Highlights
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will feature an additional episode involving Zack Fair, whose fate was changed in the original game's remake.
- The latest trailer showcases Zack arriving in Midgar and handing off Cloud to another character, raising speculation and theories among fans.
- Square Enix is building intrigue around Zack Fair's role in Rebirth, leaving fans eager to discover what awaits him in the new game.
Square Enix has teased fans about how Zack Fair will factor into the story ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Thelatest trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthgave fans a lot to look forward to, such as the reveal of fan favorites like Vincent Valentine, the expanded Gold Saucer and its mini-game variety, and even a segway vehicle for Cloud to ride on. The trailer also gave a brief look into the game's story, which include flashbacks to the infamous Nibelheim incident, remade scenes from the original story, and something that was shown as a consequence of the remake's first part, Zack and Cloud arriving in Midgar.
This article will contain SPOILERS for Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7
In Final Fantasy 7, Zack Fair tragically dies before he arrives in Midgar, whose death is the one that fuels Cloud's characterization into becoming a hero. This is reflected in a missable cutscene in the original game, along with it being depicted in the prequel, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 and its 2022 Reunion remake. Final Fantasy 7 Remake throws a giant wrench into the story, where due to Cloud's actions, Zack Fair goes on to survive his tragic fate and is set up to play a role in Rebirth. A developer at Square Enix teases that fans will get to play as the surviving SOLDIER member in the second part.
In an interview with IGN, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth producer Yoshinori Kitase stated that alongside the reshuffled events of the original game, there will be an additional episode involving Zack Fair. He alludes to how his fate was changed at the end of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and that it plays into his appearance in Rebirth. Kitase was light on the details regarding Zack's new episode, wishing for players to experience it for themselves when the game releases.
It's evident that Square Enix has been pushing to intrigue players regarding Zack Fair's role in Rebirth. The latest trailer for Rebirth had sprinkled in some cutscenes featuring Zack, after all. This includes Zack making it to Midgar while carrying Cloud, arriving seemingly after the Sector 7 plate has fallen. He can also be seen handing Cloud off to Kyrie Cannan from the Sector 5 Slums in the same trailer.
Fans have been speculating and crafting plenty of theories regarding Zack's survival and what it means for the remake. Alongside the complications that were seen at the end of the first part of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, the cutscene featured in the Intergrade DLC makes things more awkward, implying some sort of split in the Final Fantasy 7 timeline. Fans will just need to wait till Rebirth's release to see what awaits Zack Fair in the new game.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will launch on February 29, 2024 for PS5.
Source: IGN
