Oerba Yun Fang

Oerba Yun Fang is a playable character and a strong woman surrounded by mysteries in Final Fantasy XIII. Driven by a personal agenda, Fang aims to complete her Focus to save her friend Vanille.

Her full name stands for "Fang of the Yun clan, from the village of Oerba". Fang and Vanille share a similar Australian accent in the game's English version.

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 underneath her right eye. Fang wears purple claw-shaped earrings. She has scars on her right arm and shoulder, and wears blue clothing resembling the traditional Indian adorned with tribal accessories.

In addition to the sari, Fang wears a short black top, black sleeves over her forearm, tan leather open-toed sandals, and two fur pelts hanging from a cord beneath a 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 in the game whose brands are black and change as the story progresses, Fang's l'Cie brand is white and does not progress.

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 never wanting to back down from a fight no matter who or what the opponent, and her strong belief in Lady Luck. She comes across as a cocky and mostly confident person. Fang also has a caring and compassionate side, especially when it comes to Vanille, and would do anything to prevent Vanille from becoming a Cie'th.

Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-


Fang used to be a resident of Gran Pulse along with Vanille, hailing from the village of Oerba. Seven 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 held 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, but Fang's Ragnarok was not powerful enough, though it did crack Cocoon's shell. 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, and in the war's aftermath, Cocoon's fal'Cie raided Pulse to get materials to fix the damage Cocoon had sustained; and in the process, the crystallized Fang and Vanille were brought into Cocoon.

Seven hundred years later, Fang and Vanille awaken from crystal stasis. However, Fang awakens with no memory of the past events dealing with Ragnarok. Vanille lies and claims to have also lost her memory regarding their Focus. Fang finds her l'Cie brand scorched 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 Farron, who has been transformed into a l'Cie. They take Serah outside and watch over her until she regains consciousness and leaves.

Growing desperate over the next two days, Fang thinks their Focus must have something to do with attacking Cocoon. Using stolen ID cards, they board a train to Euride Gorge to see its fal'Cie, Kujata. When her memory still doesn't return upon seeing the fal'Cie, Fang proposes they attack it. However, before they can make their move Sazh Katzroy's son, Dajh, happens upon them. The boy is branded a Sanctum l'Cie by Kujata, sensing the threat from Fang and Vanille, and the two are forced to flee before Sazh finds them.

With Dajh's branding, Sanctum troops flood the facility. Fang forces Vanille to escape alone after reassuring her friend she will find her soon. 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 there are two different sides to the Sanctum army and the Cavalry does not align itself with PSICOM. Fang is reluctant to listen as the people of Cocoon are all enemies to her. Later, Fang becomes acquainted with Captain Rygdea, who 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 day after, Fang is not surprised he did not find Vanille.

In the four days since Euride, Fang agrees to stay on the Lindblum to avoid capture, but worries she is wasting Vanille's precious time by not actively looking for her. Two days later, with a wireless device connected to the Cavalry, Fang revisits the Vestige, unknowingly having just missed Vanille. When Rygdea warns Fang about PSICOM's presence in the Vestige, Fang retreats to the Bodhum beach café and watches the annual fireworks display, briefly catching a glimpse of Snow. 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 one of the Purge trains, Fang forces Raines and Rygdea to help her rescue Vanille, in exchange for the promise that she and Vanille will help them take down the Sanctum. Two days later, after the Purge train leaves Bodhum, the Lindblum lands on the surface of Lake Bresha. While riding to the Hanging Edge in an airship with Rygdea, Fang sees the white bird she previously saw while on the train to Euride with Vanille and the day the Cavalry caught her.

Final Fantasy XIII


After Vanille, Lightning, Sazh, Snow, and Hope Estheim have been cast down to the now-crystallized Lake Bresha after being branded l'Cie, their confusion over how to solve their shared Focus splits the group up. Snow chooses to stay behind and 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. 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 are forced to split as Snow leaves with Hope and Fang with Lightning, though they are still connected by a wireless communicator. After deciding on Hope's home in Felix Heights as their rendezvous point, Fang reveals to Lightning she is a l'Cie from Gran Pulse seven hundred years ago, and that she and Vanille fell into crystal stasis there, somehow awakening in Cocoon with no recollection of their Focus. Fang admits she and Vanille were indirectly responsible for Lightning's sister Serah being made a l'Cie and apologizes.

Realizing that Pulse and Cocoon are more similar than they thought in their views of each other, Fang tells Lightning about how she clearly remembers her childhood but all memories of her last Focus are gone. She says she is willing to be an enemy of Cocoon if it will save Vanille from turning into a Cie'th. Then Fang explains to Lightning how a l'Cie's brand shows how much time they have until they transforms into Cie'th, and how strong emotions can affect it. She checks Lightning's brand and tells her she has plenty of time left. Fang reassures Lightning that Serah will come out of crystal stasis, and all she needs to do is survive. PSICOM warmechs fly overhead, alerting them that Hope and Snow are in trouble.

An explosion goes off in the distance and Lightning and Fang rush to the site to 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. While everyone is trying to come up with a plan to stop the fal'Cie, 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 lead onto the Lindblum where they learn Vanille and Sazh were captured in Nautilus and are being held aboard the Palamecia.

The group infiltrates the Sanctum airship to rescue the prisoners, not knowing Vanille and Sazh were planning their own escape. The two groups' efforts eventually meet 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 escape 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 Cocoon fal'Cie want Cocoon's destruction to call back the Maker. 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 of the party 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 destroy Cocoon if it means saving them from turning Cie'th by their resolve. Her brand begins to glow and her Eidolon, Bahamut appears. After the battle, Fang relents and agrees to search for a way to defy their Focus and wipe their brands clean. They board an old Pulsian airship and fly through a gate to Fang and Vanille's homeland, Gran Pulse.

In the Vallis Media, as the party begin to lose hope after days of searching for an alternative solution, Vanille and Fang suggest returning to their village of Oerba to look for answers. Fang and Lightning help Hope tame his Eidolon, Alexander, and the party's hope is renewed. 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.

On their way to Oerba, the group crosses the Archylte Steppe. In the Font of Namva, Sazh forgives Fang for her part in what happened to Dajh, and ultimately blames himself for not watching his son. The group enters the Mah'habara Subterra, where they stop briefly in the Flower-filled Fissure. Fang bluffs and lies to Vanille about remembering her Focus to coax a confession out of her.

When Vanille's brand starts glowing and she summons Hecatoncheir, Fang realizes Vanille had always remembered everything, including their Focus to destroy Cocoon. After taming the Eidolon, Fang reveals her suspicions of Vanille's truth ever since Raines talked about the Maker. She assures Vanille she is not angry with her for lying for her sake, and that they no longer just have each other; they now have a new family.

After passing through the Sulyya Springs and Taejin's Tower, Fang and Vanille are shocked to arrive in Oerba and find it abandoned and dilapidated. The party meets Barthandelus again, who claims he has arranged for Cocoon's destruction even without the Pulse l'Cie's help, by tricking the Cavalry into attacking Orphan. They defeat Barthandelus for a second time, and knowing Barthandelus has caused chaos in Cocoon, the party heads to Eden in hopes of stopping 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. After defeating Barthandelus in the Narthex, Orphan rises from its pool and tortures Vanille in hopes of forcing her to become Ragnarok.

As Orphan tortures Vanille, Fang promises to become Ragnarok again to end it all, and Orphan releases Vanille. Fang threatens to put Vanille out of her misery if it is the only way to protect her family, but the others stop her from striking the blow. Fang fights them off, and everyone except her and Vanille transform into Cie'th. The Cie'th relentlessly attack her and Fang asks if this is what she gets for choosing salvation.

Fang's brand appears to become active again and she transforms into an incomplete Ragnarok. She attacks Orphan, but only manages to break the protective barrier around the fal'Cie before turning back into a human. To force Fang into taking the form of Ragnarok again and finishing the job, Orphan tortures her in an agonizing cycle of being attacked and then healed. She begs Vanille to run, but she refuses. Vanille says she had promised to stop running away and will rather die trying than not trying at all.

The fal'Cie appears to explode and sinks back into its pool. The rest of the party overcomes the illusion of being turned Cie'th with the help of the powerful memories of everything they had gone through. Fang is released from Orphan's clutches. 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 stay behind and decide to sacrifice themselves to save Cocoon. They become Ragnarok together and surround Cocoon with lava, then crystallize Cocoon, the pillar of lava and themselves. The crystallized Cocoon is left erect over Pulse, supported by an enormous crystal pillar.

Down below, the party awakens from their crystal stasis to find their brands wiped clean, and Serah and Dajh safely returned to them. They realize the sacrifice Fang and Vanille have made to save them all, and to fulfill their own Focus: to save Cocoon. Fang and Vanille's crystallized bodies are left inside the core of the pillar, holding hands, in a crystal sleep.

Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i-
Wondering if she can be forgiven for her crimes, Fang remembers Sazh telling her what happened to Dajh was his fault and not hers. His words had lifted a weight off of her shoulders, but Fang still cannot forgive herself. She feels the only way she can forgive herself is if Dajh forgives her, but watching him smile, she is finally able to.

Fang wants Serah to forgive her as well, and 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 someone from their past smiling at them, and wonder if it can be someone from their forgotten memories. Upon hearing Vanille say it is the goddess, Fang feels the 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 Serah and Lightning get back together.

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 jumps high into the air and creates a spacetime distortion with her staff and tells Serah she refused to believe the illusion of Lightning out of her own will, enabling her and Vanille to appear. Fang 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.

Abilities and Equipment


Fang wields a double-bladed spear that can be split into a in battle. 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 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 also 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 mostly 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.

Creation and Development
Before the script was completed, 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 in order 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 and plays at many points during the game.

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.

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 an 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

 * Fang's initial spear, Bladed Lance, has "OERBAYUNFANG" inscribed on it.
 * 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!"
 * After meeting Fang for the first time in Final Fantasy XIII-2, Serah says Fang reminded her of Lightning, possibly because of their similar characteristics.
 * 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.
 * Fang is the only playable female originating in Final Fantasy XIII never shown naked (Vanille is seen naked when she wakes from crystal stasis, while Lightning is naked when her outfit changes into a suit of armor in Final Fantasy XIII-2).
 * When Fang uses the elevator lever in the Taejin's Tower, she pushes it with her leg, while the others use their arms.