Together, we can do this!
Lightning in battle with Angel of Valhalla
Angel of Valhalla is a white chocobo in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII that appears as an uncontrollable guest character on the Wildlands as part of the main quest there. Once recruited, Lightning can ride him across most of the overworld in the Wildlands, and he will fight alongside her in battle. He is not particularly strong, but helps Lightning along by healing and buffing her.
Steed[]
Lightning rides Angel of Valhalla.
Lightning can ride the Angel of Valhalla by pressing 
/
when next to him, and the same button is also used for dismounting. The Angel of Valhalla runs the same speed Lightning dashes, but riding will not deplete the action gauge. He jumps with 
/
and pecks enemies with 
/
. Once the Angel can glide, the player must hold / after jumping to glide through the air. Gliding is needed to reach the Temple of the Goddess from Poltae, and also to reach some treasure chests that are off the beaten path. When fully healed, the Angel can perform a three-hit combo to strike enemies just as Lightning can.
Lightning automatically climbs off her steed when talking to certain people or during other events. The player can name the white chocobo in the original console releases, although no one outside the party will refer to him by that name. In the PC version, it is impossible to change the chocobo's name.
Within the Wildlands, the Angel is Lightning's loyal companion. If Lightning explores an area on foot and falls to an area where she would not be able to return to the Angel, the bird will return to Lightning on his own. If Lightning leaves the Wildlands and returns later in a different area of the Wildlands, the Angel will shortly appear in that area, ready for Lightning to ride again.
When wearing a dress, Lightning rides sidesaddle. 
Guest[]
Angel of Valhalla joins Lightning's party.
The Angel of Valhalla fights alongside Lightning in battle. His abilities and actions depend on his bond with Lightning, which can be further increased after the bird is strong enough to ride. It is in the player's best interest to nurture him back to full health as soon as possible.
In battle, the Angel of Valhalla acts as a utilitarian Commando, Ravager, and Medic, as well as a limited Synergist. He uses physical attacks, magic attacks of each element up to the -ra level, both Cure and Curaja, and a buffing move called "Inspire" that bestows Protect and Shell on Lightning. His actions change depending on the situation. His victory pose is to jump up and down.
The Angel of Valhalla healing Lightning.
- Chocobo bond (Lv. 1): Can Attack an enemy three times. The Angel restores some HP to his mistress when she's in a pinch by using Cure.
- Chocobo bond (Lv. 2): Can Attack an enemy four times. Strikes at weaknesses using three first-tier elemental magic spells (Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, and Aero). He can strengthen his mistress with defensive buffs via Inspire and restore HP to her when she's in a pinch with two Cure spells.
- Chocobo bond (Lv. 3): Can Attack an enemy six times. Strikes at weaknesses using three second-tier elemental magic spells (Fira, Blizzara, Thundara, and Aerora). He restores HP to his mistress when she's in a pinch via three Curaja spells, and is also far more likely to use Inspire.
The Angel of Valhalla has 2,000 HP at bond level 1, 5,000 at level 2, and 10,000 at level 3, but lacks an HP bar and cannot be KO'd, though he may still heal himself when damaged. When Lightning uses Potions, Hi-Potions, X-Potions, or Nektar potions, they will apply to the chocobo as well.
Abilities[]
| Ability | Effect | Bond Level |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | Deals physical damage to target. | 1~3 |
| Cure | Restore a small amount of HP. | 1~2 |
| Fire | Deals fire-attribute magic damage to target. | 2 |
| Blizzard | Deals ice-attribute magic damage to target. | 2 |
| Thunder | Deals lightning-attribute magic damage to target. | 2 |
| Aero | Deals wind-attribute magic damage to target. | 2 |
| Inspire | Casts Protect and Shell on Lightning. | 2~3 |
| Blitz | Deals physical damage to target and nearby foes. | 3 |
| Fira | Deals fire-attribute magic damage to target and nearby foes. | 3 |
| Blizzara | Deals ice-attribute magic damage to target and nearby foes. | 3 |
| Thundara | Deals lightning-attribute magic damage to target and nearby foes. | 3 |
| Aerora | Deals wind-attribute magic damage to target and nearby foes. | 3 |
| Curaja | Restores HP proportional to amount of damage taken. | 3 |
Outside the Wildlands[]
Normally, the Angel of Valhalla cannot leave the Wildlands. Achieving this through hacking can lead to some glitches.
- Saving the game when riding outside the Wildlands loads only Lightning with the chocobo skeleton files, making her unable to move and forcing the player to teleport or warp back to the Ark to proceed.
- If the player has both the Angel of Valhalla and Fang in the party, only the chocobo appears in battle.
- In areas where the player is not supposed to have a guest party member, half the enemies will focus on the guest and never attack the player.
- When the player dismounts the Angel of Valhalla outside the Wildlands, he will attempt to return home.
Quests[]
Lightning cures the Angel of Valhalla.
The Angel of Valhalla joins Lightning as part of the Wildlands main quest, and afterward, stays by her side everywhere on the Wildlands besides the Temple of the Goddess, where he cannot follow. Lightning must nurse him to full health for him to become strong enough to glide through the air by feeding him. After the chocobo recuperates enough to become Lightning's steed, she can still raise his level by offering him more food. The fastest way to restore his health is by finding Yeul's flowers scattered across the Wildlands. There are a total of four flowers, and they take 24 hours to respawn. Eight flowers are needed to restore the Angel of Valhalla to full strength.
Unlike Fang, the other guest party member in Lightning Returns, the Angel of Valhalla stays by Lightning until the Wildlands itself is no longer accessible on the Final Day.