Vanille

Vanille, as with the rest of the cast of Final Fantasy XIII, was created by director Motomu Toriyama and scenario writer Daisuke Watanabe, with the overarching theme being "characters at the mercy of a predetermined, unjust fate". Her appearance was designed by recurring Final Fantasy artist Tetsuya Nomura.{{cite book |title=Final Fantasy XIII Scenario Ultimania |publisher=Studio Bentstuff |location=Tokyo |isbn=978-4-7575-2775-1 |pages=50–52 |language=ja |date=1 February 2010}} Due to the story progression, Toriyama wanted a unified point of view, and added Vanille's narration to this end. An element of the character's portrayal in the 2013 sequel Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was guilt at her actions in the backstory of XIII, leading her to be easily manipulated by antagonistic factions. Her story arc also shared a common thread of emotional burdens with the rest of the cast.{{cite book |title=Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania |publisher=Studio Bentstuff |location=Tokyo |isbn=978-4-7575-4158-0|page=737|language=ja |date=19 December 2013}} Her motion capture actress was Asami Katsura, who "played each and every movement carefully" in the original game.{{cite web|url=https://ameblo.jp/asami-katsura/entry-10414404529.html|script-title=ja:FF13|language=ja|publisher=Asami Katsura blog|date=2009-12-19|access-date=2023-06-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124151029/https://ameblo.jp/asami-katsura/entry-10414404529.html|archive-date=2010-01-24|url-status=live}}

Standing {{convert|161|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} tall,{{cite book |title=Final Fantasy XIII Scenario Ultimania |publisher=Studio Bentstuff |location=Tokyo |isbn=978-4-7575-2775-1 |page= 18 |language=ja |date=1 February 2010}} Vanille was given twin pigtails by Nomura to emphasize her "girlish" personality. When asked to make her outfit different from the people of Cocoon, he decided to go with an ethnic costume design and examined tribal cultures around the world. Specifically taking inspiration from the Himba people of Namibia, he implemented elements such as fine ornaments and a fur around the waist into her design. During development, one of the developers insisted on the concept of Vanille using a yo-yo as her weapon, but Nomura felt the idea was uninteresting and a hindrance. After discussion the developer clarified he wanted a weapon with a string that pulled the enemy, and Nomura gave her a fishing rod as a result. Vanille is a "l'Cie": humans cursed with magical powers and a task to complete.{{cite book |title=Final Fantasy XIII Scenario Ultimania |publisher=Studio Bentstuff |location=Tokyo |isbn=978-4-7575-2775-1 |pages= 388–390 |language=ja |date=1 February 2010}} Her crystalline form, the fate of l'Cie who have fulfilled their purpose, was the first to be designed and used as a basis for those of the other characters.{{cite book |title=Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 3|publisher=Dark Horse Comics|isbn=978-1-5067-0801-0|page=311 |date=11 June 2019}} Vanille's design changed little in Lightning Returns, with the only addition being a pink-coloured headdress with ornate horns intended to give an impression of divinity.{{cite book |title=Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania |publisher=Studio Bentstuff |location=Tokyo |isbn=978-4-7575-4158-0|page=746|language=ja |date=19 December 2013}}

File:Fukui Yukari in ACE (cropped).jpg

Vanille is voiced by Yukari Fukui in Japanese.{{cite web|url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Final-Fantasy-XIII/side-by-side/|title=Behind the Voice Actors - Final Fantasy XIII|publisher=Behind the Voice Actors|access-date=14 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809121236/http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Final-Fantasy-XIII/side-by-side|archive-date=9 August 2013|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Final-Fantasy-XIII-2/side-by-side/|title=Behind the Voice Actors - Final Fantasy XIII-2|publisher=Behind the Voice Actors|access-date=14 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130916152118/http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Final-Fantasy-XIII-2/side-by-side/|archive-date=16 September 2013|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Lightning-Returns-Final-Fantasy-XIII/side-by-side/|title=Behind the Voice Actors - Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII|publisher=Behind the Voice Actors|access-date=30 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204024610/http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Lightning-Returns-Final-Fantasy-XIII/side-by-side/|archive-date=4 December 2013|url-status=live}} Fukui, who had previously worked with Square Enix to voice the character Terra in Dissidia: Final Fantasy, stated in an interview in the book Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega that she was offered the role "out of the blue", and went to the audition without even knowing the name of the game until Dissidia staff told her it would be a Final Fantasy title after her performance. When portraying the character she aimed "not to forget to always smile and be energetic and have a positive attitude". She stated the role was a bit challenging, due to Vanille's characterization of secrecy and concern for fellow XIII character Fang. She related these aspects to herself and aimed to portray the character with a positive mindset due to her own experiences. She was told to ad-lib in between lines or during movement to help express the character's innocence, however she was nervous about going off-script and at most ad-libbed onomatopoeias. As the character's narration grew "darker", she deepened her voice gradually to match the tone.{{cite book |title=Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega |publisher=Studio Bentstuff |location=Tokyo |pages=405–409 |isbn=978-4-7575-2958-8 |language=ja |date=4 October 2010}}

In English she was voiced by Georgia van Cuylenburg. According to an interview with Voice Director Jack Fletcher, the localization team for the game wanted an Australian or New Zealand, due to the use of Icelandic sounding voices in Final Fantasy XII. They wanted the dialogue to sound like "from another country or another world" that had its own "melody that wasn't jarring". Upon hearing Cuylenburg's voice he felt it matched the very specific sound and requirements the Japanese developers had wanted for Vanille.{{cite web |url=https://finalfantasyunion.com/final-fantasy-union-jack-fletcher-interview/ |website=Final Fantasy Union |title=Final Fantasy Union: Jack Fletcher Interview |date=May 4, 2010 |accessdate=June 23, 2023 |first=Darryl |last=Kearvell |archive-date=22 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622154656/https://finalfantasyunion.com/final-fantasy-union-jack-fletcher-interview/ |url-status=live }} Cuylenburg was given the call two weeks later confirming she had the role after auditioning. Cuylenburg took about six months to get her voice recording done, with four-hour sessions once or twice per week. The voice cast used the Japanese dub of the game for reference, though particularly with her. Unlike the rest of the cast who the voice directors were working to Americanize the portrayal of those characters, Cuylenburg was instructed to stay with the Japanese performance, which lead her to do a portrayal that was higher pitch and peppy. Cuylenburg found it relatively easy connecting with the character because of the similarities in their basic personalities. She also discussed how, like Vanille, she hid her problems behind a perky personality.{{cite web|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2010/03/21/siliconera-sounds-off-wrapping-up-with-the-voice-behind-vanille/|title=Siliconera Sounds Off: Wrapping Up With The Voice Behind Vanille|first=Ishaan|last=Sahdev|publisher=Siliconera|date=21 March 2010|access-date=19 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029072343/http://www.siliconera.com/2010/03/21/siliconera-sounds-off-wrapping-up-with-the-voice-behind-vanille/|archive-date=29 October 2013|url-status=live}} She also discussed how she portrayed Vanille as a little sister type to Fang. During the first session, Cuylenburg had to learn how to do various sounds that Vanille would incorporate into her dialogue.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsSY4svjABA |title=Vanille Speaks! FFXIII's Georgia van Cuylenburg Interview with Myouterspace |work=My Outer Space |date=2011 |accessdate=April 30, 2023 |archive-date=30 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430224108/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsSY4svjABA |url-status=live}}

In the backstory of Final Fantasy XII, Vanille, together with her childhood friend Oerba Yun Fang, is a resident of the village of Oerba on the world of Gran Pulse. Gran Pulse and the floating artificial world of Cocoon are each controlled by a sect of the "fal'Cie", a race of demigods whose two factions, the "Sanctum" population on Cocoon and the "Pulse" fal'Cie from Gran Pulse, are hostile toward one another. Vanille and Fang are branded as l'Cie by the Gran Pulse fal'Cie Anima. They are destined to become Ragnarok, a monster that will destroy Cocoon and fulfil the fal'Cie's wish to summon their creator, dubbed the Maker, through a mass human sacrifice. When Vanille refuses her task, Fang becomes an incomplete Ragnarok, and the two fall into crystal stasis for five centuries within Cocoon.{{cite video game|title=Final Fantasy XIII |developer=Square Enix |publisher=Square Enix |date=9 March 2010 |platform=PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|quote=Datalog - The Heavenly Deceit: Ragnarok took wing; made to smite Cocoon, and thereby deliver us our everlasting peace. [...] The Goddess pitied the fools who so blindly bowed to Lindzei's will, and so She robbed Ragnarok of power, putting the l'Cie to an early crystal sleep, Focus yet incomplete.}}

Thirteen days before the start of Final Fantasy XIII, she and Fang wake from crystal stasis in the Pulse Vestige holding the fal'Cie Anima, initiating the chain of events that would lead to the Sanctum's Purge.{{cite book |publisher=Square Enix |isbn=9784757527706 |title=Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise- |date=December 2009 |first1=Jun |last1=Eishima |first2=Motomu |last2=Toriyama |first3=Daisuke |last3=Watanabe |language=Japanese}} Together with other Purgees of Cocoon including Hope Estheim and his mother, she is rescued by Snow Villiers' group, NORA. After Hope's mother dies during the rescue, she encourages him to follow and confront Snow, and she sees them become l'Cie. After the party splits up, Vanille, along with Sazh Katzroy, resolve to run away from their fate, but both she and Sazh are captured; Vanille reveals she is indirectly responsible for recent events, driving Sazh into a brief emotional crisis.{{cite video game |title=Final Fantasy XIII |developer=Square Enix |publisher=Square Enix |date=9 March 2010 |platform=PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|quote=Datalog - Sugar and Rainbows: Sazh's brand suddenly glows with burning intensity, and the Eidolon Brynhildr appears before the despairing father. He doesn't even try to run. Maybe death is the easiest path. But then Vanille puts herself between them. Sazh may despise her for what she's done, but she can't let him die.}} After the two are rescued, Vanille reunites with Fang. On Gran Pulse, Fang regains her memory of becoming Ragnarok, and while initially angry she convinces Vanille to confess the truth and they reconcile.{{cite video game|title=Final Fantasy XIII |developer=Square Enix |publisher=Square Enix |date=9 March 2010 |platform=PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|quote=Datalog - Helping Hands: Here, where it all began, Fang finally uncovers the truth that Vanille has so desperately tried to conceal. The l'Cie who became Ragnarok and attacked Cocoon during the war was not her cheerful friend but Fang herself. Not wanting Fang to bear the guilt of the beast's bloody rampage, Vanille chose to take the blame in her stead.}} Along with the others they defeat the fal'Cie Orphan, the source of Cocoon's power and orchestrator of the latest attempt to summon the Maker.{{cite video game|title=Final Fantasy XIII |developer=Square Enix |publisher=Square Enix |date=9 March 2010 |platform=PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|quote=Datalog - Orphan: This mysterious being fuels the fal'Cie Eden with the power necessary to maintain Cocoon's complex operational systems, and as such, its death would bring about Cocoon's certain destruction.}} Upon his death, she and Fang transform into Ragnarok together and form a crystal pillar to prevent Cocoon from colliding with Gran Pulse.{{cite video game|title=Final Fantasy XIII-2 |developer=Square Enix |publisher=Square Enix |date=31 January 2012 |platform=PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|quote=Datalog - The Crystal Pillar: During the catastrophe of 0 AF, a gigantic crystal pillar appeared and caught Cocoon in its embrace. This miracle was the work of Fang and Vanille, two women who sacrificed themselves to achieve the impossible.}}

In the novel Final Fantasy XIII-2: Fragments Before, Vanille and Fang remain in crystal stasis within the pillar. From there, the two see everything that is going on, staying unaffected by the changes in the timeline that occur in XIII-2.{{cite book |title=Final Fantasy XIII-2: Fragments Before |chapter= 1: imaginary and real |last=Eishima |first=Jun |publisher=Square Enix |location=Tokyo |isbn=978-4-7575-3466-7 |pages= 5–35 |language=ja |date=21 June 2012}} In Final Fantasy XIII-2, though still held in the pillar, Vanille and Fang appear to help protagaonist Serah Farron escape from an endless dream.{{cite video game|title=Final Fantasy XIII-2 |developer=Square Enix |publisher=Square Enix |date=31 January 2012 |platform=PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|quote=Serah: So this is a dream after all. But, why did you come? / Fang: Because you've needed help. [...] We've come to break you out of this fantasy of yours.}} At the end of the game, Hope and others rescue them from the collapsing pillar.{{cite video game|title=Final Fantasy XIII-2 |developer=Square Enix |publisher=Square Enix |date=31 January 2012 |platform=PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|quote=Sazh: We've got Vanille and Fang. Their crystal is intact. Bringing 'em home. / Hope: Thank you, Sazh. They've kept our world safe for centuries. Now they can rest, and join us in our new ark.}} In an alternate "Paradox Ending" for the game titled "Vanille's Truth", Serah encounters a crystallized Vanille, who remained in Oerba when Fang became Ragnarok and laments she did not apologize to her friend. Serah promises to bring Fang to her.{{cite video game|title=Final Fantasy XIII-2 |developer=Square Enix |publisher=Square Enix |date=31 January 2012 |platform=PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|level=Paradox Ending: Vanille's Truth}}

In Lightning Returns, Vanille and Fang awoke from crystal stasis in Luxerion thirteen years before the game's events, with Vanille gaining the ability to hear the voices of the dead. Because of her power, the Order—a religious organization devoted to the deity Bhunivelze—dubbed Vanille a saint and had her stay in their protective care, confined to the cathedral.{{cite web|url=http://dengekionline.com/elem/000/000/679/679970/|title=ライトニングの胸は"Dカップで揺れる"ことも確定！『ライトニングリターンズ ファイナルファンタジーXIII』プレコミュ体験会の模様をお届け|publisher=Dengeki Online|date=27 June 2013|access-date=27 July 2013|archive-date=1 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801182133/http://dengekionline.com/elem/000/000/679/679970/|url-status=live}} She is vital to the Soulsong, a ritual to bring the dead peace at the cost of her life; Vanille wants to go through with it to atone for the deaths she feels she caused,{{cite video game|title=Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII |developer=Square Enix |publisher=Square Enix |date=11 February 2014 |platform=PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|quote=Datalog - The Winds of Chaos: Vanille herself says that she wants to use this power to bring the peace to the dead. It is a wish born of the remorse that she still feels for all the deaths for which she believes she was responsible.}} but the Soulsong will destroy rather than save the dead by erasing the living's memories of them. On the day of the apocalypse, Fang along with protagonist Lightning persuade Vanille to stop the ritual and instead use her power to free the dead and enable them to be reborn in a new world.{{cite video game|title=Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII |developer=Square Enix |publisher=Square Enix |date=February 11, 2014 |platform=PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|quote=Lighting: There is a better way Vanille, you can lead them to safety. Show them the way up, into the Ark. Once they're there, they will be reborn into the new world... / Vanille: You think...I can do that?}} Convinced, Vanille and Fang guide the dead to prepare them for rebirth, saving their souls in turn. Vanille and the others later join Lightning in defeating Bhunivelze's plans to rule over humanity before they journey to the reborn world.{{cite video game|title=Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII |developer=Square Enix |publisher=Square Enix |date=February 11, 2014 |platform=PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|quote=Lighting: The souls of the dead are saved—and yours too.}} Vanille and Fang return in the seventh episode of the follow-up novella Final Fantasy XIII: Reminiscence -tracer of memories-, recounting the events of Lightning Returns to a reporter, and state everyone is content with living in the new world.{{cite magazine |magazine=Famitsu |url=https://www.famitsu.com/sp/140623_ff13/page07.html |title=7 Oerba Dia Vanille ＆ Oerba Yun Fang ヲルバ＝ダイア・ヴァニラ＆ヲルバ＝ユン・ファング – ファイナルファンタジーXIII REMINISCENCE -tracer of memories-/ ファミ通.com |language=Japanese |accessdate=June 23, 2023 |date=June 3, 2014 |first=Daisuke |last=Watanabe |archive-date=23 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623161706/https://www.famitsu.com/sp/140623_ff13/page07.html |url-status=live}}

To promote the game and the character, Square Enix released a wide variety of merchandise utilizing Vanille's image including a clear poster, keychain, drinking glasses, and a small stationary figurine as part of their Trading Arts Mini line.{{cite book |title=Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega |publisher=Studio Bentstuff |location=Tokyo |pages=464–479 |isbn=978-4-7575-2958-8 |language=ja |date=4 October 2010}} A second poseable figure was later released in early 2010 as part of Square Enix's Play Arts Kai line.{{cite web|url=https://ascii.jp/elem/000/000/489/489803/|script-title=ja:みなみけのねんどろいどやFFXIIIのヴァニラが早速フィギュア化！|language=ja|website=ASCII Media Works|date=2010-01-13|access-date=2023-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620072351/https://ascii.jp/elem/000/000/489/489803/|archive-date=2023-06-20|url-status=live}} Her different incarnations were featured in different runs of the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game.{{cite web|url=https://jp.finalfantasy.com/topics/6|script-title=ja:『FF-TCG』プロデューサーインタビュー＆「Opus VI」プレビュー！|language=ja|publisher=Square Enix|date=2018-06-11|access-date=2023-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201033315/https://jp.finalfantasy.com/topics/6|archive-date=2021-12-01|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.square-enix-shop.com/jp/ff-tcg/card/opus13/earth.html|script-title=ja:Opus XIII|language=ja|publisher=Square Enix|access-date=2023-06-21|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230621220358/http://www.square-enix-shop.com/jp/ff-tcg/card/opus13/earth.html|archive-date=2023-06-21|url-status=live}} She features as a guest character or is referenced in multiple Final Fantasy mobile projects including Final Fantasy Record Keeper,{{cite web|url=https://appget.com/c/playlog/80516/ffrecord-playlog-13/|script-title=ja:ファイナルファンタジーレコードキーパー プレイ日記第13回「パルスのファルシのルシがパージでコクーン」FF13イベントでヴァニラを仲間に！|language=ja|website=AppGet|date=2015-10-05|access-date=2023-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002222813/https://appget.com/c/playlog/80516/ffrecord-playlog-13/|archive-date=2022-10-02|url-status=live}} Pictlogica Final Fantasy,{{cite magazine|url=https://app.famitsu.com/20140610_383286/|script-title=ja:【ピクトロジカ FF攻略】プレミアムメモリアのステータスを完全公開（後編）|language=ja|magazine=Famitsu|date=2014-06-10|access-date=2023-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620140511/https://app.famitsu.com/20140610_383286/|archive-date=2023-06-20|url-status=live}} Dissidia Opera Omnia,{{cite web|url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/354/G035422/20170531094/|script-title=ja:「DFF オペラオムニア」にシナリオ断章が追加。スコールたちも再登場|language=ja|website=4Gamer.net|date=2017-05-31|access-date=2023-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170603080951/https://www.4gamer.net/games/354/G035422/20170531094/|archive-date=2017-06-03|url-status=live}} Mobius Final Fantasy,{{cite web|url=https://www.appbank.net/2018/09/23/iphone-application/1628974.php|script-title=ja:【メビウスFF】『FFXIII』ヴァニラをイメージしたレジェンドジョブ登場。『FFVIII』コラボも決定!|language=ja|website=AppBank|date=2018-09-23|access-date=2023-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620133903/https://www.appbank.net/2018/09/23/iphone-application/1628974.php|archive-date=2023-06-20|url-status=live}} and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.{{cite web|url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/282/G028200/20230410059/|script-title=ja:「FF ブレイブエクスヴィアス」，「FFXIII」より“使命に抗う少女ヴァニラ”と“愛深き父サッズ”参戦。7.5周年記念キャンペーンなども実施中|language=ja|website=4Gamer.net|date=2023-04-10|access-date=2023-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620134840/https://www.4gamer.net/games/282/G028200/20230410059/|archive-date=2023-06-20|url-status=live}} Outside Final Fantasy, Vanille was featured as a selectable player avatar in both Kingdom Hearts Mobile and PlayStation Home.{{cite web|url=http://blog.jp.square-enix.com/kingdom/2010/02/14.html|script-title=ja:第14回ミニゲーム期間ランキング発表|language=ja|publisher=Square Enix|date=2010-02-10|access-date=2023-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211081734/http://blog.jp.square-enix.com/kingdom/2010/02/14.html|archive-date=2010-02-11|url-status=live}}

Since her appearance in Final Fantasy XIII, Vanille has received mixed reception, with Push Square writer Sammy Barket bemoaning her presence in its sequel.{{cite web |url=https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2013/10/oh_no_vanilles_going_to_be_in_lighting_returns_final_fantasy_xiii |title=Oh No, Vanille's Going to Be in Lighting Returns: Final Fantasy XIII |work=Push Square |last=Barker |first=Sam |date=October 2, 2013 |accessdate=April 30, 2023 |archive-date=30 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430224258/https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2013/10/oh_no_vanilles_going_to_be_in_lighting_returns_final_fantasy_xiii |url-status=live}} USgamer writer Samantha Leichtamer criticized Vanille for being annoying, a sentiment that The Gameological Society shared despite enjoying Vanille and Fang's relationship.{{cite web |url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/10-lamest-video-game-characters-of-all-time |title=10 Lamest Video Game Characters of All Time |work=USgamer |last=Leichtamer |first=Samantha |date=April 27, 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128045018/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/10-lamest-video-game-characters-of-all-time |archivedate=November 28, 2020 |accessdate=April 30, 2023}}{{cite web |url=http://gameological.com/2012/07/something-other-than-a-man-15-games-that-pass-the-bechdel-test/index.html |title=Something other than a man: 15 games that pass the Bechdel Test |work=The Gameological Society |last1=Agnello |first1=Anthony John |last2=Keiser |first2=Joe |last3=Nelson |first3=Samantha |last4=Sanskrit |first4=Derrick |last5=Teti |first5=John |date=July 18, 2012 |access-date=September 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519071841/http://gameological.com/2012/07/something-other-than-a-man-15-games-that-pass-the-bechdel-test/index.html |archive-date=May 19, 2019 |url-status=live}} RPGFan writer Kyle E. Miller criticized Vanille due to her defense mechanisms, while fellow RPGFan writer James Quentin Clark felt she got better as the story progressed.{{cite web |url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/Final_Fantasy_XIII/index3.html |title=Final Fantasy XIII |work=RPGFan |last=Miller |first=Kyle E. |date=March 29, 2010 |access-date=September 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530231254/http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/Final_Fantasy_XIII/index3.html |archive-date=May 30, 2019 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/Final_Fantasy_XIII/index.html |title=Final Fantasy XIII |work=RPGFan |last=Clark |first=James Quentin |date=October 10, 2010 |access-date=September 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714030156/http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/Final_Fantasy_XIII/index.html |archive-date=July 14, 2019 |url-status=live}} Chad Concelmo, writing for Destructoid, liked her role as narrator and felt she was misunderstood. He found her relatable due to her "annoyingly positive" personality.{{cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/in-defense-of-vanille-169278.phtml|title=In defense of Vanille|last=Concelmo|first=Chad|date=June 20, 2017|access-date=April 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404073602/http://www.destructoid.com/in-defense-of-vanille-169278.phtml|archive-date=April 4, 2010|url-status=live}} Matt Sainsbury of Digital Downloaded expressed confusion as to why the character was seen as disliked, calling her his favorite of the game's cast and a "sweet hearted and good-natured girl that goes through some of the most significant changes" of all the game's characters.{{cite web |last=Sainsbury |first=Matt |title=The Friday Ten: Ten characters from Final Fantasy that should be added to Dissidia |date=February 2, 2018 |accessdate=June 19, 2023 |website=Digital Downloaded |url=http://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2018/02/the-friday-ten-ten-characters-from.html |archive-date=27 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527104324/http://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2018/02/the-friday-ten-ten-characters-from.html |url-status=live}} Writer Mattie Brice regarded Vanille as being one of her favorite Final Fantasy characters due to her "cheerful and energetic" personality, adding that Vanille's femininity, as well as the directions Cuylenburg received, informed her negative reception in part.{{cite web |url=http://www.mattiebrice.com/valuing-the-feminine-why-i-love-vanille/ |title=Valuing the Feminine: Why I Love Vanille |work=Alternate Ending |last=Brice |first=Mattie |date=February 27, 2012 |accessdate=April 30, 2023 |archive-date=30 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530231254/http://www.mattiebrice.com/valuing-the-feminine-why-i-love-vanille/ |url-status=live}} While Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of Edge felt she was another example of "queasily sexualised infants" in the franchise, he noted the character's "ditzy" personality also betrayed a "mountain of guilt".{{cite magazine |magazine=Edge |date=February 2020 |title=Final Fantasy XIII |first=Edwin |last=Evans-Thirlwell |issue=341}}

On the character's voice, Brice felt that the Australian accent that Vanille and Fang have helped make the characters feel more exotic and emphasize the difference between them and the American-accented protagonists.{{cite web |url=http://www.mattiebrice.com/speaking-in-accents-and-the-american-ethnocentrism-in-video-games/ |title=Speaking in Accents and the American Ethnocentrism in Video Games |last=Brice |first=Mattie |date=15 November 2011 |access-date=September 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531020958/http://www.mattiebrice.com/speaking-in-accents-and-the-american-ethnocentrism-in-video-games/ |archive-date=May 31, 2019 |url-status=live}} Jess Kinghorn in an article for PlayStation Official Magazine – UK felt that her Australian accent was used to set her and Fang apart from the rest of the cast as "directorial shorthand to communicate their displacement in time", and was a better example to illustrate this aspect than "having the pair spout Ye Olde English".{{cite magazine |last=Kinghorn |first=Jess |title=I'd Very Much Like to Get an Earful From a Variety of Voices All Over the World—Not Just Brits or Americans |date=June 2020 |issue=175 |magazine=PlayStation Official Magazine – UK}} Nightmare Mode writer Big Shell felt that Cuylenburg was the perfect fit for the role, as both Cuylenburg and Vanille mask parts of their identity to assimilate with a certain culture. They didn't take issue with Vanille's voice as much, as they recognized Vanille as "pseudo-American-pretending-to-be-Australian-pretending-to-be-American accent" due to their own experiences having to assimilate.{{cite web |url=http://nightmaremode.net/2012/03/in-defence-of-vanilles-accent-17550/ |website=Nightmare Mode |title=In defence of Vanille's accent |author=Big Shell |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909083400/http://nightmaremode.net/2012/03/in-defence-of-vanilles-accent-17550/ |archivedate=September 9, 2013 |url-status=usurped |accessdate=April 30, 2023}} However, some were more critical of her portrayal, with GameSpot{{'}}s Kevin VanOrd calling Vanille a "incessantly irritating waif" whose "superbubbly voice and high-pitched monosyllabic chirps exceed tolerable limits", even in a genre known for such characters.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/final-fantasy-xiii-review/1900-6252887/ |title=Final Fantasy XIII Review |work=GameSpot |last=VanOrd |first=Kevin |date=March 9, 2010 |accessdate=April 30, 2023 |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207205812/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/final-fantasy-xiii-review/1900-6252887/ |url-status=live}} Commenting on reactions to her performance, Georgia Van Cuylenburg stated she tended to receive very positive or very negative reception, and while she understood some of the negative reactions she was particularly disheartened by some of the reviews due to it being the first time she received such extreme feedback, finding VanOrd's to be particularly harsh.{{cite web |url=https://stevivor.com/features/interviews/georgia-van-cuylenburg-final-fantasy-xiiis-vanille-on-internet-abuse-voice-acting-via-twitch-and-aussie-representation/ |title=Final Fantasy XIII's Georgia Van Cuylenburg on internet abuse, voice acting via Twitch & Aussie representation |work=Stevivor |last=Rizzo-Smith |first=Julian |date=January 10, 2017 |accessdate=April 30, 2023 |archive-date=30 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430210422/https://stevivor.com/features/interviews/georgia-van-cuylenburg-final-fantasy-xiiis-vanille-on-internet-abuse-voice-acting-via-twitch-and-aussie-representation/ |url-status=live}}

Journalist Natalie Flores described Vanille as a "subversion of the happy girl archetype" due to her utilization of a bubbly facade to mask "the cynicism and darkness that lurks underneath".{{cite web |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/behind-final-fantasy-13s-linearity-lies-the-series-most-complex-cast/ |title=Behind Final Fantasy 13's linearity lies the series' most complex cast |website=PCGamer |date=March 19, 2022 |last=Flores |first=Natalie |accessdate=June 19, 2023 |archive-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619131539/https://www.pcgamer.com/behind-final-fantasy-13s-linearity-lies-the-series-most-complex-cast/ |url-status=live}} In an article for Fanbyte titled An Ode to Final Fantasy XIII's Oerba Dia Vanille she expanded upon these thoughts, stating that while Final Fantasy XIII took several attempts to "click" for her she enjoyed Vanille's character almost immediately, feeling an affinity towards her appearance, attire and high-pitched voice. She noted that while it was hard argue against the notion that Vanille is the worst character of XIII{{'}}s main cast, Flores described her as "perhaps even one of the most flawed main characters in the three-decades-old franchise". While the character manipulates and lies to get what she wants and protect those close to her, using her "empathetic, cute, and bubbly" aspects to disarm others, this also leaves Vanille infuriated. Flores cite that she is constantly underestimated by the men around her, and was often shown unaware of how to proceed. However, Flores argued that these traits made her Vanille a woman worth looking up to, due to the contradictions of her character, and her contrast against many female characters in fictional media, and Vanille's acceptance that she will make mistakes constantly.{{cite web |url=https://www.fanbyte.com/trending/an-ode-to-final-fantasy-xiiis-oerba-dia-vanille/ |title=An Ode to Final Fantasy XIII's Oerba Dia Vanille |date=April 26, 2020 |website=Fanbyte |last=Flores |first=Natalie |accessdate=June 19, 2023 |archive-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619153002/https://www.fanbyte.com/trending/an-ode-to-final-fantasy-xiiis-oerba-dia-vanille/ |url-status=live}} She emphasized the character's influence upon her again in a later article for the website, lamenting that while she could see Vanille were some of the most well written women in games, she hadn't felt that way about later female characters in Final Fantasy for some time.{{cite web |url=https://www.fanbyte.com/trending/the-writing-for-last-decades-final-fantasy-women-has-me-cautious-of-ffxvi/ |title=The Writing For Last Decade's Final Fantasy Women Has Me Cautious Of FFXVI |last=Flores |first=Natalie |date=November 3, 2020 |accessdate=June 19, 2023 |website=Fanbyte |archive-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619132811/https://www.fanbyte.com/trending/the-writing-for-last-decades-final-fantasy-women-has-me-cautious-of-ffxvi/ |url-status=live}}

Jérémie Kermarrec in the book La Légende Final Fantasy XIII described Vanille as one of the most serious characters in the XIII series, noting that some interpreted her character as an immature coward while others saw her with admiration for her refusal to destroy Cocoon, and considered her "ultimately very human" in terms of this ambiguity. Karmarrec further praised the character's positive front despite her awareness of the events surrounding the first game's story, and her companion's own animosity towards the inhabitants of Gran Pulse. He however lamented that possibly due to the character's guilt she grew very little during the course of the subsequent games and related media, despite how well developed he found her characterization and the attention to detail in her design in Final Fantasy XIII.{{cite book |title=La Légende Final Fantasy XIII |language=French |first=Jérémie |last=Kermarrec |date=July 2021 |publisher=Third Edition |isbn=9782377841950 |pages=148–151}}

Flores additionally noted Vanille's relationship with Fang also allowed her to relate to the character "as a queer person", noting that while the characters were never stated to be in a relationship their closeness, willingness to defend each other, and were "one of the first examples — if not the first example" of two women aware of each other's "most significant flaws, mistakes, and regrets, yet choose to love each other and push each other to be better people regardless", and emphasized the impression it had on her as a young girl. Other sources shared this interpretation, with Vice News writer Aoife Wilson calling their sacrifice one of Final Fantasy{{'}}s greatest moments and stating "even if only ever hinted at, a gay female relationship is kind of a big deal for Final Fantasy. Or any big gaming franchise, for that matter".{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/7b75ad/the-greatest-moments-of-final-fantasy-part-1-446 |title=The Greatest Moments of 'Final Fantasy', Part 1 |work=Vice News |last=Wilson |first=Aoife |date=March 24, 2015 |accessdate=April 30, 2023 |archive-date=30 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430220300/https://www.vice.com/en/article/7b75ad/the-greatest-moments-of-final-fantasy-part-1-446 |url-status=live}} GameSpot staff regarded Vanille and Fang's relationship "platonic or otherwise" as one of the best love stories in video games, further stating it may be "the only glimpse of human warmth in this otherwise ice-cold adventure".{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/14-great-love-stories-from-video-games/2900-59/ |title=14 Great Love Stories From Video Games |work=GameSpot |date=March 11, 2019 |accessdate=April 30, 2023 |archive-date=30 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530231259/https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/14-great-love-stories-from-video-games/2900-59/ |url-status=live}} Cuylenburg noted that she performed Vanille as a younger sister type, but enjoyed the romantic interpretations regardless.

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• {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy}}

{{Final Fantasy}}

Category:Characters designed by Tetsuya Nomura

Category:Female characters in video games

Category:Fictional superhuman healers

Category:Fictional characters who use magic

Category:Orphan characters in video games

Category:Video game characters introduced in 2009

Category:Video game characters who use magic

Category:Video game characters with fire or heat abilities

Category:Video game characters with ice or cold abilities

Category:Final Fantasy XIII characters