Nora Estheim



Nora Estheim is a minor character in Final Fantasy XIII. She is Hope's mother and the wife of Bartholomew Estheim.

Datalog
Nora is Hope's mother.

''Worried about the worsening relationship between her son and his father, Nora wonders how to break down the barriers Hope has created. Wanting to protect her boy from the horrors of the Purge, she volunteers to join the battle, but is killed during the chaotic conflict.''

Nora begs Snow to get Hope home, but the NORA leader never hears the boy's name before she slips from his grasp.

Appearance
Nora has green eyes and shoulder-length silver hair similar to Hope's. She is 163 cm tall (5'3") according to the Final Fantasy XIII Scenario Ultimania. She wears a simple brown necklace under an ivory wraparound sweater with off-shoulder sleeves. Nora wears cream capris and brown wedge sandals.

Personality
Nora cares for her son and husband, but is concerned of their relationship growing ever more distant. In Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-, it is said Nora never says anything against her husband, and would make excuses for his inability to spend time with her and Hope because of his job. As shown in one of Hope's flashbacks, she has a sense of humor. Nora is protective of Hope, willingly risking her life to ensure his safety.

Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-


After six months of planning, in an effort to heal the rift between Hope and his dad, Nora takes Hope on a ten day vacation in the seaside town of Bodhum to see the annual fireworks show. Bartholomew is due to join them, but cancels at the last minute because of work. After settling in their hotel, Nora and Hope spend time in the shopping mall. Six days later, they visit Euride Gorge, but with the heavy security and buzz about the incident four days prior, they return to Bodhum in dampened spirits.

During the show two days later, Nora wishes upon the fireworks and asks Hope if he is also making a wish, but he laughs at her sentiment. When Hope asks what she wished for, she answers she wished for Bartholomew to join them next year. An angered Hope pulls away claiming they are better off without his father. Unbeknown to both of them, PSICOM discovers the Pulse fal'Cie Anima within the nearby Bodhum Vestige.

Over the next two days, Hope and Nora are caught within the town's subsequent quarantine, unable to return to home. In line for the Purge train in Bodhum Station, Nora begs for Hope to be allowed to return home, willing to stay and be Purged herself, but her pleas fall on deaf ears. They are forced onto the Purge train alongside Vanille, a young woman they befriended in line.

Final Fantasy XIII


After entering the Hanging Edge, Lightning and Sazh Katzroy derail their Purge train, and Hope, Nora and Vanille are among the group found by Snow Villiers and NORA. Nora chooses to fight with Snow against PSICOM, telling Hope not to worry as he stays behind with Vanille. As a Havoc Skytank attacks the group, Nora takes Snow's dropped bazooka and shoots it down, saving his life. As the Skytank goes down, its main cannon fires, destroying the motorway they are standing on and injuring Nora.

Snow tries to drag her back to safety, but the motorway tilts and they slide down. He grabs hold of Nora's hand and the edge of the motorway attempting to hang on. Nora begs Snow to get Hope home but before she can reveal her son's identity, she succumbs to her injuries and dies. Snow loses his grip on Nora and she plummets into the abyss below, with Vanille and Hope watching from afar. With Hope blaming Snow for what happened, Nora's death serves as the catalyst for Hope to accompany Vanille and follow Snow into the Pulse Vestige, and be branded a Pulse l'Cie.

In the Vile Peaks, Hope joins Lightning in her vendetta against the Sanctum to grow stronger and get revenge against Snow, naming his plan after his late mother: "Operation Nora." Running through Palumpolum with Snow and stopping to rest at the Rivera Towers, Nora appears in a flashback from Hope's childhood, pushing him to confront Snow and nearly kill him. After Snow apologizes for putting Nora in danger and being unable to save her, Hope realizes he used revenge as a way to cope with her death so he puts it behind him and ends "Operation Nora." At Hope's house, he explains to Bartholomew what happened, and though he grieves for Nora, Bartholomew forgives Snow for having fulfilled her final wish: getting Hope home.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
Nora is mentioned by Hope in the Yaschas Massif in 1X AF, when he says he wants to bring Lightning, Vanille, Fang, and his mother back, believing that due to the time distortion he could alter the events before the Day of Ragnarok.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
After Lightning defeats Bhunivelze and frees Hope from his control, Nora and Bartholomew appear as spirits offering their son the chance to reunite with them in the new world, but Hope chooses to save Lightning from falling into darkness instead, and help her and his friends end Bhunivelze's reign over humanity.

Creation and Development
Nora was designed by Nao Ikeda. She appeared in a very early PlayStation 2 beta version of Final Fantasy XIII, as the game's opening area, the Hanging Edge, was the only area made for this system.

Voice
Nora's Japanese voice actress is Komina Matsushita and her English voice actress is, who also voiced Rosso the Crimson in Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-.

Final Fantasy Artniks
Nao Ikeda's sketch of Nora appears in Artniks as a trading card.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Nora appears in Trading Card Game in her sketch made by Nao Ikeda.

Trivia

 * Nora's iconic line, "Moms are tough," is quoted by a woman in Final Fantasy Type-0.
 * In Final Fantasy XIII-2 Fragments Before, it is said Nora saved Snow's life twice before she died: when she shot down the Havoc Skytank, and when she unknowingly protected Snow from the explosion that killed her.

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