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[freelanceexorcist]

FFVII Rebirth introduces something never extensively explored in the original game or in the compilation of Final Fantasy VII: Sephiroth's anger towards Professor Gast’s experiment and the contempt he came to harbor towards ShinRA as an organization.

(Herein lurk spoilers.)

While the latter is something the fans have glimpsed on and off throughout previous installments, the second part of the Remake amplifies it ever so more. What began as admitting that the company had fabricated his legend and expressing a desire to live a normal life in Ever Crisis gradually transforms into a lack of clarity regarding his reasons for fighting in Before Crisis (as prompted by Elfe), followed by an open disgust towards Hojo's and Hollander's experiments when confronted with Mako pod entities during the hunt for Genesis. Sephiroth and Zack's ordeal during Crisis Core events appears to undercut his willingness to stay, as he famously considers leaving the corporation right before embarking on the ill-fated Nibelheim expedition.

FFVIIRb picks off where we left off, painting a more complete picture of Sephiroth's dissatisfaction with ShinRA overall. Interestingly, one of the discarded sequences from the original game featured Sephiroth hinting at his lack of affection for his employer as early as the truck ride.

Narratively, the sequence spans the gap between OG and Crisis Core's departure cutscene, implying that Sephiroth used the time on the road to reflect on his current and future connection with ShinRA. His companion, however, does not appear to understand why he is bringing the topic up. What distinguishes Rebirth is the suggestion that Sephiroth came to view the entire ShinRA system as a problem, rather than just a few rotten apples. He no longer singles out Hojo, but rather the entire ShinRA branch, indicating that something's wrong with the system. When "Cloud" casually inquires about the problem with the Nibelheim reactor, Sephiroth responds that it is "people who run it," adding that this particular site is controlled by the Research and Development department. In addition, in response to "Cloud's" fair comment regrading the lack of transparency in company's operation, he rather sarcastically suggests to bring the issue with the President, thus implicitly conveying the futility of the endeavor.

When the party encounters Mako pod residents, one can detect genuine rage in his voice. While Sephiroth had previously shown bitterness for the test subjects during CC, it was tinged with disgust/pity rather than wrath. And once again, I’m grateful to Tyler Hoechlin for broadening his range in this particular segment.

"Cloud's" reaction to the contents of the pods, however, came off a little weird. The confusion appears out of place, because Zack had seen it all before — he had been there to watch the aftermath of Hollander's work; is it really odd that ShinRA's chief R&D scientist spearheaded the entire thing? Perhaps, unlike Sephiroth, Zack treated it as a rotten-apple issue, rather than a systemic issue. Or maybe this is an example of Cloud being an unreliable narrator, having conflated his own experience with that of Zack, which also explains Zack being sort of too green for the First Class throughout the Nibelheim portion of the game.

The shift in Sephiroth's perspective, from singling out Hojo's misdeeds to viewing ShinRA's itself as a systemic problem, is further highlighted during the mansion segment. This is no longer a strictly Hollander or Hojo issue. Human experimentation formed the fundamental core of what ShinRA is now, and those were approved from the very top. As Sephiroth puts it with barely concealed disgust, as soon as the company realized what had fallen into their hands, they became ambitious.

The wording also strikes a contrast to how he used to refer to the company in the past; as such, when Angeal deserts, Sephiroth states that Angeal has betrayed “US”, which points at both his personal connection to the person and the fact that Sephiroth likely saw himself as part of ShinRA circle. In the library, however, he distances himself by referring to the company as THEM, thus no longer perceiving himself as a part of it.

More important still is the rage he expresses when quoting excerpts from Gast's notes. The anger is new, never before seen touch. Sephiroth has been portrayed in the moment differently throughout earlier installments — dejected, perhaps overwhelmed, but never angry enough to snarl and nearly flip the table.

And it's wonderful. It's authentic, and it makes sense. It makes you question how much of that rage has been bottled up, compartmentalized, and never fully processed throughout the years. That rage should have existed, but was suppressed by ShinRA, before becoming internalized and sealed.

The scene is extremely on point on another level as well. As the flash of rage passes, and Sephiroth looks away, hiding eyes behind bangs — a gesture previously briefly appearing in Crisis Core.

One could interpret the body language as being ashamed and unwilling to show his composure cracking. Even in this state he KNOWS he wasn't supposed to let anyone see hurt or anger, wasn't supposed to lose cool. The "wonder child" and the "poster boy" is not to be seen as something other than “efficacious” and “collected”. The habit of suppressing displays of emotion or physical/psychological ailment had apparently become a part of himself. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to deduce why the habit persists. The internalized compulsion to live up to the expectations placed on him by ShinRA and the myth it imposed on his character, as well as the internalized imperative not to reveal to someone like Hojo — anyone— the extent to which their acts or words affect him. There's also another layer to this shame — one of being an artificial creation, but that's for another write up.

The anger towards Gast differs greatly from the way Sephiroth went “Why didn't you tell me?” in previous iterations of the Nibelheim incident. In retrospect, Gast's supervision of the project, involvement in Sephiroth's life, and unexpected departure seem like a betrayal. Gast had not only abandoned Sephiroth, who had likely come to see him as a salient figure in his youth, but had also been lying to him all along, until finally discarding him, as Sephiroth might believe. Gast therefore falls from grace, becoming yet another person who misled, attempted to exploit, and eventually abandoned him to deal with the consequences on his own.

[freelanceexorcist]

Reason #403749263 why Sephiroth’s lost his ever loving shit in Nibelheim:

Over the span of less than 60 seconds, he received the following from That Fuckwit From Field Services:

An email

A Teams message notifying him that an email was just sent

A phone call from That Fuckwit asking if he’d seen the email and Teams message

[freelanceexorcist]

You guys know you can like a character without putting down another, right?

That you don't need to put down any other ship because of your own, right?

That you can like or have as favorite more that one character, right?

That you can like more than one ship, right?

That a ship doesn't have to be canon for you or anyone else to like it, right?

That you ship being canon doesn't mean it's better than the rest, right?

Right??? You guys know that???

[freelanceexorcist]

I recall seeing somewhere that in early OG development, Lucrecia and Vincent were a couple and she was loyal to him, but she was forced to participate in the project. They didn’t elaborate on whether she was pregnant with his child or not.

Since the multiverse is in play and it’s the quantum multiverse flavor, maybe the point of divergence is her choosing to participate, which creates a universe where she refuses and is then forced. If you really want to twist the knife, Lucrecia could have been pregnant with Vincent’s baby in either world and Vincent didn’t know but Hojo did. It would be why Hojo treated Sephiroth so horribly when he was a kid (which we learned in Ever Crisis).

I'll start by saying that canonically Hojo is Sephiroth's father. And I don't think that will change.

Nonetheless, Square Enix is playing with fans and their expectations. In fact, in the Rebirth Vincent is more centered on Sephiroth than on Hojo, as he was in the OG. However, we need to understand in what sense.

Vincent's statement "our bond is unique" is also very peculiar. It would have made more sense to me for him to say "my bond with Sephiroth is this or that", because "ours" sounds mutual. And as we know Sephiroth and Vincent in the OG never met.

However, if Vincent was Sephiroth's father, the statement would make more sense. Even if Sephiroth didn't know of Vincent's existence, theirs would indeed be a unique bond. As well as a mutual connection.

However, it could be a translation/adaptation inaccuracy.

In any case, such a statement would be at least bold on Vincent's part, because at most he could have the suspicion of being Sephiroth's father. No certainty. Unless they want to completely change the story of Vincent, Lucrecia and Hojo, of course. But I don't think that's the case.

Furthermore, if Vincent knew for sure that he was Sephiroth's father, this would imply that Lucrecia would also be perfectly aware of it. And that she nevertheless gave Vincent's son to science.

After everything that has happened between them and after everything that Vincent has suffered, I suppose this would really be too much for him, especially when in theory Lucrecia is supposed to love Vincent.

And if everything else she did can be explained by feelings of guilt and her desire to save his life, giving up her and Vincent's baby is not. There would be no excuse for this.

If this were the case Lucrecia would come out of this really badly and could only save herself if Hojo forced her to experiment in utero. But this would obviously completely change the story and the characters.

No, Lucrecia mentally conceived this child from the beginning as an experiment. Because she thought she was able to remain detached and not think of him as a baby. Her baby.

So I guess the "bond" Vincent talks about is actually related to his other statement "I've had many opportunities to purge him from this world. Unfortunately… I couldn't pull the trigger."

If we take it in a literal sense it means that they met on several occasions, even if we are not given to know what happened, if they spoke to each other and about what.

One of the most probable moments is of course the Nibelheim incident, when Sephiroth actually shows clear signs of madness that would justify Vincent pointing a weapon at him.

In any case, if Vincent was Sephiroth's father he couldn't know for sure. And even Lucrecia might believe he is Hojo's son.

In DoC the scientist had already proposed to her, in fact he was waiting for her with open arms the moment she left Vincent (the "so you've come to your senses and chosen me" moment). So no much time must have passed between the breakup with Vincent and the fateful "yes, doctor". And Lucrecia could easily have been unaware that she was already pregnant at the time.

In this scenario, perhaps only Hojo could know the truth, perhaps discovered by chance by carrying out tests on Sephiroth that include DNA analysis. Or Lucrecia realizing the truth only afterwards.

It would be a reverse twist if Hojo confessed on Sister Ray that Vincent is actually Sephiroth's father! Or it could be Lucrecia who directly reveals the truth to him during the meeting in the crystal cave.

A secret that for poor Vincent would have more or less the impact of a Meteor crashing directly into his heart. Poor guy, he's already been through a lot. This would certainly be the final blow.

If instead we leave the imagination completely free, then we can think of a scenario in which Vincent knows for sure that he is Sephiroth's father, which is why he was actually taken out of the way by Hojo with a gunshot.

In that case he would have had every right to interfere with the experiment and claim the child for himself.

His fate wouldn't change much, because he would still be shot down and experimented on. However, the character of Lucrecia would undergo a clear characterization for better or worse.

She would become either a poor woman forced by the evil Hojo to sacrifice her child on the altar of science or an unscrupulous scientist willing to do anything to achieve her goal exactly like Hojo. In this case I can't imagine a middle ground.

Vincent's statements in Rebirth would then acquire a completely different meaning because the "unique bond" would actually be that between father and son.

The most unique ever.

And as for "I couldn't pull the trigger," it's not hard to imagine this parent struggling to pull himself together after everything he's been through and searching for his son.

For short periods, given the physical and also psychological need to return to the oblivion of sleep. Not to mention that the monsters/demons inside him can be dangerous to others.

Perhaps he could only see him from afar, perhaps he met him briefly, since Sephiroth has always been under the watchful and merciless eye of Shinra.

Maybe he couldn't or wasn't able to tell him the truth for fear of making the situation worse (dredging up the past could bring to light uncomfortable details, such as the very fact that Sephiroth is an experiment); and deep inside him Vincent already felt that there was something wrong with that boy… until the fateful accident in Nibelheim, where all of Vincent's darkest fears finally took real shape.

Naturally and for obvious reasons, Vincent could not pull the trigger. Even though it might have been the right thing to do.

To conclude, the idea of Vincent as Sephiroth's father has always fascinated me.

I've also used it in some fanfiction, but to make it canon you'd have to fix a lot of situations and characters that I don't think they have any intention of fixing. But I also can't know how far the developers will go with the remake. We will see!

Meanwhile, what I like to fantasize about is that a Sephiroth born from the love of Lucrecia and Vincent would be a Sephiroth to whom part of his humanity would be returned. And I'd like to explore to what extent…

[freelanceexorcist]

Cut for FFVII Remake/Rebirth and Sliding Doors spoilers and length.

So the FFVIIR Ultimania pretty much confirms that we’re dealing with the multiverse. I’m loving it, too, because I love the multiverse in fiction.

There are two types of multiverse in fiction that I’m familiar with. The first is the most common one, I find. In this one, the other universe or several other universes have always existed alongside the “prime” universe. This is the multiverse that’s seen on Fringe and in the Marvelverse, among other places. Travel between universes isn't often possible unless a machine or special ability is used.

There’s also a version that doesn’t appear quite as often at least in my experience, and that’s one where a new universe is created by a point of divergence. This could be a spawned universe in which an event has the opposite outcome (character dies in the prime universe, creating one where they lived; character makes choice #1 which spawns a universe where they make choice #2 instead). There’s a hypothesis in the real world about something like this called the quantum multiverse, but I’m nowhere near being a theoretical physicist so I’ll stop talking about that now.

When this plot device is in play, the terms "alternate universe" and "alternate timeline" are sometimes used interchangeably. In the latter, the point of divergence is someone going back in time and changing something and a new timeline is spawned where things progress differently and can lead to a different outcome, which is a good way in fiction to avoid temporal paradoxes. Even though the multiple timelines exist in a single universe, I can see how they can become universes unto themselves, so the interchangeability makes sense.

One example of this second type is the movie Sliding Doors, at least to my eye. Helen misses the train then gets mugged and goes home to her cheating boyfriend none the wiser and her life goes on as usual. This is the point of divergence, because it creates a universe where she catches the train, gets home in time to catch her boyfriend in bed with his side piece and begins a whole new life as a result. From what I remember from the movie (it's been a minute since I've seen it), both Helens have some sort of low-level awareness of each other.

It’s made pretty clear in Rebirth that we’re dealing with this second type. Zack dying in the prime universe is the point of divergence that creates a universe where he lives. Him choosing to confront Hojo about a cure for Cloud is the point of divergence that spawns a universe in which he chooses to go to Biggs instead. Cloud and Aerith not becoming the official couple in the prime universe is the point of divergence that spawns the universe where they do. Cloud not getting to the altar in the Forgotten Capital in time to stop Sephiroth is the point of divergence that spawns a universe in which he does get there in time and disarms him, and we see both things happening at once. There’s also the implication that Sephiroth slashing Tifa but not killing her is the point of divergence that spawns a universe where he slashes and does kill her.

That’s what we’ve seen so far. We’ve also seen things that make me wonder about how they’re telling the story. There’s a poster of Yorkie!Stamp in what we assume is the prime universe, where we’ve seen that Stamp is a beagle. Cloud and Aerith’s antics as a couple appear to take place in the same universe where he’s still in a mako coma. Sephiroth somehow has time to both unite the multiverse in the prime one while pursuing the Black Materia and engage in political intrigue and beat the war drum for Wutai by impersonating Glenn and trolling the holy hell out of Rufus.

What if they’re showing the story progressing across multiple universes and doing it so seamlessly that we don’t know whose story is being told in which one? Right now we have Cloud as the protagonist in the Beagleverse and Zack as the deuteragonist in the Yorkieverse, or so we think. What if we’re seeing multiple stories playing out across multiple universes with multiple versions the main characters? That’s a pretty bold storytelling choice if that’s what they’re up to. So far it seems we’re dealing with about 5 or 6 universes. Wow. If so, maybe this story should have been called Everything, Everywhere, All At Once if the movie hadn’t gotten to that title first.

And Sephiroth seems to be the Big Bad in all of them, because the points of divergence all occurred after the Nibelheim incident.

But speaking of those points of divergence…

If there were those that occurred after the Nibelheim incident, there would be ones that occurred before it as well, wouldn’t there? There are strong hints that one of these points was Sephiroth succumbing to Jenova after torching Nibelheim and carving up Tifa, which could have created a universe where he didn’t succumb (hence the retention of the Ore pronoun in Japanese). This is assuming, of course, that this version of Sephiroth is not one of Cloud’s hallucinations. I have more to say about this part, but that’s another manifesto for another day.

It follows that there would also be universes where the point of divergence was the Nibelheim incident. Could this have spawned a universe where he doesn’t torch the town? You would think so. What other outcomes could there be? Would he pack up and go back to Midgar to force the truth out of Hojo? Would he resolve to destroy Shinra instead?

Would he maybe follow through on his desertion plans, head to Wutai and make plans with Old Man Shinra to resume the war while taking on the appearance of his now-deceased childhood brother figure who just happened to foment a coup in Wutai and become a pretty prominent figure in its interim government? Hm…would he, now? Is this how he preserves the life of the planet? By duping the old man and later Rufus into buying into the destruction of Shinra without even realizing it?

The scenes between Glenniroth and Rufus could possibly take place in a universe where that last scenario could have played out without the destruction of Nibelheim in the mix.

Going back to the idea that we’re viewing multiple universes all at once. We see the main party infiltrating the ranks, and Captain Cloud is leading his troops through the parade in the prime universe. All in pursuit of saving the world from Big Bad Scary Evil Man Sephiroth.

In another universe, Sephiroth-As-Glenn is meeting with Rufus, presenting his war plan and giving him shit about being an idle trust fund baby. In this universe, Cloud is marching in the parade as a regular old trooper, Nibelheim still stands and Tifa is probably contemplating getting the hell out of Dodge because my god, that place sounds like Betty Friedan’s worst nightmare.

See where I’m going with this? I hope so because I’m not sure I do.

Anyway, it seems that at least two versions of Sephiroth are able to access a space in between the universes and pull others into it as well (Edge of Creation). How he does this is not made clear, and we know little to nothing about the version Cloud meets there at the end of Remake and the Rebirth Ultimania doesn't seem to add more to that story.

There’s also the possibility that Jenova’s plan to unite the multiverse is already underway and what we’re seeing with the way the story is told is all of the universes bleeding together. That would probably be easier to pull off than my last suggestion, but I hope the last one is the case because I want to see how well they can pull it off.

The lack of clarification in the Ultimania about the different versions of Sephiroth or why things seem to be happening that shouldn’t be happening is-I hope-avoidance of spoilers in order to set up some big reveals in Part 3 and not them just losing the plot big time and writing by the seats of their pants. Making a big deal out of a character then just abandoning said character and their storyline is an amateur hour move expected from novice fanfic writers still growing into their craft, not professionals with 30+ years of experience. I'm going to put my faith in Kitase and his team and say that they just don't want to ruin any surprises.

That’s all I’ve got for now. And I acknowledge that I’m inconsistent with my speculation. If you’ve been following along, you know that I change my mind more than the day changes to night. That’s the beauty of this story: the more you think about it, the more you rub your chin and think “hm, maybe THIS happened instead of THAT.” And then an Ultimania here and a dozen interviews there comes along and says “NOPE. It’s that third or fourth other thing we just came up with.”

Anyway, thank you for indulging me if you chose to stick around for the whole thing. Take care and enjoy the rest of your day or night!

[freelanceexorcist]

I don’t have an opinion on shipping, but the “well, actually” crap can get pretty damn aggravating.

Me, wanting to talk about the entire story of rebirth and the new additions and what was the same etc

People in any groups I join about it: AcTuAlLy. Clerith/Cloti is cannon how dare you assume otherwise. This is all I will talk about

[freelanceexorcist]

So from what little I’ve seen of early translations of the FFVII Ultimania, it seems that the multiverse is confirmed. Oh, this is good. This is verrrrry good!

[freelanceexorcist]

Word to all of this, especially the part about having to rely on Word of God for everything. The Ultimania guides are a great resource, no doubt. But at the same time, I don’t want to be spoon-fed everything. I want some things to be left open to interpretation. I don’t want to share my interpretation only to have some purist point to a page and insult my intelligence and media literacy. It’s bad enough that they do that with a 15+ year old book for an even older story whose latest adaptation clearly isn’t playing by the exact same rules.

That said, I’m a little disappointed that they didn’t shed more light on Ore Sephiroth vs. Watashi Sephiroth. I hope it’s because they don’t want to spoil any twists coming in part 3 and not because they just abandoned that and will leave it hanging. The latter is just sloppy writing, not to mention kinda giving the finger to anyone who really wanted to see where they were going with that.

Yesterday was Rebirth's Ultimania release day! And... it was a lot calmer than I expected lol? I've never been active in the FF7 fandom before even though I got into it ever since Remake dropped so seeing everyone acting like it would be doomsday and complete hell on earth made me worried. Maybe I just curated all my feeds a lot to avoid the sort of person who incites those fights? I hate having to do that though because I genuinely like seeing different opinions/interpretations than mine but so much of it comes across as straight up petty in this particular fandom.

Generally, I dislike the penchant this fandom has to rely on Word of God for literally any interpretation for whatever is presented to us. It's a bit insane, actually, because Death of the Author seems to not exist at all and usually, when that's the case, it's because you can see the Hand™ moving the pieces purposefully and not allowing the characters to grow into their own but here it's more like the audience simply won't let it die, even if it's corpse is begging them to. Square Enix, of course, is willingly profiting off of it (tho I wonder just how much the ultis sell lol) .

I think that's why the RE Trilogy seems to be so interested on a metatextual discussion. This time around the Ultimania didn't really reveal anything that interesting and/or surprising overall (other than Elena being 18!!! like HUH????? wdym she's only 2 years older than Yuffie please be serious) BUT it did make me a lot more hopeful for Aerith's ending in Pt. 3 than the game itself haha. I've seen some thoughts floating around about how faitful it will be and I genuinely think they must end it on a different note than the original.

You see, I don't even think the original had a bad ending? It's bittersweet, yes, but that's sort of the point? People die but life prevails, you must go on and leave your past behind. The compilation, though, just retconned that, from my understanding. Now humanity is gone in 500 years after the ending, Geostigma happens and our protagonists become suicidal after the events of the game. Cloud's parting words "I think I can meet her... there" are cast upon a new light and it's not a hopeful one. Though, I think most allarming is Lifestream White and Lifestream Black, where we see both Aerith and Sephiroth condemned to an eternity of loneliness fighting and avoiding each other in the lifestream.

[freelanceexorcist]

Want to know what it’s like to be a character from Ray Bradbury’s All Summer in a Day? Come to SW Pennsylvania and you’ll find out.

[freelanceexorcist]

Kinda jealous of my brother right now. We both inherited our mother's talent for cooking, but he inherited her love for it. From her, he got "food is love." I got "food is fuel" from my dad. Me and my SIL share something: we're both good at cooking, but neither of us really like doing it. It's just a chore that needs to be done in order to be fed.

When it was up to me to cook when we were teens because mom was at work and dad was on the road, I was frying ground meat and adding tomato sauce and macaroni. My brother was over my shoulder telling me what spices and cheeses to add. We make a great team, bro.

I guess it shakes out in the end, though. I got Mom's handyperson skills and can fix anything around the house as long as I have a YouTube video to show me how if I've never done it before, although I leave the electrical repairs to my electrician nephew because if I tried to do it...

Bro tries to act like he's handy, but he and I both know that he calls his buddies over when something needs done because that's just not his wheelhouse.

But he can smoke a brisket or make a pot of red sauce or stuffed cabbage like a fucking CHAMP! If he ever ends up on a Food Network competition show, I will gladly volunteer to be his sous chef. I can chop vegetables with the best of them.

[freelanceexorcist]

I just can’t believe this.

From Variety, 4/1/2024:

Tom Cruise Cast As Sephiroth in Live Action Final Fantasy VII

Hollywood, CA - Tom Cruise has been cast to play the iconic antagonist Sephiroth in the upcoming live action movie based on the popular video game franchise. The announcement was made at a joint press conference held by executives from Universal Studios and Square Enix.

Filming is scheduled to begin in June of 2024 at multiple locations.

Cruise’s representatives declined to comment when asked how the actor could realistically pull off playing a character that was a foot taller than him and half his age, mumbling something about Jack Reacher as they left the meeting.

Source

[freelanceexorcist]

Great analysis, as always. This part is one that stood out to me:

"He speared the militiamen as casually as if he were spearing bugs, which is far more frightening from a narrative point. What jumped out was how they emphasized the possessed-like behavior: from snarling and flailing the book like a suffering person to an empty countenance and automaton-like strides, as if he was being beckoned. Which is what "Mother is waiting" implies."

I go back and forth on who was in control and hopefully the devs clear that up in some future guidebook or interview seeing as they're appearing to take this in a different direction for the Remake trilogy. But I wonder if this is what his shaky/labored breathing was about: him either trying to wrest control back or giving himself up to her and saying "Jenova take the wheel." Sai Fox on Twitter also points out the dead eyes and blank face in the instances where it's clear it's Jenovaroth and not another version.

I know people absolutely hate it when someone suggests that he was under her control or she had any influence, but I'm just looking at what's there and giving my take on it. It's why I have my suspicions that some of the forms he appears to Cloud in are actually all in Cloud's head (the version described as an "illusion"). If I'm right, great. If I'm wrong, also great. He was a scary villain in the original game and 100% owned every action he took, but over the years, the character has been gradually nudged in a different direction and made more complex and nuanced and that could culminate with the Remake trilogy.

The second episode of the Remake, FF7 Rebirth, has proven to be a terrific experience thus far. SE obviously made a few big decisions here and there.

It is seemingly implied now that Jenova wasn't "brain-dead", and it is hinted that Sephiroth was addled during his breakdown.

It all begins with a strategically placed cut, when Sephiroth touches the door bearing the name Jenova and instructs "Cloud" to close the valve. The scene is merely functional for new fans, yet leaves a vacant space that Crisis Core players will quickly fill in with the inferred arrival of Genesis. Smart move that, leaving the interpretation to the player. Whether Genesis exists inside the Remake's continuity or not, the moment reads differently to each fan. Quite frankly, I was half-expecting “Cloud” to come across a banora apple, rolling on the floor, but I suppose that would be telling.

What's remarkable is that they give Sephiroth almost identical symptoms to those that Cloud has in the remake. Glitches and odd headaches superimpose themselves nicely over the original Crisis Core scene. And, as much as I loathe Tyler Hoechlin's acting in the game, he lends a tangible sense of rage to Sephiroth's disparaging remarks about Hojo and his experiments. You can hear the hatred, a touch of pity, and disgust directed at Hojo's work and the creatures he tortured. In Crisis Core, he refers to the test subjects as “abominations” with the same touch of bitterness.

Back to the point: glitches, pupil dilations, and headaches are visual cues for Jenovaroth's influence or proximity, as shown in the first part of the Remake. However, at this point, Sephiroth is still sane — cracking, but still himself — so the only agent who can exert influence on him is, well, Jenova.

Now, a widely established fan hypothesis maintained that Jenova was brain-dead or comatose. Bodily functions sustained, but brain activity plateaued. Rebirth, however, strangely suggests otherwise.

When "Cloud" returns to Sephiroth in the manor's basement for the second time, Sephiroth recites an excerpt from a journal purportedly written by Professor Gast: 

“The specimen, found in a strata dating back two thousand years, smiled with what could only be described as 'ethereal grace'… Though the truth eluded me at first, I later determined that she was an Ancient - or a 'steward of the planet', as they are referred to in legend”. 

Remembering the battles with Jenova Dreamweaver and Jenova Emergent, the creature is far from "graceful" or "ethereal". There is nothing graceful about her figure in the tube either, and she is not smiling. The game goes out of its way to lampshade the glaring contradiction by showing the flashes of Jenova’s fanged skull and grotesque body as Sephiroth quotes the passage. So how could Gast perceive her as such?.. The answer is most likely found in Jenova Dreamweaver's description given in Ultimania: the entity has the ability to induce hallucinations in individuals who come into proximity with it, which is further corroborated by Jenova Emergent description.

An ancient lifeform that Shinra Company has kept under strict confidentiality. Those who come into contact can have their conscience interfered as well as see illusions. Professor Hojo has dedicated half of his life to researching Jenova, and within the Shinra Company building's top floors lies a secret research center called the "Dome," where Jenova's cells are injected into lifeforms or machinery to conduct experiments. (Ultimania)

Gast even writes that “the truth eluded him at first”, but LATER he determined the specimen belonged to the race of Ancients, as that answer was suggested. The implication is chilling: Jenova may have purposefully misled Gast in order to present itself as an Ancient. As Sephiroth later explains in the FF7Rb, Jenova is capable of seeing deep into one's soul and impersonating individuals you fear, love, or hate.

If ShinRA and Gast were determined to unravel the mysteries of Ancients and their Promised Land, it would make sense for Jenova to "scan" Gast and determine the best course of action: disguise itself as an Ancient in order to escape captivity in geological strata jail.

The scene in which Sephiroth reads Gast's notes is possibly the final time he is more or less himself, before Jenova's image intermingles with his for a brief moment. Again, I appreciate Tyler's voice acting in this particular section and the real rage he brought to it. Admittedly, I was concerned that with next-gen visuals, they would take a more gruesome approach, displaying Sephiroth conducting the Nibelheim carnage with sadistic pleasure, but they took a different route. Slow, zombie-like movements, and a glassy expression.

He speared the militiamen as casually as if he were spearing bugs, which is far more frightening from a narrative point. What jumped out was how they emphasized the possessed-like behavior: from snarling and flailing the book like a suffering person to an empty countenance and automaton-like strides, as if he was being beckoned. Which is what "Mother is waiting" implies.

The final segment of the Nibelheim flashback is likely the most essential as well. According to previous developer claims, Sephiroth's will took precedence over Jenova's, and he was in control — whether Jenova was brain-dead or simply of lesser willpower.  However, the Rebirth appears to suggest something different right off the bat. First, "Cloud" shouts, "I believed in you… No… Not you — whoever the hell you are!", highlighting the significant personality change and the resulting lack of recognition. But then "Cloud" sees Jenova's image superimposed over that of Sephiroth in a rapid, glitch-like succession.

In other words, he sees Jenova inhabiting Sephiroth's body as a vehicle to once again escape the confinements. Whatever that means, whether it suggests that Jenova is in control from the start, or whether Sephiroth is literally the greatest functional agglomeration of her cells, and therefore literally “becomes” Jenova. 

If Jenova's original body was severely damaged — either as a result of eons of incarceration or Hojo's tinkering — it stands to reason that, if she wished to carry out her plan, she would need a new body, one capable of moving at the very least. Perhaps Sephiroth, an able-bodied skilled Mako-infused fighter of considerable might, served as a better "vessel" than her original damaged one. 

But the crux of the matter lies elsewhere. The possibility of Jenova being conscious and influencing Gast is very terrifying. With the potential to affect others in close vicinity, she may have influenced the minds of the whole science team behind the Jenova Project, particularly those who had long-term contact with her tissue — Gast and Hojo. It could turn out that the whole idea to revive an “Ancient” was planted by Jenova in order to grow itself a powerful host. In fact, if it could "peer into one's soul," i.e. read minds and memories, it might have easily identified a pressure point to indoctrinate people who could forward her objective. It's one thing to inject tissue samples into an adult body; it's quite another to devise a plan to inject cells into a developing human fetus. Who knows. Perhaps Hojo is such an obsessed Jenova nutcase in large part because he fell under its spell; feelings of inadequacy and being overshadowed by his colleague may have offered a crack in his defenses.

One that Jenova easily took advantage of. After all, as Dirge of Cerberus implies, Hojo ended up implanting himself with alien organic material.

Again, Jenova's power to extract information from an individual when in proximity supports a bleak reading of the events leading up to Nibelheim's ransacking. A person who kept on carrying a photograph of his supposedly late mother and badgered others about his background, as suggested by Ever Crisis episodes, was literally wearing his weakness on a sleeve.

Perhaps the 30-something years of the Jenova Project were supposed to bring Sephiroth there.

Perhaps the chain of events had been nudged in that direction, starting from the very discovery of a derelict non-human lifeform. Nudged by an intelligence both cunning and incomprehensible. And that makes Jenova a much, much scarier presence in the remake than it was ever suggested in OG.

[freelanceexorcist]

FFVII General spoilers under the cut.

I’m not saying that a Venn diagram of people who get big mad when someone suggests that maybe Sephiroth wasn’t acting alone and Jenova had an influence and people who write off all of Cloud’s dark acts as Sephiroth controlling him is a single circle. I’m just saying there’s probably a bit of overlap.

With Sephiroth, it’s “did a terrible thing, evil forever now.”

With Cloud it’s:

Cloud: ready to cut down Johnny to shut him up

“Sephiroth’s controlling him!”

Cloud: nearly kills Tifa because he thinks she’s Jenova

“Sephiroth’s controlling him!”

Cloud: gives up the black materia

“Sephiroth’s!”

Cloud: takes the last of the coffee in the break room and doesn’t make more

“Controlling!”

Cloud: puts an empty orange juice carton back in the fridge

“Him!”

I know it was kind of like that in the OG, but what’s more compelling? The hero being controlled and having no agency when he has so much as a weird food craving? Or a character having to come to terms with having some pretty dark urges or intrusive thoughts that are egged on by what may or may not be his own psyche taking the form of hallucinations of his worst nightmare saying “come to the Dark Side, we have cookies?” I pick door #2.

I just think it makes for a more interesting character to have someone who’s essentially a good person struggle with the same issues that made Big Evil Scary Villain Man(tm) cross a line five years ago and maybe he might have to confront that about himself before HE crosses that line as well. Because Big Evil Scary Villain Man was a good person too, once. For all we know, Sephiroth could have experienced the same struggles but chose the bad ending. I hope they explore that more deeply in part 3.

I mean, I love both of these characters and I want to see them as more than the typical hero and villain archetypes. Deconstruct that shit, dawg.

Just my opinion. It and five bucks will buy you a cup of coffee.

[freelanceexorcist]

I don't know how I missed this bit. Maybe a full rewatch is in order in case I missed anything else big.

So the Cetra (and possibly humans, too) showed up, pushed out the Gi-the planet's original inhabitants-and made them outcasts. Am I interpreting that correctly?

If so, the Gi's grudge is legit as far as I'm concerned. And if my speculation turns out to be correct and Jenova is also Gi...well. If you and your people were forced to wander the planet as displaced spirits while your corpse has been desecrated for the last 30+ years by human scientists, you'd be pretty pissed off too, no? I would. Especially knowing that the planet used to belong to you until what was pretty much a straight up alien invasion.

I'd love to know what caused the cataclysm that ravaged the planet while it was still the Gi home world. Just what does Omega Weapon do to a planet before it deposits the Lifestream on it to make sure they start off with a clean slate?

Gi Lore Breakdown/Theories

(FF7 Rebirth Spoiler Warning)

I'm enjoying the new lore for the Gi and how it connects to the broader story of ff7.

Breakdown

Subsume - include or absorb (something) in something else.

Wane - decrease in vigor, power, or extent; become weaker.

Effigies - a roughly made model of a particular person

( made in order to be damaged or destroyed as a protest or expression of anger.)

It seems that the story of the Gi is the story of how the world of FF7 came to be. Gi Nattak statement points to a time when the world didn't belong to the Cetra or the Life Stream, but to the Gi and their original system. However, it seems the world was weakening during their age with the cause being unknown.

Then one day the Life Stream arrives and merges itself with the planet and its pre-existing system. This emerging process is described as a period of calamity, not only for the world but for the Gi themselves. Many perished but those who survived found sanctuary in (modern-day) Cosmo Canyon. When it all was said and done, the world was revived but with a cost. The remaining Gi or damn into an eternal purgatory. For their World System no longer recognizes them, and instead opted to focus on the dominant Life Stream and its creation's.

Soon the Gi tribe would perish over time, and create effigies to house their souls. However this did not bring them any peace. Instead it led to pain and spite, for what fate or the Life Stream have done to them. So they sought their own salvation (freedom through Oblivion). Their painful memories alongside their faith and hope, would create the Black Materia their most sacred treasure and key to their freedom. However as their freedom was at hand the Cetra stole the Black Materia, leaving them with nothing but their suffering and hatred.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Theory/Story implications:

I believe the story of the Gi represents Sephiroth's Story, as both are tied to the Black Materia.

The Gi according to rebirth, were abandoned by the Planet/Life Stream and so took fate in their own hands creating the Black Materia. The Black Materia is nothing but the Gi's angry and painful memories made form, and hey don't care who gets caught in the crossfire as long as they get their freedom.

In this way they reflect Sephiroth. Throughout the compilation, Sephiroth story is nothing but abandonment, pain,and betrayal. It isn't until neibelheim that all those things boil up into anger. Now he doesn't care who gets hurt as long as he gets what he wants.

Both the Gi and Sephiroth are the price of those left to suffer in the dark until they take action themselves. The Gi created the Black Materia, which is the price of a Planet/Life Stream that forgot them. Sephiroth on the other hand is the price for Shinra and its progression without limitations. And it's only through Planet/Life stream and shinra actions together do these two forces (The Black Materia and Sephiroth) does the world nearly meet its end.

[freelanceexorcist]

Chadley steals Sephiroth's music taste, much to Hojo's chagrin, since the kid likes to blast the heavy metal and obscure goth music in the labs.

Not really obscure, but.

Now I'm just picturing Chadley not hearing Hojo scream his name 16 times because he's so engrossed in the Red Lorry Yellow Lorry CD he swiped from Sephiroth's collection that he doesn't hear anything else.

I mean if you really think about it. Technically Chadley is kind of Sephiroth's little brother

Anon you are so right. Unfortunately we don't have it it canon, but highlights of their sibling bond would include:

• Sephiroth frequently gifting Chadley toys and other trinkets he himself was deprived of during childhood because he wants to make sure Chadley doesn't go through that. Chadley has more Lego sets and two-person games than he knows what to do with.

• Chadley going to Sephiroth for real world advice and getting trolled in grand older brother fashion.

Chadley: I think I may have romantic feelings for Professor Hojo's new intern.

Sephiroth: How so?

Chadley: Whenever I'm around her, I have heart palpitations, my vision blurs, I become sweaty and my speech is slurred.

Sephiroth: You've just described a stroke.

Chadley:

Sephiroth: You can have the same symptoms by consuming a double bacon cheeseburger.

Chadley:

Sephiroth: Which is much more fulfilling than romance, in my opinion.

• While researching "ways brothers bond," Chadley found funny videos of siblings jump scaring each other. He now frequently hides behind corners, donning a scary mask or fake blood, to scare Sephiroth. He finds it hilarious when Sephiroth gasps and clutches his heart. Sephiroth, in turn, isn't sure when he'll ever stop pretending to be scared, but he doesn't care. He likes seeing Chadley happy.

• Chadley steals Sephiroth's music taste, much to Hojo's chagrin, since the kid likes to blast the heavy metal and obscure goth music in the labs.

• Stealing each other's food.

*They're walking when Chadley's shoelaces come undone*

Chadley: Hold my sandwich for me please.

Sephiroth: Sure.

*Chadley bends down to tie his shoes. When he stands up, his sandwich is gone*

Chadley: I told you to hold it!

Sephiroth: I'm holding it in my stomach.

• Chadley uses social media for researching/ mimicking "sibling behavior" and likes to replicate things he sees. This is how he ended up on a "fun ways to annoy your brother" video. Sephiroth now gets sprayed with water—like a cat—at random when he's trying to rest.

• Chadley's excited rambling about materia and his research is never reprimanded by Sephiroth, who listens happily, remembering how he wished he had someone to listen to him gush about his interests when he was a child.

• Chadley is helping Professor Hojo assess Sephiroth in the labs. When Hojo's back is turned, Charley socks Sephiroth in the arm. Sephiroth, annoyed, punches him right back. Hojo turns around right as Chadley gets punched.

Hojo: Honestly Sephiroth. I expected better from you.

Sephiroth: But he hit me first.

Chadley: He bullies me constantly, Professor.

Sephiroth: !?

• When the labs feel suffocating or Professor Hojo is being particularly difficult, Chadley likes to escape to the 49th floor and use Sephiroth's office as a quiet spot. Sephiroth isn't always there, but when he is he makes sure to distract Chadley and give him the attention he needs. Eventually Sephiroth gives him a spare access card to his apartment if Chadley ever needs it.

• This later evolves into sleepovers.

• They constantly take advantage of their height difference—Chadley through piggyback rides and Sephiroth through fun methods of discipline.

*Lazard walks by Sephiroth's office and sees Sephiroth sitting on Chadley*

Lazard: What in Shiva's name are you doing??

Sephiroth: I caught him trying to go to Wall Market.

Chadley: It's for RESEARCH.

Sephiroth: Clearly he's at the age where he needs to be monitored lest he falls victim to recreational drugs and gang activity.

Chadley: I was just going to conduct a survey! GET OFF ME!

Sephiroth: Struggling will do nothing but amuse me.

• Not even Sephiroth is safe from your little sibling stealing your stuff.

*Chadley walks in with a shiny device in his hand*

Sephiroth: Is that my transmuter?

Chadley: No.

Sephiroth: It says Sephiroth on the back.

Chadley: No it doesn't.

Sephiroth: Chadley, I'm looking right at it.

Chadley: So? You don't even use it.

Sephiroth: Just because I don't regularly use something doesn't mean you can take it without permission.

Chadley: Hm. I guess I should probably give this back.

*Chadley places Masamune on the table*

Sephiroth: HOW—?

• Other SOLDIERs and troopers on missions with Sephiroth have reported seeing his face "light up" whenever he gets a call from Chadley.

[freelanceexorcist]

I'm loving the Rufus Shinra meets Iron Man aesthetic he's got going on here. White suits him.

Sephiroth ┼ FINAL FANTASY VII: EVER CRISIS

The prettiest high school freshman in the history of the planet.

[freelanceexorcist]

Yeah, whoever did the localization for FFVII Rebirth needs a smack if they’re trying to make it seem like Vincent would kill an infant because he MIGHT do something bad someday. I really need a direct translation of that line.

Final fantasy 7 spoilers——————Idk how to react to Vince saying he couldn’t purge Sephiroth from the world when he had the chance because like… I remember that Vincent went into his coffin a little after Sephiroth was born so like, was he gonna kill a baby?? 🥹😂🥹😂 and even so, how would he know Sephiroth would be evil. Up and until Sephy’s adult life he was a good boy? Like he only turned evil 5 years ago???

Unless SE retcons this timeline and knowledge just to push a closer bond between Vince and Sephiroth bc of Vin’s connection with Seph’s mother…?