We Need to Talk about the Ending of Final Fantasy VII INTERmission

I’ll preface this right up front; this article will contain heavy spoilers for Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII INTERmission.

With the conclusion of Final Fantasy VII Remake, we are left wondering how Cloud and the gang will make fate their bitch. They’ve proven that they won’t fall into what has been prophesized, which means some events that old fans remember won’t come true. That’s not to say they never existed, but it’s safe to say that things can potentially change.

Final Fantasy VII INTERmission is mainly about a young Wutai ninja named Yuffie who has arrived in Midgar to bring down the Shinra corporation. Shinra and Wutai are at war with each other, so it’s safe to say Yuffie needs to keep a low profile, which she most definitely can’t.

The adventure has us meeting a new character, Sonon, who lost a sister to a Shinra machine and sought revenge. He’s not one to let events replay, and during the final battle, he sacrifices himself to save Yuffie. This was a battle against a character named Nero the Sabel, who I can probably write a few paragraphs on alone, but I’ll keep this focused.

Nero was introduced in Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus, his brother Weiss also makes an appearance, and we get a brief look at these characters before we meet them in Vincent’s side-game. It’s revealed that Shinra is trying to control their powers, which is not possible, and we quickly learn why. Anyway, this unlocks a special boss battle at the end of Chapter 17 in the main game to fight Weiss, so be prepared for that.

Sonon’s sacrifice for Yuffie had a major impact on her because now his death is on her hands. There’s a juxtaposition here as Sonon felt responsible for his sister’s death and died using that emotion. Now, Yuffie is burdened with the drive to make his death not to be one in vein.

This is contrasted by realizing that Cloud’s fate is the most altered since he doesn’t have this burden anymore. Seeing how Yuffie handles this loss in the later entries will be crucial, and I hope that Sonon isn’t just a forgotten set piece in a DLC. However, that’s not really what I’m here; we have to talk about the ending where Cloud and the gang are walking away from Midgar towards Kalm, the first town of their journey.

But even these scenes are somewhat lighthearted and straightforward in retrospect. We do get to see Choco Bill, though, who gets to sit next to Tifa, which I’m still pretty jealous over. As the group reaches Kalm, it begins to rain, and they walk on in.

Now, a lot is cleared up as Zack enters the Sector 5 slums church to see Aerith. There’s no doubt about it; Zack is back and not dead, which changes a hell of a lot. Cloud’s primary motivation is to carry Zack’s legacy and be the hero that he once was. If Zack is still alive, it’s left up in the air what Cloud will hold onto when the weight of the Mako energy in his bloodstream weighs on him.

Zack’s death is more than that, though, and I can’t imagine what will happen if he eventually catches up with the group. I mean, we are talking about some serious love triangles here since he and Aerith are technically still in a relationship.

I could have left the idea that Zack was still alive up to speculation a lot longer, but Square Enix decided to just lay it all out on the line. Yes, Zack is alive, and things are bound to become even more complicated.

We can look forward to Cloud letting go of the burden that he is the reason for Zack’s death. This could change his emotionless personality and allow us to see the real Cloud. I’m sure people have issues with this timeline-altering story, but there’s a place for these alternate narratives to be told. Both are official, and both can exist and be enjoyed by fans.

I can’t begin to tell you just how eager I am to continue this journey and soak up all the drama that’s bound to happen. Aside from that, how freaking cool is Weiss, am I right!?

Let me know what you thought about the ending of Final Fantasy VII INTERmission in the comments below.

In case you missed it, check out our review.