With the release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on PS5, Square Enix has continued to expand the lore of one of its most enduring universes. In many ways the story being built in this new timeline is starting to feel as much like a sequel as it does a traditional remake. One of the ways this has been achieved is through the Episode INTERmission DLC, which expands the narrative by exploring what Yuffie Kisaragi got up to during the events of the main game.
Ahead of joining Cloud's party in the inevitable Final Fantasy 7 RemakePart 2, Yuffie is surrounded by a cast of supporting characters during her quest, each shaping her path directly and indirectly. One of the most significant of these interactions comes from the mysterious Melphie, a character the DLC's protagonist never meets. Despite this, her identity eventually has a dramatic impact on Yuffie, and on the potential course of her story going forward.
Who is Melphie?
Melphie was the sister of Sonon Kusakabe, Yuffie's supporting, unplayable party member during the bulk of Intergrade's two-part DLC expansion. Like the pair of protagonists, Melphie also hailed from the western nation of Wutai. In each version of the Final Fantasy 7 timeline, the region was embroiled in a nine-year-long war with the Shinra Electric Power Company. Commonly referred to as the Wutai War during the main game's story, Episode INTERmission explores the events of the conflict head-on in Yuffie and Sonon's interactions.
Through conversing about the journeys that have led them to both seek revenge on Shinra, it's revealed that Melphie was killed during the Wutai War. In the latter stages of the DLC it's also discovered that Scarlet, the Head of Shinra's Advanced Weaponry department, was indirectly responsible for her death. Toward the end of the war, Melphie found herself face-to-face with a malfunction mech, and was killed trying to save a crowd of innocent bystanders. In the aftermath, Sonon blamed himself for freezing at the sight of the rampaging robot, unable to assist his sister.
Melphie's Connection to Yuffie
Direct comparisons between Yuffie and Melphie appear tenuous on Square Enix's part, especially in terms of personality. Although Melphie is only seen in one repeating flashback, everything about her demeaner in combat suggests she's dramatically different from Yuffie's brash and rebellious persona. Aside from a passing mutual love for Wutai's signature snack, the teeth-shattering Da-chao beans, there's little to connect them. What they do share, though, is a devotion to freeing their homeland, as well as the training they both experienced under the tutorship of Godo Kisaragi, the leader of the Wutai nation and Yuffie's father.
During the events of the PS5's exclusive DLC expansion, Sonon is still haunted by the passing of his sister. The grieving and mourning process he finds himself living with impacts the mission as the two women in his life become connected in his mind. Even though Yuffie categorically refutes these comparisons and wanting an older brother figure, her companion's sacrifice shielding Yuffie from the Deepground's Nero is seen to impact her in the game's closing moments. With some reflection, it's likely that Melphie's death will indirectly play a role in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2.
Yuffie's Future
Both incarnations of Yuffie in their respective Final Fantasy 7 timelines have a rocky relationship with their fathers. Wutai's bitter war with Shinra only ended because Godo ultimately surrendered, a fact that Yuffie holds against him. It's this sense of perceived betrayal that fuels her journey during Intergrade, and her desire to become a Materia Hunter.
It stands to reason that seeing the pain Sonon was subjected to at the loss of a family member, in addition to his sacrifice, will form a big part of any Kisaragi family reconciliation in future installments. In the original game, Yuffie and her father dueled each other as a part of this process, with the ownership of the Leviathan materia being the ultimate prize. Even though the cast of Final Fantasy 7 Remake seems determined to change their fates, the ghost of Melphie may still direct events going forward.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is available now for PS5.
