Highlights
- Lightning's character growth in Final Fantasy 13 showcases the importance of seeing well-developed and complex female characters in media.
- Representation in media should include diverse personalities and struggles, allowing players to connect with characters and see themselves in the stories they consume.
Final Fantasy 13 was often referred to as a hectic game, as its characters went through countless troubles to get where they are today—and Lightning is no exception. She went through a long and hard character arc during Final Fantasy 13 to become the complex woman she is now. At the start, she was a lot more off-putting and cold, looking out only for herself. But as she travels with her companions, this changes.
This kind of growth is highly sought after for female characters. It gives them depth and shows how people naturally change and grow in real life as well. It's important to see women in media who aren't oversexualized, flat, or a blatant trope. For those who play the game or watch others play it, it allows them to see a woman as strong as Lightning become even stronger and even better as a person along the course of the game.
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Final Fantasy 13’s Lightning: A Complex Female Icon
Strong Female Representation Often Lacks in Video Games
It's very rare to see a woman in media so clearly fleshed out and thought through. Final Fantasy 13's Lightning is underrated in her complex approach to existing, her very nature is complicated. She's a woman who goes from isolated and cold to an openly supportive figure. Lightning may still be rough around the edges, but she shows character growth that can be hard to come by for female characters. Too often do players see the following when it comes to women in games or other forms of media:
- A female character who is there for decoration.
- A female character who is there only for romance.
- A female character who is only meant to be added in "diversity" for a cast.
Whether or not fans and players alike think that Lightning is a good protagonist, what can't be debated is the worth that a complex character presents. Seeing different characters is important for anyone to see. Diversity is important not only in appearance, but also in personality. To see people of all kinds struggle and overcome said struggles is vital.
Characters should never feel like characters, but like people. After all, the point of a story is to get invested in the characters and root for them as if they were friends. With everything that Lightning goes through in Final Fantasy 13's trilogy, it is very easy for players to connect with her and sympathize with her and her story.
Why Lightning's Representation Matters in FF13
Growing up, kids should have strong role models to look up to. Not only to reach wider audiences from a marketing standpoint, but so kids (or anyone for that matter) can see themselves in the things that they play, watch, or read about. Final Fantasy 13's Lightning gives young kids, particularly girls, a chance to see that representation.
Even in general, it would be boring and dull to see people with the same personalities go about the same tasks in every single piece of media. To have diversity in games and practice inclusivity is vital. People deserve to see happy people, struggling people, strong women, and weak men—any kind of person not normally seen in media is important representation. People are different in real life, and they should be different in the media that people consume as well.
