One of the biggest games of the year is set to release this week on Thursday, and fans around the world are waiting for it with great excitement - of course, we mean Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. It is the second title in the new remake series of the beloved Final Fantasy VII, a game that remains a favorite for many gamers everywhere. The first game in the series, Final Fantasy VII: Remake, was well-received, with an 8/10 score from IGN, and a 93% Google satisfaction score.

Now, 4 years after its release, the world is waiting for the next chapter in the series. Many new and long-time fans alike are already excited, especially considering the game just got a 9/10 from IGN over the weekend - an even higher score than its predecessor. So what can they do while they are forced to wait a few more days? At this point, if you want to replay any of the other games in the series and haven't started yet, it's too late, especially if you're working or a student. But what it is not too late for is an anime that you may or may not have heard of before. That's right, there is a Final Fantasy anime! And not just for any Final Fantasy series, but one that is specifically set in the Final Fantasy VII universe. The anime is called Last Order: Final Fantasy VII. Because it never got any big press, a lot of people didn't even know it existed. Plus, it came out back in 2005, so even if you did watch it then, chances are you could use a rewatch.

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Spoiler Warning: From this point, there are spoilers for parts of the Final Fantasy VII franchise that may or not affect the story in Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.

What is the Final Fantasy VII Anime?

Last Order: Final Fantasy VII (herein Last Order) came out in 2005. It is an OVA, so it is only one episode long, making it only a 25-minute commitment of your time. It tells the story, yet again, of one of the most famous and important sequences in the FFVII story - how Sephiroth went from being a nice guy to the series' lead villain. It follows Zack Fair on his journey to protagonist Cloud Strife's hometown, Nibelheim, to investigate a problem with the mako reactor there.

When they reach the reactor, Sephiroth discovers the truth about his parentage, and takes it out on the town. The significance of Last Order is that it tells a side of the story that is unknown to people who did not play Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. Until the game was re-released in 2022 as Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion for PlayStation 5, that was a lot of people, considering the original only released on the PlayStation Portable.

This story is important because, if you only play the original FFVII game, for most of it you will believe that the whole time Zack does not exist, and is instead replaced by Cloud. By watching Last Order, you can fill in the gaps with the missing story without having to play Crisis Core. While you don't get Zack's entire story, of course, you can at least see the most impacting part in the rest of the Final Fantasy VII story, which is the Nibelheim Incident.

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Why Should I Watch the FFVII Anime Now?

There are a couple of reasons why right now, this week, is the perfect time to watch Last Order. The easiest one is what we already highlighted above; there is probably nothing else you can actually finish before Rebirth comes out on Thursday, especially if you are not started replaying one of the previous games. At only 25 minutes, Last Order can scratch your FFVII itch just a little bit while you wait, and can easily be fit into anyone's busy schedule.

Second, the events that take place in Last Order are going to be really critical to the story of Rebirth. While we don't know yet just what Square Enix has planned to change in this latest installment from the original, the demo that is already out also follows the same story. Only in the Rebirth demo, you play through the events as Cloud, which is how he believes everything happened. If you take the time to watch Last Order, you will be more familiar with Zack and the true events of this important part of the story, and bring you up to speed easily.

In the original FFVII game, Cloud does eventually learn the truth about himself, and about Zack. We are not certain how that is going to be handled in the upcoming game, but considering how often Zack is in the trailers (and on the official art!), we know he is going to have a significant role. Especially for anyone who has not played Crisis Core, Last Order is a great introduction to Zack's character, and his role in the story. Plus, once you see how Zack acts compared to Cloud's usual demeanor, the Rebirth demo has more meaning. If you were wondering why Cloud was acting so out of character, well, now you know!

Whether you're doing a rewatch almost 20 years after the anime was originally released or watching it for the first time, there is no better time than now to check out Last Order: Final Fantasy VII. It may be short, but it shows an important part of the FFVII story. You still have a little bit of time before you can enjoy Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, so why not take a little time to watch a quick anime to hold you over?

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