The Menhirrim are a group of animated stone statues in Final Fantasy XIII found within Taejin's Tower, and are the Tower's true owners. The Menhirrim resemble ancient, armored humanoids with lion-like faces and four large horns on their heads. They hold swords which appear to be their source of power.

StoryEdit

When the party first arrives within Taejin's Tower, they are greeted by indecipherable whispers that emanate from the statues that stand at the center of the room. Oerba Yun Fang understands these whispers as a warning for the travelers to turn back, or risk facing the fal'Cie Dahaka.

The party convinces the Menhirrim they must continue through the tower to reach Oerba, so the Menhirrim open the path for them, but only if the party slays the beasts that hold their power on each of the tower's tiers. As the party progresses, slaying the beasts, the Menhirrim activate elevators and open pathways that lead upwards.

The party is confronted by Dahaka twice, but each time the fal'Cie appears, so do the Menhirrim. Three of the Menhirrim appear to fight off Dahaka, cutting off segments of its tail. When the party defeats Dahaka at the top of the tower, one of the Menhirrim appears, stating that it and its fellow Menhirrim are now free. It departs to fight off evil elsewhere. Lightning interprets this as fighting off monsters somewhere in the wide expanse of Gran Pulse.

EtymologyEdit

The Menhirrim are likely based on the Menhir, a form of neolithic monolith.

The armor of the Menhirrim, exaggerated poses, and role as guardians are based off of Lokapala, Buddhist guardian deities whose statues can be found in many temples in Japan and across Asia.