To die or not to die?
We’re here to try andmake sense of the endingandanswer the obvious questions.
Note that much of this weirdness remains up for interpretation andspoilerslie below.
On this page:
What happens to Aerith in the original Final Fantasy 7?
In the originalFinal Fantasy 7, Aerith is killed by Sephiroth halfway through.
It’s unclear (at this point) whether Aerith’s prayers were successful.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending explained: Does Aerith die?
Yet, despite Cloud trying to prevent it, Sephiroth still swoops down and kills her.
Yet it’s not that simple.
We also see Aerith awaken afterwards: “Cloud, it’s ok,” she says.
The scene shifts across multiple versions of events: some show blood, others do not.
seems like Aerith has accepted her fate.
Or perhaps she’s not truly dead and still exists in another world.
Thefinal battle against Sephiroththen takes place across multiple overlapping worlds in a strange, blurring convergence.
It’s as if all world permutations hinge on this event.
Zack joins Cloud in battle in a void between worlds.
Later Aerith joins Cloud in battle against Sephiroth.
Afterwards, the party mourns Aerith’s death.
Yet she remains seemingly alive and visible to Cloud.
Are there multiple worlds?
By doing so, they break free of fate and are able to plot their own destiny.
It gives them leeway to change things around.
And it leaves Aerith’s fate open.
However, by doing this, a multiverse has been created.
Throughout Rebirth, we witness playable scenes as Zack - a character who is dead in the original game.
This is an alternate world with an alternate series of events, one that is doomed to failure.
It’s… messy.
One way to make sense of the multiple worlds, though, is to look at the Shinra dogs.
Something to keep an eye out for.
Why do Cloud and Aerith go on a date?
At the start of the final chapter, Cloud and Aerith awaken from slumber in an alternate world.
The main purpose of moving to this world is for Aerith to give Cloud her White Materia.
This can then be used to summon Holy and prevent Meteor.
This particular world is doomed, indicated by a gash across the sky.
“It’s not like we have much [time] left,” says Aerith.
“This path is one that I chose,” he tells Biggs.
“I wanted to take back my life.”
Ironic words considering his death prior to the original game.
“Fate’s got one twisted sense of humour,” he quips.
Ain’t that the truth.
“The planet encompasses a multitude of worlds, ever unfolding,” he says.
“Some quickly perish…while others endure.
Yet even the most resilient worlds are doomed to fade.”
Why are there white Whispers?
Throughout Remake, the party encounters black ghostly figures called Whispers, the harbingers of fate.
However, in Rebirth the Whispers return.
Not only that, the party encounters white equivalents too.
So what’s the difference?
Cloud states that the Whispers are controlled by Sephiroth.
This only applies to the black Whispers, though.
Why can Cloud see Aerith at the end?
In the game’s final scene, we see the party in mourning.
However, Aerith wanders between them - though is only visible to Cloud.
One interpretation is that Aerith, through death, has become one with the planet and its Lifestream.
We see this happening after the final boss when her spirit disappears surrounded by white Whispers.
As such, she is now an apparition capable of communicating with Cloud across worlds.
So why can Cloud see her and the others can’t?
Notably, Cloud is the only character from the party who travels across worlds.
Perhaps, through Aerith, this has therefore provided him with the power to see multiple versions of events.
What questions remain ahead of the last game in the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy?
During that final scene, Cloud still has the Black Materia, which he slots into his blade.
Does this mean he’s still yet to give it to Sephiroth to make it summon Meteor?
Does Sephiroth plan to destroy the multiverse with the Black Materia?
Yet the final words read “No promises await at journey’s end”.
Will the pair stick to their promises or will the story diverge once more?
Is Square Enix just keeping us guessing?
Zack quips in his final scene that worlds could be united again.
Indeed, the theme of reunion will be key to the third game.
Will worlds be reunited by Sephiroth?
Will Zack and Aerith be reunited?
Could they now meet in death, or in the space between worlds?
