Mog (Final Fantasy XIII-2)



Mog (モーグリ) is a supporting character in Final Fantasy XIII-2. He teaches Serah Farron and Noel Kreiss about the game's mechanics. In the Japanese version, Mog is voiced by Sumire Morohoshi.

Appearance and Personality
Mog is a white Moogle with a fairly human-sized head that is big when compared to his body. He has closed oblique eyes, a big round salmon nose, puffy pink cheeks, small ears, short arms and legs, purple bat wings, and unlike other moogles, he has a pink crystal pom-pom instead of a traditional fluffy one on a black antennae. He carries a clock staff composed of a blue rod, a bronze clock with a white clock face adorned with the same kind of crystal like that on Mog's antennae.

Mog is shy and reluctant to talk at first, but as time passes and he begins to talk, he shows himself to be a very lively being with a spunky and sarcastic side to him. Whenever he feels a strong emotion, he tends to express them in a slightly over-the-top manner. He has a habit of hiding behind Serah whenever certain situations become too much for him to handle. Mog also shows discomfort towards people holding and poking at him for long periods of time, evident during his meeting with Serah, one scene with Snow Villiers, and through the Moogle Throw mechanism.

Story
Mog's first appearance is in Valhalla, when he is summoned by Lightning. He then transforms into a purple crossbow that Noel gives to Serah as a gift and good luck charm at Lightning's request. In the Bresha Ruins -005 AF-, after Serah and Noel defeat Atlas and are surrounded by PSICOM soldiers, Mog attempts to stand up to them but promptly hides behind Serah in fright. When Serah and Noel witness a defeated monster turn into a crystal, Mog talks for the first time, explaining to them that the monster is now under their control, causing Noel to remember Lightning having an army of monsters with her in battle. In the underground tunnels, as Serah and Noel approach the device capable of weakening Atlas, they are dragged into a paradox. Mog flies into the Temporal Rift after them, and says that in order to escape, they need to solve the puzzle.

In the Dying World -700 AF-, after Noel and Serah activate the Oracle Drive at the shrine, Mog is freed from the cracks of time by Lightning. When Noel makes fun of him for "hiding," an angered Mog flies around him while flailing his wand at his head. Mog also brings Serah and Noel new information from Lightning about Caius. Mog reveals that Caius used to be a Pulse l'Cie tasked with the Focus of protecting Yeul. Then Caius was saved from his fate by Etro and became an immortal servant, watching over the Seers for hundreds of years.

After Caius Ballad is killed in Valhalla, Serah, Noel and Mog return to Gran Pulse -500 AF-. When the world begins to go dark, Mog grows weak and faints in Hope Estheim's embrace before Chaos consumes Pulse and the reconstructed Cocoon.

Gameplay
Mog can not only transform himself into Serah's weapon, but he can also use his magic to execute the Mog Clock pre-battle system and detect hidden treasure chests on the field with Moogle Hunt. In the case of the latter, Mog is thrown by Noel and Serah towards out-of-reach areas through the Moogle Throw.

The Moogle Hunt command is used to find items which are hidden or "phased out." If there are hidden items in the area, Mog's pom-pom will flash, and he will approach the area where the item is hidden. If /RB is pressed, the treasure becomes visible if it is within a certain range. The / button can then be used to attain said item.

As the player gains Mog's trust, the Moogle Throw command will become available. This allows the player to throw Mog to a location where he can attain out-of reach treasures, however, Mog will protest to this, and squirm while trying to be thrown. This can be utilized using the /LB button.

Creation and Development
Mog was designed by Toshitaka Matsuda, who was the Lead Art Designer of Final Fantasy XIII. His design was chosen over other possible designs made by various members of the development team. It was based on the idea of a "baby moogle" with exaggerated features.

Merchandise
Ultimate Prize winners of the Word to Your Moogle tour received a pink and white PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 featuring Mog.

Trivia

 * Mog shares his Japanese voice actor with Mog from Final Fantasy Type-0 and Marlene Wallace in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete. The actress also voiced the young Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts series.
 * Although he is officially called "Mog", there exists other official materials which calls him alternatively "The Moogle" or just "Moogle" for example in the EU wallpaper.
 * In Japanese version of the game, Mog is referred as "Moogle" and rarely called "Mog".
 * Interestingly, the clock face of his staff is divided into twelve sections like clocks in the real world, as opposed to the thirteen-sectioned clock face seen in the first installment's Nautilus.