#I need Tifa to release hell in part 3

[tifa-simp]

Not only do I need Tifa to slap the living shit out of Scarlet in part 3, but I need her to slap several more people. Namely, the Turks and Sephiroth.

And I'm talking about bitch slap with no comeback, they'll just have to shut up and take it from Tifa.

Or even better, let Tifa and Yuffie jump Scarlet "The Boys" style.

[greetings-inferiors]

I know it’s a weird ask but I really want to be able to fight Sora’s friends. I’d love in kh4 to have a limitcut type thing but with Riku, kairi, Donald, goofy, Roxas, etc. I just think it’d be really cool.

1.) Riku. I want the fully evolved form of the destiny islands Riku fight, have him have a dumb ass counter that he spams ever five seconds.

2.) Kairi. Let the girl rip and tear she deserves it. Her reckless teleporting to her keyblade noctis style is also sick as hell I’d love to fight it instead of alongside or as it.

3.) Donald and Goofy. Tag team. Donald zoning out Sora while goofy pressured him, and goofy protecting Donald while he charges up a massive spell. It’d be really cool.

4.) Roxas. The kh2 Roxas fight is one of my favourite in the series and I just want to see how they’ve both progressed.

5.) Axel. Okay so this is the main reason I’m making this post - I want to fight axel, it’s CRIMINAL that he doesn’t have his own theme yet. Every other character on here does, yet he’s stuck with sharing the 13th struggle. Why. Also him stance changing between his chakrams and his keyblade and the fire arena would be sick.

6.) Xion. Any excuse to hear vector to the heavens I’ll take. Also she has one of the best fights in all of kh3 so I want to fight her AGAIN. It’d be so cool if she dons her armour from days and becomes a giant fuckoff gundam as part of her dm too lmao

7.) Terra. We kinda got this in remind but it was terranort so I don’t count it. Also I think the lexaeus boss fight in kh2 is so cool and this is the closest we could ever get to it happening again lol

8.) Ventus. I just really want to see them fight. He’s so quick too I think it’d be Yozora and Xion levels of dancing with your opponent.

9.) Aqua. I want to not be able to make out her or Sora underneath the sheer mass of projectiles she’d release. I need her fight to be a bullet hell. Also she deserves to let off some steam after being trapped in hell for a decade.

10.) Naminé. Dear god please give her something to do. She’s literally done nothing since 2005. Kh3 forgot her so bad they had to make up a scene just to justify putting her on the boxart. I know that she technically has no offensive prowess since her only power is being able to change the memories of people related to Sora specifically, but please oh please just give her something else. Have her become a keyblade wielder. Have Donald teach her magic. Actually that’d be sick as hell, have the witch be incredibly strong at magic without needing a keyblade like everyone and their grandmother. Just please do something with her.

11.) Mickey. Let me beat up Michael. Let him go all out. See who deserves the title of king.

Extras:

Have “hard mode”s where you have Riku and Kairi, Mickey Donald and goofy, Roxas Axel and Xion, and Terra Ventus and Aqua pairing up. Who’d Naminé pair up with? Nomura knows.

Have Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie grouped up as a fight and it’s literally just them ripped straight from 7 rebirth to its synergy skills and everything.

Yozora rematch? Idk it might be too soon.

I would say to have union cross characters as fights but that’ll probably happen in kh4 anyway. At the very least the lost masters for sure.

[makoskies]

character analysis

* Disclaimer: This is based off of a lot of my own headcanons of Zack and canon divergent verses where he lives post-game. Also, this is just a really long post. Proceed with caution.

tagged by: @culturedconjurer​ THANK U FOR TAGGING ME IN THIS this was a lot of fun!!!! tagging: @sweettifalockhart​ @gunsandpuppies​ @nymphatragicae​ @officiums​ AND WHOEVER ELSE WANTS TO DO IT!! INDULGE ME!!!! LET ME READ ALL UR HEADCANONS ABOUT UR CHARACTER(S)!!!!!!!

GENERAL.

full name.  Zack Fair pronunciation. zæk fɛər nicknames. Puppy, Pup; best not to call him this unless you’re Angeal or someone else that’s close to him.  height. 190 cm / 6′3″ age. 16-26, verse-dependent zodiac. Rat (1984) languages. The nebulous canon/common language of the FF universe...

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

hair colour.  Black eye colour. Mako blue-green skin tone.  I headcanon him closer to a tan like his Crisis Core overworld sprite, in comparison to his HD renders. body type. Mesomorph accent.  Not exactly sure how I would want it to sound, but he has a kind of country twang from his village of Gongaga in which he sometimes slurs his words and uses some interesting contractions. After a few minutes of speaking to him, you can definitely tell he’s a country boy. dominant hand.  Right. Being part of SOLDIER though, Zack was trained to be proficient with his left as well. posture.  He has pretty good posture, especially good during combat, but when he’s in a casual setting he does let loose. More often than not, he’s bounding with energy, even to the point of nervous energy, and speaks with lots of body movement. scars. The telltale X-shaped scar on his left cheek and various ones all over his body from combat. tattoos.  Sticking true to my brand, I’d really like for him to have one on his back... maybe a combination of angel wings, flowers, wolves... [vague hand gestures.] It would be a combination of things that represent his closest friends. most noticeable features.  Definitely the Mako eyes and the fact that he just can’t seem to sit still for more than five minutes. You can almost see his eyes glow brighter when he’s physically stimulated as if they’re trying to release the overflowing energy in his body.

CHILDHOOD.

place of birth.  Gongaga in FFVII-verse; Radiant Garden in KH-verse hometown.  Same as birthplace. birth weight / height.  He was probably a smaller baby who ended up going through some crazy growth spurt in his teenage years. manner of birth.  A normal birth, nothing exciting. His mom probably gave birth to him in their home in Gongaga with the help of a midwife. first words. Probably something like.. “Go!” siblings.  None. parents. Both alive, at least until the Reactor nearby is blown up by AVALANCHE. The explosion kills both his parents in the process. This is something I really want to explore with AVALANCHE roleplayers because it’s one of the few times Zack would be full of sheer anger. parental involvement.  He was definitely pretty close to them, writing back to them while he was enlisted in SOLDIER whenever he could. Zack’s parents also ask about him when the party visits Gongaga in FFVII. They definitely love him but they let him do his own thing, not like they could really stop him even if they wanted to.

ADULT LIFE

occupation.  Timeline and verse dependent. SOLDIER 2nd class to 1st class in FFVII-verse, helps out with the Strife Delivery Service post FFVII; Radiant Garden Restoration Committee in KH-verse current residence. Timeline and verse dependent. Gongaga pre-FFVII:CC, Midgar FFVII:CC-FFVII, Edge post-FFVII. Olympus Coliseum KH:BBS, Radiant Garden KHII-III. close friends. Verse dependent. Angeal, Cloud, Aerith, Tseng, and Cissnei in FFVII:CC (we must also remember Kunsel!), the whole main party in FFVII. The Radiant Garden Restoration Committee and the Wayfinder Trio in KH. relationship status. In my headcanon, he’s in a really happy poly-relationship with Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa. But in terms of this blog, it’s verse dependent. financial status.  Probably pretty well off. Still not as good as the Turks though. driver’s license. He definitely should have one as SOLDIER. criminal record. ... Ambiguous after he escaped from Hojo’s lab, at least according to Shinra. 

SEX & ROMANCE.

sexual orientation.  Bisexual romantic orientation. Biromantic preferred emotional role.  submissive  |  dominant  |  switch  |  unsure preferred sexual role.  submissive  |  dominant  |  switch  |  sex repulsed libido. Average to high turn on’s. Zack is a very tactile person, so making out and general intimate touches for sure, ranging anywhere from like gentle kisses to more NSFW behavior. He’s the type to initiate these touches, sometimes in public if his partner is into that, and delights in his their reactions. Dirty talk and teasing is also high on this list because of those reactions ESPECIALLY DURING COMBAT. Honestly, he’s pretty easily turned on but he’s only intimate with people he really loves. turn off’s.  Any.. extreme kinks.. I don’t think he would be into things like degradation at all. People who are insincere or needlessly mean. love language.  P H Y S I C A L T O U C H and words of affirmation as a secondary. Like for example, how does Aerith comfort him after Angeal’s death? She hugs him, and he responds by leaning back into her. He doesn’t talk, doesn’t make a sound past his cries, but he lets her know what he needs by returning her touch. Even in his own death scene, he can barely move, but he pulls Cloud close to him, the closest thing to a hug he can muster, like he’s trying to show Cloud how important it is that he continue to live and to chase his dreams. I feel like physical touch is so important to him because sometimes.. sometimes there are things that he can’t put into words, not to the extent that he feels them. He wants people to feel how he does, and what better what to do that than through touch? relationship tendencies.  He is admittedly a little bit of a flirt, but only if he’s not currently committed to someone. It’s not because he’s a player or a heartbreaker or finicky. No, it’s more like he just sees the good in everyone and sees a lot of people as deserving and worth loving. Over time though, as he gets to know someone more, he’ll figure out if he actually wants to be committed to that person. He’s likely to be the first to confess and ask someone out once he’s interested. Once he’s committed, holy hell you will find no one more loyal. HE WOULD LITERALLY DIE FOR HIS PARTNER(S) OKAY!

MISCELLANEOUS.

character’s theme song. "The Price of Freedom” from the Crisis Core OST, of course. If I had to choose a theme song though... Like Not To Be Me (TM), but I think a good theme song for him would be “Bishops Knife Trick” by Fall Out Boy.  “I got a feeling inside that I can’t domesticate/ It doesn’t wanna live in a cage/ A feeling that I can’t housebreak.” I feel like this lyric just really captures Zack’s... almost desperation to accomplish the goals he’s set for himself in life. He’s a little reckless, a little headstrong, and his impulses can get the better of him, but that’s just who he is. “And I’m yours/ ‘Til the earth starts to crumble and the heavens roll away/ I’m struggling to exist with you and without you.” And of course, he’s fiercely loyal to the people he loves—even when they test his morals and understanding of the world, like Angeal. He struggles to understand Angeal’s view of the world, of himself, but no matter how difficult it is, he just keeps trying because he loves him. hobbies to pass the time. SQUATS ALL DAY EVERYDAY BAYBEE. Definitely exercise and sports. He’s also really handy, as can be seen when he crafts that little flower cart for Aerith. He probably just ends up making a lot of things for his loved ones to make their life easier: a flower cart for Aerith, armor for Cloud. He also would very much absorb the hobbies of his loved ones, like Aerith’s gardening. mental illnesses. After all the shit that goes down in Crisis Core, I think he would have some form of PTSD. He wouldn’t do well with loud, sharp sounds—too reminiscent of the sound of bullets. He would also probably have night terrors. To be honest though, I’m probably going to stay away from writing things like this because I’m just not educated enough in it. physical illnesses.  None really, though he may be a little screwed up because of the intense exposure to Mako during Hojo’s experiments. left or right brained. Right. He’s much more inclined to follow impulse and instinct. He definitely trusts more in what he feels than just the cold hard facts. fears. His loved ones being in danger and not being able to do anything about it. Maybe worse than that though would be having his loved ones be in danger, being able to protect them, but failing at it. His whole mantra is that he wants to become a hero, he wants to save other people from danger. For him to fail at that, at the cost of the people he personally loves, that would just destroy him. self confidence level.  I would say that Zack is more self-confident than the average person—that just naturally comes with his ambition—but it comes with moments of extreme self-doubt. Despite his appearance, he can be awfully introspective, especially in the face of failure. During these times, it’s more of his ego that pushes him along (I’m a Second Class SOLDIER, of course I can do these things. I’m strong and outdid most of my colleagues during training, etc.) until he kind of restores that genuine confidence. vulnerabilities. Zack is forgiving and empathetic to a fault. Like I mentioned earlier, he always sees the good in people even when, in my opinion at least, they’re beyond saving. If someone played the long game with him, convinced him that they were this good, redeemable person, they would very much be able to get him on their side. Zack is by no means unintelligent so he would of course see through like poor attempts at deception, and it’s not like he would just mindlessly do something because someone told him to... but if someone played the game right, the potential to manipulate him is very much there. And also, because he’s so empathetic, that forces him into a lot of tough situations where he has to make a decision as to what is right and wrong, what he should and should not tolerate. Even if the decision might be obvious, it doesn’t mean it’s an easy one to make.

[chibi-encubierta]

Still can’t get over the fact that a Final Fantasy VII remake is a real thing and we got the release date!!!!!! in the “A Symphonic Reunion “ trailer!!!! . Aerith looks gorgeous, and Barret looks fresh. Bombing Mission ended, Cloud jumping inside the train, BUT THAT LAST SCENE!!!! THAT IS NEWWWWW!!! WHAT IS GOING OOONNNNN!!! I NEEED THIS GAME!!!... but I’m broken :(. If I only had the money to buy all the game episodes AND console... Even though I have played the original at least 4 times, I need this new version... oh well I guess somebody will upload a no-comment playthrough. I know there are a lot of people with doubts (hell, even I have doubts about certain things they are certainly to change, we already saw one small[?] change) but I have read so many angry comment, full of hate with all the things that MIGHT change but I really think most of them are for the better. Only time will tell us about this... Just need to wait for March. just in case: [Spoilers] ahead. Besides de obvious scene with Cloud dressed as a cute girl with a Diamond Tiara, there are so many funny and/or cool scenes I want to see in this remake; for example: The sauna scene... (oh my good... I know I will regret writing this one later). “I’ll chop them” . The going up AAAAAAAALLLLL the stairs of the Shinra Tower and Barret .complaining aaaaaaaaaallll the way up. Horror movie with blood trail and corpses all the way till the president room (part 1) Cloud coming down the Shinra Tower with a motorcycle. Chocobo dance with Cloud voice acting a “wark”. Red XIII and Barret in Sailor suits. The ship travel to Costa del Sol being a fucking horror movie (part 2). Barret actually digging the Sailor suit in a bathroom. Sephiroth throwing a materia at Cloud’s face (instead of using it). Theater roleplay at Gold Saucer. Gold Saucer in general. Horror movie with blood trail at the Gold Saucer (part 3) Cid finally going to Space (I loved that part). Tifa escaping the gas room. Tifa an Scarlet Slap fight. All the Weapons scaring the shit out of me when they appear in the world map. Submarine Mini-game. Quadra Magic with Knights of Round (hahahaha just kidding, I know thats not how it works.... but Quadra Magic with Ultima and Mime... please no) All the game in general, pleeeeaasee hope we get more Zack

[freyayuki]

Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia Garland Burst Banners Cycle

The banners featuring Garland’s (from Final Fantasy I) Burst or BT weapon is coming soon in the Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia (DFFOO) mobile game.

His Raging Blade (Kaiser Behemoth Raid) Banner 1

The His Raging Blade (Kaiser Behemoth Raid) banner 1 features the following chars and their weapons:

Garland from Final Fantasy I - 15cp, 35cp, Ex, LD, and Burst or BT

Agrias Oaks from Final Fantasy Tactics - 15cp, 35cp, and Ex

Freya Crescent from Final Fantasy IX - 15cp, 35cp, and Ex

My Agrias is fully MLB and Purple. My Freya is fully MLB but at base Ex only. I have a copy of Garland’s 15cp that’s been limit broken once. Have a copy of his 35cp that hasn’t been limit broken at all. Missing his Ex, LD, and BT.

I’ve been hearing pretty good things about Garland from Final Fantasy I (#ad), and I want his Sphere for Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII, so was interested in pulling on this banner.

Garland has an A Sphere called Break Hit Raging Attack Up:

When inflicting Break or attacking target afflicted with Break: • Raises own ATK by 2% up to 5 times, once per turn

I talk more about this on another post but I don’t have tickets anymore thanks to trying to pull for Deuce’s (from Final Fantasy Type-0) LD. So had no choice but to resort to using gems for this banner. 

His Raging Blade (Kaiser Behemoth Raid) Banner 1 Free First Multi-Draw Results

We do get a free first multi-draw on this banner as part of the May Faire campaign celebration. 

This gave me a gold orb and I ended up getting a dupe of Freya’s Ex and another copy of Garland’s 35cp.

His Raging Blade (Kaiser Behemoth Raid) Banner 1 Multi-Draws Results

Here are the results of the rest of my multi-draws on the His Raging Blade (Kaiser Behemoth Raid) Banner 1:

Garland’s 15cp - ugh, what a lousy draw. Looks like we’re off to a bad start

3 golds - Agrias’s 15cp, Garland’s 15cp, and Agrias’s Ex - meh, why couldn’t the Ex have been Garland’s instead?

Freya’s 35cp - why are my draw results so freaking bad? At the very least, couldn’t this have been Garland’s 35cp instead?

2 golds, came from a gold orb - a dupe of Agrias’s 35cp and my very first copy of Garland’s Ex

Hell, yes! Super pleased to see Garland’s Ex. Now I just need his LD then I can get out of this banner. Would love to have his BT too, of course.

And we’re back to crappy draw results with a dupe of Garland’s 35cp. Meh.

Yeah, this helps me further limit break the one I already have but it’s not like I don’t have the Power Stones to do that so I don’t really need this.

Garland’s 35cp - yeah, just got it again on the very next multi-draw. Garland LD, doko da?

Garland’s 15cp and Freya’s 35cp

Garland’s Ex - came from a gold orb

Garland’s 15cp and Freya’s 35cp

Freya’s Ex and Agrias’s 15cp

Agrias’s Ex, came from a gold orb

Argh! My pulls are so freaking bad. Look at all these dupes. Sigh. At the rate things are going, it looks like I’m gonna have to pity Garland’s LD.

2 golds, came from a gold orb - Freya’s Ex and Garland’s Ex

2 golds, came from a gold orb - Agrias’s 35cp and Garland’s LD

Yes, finally, Garland’s LD came home! I’m glad to see this, but also kinda mad because I very nearly had to pity it.

I now have 280 G-Tokens on this banner. One more pull would have given me 300, enough to outright exchange for Garland’s LD.

Glad I was able to get Garland’s LD although I am kinda miffed that I almost had to pity it. Ended up having to spend a lot of gems.

Still, it could have been worse. At least I was able to get it. At least DFFOO actually has a pity system.

Ignis Scientia LD Banner

This banner features the following chars and their weapons:

Ignis Scientia from Final Fantasy XV - 15cp, 35cp, Ex, and LD

Garland from Final Fantasy I - Burst only

It’s also possible to get the 15cp, 35cp, and Ex of all the currently released chars on this banner. 

As part of the May Faire campaign, we get a free multi-draw on this banner. I’m missing Garland’s BT and Ignis’s LD. My Ignis is fully MLB and Purple though.

I heard some pretty good things about Ignis with his LD, especially as a Call, so I decided to toss a few tickets on this banner. Besides, I certainly wouldn’t say no to Garland since I have the rest of his kit and even got his High Armor.

Ignis Scientia LD Banner Free First Multi-Draw Results

Anyway, the free multi-draw gave me a gold orb. Unfortunately, all I got was a dupe of Ignis’s 15cp and his Ex. Meh. Wish that Ex had been his LD instead.

Ignis Scientia LD Banner Daily Free Single Draw

As you can see in the screenshot above, aside from the free first multi-draw, I also still have the daily free single draw. 

Could have used that on any of the currently available banners. Decided to use it on this banner. Wasn’t really expecting anything since I almost always end up with bronze trash whenever I do this. 

But hey, at least it’s free. And sometimes, very rarely, I can get a gold item. It’s usually a dupe but it’s still nice to see. 

At the moment, I can’t remember if I’ve ever been able to get an Ex or even an LD from this though. Definitely have never gotten a Burst.

Anyway, so I do the free daily single draw and I got a gold orb that quickly turned into a Burst orb. OMFG! Totally wasn’t expecting that at all.

There’s only one Burst featured here so I already knew I was getting Garland’s. Was still so freaking hyped anyway.

This is the first BT that I was able to get via the daily free draw. So freaking pleased to see this. More than makes up for the amount I had to spend to get Garland’s LD.

This right here is why I can never hate Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia. Sure, there are times wherein I get crappy draw results, or I don’t always get what I want. 

But there’s a pity system so if I use gems, I can guarantee that I’ll get what I want.

The same can’t be said for other mobile gacha games (*cough* Fate/Grand Order (FGO) *cough* and Final Fantasy Record Keeper (FFRK) *cough*). 

Also, this game is so freaking generous. We get lots of free pulls. We get lots of tickets and gems. The rates seem pretty good too, especially when compared to other games.

Ignis Scientia LD Banner Tickets Pulls Results

After getting Garland’s BT, I threw the 74 tickets I had on hand on this banner for Ignis’s LD. Unfortunately, it didn’t show up. Got mostly crap. 

Even got pulls like the one you can see in the screenshot below, which is complete and utter trash. It sucks, but can’t be too mad since I did just get Garland’s BT.

Garland from Final Fantasy I

When I got Garland’s LD, I fully MLB’d his 15cp, 35cp, Ex, and LD. Purpled his Ex and equipped it to him. Also bought his Bloom Stone and High Armor. Finished all of his Boards.

He’s equipped with 3 of Vayne Carudas Solidor’s (from Final Fantasy XII) Breaking Power (RF) A Sphere:

When attacking target afflicted with Break: • Increases BRV damage dealt by 4%

I’ve started farming for his Artifacts in the His Raging Blade (Kaiser Behemoth Raid) co-op. 

Don’t remember anymore where I got it, but was surprised to see that I actually already have 1 perfect Art for him - 1 ATK 108 with He Who Thirsts for Strife Boost★★ (Raises MAX BRV, ATK by 5% while Soul of Chaos buff active). 

At least I just need to get 2 more then I can be done with this. Easier said than done though. Artifact farming can be such a pain.

Anyway, now that I have Garland’s Burst, I max leveled it then equipped it to him. Now I just need 2 more of his perfect Arts to complete him.

Update: So far, I’ve been able to get 2 ATK 108 with He Who Thirsts for Strife Boost★, both of which costs 15cp. Meh. At least Garland has no trouble equipping these since he has his Burst and High Armor.

Update 2: Finally got my second perfect Artifact for Garland. Just need 1 more. They all have high CP cost though, but it’s fine as long as I’m able to equip them all to Garland. 

Don’t want to bother farming for lower CP Arts. Just really, really hope I can get the last Artifact soon because I’m so sick of this co-op. It’s such a drag. Takes for-freaking-ever before the fight ends.

Update 3: After what feels like forever, at long last, I finally managed to get the third 108/He Who Thirsts for Strife Boost★★ Artifact for Garland. And it even costs 8 CP only. Hell, yes!

So glad I can finally be over and done with this co-op. Was so sick and tired of it because it was so long. It was such a waste of triple item books. 

I’ve long since been done with the limited missions that came with this raid, but I kept on doing the co-op anyway so I could farm for Garland’s Arts.

Was also farming Arts for the other chars featured on this event like Agrias. Wasn’t able to get triple of their perfect Arts but, eh, it’s fine. Really don’t want to do this anymore. 

Besides, it’s not like I’ll be using these chars in Lufenia quests anyway, at least not right now when they’ve been heavily powercrept and they don’t even have their LD weapons yet.

Conclusion

So, what about you? Did you pull for Garland, Ignis, or any of these other chars? What do you think about these banners? Have you given Spheres to any of your chars? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions by leaving a comment below or by reblogging or replying to this post.

Notes:

screenshots are from my Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia game account

[electrospeak]

Final Fantasy VII, and its commentary on choice, security, and freedom.

Final Fantasy VII is one of the most beloved games of all time, and it has a legacy that has shaped the gaming landscape ever since its release.  But despite it’s massive success and influence, many people don’t try to talk about what made Final Fantasy VII great. The most obvious answers to this question are “the battle system” and “the story” and “Aerith’s death,” but more often than not, people don’t have answers deeper than the ones listed above. The few analyses of the gameplay of FF7 have been pretty in-depth and well-explained, but the even fewer analyses of the story that I've seen haven’t mentioned the deeper, thematic connotations of the plot. I hope this short essay sums up the main themes of Final Fantasy VII, and how the themes of how people are controlled, and how people gain control are brought out in the game. Obviously, spoiler warning for the whole article.

Part 1: Shinra vs. The Planet

The theme of control is pretty easy to see here. Obviously, the Shinra Corporation is controlling Gaia to harness the power of the lifestream, and to make materia. However, the Shinra aren’t just controlling the planet for their own gain, they’re trying to protect their people from the planet itself. If Shinra doesn’t control the planet, the planet (combined with the lifestream) will control every human being on Gaia. The lifestream is vital to the planet’s survival, along with the vast human population, but the lifestream is often misguided, and can lead to disaster. The lifestream causes an earthquake and destroys an entire town (Mideel) on the second disk, the Weapons come close to murdering thousands of innocent people, and Holy causes irreparable damages to Midgar. The whole conflict between the planet and Shinra can be summed up by this quote from Barret in Disk 2, at the northern crater:

“You know, I've been thinkin'...?

...Seein' a place like this, makes you realize how awesome nature is.

But, if anyone ever told me to live here, I'd tell them to... you know...

I'll tell you one thing though, If I did have to live here I'd change things around 'n' make it better.

I guess the total opposite of this would be...... Midgar.

When you think of it that way, Shinra don't seem so bad...

Uuuuuuurrrrrgh!!

What the hell am I sayin'!? The Shinra, not bad!?

…

Y'know... standing here like this...

Kinda makes you feel like the Planet's not on our side, don't it?

Of course we can't even compete. I mean... The Planet don't even notice us humans…”

 If the planet is 100% mechanized, human suffer, but if the planet is not mechanized whatsoever, humans will also suffer. Because neither party tries to reach a happy medium, and because each party exerts themselves trying to control the other party, the human race suffers. The mindless race towards control and security only brings ruin in Final Fantasy VII.

Part 2: J-E-N-O-V-A

 JENOVA is basically the origin of the chain of conflicts that arise in FF7. JENOVA kills all the Cetra, gives Shinra the means of creating super soldiers and controlling the planet, and sends Sephiroth on his murderous rampage and quest for power. From a thematic standpoint, JENOVA is basically the symbol that represents a mindless drive for control and power, as she starts all the major conflicts, and is brought up quite often in conversation by those trying to control others. Her theme, “J-E-N-O-V-A” is also used to stress the importance of some scenes’ thematic relevance, as her theme is used in the fight before Cloud gives Sephiroth the Black Materia, during the fight with Hojo, and finally, used in the descent into the Northern Crater on Disk 3. Sephiroth’s control of Cloud is because of JENOVA, Hojo’s experiments are because of the power of JENOVA, and the extremely powerful state of Sephiroth at the end of the game is because of JENOVA. JENOVA highlights the secondary theme of FF7, the idea that one mindless drive for power will lead to many others, and will ultimately put the whole world at risk.

Part 3: Cloud and Sephiroth

 The conflict between Cloud and Sephiroth is the driving force of the plot in FF7, and is actually more complex than most people assume. Obviously, Sephiroth exerts control over cloud, as he burns Cloud’s hometown to the ground, kills the love of his life, humiliates him in front of his comrades by brainwashing him, and tries to destroy the entire world. However, the far more interesting part of their relationship, and the part I think gets overlooked, is how Sephiroth mirrors the parts of Cloud that Cloud hates about himself. For some context, here’s a quote from Disk 2, when you play as Tifa inside of Cloud’s mind:

 “Cloud:

You were all childish, laughing at every little stupid thing.

Tifa:

But we were children, back then.

Cloud:

...I know. I'm the one that was stupid.

I really wanted to play with everyone, but I was never allowed into the group.

Then later... I began to think I was different...

That I was different from those immature kids.

That then... maybe...

Just maybe, they would invite me in.

I thought that might happen, so I hung around...

Cloud:

I was so prejudiced. And... weak.”

 The reason why Cloud is the main character of FF7 is because he grows out of his drive to become better than everyone else, and through that growth, he becomes a better person. Sephiroth is the villain of FF7 because he wants to destroy the planet and exert his dominance one last time. He mirrors the person Cloud used to be. It’s Sephiroth that causes Cloud to grow and change, despite the hardships he causes for Cloud.

 Cloud joins SOLDIER to become stronger, to impress Tifa, and to meet his icon, Sephiroth. However, this is still part of when future Cloud thinks of himself as a stupid child, as the idyllic power fantasy Cloud has started to indulge himself in crashes before his eyes as Sephiroth almost kills his two best friends and sets his village on fire. This leads into the beginning of the game, when Cloud starts chasing Sephiroth. But, because Cloud is so ready to find and assert his dominance over Sephiroth, his growth isn’t over. It’s also this hatred for Sephiroth that allows Sephiroth to easily control Cloud and make him hand over the Black Materia. Cloud’s arc is finished when Tifa goes into his mind and makes him realize why he hates Sephiroth. Cloud hates Sephiroth because he represents everything Cloud has worked so hard to leave behind in himself. Cloud often refers to his past self as “childish,” and that same word could apply to Sephiroth as well. Sephiroth is designed to be a childish character, as his design is that of a teenager trying to design an anime character, and his motivation is literally based on his mother. Once Cloud discards his quest for power and control over Sephiroth, he gains a new ambition in order to save the planet and all life on Gaia. The final battle between Cloud and Sephiroth at the very end of the game shows their difference in ideology perfectly. Sephiroth stands completely tall, half-naked, and holds his sword in a fighting stance. Cloud has his knees bent, and is holding his sword upward. When Cloud wins the duel, it’s a symbolic victory over human hubris as much as it is a victory for Cloud. The final battle is basically a compressed version of the entire game’s theme; that a drive for control and power will only lead to your downfall, and that a healthy medium is needed to truly create a world worth living in.

 Part 4: Final Thoughts

 Final Fantasy VII is a game about power and control, and about the effect of a wish for control, and the effect of being controlled. There’s a lot of small touches throughout the game that address this theme, and I hope some people can look back on the game and see how this theme affects every plot point in the game. I also hope that I was able to shine some light on the themes of this game, and maybe make some sense out of it. Follow for more essays like this. Anyways, thanks for reading, and have a nice night.