Theories about Remaining Fantasy 7 Remake and its sequel, FF7 Rebirth, have been swirling ever since gamers witnessed the world-shattering ultimate moments of FF7 Remake. When phrases got here up on display that learn, “The unknown journey will proceed,” the brains of FF7 followers in all places stuffed up with wild hypothesis about what that journey would possibly entail. And because of the FF7 Rebirth debut trailer, and the longer trailer proven at Summer time Sport Fest 2023, FF7 followers have developed some very strong theories. Let’s get into it.
[Ed. note: This article contains full spoilers for the original Final Fantasy 7 as well as Final Fantasy 7 Remake.]
ShinraCorp used pretend footage within the information broadcast
Let’s begin off with the primary and most evident “concept” — a reveal so apparent that we really feel assured saying it’s going to be an early plot level of FF7 Rebirth. On the very starting of the FF7 Rebirth trailer from SGF 2023, there’s an in-fiction information broadcast that includes most of the sport’s major characters — members of the ecoterrorist group Avalanche — unconscious, loaded onto medical gurneys. Barret, Tifa, Aerith, and Pink XIII don’t simply look unconscious on this broadcast; they appear like they may very well be lifeless. However everyone knows FF7 Rebirth isn’t going to kill off its complete solid (apart from Cloud, who’s mysteriously absent). What’s happening right here?
The reply lies within the information broadcast itself. Pay attention to the logos on the display: “Shinra Broadcasting Service” within the prime left, and “SNNet Information” within the backside proper. That’s proper, Shinra Information Community is a factor, and it’s the propaganda arm of ShinraCorp. It’s fairly logical to imagine that this footage of dead-looking Avalanche members has been faked to mislead the general public. It’s remotely potential that this footage depicts an alternate timeline the place someway all the primary characters obtained harm and even died, however extra probably — given who’s broadcasting it — this footage is pretend information.
![Sephiroth smiles evilly in a promo image for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/glVa_RRrYeyT5PxsIa0R5sUWvD0=/0x0:1920x1080/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24715119/FF7REBIRTH_SGF_05.png)
Picture: Sq. Enix
Sephiroth killed Tifa, and the Tifa we all know just isn’t Tifa
The top of the SGF ’23 trailer is a bit complicated — however barely much less so within the Japanese model, translated right here by Audrey Lamsam, Twitch streamer and CEO of Aitai Japan. Try the previous couple of seconds of the trailer, and take heed to Sephiroth’s phrases as he seems to mortally wound Tifa Lockhart.
Listed here are my English subs for the Japanese model of the FF7 Rebirth trailer!
There are a couple of noticeable variations:
-Sephiroth clearly says he killed Tifa and asks who’s “she”?
-Aerith says the planet feels stronger than her
-Bugenhagen says the planet requires religious… pic.twitter.com/PYDA293oMe— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) June 8, 2023
For many who haven’t performed the unique FF7, or simply can’t fairly bear in mind what occurs, this ultimate scene within the trailer is a re-creation of a scene that happened in that first game. 5 years previous to the primary plot of FF7, Sephiroth slaughters the townsfolk of Tifa and Cloud’s hometown of Nibelheim, then burns the village to the bottom. Tifa discovers this and confronts Sephiroth, screaming that he killed her father and making an attempt to assault him in retribution. Sephiroth simply overcomes Tifa and wounds her, however within the authentic FF7, Tifa recovers from that wound and is rescued by a man named Zangan who takes her in and teaches her martial arts (in order that she will turn into the wombo-combo queen we all know her to be within the current day).
The model of occasions depicted within the FF7 Rebirth trailer may very well be simply the identical as they had been within the authentic sport — Sephiroth assaults Tifa, as proven right here, however she survives (not but proven). But it surely’s Sephiroth’s dialogue that has followers spinning wild theories. Within the translation of the Japanese trailer by Audrey Lamsam, Sephiroth says in voice-over: “I used to be the one who killed Tifa. In that case, who’s she?”
“You recognize I killed her, so who’s she?”
FF7 Rebirth Sephiroth is attempting to persuade Cloud that Tifa is an imposter, since Cloud noticed her “die” right here.
That is genius! Tifa will query Cloud on Nibelheim and he’ll be manipulated by Sephiroth, pondering she’s a pretend! pic.twitter.com/tE5EMSaUIf
— Philip Hartshorn (@philipharts) June 8, 2023
Followers have taken “who’s she” to indicate that the Tifa we’ve seen throughout the primary story quest of FF7 Remake just isn’t the Tifa who grew up in Nibelheim with Cloud. As an alternative, Tifa was really murdered 5 years in the past by Sephiroth. This different girl who seems like Tifa is, as an alternative, a product of one thing associated to Sephiroth’s alien “mom” determine Jenova, who has the flexibility to imitate human kinds. That is additional emphasised by Sephiroth’s monologue main as much as the ultimate scene with Tifa, through which he says (in response to Lamsam’s translation): “There as soon as lived a monster who might look into your soul and shapeshift. It might rework and take form of these you concern, these you like, and be capable to management them.”
Alternatively, Tifa might have been injected with Jenova cells as a part of the Jenova Venture, which is what occurred to Cloud and Zack (by the hands of the mad scientist Professor Hojo). In response to the unique FF7 timeline, Zack was robust sufficient to struggle off the affect of those cells, whereas the weaker Cloud was extra inclined to them. What if, in a brand new timeline from FF7 Remake, Tifa wasn’t rescued by Zangan and as an alternative obtained shoved into the Jenova Venture alongside Cloud and Zack? Is that why Sephiroth is intimating that she’s not the identical lady — as a result of she’s been altered by Hojo’s experiments?
Sephiroth is simply taking part in thoughts video games
Sefikura greatest instance of reverse clown impact
After Remake: “Sephiroth obtained turned down by Cloud, he’ll most likely hand over on him”
Rebirth trailer: [gaslighting, implied manipulation, gatekeeping, possible corruption]
…Sephiroth has Not Moved On y’all. #ff7 #ff7r #セフィクラ pic.twitter.com/hwifm1aEEO
— ~Velyon~ (@darth_sedai) June 9, 2023
There’s nobody fairly like Sephiroth relating to dwelling the motto of “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss.” He merely likes to fuck with folks, particularly Cloud. Sowing mistrust amongst Cloud and his mates appears completely believable for Sephiroth. The implication that some mysterious “monster” has been controlling Tifa all alongside would positively shake Cloud’s grip on actuality — particularly since that’s already a shaky factor — and it doesn’t even should be true.
Sephiroth: I killed Tifa
Tifa: QUIT TELLING CLOUD I’M DEAD
Sephiroth: generally I can nonetheless hear her voice
— ’ ✨ (@Sikaloolala) June 9, 2023
There have all the time been a number of timelines
FF7 Remake already advised that Zack Honest survived, someway, which might be an enormous change to the course of occasions in comparison with the unique FF7. Followers have been assuming since then that Remake and Rebirth happen in another timeline the place Zack survived. However what if there are extra than simply two timelines? Like, method extra?
This already made sense as a concept even earlier than FF7 Remake got here out. For instance, the depiction of the Nibelheim Incident in the original FF7 is somewhat different than its depiction elsewhere. In Disaster Core, for instance, the incident is relayed from Zack Honest’s perspective, so that you’d anticipate it to be totally different in an emotional sense — however there’s no motive why a few of the precise occasions can be barely modified. The remainder of the Compilation of FF7, which incorporates a number of different FF7 spinoffs, has much more slight variations and contradictions to the unique sport’s story.
![Zack Fair drags an unconscious Cloud Strife to safety in a promo image for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GEAdPUaJZ8RyQxPQxfYdc2OH6PE=/0x0:1920x1080/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24715149/02_ff7rebirth_ss02__1_.jpg)
Picture: Sq. Enix
So, what really occurred 5 years in the past in Nibelheim? Is it the characters’ recollections which can be fallible right here, or is it the story itself that retains altering — maybe as a result of it’s by no means been set in stone? Personally, I don’t want to elucidate these inconsistencies by claiming there’s a multiverse, though that definitely works as a concept. As an alternative, I prefer to assume that the FF7 sequence is all about how the reality is slippery, particularly when human recollections and trauma are concerned, and much more particularly when historical myths in regards to the nature of life itself are concerned. This can be a sequence of occasions that simply doesn’t have a simple rationalization, but it surely positive could make for a cool story.
The identical goes for all of our theories about Remaining Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Who is aware of what’s going to occur, or if any of our makes an attempt to elucidate it’s going to really pan out? We will all simply hope that we get story out of the expertise, and thus far, it positive looks like that’s probably.