Spoilers ahead for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, despite being considered part of the Final Fantasy 7 "remake" trilogy, is more like a reimagining of the original 1997 game. The sprawling RPG is considerably different from the original in terms of visuals and gameplay, of course, but its narrative also diverges in key ways. These new plot elements will no doubt impact the next Final Fantasy 7 remake chapter, possibly making for a finale that is decidedly different from what most are expecting.

Perhaps the most significant way Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth differs from the original game is with its use of Zack Fair. A minor character in the 1997 game and the protagonist of the Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core prequel, Zack was Aerith's first love, greatly coloring her perception of Cloud, who has his own connection with Zack. Famously, Zack is gunned down by Shinra troops at the end of Crisis Core, heroically sacrificing himself to save Cloud. This heartwrenching moment, for better or worse, is walked back a bit in Rebirth, which introduces the concept of multiverses to the FF7 world. As a result of these nebulously defined multiverses, Zack is still 'alive,' even appearing as a playable character in the final battle against Sephiroth. Though he says farewell to Cloud after this fight, players can probably expect to see more of him in part three.

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Barret from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth staring at yellow command materia
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FF7 Rebirth's Ending Leaves the Door Open for Zack to Return

FF7 Rebirth 's ending is a bit confusing , so much of the following is open to interpretation.

As previously mentioned, Rebirth introduces the concept of multiverses. As with many multiverse stories, this concept gets messy quickly, but the gist is as follows: the universe that the player inhabits is base reality, wherein both Zack and Aerith have been killed. However, because there are an infinite number of universes, there is a universe where Zack survives his encounter with the Shinra troops, and a reality where Cloud saves Aerith from death at Sephiroth's hand. This is likely why both Aerith and Zack are able to assist in Rebirth's final battle. They are still alive, just not in base reality.

This cross-universe collaboration is vital to Cloud and company's overall success, not only because Aerith and Zack lend their aid in battle, but because of the white materia that can stand in the way of Sephiroth's goal of destroying the world. Aerith's white materia becomes useless in base reality because of her encounters with the Whispers, so Aerith from a different dimension has to give Cloud her white materia, which can conceivably be transferred across dimensions.

Needless to say, FF7 Rebirth's multiverses need further clarification, which the next game will no doubt aim to offer. Since both Aerith and Zack seem to be the primary figures through which Rebirth explores its multiverse concept, it seems logical that at least one of them will return in the third game, as this would be the most consistent way to serve exposition about the multiverse.

Zack's Return In the Next Final Fantasy 7 Remake Has To Be Handled Well

Aside from the fact that Zack's return could be a valuable narrative device, there's the matter of opportunity: if Square Enix can bring Zack back, it probably will, as he represents a lot of unexplored potential. This is true from both a narrative and gameplay perspective, as Rebirth introduced some fun new combat mechanics exclusive to Zack. At the same time, bringing him back could undermine Final Fantasy 7's ending as, just like with Aerith, part of what makes Zack's journey moving is its tragic end. If FF7 Rebirth's sequel is going to reprise Zack's role for a second time, it should be sure to provide some closure, not leaving the door open for any future appearances of the character, lest his original sacrifice be made meaningless.