Oerba Dia Vanille | CYOA

Oerba Dia Vanille is a character in the Lightning Saga, being playable in Final Fantasy XIII and appearing as a non-player character in Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

In Final Fantasy XIII, Vanille is separated from her childhood friend and appears alongside Hope Estheim and his mother, Nora, as a Purge victim. She gets drawn into a conflict that forces her to confront her past demons and decide Cocoon's fate. In Final Fantasy XIII-2, Vanille makes a cameo appearance alongside Fang when they meet Serah Farron in a dream world. In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Vanille is gifted with remarkable power and lives under the care of a religious cult called the Order of Salvation.

In Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2, Vanille has bright red hair tied in curled pigtails, green eyes, and pierced ears with silver hoop earrings. She has the physical appearance of a 19-year-old. According to an interview with Yoshinori Kitase and Motomu Toriyama, Japanese model and singer Meisa Kuroki inspired Vanille's face. The Namibian Himba women's traditional clothes inspired Vanille's outfit. She wears a pink halter top, an ombré orange and yellow skirt, beige boots, and a fur pelt around her waist to carry her weapon, made from a bear that she defeated herself, according to the Dengeki PS3 magazine. She wears numerous bracelets, three beaded necklaces, and beads attached to various sections. Vanille's l'Cie brand is on her upper-left thigh, hidden by her skirt.

In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Vanille wears a headdress resembling a mix of a dupatta and a religious habit. It has a red, gold, and transparent pink veil covering her hair and shoulders and gold ornaments covering her forehead. It has two silver horn-like ornaments attached to the back and curving around the sides of her head, evoking the image of a halo befitting Vanille's new holy status and resembling Bhunivelze's crest, which serves as the Order's emblem.

In Final Fantasy XIII, Vanille has an eccentric child-like innocence. In Episode Zero -Promise-, Fang mentions that Vanille loves caring for animals and cooking, though her meals are sometimes bland. She is thoughtful and empathetic, easily driven to tears, and cares deeply for others, especially her childhood friend, Fang. She takes offense when others mock her intelligence and accuse her of not taking things seriously. Despite many hardships, Vanille remains a caring and upbeat person who tries to stay positive in situations that others deem hopeless. Vanille uses her carefree persona to mask her fear and guilt; when her guard drops, she wallows in her misery and beats herself up for her flaws. During her journey, Vanille learns to stop running from her problems and past mistakes and become strong enough to fight for her friends and beliefs.

In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Vanille has become a follower of Bhunivelze and helps the Order carry out his will due to living under the group's protection and being subjected to its doctrine. She is close friends with Lumina, who describes them as "thick as thieves". Vanille has become solemn, rarely showing a trace of her upbeat nature, still regretting the suffering that her past actions caused, and hopes to use her new power to make amends. In Final Fantasy XIII: Reminiscence -tracer of memories-, Fang describes Vanille as taking everything seriously, making her easy to manipulate by telling her what she wants to hear, and Vanille describes herself as occasionally stubborn, but mostly a gullible pushover.