And you thought Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII would be the last we saw of Lightning in Square Enix’s popular series? Well, you were wrong. Square Enix might have wrapped up her character’s story in the latest game released last week, but that doesn’t leave her closed off to future appearances.

In an interview Siliconera, not simply translated by them this time, Director Motomu Toriyama suggests that we haven’t seen the end of his “extremely popular” character Lightning, and that she might be turning up as a guest role in future Final Fantasy games.

“For Lightning, her story ends here in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, as this game is meant as a finale to this series.” Toriyama claims. “But we know that Lightning is an extremely popular character, even when compared to other Final Fantasy characters.”

 “So there is a possibility that Lightning would appear in other future Final Fantasy titles, not as a protagonist, but as a guest character.”

When will the horror ever end!? Who are these characters Lightning is more popular than, and how did Toriyama measure that statistic?

My guess is that she will be turning up in a future game down the line as a secret character along the lines of Cloud or Balthier, depending on how old you are, in Final Fantasy Tactics. This would make that answer to not see her again in any more Final Fantasy games incredibly easy. Simply just ignore her side quest. That is the small comfort at the end of this story, though certainly far short of being able to go into the game’s programming and totally purge her that way.

Oh Lightning. Three games and I feel we barely knew you. Three games weren’t enough for this polarizing character it seems. Anybody looking forward to seeing Lighting strike again?