FF7 Rebirth Theory: Preparing for the Reunion

[@Awepic]

UPDATES ON VIDEO INFORMATION: Since this video is gaining some traction and I've read through comments, I want to make a few updates/clarifications. 1. I agree that the scene at 4:43 is referring to Cloud killing Sephiroth at Nibelheim instead of at the end of OG FF7. 2. I refer to the upcoming 3rd game as Reunion, but I didn't specify that it's a personal placeholder name. It felt weird writing the third game over and over in the script and Reunion is what I think the third game will be called despite the Crisis Core naming. 3. I'm starting to like the idea that Sephiroth wants complete control over Cloud's person instead of outright removing him from the Lifestream. Fate worse than death and all that.

[@Andrew-wl3hn]

I can see the third game being called "Reunite" because as Zack says, "Who says they can't reunite again?" Also has a double meaning of reuniting the lost heroes (Aerith, Zack, and even potentially Biggs)

[@andruism7]

The idea of Sephiroth taking over Cloud as a vessel would be a freaking amazing twist.

[@Immunity1080]

Yours is the first theory I can get behind that I feel makes sense and/or is plausible

[@akmalrodzi9681]

Same everything falls into place, meanwhile we wait for Sleepezy’s theory this is the best so far

[@DooodOfLife]

I've watched probably a dozen+ theory videos of what happened, and thus far, yours has been the most straightforward and concise. Nicely done!

[@saintakira9627]

Aerith has had the same server-hopping powers since jump. She's a Cetra: they don't have to return to the life stream like humans do. She's been playing 4d chess this entire time, via the life stream. Same as Sephiroth has.

[@Mukation]

Marlenes laughing comment to Zack about him not being there was a stab in the heart for real, man. The guy took thar knife like a champ though and even when he got to see Cloud he was just happy to see him standing, clearly bearing no ill will towards Cloud (or Aerith for that matter). And even proudly proclaiming how much he liked the confidence this Cloud had.

[@thuggothic]

Sephiroth could have been talking about when cloud killed him originally at the Nibelheim reactor

[@GermthaVicious]

This. It wasn’t the disc 3 omnislash kill. It was when he was killed by cloud in nibelhiem reactor

[@rsoxboy]

Yea at this point it could mean either, or even both. It's deliberately left ambiguous. I think most people need to remain unattached to their theories, because the only ones that matter are what the writers at Square decide upon. And they are thinking primarily about how you will react while playing part 3 when it comes to crafting the story they will tell in part 3.

[@DeathsFlagShip]

At @4:43 when Cloud said he killed him before, I think he was referring to Nibelheim. That is why he gasped and stopped because he was trying to surpress that memory.

[@DeathsFlagShip]

Other than that, I like your ideas. But it feels as if every content creator has no hope of Aerith having a normal life after all this, in any world. Sadge.

[@imnoair]

Was just about to comment this but you beat me to it lol

[@gagank478]

This is probably one of the best theories I've heard so far. Great vid.

[@Kitth3n]

I love your idea of stamp being like the mandela effect

[@holographicwing]

It's funny to me how so many guys don't understand that Sephiroth has told us exactly what his plans are for Cloud. Join me, lend me your strength, together etc etc etc he showed a vision of them back to back on purpose. He doesn't want to kill Cloud, he wants him by his side in his end goal.

[@stephen8342]

Could easily just be a manipulation to confuse cloud

[@SamuelSabharwal]

Honestly more satisfying than any of the others I’ve heard

[@marloncarrero6575]

Really good theory video, I share many of the thoughts you have, while I have some others that would be tough to convey in the comments section. Some elements I’d like to add to the conversation: - White Whispers. They’re usually shown as the ‘good whispers’ that follow the Weapons fighting Sephiroth’s black whispers, and they also appear when Aerith’s influence is healing or helping the squad in the final chapter. However, when we are advancing through the Forgotten Capital, it is 3 white whispers that attack the squad before we reach the door where only Cloud goes through. Why did the white whispers attack the party at that moment? It’s usually the black whispers that attack us in this game (though in the previous game the black whispers sometimes “help” the squad by protecting the timeline, they only attack us at the very end, when Sephiroth commands them) - Wedge. Why did the whispers take so long to ‘correct’ the timeline by killing him, when in other moments they act as soon as the timelines are about to change? He was surround ed by whispers when we assumed he died, then we find him in the underground lab, he stays at Elmyra’s house, recovers a bit, helps us in the Shinra building, only to die soon after by being thrown outside the window. - Aerith’s clear materia. Will it be relevant to the plot of the third game or just a memento? - Black Materia. One new aspect that I haven’t seen anyone mention is that when Sephiroth is flying through the “multiverse” with Cloud, he mentions the Black Materia is ‘the key which grants access to the true counterpart hidden between worlds’. It could possibly mean that the world we’re experiencing in the Remake is not the main one. And that there’s a Meteor, which hits A world, and a true Meteor, whichs hits ALL worlds. This is by far the most interesting part for me that I’d like to see people talk about.

[@AlexTeo]

Wow you have exactly the same big questions i have in mind, the white whispers attack i really dont understand, end of chapter 13 sephiroth said that the black materia is the key, cloud has the key now so thats why he could see different worlds?

[@zanychelly]

4:53 No sure of that, maybe it is referencing of when Cloud threw Sephiroth into the soup in Mt Nibel Reactor About a vessel for Aerith, you have one, the Aerith in Coma. What means, you also have a vessel for Cloud, what could mean he is dying as well… and I think that would make most people say: WTF!!!!

[@ChoompaLoompa1985-uw8lw]

Awesome summary. Best one I've heard yet.

[@dreamphoenix]

Great analysis, thank you!

[@Placid_Falcon]

I agree with your network/server analogy. The subtitle "Rebirth" even strongly implies reincarnation. There is 1 version of everybody, but they reincarnate into a new world after they die.

[@nathanstruble2177]

It's not gonna be names ReUnion, they already used ReUnion for the Crisis Core remake, that's why ReBirth wasn't ReUnion like Kitase and Nomura wanted it to be

[@dannyleo5787]

Glad you made this a confirmation. Another piece of the puzzle as well is during advent children. Sephiroth wanted to use his three shades to poison the very planet but failed, only furthering his hatred, if one listens to the first fight with sephiroth in remake the song has small tidbits of not a memory in it while fighting the early stage’s of the group. If reunion is the title, it will likely give closures that the og couldn’t explore, zack and aerith could in fact regain their lives, the planet could be restored to some capacity and events after seven like advent children or dirge of Cerberus could be titles of their own but as a different part of history

[@Carla-watches]

Zack did not get teleported, each Zack made a different decision of where to go, and died as a result in some of those. Otherwise, he would have clearly been as confused as the Zack who fought alongside Cloud and got sent back and forth to different places and clearly stated not understanding what happened. Think about it, why would he suddenly be on reactor 6 and not even bat an eye? He told Biggs he chose to go there because he was worried about him, not because he was suddenly teleported, which Biggs would have understood

[@j.g.3737]

Good ass theory. To add onto it, Angeal has to be the one looking out for Zack. I think he and Genesis will be back in some form in Reunion.

[@trickster9097]

the ultimania mentions “angel” which in Japanese is similar to angeal so I hope so

[@jifour99]

A small contribution I wanna add about Aerith in the final scene. I think she is just a spirit of our Aerith. Aerith as a child could sense dead souls that haven’t moved on to to the lifestream, major point for this is elmyras husband, she could talk with him and even deliver his final words to elmyras before shinra could even send word to her that he died in combat, I see no reason this can’t just be a spirit. Also a random note, the Aerith by the pool I also think is this spirit and I wanna note that this game has relied on facial expressions a lot and I think we see Aerith be surprised by cloud noticing her before she switches to try and play it cool I guess haha.

[@Strafio]

Out of all the explanations I've seen for the game, this is best I've seen. I don't think you've necessarily got it right on every point (e.g. I think Aerith was world hopping before that scene), but it's certainly the closest I've seen to anyone making sense of it. Makes me even feel the story could end up being good after all. Great job!

[@tristanhannibal4987]

I agree with everything you said, but there’s one thing I will say that I think you missed, where Areith was in bed next to cloud in the wheelchair, her body is still there, I believe, if you remember what Marlene said, (she will die if she wakes up) I don’t know, but this is just a theory. She may be alive where Zach is; and Sephiroth doesn’t know yet, but when the worlds come together, and I believe this will happen at the northern cave. But when the worlds merge, Zach and Areith will come back, but they will be in Midgar at the time along with Biggs. That’s what I see happening. But the empty materia, I have a feeling that as cloud holds on to it it’s going to build memories, and when Tifa saves cloud and brings back memories, it will gain all that memory, and become white materia again. Areith said that the memory she made with that white materia were very important. Cause clouds memories are just as important as Areiths, that’s what I theorize with everything that has happened at the end of rebirth and what might happen. Would like to hear your thoughts.

[@AuntBelDraws]

ooooohhhh i do like the idea that Aerith gave Cloud the empty materia so he and Tifa could reuse it with his own memories, especially since she knows through Tifa that Cloud can't recall them on his own. So sweet of her. It goes to show how much she cares about them.

[@shackletonway]

Seen a lot of videos, yours is by far the best in the description and the best theory overall.

[@shonenmc]

This is brilliant, Thank you for your hard work. I always wondered why the life steam poisoned people with Mako poisoning. If the livestream is indeed made of memories and creates sort of a maya-illusion state for the people in it, then people from their lives appearing in it makes sense. Also explains why it would garble up the poised persons memories.

[@AcappellaGamer]

Well done- agree with the majority of this . I have thought it’s not a multiverse for some time - we just need more about the mechanisms to make it all click. But this kind of theory is much more logical than all the timeline stuff

[@blizic1721]

amazing theory video! you nailed it!

[@luigiboyinblu]

About Cloud being the only one able to see and communicate with Aerith, I think it’s because he has become someone similar to Desmond in Lost. He was caught in the middle of a brutal timeline split when he clashed with Sephiroth trying to save Aerith. The timelines were split with such power that he, despite still existing in the one were Aerith dies, has the memories of him in the timeline were she lives. So having those memories allows him to “exist” in both timelines at the same time. That’s also why only he can see the tear in the sky, because the timeline where Aerith lives is the one that is collapsing because she was “supposed” to die in order to become more powerful. So that timeline is collapsing, but the one where Aerith dies is still stable because they still have a chance to stop Sephiroth. So all in all I think Cloud has become kind of like a combination of both of his variants. He never truly mourns Aerith because, in his memories, even if she died, she’s still alive to him. He was able to save her, even if it wasn’t in his own timeline.

[@bodaciouskyle]

Best video on this topic. Great work!

[@jeffmatherly4105]

This is a great video. Definitely made me see some things differently

[@user-mi2mq6gh4z]

Thanks for this! Very interesting theorizing.

[@mettatonneoex]

The Last part I kind of disagree with because Sephiroth treats Cloud with a strange respect a Demented comradery. He's finally met his match so instead of taking him out uses control or persuasive tactics.

[@m0thdm]

Bro you smashed this. thank you.

[@ElJosher]

Nice theory. Man when that scene with marlene telling zack aerith likes cloud happened, it hit me sharp in the heart. Zack’s facial language hit heavy. Despite him being confused he takes it like a champ and doesn’t question it, at least not yet. I don’t know if he will later on.

[@elcraneo3d]

To be fair Zack hasn’t able to fight back to this point. I’m pretty sure that they would put his answer in part 3. Since there’s no build up so far to lose. They wanna make sure we know that Zack was upset, but I strongly believe that SE learn from the mistakes of their past and don’t do a “Quistis” again. The events surrounding Zack confirms this very subtle but the pieces are there. So our good boy only need interaction direct with her and I hope he gets back her heart.

[@ElJosher]

@@elcraneo3d yeah

[@dave_the_slick8584]

​@Rusalo4ka-ue1mt it's clearly love and she's lying to herself.

[@mariovssonic184]

i have to admit you make some great points and def went and angle i never thought of and you back it all up with pretty sound evidence. Very interesting take! only thing id say is i dont think part 3 will be called reunion because of Crisis Core Reunion, but it makes sense and should be called that lol.

[@Mukation]

Yeah, missed oppertunity by them, since "Reunion" is mentioned so many times in Rebirth. That would have made the REmake, REbirth come full circle.

[@Drw-id-Kirin]

Not 30 seconds in, and you admitted it's a sequel. IT'S ABOUT TIME. Then you recognized it's NOT a multiverse. My bet is that the "multiverse" is Jenova's power of illusion. In Rebirth's ending, it seems like the "multiple worlds" exist in the same space, but that everyone's perceptions have been clouded. So just like Seph body-snatches the robed men to speak to Cloud, and only Cloud perceives it, Aerith controlled her parallel illusory body to open her eyes to Cloud. Cloud and Zack J-cells allow them to see through the illusion. And no dude, Aerith didn't "die and gain server-hopping powers." Cloud blocked Sephiroth, and Tifa gets static seeing both possible results, because one is a "parallel" world or illusion. Seph forced the party into a parallel world, using the illusion of Aerith's murder as a singularity to open the World Between Worlds where the true black materia is. That's why Seph says Aerith's role is over. Seph even admits his illusion is crap when Cloud says his BS won't work on him anymore. Red almost perceives Aerith. But Cloud sees her and isn't hurt, just as Cissnei doesn't feel like Zack is gone. She's alive and plans to use Holy, the whole point of passing Cloud the football. She doesn't need a vessel to be seen by the party -- they can't even see the crack in the sky, because they're trapped in Jenova's illusion. Now, this prophet of Doom intends to have words with you. BEHOLD. Rabbit portraits...with DAISIES in Kalm and Under Junon. BEHOLD. Aerith tells Corneo "rip em off" holding her hands the same way as RIP AND TEAR. BEHOLD. The RED RUNES in the black materia chamber, a materia Cloud puts in his GIANT SWORD. RED RUNES + GIANT SWORD = CRUCIBLE. Know all you unbelievers that Doomguy has saved Aerith, as promised.

[@Foxheimer]

I had a similar thought from thé moment Cloud crossed thé portal alone this Time. I guessed he was not at thé same level of awareness as the rest of thé team and Tifa got thoses glitches vision cause she bathed in the mako earlier in the game giving more abilities to see trough things.

[@SamuelSabharwal]

The Cissnei line is crazy she feels like she wouldn’t be surprised if he just appeared one day

[@Raines33]

i think you are on to something with all of this!!

[@supersaiyanzero386]

If they can tie it up in an intelligent and sensible way (within fantasy) then im on board. I despise multiverse. I get invested in a world for 27 years for it to just be nothing. Lol. I definitely do not understand the ending. I dont really need to until part 3.

[@WreakHvok]

Definitely well thought out!!!!

[@xizilionyizzexeliqer3897]

Final Fantasy VII: The Reunion or Resurgence could be the two odds on favourite for the name of the game.

[@salmark9080]

bro ive been in grief watching these theories yours is easily the best you should get on the seal team 7. I dont like how the fanbase is saying their moment was taken away from them when this is a brand new story and sequel. That was the past and theyre getting us ready for something else. I have a question though, are we entirely sure of how this saga even started to begin with? i still dont know what triggered these events.

[@TheJosous]

very good man, very good theory

[@Niertheveil]

Interesting thoughts! Definitely got the gears in my brain turning. I will say, something that i disagree with is your last point, where you say sephiroth wants to destroy both cloud’s body and soul and erase him. The reason being that Cloud’s memories and hatred towards Sephiroth are essentially what are helping to keep him alive. If cloud dies, sephiroth fades away. And i don’t think sephy would be content with that. however, you did say that sephiroth needed a vessel, and he can only use the black robes for so long… maybe he has his sights set on cloud for this purpose.

[@Awepic]

I think you're on to something here. Sephiroth completely taking over Cloud's mind and body is a very plausible outcome. He already controls Cloud's mind during scenes such as the ones where Cloud brutally kills the shinra troopers. Sephiroth also calls Cloud his puppet multiple times during Rebirth.

[@akmalrodzi9681]

Yes Sephiroth is definately aiming for Cloud’s as a vassel, Aerith has said many many even right before heading to the alter that she’s worried Even in the ending credits Cloud smirks “reunion” with the black materia in his hand

[@antdgar]

Excellent video bro

[@Jammineyeonline]

Sooo its exactly what i predicted! It's a simulation! If you do parallels with the matrix. Its scary! Like saphiroth being smith, and the one being aerith! And the promise land being the Source!

[@ChoompaLoompa1985-uw8lw]

"Aerith and Cloud can't exist together in any world that isn't close to dying" That is the saddest, most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life...I always felt it was true, ever since I finished the orignal years ago. But isn't this the point of defying fate? Doesn't victory of the Sephiroth represent the promised land being reachable, like you said? A new, better world for everyone... (Including possibly Sephiroth himself). If a world is close to dying, it doesn't mean it won't be saved and if world come apart, does not mean they can't come back together again, right?

[@empty_melodies]

Wow! Great video

[@maellesaliou5871]

I don't think Sephiroth wants to annihilate Cloud from the lifestream, because Sephiroth clearly stated in Remke that not only would he not end, but that he would also not let Cloud end. Something tells me that wathever powerfull hatred Sephiroth initially felt for Cloud, it evolved into something else, something more twisted and possessive. And if Sephiroth is still looking for revenge nonetheless, I beleive that for Cloud, losing everything and everyone he moves while being forced to keep existing with the guys he hates the most for company would be a pute hell for Cloud, definitly something Seph would love inflicting to him

[@gordyhowitzer]

I think the reason Cloud can still see Aerith's spirit has something to do with him carrying the empty white materia

[@renepaulitsch5057]

what comes to my mind was the material (real) world and many spiritual worlds created in the life stream.

[@WilliamRAguilar]

I don't think it is correct to assume this is a sequel. Instead I think you should think of the Lifestream as functionally the exact same as The Force from Star Wars in that premonitions of the future is not the same as time travel to the past

[@-xXsupremacyXx-]

Honestly, when Cloud talks about having killed him, he isn't referring to the final battle of the OG ff7. Rather, he is talking about the nebilheim incident, in which after being stabbed, he somehow managed to turn the tide and dump sephiroth into the livestream. That's what I believe he's referring to. I say this because it would imply cloud knowing about the events of OG ff7, and that in it of itself wouldn't make sense. I mean, if cloud was pervy of all things like sephiroth, then perhaps he too ill have an upper hand and even change to reflect that. Now, this doesn't mean sephiroth however, can't know. The game, despite its convoluted storytelling, alludes to this being the case. When it came to the end, I felt this game cut some corners for sure. I remembered the OG ff7, how you had to dig up for a special item in order to get through the forest in the forgotten capital. And even after that final scene, you had to travel through the forgotten capital and into some dungeons, climb mountains, etc. All that stuff tied in and felt seamless, now we get the tiny bronco to skip all that and straight into God knows what. At this point, I'm just hopeful they do Cid justice, I didn't like how soft he's portrayed in this game. Just feels off. Also, do the weapons and those encounters justice.

[@kinglebricks5833]

There is a few things with this theory that need to be cleared up. Just gonna point out a few, 1st, the game won't be called reunion as that's what they called the crisis core remake. Sephiroth literally can't return to the lifestream because he's half jenova essentially, the lifestream rejects him to the northern crater he never "returns" to the lifestream, however in the OG sephiroth said he traveled to the past through the lifestream, however he did not become one with it as anyone else does when they die. Sephiroth exists because of clouds memory of him, without cloud there is no sephiroth, sephiroth has no intention to kill cloud he can not exist otherwise. There is a lot of context you can gain from playing the OG and reading the novel passages, especially lifestream black lifestream white. It tells that the trilogy is really just about Aerith and Sephiroth.

[@64chrom]

Sephiroth was still born of the planet and modified by Hojo. He still has connection to the life stream. He's not like gi who made a planet fall and have entirely different origin.

[@itsdantaylor]

2:44 I think the 'world's are.......potential? Basically the planet would, like naturally, create 'worlds' ad infinitum BUT it had fate/destiny to kind of reign it in. Kind of like the 'sacred timeline' and fate/destiny being the TSA in Loki. only instead of creating 'universes' it's different versions of the same planet. BUT Sephiorth gets the party to kill the Arbiter of Fate in Remake, essentially the "killing of He Who Remains" that happened at the end of Loki season 1. Now without fate/destiny all the potential worlds are splintering off. Not only that but I think without fate, the whispers are...........out of a job? As a result Sephiorth and the Planet are like fighting over the remaining ones and using them to enact the 'fate/destiny' that each want. Hence why they are still around even though fate no longer exists and why there are now Black and White ones when they were all 'grey' before.

[@codybethel4142]

With the point you brought up about Barret later in the video, I wonder if in part 3 they’re gonna do some crazy fake out deaths, cause I remember that Nomura once talked about how someone else important in the making of FF7 wanted to kill off everyone except the party you chose to take back to Midgar towards the end of the game. So maybe they’ll use that original idea, but bring them back as a way to demonstrate exactly what you were describing happened to Barret. Guess we’ll see in Final Fantasy 7 Reunion (if part 3 is not called that then they dropped the ball hard af)

[@OmegaCoyote]

Final Fantasy Reunion is the name of the Crisis Core remake. So it can't be used to name part 3.

[@rosegiogio9255]

He said “THE reunion” not that the next game is called reunion

[@OmegaCoyote]

​@@rosegiogio9255 Listen to the first 10 seconds of the video. 👍

[@rosegiogio9255]

@@OmegaCoyoteoh crap, sorry I thought he meant the reunion as the event.

[@Xodreev]

Similar word, but it could be Reunite. Lol

[@beachzack7064]

FF7: Due REcompense

[@federicamacchia1656]

Very weird that,explaining what's Sephiroth's goal,you've been showing the sequence with the Weapon and Tifa inside...infact this one is a very particular scene,that few ppl have understood.This Sephiroth,here is not trying to kill Tifa,as many think,nor is trying to kill the weapon...instead,he just cuts the skin of the weapon helping it to be free from the bkack whispers that were attacking and engulfing it...and notice how the white whispers let him do it whitout attack him...Try to guess why😉

[@xxxxxx-cz1yo]

You got this right

[@biz0586]

I think there’s some truth to this video. What’s important are the three types of Whispers or fate. Gray is 90s FF7. Sephiroth interference in remake completely distorted everything 90s related. Include moving the Temple of the Ancient to the north instead of 90s south. Perhaps Zack and Biggs returned to the aftermath of the 90s universe, which can explain the heavily damaged Midgar. The grays influence isn’t the same as remake. Maybe, the white Whispers are 90s Aeris and the planet, since it happened before. Since Sephiroth needs to get rid of all Aeris/Aerith, perhaps Aeris goal is to prevent Sephiroth from going to Nibelheim or have the Shinra Mansion destroyed at best or books destroyed. While, vengeful Sephiroth hunt down the good version of himself and Aeris from teaming up. To do this, Zack can go to Nibelheim before the citizens call for help to exterminate the monsters problems. This would prevent the Zack on this timeline from dying of gunfire after escaping Hojo’s experiment. And Cloud would never see his hometown destroyed. Heck, if Zack is far enough back in time. He may be able to kill Hojo to prevent Sephiroth’s fetus from being experimented on. Possibly, ending the SOLDIERS program. Vincent becomes stepfather to Sephiroth. I could be wrong on this part. Maybe when a bunch of whispers gathers it impacts multiple universes, since the 90s influences are very weak in rebirth and the white are taking it’s place to keep things on track and make counter adjustments to Sephiroth’s influences.

[@zeromaim9331]

i like youre analogy with lifestream as internet but i think its lacking :) the planet is a PC, a program is the law of the planet that includes the weapons, the inhabitants are the files and us what rebirth is referring as world. The server is actually in the creators realm and that is where sephiroth wants to go and his primary goal. each server is connected to the PC but the line is not active all the time. it is only active during certain conditions and initiated by a program. when inhabitants die, they became a file and gets saved into the PC. cetra are admins and can make amazing things from this files like edit, copy, move, and even delete. there is a program that is called omega that when the storage is at its limit, or if there is a threat to those files, gets initiated and upload the files to the server. of course, that program only wants safe files uploaded so there is another program named chaos to first clean the files before it gets uploaded. sephiroth wants to go to the server and the only ticket to go there is thru omega. so he is "saving" a lot of files and uniting them so that the storage max out the soonest and omega starts earlier. Oh and Jenova was the harbinger in the remake and she wants all the files for her own so he manipulates everyone so she could destroy omega therefore no file is uploaded to the server. Sephiroth doesnt like this so he rebels against Jenova but powerless to fight her directly, he uses clouds party to defeat her first before he can start working on his goal. The wutai war is the venue for "saving" a lot of files in the pc and that is his next step for his goal in reaching the server except this time he doesn't want clouds to stop omega as he did in dirge of cerberus - 7 seconds Oh also jenova was originally a cetra unlike the gi which was really an unsupported file formats.

[@sonic4life]

Only thing I would point out is that Aerith had the server hopping power since the beginning of Remake. I don't think Cloud caused this in Rebirth. What Cloud did cause in rebirth is for HIM to be able to server hop. Aerith was clearly shown displaying these powers before they broke destiny at the end of Remake, she did temporarily lose this power (the Aerith we follow in the Remake series, not OG Aerith), but she got it back/ re-awakened when she fell into the lifestream with Cloud (i.e. OG Aerith was able to reconnect to her).

[@mindtrait0r879]

I don't think Elmyra and Marlene are memories. After all, did Zack and Biggs really know Kyrie that well? Or Red XIII?

[@CaliforniaRaisens]

I got a theory, the Interlude world where Zack is a world Aeirth created from her memories, she mentions this during the late date scene with Cloud that its her "dream" world. During the date, you see the same NPCs, photographer, gift stalls, that Zack walks past during Chapter 10 interlude bit. Another key is the presence of Biggs. Why was Biggs chosen but not Jessie or Wedge? Reason for this is that Aerith did not know Jessie or Wedge BUT did know Biggs because of his work at the orphanage. This is the same with Kyrie, Aerith knew her. Elmyra and Marlene are just memories which is why there not present when Aerith & Cloud arrive in the house.

[@mindtrait0r879]

@@CaliforniaRaisens But why is Stamp different? In the Interlude and in Cloud & Aerith's date its two different breeds.

[@CaliforniaRaisens]

@@mindtrait0r879 OK, heres the theory, the stamps arent differentiating between timelines, there linked to characters. Terrier = Zack, Pug = Biggs, Shiba = Aerith. Have a look at the personality traits of those dogs against those characters and you'll know what I mean. The exception is the beagle world, thats the main world and isn't linked to a character.

[@sindelio]

I disagree that Aerith gained the power to hop worlds from the moment Cloud saved her from Sephiroth dawnward skewer. If you read lifestream white/black novel, you will see that OG Aerith's conciousness did not disperse in the lifestream as it should, because she saw that Sephiroth did not either. The whole remake/rebirth/??? trilogy is about OG Aerith vs OG Sephiroth after the events from Advent Children. It's just that Aerith is way more respectful of the events, and wants to conserve the flow of destiny much as possible (except for the fact that she is conflicted in wanting to have a normal life too), whereas Sephiroth wants to downright change it to accomodate his Godhood. IMHO The Aerith we see together with Cloud vs Sephiroth in the last last battle is OG Aerith, coming from the Lifestream into the "Edge of Creation", which seems to be a part of the lifestream where the OG Sephiroth resides after his demise and NOT dispersing.

[@jagermeister1487]

exactly. its basically the life stream. no multiverse and no. he doesnt refer to the OG. he is clearly referring to the nibelheim reactor

[@candyrub1105]

Exactly my question aswell, although Cloud should not remember that event yet I think.

[@RonnieRoseSt]

I think we’re all past remake’s shock and aware that ff7 linear timeline had already been explored. What I perceive the re series are accomplishing is giving us a lifestream’s POV of how fundamentally things on Gaia work: which is a cyclical (not linear) concept of a lifestream (lifestream equals time and all native existence, at ONCE). Since we’re dealing with metaphysical questions from a POV of us, humans (who struggle with the concept of time and existence since the dawn of time), we kinda know what we can expect this cyclical exploration to consist of. BUT WE CAN ALL AGREE, without anything plotwise, that ZACK IS COOL. Gotta love that skkddll 🤣🤣.

[@77icky]

You know what will be cool. If they redesign safer sephiroth and corrupt the weapons or fuse with them to become a beast or dragon like design that resemble the description of the beast of revelations or fuse with the remains of genesis, angel and jenova to become a seraphim as the final boss.

[@Illusionaire1]

Respectfully, a multiverse but "stuck" to a single planet is still a multiverse. We got the same characters across different "Worlds" (Kyrie, for example), we got characters leaving a World and waking up in another (Biggs). Sure, it may get "solved" by saying it was all a dream in the lifestream, or Sephiroth just merged everything now, but it's still a multiverse story, just with a cop-out on the end.

[@Bpace777]

I was gonna say If Aerith can server hop why can’t anyone see her. Even Cait Sith can see Sephiroth, but I think your theory covers that.

[@nathanstruble2177]

The final game will not be named ReUnion, they already used ReUnion for Crisis Core ReMake.

[@ReidusQuitzed]

But Meteor has to happen. FF7 Ragnarok. They're gonna find a way to trap Sepiroth prime in a dying timeline. Along with the Gi's help. So they all die in that timeline, no planet, no lifestream to come back from. Might even use both black and white materia, combined to summon Ultima instead of holy and meteor. FF7: Reunion,Remake,Rebirth, then Ragnarok, it will also make sense of the Norse mythology references. So Everything's done but the party forgot the Seph inside Cloud, because Cloud and the other Soldier's are basically Seph Horcruxes. That's where the clear materia comes in, somehow it will seperate Cloud from the Seph. Like the clear materia is the resurrection stone. And there ill be a reveal that the reason Seph can't beat Cloud is the Buster sword, which actually has cetran ingredients forged into it, same ingredients used to seal Jenova by the ancients. Basically the elder wand.

[@Flenderr]

Whut, I missed the bullet going for Zack being deflected by rainbow colors during the 146 hours of playing rebirth... 🤭

[@rzxwm10]

I will not end, nor will I have you end

[@antivanramun6998]

Marlene: "Yeah, she likes him." Aerith: "The thing is, I like you, Cloud." That's liking/crushing, not unconditional love. There's an entire world in between those two things. You can't love someone unconditionally if you don't know them. She JUST started looking at him and not her fantasy of Zack around the time of the second GS date, so I honestyly doubt UNCONDINIONAL love can be born from that.

[@briansilva4165]

I just think the producers made it confusing on purpose so they have more time to decide how to end it and if they want to bring Zack and Aerith back to life for good and give the happy ending they were set on.

[@smwatson10]

Nah they’ve had this planned out since the 00s - from the subtle lifestream lines in OG flashback being the rip in the sky, to the voice actor for Gi Nattak reading in the 2015 release trailer - watch that back alone and see it as a Gi talking, and it makes perfect sense.

[@Illusionaire1]

It's also the marketing hook from all the games in the series, if you think about it. Remake's ending is "can you save Zack and Aerith", Rebirth's ending is... basically the same. Of course, Remake ending focus on Zack because he had a Game being re-released between part 1 and 2. But it's the same thing, it's clearly a commercial/producer decision.

[@tutran-kp2zp]

@@Illusionaire1 true part 3 probably going to end the same way

[@luigiboyinblu]

As far as I know, there’s an interview posted in The Washington Post were the producers say that all the planing phase of Part 3 is close to done and they’re getting it done more efficiently now.

[@RonnieRoseSt]

Might be fanservice-esque(not saying that in derogatory btw. Fanservice is why anyone is happy about anything ever in established media) wiggle room but im fairly sure they had the major plot outlined and written before the first re game. You cannot possibly be on this kind of a development schedule and NOT have the >bones

[@Andrew-wl3hn]

I do like you idea of memories. The glitching could be happening during Aerith's death because of a couple of reasons: 1) Fate was being altered by Sephiroth or 2) because the world could be adjusting to the lifestream obtaining Aerith's new memories. I also like the idea of "vessels" it makes total sense and shows how people were able to perceive Sephiroth both in Remake and Rebirth as opposed to just happening "in Cloud's head." I especially like it as it allows for Zack and Aerith to potentially be able to come back. The use of vessels to restore life (ESPECIALLY through memories) is something that Nomura is no stranger to as this was a MAJOR plot point in Kingdom Hearts 3. I could see him using this idea in this trilogy as well. Great video!!

[@Jxudo]

Thank you finally someone with a brain lol. Instead of hurr durr nomura sucks and ruined everything with a multiverse. Lol for 1, not Nomura and 2 so much this video haha. Great video man!

[@thuggothic]

I disagree I think Sephiroth wanted cloud to deflect his blade cause he knew another world would be created from cloud altering fate As seen by the rainbow light I believe Aerith tried to use the white whispers to undo what Sephiroth has done And you can't rule out whatever world Cloud and Aerith are in a coma in cause it's different than the date world they went on

[@Awepic]

I like that idea of Sephiroth intentionally letting Cloud stop his blade. Definitely fits character of him toying with Cloud's mind

[@DlCKWALLACE]

@@AwepicYea the Cloud and Aerith dream/date is def a different timeline/world. Look at the bag a Stamp chips when Aerith is asking for candy. It's another new version of Stamp, different from what we see in Zack's timeline, the terrier looking Stamp. There's been 5 different looking Stamps (maybe more), implying there's 5 different worlds.

[@akmalrodzi9681]

@@Awepicsephiroth definate want that, go back to the scene earlier during the portal opening, it’s the white whispers that was fighting him and it was the black whispers that opened the portal for him

[@deedoubs]

No way in hell would Sephiroth's ultimate goal be to kill Cloud. Cloud's his favorite toy.

[@vubangers]

love this theory!

[@giomedina6980]

Reunion has already been used for crisis core

[@edmato9297]

Excellent theory!

[@randybear932]

Stamp is a Mandela effect

[@6themoodypoet920]

I think Tifa may be a key player in all this. She was a bit off in this one.

[@Kevinnn111]

Makes me think part 3 will stray from the re- prefix and be something like homecoming. If not then return. Zack, Aerith, and Sephiroth coming back to the primary world

[@shissona9572]

This is like ffxiv rejoining kinda

[@billyhuang]

Brother, are you a Square Enix employee?!😂 This is otherwise the finest Rebirth Analysis I’ve seen.

[@grin_of_grimmsnarl1333]

They already have Reunion made. It's the Cris Core Remaster. They arent going to give the third game that title as well. Much as I would like to contemplate that being the case, it just ain't gonna happen. Come up with a better "Re" word for the title and maybe I'll watch past 27 seconds.

[@chad63]

ff7: relapse

[@jamescrawford4021]

Your 100% wrong...

[@AndrewSnake]

Afte hear this .... Man 7 feel complicate for complicate sake ....how you go so out the way make what was a simpler story to this? Are we sure FF is not for Fan Fic? 7 THE RPG that put SE on the map....to actulu make this. We replace the theme of Lost to everyone good lives happily even the hot bad guys we redeem. Wow ....this trilogy feel a condraditions in all direction direct by hack writers who take the surface level of multiverse, even with multiverse , we care for 1 version of them,even be dead or not.

[@wontononionslicer1004]

But Zack is supposed to die

[@laughteriscontagious666]

The gi cannot be a part of the lifestream because they're from a different planet

[@candyrub1105]

Great video, one thing I do not understand though: In remake how did Cloud knows about killing Sephiroth in the end of OG ? I always assumed he just had a flashback to the Nibelheim reactor scene where he "kills" the real Sephiroth. I also assumed Sephiroth has knowledge of future events from FFVII AC, and somehow his memory travelled back into his vessel from the current time in the remake trilogy.

[@Awepic]

I thought maybe there was some lifestream shenanigans since Cloud had one of his headache attacks, but Nibelheim makes a lot more sense so disregard what I said for that part. While we don't know the complete science behind what's going on with Sephiroth's soul and memories, the other examples with Sephiroth taunting Cloud after the plate falls and Aerith's comment before Remake's final boss still point at Sephiroth's soul being an anomaly. Also the entirety of the whispers appearing too lol