Hi, Thank You For Your Brilliant Insights. Maybe It's Just A Coincidence Of The English Localization,

“As long as we’re together, I won’t be afraid.” “Yes, I promise.”

@zerith-week day 2: promise

Underrated beautiful relationships 

***Cloud&Barret’s Friendship***

Flowers.

Happy Birthday Aerith 🌸

Talk about a coincidence!

A debated canonicity

(Previous post here)

Mad1en who Trave1s the P1anet (adding typos to prevent unpleasant comments) is one of the most controversial entries of FFVII lore.

It was included in FFVII Ultimania Omega, published in 2005. Fans have debated ever since if this short story is part of the canon entries of the compilation, as it was written by an external writer that never took part to the realisation of the game.

Part of the fandom thinks it's canon because Square Enix never said it isn't, another part thinks it's not canon because Square Enix never mentioned it again ever since it was published (neither ever provided an official translation nor decided to sell it outside Japan. Quite self-explanatory, considering that "Picturing the Past" has been immediately translated and it's sold everywhere in the world).

The particularity of this novel is that here Aerith states she loves Cloud more than Zack. Not a word is spent to describe how she feels when she understands that Zack didn't cheat on her but endured experimetations for years and died to save Cloud, and that Cloud had created an alter ego based on Zack's traits. These lines started to divide the fans after the release of Crisis Core, that describes a tender and sincere romantic relationship between Zack and Aerith.

Yes, SE never officially said if this novel is canon or not, but I'd like to point out a fact:

The Remake includes tons of references to all the entries of the compilation.

Some examples?

The Avalanche members that show up in Chapter 4 wear the original uniforms of Before Crisis:

Crisis Core references can be found everywhere in the game, for one thing, Zack's last stand:

Dirge of Cerberus was already hinted in the game when Cloud, Tifa and Barret fell in the misterious lab beneath Sector 7 and is going to be heavily referred in the Intergrade. From the trailer we can see Weiss:

There are many references to Advent Children too. For example, Sephiroth has the black wing that he only showed in the movie:

Last order is quite difficult to refrence, as it doesn't add anything new to the story but it's rather a reinterpretation of Nibelheim incident. Anyway, it is mentioned in FFVII Remake World Preview (Square Enix book that includes "Picturing the Past"):

And now talk about the novels:

New characters, like Kyrie, come from The Kids are alright, a Turks side Story:

And here's an example from On the Way to a Smile too: from a dialogue with Jessie it's revealed that Cloud doesn't know the names of vegetables:

...turned out he [Cloud] didn't know a carrot from a gysal green. At first, Tifa was amused that mighty Cloud's new life started with learning vegetables names... (Case of Tifa)

So:

Before Crisis

Crisis Core

Advent Children

Dirge of Cerberus

Last Order

The Kids are alright

On the way to a Smile...

Picturing the Past was written alongise the Remake to clarify the origins of the mural painting in Aerith's room...

They are all abundantly referenced multiple times during the game. Find a more exhaustive list here.

And now it's the turn of Ma1den who trave1s the P1anet.

The author of this novel based himself on the original dialogues and story of the OG and reinterpreted them adding some new elements to create a coherent narration (full of discrepancies that, ehm, have already been disproved years ago, like Aerith's age when she met Zack, Hojo being not really dead, Zack's personality being totally different from Crisis Core, Aerith already knowing about Zack's death, normal souls that should merge immediately in the Lifestream, Omnislash being not Zack's ability...not that this ever convinced anyone).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but...

There are no references at all in the whole game. Not a single word that inequivocally refers to this novel.

Not a word to hint the fact that bad people's souls will rot in the Lifestream and won't be part of it because their spirits are beyond redemption (like what happened in the novel to President Shinra and Hojo).

In the novel Biggs, Wedge and Jessie are tormented by the deaths caused by the explosion of Mako reactor n.1. Jessie feels guilty both in the OG and in the Remake but Biggs and Wedge don't show much regret and the Remake shows that Shinra caused the massive explosion of the reactor, not Jessie. But wasn't the Lifestream supposed to be the place where all knowledges are merged together? I may be wrong but this would suggest that Jessie would have known it after her death.

There are hints that suggest the Aerith of the resolution scene is the one who already died in the OG: she talks to Cloud as if they had passed a long time together, she talks about death and finally disappears in a sparkling greenish light.

It would have been a great scene to put any reference to Ma1den but...it didn't happen.

Well...wierd the devs forgot to mention just this entry...

What a coincidence.

FFVII Remake Easter Eggs and compilation continuity - Part 8: OG FINAL FANTASY VII

 ELEMENTS USED IN A DIFFERENT CONTEXT OR FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE

SAVE POINTS

The save points of the original FFVII consisted in an angled C (”check point”) floating on a crystal base. In the REmake there are no more save points but the same symbols appear on the healing benches.  

PHS

In the OG the player could use the PHS tool in the world map or at the save points to switch the party members. In the Remake there are PHS terminals in Shinra HQ that the group use to communicate and switch between two parties in Chapter 17. 

  TIFA’S PIANO

During her childhood Tifa had a piano in her bedroom. Among the many posters of the REmake there are some with the image of a keyboard, one of them indeed hung in Tifa’s bedroom.  

THE HOUSE SPECIAL

We know from the original game that Avalanche was originally founded in Cosmo Canyon. This is also the name of one of the drinks served at Seventh Heaven, Avalanche’s hideout. 

OG: Cosmo Canyon... This is where AVALANCHE was born...

Remake: Our house special: the Cosmo Canyon. 

BEST GUIDE

When Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud arrived at Nibelheim  years before, Tifa escorted them to the reactor, saying she was the best guide of the town. In the Remake too she proposes to be Cloud’s guide in the Sector 7 slums (reference more clear in the Jp version).

OG: I’m the number one guide in this town.

Remake: I know these streets better than anyone. (Jp version: I’m the best guide of the slums).

PARACHUTING

In the OG Cloud and the others parachuted themselves on Midgar from the Highwind, in order to prevent Hojo to use the Sister Ray to help Sephiroth. In the Remake Cloud, Jessie, Biggs and Wedge parachute back in Sector 7 after the mission in Chapter 4.

MUSEUM

At Gold Saucer, Dio had a personal museum with a big picture of himself. Moreover, he had also a massive gold statue at the top of the amusement park. In the Remake, the 60th floor of the Shinra building hosts a museum where there’s also a big golden statue of the President. 

VIRTUAL REALITY

Bugenhagen has a 3D holographic symulator in the Cosmo Canyon observatory, necessary for his planetology studies (Shinra machinary he received from Professor Gast). “Cosmos theatre” is a 3D virtual reality symulator where visitors can learn about the Ancients and the Promised Land. 

DA-CHAO

During Intermission Yuffie uses to eat “Da-chao beans”. Da-Chao an important water deity of Wutai and its massive statue is sculpted in the mountain overlooking village. 

WALL MARKET

In the original FFVII, the Honeybee Inn was a brothel, while in the Remake it’s a night club. Anyway, the hand massages at Madam M’s parlor are kind of allusive, especially the Luxory Course.

ARENA

The Battle Square (or Battle Arena or Colosseum) was an area of the Gold Saucer, where Cloud could entertain Dio with a match in exchange of the Keystone. In the Remake, also Corneo has a Colosseum at Wall Market.

DATES

In the OG, depending on the player’s choices, Cloud could spend a date at the Gold Saucer with Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie or Barret. A similar system exists also in the Remake and it affects a cutscene at the beginning of Chapter 14. 

SHOWMAN

During the date at the Gold Saucer, Cloud and the girl (NB: not Barret) had to take part to a stage show where they played the parts of the knight and the princess. In the Remake, in order to obtain the dress-up to infiltrate Corneo’s Mansion, he has to take part to a dance show at the Honey Bee Inn. 

THE PRINCESS 

Princess Rosa was one of the protagonists of the Gold Saucer show, played by Aerith, Tifa or Yuffie during the date. In the Remake Cloud can read a letter in the room of Jessie’s father, where Jessie announced to her parents that she obtained the part of the princess in a show at Gold Saucer. 

Jessie Raspberry as...the Princess?

FIREWORKS

There were fireworks creating a romantic atmosphere during the ride on the gondola at Gold Saucer. In the Remake, if Aerith is wearing the red dress, her appearance is accompanied by fireworks and red carpet. 

KISS

The LTD has split the fandom for ages, but the only two girls who have ever been shown kissing Cloud are Yuffie (during her GS date) and Jessie (if the player manages to end the bike minigame in Chapter 4 with HP above 80%).

DREAM

In the OG Aerith appeared in Cloud’s dream just before getting to the City of the Ancients, the place where Sephiroth killed her. In the Remake this dream is hinted in two scenes:

1) The way Aerith appeared at Cloud at the beginning of Chapter 9 recalls the way she appeared in his dream (which triggers in Cloud a vision of her death). 

2) She appears in his dreams again during her resolution scene, using gestures and words that hint at her death. 

VOICES OF THE PLANET 

Aftyer Meteor was summoned in the OG, Cloud and the others could hear the scream of the Planet from the Highwind. In the Remake, when the group faced Sephiroth at the end of the highway, the Whispers start screaming in pain and Aerith said those were the voices of the Planet.  

OG: RedXIII: Did you...hear something? - Tifa: The Planet’s scream...or Meteor? Is it this Planet? - Cloud: Hey, how do we know that this is really the Planet’s scream? - Tifa: Did you forget? Bugenhagen told us.

Remake: What you heard just now were the voices of the planet. Those born into this world. Who lived and who died. Who returned. They're howling in pain. (...) They... Their words...they don't reach him. All these moments and memories, precious and fleeting...they're like rain rolling off his back... And when they're gone, he won't cry...or shout...or anything.

CLOUD VS SEPHIROTH

In the original FFVII, after the defeat of Safer∙Sephiroth, Cloud and Sephiroth had a final mental duel. At the end of the Remake Sephiroth mentally drags Cloud to the “Edge of Creation” with a symilar dynamic.  

Requested by @paarsetulpen

An Attempt to Clinically Analyze Sephiroth's Psychosis at Nibelheim

Sephiroth has fascinated me as a villain for a long time, but I’ve also struggled to “figure him out” for just as long. For all the simplicity of his villainous goals (i.e. become a god, destroy the world), it’s really the heart of his breakdown in Nibelheim that confounded me regarding his motives and the causal factors behind how he becomes what he becomes. I think Sephiroth's story can be interpreted in drastically different ways depending on how you see the explanations for his breakdown preceding the Nibelheim Incident. Not to mention, there’s the multiple retellings of the incident within the Compilation and the inconsistencies that come with it.

I’m still in the process of unraveling how to approach Sephiroth’s psychology, so this won’t be a regular analysis. Rather, this is mostly going to be a stream-of-consciousness type of piece, where I just let my thoughts flow. Definitely expect some stuff to sound rough or disjointed, and possibly some inaccurate facts due to my terrible memory (please let me know). Also, for the sake of the most updated canon, we will go with the Crisis Core version of events.

~Major FFVII and Crisis Core spoilers ahead~

Psychosis

Firstly, I want to address the clinical term that can describe what happened to Sephiroth at Nibelheim. I’ve heard people call it a mental breakdown or psychotic break, among other things. If we want to be consistent with the psychiatric language of the DSM-5, we would say that Sephiroth experienced the onset of a psychotic episode.

Psychotic episodes are a state of significant psychological disturbance that involves a loss of touch with shared reality. Historically, what we now know as psychotic episodes were once called madness or insanity. The duration of an episode affects what type of psychotic disorder would apply, but overall, psychosis can be either transient or continuous.

It’s hard to say which is the case for Sephiroth, specifically because of how his prognosis transforms pre- and post-Lifestream dip. Pre-Lifestream, it’s clear that he went into an abrupt and severe state of psychosis. Even though there were already warning signs prior to when he holed himself up in the Shinra mansion basement, Sephiroth’s behavior change still occurred in a short amount of time and marked a drastic change from the anguish and confusion he initially experienced upon first learning what Jenova is. He is experiencing a psychotic episode that marks a clear departure from his prior functioning.

Afterwards though, Sephiroth learns what Jenova truly is and makes a conscious decision to use its power and influence over the Lifestream for his own means. At this point, we can’t say that it’s a temporary condition. Not to mention, the question of how much Jenova is influencing Sephiroth also complicates how we understand Sephiroth’s psychology. At best, I would say that post-Lifestream Sephiroth is experiencing an ongoing psychotic disturbance.

Delusions

At the heart of Sephiroth’s turning point to villainy is a delusion, a fixed and false belief that is resistant to change even in the presence of contradictory evidence. Although I've seen it used a lot in casual contexts, delusions are in fact a clinical term for distorted beliefs. Essentially, delusions exist beyond reason and cannot be logically refuted. Delusions are a hallmark feature of psychosis, involving a resistance to the facts of reality that conflict with one’s beliefs.

There are several reasons that someone might develop a delusion. Obviously these reasons aren't always mutually exclusive, but I think what reason you attribute to Sephiroth's breakdown influences how you understand it.

Certain people are genetically predisposed to delusional thinking. Jenova. Injected in the womb. Supernatural prenatal development. Need I say more?

People come up with distorted ways of explaining the unexplainable. This is the type of thinking that is linked to an inclination for conspiracy theories. Sephiroth was searching for answers about his birth and origins, and with false, piecemeal information, he formed the erroneous conclusion that he was a Cetra. I wouldn't say this is the driving force behind his decision to burn down Nibelheim, but you can see the gateway to vengeance through this avenue.

People have trouble coping with life and preserving their self-esteem, therefore they use delusions to attempt to uphold it. This is the most sympathetic perspective, mainly because it boils Sephiroth down to the misunderstood savant that is mourning the loss of his self-worth. More on this later, since this is the angle I see portrayed most in Crisis Core.

People experience significant life stressors, such as low socioeconomic status, trauma, and drastic life changes that heavily influence how they perceive and understand the world. We could create a whole list of known or presumed "life stressors" in Sephiroth's life, but if we want to highlight a specific one, it would be the discovery of the Jenova Project files. It could be argued that it was deeply traumatizing to him, enough to rock his worldview.

Reasons aside, there are also several different types of delusions classified in the DSM-5. I think Sephiroth shows features of at least two types. You could say Sephiroth experienced a grandiose delusion, or what you might know as a delusion of grandeur. This is defined by the belief that one is extremely powerful or important. Sometimes it even takes on a religious bend, leading to the belief that one is omnipotent or holy. Sephiroth believed he was the last of the Cetra race, one that was more connected to and respectful of the planet compared to humanity. He was "the chosen one to rule this planet," someone exceptional and superior to everyone else.

You could also say that Sephiroth was experiencing a persecutory delusion. This is when someone believes he is "being conspired against, cheated, spied on, followed, poisoned, maliciously maligned, harassed, or obstructed in the pursuit of long-term goals." Sephiroth drew the conclusion that he had a duty to punish humanity for persecuting the ancient Cetra. He believed he had to pursue vengeance for Jenova and for Cetrakind. People with persecutory delusions tend to demonstrate significant anger and violent behavior, which also checks out with Sephiroth's subsequent decision to burn down Nibelheim.

Obviously, both the grandiose and persecutory delusions transform a bit when Sephiroth learns about Jenova's true nature as an extraterrestrial, not a Cetra. But that's a conversation for another time; remember, we're talking about the psychotic episode that became the gateway to Sephiroth's villainy. So, let's backtrack a bit and talk about how Crisis Core chose to lean into a sympathetic portrayal of Sephiroth's psychology.

Self-Concept

We still know very little about Sephiroth’s childhood and upbringing (although it looks like Ever Crisis may change that?), aside from several key facts. We know that he was born an experiment, having been injected with Jenova cells in the womb. We know he was essentially raised by Shinra and did not get to experience a normal childhood. He was known to be a prodigious fighter and was the reason that the SOLDIER program was created. As a teenager, he fought in the Wutai War and gained his status as a war hero.

This is all to say that though Sephiroth knew little of his childhood, he knew one thing for certain. He was a very good fighter, and a hero to Shinra. Sephiroth’s established self-concept revolves around this fact. He was likely praised and lauded for his wartime achievements, and even before then, we can presume that Shinra scientists noted him to be an exceptional fighter. He was the epitome of prestige and strength.

Let’s contrast that with the information he gains right before the Nibelheim Incident. When Sephiroth sees the monsters at the reactor and begins to question his connection to them, he began to mull over his identity and existence. Sephiroth knew he was unusual and exceptional even as a child, and he said so himself that he doesn't know what it was like to have parents or a hometown to speak of. Genesis then reinforces what Sephiroth feared, that he is a monster and a product of experimentation. He was told he was subhuman, repulsive, an abomination.

Sephiroth’s self-concept started as that of a prodigy, someone who is an extremely capable fighter. After the war in Wutai, he was labeled a war hero. Once he was led to believe that he was a monster, this shatters his worldview. He went from seeing himself as a prominent hero to seeing himself as subhuman. This is further driven by the fact that Sephiroth had already lacked answers about his origins and craved a sense of home, of parental warmth and connection. Because of this gap in his history, the premise that he was no more than a monster was eerily plausible. With his self-concept dramatically rocked, he was left starving for answers to what he is. This is what led him down the rabbit hole, seeking an explanation that would either tell him that he was not a monster, or that his initial self-concept can still be upheld somehow.

And thus, Sephiroth was in a vulnerable place where a grandiose or persecutory delusion can uphold his self-esteem and self-concept. If Jenova is truly the last of an ancient race, then Sephiroth is exceptional, not an abomination. If the Cetra had powers that humans didn't have, then Sephiroth was powerful, not just a monster. The delusion takes hold because it is something Sephiroth needed in order to preserve his worldview, his belief that he is special and important.

This is how Crisis Core gets you to sympathize with Sephiroth. He's painted as a lonely savant that lacked a home and a family, and so when he was told he was a monster, his self-concept was shattered and radically warped. In order for him to protect it, he needed to come up with a delusion that would uphold his understanding of the world. Sound familiar? I don't think it's a coincidence that Sephiroth's psychology here sounds parallel to Cloud's, especially since I've considered delusional disorder for them both.

It'll be a while before I gather enough thoughts to move onto how Sephiroth progressed from this state to his post-Lifestream-dip, Meteor-summoning, god-seeking self. But for now, I think this helps paint a picture of how I've been trying to conceptualize him.

Now I really need to see this.

Source: Minor-Interest

FFVII Remake Easter Eggs and compilation continuity - Part 3: ADVENT CHILDREN

     KIDS

Feeling close to death, Biggs asks Cloud to take care for him of the orphans of the Leaf House. Cloud refuses implying that he doesn’t like kids. Anyway, not even one year later he will take care of both Marlene and Denzel, two orphans.

     SPARE GLASSES

In the movie Rude broke his glasses during the fight with the Remnants but he immediately replaced them with another pair. The same happens in the Remake in Chapter 8, during the fight against Cloud and Aerith. 

     AERITH’S CHURCH

The design of Aerith’s church is almost the same of the one showed in Advent Children.

     AERITH AND MARLENE

Just before the plate fall, Aerith goes to Seventh Heaven to save Marlene and the two share a sort of mysterious interaction. Despite having known her for so little, after two years Marlene will still be very fond of Aerith. She’ll have her same hairstyle but she’ll also be “special” since she’ll be the only kid not affected by Geostigma and she’ll perceive Aerith’s presence during the battle against Sephiroth. 

     SEVENTH HEAVEN

On the wall of Seventh Heaven there are some AC references: a picture of the future Seventh heaven and a blurred photo of future Barret, Marlene, Nanaki and Cait Sith.

     GEOSTIGMA

When Cloud met Sephiroth in the drum, he grabbed his left arm in pain while being mentally tortured - the same arm that will be affected by Geostigma.

     MOTORCYCLE FIGHT

The motorcycle fight with Roche recalls the chase on the highway of Midgar-Edge with the Remnants.

     WHISPERS

In Chapter 18 the Whispers mysteriously started cyrcling around the Shinra tower the same way the corrupted Lifestream will do in Advent Children.

When Sephiroth delivere the line “Destiny comes”, the Whispers started escaping in every direcion from the top of the Shinra tower. The same happens in the movie when the Lifestream finally erupts in the church. 

     VISIONS

During the battle against Whisper Harbinger, all the members of the group have some visions of the future, taken directly from the movie. 

     THE REMNANTS

Whisper Harbinger summons three “entities from a future timeline that have manifested in the present day", that the Ultimania confirms being manifestations of the Remnants:

Whishper Rubrum is a swordsman like Kadaj; 

Whisper Viridi is a pincher like Loz;

Whisper Croceo is a shooter. 

When they materialize Whisper Rubrum appears in front of Cloud and Whisper Viridi in front of Tifa (in the movie Cloud fought against Kadaj and Tifa against Loz).

After the battle the three entities merge together in Whisper Bahamut (in the movie the three remnants summoned Bahamut SIN).

     SEPHIROTH

Remake Sephiroth seems to have already experienced the events of Advent Children. In the original story he seemed to be indifferent about Cloud’s feelings, considering him no more than a numb clone, while in the Remake he started mentally tormenting him from the beginning.

Tell me what you cherish most, give me the pleasure of taking it away.

7R: You’re too weak to save anyone. Not even yourself. - You’ve failed again, I see.

AC: I’m not fit to help anyone. Not my family. Not my friends. Nobody.

     FINAL BATTLE

Sephiroth starts the final battle with the same gesture he used in the movie to summon the corrupted Lifestream.

He throws at the enemies debris of a destroyed Midgar like in the movie.

In both installments there’s a huge swirl of corrupted Lifestream in the sky.

Sephiroth shows one single black wing like he did in the final stages of the battle in Advent Children.

-

For the other parts refer to the masterpost