Summary
This article contains spoilers forFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas proven to be a worthy addition to both theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeproject and the franchise as a whole. As fans continue to pick through its massive zones, dungeons, and side quests, thoughts of where its sequel will go are pushed back, but only temporarily. With the high standards thatFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthand its predecessor have established, the last title in their trilogy will need to finish theFF7adaptation they started while finding ways to distinguish itself as well.
Even thoughFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthcovered most ofFF7’s world map, the next game still has to adapt the remaining events from the original game’s first disc, then all of discs 2 and 3, while tying upRemakeandRebirth’s new storylines as well. It’s a big ask, but Square Enix could pull it off if it leverages its past storytelling strengths. Fans are still busy searching for all thehints about the next game sprinkled acrossFF7 Rebirth, and one of the biggest may lie in its tendency to include classicFinal Fantasycontent thatFinal Fantasy 7once left out.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Emphasizes Cloud’s Dark Side
Cloud Strife, the iconic protagonist ofFinal Fantasy 7, is beloved for bringing an unreliable narrator aspect toFF7’s story that wasn’t common in games at the time.FF7 Rebirthbrings Cloud’s dwindling mental state to the forefront and exacerbates it through things like him misremembering Zack’s death and ultimately perceiving Aerith as alive while seemingly no one else does.The ending ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, especially Cloud equipping the Black Materia to his Buster Sword, sets up an especially grim role for him in the next game, butRebirth’s cutscenes aren’t the only source of hints about that.
Cloud’s Breakdown Is Represented Through FF7 Rebirth’s Gameplay
In typicalFinal Fantasyjob parlance, Cloud resembles a Warrior, butFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthcould be pushing him in a new direction. Exploring Corel sees Cloud gain the Umbral Blade, with its heavy, Berserk-enhancing Prime Mode replacing his Punisher Mode stance. Gathering Intel in Nibel then unlocks the Darkside Materia, a health-draining power-up that resembles the signature Dark Knight ability Darkness. AfterFinal Fantasy 2and4, the Dark Knight jobwas absent from the series untilFinal Fantasy 10-2, but Cloud using the Black Materia could give the Dark Knight’s potent-but-risky skills a door intoFF7.
The Last FF7 Remake Entry Could Recreate The Series' Most Famous Job Change
Players may start the lastFF7 Remakeonly to find that Cloud has traded his Punisher Mode for Prime Mode, with more slow, harmful, and powerful Dark Knight abilities unlocked over time. This will progress until Cloud and Tifa fall into the Lifestream, at which point Tifa will need to contend with Cloud’s broken psyche and corruption at the same time. Fortunately, resolving the first will set Cloud up to merge his character arc’s climax with that ofFinal Fantasy 4’s Dark Knight protagonist, Cecil Harvey. Just like Cecil, Cloud’s iconic comeback scene can be punctuated by his Dark Knight archetype being replaced by the trappings of a Paladin.
Final Fantasy 4 Can Merge Its Best Character-Building Scene With FF7’s
Cloud can duel his darkened copy just like Cecil did on Mount Ordeals, potentially incorporating the same defensive strategy asFF4’s trial to Pressure, Stagger, or even defeat Dark Cloud outright. Accepting Cloud’s dark side should fully restore his personality and memory, pushingFinal Fantasy 7’s emotional climaxto even greater heights. The White Materia could even replace its counterpart on Cloud’s weapons, paving the way for not just his Omnislash Limit Break, but a Paladin-appropriate Holy spell too. Merging the stories of two ofFinal Fantasy’s most iconic leads like this would makeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s follow-up a finale to remember.
