Highlights

  • Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth impresses fans with its new storyline and intense gameplay, setting high expectations for the final installment.
  • The game focuses on Cloud's mental state and potential transformation into a Dark Knight, adding depth to his character and gameplay.
  • The final entry in the FF7 Remake trilogy could merge iconic storylines from Final Fantasy 4 and 7, creating an unforgettable finale.

This article contains spoilers for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth .

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has proven to be a worthy addition to both the Final Fantasy 7 Remake project 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 that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and its predecessor have established, the last title in their trilogy will need to finish the FF7 adaptation they started while finding ways to distinguish itself as well.

Even though Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth covered most of FF7’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 up Remake and Rebirth’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 the hints about the next game sprinkled across FF7 Rebirth, and one of the biggest may lie in its tendency to include classic Final Fantasy content that Final Fantasy 7 once left out.

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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Emphasizes Cloud's Dark Side

Cloud Strife, the iconic protagonist of Final Fantasy 7, is beloved for bringing an unreliable narrator aspect to FF7’s story that wasn't common in games at the time. FF7 Rebirth brings 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 of Final 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, but Rebirth’s cutscenes aren't the only source of hints about that.

Cloud’s Breakdown Is Represented Through FF7 Rebirth’s Gameplay

In typical Final Fantasy job parlance, Cloud resembles a Warrior, but Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth could 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. After Final Fantasy 2 and 4, the Dark Knight job was absent from the series until Final Fantasy 10-2, but Cloud using the Black Materia could give the Dark Knight’s potent-but-risky skills a door into FF7.

The Last FF7 Remake Entry Could Recreate The Series' Most Famous Job Change

Players may start the last FF7 Remake only 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 of Final 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 as FF4’s trial to Pressure, Stagger, or even defeat Dark Cloud outright. Accepting Cloud’s dark side should fully restore his personality and memory, pushing Final Fantasy 7’s emotional climax to 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 of Final Fantasy’s most iconic leads like this would make Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's follow-up a finale to remember.