Highlights
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is set to introduce a semi-open-world map and new story changes, making the upcoming chapter unpredictable and different from the original game.
- Aerith's character is already acting strangely, foreshadowing that she knows more about the future events of the game, similar to Sephiroth. Players can expect surprises and plot twists involving Aerith throughout Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
- The plot changes in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth may revolve around Aerith, including the possibility of someone other than her dying and Zack joining the party. Aerith's strong connection to the Lifestream and her attempts to alter events could have significant consequences.
This article contains spoilers for Final Fantasy 7The next major chapter in Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s story is coming soon in the form of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. After a game spent in the considerably expanded Midgar, Cloud and his party will venture into Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s semi-open-world map. There's no telling what is in store for the heroes as they pursue Sephiroth, especially now that the Remake has openly begun changing parts of Final Fantasy 7's story, so things could unfold a lot differently this time around.
At the center of all of this is the playable cast consisting of Cloud Strife, Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockhart, Aerith Gainsborough, and Red XIII, which is bound to include other FF7 party members once they’re encountered. There is a lot of ground to cover in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth thanks to all the events, locations, and threats that the cast will have to deal with. While Cloud’s strange visions of past and future events will continue to bother him, more pressure is mounting for Aerith, who may already know what comes next for her. However, that doesn't mean FF7 Rebirth will play out like she and veteran fans expect.
Aerith Is Already Acting Strangely In The Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Anyone who knew Final Fantasy 7 before the Remake project is familiar with its most pivotal scene. At the end of FF7's first disc, Aerith leaves the party to pray to the Planet for help in the Forgotten Capital. When the player reaches her, Cloud loses control and stops just short of killing her, prompting Sephiroth to drop and finish the job. Thanks to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s creative director Tetsuya Nomura, players already expect this to be adapted somewhere during FF7 Rebirth’s ending at the Forgotten Capital.
On top of that, Aerith has been foreshadowing that she knows more than she's letting on, much like Sephiroth does. Throughout Final Fantasy 7 Remake, both of them seemed surrounded by dialogue and quick images referencing events that haven't happened in the retelling yet. Fans presume that this Aerith is being fed information from the Lifestream, while it seems like Sephiroth has traveled to the FF7 Remake's past. Aerith may think she knows what will happen to her, but it's been all but spelled out that FF7 Remake’s creators and Sephiroth himself don't intend for things to go as they once did.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Plot Changes Could Revolve Around Aerith
The most obvious guess for what will change is that someone other than Aerith is going to die. Tifa is a reasonable option, as Aerith would slot into her role as Cloud’s staunch supporter and romantic interest for the rest of the game. However, it might be more interesting if Cloud gets taken out instead, even just temporarily, giving way to a timeline convergence that allows Zack to join the party. Having Zack and Aerith, who were an established couple, in the party for the third part of the FF7 Remake would radically shift even the most familiar scenes, and could result in all sorts of interesting developments.
Aside from the climax of Aerith’s original storyline, chances are good that Aerith will try to meddle with some events, and eventually confront the party with whatever she knows near Rebirth’s endgame. One other possibility is that Aerith's strong connection to the Lifestream means she will be the vector through which players see Rebirth's glimpses at Zack's timeline, which may motivate some of Aerith's attempts at deviation. How things will work out, and whether Aerith is playing right into Sephiroth's hands again, will be at the forefront of players' minds once they get their hands on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be released on February 29, 2024, for PS5.
