Although we see Zack living in a parallel world in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and the Remake trilogy is supposed to be a sequel to the film Advent Children, what is shown in the film may be a false clue.

When Final Fantasy VII Remake was released in April 2020 (how time flies), the atmosphere among fans of the original game was one of excitement and excitement, but that will be a long time coming for some.

The ending of the 1997 version of this classic caused a lot of controversy because, in fact, it was not a remake, but instead they presented the Advent Children series. Sephiroth travels from the end of the movie to the original Final Fantasy VII event to change his destiny.

This is all that is being discussed today. But, what if it was actually a remake, or in other words, a retelling of the original story? Next, we’ll discuss point by point why I think the Remake trilogy isn’t a sequel to Advent Children (or wouldn’t have different timelines).

Square Enix wants to make sense of the composition of Final Fantasy VII

A few years after the success of Final Fantasy VII, the studio behind the video game announced that they are developing a film that will serve as a sequel and a series that will expand this universe. Why was the collection born? . Before the remake, this was pre-Crisis, Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and Mourning of Cerberus. Also, the collection has additional stories, such as those you can find in the novel collection On the Road to Smile (Learning to Smile) or Final Fantasy VII Remake. A tale of two pasts written by Kazushige Nojima, who has shaped this world since 1997.

Now the developers have confirmed that the Remake project is the fifth part of the series, which has led many fans to take it as evidence that strengthens the concept of a series. Although it makes sense, the truth is that you may simply want it to be the end of the composition, which can create a sense of continuity by combining all the elements presented together.

For example, On the Road to Smiles contains a series of short stories focusing on the White Lifestream and the Dark Lifestream that partially tell the story of Eris and Sephiroth’s journey through the Lifestream. Such elements can be seen in the Remake trilogy.

There’s also the case of Leslie Kyle, who appears in Final Fantasy VII Remake as someone who works for Don Corneo and who we first met in Final Fantasy VII Kids: The Turks’ Side Story, a story that took place shortly before the Kids arrived. For those who want to know more about the character after the remake, they make sure to read that novel. This is a very important fact, because if that story is before Advent Children, how can the new version of 1997 be a sequel to that movie.

I know many still think it could be a sequel and that everything is cyclical, even more so when the new games are said to be dealing with Advent Children. The problem here is that if events keep leading us to that tape, Sephiroth will always return, so when will the conflict stop? I think I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s move on to the next point, what Echoes might actually be.

What Are Final Fantasy VII Remake Echoes?

Final Fantasy VII Remake introduces creatures called Echoes of Destiny, and as the name suggests, they are there to protect the events of the 1997 story, but not everything is as it should be. First of all, Final Fantasy VII has always tricked the player into thinking that Cloud was a soldier and that we were following the footsteps of Sephiroth (which he wasn’t even), when in fact the cruel plan was to make the meeting happen and give our protagonist a black case.

There is a possibility that the developers in Final Fantasy VII Remake expanded on Sephiroth’s plan. In my explanation of Echoes below, I’m basing it on the theory of @SEPH7ROTH , who dedicated himself to studying every detail in order to conduct a more complete analysis of the game. Of course, this fits my view.

Basically, Echoes represents the souls of those infected by Jenova’s cells and unable to join the planet. Before they died, they suffered from Professor Hojo’s experiments, or were part of the failed experiments of the military program.

Many people think that this is crazy and makes no sense, but the truth is that you should only pay attention to the design. The Echoes have a form of clothing, something that is already characteristic of Sephiroth’s clones, and if we add that some give it a purple color reminiscent of Genova, their relationship with the villain is more obvious (even in one of them. You can see the connection in the trailers of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth).

On the other hand, we have the theme of vision. However, that’s what Jenova does in the Final Fantasy VII setting. In Cerberus’ Dirge, when Lucretia is pregnant with Sephiroth, she sees visions (similar to those seen in the Remake) of what her child will bring.

Echoes are known to represent the sounds of the planet, so this wouldn’t be a new concept, it’s just that they weren’t given a form in the original Final Fantasy VII. On the other hand, the remake isn’t giving all the information, and I think these creatures are the beginnings of what we would later call the Dark Lifestream.

For those of you who don’t know much about Final Fantasy VII Composition, I’ll tell you a little about what it’s all about. The Dark Life Stream contains the souls of those who died in the Geostigma, and now you may be wondering what it is. Here’s the explanation: At the end of the first Final Fantasy VII game, when Lifestrike appeared to save the planet from a meteorite, Sephiroth’s soul was still there, so Jenova’s corpse was disintegrated, and as a result, many living creatures were infected. A disease known as geostigma.

In the Remake trilogy, something similar could happen but with Sephiroth’s clones. However, you can go even further with the concept, as Advent Children features a remnant (or remnants) of the popular villains established by the Dark Life stream, namely Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo. While some may wonder what this has to do with the new games, it’s still unclear who the Sefirot that appears on the highway near the end of Final Fantasy VII Remake is.

Today he is thought to be the Sephiroth of the Advent Children, but I think he could simply be a (normal) remnant of a crystallized version of him who uses those corrupted souls. It can also be seen as a version created by Echoes due to what Motomu Toriyama (co-director and scenario designer of Final Fantasy VII Remake) said a while ago.

During an interview, Toriyama was asked if Echoes Rebrum, Viridi, and Croceo (who were introduced in the final battle) were a representation of Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo to save their own future. The creator responded with the following.

“Echoes are capable of creating monsters from all memories over time, and I believe this includes characters that exist or may exist in the timeline.

Although this seems to confirm different timelines, it is only about one and these statements come from memories. In addition, this point will have more to do with Jenova, because she is the one who created the symbols. In this way, creatures can be formed with some sense of what is to come. This also explains why Sephiroth’s remains resemble his Advent Children version.

It is clear that the most talked about moments in Final Fantasy VII Remake are related to Echo and Sephiroth, and almost four years later, the most popular theory is that an alternate line was created and Sephiroth used the life stream at the end of Advent Children. To return to shared events. Maybe everything mentioned is true, but I personally think, especially after reading @SEPH7ROTH’s theory, that Sefirot wanting to change the main events is completely inconsistent.

For the fulfillment of the popular proposition, the actions of the Sephiroth and the Echoes must be diametrically opposed, and we must ask ourselves whether we have here a conflict between them. Before we start analyzing some aspects of Echoes, I will share an official image from Final Fantasy VII Remake.

In that image, the Echoes look more like an extension of Sephiroth (or the villain uses them) than his enemies. Also, the game itself will give you hints about this. Since the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, Sephiroth is thought to appear on Cloud in Episode 2 to avoid encountering Eris, and thus, Echoes captures her to find our protagonist. I think there are other clues.

It is Sephiroth who makes it easy for us to meet Eris by deviating from the main path. In fact, as we see when the flower girl is worried about Echoes, Sephiroth appears to Cloud. We also see that Eris continues to be haunted by these creatures after his encounter.

Now let’s move on to Episode 4 where Echoes attacks Avalanche so Jessie gets hurt and Cloud accompanies them on the Reactor 5 mission. These beings interfere because Sephiroth is changing events but Cloud is resting. Echoes appears and the silver haired man’s sinister voice tells him to sleep. How can this be if they do not have the same goal. Maybe because he’s actually using them.

We then see Echoes saving Cloud from the fall at Sector 5 so he doesn’t get hurt. Interestingly, Sephiroth also makes us think of their unity instead of pretending that there is a conflict between these guardians and villains. Later they will have their importance in the failure of the plate of sector 7, although I don’t think it is necessary to do much analysis about that part.

Later, Echoes prevents Cloud from seeing Shinra’s experiments and tells Hojo that he is not really a soldier. Conveniently, this supports Sephiroth’s plan, as Cloud still can’t figure out the truth before going to the Northern Crater. Now, let’s move on to where Sephiroth and Barrett are concerned.

In this episode of Final Fantasy VII Remake, many think that the theory that Echoes are spirits corrupted by Sephiroth will be dispelled. However, when President Shinra was about to kill Barrett, these creatures did nothing. Sephiroth rescues a member of the Avalanche using one of his clones, as this is necessary for Cloud’s journey. The problem is that Barrett then tries to attack him and defend himself (probably because Sephiroth doesn’t always have full control over the clones), a situation he can easily deal with thanks to Echoes.

What is Sephiroth’s new plan in the remake trilogy?

Sephiroth’s plan in the new Final Fantasy VII is similar but expanded, meaning it includes elements from the setting. From the first game, after the events of Nibelheim, we know that Lifestream Sephiroth cannot fuse because he has Genova cells in his body. So the villain travels up the stream, gaining knowledge of Jenova, Setra, and how the planet works, hatching a well-crafted plan to be reborn as a god.

In the original Final Fantasy VII, that plan began to appear mostly after the release of Migar, but now it is implemented much earlier. Another point that separates the two versions is that he doesn’t just use his clones, he needs Echoes to make sure everything goes as planned.

One aspect that has led people to think that Sephiroth is from the future is that this version is more aware and reminiscent of Cloud (something that didn’t happen in 1997’s Final Fantasy VII). However, this may have an explanation, the first is due to the signs associated with Genova (which appears in the compilation but only shows small fragments of the future without context, it does not mean that he knows everything that is coming), but the other may be. Be a narrative theme, it seems weird if you don’t remember who killed you.

Actually, the secret topic was said by Toriyama in an interview. The co-director of Final Fantasy VII Remake was asked if new players would be confused by the vision. Toriyama responded by using our protagonists as an example.

“Cloud and the crew don’t really understand what they’re seeing in the scene given the future memories, so it’s okay if the player isn’t told the full meaning behind the visions.”

This makes it clear that seeing small signs without context does not mean you know the future. Also, if Sephiroth was able to transfer his consciousness back in time, why did he go to the trouble of traveling so far, he was able to travel shortly after receiving the Dark Matter to prevent Cloud from recovering from his tragedy. example.

Why does Aeris know more in Final Fantasy VII Remake?

The reason why the new Aeris is more familiar than her 1997 counterparts will be for a simple reason, the developers want to expand her arc (similar to Sephiroth’s situation). Nowadays, it is common to find theories about two Eris, however, their arc can be easily explained better. It shouldn’t be strange that our heroine perceives Sephiroth’s threat because she, being Setra, is sensitive to the planet.

In other words, she will have the ability to hear the sounds of the planet, so she will get some things because the sounds tell her. You can also interpret it as Eris understanding the thoughts of souls, including the Sephiroth. Additionally, this power allows him to use the planet’s memories to communicate with Cloud (as we see in the dream scene).

On the other hand, in the Final Fantasy VII Remake novel. Traces of Two’s Past shows a bit more of Eris’ abilities as Setra. For example, when she was still a child and in Shinra’s building, she came to draw visions she saw, such as the wall that appears in the remake. An important fact is that Eris is in trouble with Sephiroth because the Echoes have been stealing her memories, another point is that these creatures are more useful to evil than one might think.

What happens from the highway?

As we know, the plot of Final Fantasy VII Remake gets more complicated when Sephiroth appears on the highway, as well as when the Echoes come together to form a wall. Regarding the theme of evil, I already explained what that version of the Sephiroth represents, but what does the following mean? Below, I’ll share my take on the final episode of Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Sefirot wants the team to follow him to give him the final push to begin his pursuit. Eris partially knows they’re going to face everything and that’s why she’s hesitant to continue, even if we don’t think she’s that clueless since her memories were stolen.

Before it enters Sephiroth’s dark portal, Eris purifies it and gives it a lighter voice (which can be related to the white stream of life). After crossing over, our heroes find themselves in a place called the Singularity, a place outside of space-time with a dark atmosphere.

Then the group is surprised by storms with purple tones (a color reminiscent of Genova), but the strange thing is that these begin to reproduce Midgar again (or so it seems), and when they do, everything seems clear and bright. This makes me think that Eris may have cleared the dark aura of Sephiroth to create a world that would serve as a kind of singularity in the white lifestream. I think this concept is possible, and even that world could be where our hero uses souls to move and stop meteors (basically what happens in the original Final Fantasy VII).

That said, many think the world I’m talking about is one of an alternate reality, but I disagree. I have to talk about the white lifestream (and other details) first, so I’ll explain how that position works later. Basically, this is the opposite of the dark flow of life, it is responsible for cleansing all the corrupted souls and helping others to integrate with the planet.

That world is used to better explain how Eris can push that all-dimensional soul Meteorite and thus lead it to do its sacred work.

After Omen’s defeat, the whole place becomes much less dark (probably connected to the white life stream). However, the echoes gather together and it appears that Sephiroth attracts them. This could be from Jenova’s forces, because the Echoes under the influence of Sephiroth form the future, which is why we see the villain from Advent Children (or maybe the developers simply like that design), and when Midgar is about to hit, it is destroyed with a meteorite.

When the fight ends, Cloud and Sephiroth face off in a place called the Horizon of Creation. There the villain tries to be nicer to our hero and convince him to join him. They may simply be trying to achieve their goals without exceeding all expectations. Now, as expected, Cloud doesn’t accept. Maybe, deep down, Sephiroth already knew what the answer would be, and that’s why he planned everything so well.

Sephiroth also allows Cloud to see that humanity will perish if they do nothing. We know that the way he sees salvation is by turning into God and using the planet to travel the cosmos. We know the planet won’t be long, because Shinra has found a way to extract enough resources from the Lifestream to become a power source. The planet is robbed of its essence, to create new life, the destruction of humanity becomes more and more difficult.

Sephiroth is curious to see what Cloud will decide and tells him he has seven seconds. Apparently, she decides to follow him with the others (as happened in the first story). Neither Sephiroth nor humanity would end well if he decided to stay in Midgar.

Before I begin to speculate about rebirth, I must logically talk about the end of rebirth. However, the first part of this mega review of the Final Fantasy VII universe is over, even though it’s time to analyze the topic related to Zack. If you liked the article, don’t miss the next part soon: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Why the Remake trilogy is not the Advent Children series and not about alternate realities [Parte 2]

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank @SEPH7ROTH for all the information he gave me about Final Fantasy VII.