Snow Villiers

Snow Villiers is a playable character in Final Fantasy XIII and the main male protagonist of the game. He is a very strong character and is capable of running at full speed while carrying two people.

Appearance and Personality
Snow is one of the tallest playable characters in the Final Fantasy series second only to Kimahri Ronso; at 6'5", he is even an inch taller than Barret Wallace. According to the Ultimania Guide figures, Snow is the tallest known human in the game. He has blond hair and a stubble beard, and he wears a black bandana and a long white coat, which also functions as his weapon. Snow's foot size is a gargantuan 33 centimeters (about a foot long). His l'Cie mark is on his left forearm.

Snow has a very "heroic" personality, hence his title, "The Hero". Snow is a hot-headed person, he shows no fear when standing before hundreds, even thousands of PSICOM Soldiers, and he even does not respect high officers like Cid, who tries to befriend him. Snow at times can show compassion to his friends, like Serah, the girl Snow loves the most, and even Lightning, who hated him, and blamed him for what happened to Serah.

Story
Snow is the leader of NORA, a group of rebels fighting against the Sanctum. He grew up with his childhood friends Gadot and Lebreau in the town of Bodhum at the edge of Cocoon, where they hunted stray monsters under the moniker of NORA. Falling in love with Serah Farron, Lightning's sister, Snow refused to leave her side after she became a l'Cie, asking for her 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 Gran Pulse. This, and Serah's disappearance, flared the resistance in Snow as he leads 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 Pulse fal'Cie, where Serah was being held. After regrouping with his team, unable to figure out which child he is meant to look after, Snow departs to the Pulse Vestige 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 crystallized 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 plead with 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 Bresha, 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.

After being brought aboard the Lindblum by Fang, Snow meets Cid Raines who tries to befriend him. However, Snow refuses Cid's friendly gesture, when Cid reveals that l'Cie are to be publicly executed to strengthen Sanctum's control of Cocoon. Having no other choice than to help hunt the other l'Cie, Snow reluctantly teams up with Fang to find the others. He remembers the day that Serah revealed to him that she was a l'Cie, and how he decided to stay with her despite that. Soon afterward, as Fang and the Cavalry prepare to go "hunt l'Cie," Snow remembers the day that Serah was taken prisoner by the Pulse fal'Cie in his effort to protect her from PSICOM.

Later in Palumpolum, Snow and Fang are seen riding in on the Shiva Sisters saving Hope and Lightning, who were about to be apprehended. In the chaos, Fang goes with Lightning, but Hope is forced to go with Snow. Snow takes charge of the two of them, and leads Hope through the city, trying to get to the Estheim Residence. They run into a crowd of people, and Snow fires a gun into the air, announcing himself as a Pulse l'Cie, causing the crowd to scatter in order to save them from getting Purged. His actions are misunderstood and the same crowd of people confront him and Hope as an angry mob. Snow uses a PSICOM machine to escape to the rooftops of Rivera Towers. Eventually, Hope confronts Snow about his mother's death, and Snow shows a lot of guilt. Unable to face Hope, Hope launches Snow off the ledge in anger, and goes with Lightning's knife to try and end Snow's life. However, PSICOM comes at this moment, and fire missles that knock Hope off the ledge too. Trying to save Hope, Snow grabs him and sheilds him from the fall using his body. Snow eventually wakes up first, and carries Hope off on his back, only to apologize to Hope for his mother's death. The two make amends, and Lightning and Fang come to help save Hope and Snow, the latter of which was severely injured.

After learning of Serah's true Focus from Galenth Dysley on the Palamecia and escaping to the Fifth Ark, Snow is devestated and confused, and doesn't know what to do next. But after battling Cid Raines, Snow realizes that even though he may end up a Cie'th, he will continue to make Serah proud as she was always watching over him.

Later in the Vallis Media on Gran Pulse, Snow helps Lightning give Hope emotional support. He later talks with her about the chance of ever seeing Serah again. After Lightning reassures him that they will see Serah again soon, he tells her not to worry and that once they finish everything, they will go and see Serah together.

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

Abilities and Equipment
Unlike the fast and agile Lightning, Snow focuses more on defense. He has the third highest strength, under Oerba Yun Fang and Lightning. However, he excels in the Sentinel role, learning most abilities before Fang, who also the Sentinel role as a main role. Snow also has the highest HP Growth than any other character. As a Ravager, he learns all Ice and Water spells, but can also learn Wind magic up to the -"ra" level. Even though he fights with his fists,his weapon is a special coat developed by the government which can alter the strength of the wearer, depending on which emblem is sewn into the back.

Note: Official English name per Japanese guide / Transliteration from the Official Japanese name.
 * Wild Bear
 * Feral Pride / Wild Proud
 * Paladin / Knight's Heart
 * Winged Saint / Justice Emblem
 * Rebel Heart / Patriot's Heart
 * Warrior's Greatcoat / Fighter Emblem
 * Power Circle / Energy Circle
 * Battle Coat / Charge Spirits
 * Feymark / Cursed Seal of the Spirits
 * Soul Blazer / Heretic Spirits
 * Sacrificial Circle / Dharmacakra of Near-Death
 * Indomitus / Indomitable Backwater
 * Unsettling Sun / Never-Setting Sun
 * Midnight Sun / Glorious Midnight Sun
 * Umbra / Yin Yang of Defense
 * Solaris / Unsinking Illustrious
 * Save the Queen

Snow's Full ATB skill, Sovereign Fist, is a powerful strike to the ground from above. Using it, however, resets the enemy's chain gauge.

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. Nix attacks the enemies with mostly physical attacks, while Styria wields powerful Ice and healing spells. They are capable of combining to make a motorcycle for Snow to ride on for their Gestalt Mode.

Etymology
"Villiers" is a common French toponym and a surname ultimately derived from the Latin/Italian 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" refers mainly to his affiliation with the Ice and Water elements.

Musical Themes
In Final Fantasy XIII, Snow's Theme is a rock tune played with electric guitars.

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.
 * Snow's crystal has taken the shape of a heart.
 * Snow's main roles are Commando, Ravager and Sentinel.
 * The names of the Shiva sisters are derived from a region of Austria (Styria) and a Germanic water spirit (Nix).
 * There is a symbol of a cat on one of the pendants Snow wears, which is the logo of NORA.