Snow Villiers

Snow Villiers is a playable character in the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII. He has blond hair and a stubble beard, and he wears a black bandanna and a long white coat. His foot size is a gargantuan 33 centimeters (about a foot long). He is a very strong character and is capable of running at full speed while carrying two people. On his left arm there is a tattoo which is a mark of the l'Cie. Through that he can summon the embodiment of his heart, the Shiva Sisters.

Story
Snow is the leader of Team Nora, a group of rebels fighting against the Sanctum. He grew up with his childhood friends Gadot and Lebreau in the town of Bodam at the edge of Cocoon, where they hunted stray monsters under the moniker of Team Nora. Falling in love with Serah Farron, Lightning's sister, Snow refused to leave her side after she became a l'Cie, offering her his hand in marriage. However, after Lightning sees him to be a delusional fool, Snow's peaceful life was interrupted by PSICOM occupying their town and taking away the people they believed to be contaminated by Pulse. This, and Serah's dissappearence, flared the resistance in Snow as he leads Team Nora in fighting back to rescue those being exiled.

But Snow's strength fails him during the mission: when he and a mother were hanging from the edge of a destroyed highway, her hand slipped from his and she fell off the cliff to her death after she made him promise to protect her child. He falls, too, but wakes up unharmed near the Lowerworld Vertigo, where Serah was. After regrouping to his team, unable to remember which child he is meant to look after, Snow departs to Lowerworld Vertigo where he encounters Lightning and Sazh Katzroy after learning that he was followed by Oerba Dia Vanille and Hope Estheim, the son of the mother Snow was unable to save. Finding Serah as she crystalized before his eyes, Snow reveals to Lightning that he and Serah were to be married, causing her to be unable to forgive him easily for her sister's status.

Snow attempts to seek consul from the fal'Cie Anima to get his love back, offering to take her place before he joins Lighting in fighting the fal'Cie only to become l'Cie himself. Finding himself on Lake Bilge, Snow accepts his Focus of saving the world, spurring Lightning to punch him as he vows to set things right between them and restore Serah as he remains behind to unearth her as PSICOM goes after him in full fury until the Shiva Sisters appear. After taking control of the two Eidolons, Snow is captured by a PSICOM platoon led by Fang.

The final trailer depicts him being brought into custody by Fang after taming the Shiva Sisters, where he meets Cid Raines. Snow helps Lightning give Hope emotional support, and talks with her about the chance of ever seeing Serah (or each other) again in Pulse. He says that once he and Lightning end everything, they will go and see her.

After the party defeats Orphan, Snow is reunited with Serah.

Abilities and Equipment
Unlike the fast and agile Lightning, Snow focuses more on strength. Snow fights with his bare hands and Ice magic. In the demo released with Advent Children Complete he retains this fighting style, furthering this notion. His weapon is a special coat developed by the government which can alter the strength of the wearer. His Eidolon is Shiva, which splits into two sisters. Their names are Styria and Nix. Styria is the dark-skinned one who is the elder sister, while the white-skinned Nix is the younger. They are not limited to just the Ice element but can apparently wield many of them. They are also capable of forming together to make a motorcycle for Snow to ride on for their Gestalt Mode.


 * Wild Proud
 * Energy circle
 * Charge spirits
 * Save the Queen
 * Knight Heart
 * Moral code emblem
 * YinYang religious doctrine Defense (護法の陰陽)
 * Unsinking Illustrious
 * Spell Sign of Youma
 * Devil's Road Spirits
 * Unsinkable Sun
 * Byakuya Glorious
 * Patriot Heart
 * Fighting Spirit emblem
 * Revolution Jurisprudence of Near-death (臨死の転法論)
 * Backwater Indomitable
 * Save the Post

Trivia

 * Before his official name was revealed, Snow was referred to as "Mr. 33cm", referencing his large foot size.
 * According to the April 2009 edition of Famitsu (page 50), Nomura based Snow's bandanna on an unused design that was originally planned for Kingdom Hearts coded.
 * His I'Cie mark is on his left forearm.
 * Snow's crystal has taken the shape of a heart.
 * Snow's ATB full skill is a powerful strike to the ground from the air.
 * The names of the Shiva sisters are derived from a region of Austria (Styria) and a Germanic water spirit (Nix).
 * According to the Ultimania Guide figures, Snow is the tallest known human in the game.
 * Snow is very tall, with a height of 6'5", especially compared to previous lead male characters like Cloud and squall who stand at 5'7" or Tidus who stands at 5'10".

Etymology
"Villiers" is a common French toponym and a surname ultimately derived from the Latin word villa, "country-house, estate". It is also the name of a fairly well-known motorcycle company, which is referenced in his summon's Gestalt mode.

Snow Villiers