form, the fal'Cie Barthandelus. Barthandelus claims their Focus is to become Ragnarok and kill the fal'Cie Orphan, the source of all of Cocoon's power.

They use an airship to escape the Palamecia into the Fifth Ark hidden beneath Eden, where the party's l'Cie powers are fully awoken. They are confronted by the Cavalry leader, Cid Raines, revealing himself as a Sanctum l'Cie branded by Barthandelus to help them destroy Cocoon. They defeat Raines but he turns to crystal despite going against his Focus, inspiring the party to do the same and resolve to save Cocoon. After Fang tames her Eidolon, Bahamut, Hope resolves to make his own decisions without 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. After falling under attack by a wild wyvern, they land and create a base camp in the Vallis Media. The party searches Pulse for days but find no traces of human life. Hope's brand advances and he falls unconscious. Coming to later at night, Hope talks about Fang and Vanille's hometown of Oerba, and how it might have the answers they are looking for. He implores the others to go on without him but summons his Eidolon, Alexander. After Hope tames the Eidolon, the party comes to believe the Eidolons come to give l'Cie hope, not to end their journey through death. Hope says he will ask for help earlier next time and decides to continue on his journey with the others.

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 the party uses the fal'Cie as a means of transport to travel to the Sulyya Springs. Reaching the top level of Taejin's Tower, Fang and Vanille see their home village devoid of life and color, but Hope comforts Vanille by telling her to keep having faith. They arrive in the dilapidated village, where the party is confronted by Barthandelus, who claims he has appointed a revived Raines as Primarch and tricked the Cavalry into destroying Orphan. The party returns to Cocoon to foil his plan, interrupting a race on the circuit in Eden with their Eidolons. They fight their way through the city and make their way to Orphan's Cradle.

Reaching the Nascent Throne, the party fights Barthandelus. Upon Barthandelus's defeat, Orphan is awakened and everyone except Vanille and Fang are transformed into Cie'th. Remembering everything they went through, the group reverts back to normal, believing it to have been another fal'Cie trick. They save Fang from her cycle of torture at Orphan's hands and say they now have a new Focus. Hope concludes that if they have the power to destroy Cocoon, they also have the power to save it, after which everyone's l'Cie brands turn white.

After Orphan's defeat, Cocoon loses power and falls from the sky. They witness Fang and Vanille sacrifice themselves to become Ragnarok and save Cocoon, and Hope is crystallized alongside the rest of the party at the base of Cocoon's crystal pillar. Soon after, they awaken with their brands wiped clean. Though Serah and Dajh Katzroy also awaken, Hope is upset Vanille and Fang did not, but remains positive with Lightning's support, remarking they have defied their fate before.

Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i-
Hope sees a group of soldiers from the Cavalry, and runs off to meet them with the others in tow. He learns his father is still alive. A soldier tells Hope his father is arriving on the next cargo transport, and Hope leaves with the soldier to reunite with him.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Fragments Before


After history has been altered causing Lightning to disappear, Hope finds her knife near the base of Cocoon's crystal pillar and gives it to Serah. Palumpolum becomes Cocoon's new capital city as a result of Eden falling on Bodhum in Cocoon's fall. Hope's father and Rygdea create the Academy and a new provisional government to replace the Sanctum. In the following two years Hope resumes his studies every chance he gets, and helps soldiers with manual labor. While Snow is on a journey to find Lightning, he pays Hope a visit in Palumpolum. The next year in 3 AF, Hope joins the Academy to follow in his father's footsteps and help rebuild society. Within the next two years he skips several grades in pursuit of his degree, and becomes leader of the Academy at 19 years old.

Final Fantasy XIII-2


Five years later, when Serah, Noel and Mog arrive in the Paddra Ruins of the Yaschas Massif in 10 AF, Hope comes to their aid during their battle against Aloeidai. Hope reveals Noel and Serah's appearance in the Bresha Ruins five years ago enabled the Academy to analyze the Time Gates and predict their arrival to the ruins. He says that within the last ten years Serah was not the only one who disappeared, but Snow, Sazh, and Dajh as well. Hope says the paradoxes started happening a few years ago and believes if he can solve their cause he could see everyone again.

Hope explains how he joined the Academy to atone for what happened to Lightning, Fang and Vanille, and to build a society using man-made power. He and his assistant, Alyssa Zaidelle, tell Serah and Noel about the Farseers led by the seeress Yeul that lived in Paddra in ancient times. Hope shows Serah and Noel the Oracle Drive, an ancient device that shows images of events considered impossible. The Oracle Drive shows images of the events leading to the Day of Ragnarok and blurry images of Lightning's fight with Caius Ballad in Valhalla. He theorizes the paradox affecting the area might be affecting the Oracle Drive and gives an artefact to Noel and Serah so they can fix the paradox.

After the paradox is resolved Noel and Serah repeat the process of being welcomed by Hope in the alternate timeline at 1X AF, before he again uses the Oracle Drive to show them the now clear images of Lightning in Valhalla. When the Oracle Drive shows Cocoon falling at Caius's hands, Hope resolves to do what he can to prepare for the crisis while Serah and Noel continue to fix the timeline.

Three years later, while overseeing the construction of the Augusta Tower, Hope and Alyssa devise the Proto fal'Cie Project as a means to keep Cocoon airborne without the crystal pillar. Acting on its own 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. Back in 1X AF, Hope catches a glimpse of Serah and Noel's fight with Adam in the Augusta Tower in 200 AF, with Serah yelling at him for building the fal'Cie through the Oracle Drive, and abandons the project, negating his and Alyssa's future deaths. Hope begins the New Cocoon Project to build a new man-made Cocoon.

In the alternate timeline at 13 AF, Hope learns about the Thirteenth Ark through the Oracle Drive, and invents a time capsule for him and Alyssa to enter suspended animation and reawaken 387 years later in Academia 4XX AF, where the Ark is supposed to appear. Welcoming Serah and Noel to "the future they saved", Hope invites them to Academy headquarters where he tells them that after investigating the Thirteenth Ark, the Academy discovered it floats through the use of a Graviton Core. After Noel, Serah and Mog bring him the needed Graviton Cores, Alyssa gives them an artefact to open a new gate in the city. Hope and Alyssa go see them off, promising to me again a century in the future.

In Academia 500 AF, Hope and a squadron of soldiers provide Noel and Serah with backup as they are attacked by Chaos Bahamut. Serah tells Hope not to follow and make sure Fang and Vanille are safe, which he does. After Caius is defeated by Noel and Serah in Valhalla, Hope learns from Sazh that Vanille and Fang have been safely removed from the crystal pillar. Cocoon falls 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 Serah has died. As they mourn over her, Noel reveals Serah was a seeress like Yeul and killed by her visions. The world darkens and Mog says the goddess Etro is gone. Noel realizes he had unknowingly played into Caius's scheme and killed Etro. Etro's seal appears in the sky and Bhunivelze and everything on Gran Pulse is consumed by chaos and the world merges with Valhalla, forming the world of Nova Chrysalia.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII


Five hundred years later, Lightning comes out of crystal sleep and awakens in Nova Chrysalia. Hope has physically regressed back to how he looked when he was 14, and built a base at the center of Bhunivelze called the Ark, where time stands still. Hope aids Lightning from the Ark, sending her messages via wireless communication. According to director Motomu Toriyama, how Hope has matured in the intervening time, from Lightning's point of view since their last encounter, will be one of the game's core themes.

In Battle


Hope's strength lies in his magic power; out of the six playable characters in Final Fantasy XIII he is the only one to learn all elemental spells as a Ravager up to the -ga level, 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 random targets.

Hope is the most supportive-oriented character. As a Synergist, he is more proficient with defensive buffs, learning the Bar-Spells early, 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.

Hope fights with boomerangs that, thanks to Antimatter Manipulation Principle and design, he can throw once and hit multiple enemies without having to throw it again. 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 the only one able to cast Ruin without holding his weapon; this can be accomplished by choosing Attack first and stacking Ruin after.

Stats
Hope has the lowest HP of all the playable characters, but he has the highest Magic.


 * Base Statistics

Eidolon


Alexander is a non-elemental Eidolon who turns 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 their l'Cie partner.

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

Hope puts his boomerang it away as his victory pose, but if seen from behind, the boomerang vanishes. Cutscenes avoid showing where he pulls it from with camera angles cutting it offscreen. It is never implicitly stated where Hope received his first boomerang; the first scene it was shown was during the scene where Vanille receives her weapon, but she did not give the boomerang to Hope. 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 hair was transferred to Hope.

For Final Fantasy XIII-2 the game's director, Motomu Toriyama, felt keen to portray Hope as a more mature person; that's why he returns to the story as a grown-up who works as a leader of the Academy.

The Final Fantasy XIII-2 Ultimania Omega producer and director interview reveals scrapped plans for a Hope DLC scenario episode, in the vein of Sazh's, Snow's and Lightning's episodes. Originally, a DLC was planned involving Hope and a journey through the Augusta Tower. Players would have ventured through the tower, completing a number of Live Triggers. The aim of DLC was to stop Alyssa from killing Hope and based on player's Live Trigger choices, player would have either continued the game or receive a game over.

There are some hints that point toward Hope being planned as a playable character for Final Fantasy XIII-2 at some point during development. He seems to have some combat data and even a chocobo riding animation, but it is unknown if these were meant for his scrapped DLC episode. A young version of Hope is found in the game data, which is not the same model as used in Final Fantasy XIII although it has the same clothes and otherwise similar appearance. It is unknown why a model of a young Hope was made for Final Fantasy XIII-2, which was never used.

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 called "This Is Your Home".

Final Fantasy XIII: Original Soundtrack PLUS
A piano version of his theme titled, "Hope_PfNer3", is included on the album as the sixth track.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
In Final Fantasy XIII-2, "Hope's Theme - Tomorrow's Dream -" is a calm, mellow, rustic, and jazzy 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.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy


Hope appears as a purchasable character in the iOS version of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
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.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Hope is featured on three cards as part of the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game. One of his cards depicts a FMV shot of him in the Hanging Edge, another is his Final Fantasy XIII CG render, and the other is his Final Fantasy XIII-2 CG render. Alexander's card depicts him with Hope alongside him. Hope's cards appear within the "Wind" set.

Etymology
It is possible the name "Hope" was chosen for him, because he was somewhat "hope" for Cocoon, to free it 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". This is also somewhat alluded to by Lightning in Chapter 7 in Palumpolum's Nutriculture Complex, when she says he needs to find out what hope he was named for by going home and talking to his father.

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 eidolith is in the shape of a star, almost resembling the crystal in the Final Fantasy IX logo.
 * Hope's crystal is used for the "Instrument of Change" trophy/achievement.
 * The animation sequence for Hope's full ATB skill, Last Resort, resembles the White Magic spell Holy in previous Final Fantasy games. Furthermore, Alexander is the series' main Holy-elemental summon.
 * In Episode Zero -Promise-, it is revealed Hope once visited the Sunleth Waterscape on a school field trip when he was eight, and that Sazh was the pilot of his class's transport airship.
 * According to the datalog in Final Fantasy XIII-2, Hope is a favorite among the people of Academia.
 * Hope shares his Japanese voice actor, Yūki Kaji, with Ace from Final Fantasy Type-0.
 * Despite not having much interaction with Fang, in a Live Trigger in Academia 4XX AF, Hope mentions that he always admired her strength.