Lining up the heroes in Final Fantasy 7 makes it obvious how much Red XIII stands out from his fellow party members. With the expectation of Cait Sith, who is eventually revealed to be a toy cat being remotely controlled by Reeve Tuesti, the orange feline is completely unique among his humanoid figures. Thanks to this status, and the role that he plays within the narrative of Square Enix’s iconic JRPG, Red XIII has become an instantly recognizable and fan-favorite character.
In both the 1997 PS1 version of the story and the recent remake, Red XIII’s past and motivations are briefly explored while the party races to save the world. Being from an entirely different species ensures that his lore within the universe of Final Fantasy 7 is a compelling and complicated tale.
Red XIII’s Origins
Though tidbits regarding Red XIII’s origins are revealed to the player throughout Final Fantasy 7, details are left openly ambiguous to create an air of mystery. Thanks to what is presented, it’s known that the was born 48 years prior to the start of the game in the town of Cosmo Canyon. For much of that time the young feline went by Nanaki, a name his parents gave him at birth. While his mother is never explicitly named on-screen, Nanaki’s father Seto is established as having had a significant impact on his life. The thought that his biological dad had fled their family home in the face of an impending invasion force, and the revelation of what really happened part-way through the game, is the driving force that informs Red XIII's interactions with Cloud's party.
Details like the exact name of the species that Nanaki and Seto belong to are never shared with the audience. Aside from the hero and a handful of other members encountered within Final Fantasy 7’s various spin-offs, it’s assumed that an unknown event drove their species to the brink of extinction. What is known is that Nanaki’s species were highly intelligent, capable of creating fire, and had an almost ritualistic affinity with the planet Gaia. Despite their fate, it’s also inferred that members of the species were long-lived, to the point that many had survived for hundreds of years.
Red XIII Before Final Fantasy 7
In the mobile game Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7, Square Enix attempted to flesh out Nanaki’s backstory prior to the events of the main story. Having been adopted by the elder of Cosmo Canyon following the death of his mother, Nanaki forged a grandfatherly bond with the old man. Unable to offer the youngster the kind of training his parents would, the orphan’s skills as a warrior were left untested for the remainder of his adolescence. By the time the feline was called to complete one of the planet-appeasing rituals his species was renowned for, Nanaki was reluctant. Completing the ritual would have resulted in the extended imprisonment of Dene, a female member of his species, which was a realization that exacerbated his loneliness and fears of inadequacy.
Unbeknownst to the orange felines, Shinra’s Professor Hojo had dispatched the Turks on a mission to capture one of the creatures prior to the ritual in order to utilize their unique biology. Nanaki was able to overcome his fears in order to protect Dene from being captured, but was still beaten by the organization. Impressed by his show of bravery, the Turks allowed the pair to complete the ritual before taking Nanaki back to Midgar. With Dene trapped upon completion of the ritual, no one within the defenseless Cosmo Canyon was left to rescue Nanaki. This also explains why Dene fails to show up during the bulk of the main game.
With Nanaki imprisoned by Hojo and subject to a process that left him branded and renamed Red XIII, the stage was set for the feline’s encounter with Cloud. During the space of a few months, Red XIII was able to deduce that the Professor's claims of restoring his species were a smokescreen for a more nefarious agenda. In reality, Hojo planned to use his natural longevity in conjunction with Aerith's ancient Cetra DNA.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s Red XIII
In the original timeline of Final Fantasy 7, Red XIII’s freedom led to a reconciliation with his father’s memory. Upon returning to Cosmo Canyon, the party was able to piece together that Seto had given his life in a covert attempt to protect the town from the invading Gi Tribe. However, based on the sequel story that Square Enix presented in Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s first part, there’s a chance the character’s lore could start and end differently than his original incarnation.
While Red XIII is freed from Hojo’s imprisonment by Cloud toward the end of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, in a similar manner to 1997’s game, little context has been provided as to how the feline ended up there in the first place. Still, this latest version of Red XIII is the same stoic and wise companion that fans have come to know and love, which might suggest that his personal story will be left largely intact. With the group last seen heading out toward a region that looks like Cosmo Canyon, fans will likely get more Red XIII lore in the eventual sequel.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.
