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, and eventually chooses to journey with Lightning to become stronger.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, the adult Hope is the director of the research institute called the Academy, and he helps Serah and Noel in their quest to save the future.

In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Hope allies with Lightning when she is chosen as Bhunivelze's savior and watches over her from within his Ark, acting as her faraway navigator and informant.

Appearance
Hope has short silver hair and light blue-green eyes. In Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-, Lightning says Hope's face resembles his mother's. Of all the playable characters, he is the shortest and the youngest. He wears a short-sleeved orange and yellow jacket with a 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 a yellow wristband.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, Hope has slightly longer hair, 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.

In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Hope wears nearly identical attire to his Final Fantasy XIII outfit, only with a black-and-white chequered scarf rather than a green one.

Personality
Hope is close to his mother, confiding in her and relying on her for protection, but has had a distant relationship with his father ever since he reached adolescence. In Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i-, Hope says he runs from his problems, specifically things he can't change.

Hope starts off as naive, insecure, and sensitive. His speech is normally reserved but he has outbursts when 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 fears confrontation, and thus tries to flee from a fight when he has the chance.

Hope initially turns to Vanille for emotional support and protection, but later depends on Lightning as he comes to idolize her and tries to follow her example. Under her tutelage he matures into an efficient fighter and confident individual in control of 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 advises his companions and remains positive in dire situations, ultimately living up to his namesake.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, 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.

During Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Hope has physically regressed to his 14-year-old self from Final Fantasy XIII. His personality is still that of an adult, though his emotions have been sapped, distancing him from the woes of the world below. He has become emotionally disconnected from his memories, remembering past events as though he wasn't there. He still trusts and cares about Lightning, supporting her at all times and promising to be on her side no matter what decisions she makes.

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. On the sixth day, they visit Euride Gorge, but with the heavy security and 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 year, saying they are better off without him. Unbeknownst to them, PSICOM discovers the Pulse fal'Cie Anima within the Bodhum Vestige that night. Fal'Cie are great mechanical deities that govern the world, but the ones from the lowerworld are considered enemies of Cocoon, the floating world in which people live.

The next morning, the Sanctum announces the discovery, and Hope and Nora are caught within the town's subsequent quarantine, as Cocoon society fears the lowerworld of Gran Pulse, and all who may have come into contact with it are to be banished in fear they may have been made Pulse l'Cie. At the train station a frantic Nora begs with PSICOM that Hope be allowed to return home, but her pleas fall on deaf ears and they are forced to spend the night in the barricaded town. The following day, as they wait in line for the Purge train, Hope and Nora meet a girl named Vanille and board the train with her.

Final Fantasy XIII


When the Purge train enters the Hanging Edge it is taken over by Lightning, a former Guardian Corps soldier, and her ally of circumstance, Sazh Katzroy. Hope, Nora, Vanille, and the rest of the Purgees are rescued by the resistance group NORA and their leader, Snow Villiers, who wish to stop the Purge. Some Purgees choose to fight alongside them, including Nora. From afar, 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. Hope blames Snow for his mother's death and so Vanille encourages him to approach Snow, but Hope hesitates long enough for Snow to leave for the Pulse Vestige that PSICOM has transported to the Hanging Edge.

Vanille and Hope steal an airbike and follow Snow. They crash-land within the Vestige and are ambushed by a group of Cie'th: mindless monsters that l'Cie who fail their Focus become. Snow saves them and explains he is about to save his fiancée Serah, a Pulse l'Cie, who is somewhere in the Vestige. L'Cie are servants of the fal'Cie who brand them with their mark and give them a mission to complete, known as a Focus.

Hope yells at Snow for wanting to save an enemy of Cocoon, but out of concern for their safety, Snow has Hope and Vanille accompany him deeper into the structure. They meet with Lightning and Sazh and find Serah outside Anima's Throne, who crystallizes with Hope explaining it happens to l'Cie who complete their Focus. The army attacks the Vestige and when Lightning, Sazh and Snow awaken the sleeping fal'Cie, Hope tries to run away, but his path is blocked off. Anima brands everyone in the group a l'Cie and the damaged Vestige destroys the Hanging Edge and falls to Lake Bresha below, crystallizing it on impact.

They decide to work together to solve their Focus and identify the legendary beast Ragnarok from a shared dream vision, believing their Focus is to destroy Cocoon. The group finds Serah's crystal form stuck in the crystallized lake and Snow remains to dig her out while the others continue on. Hope tries to tell Snow about Nora, but Snow tells him to hurry or 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 plans to get revenge against the Cocoon's fal'Cie-led government, Sanctum, by destroying the capital city Eden's namesake fal'Cie that runs the government. Drawn by Lightning's determination and strength, Hope follows her, seeking to gain battle experience and toughen up.

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, a relic from wars between the two worlds from hundreds of years ago, and clears a path for them. Lightning's patience runs thin as Hope fails to keep up with her and she threatens to abandon him, inadvertently summoning 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".

In the Gapra Whitewood, Hope asks to take the lead and Lightning lends him her survival knife to boost his confidence. Hope reveals his reason for following her: he intends to become strong enough to face Snow and make him pay for his mother's death. Taking Lightning's advice to form a plan, Hope conceives "Operation Nora", his plan for revenge. When Lightning claims the Sanctum killed his mother and not Snow, Hope makes both Snow and the Sanctum his targets. To dissuade Hope, 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 that provides Cocoon with its food. When Hope mentions the fal'Cie treat humans like their pets, Lightning realizes they have been fal'Cie pawns since birth, and 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 PSICOM general Yaag Rosch and his troops. Snow and his new l'Cie ally Oerba Yun Fang arrive, and Lightning forces Hope to escape with Snow while Fang goes with her.

On a wireless communicator the groups agree on Hope's place in Felix Heights as their rendezvous point, but Hope still intends to complete Operation Nora. Snow's optimism and obliviousness continue to anger Hope, as he unknowingly insults Nora and the events surrounding her death. Hope asks Snow a series of personal questions to justify his belief for revenge, only to be further aggravated by Snow's answers. After making their way through the Rivera Towers after an encounter with an angry mob, they are attacked by an Ushumgal Subjugator.

Hope confronts Snow about Nora, unleashing his rage and blasting Snow off the roof of the building, leaving him hanging from the edge. Before Hope can kill Snow, a Sanctum airship fires shots behind him, knocking him unconscious and blasting him off 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 endangering Nora and being unable to save her. He returns Lightning's knife, giving Hope a second chance for revenge, but Hope confesses he knew nothing would bring Nora back and used revenge to cope with her death. The Ushumgal Subjugator returns and knocks Snow out, prompting Hope to fight it alone until Lightning and Fang arrive to help. Hope returns Lightning's knife and ends Operation Nora. After they promise to protect each other, the reunited party heads to the Estheim Residence and meets Bartholomew.

Hope tells his father everything that has happened and the two repair their relationship. Bartholomew forgives Snow as he had fulfilled Nora's dying wish of getting Hope home. PSICOM attacks the house and Snow confronts Yaag Rosch. Under Lightning's orders, 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 others leave with them, boarding the Cavalry's airship the Lindblum.

The Cavalry is a rogue army unit that opposes Cocoon's fal'Cie-led government and aids the party in the hopes they will help topple Sanctum. With the Cavalry's help, the party infiltrates the Sanctum's flagship Palamecia upon learning Sazh and Vanille are being held captive onboard. They reunite with the prisoners and face Primarch Galenth Dysley, who reveals his true form as the fal'Cie Barthandelus, the leader of Cocoon's fal'Cie. Barthandelus claims their Focus is to become the legendary beast Ragnarok and kill the fal'Cie Orphan, the source of Cocoon's power.

They 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, who reveals himself a Sanctum l'Cie branded by Barthandelus to help them destroy Cocoon so the mass of expiring souls would open the Door of Souls and summon the Maker—the god said to have created both the fal'Cie and mankind—back to the world. They defeat Raines but he turns to crystal despite going against his Focus, inspiring the party to do the same. 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 finds no traces of human life. While gathering food, Hope's brand advances and he falls unconscious.

Coming to later at night, Hope says Fang and Vanille's hometown of Oerba might have the answers they are looking for. Fearing for his friends' safety, he implores the others to go on without him, but his anguish summons his Eidolon, Alexander. After Hope tames it, the party comes to believe the Eidolons appear 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 the journey with the others.

The party crosses the Archylte Steppe to the Mah'habara Subterra, where Hope tampers with another Dreadnought and falls into the path of the incoming fal'Cie Atomos. A group of Dreadnoughts stops Atomos and saves Hope. The party uses the fal'Cie to travel to the Sulyya Springs and rides a capsule from atop Taejin's Tower to the dilapidated village of Oerba. 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 Barthandelus's plan and fights its way through the city to Orphan's Cradle where 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 on their journey, the group reverts 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: to save Cocoon. 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. Fang and Vanille sacrifice themselves to become Ragnarok and save Cocoon by erecting a crystal pillar to support the crystallized Cocoon above Gran Pulse. Hope is crystallized alongside the rest of the party at the base of the pillar, but they soon awaken with their brands wiped clean. Though Serah and Sazh's son Dajh Katzroy also awaken, Hope is upset Vanille and Fang did not, but 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 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 Lightning disappears Hope finds her knife near the base of Cocoon's crystal pillar and returns it to Serah. Shortly after, he participates in relief efforts on Gran Pulse with soldiers and his willingness is noted by his father as a token of the maturity he has gained through his journey as a l'Cie.

Upon returning to Palumpolum, he studies diligently to atone for his sins. In 3 AF, Snow tells him they may have been mistaken about Lightning holding up the pillar with Vanille and Fang. Hope joins the Academy to follow in his father's footsteps to help rebuild society and to find a way to free Vanille and Fang from the crystal pillar. 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


When Serah, Noel and Mog arrive in the Paddra Ruins of the Yaschas Massif in 10 AF, Hope aids them 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, all having become time travelers. 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 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 who 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 the mysterious world Valhalla that exists between the visible world of the living and the unseen realm of the dead. He theorizes the paradox affecting the area is affecting the Oracle Drive and gives an artefact to Noel and Serah so they can fix it.

After the paradox is resolved, Noel and Serah repeat their meeting with 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 Augusta Tower's construction, Hope and Alyssa devise the Proto fal'Cie Project 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 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 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 the Academy headquarters where he explains 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 Time Gate in the city. As Hope and Alyssa go see them off, Hope reflects on his past as a l'Cie when he was almost consumed by hate until Lightning and Snow showed him the way out. Promising to meet Noel and Serah again a century in the future, they part ways.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2 Fragments After, Hope and Alyssa go to the Augusta Tower to investigate an intruder in the system. Hope disposes the duplicates trying to kill him and finds a diary belonging to Alyssa in the system that details the events in the Bresha Ruins in 5 AF, her hatred of the Pulse l'Cie for causing the Purge, her true existence as a paradox, how everyone would forget her and none of her research would be remembered as hers, her life ultimately having meant nothing if the paradox will be resolved. Her diary reveals she sided with Caius to save herself from disappearing, as if Serah and Noel fix the timeline she will disappear. She had received a false artefact from Caius while sleeping in the time capsule with Hope. Caius told Alyssa to give it to Serah and Noel to get rid of them, which she did when they found the Graviton Cores, and Alyssa plans to deal with Hope in the Augusta Tower.

Hope pleads with Alyssa, telling her he can find a way for her to survive in the fixed timeline. Alyssa holds Hope at gunpoint, but before she pulls the trigger she starts to disappear and begs him not to forget her. In Academia 500 AF, Hope only vaguely remembers Alyssa, and she has been replaced by an intern named Aina Stein, the descendant of Alyssa's friend Nena, who was the one meant to have survived the Purge in Alyssa's place.

In Academia 500 AF when Noel and Serah are attacked by Chaos Bahamut, Hope arrives with a squadron of soldiers to provide backup. As they pursue Caius atop an airship piloted by Sazh, Hope accompanies them, but Serah tells him to ensure Fang and Vanille inside the crystal pillar are safe, and Hope departs. After Noel and Serah defeat Caius in Valhalla, Hope and his team monitor the status of the crystal pillar, which is set to collapse. After Vanille and Fang have been safely removed from the pillar the old 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, as without the goddess holding the chaotic energy at bay it bursts into the mortal realm.

The Era of Chaos
The intervening events between Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII are revealed in a companion novella called Final Fantasy XIII: Reminiscence -tracer of memories-.

Hope attempted to maintain peace in the dying Nova Chrysalia, the world formed from the merger of Gran Pulse and Valhalla. He became a symbol of hope for mankind, as his unwavering resolve inspired the survivors burdened by both their daily struggles against the Chaos and their eventual extinction; although mankind has become biologically immortal, they can no longer bear children. Hope had the Academy's scientists analyze the situation for mankind's long-term plan with all citizens evacuated inside the manmade Cocoon. After it was discovered no new children could be born, the Academy created the Conseil de Renaissance as mankind's new hope tasked with finding a way to reverse the Chaos's effects.

A new fal'Cie cultivated the lands for human habitation to lure people into abandoning their deteriorating Cocoon, a decision Hope eventually made. A team of scientists remained to make use of the state-of-the-art facilities to find a way to fight the Chaos. Their existence was highly-classified with Hope secretly overseeing the research. The scientists eventually discovered Chaos could be controlled via Antimatter Manipulation Principle, a technology once used in the original Cocoon.

The scientists went missing with the only the words spelling "The woman with the rose-colored hair takes us with her" left behind. 331 years after Chaos entered the world, Hope began to hallucinate of a pink-haired phantom, which he came to identify with Lightning. He became obsessed with it and relived the past in his dreams alongside the illusion until he couldn't tell dream from reality. It was god Bhunivelze's work, the god who had created Pulse, Lindzei and Etro to find the door to the unseen realm, his servants having crafted the worlds of Gran Pulse and Cocoon. When the worlds merged he was awakened. Though Bhunivelze cannot control the hearts of men, he can create illusions. Led by the phantom, Hope was lured into the now deserted man-made Cocoon where he remained within the Ark never to be seen again.

Bhunivelze wanted to use Hope as his agent to ensure the savior's acquiescence, act as his new vessel, and to remove Hope's influence from society so that the remaining populace would instead turn to the Order of Salvation, a group that worships Bhunivelze, to find their "hope" for the future. Hope messaged Snow informing him of Lightning's oncoming return as the savior, and warning him of the fake Lightning. Bhunivelze tortured Hope and regressed him into a teenager to better meet his standards as a "pure and innocent" vessel, and to better understand humans. Having been abducted and tortured, Hope's heart was damaged, and he was rendered nearly emotionless over the next 169 years as Bhunivelze continued to mold him into the perfect host.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
When Lightning awakes from crystal stasis 13 days before the end of the world and Bhunivelze chooses her as the savior, Hope aids her from the Ark, staying in contact with her via wireless communication. At 6 AM each morning Hope summons Lightning back to the Ark where they can talk about the day's events and what their old comrades are up to. Hope briefly loses contact with Lightning when Lumina pulls her into Lightning's subconscious to talk with her in private, warning her that Hope cannot be fully trusted as what he learns is transmitted to Bhunivelze. Lightning's task is to save the souls of the people before the world ends for them to be reborn in a new world crafted by Bhunivelze.

On the final day when Lightning finds herself in her subconscious, Hope's heart appears before her. He reveals his role as Bhunivelze's eyes to monitor her, stating he will cease to be as his purpose is over. Regardless, Hope is glad to be himself again as he encourages Lightning to save Vanille from going through with the Soulsong, a ritual the Order of Salvation has manipulated her to perform that would kill her, and he says that Vanille will make the right choice as long as she knows the truth. Hope tells her that she has to make a choice too to find Serah's soul. As Lightning laments on failing to protect him, Hope says it was because of her that he is no longer afraid of the future, not even now, and fades away.

After Lightning and Fang convince Vanille to guide the souls of the dead to the Ark to be reborn in the new world, rather than destroy them with the Soulsong, Bhunivelze awakens and uses Hope's now heartless body as a medium to absorb the souls of Noel, Fang, Vanille and Snow. When Lightning sets out to confront Bhunivelze in Cosmogenesis, the god, using Hope's body, explains that Lightning's interference in the Soulsong leaves him with no choice but to destroy the new world. Using Hope's body as a example before destroying it out of whim, Bhunivelze explains he will become the shared soul inhabiting the new humans he will create while explaining he doesn't know where Hope's heart is. Unknown to him, Bhunivelze had absorbed Hope's heart, which is why he is now speaking with Hope's voice and why he is suddenly feeling emotions, making him vulnerable.

After Lightning defeats Bhunivelze, Hope is freed. Lightning she tells him to go to the new world to be reunited with the spirits of his parents in the next life while she remains to take Bhunivelze with her into the new unseen realm where the souls of the dead pass on to. After Lightning accepts Lumina as a part of herself, Hope helps her leave the world of her subconscious to aid her in fighting Bhunivelze. Joined by their other friends and the Eidolons, Hope lends his power to Lightning to land the deathblow to the god. After witnessing Nova Chrysalia's destruction and the creation of a new unseen realm, Hope and his friends find a crystal floating in a void. Their souls, alongside the souls of the rest of humanity, travel to a new world where they begin their lives anew.

Final Fantasy XIII: Reminiscence -tracer of memories-
Reborn in the new world as a young man, Hope works as a researcher when he is found by a reporter named Aoede during her investigation of people with strange memories of "another world". Hope tells Aoede his story, but ends it midway upon getting to the part where Lightning became the savior. With Aoede wanting to know more, Hope tells her to ask Lightning herself, promising to relate the rest of the story once she talks to his former companions. Though Aoede does not find Lightning prior to returning to him, Hope tells her his side of the story of Nova Chrysalia before being captured by Bhunivelze, and gives her a folder about the "Chaotic Era".

Gameplay


Hope is the most supportive-oriented character in Final Fantasy XIII, and the only character having only one offensive primary paradigm role. He specializes in casting magic, although his casting speed for offensive magic is not as fast as some of the more offensively-geared characters'.

Roles
Hope's strength lies as a Ravager; out of the six playable characters he has the highest Magic stat, and is the only one to learn all elemental spells up to the -ga level, though he lacks the -strike skills, meaning he cannot physically attack in the role. He learns all the Ravager's passive abilities.

Hope's Full ATB skill, Last Resort, deals non-elemental magic damage to random targets. He is a great Ravager, but is outclassed by Lightning, Snow and Fang by endgame where casting speed matters more than damage or versatility, seeing that area spells or elemental exploitation matter less due to all the tough enemies being singular, and Imperil making elemental weaknesses less relevant.

As a Synergist he is proficient with defensive buffs, learning Protect, Shell and the Bar-Spells the earliest. Hope learns Haste as his last spell, but once he does, he can outperform Sazh as a Synergist.

Hope learns all the spells as a Medic, making him possibly the best Medic in the game. Vanille learns the spells earlier, but Hope tends to have higher Magic and a faster casting speed.

Hope can function as a Commando, but has rather slow casting animation for offensive spells, and he doesn't learn Launch or Adrenaline. He can deal damage with Ruin and Ruinga with his high Magic, and he only requires minimal investment to get Ruin.

Hope's weakest roles are Sentinel and Saboteur. As Sentinel Hope resembles Lightning, learning Elude and Evade and even Entrench and Vendetta. As a Saboteur Hope learns the multi-target -ga level debuff spells, meaning each spell costs him three ATB segments, and while they can hit multiple enemies, the success rate for each enemy is reduced. The battles where debuffs are needed the most are usually against a single strong enemy, making the area versions less useful.

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 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. When performing multiple physical attacks using his boomerang as a Commando, 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.

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 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 off screen. It is never implicitly stated where Hope received his first boomerang; the first time it is shown is during the scene where Vanille receives her weapon, but she does not give the boomerang to Hope. Hope has the Airwing equipped to him before this scene, while Vanille doesn't have the Binding Rod equipped until she finds it. It is left unclear as to whether or not he had it with him in Bodhum.

Hope's starting weapon, Airwing, is balanced with slightly higher Strength. It is quickly outclassed. It has "Critical: Shield". Ninurta has equal Magic and Strength, and has "Physical Wall". Hope, however, doesn't need balanced stats as he is geared toward Magic use in the roles he is most proficient in. With Ninurta Hope is still going to have a better Magic; the Strength stat would only be used as a Commando when manually selecting Attack.

Hawkeye boosts Hope's Magic the most, supporting him in his main roles of Ravager, Medic and Synergist, making it possibly his best weapon for upgrading, seeing that he receives it early and upgrading it is not expensive.

Vidofnir has "Defense Maintenance" that at Lv I makes buffs last x1.4 longer, and at Lv II x1.8 longer. It also has "Buff Duration". This weapon augments his Synergist abilities, but doesn't give as much Magic as Hawkeye.

Alicanto has balanced yet mediocre Strength and Magic and "Stagger Lock". As Hope's main offense is in Ravager role, he will likely struggle to benefit from this weapon, seeing as his normal balanced weapon even has better stats than this one.

Simurgh is Hope's Strength boosting weapon with "Stifled Magic" and the synthesized ability "Ethereal Mantle". He'll be immune to physical attacks, but magical attacks still hurt, healing magic will have no effect on Hope, and one would need to equip him with four Kaiser Knuckles to synthesize the Ethereal Mantle.

Otshirvani has "Siphon Boost" that augments the effects the Commando's Faultsiphon and Lifesiphon and the Ravager's Fearsiphon; Lv I boosts them by x1.5 and Lv II by x2. "ATB Rate" can be synthesized for a speed bonus. It has average stats with more Magic.

Malphas is the weapon sold by Gilgamesh, Inc.. It has balanced stats of high Strength and Magic and "Paper Tiger" that cuts his HP; especially bad for Hope as his is already low. It has the synthesized "Damage Wall".

Creation and development
Hope was designed by Tetsuya Nomura for Final Fantasy XIII and Hideo Minaba designed his clothes for 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.

An of Hope exists on the E3 Preview Disc of Final Fantasy XIII when Hope hasn't yet been shown to the public, and his model and textures were still unfinished. A appeared in a trailer for the game, but his features were distorted by his summoning animation. A (placeholder/draft) for Hope with no textures also exists on the preview disc where his hair is shorter and his jacket is longer with a different style. This appears to be from the early PlayStation 2 version before development moved onto PlayStation 3.

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 downloadable content (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 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 the one 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.

Director Motomu Toriyama commented on Hope's role as a secondary character in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII thus: "Hope Estheim is for us only a secondary character, even though we love him no matter what. He only lacks something that gives him the heroic image, like Lightning or Noel." One of the main themes of Lightning Returns is how much Hope grew and matured in Lightning's "motherly" point of view. In Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning acted like a mentor and surrogate mother to Hope, and has not interacted with him since the original game. Now that Hope helps Lightning in her new mission, she gets to see how much he has changed.

The Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania states that Hope, having the soul of his 27-year-old self from Final Fantasy XIII-2, means that his younger appearance in the ending is a temporary form, and implies he could have returned to his adult form in the new world, which is proven true in the novel Final Fantasy XIII: Reminiscence -Tracer of Memories-. It also reveals that Lightning Returns's main plot revolves around the two questions of "Who will be the last soul Lightning will save and who will, then, save Lightning?", and Hope was chosen as the answer to both.

Voice
Hope is voiced by in Japanese and by  in English. Hope shares his Japanese voice actor with Bhunivelze and with Ace from Final Fantasy Type-0.

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
"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.

Merchandise
Action figures of Hope from Final Fantasy XIII were released as a part of the Plays Arts series, Final Fantasy XIII Trading Arts and figures released alongside the Suntory Elixir energy drink.

Final Fantasy Tactics S
Hope appeared as a recruitable character. He was of the Visitor race and had Navigator as his main job. His attack was Air Wing and his ability was Last Resort.

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

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy


Hope is a purchasable character in the iOS version.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call
Hope returns as an playable character, and is unlocked by collecting White Crystal Shards.

He is a Spell oriented character. His Limit, Last Resort, deals damage in proportion to his Magic and Spirit.

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade
Hope is a summonable Legend in Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade.

Final Fantasy Record Keeper


Hope is a playable character who could be recruited during the Challenge Event Chasing Hope as the First Time Reward for completing the event's The Palamecia - Bow stage on the Classic difficulty. He was also available in Fang's Oath.

Hope's combat role is Physical/Magic Hybrid.
 * Assessment

Though listed as a fighter-mage, Hope's stat growth favors attack magic more than physical might. In fact, he's a direct complement to Vanille from the same Record Realm, who favors healing magic. Like Vanille, Hope can function as a mid-ranked Summoner. Using him as a Black Mage, however, should suffice for most players.


 * Stats

Hope can use Black Magic spells up to rarity rank 5, White Magic spells up to rarity rank 4, and Summoning spells up to rarity rank 5.
 * Abilities

His default Soul Break is Fearsiphon, which at the expense of one Soul Gauge segment deals damage to the enemy and grants Haste to the user. The thrown Skycutter (XIII) allows Hope to use Brutal Sanction, which at the expense of one Soul Gauge segment deals non-elemental magic damage to three random targets, each hit dealing 350% damage potency of a conventional magic attack totaling to 1050% damage potency, and inflicts Stop with 50% accuracy for 6 seconds. The thrown Airwing (XIII) allows Hope to use Earthquake, which at the expense of one Soul Gauge segment deals magic earth damage to all targets equal to 855% damage potency of a conventional magic attack and reduce their Attack by 50% for 25 seconds.

Hope can equip the following weapon types: daggers, rods, staves, and thrown. The thrown Skycutter (XIII) and Airwing (XIII) allows Hope to use Brutal Sanction and Earthquake respectively.
 * Equipment

He can equip the following armor types: shields, hats, light armor, robes, and bracers.

He can equip accessories.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Hope is featured on multiple cards. One of his cards depicts an 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. He also has a card with his Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII render and his Theatrhythm Final Fantasy artwork. Hope's cards appear within the "Wind" set.

Triple Triad
Hope appears on Triple Triad cards in the version available via the Final Fantasy Portal App.

Gallery

 * Final Fantasy XIII

Etymology
It is possible the name "Hope" was chosen for him because initially Hope was the negative one of the group, but after going through the journey's trials and tribulations he lives up to his name, "hope" for Cocoon, to free it from the fal'Cie's control. Thus his full name means "hope is home". This is alluded to by Lightning in Chapter 7, when she says he needs to discover what hope he was named for by going home and talking to his father. His name is also an anagram of "the hope is me".

Trivia

 * In Final Fantasy XIII, 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.
 * Hope's crystal is used for the "Instrument of Change" trophy/achievement.
 * The Crystal Star can be acquired as an adornment in Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
 * 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.
 * Despite not having much interaction with Fang, in a Live Trigger in Academia 4XX AF, Hope mentions that he always admired her strength.
 * The Eshtaime Lapidaries (Goldsmith guild) of the Ul'dah city-state in Final Fantasy XIV derives its name from Hope's surname.