"Yeah, well hell's not sounding too bad. 'Cause this place ain't exactly paradise."

—Sazh

The Hanging Edge (封鎖区画ハングドエッジ, Fūsa Kukaku Hangedo Ejji^?, lit. "Compartment Blockade Hanged Edge") is a location in Final Fantasy XIII. It is a series of highroads and railways at Cocoon's outer rim. It used to be a bustling metropolis but was abandoned during the War of Transgression, and has since been a restricted zone.

In the game, the train carrying the exiles from Cocoon to Gran Pulse is sabotaged and derailed in the battle between PSICOM and NORA. Lightning and Sazh Katzroy, who were on-board the train, have to navigate the ruined highroads to reach the Pulse Vestige where the fal'Cie Anima resides.

DatalogEdit

See also: Datalog/Locales (Final Fantasy XIII).

A relic of days before the War of Transgression, the Hanging Edge is located near Cocoon's outer rim. The area was once a thriving urban center, but residents were forced to abandon the location when an attack by Pulsian forces cracked Cocoon's shell during the conflict several centuries ago. It was since designated a restricted zone and, with civilian access prohibited, soon became nothing more than a name on local maps.

StoryEdit

The game begins with Lightning and Sazh entering the Hanging Edge on the Purge train, fighting their way through hordes of PSICOM soldiers to try and reach the Pulse Vestige where Lightning's sister Serah is held captive.

The scene cuts to NORA fighting against the Purge which aims to send all the Bodhum citizens to Pulse because a Pulse fal'Cie was discovered in the area. Snow Villiers, Gadot and Lebreau from NORA enlist a number of volunteers including Nora Estheim. As one of PSICOM's ships blasts a hole in the highway, many people fall and Nora's son, Hope Estheim watches as she loses her grip on Snow's hand and falls to her death. Snow and Gadot survive the fall and eventually rejoin the rest of NORA.

Snow sets off to rescue Serah, his fiancée, from inside the Pulse Vestige using one of PSICOM's bikes. Gadot stays behind to keep an eye on the citizens, but Hope and Vanille steal Gadot's bike to follow Snow into the Vestige. Hope plans to confront Snow about his mother's death and make him pay for it.

Lightning, Sazh, Snow, Hope and Vanille all meet at the center of the Vestige where they find Serah, collapsed on the floor. Snow and Lightning rush to her aid, but she only lifts her eyes at her sister and whispers her final wish, for Lightning to save Cocoon, before turning into crystal. Grief-stricken of losing Serah, the group makes its way to the fal'Cie Anima and Snow begs for it to turn Serah back into a human. The group fights Anima after which the fal'Cie brands the entire group with the brand of a l'Cie.

PSICOM destroys the Pulse Vestige with lasers while the main characters are all inside and the Vestige is sent tumbling towards Lake Bresha.

ZonesEdit

• Aerorail Trussway 13-E
• Aerorail Trussway 12-E
• Aerorail Trussway 11-E
• Skybridge No. 369
• Aerorail Trussway 5-W
• Aerorail Trussway 6-W
• Aerorail Trussway 3-N
• Skybridge No. 103

TreasureEdit

Enemy FormationsEdit

Aerorail Trussway 13-EEdit

• Manasvin Warmech x1 (Boss)
• PSICOM Warden x2 (Two separate encounters)
• PSICOM Enforcer x2, PSICOM Warden x1

Aerorail Trussway 12-EEdit

• PSICOM Warden x1, Pantheron x2
• PSICOM Enforcer x1, PSICOM Aerial Recon x1

Aerorail Trussway 11-EEdit

• PSICOM Warden x2
• PSICOM Warden x1, Pantheron x1
• PSICOM Warden x1, Pantheron x3

Skybridge No. 369Edit

• PSICOM Enforcer x2, PSICOM Marauder x1
• Myrmidon x1

Aerorail Trussway 6-WEdit

• PSICOM Enforcer x2
• PSICOM Warden x3
• PSICOM Warden x2, Pantheron x2 (Two separate encounters)
• PSICOM Enforcer x1, PSICOM Warden x2, Pantheron x1
• PSICOM Enforcer x2, PSICOM Warden x2 (Two separate encounters)
• Beta Behemoth x1 (Boss)

Aerorail Trussway 3-NEdit

• PSICOM Aerial Recon x3, Pantheron x2
• PSICOM Enforcer x2, PSICOM Warden x1

MusicEdit

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"The Hanging Edge"
Trouble with the audio sample?

The tracks that play as background themes of the Hanging Edge are its eponymous theme, "The Warpath Home" and "Snow's Theme".

"It's the piece we played live at a game event in 2008. As I was given the direction to use "hybrid music" for FF13, "Blinded By Light" was a consolidated piece of violin solo, guitar and orchestra (and more), while this one is based on strings, piano and synthesizer. For a hybrid piece, it seems like the live feel of it is too overwhelming given the arrangement and number of the tracks. However, by adding a minimal mood, it comes closer to the synthesizer side, which I think creates a good balance For these minimal 8 minute string and 16 minute piano pieces, I kept the rough sound of the initial random play and developed from there. The delayed "whang!" of the piano sound just before the loop is used from time to time, which could almost give the impression of it "almost not being able to catch up with the tempo", but it's all intentional. This is my favorite part (laugh)."

—Masashi Hamauzu on the "Hanging Edge" theme.

The Hanging Edge's eponymous theme can also be heard in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy as Lightning's dungeon theme.

MapsEdit

The Hanging Edge.

Other appearancesEdit

Theatrhythm Final FantasyEdit

The Hanging Edge cameos as a battle background, appearing as the BMS for "Saber's Edge", and Defiers of Fate as a Dark Note only. The Manasvin Warmech is the boss for the stage.

GalleryEdit

Screenshots
The entrance to the Hanging Edge. Gameplay view of the Hanging Edge. The Hanging Edge, as seen in-game. Lightning running through the Hanging Edge. Sazh and Lightning look on to the Pulse Vestige being carried through Hanging Edge.

Promotional images
Artwork of Lightning and Snow at the Hanging Edge.

Artworks
Artwork of the train-line leading towards the Hanging Edge, as seen in the game's intro. Hanging Edge concept art. Hanging Edge concept art. Hanging Edge concept art. Artwork of the train rail through the Hanging Edge.

TriviaEdit

• Hanging Edge was the only location that existed in a complete stage in the game's early PlayStation 2 incarnation. According to the developers, a model of Yuna was used as a placeholder for several NPCs whose models were not complete at the time of testing.
• Japanese game publications romanized Hanging Edge as "Hunged Edge".
• An area from Lake Bresha called "A City No Longer" is probably the true Hanging Edge, as this is the only city which is above Bresha. They even share similar architecture.