Serah Farron

Serah Farron [sɛrə] is a supporting character in Final Fantasy XIII, the protagonist of Final Fantasy XIII-2, who also appears in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. She is Lightning's younger sister by three years, and Snow Villiers's fiancée. Lightning accuses Snow of failing to protect Serah and does not initially approve of their relationship.

In Final Fantasy XIII, Serah is the first Pulse l'Cie in Cocoon, and her destiny is one of the game's central plot points.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, Serah sets off on a journey through time with Noel Kreiss to find Lightning when all others believe her to be dead, a journey that also becomes a quest to save the future.

In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, saving Serah's soul is Lightning's main motivation when she becomes the savior.

Appearance


Serah is an 18-year-old girl with the same pink tint of hair Lightning has. She ties her hair into a ponytail on the left side of her head, much like how Lightning's hair is draped over her left shoulder. Serah has blue eyes like her sister, although Serah's are a darker shade.

She wears cat-shaped earrings representing NORA, a rebel group her fiancé belongs to. She wears a black armband on her right bicep like Lightning, red plaid-pleated skirt lined with black lace, a white sleeveless dress shirt, a semi-transparent pink sweeper vest, an extra matching hair tie on her left wrist, black thigh-high stockings with a white diamond shape attached to the top of her left stocking, ivory ankle boots, and a bandage on her left bicep to cover her l'Cie brand. She wears an engagement pendant in the shape of Cocoon after receiving it from Snow. Producer Yoshinori Kitase describes Serah as "the cutest girl" in the game.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, now 21 years old, Serah wears a revealing form-fitting dress of white, reddish-pink, and gold consisting of a white top, pink sections on the front and back connecting the top to the skirt over black shorts, cut-out sides at the waist, crisscrossing pink straps on the sides of her torso, and two straps that go over her shoulders into a cross-back shape. She wears a storage pack on her right hip that hangs from her waist, pink and black thigh-high leggings, and purple ankle boots. The outfit mysteriously appears on her while she sleeps just before the first paradox manifests.

Serah retains her earrings and engagement necklace, and wears a pink choker, short pink sleeves under gray gloves that have gold ornaments, and gold armbands one in the shape of a bird that rests on her left bicep where her l'Cie brand used to be. Similar to Lightning's use of a gunblade that can switch between gun and sword, Serah wields a bowsword, though its true form is that of her new moogle companion, Mog. The symbol on the front of Serah's dress is also on Lightning's shield. Etro script is written on both symbols, the blades of Serah's weapon, the back of her dress and her storage pack. The script on Serah's outfit translates to: Witness to Times Forgotten — Restorer of Lines Disjointed. In her CG render for Final Fantasy XIII-2, Serah's ponytail is held by a pink band matching her outfit, but in-game, she retains the black band she wore in Final Fantasy XIII.

Alternate outfits
Serah has several alternate outfits released as part of downloadable content. "Summoner's Garb" was released on January 10th, 2012 in Japan and came as pre-order content in some countries and on March 16th, 2012 appeared as fully downloadable content; "Beachwear" was released on February 21st, 2012, in Asia and on February 28th, 2012, it was available worldwide; "N7 Armor", costume based on Mass Effect 3's N7 armor appeared on the net on March 27th, 2012, in Asia and the U.S., and the next worldwide; "Style and Steel", designed by Yuko Oshima, was downloadable from April 10th, 2012. "Style and Steel" is the only free DLC for Final Fantasy XIII-2. A "White Mage" costume was released on May 15th, 2012.

Personality
According to Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-, Serah is a straight-A student and one of her favorite subjects is history. Serah is mature and wise, and cares deeply for those around her. Despite the grave circumstances, she stays positive and believes in a better future as long as she has her friends by her side.

In the three years that have passed in Final Fantasy XIII-2, Serah is emotionally scarred by past events but she retains her strong and caring personality. Serah is a strict grade school teacher with a short temper, and like Lightning, can be scary when angered, which earned her the nickname "Meanie Miss Farron". Serah can hold her own in battle despite not having much prior experience in combat. She is determined to save the future despite learning of the peril it could put her in.

Early life
Serah was born three years after her elder sister, Claire. Their father died when they were young and they lost their mother to an unknown illness when Serah was twelve. With no other family to turn to, Claire took it upon herself to raise Serah and changed her name to "Lightning". Since then, Serah has looked up to Lightning as her guardian.

After Lightning graduated from high school and joined the Guardian Corps Bodhum Security Regiment she began to lose sight of her goals, and worked many hours while spending little time with Serah.

Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-
Serah was planning to attend the university in Eden when she fell in love with Snow during summer vacation, much to Lightning's dismay. From a young age, the local landmark, the Pulse Vestige, caught her attention and made Serah interested in studying history. One day, Serah visits the Vestige and finds a door leading inside the Vestige and ventures into the ruins, where she is chosen by the Pulse fal'Cie, Anima that was entombed within the Vestige.

Serah is branded a l'Cie and dreams of transforming into Ragnarok and destroying Cocoon, but does not realize it is her Focus. She wakes up outside of the Vestige and notices the l'Cie brand on her arm. She frantically tries to rub it off but, affected by her fear, the brand evolves and Serah walks off crying. Four days later, Serah tells Snow she had been branded a Pulse l'Cie and tries to break up with him, but Snow refuses to abandon her and offers to aid her in figuring out her Focus.

Two days later, Serah befriends a girl she aids on the beach, named Vanille. Listening to Vanille's problem, Serah advises her to face it later and look at it from a distance to find a way to overcome it. She tells Vanille about her nightmare of destroying the world and how she tried to run from it, but now knows she will get through with her friends' help. Since it was her fault Serah was made a l'Cie, Vanille apologizes but Serah, not knowing of Vanille's involvement, does not understand.

The next day, Serah goes out to the shopping mall with Snow to find a birthday present for Lightning. Serah buys a survival knife to keep Lightning safe while she is on duty, while Snow slips away and buys two engagement necklaces. The night after, Serah and Snow attend the fireworks festival where Snow proposes to her and she accepts.

On Lightning's birthday the following day, Serah and Snow tell Lightning about her becoming a l'Cie, and their engagement, but Lightning believes Serah is lying as an excuse to marry Snow. Serah and Snow attempt to seek the council of the fal'Cie in the Vestige, but since PSICOM discovered the fal'Cie the night before, the town has been quarantined and the Vestige is off-limits. While she and Snow escape PSICOM on an airbike, Serah jumps onto a ledge on the Vestige and becomes trapped by liquid metal that pulls her into the Vestige as the fal'Cie's prisoner.

Final Fantasy XIII
Two days later, PSICOM Purges Bodhum's residents and transports the Vestige to be destroyed. Both Lightning and Snow make their way through the Hanging Edge to the Vestige to save Serah. Serah tells Lightning to save Cocoon and crystallizes, leaving behind a crystal tear for Snow. Snow believes Serah will awaken, but Lightning believes her to be dead. After Lightning, Snow, and the new companions they met during the Purge—Vanille, Hope and Sazh—are turned into l'Cie by Anima, the Vestige falls into Lake Bresha, crystallizing it on impact.

Serah becomes part of the crystallized lake and the others abandon Snow, who stays behind to try and free her. She is brought aboard the Lindblum along with Snow when he is captured by Fang and Cid Raines's troops, the Cavalry, a rogue army regimen that seeks to free Cocoon from the fal'Cie rule. What happens to Serah's crystal from now on is unknown, but Snow and Fang rendezvous with the other l'Cie, forcing Snow to leave Serah behind.

On the Palamecia, the Cocoon fal'Cie's leader Barthandelus tells the group that Serah's Focus was to "assemble the tools for Cocoon's destruction", or lure them inside the Vestige to be branded l'Cie with the task of destroying Cocoon. This revelation cripples Snow, who until that point had believed their Focus was to save Cocoon as Serah asked.

After defeating Cid Raines in the Fifth Ark, revealed to be a l'Cie branded by Barthandelus, and observing him enter crystal stasis despite going against his Focus, Snow emerges from his depression and vows to follow Serah's wish to save Cocoon. In the Sulyya Springs on Gran Pulse, Vanille reveals to Snow that Serah saw the same dream of Ragnarok they did—meaning Barthandelus must have lied about Serah's Focus—and reasons that Serah beat her Focus by putting Cocoon's fate in their hands.

In Oerba, Barthandelus uses Serah's guise to try and trick the party into turning into Ragnarok, but they see through the illusion. As the party returns to Cocoon and treks through Eden, Barthandelus tells them he is holding Serah and Sazh's son, Dajh, hostage. In Orphan's Cradle Barthandelus destroys an illusion of the crystallized Serah to unnerve Snow and Lightning. After Orphan is destroyed and Vanille and Fang transform into Ragnarok to halt Cocoon's descent by forming a crystal pillar to support it above Pulse, Serah wakes up from crystal sleep and reunites with Snow and Lightning. Serah forgives Lightning for not believing her and Snow begins to plan for their wedding, with Lightning congratulating the pair.

Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i-
Serah and Snow talk about rebuilding on Gran Pulse and saving Vanille and Fang, who remain crystallized within the pillar. Serah asks Vanille what she is dreaming about in her crystal sleep, revealing she knows about Snow staying with her at Lake Bresha since he carried her crystal tear, enabling her to hear him and see what he saw. Serah theorizes the dreams people have in crystal stasis vary, since Dajh told her about his dream of playing with chocobos.

Serah decides to become a school teacher and educate children on why Cocoon fell. She wants to tell them their side of the story and help them grow into adults who can think for themselves. Shortly after, she discovers Lightning is nowhere to be seen.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Fragments Before
Due to the timeline being corrupted Lightning is removed from history and only Serah remembers her ever returning to Gran Pulse's surface with them. In the two years after Lightning's disappearance, with help from the Cavalry, Bodhum's former residents build the Pulsian village of New Bodhum and some learn to use magic, including Snow and Serah. Serah learns how to fight with weapons and discovers she has more fighting prowess than she knew. Having yet to marry, Serah and Snow live together in the NORA House.

Although Serah becomes a teacher like Lightning was to her to teach the children how to protect and think for themselves, deep inside, she feels unable to move forward, haunted by her memory of the day Lightning vanished and how everyone thinks she is making things up to avoid facing reality.

One day, Snow tells Serah he believes her about Lightning still being alive and sets out to search for her. Serah wants to go with him, but Snow insists she stay for the sake of her students. Giving Serah his engagement pendant as the symbol of his promise to return with Lightning, Snow departs, but a year goes by and Serah never hears back from him.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
One night, Serah dreams of Lightning fighting a mysterious man within a strange world. A crystal meteorite crashes outside of New Bodhum and she awakens finding herself in new clothes. The town is ravaged by monsters and Serah is saved by Noel Kreiss, the boy she saw in her dream. He gives her a moogle that can transform into a weapon and says Mog is a gift from Lightning, who now resides in Valhalla, the middle world between the realm of the living and the unseen realm of the dead, and that she has asked him to bring Serah there. The meteorite is actually a Time Gate, and the next day Serah and Noel search the town for an artefact to activate it. Serah learns Noel is the last human left from the end of the world, and after praying to create a brighter future, Lightning gave him the chance.

Serah, Mog, and Noel enter the Time Gate and travel through the Historia Crux, the crossroads of the time continuum, emerging in the Bresha Ruins in Cocoon in 5 AF. The ruins are affected by a paradox that causes a giant monster known as Atlas to appear in the area. With the help of an Academy scientist named Alyssa Zaidelle Serah and Noel solve the paradox by defeating Atlas and the Bresha Ruins are restored. While activating another gate in the area, Serah has a vision of Ragnarok crystallizing Cocoon but hides this from Noel.

Their next destination, the Yaschas Massif in 10 AF, is darkened by a solar eclipse due to a paradox. They meet an adult Hope Estheim who tells them a tribe of Farseers ruled by a seeress named Yeul used to live in the ruins. He says the seeress could see the future and foretold the nation's destruction, causing its downfall. Hope shows them the Oracle Drive, which shows grainy images of Lightning in Valhalla. Hope believes the paradox affecting the area is also affecting the Oracle Drive, and gives Serah and Noel an artefact to help them resolve the problem.

After taking a gate to Oerba 200 AF, Serah, Mog and Noel find another Oracle Drive that projects various images of Serah's reunion with Lightning. They are interrupted by the seeress Yeul and her Guardian, Caius Ballad, whom Serah recognizes as the man she saw battling Lightning in her dream. After Caius battles Noel and Serah, Yeul stops Caius from killing them, and warns them that changing the future also changes the past.

With the paradox in Oerba solved, Serah, Noel and Mog return to the Yaschas Massif in 1X AF, an alternate reality in which the eclipse never occurred and Hope never met them. Yeul appears and gives Serah a cryptic message, saying they are the same in how they can "show others the way". Serah and Noel repeat their introduction to Hope, who shows the now clear images of Lightning in Valhalla with the Oracle Drive. The Oracle Drive shows images of Cocoon falling at Caius's hand, and Noel says the crystallized Cocoon fell centuries before his birth, and the world fell into ruin. Serah says they must change the future and Hope decides to help them with everything he and the Academy do in the present time.

Serah and Noel use the gate in the Pass of Paddra and emerge in the Void Beyond, a shade of Valhalla that exists in a world between the Time Gates. As Serah despairs if they will ever find Lightning, Noel reassures they are one step closer to her with each Time Gate they pass through.

Traveling to the Sunleth Waterscape 300 AF, Serah clutches her head in pain and recites Yeul's prophecy of Cocoon's fall as though possessed. She has a vision of Snow about to be killed by a giant flan, runs off and finds Snow half-conscious before Noel comes to their aid, and they fight off the flan together. As the flan reforms, Serah pulls a resistant Snow to safety. She introduces Noel and Snow to each other before explaining to the latter why they are there. Snow explains he has also become a time traveler, and says Lightning appeared to him in a dream telling him to protect Cocoon's crystal pillar from the giant flan, and Serah and Noel decide to help him by resolving the paradox that makes the flan grow.

Noel and Serah journey to the Coliseum and receive a fragment from the Arbiter of Time. After Noel and Serah defeat the Faeryl in the Archylte Steppe in ??? AF and stop Royal Ripeness from growing, they return to the Sunleth Waterscape and find Snow struggling in front of the giant flan despite having promised to wait for their return. After defeating it for good Snow entrusts Serah's safety to Noel and disappears as the paradox affecting the area has been resolved, but Serah notices a Pulse l'Cie brand on his arm before he fades away. Serah decides it is her turn to save Snow.

Back in the Void Beyond, Noel explains the Farseer tribes always had a girl with the same appearance and power who is always called Yeul, and Caius is her Guardian. In Academia 400 AF, Serah, Noel and Mog witness numerous citizens transform into Cie'th. They are confronted by what appears to be Caius, who threatens to kill them for tampering with the timeline. Caius says they were killed as a result of learning a forbidden history sealed within a tower two hundred years ago and have now appeared before him alive, a paradox in itself. Serah and Noel find Yeul under attack by Cie'th. Yeul dies and leaves behind an artefact that enables Noel, Serah, and Mog to use a nearby Time Gate. Yeul said Caius wasn't in the city, leading Serah to wonder if she and Noel met an impostor.

In the Augusta Tower, 200 years before the events at Academia, Noel and Serah learn Hope had created a Proto fal'Cie to keep Cocoon airborne without its pillar. They meet an artificial duplicate of Alyssa and learn that Hope, Alyssa and other scientists were killed in the tower 187 years ago at 13 AF, and duplicates of them were created to hide the truth.

On the tower's top level they find Yeul who gives them an artefact and implores them to protect time. She reveals Caius is an immortal Guardian who retains memory of all timeline events, and says Lightning disappeared because the future had changed, and if Serah and Noel solve the paradoxes the past will return to how Serah remembers it. Yeul explains the Caius from Academia was a deception made by a sentient machine within the tower, then implores they show her a new future.

Noel, Mog and Serah enter a battle against the Proto fal'Cie Adam who keeps reviving itself whenever defeated. Serah charges Adam while shouting at Hope about his machines "driving her nuts", and just before she impales Adam's crystal, the fal'Cie disappears into thin air. Serah has a vision of the future and blacks out, but Noel brings her back.

Through the next Time Gate, they emerge into an alternate Academia in 4XX AF where the city is peaceful and the Proto fal'Cie was never created. They meet Hope and Alyssa and learn Hope scrapped the idea for the Proto fal'Cie after seeing Serah yelling at him through the Oracle Drive. Hope had devised the New Cocoon Project before he and Alyssa went into the future in a time capsule he invented.

Hope explains his man-made Cocoon will be made airborne through the use of Graviton Cores. After bringing Hope the cores needed Alyssa gives Serah and Noel an artefact to open a new gate in the city. Promising to meet Hope and Alyssa again a century in the future, Serah, Noel and Mog enter the Historia Crux, but get separated. Manipulated by Caius, Alyssa gave them a booby-trapped artefact to save herself from disappearing due to being a paradox herself.

Caius uses the Time Gate to separate Serah and Noel into different areas of the Void Beyond, with Mog's soul removed from his body. Finding several apparitions of Yeul from various points in time Serah learns Yeul is a seeress chosen by the goddess Etro, the goddess of death who resides in Valhalla, the middle world between the visible and unseen realms. Serah learns the goddess released her and the others from crystal stasis on the Day of Ragnarok.

The last Yeul warns Serah that she brings herself closer to death the more she changes the timeline before transforming into Caius, who forces Serah into a battle. Caius reveals it was the miracle Etro gave to Serah and the others that condemned Yeul, and that he plans to destroy time itself and send everything back to Valhalla where time does not exist, thus freeing Yeul from her curse. Caius impales Serah from behind, spilling chaos from her body.

Serah awakens in New Bodhum wearing her old clothes, surrounded by NORA. When she finds Snow, he claims Lightning has been living with them ever since they got married. Serah finds Lightning on the pier who says Serah changed history, making it possible for her to come back. Serah almost believes her, but remembers the real Lightning is fighting in Valhalla and needs her help, and that she can't abandon Noel and her friends. Serah refuses to comply and Lightning is engulfed in chaos, a mysterious substance of the unseen realm that humans possess in their hearts. Hearing a familiar voice, Serah encounters Vanille and meets Fang, who have come to help Serah escape her dream world. They open a portal Serah can use to find Noel in his dream world and save him before he becomes trapped in it forever.

Serah emerges in a desolate world and finds Noel who does not acknowledge her. Realizing she is in Noel's dream, Serah follows him as he interacts with Caius and Yeul and witnesses a duel between Noel and Caius where the latter emerges the victor. Serah sees Yeul die in Noel's arms, leaving him alone. As he is being pulled off the ground towards a light in the sky, Serah grabs hold of his arm and calls out to him and he remembers her, waking him from his dream.

Noel tells Serah if they change history in a big way it will cost Serah her life, because Serah is a seeress like Yeul. Serah chooses to continue as it is what Lightning wants, and if they fix the timeline quick enough she won't have to see the future any further. Mog's soul is freed from the Void Beyond by Lightning, and he brings new information from her about Caius. Caius used to be a Pulse l'Cie tasked with the Focus of protecting Yeul until he was saved by Etro and made immortal. From watching over the seeresses for centuries, Caius has been using his power and knowledge of their visions to warp the timeline as he pleases.

They come out of a space-time distortion into New Bodhum in 700 AF, which is now a wasteland. Serah opens a portal on the beach and Lightning emerges before them, saying they are in a future she failed to save. After Lightning explains everything to them, Serah theorizes Caius's plan is to turn the world into a timeless world like Valhalla to break Yeul's cycle of rebirth. Lightning says they will need to go to the year 500 AF where Caius plans to destroy both the old and new Cocoons. She has Mog reveal a new Time Gate and as Lightning leaves, Serah asks if they will be together once everything is over, but Lightning only says, "One thing at a time, Serah."

In Academia 500 AF, the city is a labyrinth of chaos. As Serah, Mog and Noel make their way through the city they hear Yeul's disembodied voice warning them not to kill Caius and Etro. After fighting Caius who has arrived in Academeia from Valhalla, a wormhole tears open the sky and Caius flies into it as Chaos Bahamut. Serah, Noel and Mog follow close behind on an airship piloted by Sazh and jump through hole into Valhalla to engage Caius on the beach.

Caius transforms into Jet Bahamut and fires an attack that sends them falling into an abyss of light under Valhalla's waves of chaos. Lightning pulls the trio towards the surface for the final battle. After Noel repeatedly refuses to kill him, Caius stabs himself with Noel's blade, and as his body fades away, Serah believes he had always wanted to return to Valhalla to die.

A series of gates appears throughout Valhalla and Mog says the final paradox has been resolved, but he doesn't sense Lightning. Serah worries Caius had killed her, but Noel reassures her Lightning will be with the others since they fixed the timeline. Serah, Noel and Mog return to Gran Pulse in 500 AF, where they see the New Cocoon, named Bhunivelze, afloat in the sky and the gate to Valhalla close. Serah thanks Noel, but has another vision of the future and dies in his embrace.

Serah's spirit enters Valhalla and is bound by chaos before Etro's throne. Disembodied spirits of Yeul tell Lightning that Serah will remain with them until the end of time and fade into darkness. While Lightning mourns her sister's death, Serah's spirit appears to her on Etro's throne. Serah explains she was aware of her eventual death, yet continued on as she promised to herself to not stop until they were together again and has no regrets. Serah asks Lightning not to forget her and promises they will see each other again.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Upon their last meeting, Serah's soul entered Lightning's body rather than fade into Chaos, and as Lightning rested in a crystal sleep, Serah's soul rested alongside her, until it was purged by the god Bhunivelze.

Five hundred years later the dying world of Nova Chrysalia is facing destruction in thirteen days. Nova Chrysalia is an unstable world that came into existence after the visible and unseen realms merged when Chaos was unleashed from Valhalla when Etro died. This event also awoke Bhunivelze, the god that had originlly created the deities that had created and maintained the worlds of Gran Pulse and Cocoon.

Having chosen the awoken Lightning as his savior, claiming to resurrect her sister once she fulfills her task, Bhunivelze uses a replica of Serah to keep Lightning from straying from his goals. Lightning is puzzled, as she feels little toward this illusion, suspecting something to be amiss. In actuality, Serah was rescued by the newly born Lumina whose physical form became a vessel for Serah's soul. Lumina is the manifestation of Lightning's vulnerabilities and other denied feelings, which became sentient with the aid of Chaos that now flows freely and is slowly eroding Nova Chrysalia. After Lightning saves Vanille from sacrificing herself in the Luxerion Cathedral, Lumina and Yeul appear and reveal the truth about Serah's soul.

Lightning becomes trapped by her residual failings while fighting Bhunivelze, having deducted the god's plan is to purge mankind from their humanity to "perfect" them. The copy of Serah, which had grown to care for her "sister", reveals Lumina's origins and convinces Lightning to accept her vulnerabilities and call for aid. Lumina is reintegrated into Lightning. After Lightning and her allies sever Bhunivelze's hold on humanity's souls, Serah is among the freed as she helps her sister and their friends deliver the final blow to the deity. After witnessing the creation of a new world, a reborn Serah follows Lightning to a peaceful world that is free of gods.

Final Fantasy XIII: Reminiscence -tracer of memories-
After Serah began her life anew in the new world she is among the few who remember her past life on Gran Pulse. One day, Serah meets a reporter named Aoede who is investigating stories of people who remember a past life from "another world". When the reporter mentions her intention to publish the stories to allow more people to remember their past lives, Serah expresses that it might keep people from living their current lives, yet encourages Aoede to find out everything before telling her where to find Snow.

Gameplay


Serah starts with the Commando, Ravager, and Sentinel roles and majors in Ravager and Saboteur, but is also a good Medic. Serah is not as proficient Synergist as Noel, and she learns only a few spells for that role.

While her stats can be customized in the Crystarium, Serah's natural stat growth emphasizes Magic. She wields a bow that can transform into a sword, and her full ATB skill is Ultima Arrow, a Ravager skill that quickly fills the target's chain gauge with a barrage of attacks.

Creation and development
According to the Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega, Serah was originally planned as a playable character in Final Fantasy XIII, but issues during development led to turning her into a non-playable character. Character designer Tetsuya Nomura made Serah's hair wavy for her to have a similar silhouette to Lightning.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, Serah's facial structure underwent changes: her hair was made a darker shade of pink and her nose was made smaller. In an interview in Famitsu, it was revealed Serah's clothing from Final Fantasy XIII-2 was designed by Yusuke Naora, based on plugsuits from Neon Genesis Evangelion, as requested by director Motomu Toriyama. Isamu Kamikokuryo, the art director of Final Fantasy XIII-2, has said the character designs are built from the scenario and setting and the new designs for Lightning and Serah are reflected within the environments they begin their journey. For Serah, he said she was cute and girly in Final Fantasy XIII, but that she is a little tougher and battle-ready in Final Fantasy XIII-2.

Kamikokuryo has also said the balance between making a female character appealing for both genders of gamers was a challenge. The designers did not necessarily strive for a look that would appeal to both male and female gamers, but more of what design would end up the most memorable in players' eyes and mindset. With Serah being more active in Final Fantasy XIII-2, the designers wanted to maintain her feminine qualities, while still making sure she looks ready for a battle. According to issue 219 of Game Informer, Serah was given a bow able to transform into a sword to "preserve her femininity". When designing Serah's and Noel's weapons for Final Fantasy XIII-2, the developers wanted weapons that could be used for both close and long-range combat. That's why Serah has a weapon that can switch between bow and sword forms, and Noel has twin blades that can combine into a javelin.

Yuko Oshima, member of AKB48 and leader of the JUDGE 13 test players, was asked to design two alternate costumes for Serah, one of which would become an official DLC by votes from fans in a contest starting on November 15th, 2011. The first DLC costume, called "Exposure and Defense", was designed when the AKB48 idol was wondering whether it is possible for Final Fantasy girls to fight with so much showing. Oshima thought that by adding pointed shoes and a shield, Serah would be more ready to fight.

The second, unnamed option, was based on a concept of "Little Red Riding Hood". Oshima thought the idea of mixing red and white defines a character transitioning into an adult, as Serah seems to do in Final Fantasy XIII-2. On December 3, 2011 the voting closed with "Exposure and Defense" winning by a large margin. Oshima wore the costume at the Final Fantasy XIII-2 launch event.

Voice
Serah is voiced in the Japanese versions by Minako Kotobuki.

She is voiced by Laura Bailey in English, who previously voiced the Cloud of Darkness in the Dissidia Final Fantasy series and Belle in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers.

Musical themes
Serah is the first non-playable, and then playable character to have a vocalized leitmotif. Main characters' themes from previous games generally draw their leitmotif's melody from the respective games' main themes, but "Serah's Theme" doesn't alter the melody of the main theme at all.

Final Fantasy XIII
"Serah's Theme" is a vocal version of the game's main theme, "The Promise", composed by Masashi Hamauzu with lyrics performed by Frances Maya. It often plays when Serah is featured or mentioned in the story, mainly during cutscenes that show flashbacks of her life before the Purge. "Serah's Theme" plays during the fireworks festival in English-translated versions, in place of "Eternal Love", which plays in the Japanese versions.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
"Serah's Theme - Memories -" is a vocal piece played to the melody of "The Future", a variant of the game's main theme, "Wishes". The lyrics tell of how Noel's arrival and his strength give Serah hope towards the chance of reuniting with Lightning, and alludes to what happens to her at the end of the game. A non-lyrical orchestral version of her theme is heard during the "Closing Credits".

Merchandise
Action figures of Serah have been released as part of the Play Arts KAI series and the Final Fantasy XIII Trading Arts Vol 1. Serah's pendant has been sold as official merchandise in Square Enix's online shop, although it differs from the pendant seen in the games, as it has a larger blue crystal in the middle.

Other appearances
Serah has appeared in the following games throughout the Final Fantasy series:


 * Final Fantasy Tactics S as a recruitable character.
 * Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia as a playable character.
 * Theatrhythm Final Fantasy as a purchasable character.
 * Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call as a playable character.
 * Pictlogica Final Fantasy as a playable character.
 * Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade as a summonable Legend.
 * Final Fantasy Artniks as cards.
 * Final Fantasy Record Keeper as a playable character.
 * Mobius Final Fantasy as life-element ability cards.
 * World of Final Fantasy as a cameo.
 * Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as trading cards.
 * Triple Triad as cards in the Final Fantasy Portal App version.

Outside the Final Fantasy series she has appeared in:


 * Kingdom Hearts Re:coded as an avatar.

Etymology
Serah is a variation of "Sarah".

Trivia

 * Serah's engagement pendant resembles Final Fantasy XIII's . A matching pendant is worn by Snow Villiers.
 * Her crystal is in the shape of a teardrop that Snow holds onto for most of the story in Final Fantasy XIII.
 * Serah's crystal tear is used as the icon for the Ultimate Hero Trophy in Final Fantasy XIII and the Master of Time Achievement/Trophy in Final Fantasy XIII-2—the final Achievement/Trophy which, in the PlayStation 3 release, makes the game Platinum and awards the player with a Lightning theme.
 * Serah, Dajh, and Cid Raines are the only l'Cie that do not show their summons, and it is unknown if they have any. In the case of Serah and Dajh, this could be because they complete their respective Foci in such a short period of time, giving them little opportunity to reach the state of despair that calls forth the intervention of an Eidolon.
 * Serah is a better cook than Lightning, who in turn is better at home-improvement work, as mentioned in Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise- and in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
 * In Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-, it is revealed Serah bought Snow's NORA pendant.
 * Art director Isamu Kamikokuryo consistently draws Serah and Lightning with blonde hair in concept art, despite their more "official" appearance. Additionally, Kamikokuryo's Serah concept art for Final Fantasy XIII-2 looks older and less skinny than her in-game appearance, and a few details on her outfit are different (such as a different choker).
 * Serah appears on the with Lightning, Noel, Noctis, Machina, and Rem.
 * A model for Serah in crystal stasis exists as dummied content in Final Fantasy XIII-2. It is unknown why this model exists.
 * Serah's first bowsword model, the Starseeker, is the name of a recurring Keyblade in the Kingdom Hearts series.
 * Serah's initial paradigm roles in Final Fantasy XIII-2 are the same as Snow's initial roles in Final Fantasy XIII: Commando, Ravager, and Sentinel. Arcus Chronica, one of her ultimate weapons, also emits white feathers upon hitting enemies like Snow's Save the Queen did in Final Fantasy XIII.
 * Unlike Noel, Serah's official render isn't used in the menu screen in Final Fantasy XIII-2, and instead an alternate render—seen in her official artwork with Lightning—is used.
 * During one scene in Valhalla's shadow, Serah and Caius are seen back to back, similar to a moment with him and Lightning in Valhalla.
 * A mask of Serah can be obtained as an adornment in Final Fantasy XIII-2.
 * Serah's Starseeker is one of the special weapons reward in the Final Fantasy XIV event Lightning Strikes.
 * In Final Fantasy Record Keeper, if the player brings Lightning to the battle against fal'Cie Anima in the event Lightning Strikes, she will incorrectly refer to Serah as "Sarah".
 * Serah gifting a knife to Lightning as her birthday present might be foreshadowing; according to superstition, gifting a knife is bad luck, and symbolizes cutting relations with that person.