FF13 Lightning ruin the chances of giving female leads in the future

Since Final Fantasy XIII, there hasn't been a female protagonist following Lightning. She was the last playable female lead character in the series. Despite being part of a trilogy, Lightning's character wasn't well-received due to various reasons. She often displayed rude behavior, even slapping her male teammates, which made her less likable. This contrasted with characters like Cloud and Squall, who were aloof but didn't resort to physical aggression. Lightning's gloomy personality also made her hard to relate to for many players. Games released after Final Fantasy XIII, like Lightning Returns, faced similar reception issues. Subsequent games like Final Fantasy XV and XVI also had male protagonists, with limited or no playable female characters in the main party. While Final Fantasy VII Remake featured female party members, it's a remake. Hopes remain for future Final Fantasy titles to include playable female characters. Similar trends can be observed in the Resident Evil series, where female leads became rarer over time due to various factors, not solely their gender. Japan's industry may be showing less confidence in female protagonists, but sales and marketing mistakes play a significant role in overall game reception. The key lies in well-crafted characters, regardless of gender.

totally agree! Lightning was indeed poorly written, but it's unfair to blame her gender. I've always felt that strong character development matters more than whether a protagonist is male or female.

I see where you're coming from, but I actually enjoyed Lightning's character. Her toughness and flaws made her unique. And about the lack of female protagonists, I think it's just a phase. Gaming trends change, so we might see more diverse characters in the future.

I agree that Lightning's character wasn't the best, but there are instances of strong and compelling female protagonists. Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn and Ellie from The Last of Us are excellent examples. It's essential to focus on character depth rather than generalizing based on gender.

It's sad that Square Enix blames only Lightning's gender for her not being liked. That's why they stopped using female main characters after her. But they forget that they once made a popular female lead: Terra from Final Fantasy VI. Terra's story was really well told. She struggled with being part human and part Esper, which many people could relate to. Watching her change and become stronger was great. This shows that a character's success isn't just about gender. Square Enix should remember what worked with Terra and try to make characters like her again.

Looking at a potential Final Fantasy VI remake, it's likely that Square Enix could regain confidence in having female protagonists and playable female characters. The presence of well-crafted characters such as Terra and Celes in the game might encourage them to explore women in their upcoming projects.

At least Square Enix has provided female protagonists in some DLCs. For example, Yuffie has her own DLC titled "Intergrade" in Final Fantasy VII Remake where she takes the lead role. It's a good consolation, even though it's not a full-fledged female lead role. However, it's evident that currently, in Japan as a whole, there's less confidence in female protagonists, except when they're in DLCs or unlockable roles. It's noticeable that many Japanese developers invest less effort when the protagonist is female. Unfortunately, they tend to attribute failures to this and subsequently shy away from creating more female protagonists, which is disheartening. Nonetheless, the well-received Final Fantasy VII Remake DLC featuring Yuffie does offer a glimmer of hope for change in the future.

I can't help but feel that by the time we see a new Final Fantasy game with a female protagonist that's not a remake or DLC, I might be around 60 years old. It's a reality I've come to accept, even though it's disheartening. This trend is also noticeable in other Japanese games, like Resident Evil. Jill Valentine was incredibly popular, yet she hasn't returned in a new game outside of remakes. It's a sad state of affairs.

Final Fantasy XIII makes me feel like it's a reimagining of Final Fantasy VII. When you consider it, Lightning is akin to a female version of Cloud Strife, with the only difference being that Cloud Strife does not slap his team members. It's rather peculiar that Final Fantasy XIII managed to have three games, whereas Final Fantasy XV had its DLC cancelled.

It's clear that some fans are dissatisfied with Lightning's character, and this may have led Square Enix to misjudge the reception of female protagonists in the series. It's important to note that not all fans share this sentiment, and many would welcome well-written female characters as leads in future Final Fantasy games.