If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 – walkthrough (Xbox 360, PS3)

From Luxerion to The Dead Dunes, we've got a complete walkthrough for Lighting Returns, the concluding entry in Final Fantasy 13's story.

Lightning Returns, the third and final game in the Final Fantasy 13 storyline, has finally been released. Resurrected in order to usher the souls of the living from a soon-to-be-doomed world into the next, there's also no shortage of loose ends for Lightning to tie up in this winding tale. To help you navigate all this content, we've created a walkthrough that will take you right through this concluding game's storyline.

That tale's comprised of a lengthy main campaign that takes in a handful of different core locations, all of which have been stuffed with plenty of side quests to keep you busy. To make things a bit more manageable, we've broken everything down into individual articles that you should find pretty easy to digest as you work your way through the game.

Cover image for YouTube video[4K] Final Fantasy 13: Xbox One X Enhanced - And The Best Version Yet
[4K] Final Fantasy 13: Xbox One X Enhanced - And The Best Version Yet

Lightning Returns - Luxerion quest, Lumina fight, hidden code, Noel Fight
Lightning's story begins in the city of Luxerion, where an enigmatic gang of hooded ne'er-do-wells are roaming the streets and frightening the punters in the shopping district. Untangling this mystery begins with a stealth section of questionable quality, and concludes with the game's first boss showdown. The opening part of our walkthrough steers you through the safety of the shadows, before ensuring you actually live long enough to enjoy the next chapter.

Lightning Returns - Luxerion side quests, Zomok fight, clock locations
We can get you through the opening chapter of Lightning Returns pretty quickly, but before you move on it's worth levelling up a little by finishing up a few of the side quests peppered throughout Luxerion. As well as helping you to grow in strength, you'll also get your hands on a few critical items of gear that will definitely help you out in your future adventures.

Lightning Returns - Luxerion Canvas of Prayers, monster locations
In addition to the side quests you'll stumble across in your adventures, you'll also gain access to a quest system called the Canvas of Prayers shortly after landing in Luxerion. We've got a guide to finishing all of the combat-centric quests you can get your hands on in the city.

Lightning Returns - Yusnaan quest, Cyclops fight, ID location, Snow fight
You'll soon discover that combat gets much more interesting in the second of Lightning Returns' four chapters, set this time Yusnaan, the city of pleasure. Be careful with your cash, and make sure you keep a few thousand Gil on you as you work through this section - you'll need the money to progress the main quest here. Make sure you're comfortable with the combat system too, so that you're fighting-fit for a showdown with the elusive Snow.

Lightning Returns - Yusnaan side quests, restaurant locations, Desmond fight
Yusnaan has a few fun adventures of its own, so we've put together a rundown of all the side quests you can pick up while you're working through the main storyline. There are a few jobs in this chapter of the game that can only be finished at a certain point in the main quest too, so those looking to tick off every last side mission should look closely at this part of our guide.

Lightning Returns - Yusnaan Canvas of Prayers, quest items, enemy locations
You can finish off quite a few of Yusnaan's Canvas of Prayers quests while running around the region working on the more traditional questing content. We've got a comprehensive guide to all of these side-activities, along with all of the rewards you can get for battling your way through them. We've listed them alphabetically too, so you can quickly reference whichever one you're stuck on without ruining too much of the action for yourself.

Updates for our walkthrough will be added frequently - watch this space!

Lightning Returns - Wildlands quest, chocobos, Reaver fight, Caius fight, Cactair fight
Ready for the second half of Lightning Returns? If you've completed all of the main and side quests available in Luxerion and Yusnaan, we've got a guide for making it through the main quest set in the Wildlands. You can look forward to some tough but fun fights built around some interesting combat mechanics in this third chapter of the game. There are chocobos too!

Lightning Returns - Wildlands side quests, Temple of the Goddess, sheep quests, chocobos
The Wildlands section of the game has many more side missions than you'll have enjoyed in Luxerion and Yusnaan, so don't be too quick to move on from this region. If you've been glugging down potions at a fair old rate, one of these quests will even increase the number of Recover Items you can carry permanently. Make sure you pick up all the best rewards this chapter has to offer before heading on to the game's conclusion.

Lightning Returns - Wildlands Canvas of Prayers, quest item locations, Mystical Meal
If you like slaying creatures indiscriminately, you're in for a bit of a treat with the Canvas of Prayers content sprinkled around the Wildlands. A lot of these quests task you with nothing more complicated than killing huge numbers of treacherous beasts in exchange for their quest items - and we've got all the information you need for tracking down each and every monster.

Lightning Returns - Dead Dunes quest, Grendel fight, Crux pieces, Temple Ruins
The fourth main quest in Lightning Returns - set in the Dead Dunes region - is a relatively short affair, but it's rounded off with a pretty intense fight against the Grendel. Our walkthrough for the region will get you fighting fit and ready for the game's Final Day in equally short order.

Lightning Returns - Dead Dunes side quests, killing Aeronite, Bhakti's Oils
It won't take you too long at all to finish off the collection of side quests spread throughout the Dead Dunes, but there's certainly a tough fight or two to master in this region. Take a thorough look through our guide before getting stuck into the Aeronite monster, as you need a very specific strategy for beating this challenging creature.

Lightning Returns - Dead Dunes Canvas of Prayers, Earth Eater fight, Pilgrim's Crux locations
Before moving onto the final part of Lightning's main story, it's well worth completing all of the Canvas of Prayers quests you can pack up in the Dead Dunes region. Not only are there some silly cosmetic rewards to unlock in these parts, you'll also get a few very useful combat boosts to help you kill the two deadly bosses found in the game's Final Day.

As well as a complete walkthrough for the game, we'll be bringing you individual boss fight guides, quest item locations and much more.

Lightning Returns - Final Day, Bhunivelze guide, Chimera strategy, four trials
In the game's Final Day, Lightning has to see off two pretty intimidating enemies. The first of these, Chimera, shouldn't be too much trouble if you keep your wits about you, but you'll find our tips for the four phases of the Bhunivelze battle worth reading before you begin it.

Lightning Returns - Global Canvas of Prayers, key locations, quest item locations
Tying up some last bits and bobs before hitting the final boss fights of Lightning Returns? Here's a quick guide to finishing off all of the global Canvas of Prayers mission that open up as you play through the game.

Lightning Returns - Luxerion boss fights, Noel fight, Zaltys fight, Zomok fight
If you're struggling to kill a specific boss in Lightning Returns, but don't want to spoil the meat of the story for yourself, have a look through our guide to all three of the trickiest fights in the city of Luxerion.

Lightning Returns - Yusnaan boss fights, Cyclops fight, Desmond fight, Snow fight
There are three particularly challenging enemies to fight in the second chapter of Lighting Returns. From Snow himself to the club-wielding Cyclops, we've got a simple guide to all of the tactics you need to win each fight.

Lightning Returns - Caius Ballad guide, Cactair guide, Chocobo Eater guide, Reaver guide
There are four fights that could cause you a particular problem in the Wildlands region of Lightning Returns. Whether you're struggling to beat the Chocobo Eater, or you just can't find a way to finish the Caius Ballad fight, we've got some essential hints and tips that will help you beat the toughest opponents.

Lightning Returns - Luxerion item locations, quest items, monster drops
A lot of the side quests and Canvas of Prayers content in Lightning Returns has you running all over the world, searching for all kinds of items that drop from the corpses of monsters. If you need to be pointed in the right direction, but you don't want to spoil too much of the journey, we've got a guide that will help you locate every quest item you could possibly need.

Lightning Returns - Yusnaan quest items, monster locations, quest drops
Just as we've done for Luxerion, we've also put together a guide for hunting down all of the quest items you need for finishing every Yusnaan challenge. If you're looking for a helpful hint or two - rather than a spoiler-tastic point-to-point walkthrough - have a look through our guide to tracking down all the quest items that drop in the region.