About the Site

I had been a fan of the Final Fantasy series for many years, but FFXIII was the first entry in the main series that I got to play the day it came out — I didn't own a PS2 when FFXII was released, and wasn't able to play that game until several years after its release. This made playing FFXIII a really special experience for me; for once, I got to enjoy the game at the same time everyone else did, rather than years later, as most of my experience with FF has been. (The woes of not growing up with a console.)

It took me much longer to get into XIII-2; I got it the day it came out, but didn't play more than an hour or two at the time, and it wasn't until shortly before Lightning Returns came out that I played it. (Long story.) I was pleasantly surprised by all of the gameplay improvements, and while by that point I'd been spoiled for the plot, I ended up enjoying it far more than I expected to. And then, of course, Lightning Returns took my heart and broke it into a million pieces.

The true heart of the FFXIII series is its characters. I fell in love with Lightning immediately, but I believe each of the main six characters has a fantastic character arc in the first game, and I really enjoyed watching them all play out. I love the worldbuilding and the gameplay, but what keeps bringing me back to these games time and time again are the characters.

While I do recognize that FFXIII isn't perfect, I don't think it deserves the sheer vitriol I often see directed its way. This site is my way of showing some love to one of my favorite series within the overall FF series. I decided to make this site shortly after finishing LR, and planned to pair it with my upcoming Lightning fansite. I was unexpectedly (but happily!) approved for the FFXIII fanlisting in May 2014, which is why this site is open in the state you see it now. Please bear with me as I work to complete the rest of the upcoming sections.

The site name naturally comes from the track "Defiers of Fate" from the FFXIII OST. The name was a no-brainer for me: the entire FFXIII series is about the characters fighting to defy their fates, whether it's their Focuses as l'Cie, fixing the timeline, or any deity who gets in their way. I also really like the parallel with FFVIII's motif of "fated children."