Oerba Yun Fang

Oerba Yun Fang is a playable character from Final Fantasy XIII. She is described as a strong woman with many mysteries surrounding her. Her full name stands for "Fang of the Yun clan, from the village of Oerba".

Appearance and Personality
Fang is a fairly tall woman, standing at 5'9". Despite her chronological age, she has the physical appearance of a twenty-one year old young woman. She has wavy black hair with a braid behind her left ear, piercing green eyes, pierced ears adorned with purple claw-shaped earrings, and she wears blue clothing that closely resembles the traditional Indian, adorned with tribal accessories. She also wears a short black top, tan leather, open-toed boots, and two fur pelts hanging from a belt that holds her spear behind her. Her clothing is very foreign, especially when compared to some of the clothes worn by other characters in the game. Oerba Dia Vanille dresses in a similar style, as they are from the same village in Gran Pulse. She and Vanille also share a similar Australian accent in the English version of the game. She has the brand of a l'Cie on her right shoulder and a large tattoo on the other. Unlike the other main characters in the game whose brands are black and change as the story progresses, Fang's l'Cie brand is white and does not change.

Character designer Tetsuya Nomura stated that when compared to other characters personality-wise, Fang is stronger than Lightning and more stubborn than Snow Villiers. During the development, most of Lightning's sex appeal was transferred to Fang to make Lightning a more serious character. As a result, Fang is very flirtatious, although this was toned down in the overseas release. Fang also has a compassionate side to her, especially when it comes to Vanille, who she treats like a sister.

Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero: Promise
Fang is a resident of Gran Pulse, along with Vanille, and a l'Cie like the rest of the main cast. Centuries before the events of the game, during the War of Transgression between Gran Pulse and Cocoon, Fang and Vanille both 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 deep grudge against Anima for failing to protect the people of Gran Pulse and became a l'Cie to protect both Gran Pulse and Vanille, the latter becoming an l'Cie as well. As a result, Fang and Vanille both hold the power to become Ragnarok to fulfill the Focus of destroying Cocoon. But as Vanille was fearful of the power bestowed to them, Fang became Ragnarok all by herself to protect her and complete their Focus. Even though Fang was unable to destroy Cocoon alone, Fang and Vanille were crystallized by the Goddess.

Five hundred years later, Galenth Dysley brings her and Vanille to Cocoon, Fang revives with no memory of the events dealing with Ragnarok and finds her l'Cie brand scorched. She sees that Vanille's brand is still active and tries to remember their new Focus, in a desperate attempt to prevent Vanille from becoming a Cie'th. As they adjust to life on Cocoon and wander around the town of Bodhum, they return to the Vestige. Then Fang and Vanille find an unconscious Serah Farron, who had been transformed into a l'Cie herself. They carry Serah outside of the Vestige and watch over her until she leaves for home. Both Fang and Vanille search for answers everywhere but find nothing, eventually, they travel to Euride Gorge to see its residing fal'Cie Kujata. Although Vanille doesn't want to go through with their new Focus, Fang does not want her to become a monster. She decides that they should play the part as enemies of Cocoon, raise some hell, which in turn might jump-start their memories. Fang tells Vanille that they will attack the fal'Cie but before they can make their move, Sazh Katroy's son Dajh happens upon them. The boy is branded by the fal'Cie, and Fang and Vanille are forced to flee. Vanille tells Fang to forget about their Focus, but she reminds Vanille of her fate should they fail. Fang tells Vanille that if they do not remember their Focus then the fal'Cie will continue to make more l'Cie out of innocent people, like it did to Serah. Then she says that if they quit, the people of Cocoon will not let them go quietly and lynch them in the street. Fang tells Vanille that they have to complete their Focus whether they like it or not, and get off of Cocoon as quickly as possible. Fang forces Vanille to escape from the Euride Gorge Energy Plant alone after reassuring her friend that she will find her soon, while she fought off their pursuers. Soon after returning to Bodhum, Fang is captured by the Cavalry. She is brought aboard the Lindblum, and meets Sanctum official Cid Raines. He explains to Fang that there are two different sides to the Sancutum army and that the Cavalry does not align themselves with PSICOM, but she is reluctant to listen to him as the people of Coccon are all enemies to her. She tells Raines that he probably captured her in order to get information on Gran Pulse. Then she says that she is useless since she is a 'broken' l'Cie due to her scorched brand. Fang tells him that she does not have any information for him, and that she was looking for a friend therefore does not have time to help him. Raines tells Fang that he understands and that she could decide whether or not to help him, but will have to stay with him in the meantime. Later, Fang gets better acquainted with Rygdea who reveals that the Cavalry helped her escape from Euride. He makes a deal with Fang to search for Vanille as long as they don't get captured by PSICOM. When Rygdea returns to the Lindblum from Bodhum's beach cafe at Lightning's recommendation, Fang is not surprised that he did not find Vanille. Then she suggests that Vanille could be in a forest or by the ocean looking for food, which shocks Rygdea. Fang eventually asks him why is with Raines and if he is important. After they clear up their initial misunderstanding, they hear an anouncement from PSICOM removing their blockade around Euride.

Final Fantasy XIII
Fang meets Snow Villiers in Lake Bresha after his battle with the Shiva Sisters and brings him aboard the Lindblum to meet Cid Raines. There, she finds out about the other l'Cie and Vanille and decides to help Snow in hopes of finding her. After helping him rescue Lightning and Hope in Palumpolum, Fang joins the party and goes off with Lightning. She talks to Lightning about how she became a Gran Pulse l'Cie five hundred years ago alongside Vanille and how they must have completed their Focus since they were in crystal stasis. However, she could not seem to remember what their Focus was. She also mentions that when they awoke, they wandered Cocoon trying to remember their Focus but found nothing. Determined to prevent Vanille from becoming a Cie'th, Fang forced Vanille to split up from her. Fang now intends to find Vanille and help her complete her Focus. Fang also explains to her how a l'Cie turns into a Cie'th and how much time you left depending on your brand.

Later, the party meets up with Cid Raines and Rygdea only to find out that Vanille and Sazh have been taken in by the Sanctum and will be executed. Not willing to let that happen, the group decide to infiltrate the Sanctum Skyfleet and save the two. When Fang finally meets up with Vanille, the two share a hug before Fang checks her brand to see how far along she is, and is relieved to see that Vanille still has time left. After that, the party encounters Galenth Dysley, who is actually a fal'Cie named Barthandelus. After the party defeat him, he goes on to talk about their Focus and that one of them will have to become Ragnarok and destroy Orphan.

At some point within the Fifth Ark, the party appears ready to give up on their Focus, not willing to destroy Cocoon. Fang disagrees and gets ready to fight the party. She claims that she does not care if Cocoon is destroyed because it is better than seeing her friends turn into Cie'th. However, her l'Cie brand begins to glow and summons Bahamut, which Fang has to fight (with help from Lightning and Vanille).

On Gran Pulse, in the Flower-filled Fissure of the Mah'habara Subterra, on the way to Oerba, Fang lies to Vanille about remembering everything that happened five hundred years ago. When Vanille's brand starts glowing and summons Hecatoncheir, Fang realizes that Vanille remembered everything from the past, including their Focus to destroy Cocoon. Fang says she realized something was off about Vanille concerning their Focus, ever since Raines told that story in the Fifth Ark.

After defeating Barthandelus in Orphan's Cradle, Fang decides to assume the form of Ragnarok and attempts to kill Orphan, knowing Vanille never wanted to become Ragnarok in the first place. Fang, not fully willing to destroy Orphan along with Cocoon, manages only in breaking the shell of Orphan before turning back into a human. As a way of forcing Fang into taking the form of Ragnarok again and finishing the job, Fang is subjected to torture by Orphan in an agonizing cycle of being painfully attacked and then healed, as to allow the anger that Orphan hoped would accumulate to fuel her. Vanille has to see her closest friend suffer before her eyes, and right as Vanille is about to fight Orphan herself, saying that she promised not to run away anymore, the rest of the party arrives, telling both Vanille and Fang that they were tricked by Orphan into believing they had become Cie'th. They manage to save Fang and apologize for not being there. After Orphan's destruction, Fang and Vanille decide to become Ragnarok and save Cocoon. After both successfully destroying and saving Cocoon, Fang and Vanille are left in a crystallized state as they have completed their Focus from five hundred years ago and destroyed Cocoon.

Abilities and Equipment
She wields a double-bladed spear that can be split into a three-section staff in battle. Fang's full ATB skill, Highwind, is a powerful Jump attack. Her Eidolon is Bahamut, who has no element. Bahamut takes flight in his Gestalt Mode. Stat-wise, Fang has the highest Physical Attack power which makes her the best Commando, but can also learn all elemental strikes as well as spells up to the -"ra" level with Water and Wind being her -"ga" specialty.


 * Bladed Lance
 * Glaive
 * Dragoon Lance
 * Dragonhorn
 * Partisan
 * Rhomphaia
 * Shamanic Spear
 * Heretic's Halberd
 * Punisher
 * Banescissor Spear
 * Pandoran Spear
 * Calamity Spear
 * Taming Pole
 * Venus Gospel
 * Gae Bolg
 * Gungnir
 * Kain's Lance

Musical Themes
In Final Fantasy XIII, Fang's Theme is a short, uplifting orchestral piece, something unusual for a character of the "strong, serious female" archetype. It contains a small variant of the battle theme and plays at many points during the game, including the party's siege on the Palamecia to rescue Sazh and Vanille, and when Fang summons Bahamut for the first time.

Trivia

 * Before the script was completed, Fang was originally written as a male character. This was very early in development, as she is depicted on the game's logo which is one of the first artwork that was released for the game.
 * Fang's weapon can break apart into a three-section staff, and is known in some regions as a "coiling dragon staff", reflecting her control of Bahamut.
 * Fang's full-ATB skill, Highwind, is a reference to the Dragoons of earlier installments who bear the last name Highwind.
 * Fang's crystal has taken the shape of a fang.
 * Fang's main Paradigm roles are Commando, Sentinel, and Saboteur. Her specialist role is Commando.
 * Fang is chronologically the oldest playable character in the entire Final Fantasy series.
 * Fang is the only playable character in Final Fantasy XIII who does not major in the Ravager role.
 * Out of all six playable characters, Fang has the longest crystarium expansion.