#we already got yuffie

[sepheroth]

sometimes seeing younger sephiroth makes me wish we could see what the rest of them were like when they younger. I mean zack, angeal and genesis.

[dangoulains-devotion]

thinking just a bit too hard about how the added depth given to tifa and aerith's friendship only increases the weight threatening to crush tifa after the forgotten capital, she already had so much to carry on her weary shoulders, she's going to have to carry even more when mideel happens, and it doesn't even stop after meteorfall, ohg od oh i love her so much i

[arikad0]

if I have to wait until part 3 for Play Arts Kai figures for Vincent and Cid to be released I will become a broken shell of a human ngl

[strelitzia-mystery1097]

Cloud 'needs so much therapy that it isn't funny' Strife

*spoilers* for Ff7 Rebirth.

So Sephiroth really is trying to break Cloud more than in the original.

To start off, Sephiroth tries to make Cloud think that Tifa wasn't Tifa. That she was fake.

Why would he do that?

Answer: Because she's the one to piece together Cloud's memories. If Cloud can't trust her than he can't trust her account.

He also does his usual tricks of 'Black Materia', 'Puppet', 'Reunion', ect.

But Cloud this time around is constantly getting harassed and manipulated by Sephiroth, like way more than in the OG. Cloud also is coming to different conclusions and ideas from the OG like for example, he's degrading. He thinks that's why his memories are a mess because of degradation.

Even when he takes one step forward by remembering Zack, he then thinks Zack got washed away by the river instead of that infantry guy.

There's even times when Cloud straight repeats something Sephiroth says word for word and it doesn't register to him.

But yeah constantly his mind is under onslaught of Sephiroth.

By the time when we get to the Temple of the Ancients I'd argue that Cloud's mental state is worse than what it was in the OG in the scene when he gives Sephiroth the Black Materia.

In the OG he still has the creepy giggle moment but he snaps out of it. And when he gives the Black Materia to Sephiroth it's an out of body experience where we clearly see Cloud's inner self be against it but powerless to giving his body giving the Black Materia to Sephiroth or to beating up Aerith.

But after that Cloud finally realises something is horribly wrong with him. That Sephiroth can control him and almost doesn't go after Aerith because he's scared of himself.

...And Rebirth Cloud has it worse in my opinion.

There is no inner self. And Cloud is an obedient puppet that Sephiroth is toying with. Sephiroth already had the Black Materia and throws to Cloud and tells him to give it to him, and Cloud is almost eager to obey. Tifa tries to stop him and Aerith does too and Cloud chases after her and it's almost worse than silently beating her up because now he's toying with her while still so eager. She gives it to him and Cloud only snaps out of it after he gives it to Sephiroth. He then tries to save Aerith and well-

He wakes up after the multiverse stuff and the OG dream of Aerith being like 'imma go bye'.

But this time he doesn't freak out, terrified that Sephiroth can control him. He just... doesn't acknowledge it. He just goes on to find Aerith. When Yuffie asks what happened how did Sephiroth get the Black Materia if he didn't beat up Cloud he just goes 'uh...' and when Tifa asks him to let her know if he's getting weird thoughts he asks Tifa about what she means. She gives the example of thinking she's fake and he apologises, but the fact that he doesn't immediately realise that she's also talking about Black Materia is a bit of red flag.

And he might as well be using those red flags later on for semafor because oh my god-

What happened with Aerith's death is weird. At first I thought it was two worlds overlapping but no-

Cloud's mind f^@&ing snapped and thinks he saved Aerith.

That's why Cloud doesn't properly react to Aerith's death. No speech about his feelings and no scene of putting her in the water. He's full on hallucinating her. Whether that is Aerith's ghost or not doesn't matter because he's convinced himself that she's fine.

That's why he talks about Aerith waking up or going home because he can't cope with her being dead.

Sephiroth screwed with Cloud's mind so much here that he genuinely is more insane now than what he was in the OG.

So you can bet when they get to the Northern Crater, Sephiroth will use the truth of Aerith dead along with the truth of Nibelheim to break Cloud even more.

...And now I have to wait 3+ years for part 3. Rebirth really was a gift that gave me despair.

[rainbowcarousels]

Baby Genesis Headcanons (just because)

Genesis was the first baby born from the project. We know it was canonly either Angeal or him, but with a name like Genesis and the fact Deepground was set up after his birth rather than Angeal's, it makes sense he's the first baby.

He was also a premature baby. Given what we know of the process of the jenova babies happening, it's likely his biological mother died from mutations not unlike we see at Nibelheim given this was where the Jenova project was set. That would also imply that Genesis and Angeal were also Nibelheim babies as it seems there were multiple labs there from what we've seen in DoC and Rebirth.

Since we know whatever is in Genesis's genetic structure that's unusual was there at birth from the DoC guides, I tend to think this means some aspects of cell degeneration were already there there too. As such, I don't think his pre-SOLDIER immune system was great and he was the type of kid who got every cold and cough under the sun. It led to him spending a lot of time curled up books.

Spent more time at Angeal's or in the caves than he did at home. By the age of ten, he had mastered getting out of Angeal's window just to knock on the door as if he was arriving. Angeal's parents know of these shenanigans, point out they know but Genesis still continued to do it because he has always commited to the bit.

I do think Genesis is far more fond of Angeal's parents than he is of his own. Loves his own, obviously, but their relationship is far more complicated for reasons he doesn't understand and I think it says something Gillian displayed pictures of both of them. The woman might be stone cold in some ways (such as putting her guilt before saving her kid) but I think there is a sense of responsibility with Genesis and for whatever it was worth, I think Genesis honestly thought she'd help without getting Angeal involved because of that relationship.

Genesis had private lessons compared to Angeal doing the village hall packet classes. Whether he actually studied all of it is questionable, but he's always had enough charm and unapologetic gumption to get away with things. The utter hilarity that Angeal seems to have been seen as more of a bad influence will never get old.

Genesis did not know he was fostered at all, so this provides a certain amount of confusion to his childhood interactions with his parents. It's said that they 'grew' to love him, but he absolutely remembers that detatchment and doesn't really understand it. It's a wedge that sits between them for a long time, assuming maybe they didn't particularly want kids when he happened so he's a bit of an inconvenience and they're just dealing with that.

I absolutely believe Genesis' biological father is Gast. If he's the first baby and Gast is definitely caught in the excitement, I can see him deciding well he's too human, he can go have a quiet life in an apple orchard and given Shinra's surveillance, it's easy enough to check in on him if need be. I don't think he ever really considers Genesis his, it was very much a clinical process unlike with Ifalna, but does consider the kids his in a very broad sense of being part of the project. There's a disconnect there that - not unlike Gillian - he can really only see his own guilt and mistakes rather than the living, breathing kids it produced.

Genesis's first summon was found in the caves under Banora. It was a summon - for me, I use Ifrit - and he spent so much time and energy leveling it up and delving into fire and magic that they became his most intense disciplines as an adult. That said, people definitely....misplaced materia around him, oops, how did that happen? (Yuffie would be proud)

Given that Banora was the freezer for Project G, I think he and Angeal were the only kids around their age for a long time and they've been codependent as hell ever since. I think there is an aspect of Jenova cells recognising each other as much as it's being the only two little kings of the castle for their village for a good while, but the result is the same: getting seperated for great lengths was a lot harder when they got into SOLDIER because they'd spent their whole lives around each other (more than they know).

Genesis's interest in exploration of gender nonconformity grew out of the magazines and things that he could get from Midgar. I think originally it was just a bonding thing with his mum, like he learned how to make drinkslike a Little Adult from an early age. I think that doing things like nails or learning about make up was just a way to get his mother to talk at length without any weirdness creeping in but he developed a genuine passion for it as a form of individualistic self expression. Especially later around Sephiroth.

I think Genesis talks at people more so than to them because he grew up in a big house with very few people around and the silence was deafening. Even as a little kid, I think he just talked aloud. It just made him feel lonely, so filling that silence became a way of dealing with that and so, years on, when no one is listening to him, he's used to that. It's a good way to get past the 'you never told me that' thing because he can sneak in that he knocked over one of Angeal's bug infested monstrosities when Angeal isn't listening between LOVELESS arguments.

[dutchdread]

Hello Dutch, don't you think Cloud kissed Tifa too soon? The big reveal in the Lifestream scene is the hidden romantic feelings Cloud had for Tifa, but now that revelation won't be as impactful because he has already declared his feelings for her.

This is actually something I've been thinking about myself, and I think that you could definitely make an argument for this being the case. That having been said I think it's a matter of personal….for lack of a better word, choice. I think you can choose to be negative and see it as such, but rather than looking at "what could have been" you can also choose to look at what we actually got and see if there is a positive way to see it.

First lets look at what we didn't get though. We didn't get 2 games of Cloud and Tifa not showing any romantic interest in each other…..can we agree that that's a good thing? Because honestly that would SUCK!!!!! And if we consider how bad the backlash was back in 1997 when the "Tifa is the true love interest" reveal happened in the game itself how bad would it have been if we'd instead had had 8 years and two games of them seemingly being mostly platonic?

People would be absolutely bamboozled, they'd feel it came out of nowhere and probably have felt rather scammed. Clotis would have hated the first two games with a passion, and Cleriths (which would include every new player) would be rioting at the third.

So then the choice is between including it subtly, or going all in. Well, if they went subtle, it would still be noticeable, so the idea that Cloud might have a crush on Tifa would still no longer be a reveal. This isn't 1997, models have facial animations now, they have micro expressions. Back in 1997 being "not interested" or being in love was represented with the same vertical stripe, so regular interactions essentially revealed very little information about a characters emotions.

Pictured: Complete disinterest, or, complete sexual desire. You decide!

But in 2024 the same thing no longer applies. Every sentence, even the simple speaking of a name, comes with a host of meaning. You can't have Cloud speak Tifas name as though it means nothing for 2 games, and still expect people to be on their side when it comes to romance. And you can't expect people to hear Cloud speak Tifas name with longing for 8 years and then still be surprised that he's into her.

So the reveal was always dead in the water, and they instead went all in, because why not? You see, the reveal isn't exactly that Cloud is in love with Tifa. The reveal is the depth of the love, how far back it's gone, and all the things it has caused. Not just that Cloud has and had a crush on Tifa, but that it's been his entire raison d'etre for the past 10 or so years. When Yuffie asks Cloud whether he liked Tifa when he was younger, and he answered "don't remember", this scene suddenly became a lot more poignant as the player realizes that was actually either a bold-faced lie, or very tragically ironic.

The viewer is left wondering if Cloud, even as we were playing him then, was at least aware of his love of Tifa, but wasn't showing it due to his mask, or if even he genuinely forgot the very thing that set him on this path (personally I think that while Cloud is totally unsure of who or what he is, that he is 100% aware that he deeply loves Tifa, even at the start of Remake).

And if we're going to be explicit anyway, then what difference does it make whether he kisses her or not? The reveal that Cloud likes Tifa is gone with or without it, so might as well go with it. And while the reveal might be less impactful for us, there is one person who, even with the kiss, will still be blown away by it. The most important person, Tifa. To Tifa the kiss probably didn't reveal as much as it did to us, because Tifa has no clue what is really going on with Cloud, nor the state of his psyche. With everything he's been doing she could very well be wondering if the person who kissed her was even Cloud. So the reveal that it wasn't just Cloud that kissed her, but that it's so utterly him that he had been longing for it his entire life will feel SOOOOOOO unfathomably relieving that the mere second hand experience that we the player will get through empathy with Tifa will more than compensate for any loss of shock, IF it is done right.

So I guess what I am trying to say is, don't worry, the reveal isn't ruined. Because the reveal will still recontextualize everything that came before it. Before the reveal Cloud hugging Tifa in remake feels like a dude being hugged but being a bit uncomfortable because of his brooding personality, and not knowing what to do, but deciding to hug back because he's grown closer to his childhood friend over the course of the game, and has developed some feelings for her (essentially what Cleriths think Aerith and Cloud are experiencing at the end of Rebirth XD).

After the reveal Tifa hugging Cloud feels like a huge dork getting everything he's dreamed about his entire life and having absolutely no clue what to do because he's so shy and awkward and "omg I never thought I'd get this far, don't screw this up, don't screw this up". Before the reveal Cloud kissing Tifa feels like a cool guy who loves Tifa giving her the kiss they both desire, but probably Tifa most of all. After the reveal the kiss feels like Cloud winning a thousand jackpots at once. A sweet boy whose heart is probably pounding out of this chest and is barely managing to stay cool.

And there is a second improvement to the story resulting from the kiss. Namely the increased sense of loss and pain associated with Cloud drifting away from Tifa and finally breaking. In the original its sad to watch Tifa cry out about losing Cloud, but it's nothing compared to what we get in Rebirth, let alone what we will hopefully get in part 3. There can be no doubt that the reason it hits so hard when Cloud rips away Tifas hand in the temple of the ancients after he tried killing Elena is because the game so effectively established the bond between Cloud and Tifa. Him forcefully removing her hand has become viscerally shocking. Both because it now shows extra clearly how far gone Cloud is, but also because it makes Tifas experience extra tragic.

Without the romance and kiss it would have just been Tifa losing the Cloud she had found by the tracks. She wanted to find the boy she'd fallen in love with, she had wanted to rekindle something, but ultimately she wouldn't have done so, and therefore losing him would feel less painful. It's far more painful to have something and lose it than to never have it in the first place. With the romance and the kiss Tifa actually found that boy and bond that she'd thought about for so long. And to finally find that one sliver of happiness and then to have it ripped away right when she needed it most…..well it cuts twice as hard. When she takes care of Cloud in Mideel, knowing what she lost, having only ever gotten that kiss…..well, it cuts twice as deep.

And of course, this will also make the reveal in the lifestream that she never lost the real Cloud, all the more amazing. (OH THANK GOD, I finally figured out why TUMBLR was randomly not allowing me to post longer posts)

[sephirthoughts]

drabble ask game: vincent + [unbind me] + character of your choice please!

Thank you for the ask!!! my brain latched onto the 'breaking a curse' idea and this is what happened. i'm very sorry and you're welcome 😂

cid comes running in carrying a toad with a little scarlet headband and cape on: shit shit shit vince turned into a toad guys we gotta help him!

cloud: don’t you just need a maiden’s kiss for that?

cid: do i look like a maiden to you? also i already tried.

cloud: well we have three girls in the group just ask one of them.

cid: hey yuff—

yuffie: never.

aerith blushing: i guess i could give it a try.

aerith picks up vincent valentoad: *smooch*

*nothing happens*

everyone: aerith...? 

aerith blushing even more: what? zack and i were together for a long time.

tifa picks up vincent valentoad: *smooch*

*nothing happens*

everyone: tifa?!

tifa to aerith: oh you have the NERVE to look shook babe?

barrett: this ain’t workin we all gotta try

barrett picks up vincent valentoad: *smooch*

*nothing happens*

cloud: i guess i have no choice

cloud picks up vincent valentoad: *smooch* 

*HUGE POOF OF SMOKE*

sephiroth: CHEATER!

cloud still holding vincent valentoad: for fuck’s sake i told you i am not your boyfriend! and why would kissing a toad be cheating!!

sephiroth: i was talking to the toad!

cloud: that makes no sense!

sephiroth trying to grab vincent valentoad: GIVE ME MY FATHER!

cloud keeping it away: YOUR WHAT?!

vincent: hey guys they were out of hot cheetos so i just got…

cloud:

sephiroth:

vincent valentoad:

vincent: leaving my coffin was a mistake.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

[accala]

The FF7 Gang's Reasons for Hating Shinra: A Dialogue

Tifa: So we all have reasons to hate Shinra... but I don't think we've ever shared them as a group before.

Aerith: Ooohh that's true. Why don't we try sharing them as a bonding experience?

Cloud: A bonding experience? Don't we know each other's stories already?

Aerith: I just think it would be cathartic to let it out you know? Here I'll start: I hate Shinra because my mother and I were kidnapped by them. Because we were the last living Ancients. Oh! And they wanted us to lead them to the Promised land. But Hojo mostly wanted to use us as experiments though. And mom took the brunt of it...

Nanaki: That was quite a cheerful introduction for an albeit morbid crime that Shinra did. However... I too have been kidnapped to be used as an experiment. And Shinra was complicit in it.

Tifa: ...It's eery how similar North Corel is to what happened to Nibelheim. Everyone we knew died too. The Mayor. The villagers. Cloud's mom. My dad. Even if Sephiroth started it, it was Shinra who decided to cover up everything.

Barret: And none of those ain't a damn bit surprising at all. Shinra was a bunch of greedy lifestream-sucking bastards who made false promises and took everything in their wake. They took my hand. Burned my town to the ground. And worst of all, they killed my Myrna and took Marlene’s parents away from her. They killed every person I ever cared about just to save their sorry-ass reputations. And I'm damn glad to be rid of them.

Yuffie: You guys already know what happened to Wutai. Shinra wanted to subjugate us to set up a Mako reactor—the greedy bastards. But Wutai wanted none of that. We wanted independence. So through our blood, sweat, and tears, our warriors put up a good fight! Kicked Shinra’s ass too until the SOLDIERs came along. And then Wutai was turned into a tourist trap. Our pride. Our honor. Our culture. All turned into a joke. Damn Shinra- <looks at Cloud> I know you already told us your whole story, but at this point you might as well share too.

Cloud: All of you already know that most of my grievances are directed at Hojo and Sephiroth. But I’m not going to pretend that Shinra played no part in that either. Anything Hojo or Sephiroth-related, Shinra was involved. My mother’s death; they covered it up. Our unwilling experimentation? Shinra knew where we were or rather didn’t care. And Zack’s death? Shinra issued a whole army just to kill him. Even my coma and amnesia were indirectly because of them. <nods at Vincent> What about you?

Vincent: A similar reason. Hojo decided that I too was of use as a test subject. Funny how there's four of us who shared that moniker.

Cait Sith: <shakes his head> That’s not guid. Not guid at all. Ach well, this has been a pure gloomy day. Ah huvnae got anythin' tae share though. What aboot you laddie? <looks at Cid>

Cid: ...

Cid: Well damn. Right after all of your tragic backstories, I don't think I wanna share mine.

[getvalentined]

Positively thrilled that SE decided the characters who already have more gear and have been pushed harder and been the focus of more events than anyone else in the whole fucking game needed to be the ones that get special gear for the EC anniversary event. Not like there are other main player characters in the Compilation or anything!

I am so fucking disappointed I can't even put it into words. Aerith has twelve outfits already. Tifa has nine. Yuffie has five, but she got three banners in a row when she dropped, two at the same time, after being the main focus of the preceding three events, two of which took place before she was even playable.

Fuck me for assuming that the four characters featured in the anniversary event banners would be the three series player characters and Babyroth. Clearly I'm an idiot for thinking that anyone other than SE's top waifus mean shit. Clearly all that matters is that Cloud keeps getting portal'd into places where he gets to tool around like he's in some kind of fucked up harem anime. That's definitely what we all signed up for, right?

I hate this so fucking much.

[silver-wield]

Stygian pisses me off. Along people like her who say wishy washy stuff like "at most he probably thought she attractive he not blind, probably has fleeting feelings but those are bland compared to his feelings for tifa" where? Where are those?! Some talk about bro code but even before the whole Zack thing, he's already so mean in costa del sol. He's already Disgusted at the idea of a "couple gondola event". He's already mean in Remake even after that Cursed resolution. In fact it was after the whole Zack bit that he started trying to be kinder and more tolerating. It's No bro code, that concept was Never a thing he thought of. Do you know what he thought of? He DIDN'T think "oh zack gf, i should back away" , rather it was "oh zack gf, I should be more kinder because everything Zack cares about I care about as well". I bet he was super guilty and saddened about not remembering Zack and not telling his parents what's up. He Loves Zack third to Tifa and Claudia. aerith isn't even close enough to the list, heck he was more cool with barret and yuffie. He hit it off with yuffie so easily and they just met!, she can even understand his perverted tendencies about Tifa. Something not all of them see. Actually it might just be her who knows lol.

Anyway, these Statements Don't hold up and will contradict because it's Not canon. I just don't understand how they see these things that Never existed? Did they play the game? Did we play the same game? I don't understand why even entertain this? Do they Not understand the material given to them? Why are they even here? There is so much about FF7, and "ltd" Doesn't even exist. It's all in their head that Only loves to argue but stray away from canon and factual evidences.

Every time i hear them talk about him and his pov about aerith, it just makes me get turned off of him and want to Never support ct. Heck, I'd be the #1 to fight against it. I'm starting to wonder if they even like tifa, cloud or even this IP. Nojima didn't write him this way for them to downgrade and water down his character and his story and feelings about tifa.

This guy NEVER wavered. And while I think aerith was only saying what she said in her resolution as a sign she Never understood him at all (creepy date was Very Clear he Doesn't see Nor will ever see her that way, yet she missed this lol) and was indeed only talking to herself. All these so called "attraction/ fleeting feelings" some think AREN'T REAL, IT'S NEVER THERE. It's all in your imagination and you have to ask if they even enjoy FF7, tifa, cloud and ct to begin with. Or do they wanna hop onto c /a's train that if zack and tifa didn't exist this that wtvr despite Nojima writing about how these characters are Totally Incompatible in ALL levels.

Srry for the rant. I'm just so Sick of this wishy washy attitude. I think FF7 fans are so lucky to have so much material to fight against these but some ignore them. If this was a real debate, they've lost immediately. You deal with evidence and canon as support. Not use essays, what ifs , and half assed assertions such as those. It just sounds like they're afraid of being wrong. But foolishly they already are. Credibility goes down Immediately.

I understand that frustration when clotis make Aerith apologist comments that encourage dumbasses because they'll use it as a talking point to say "even clotis think Cloud was attracted to her!!!!" which is why I take myself away from those kinds of discussions because it's bullshit and I don't wanna argue with moots.

Before we had the material ulti plus scene showing that Cloud literally didn't recognise Aerith in her red dress a lot of us went "well he's male and she's dressed up 🤷" but then we got the scenario and the script that showed he literally didn't know it was even her and he was just surprised some random woman is walking towards him with a red carpet being rolled out and shit.

And then with the swimsuits, he isn't even looking at Aerith. He glances at her face then immediately checks out Tifa and we get that in the first person pov, so we see exactly where he's looking. Then he gets all shy and stammers, and they flirt. But, even when Aerith also matches he doesn't reply to her saying she needs help with the sunscreen, so he avoids her flirtation. He also constantly shows and tells her that he isn't happy with her yanking him around and calling everything a date.

So, given the literal evidence, no cloti should still be going around saying he finds her attractive. He clearly doesn't.

And idky we must have Cloud seeing her as attractive or being attracted just because she's a woman. She ain't pretty. That's not just me saying it. That's literally what we've been told throughout the games. She was called homely in wall market, Zack said she's only pretty from certain angles, nobody compliments her looks or style, and yet we're supposed to believe that the man who is panting after Tifa Lockhart, who is literally described as a bombshell, would also find someone subpar attractive and be interested in that because he's a man.

That's a pretty shitty way to view Cloud.

[terraxcloud]

A Few Many Things...

There are 5 or more timelines, and it's not worth counting them anymore.

Biggs dies in one (the middle) but Zack at the church immediately talks about him being alive (this is the Zack that meets Cloud in the final battle I believe). The first image is the last Aerith date and the Stamp bag is to the left. Johnny appears with a plushie of a dog to show it's a different timeline instead of using a bag.

The reason it's not worth counting them is due to what Sephiroth says:

In this scene the FF9 Terra/Gaia "two planets becoming one" thing is shown again.

They represent the timelines as worlds, but what they're showing is an FF9 thing involving actual planets. I'll look at DFFOO Act 4 Chapters 4 & 8 again to see what's up there. Of course, they wouldn't say it's planets because of the implications, but that's not to say these timelines aren't coming together...they just need a reason since most people just think the devs are changing things just to change them. Gilgamesh has already appeared in this game from his own rift anyway.

After the Temple of the Ancients, Aerith and Tifa aren't able to stop Cloud from giving the Black Materia to Sephiroth. The date scenes between Aerith and Cloud are more than likely for Yuffie than Terra, especially since we have no idea of Terra other than the main theme lyrics.

The descriptions Cloud gives about what he prefers and how he acts matches what they show of Yuffie's interests (chocobos, getting paid for jobs or acting like a merc, smiling, seeing Red XIII as a dog, staring at Cloud, the poses for the photo with Aerith, being pissed off, etc.

This isn't saying that Terra is supposed to be like this. Yuffie was always a reflection of "real Cloud", however, both Terra and Yuffie are similar to him (the whole "siblings" dynamic). It could be that the Terra we got in other games isn't the same as the one when FF6 was being developed before the main character vanished (Kefka may have sucked her personality away).

The thing that makes Cloud "regain himself" is remembering the flower Aerith gave him in the beginning of Remake.

I don't know if Aerith will find the "real Cloud" herself. Tifa represents that part, but it's clear they're changing things with her. Obviously, they're going to use the "dream" this time around, which is what Aerith represents (she already has a shared dream with Zack), not Tifa. They also put a small shooting star bit with Aerith instead of Tifa, but if Aerith's technically dead the only character that can do these things is Yuffie.

The dialog Yuffie gives immediately gives after Cloud wakes up before the Lost Capital is the hint. It couldn't be encapsulated in a small scene, so they just left Yuffie out of it. If she's not going to do anything, why would she say it immediately?

Another hint was after the Demon Gate boss when Cloud starts banging his sword on the wall to break through. The two characters they show reacting to him are Barret and Yuffie, but the camera goes towards Yuffie in particular. Before this Yuffie was shadow boxing with Barret, which is what she does with Cloud at the end of her date scene (it also happens with Barret after leaving the Mansion at Nibelheim before the final Roche boss fight).

I believe Red XIII represents the change Cloud has personality-wise ("you don't always have to play the badass") while Barret represents the anger he feels at Sephiroth. Having Yuffie shadow box Barret for fun while Cloud is going crazy for the Black Materia shows that Yuffie will have a big role in preventing Cloud from doing this in the 3rd game.

The Corel sidequest with Cloud Jr. shows Barret's change to being "softer" as he explains that he was always hard on others and going after everything that ticked him off, making others suffer in the process. It makes sense why they show him and Yuffie reacting.

The other sidequests that show this "anger" issue are the Chocobo Billy ones with Yuffie in Nibelheim and the last one at the Gold Saucer with Tifa. The Yuffie one is more about the anger issue while the Tifa one is more about learning what happened in the past.

If you think about it, the only thing Cloud doesn't "remember" is being a normal Shinra foot-soldier, the one with motion-sickness (maybe the memory of him defeating Sephiroth from Remake is gone due to the whispers? He does react to the tubes in the Shina Mansion a bit).

The dialog Yuffie has about Chocobos are also noteworthy (since if we go by the symbols, Yuffie is the Moogle and Cloud is the Chocobo).

Btw, these two scenes are kinda similar:

Another "Yuffie represents the Moogle" hint is made at the Gold Saucer intro. Cait Sith summons a Cactuar, a Tonberry, and a Chocobo, but what about the Moogle? It's Yuffie since the moogle is on her pop star outfit. These four on the orphanage chalkboard in Remake. With the characters we've seen so far it may be like this:

Cactuar - Zack Tonberry - Sephiroth Chocobo - Cloud Moogle - Yuffie

The Tonberry King boss battle has MAI dialog that sounds similar to Sephiroth's dialog when he goes insane in the mansion basement. It's kinda fitting that this is a Yuffie sidequest and you need to steal his crown.

The Cactuar thing is Zack due to the "pose" which Cloud, Yuffie, and Red XIII also do in the last proto-relic quest. People know that's something Zack has done.

Every sidequest has it's own meaning. The one similar to Cloud's Dissidia story is the Barret one in Gongaga with the weaponsmith.

[zeroth-writes]

Tsundere -Yuffie Kisaragi-

masterlist | request

Prompt: Can you do a Yuffie x Tsundere reader?

Pairing: Yuffie Kisaragi / Reader

Summary:

Word Count: 611

"I don't understand why you care so much about materia. The only thing you're doing is annoying everyone and embarrassing us."

Your words cut into Yuffie like a knife. Sure she was use to your nasty attitude but for you to come after her materia love is a low she never thought you would stoop too.

You glared at her with narrow eyes, daring her to make a comment. Yet the ninja only air-fought you before turning away to walk along with the other members.

Standing back you watched as Yuffie when from furious with you back to her normal cheerful self. You're eyes rolled at the change before reluctantly following the group out of the Gongaga jungle.

For the next several days, your entire relationship with Yuffie consisted of that kind of talk.

Yuffie would say something that annoyed you, while you made it perfectly clear how you felt about her word. She would then respond in kind before pretending the fight you and running off to be with the other group members.

In combat however, you're synergy was top notch. Whenever the ninja used her Ninjutsu you would combo with Faith, give her a boost to help weaken the enemy. Attacking along side her so her quick attacks countered your normal ones.

It was that fact that made your rude outbursts more confusing to now only Yuffie herself, but the entire group.

One moment you defeat a fiend just the two of you, next you berate her for a insignificant mistake she make earlier.

The entire situation make Yuffie more and more angry

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"Retreat! We need to fall back and regroup." Cloud instructed the group before make a beeline for the trees. Once everyone got out of sight, Cloud instantly began devising a plan to defeat the formidable foe.

After a few moments of getting the plan of attack fully together, everyone understood their roles and began the assault.

Once the fiends hit the ground with a cloud of dirt surrounding it, everyone let out a sigh of relief and a few cheers, only to be interrupted by a loud, worrisome scream.

"Are you okay, Yuffie?" Aerith's soft voice cut though the previous outburst.

"No! I lost my materia. I guess I dropped it while we were running." The ninja began patting herself down. Checking all her pockets, empty materia slots, pouch, and even her arm guard. Yet couldn't find a single mako filled orb.

Each member took some time to search the surrounding area, including the battle grounds and the area you retreated too, only to come up empty.

After the search - everyone walked away, hoping to give the wutaian some time to cope.

Everyone left, except for you. Who stood directly in front of her.

"What? Come to rub it in." Her snarky comment was expected, yet it didn't falter you decision.

Without a word, you held out your closed hand palm side down. Yuffie who was rightfully suspicious glanced between your closed hand and your neutral face. In response, you only narrowed your eyes and slowly began retracting your physical offer.

Upon seeing your action, Yuffie instantly placed both of her hands underneath yours, while looking up with an expecting look on her face.

As soon as the orb hit her palm, her excitement rose sky high as the realization hit her. Her back turned towards you as the shorter female began examining her newly acquired materia.

After the initial shock and excitement wore out, Yuffie turned back to you in an attempt to thank you. Only to find you have already walked away and rejoined the others in conversation, as if nothing happened.

[phantasmacabre]

Sephiroth and Vincent for the meme

Yay! Thank you for asking! I have lots for Sephiroth. I believe I already did one of these for Vincent but I don't mind doing another one for you Snowy!

Sephiroth

Sexuality Headcanon: Sephiroth is a gay man and a gay icon

Gender Headcanon: AMAB

A ship I have with said character: Despite Sephiroth being one of my favorite characters I don't have many ships for him. Probably Sephiroth/Therapy is the biggest one, he deserves to be happy. I do love me some Sefikura though it's mostly when it's one sided. Sephiroth being absolutely obsessed with Cloud and Cloud wanting none of it is something I enjoy a little too much. @case-of-traxits may have also used her siren song to lure me into the SephTseng dinghy

A BROTP I have with said character: Sephiroth and Zack. I really like the dynamic they have and I hope we get some interactions with them in Rebirth since it would be heartbreaking for Zack to see the carnage his former friend leaves wherever he goes.

A NOTP I have with said character: AeriSeph, SephTi, Sephentine are my hard ones but it's just my opinion and it's a-okay if you enjoy those ships they're just not for me

A random headcanon: I have so many so I'll give a few short ones

1. Because he grew up in a lab and wore nothing but underwear and a hospital gown for the first 14 years of his life he dislikes wearing clothes, this has proved to be a huge issue in the SOLDIER locker rooms and Lazard has received many "anonymous" complaints that certain SOLDIERS are not doing their part to protect their honor

2. After Nibelheim he has a habit of watching Cloud sleep, it's one of his favorite hobbies, actually

3. His chest straps make him feel secure

4. He doesn't have many memories of Dr. Gast but those he does have are positive and include Dr. Gast telling him stories

5. He tried to escape the lab several times during his childhood which resulted in severe punishment from Hojo each time

General Opinion over said character: Along with Yuffie and Yuna, Sephiroth is my favorite Final Fantasy character. He is so beautifully and tragically written and steals every scene he's in. I could write more but we'd be here all day.

Vincent Valentine

Sexuality Headcanon: Heterosexual

Gender Headcanon: Male but he considers himself to be a monster or sub species and so will interchangeably refer to himself as it and he

A ship I have with said character: @vinjaryou 's oc Reilena and Vincent is my otp for Vincent.

A BROTP I have with said character: VINCENT AND YUFFIE! My favorite BROTP! She's made friendship bracelets for them and insists he wear his all the time. Also Vincent and Cid and Vincent and Veld

A NOTP I have with said character: Vincent and Tifa, Vincent and Cid, Vincent and Cloud, Vincent and Sephiroth. That's just my opinion though, everyone is welcome to ship what they want

A random headcanon: again I have a few

1. He and Yuffie are roommates post canon. He sometimes regrets this decision

2. Once he gets a phone and learns how to text he is not very good at it and often sends lengthy text messages that sound like letters

3. He has PTSD related memory issues

4. He begins to smell faintly of formaldehyde when he goes for long enough without showering, when he first got out of the coffin this smell was very strong

5. His coffee is more sugar and cream than coffee and he adores the most calorie dense, sugary drinks on the menu at his favorite coffee shop

General Opinion over said character: I love Vincent! He's tied with Aerith and Auron for my second fav Final Fantasy character. I even modded a zine for him and run a fanweek for him at @vincentvalentineweek !

[andrewwtca]

when are we reborn? a messy Final Fantasy VII Rebirth essay

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH SPOILERS AHEAD

I just finished Rebirth yesterday. It took me 72 hours. There were some things that I didn’t love—but I loved the majority of it, and god were the things I loved amazing. This is genuinely one of the greatest video games I’ve ever played and one of the most immersive stories I’ve ever witnessed. This is what video games can be. I’ve seen some people call it a must-play and I have to agree. It’s just such an experience.

And, in my typical fashion, my brain already started to literary analyze. The game presents so much in nearly every aspect a theorizer or analyzer would want, leading me to wonder what its forefront means. So behold a very messy impromptu essay about the meaning of Rebirth.

what’s in a name?

Let’s start with Remake. What does its title serve to do? It informs about what the story will give us from three angles: first, a meta angle. It’s letting us know that this is, obviously, a remake of FF7. Secondly, it provides a narrative angle. It’s letting us know that everything we hold true about the world of FF7 will be remade. We learn this through the inclusion of the Whispers, who provide a literal narrative reason for why the story is different this time around. Destiny and fate are now active forces in the narrative. And finally, it provides insight into the characters. It tells us that what we are going to see is the same characters but in a completely new light. This is especially true with Cloud, who we see in the original (hence dubbed ‘OG’ and ‘the OG’) act stoic and standoffish until hours and hours in the game. In Remake, we see the ‘true’ Cloud shine through very early on, through his kindness and headaches.

And Remake is also just a badass name for the series. The Remake trilogy. That’s just good.

What is the meaning of Rebirth then? From a meta angle, we can see that it’s giving birth to a completely new world, one we never got to experience in the OG. With its tens of quests and hours upon hours of side content, we are witnesses to a rebirth of what FF7 is and can be. From a narrative angle, rebirth refers to the establishment of new timelines. The world is reborn time and time again, branches of the original timeline that are usually doomed to end in disaster. (Hence, Sephiroth Reborn.) And finally, when considering the characters? That’s where the word rebirth truly shines.

role call

FF7 is praised for having such a strong cast of characters. While some people may fairly argue how this holds up over the compilation, the OG has a diverse, fun, and just alive cast of characters. From a vengeful man learning how to let go of his anger to fight for justice and his daughter to a teenage ninja wanting to liberate her country, we get such a colorful range of stories that it’s no wonder FF7 attracts such a wide range of fans.

And it’s not just as individuals: as a team, the characters are a delight. They are the essence of found family with a connection to one another that highlights the true theme of the game: that the true way to combat capitalism, threats to the planet, and evil as a whole is through love. It’s hard for me to even pinpoint a single relationship that highlights this the most because they’re all so important to the narrative of each other’s character growth.

We have Cloud who inspires the cast and the cast helps learn him to accept and love himself. We have Aerith who teaches the cast about the world and the cast gives her friendship that she never felt in her life. We have Tifa who teaches the cast about willpower and the cast teaches her self-confidence. We have Barret who teaches the cast about the will to never give up and the cast gives him the steps to giving up his pursuit of revenge and fighting for the ones he loves. We have Nanaki who teaches the cast about their authentic selves and the cast lets him be his. We have Yuffie who teaches the cast about the importance of community and the cast gives her a community that unconditionally cares for her. We have Cid who teaches the cast about finding new dreams and the cast gives him a way to achieve those dreams. We have Vincent who teaches the cast about responsibility and the cast teaches him about self-forgiveness. We have Cait Sith. This is the most bare-bone summary of what they bring each other emotionally, not even touching on individual relationships or their place in combat.

But when talking about this story from a meta perspective, what actually ties these characters together? In the OG, it’s a bit unclear. They all have some reason for fighting Sephiroth and they all have some reason for wanting to save the planet. They have some introduction that gets them on this wild train ride, but what was the reason for putting this cast together? What lets them build this relationship?

Remake and, in particular, Rebirth makes it simple: loss.

giving and taking

With all that Rebirth gives us, we have lost so much. In going from Midgar to the rest of the world, we’ve lost the familiar steel sky, we lose the familiar streets, and we’re thrust into the unknown journey. All our characters lose their normality: Cloud is no longer a slum merc, Barret is no longer with Marlene, Tifa is no longer a bartender, Aerith is no longer a flower seller, and Nanaki is no longer an experiment. (Note for that last one: loss is not always a negative experience.)

In this unknown journey, we are constantly exposed to these two extremes of gaining and losing. Following the Bandits' journey, they lose their bandit identity, gaining one of a corporate entity before forgoing that one and returning to their roots, but in a new light. Following Kyrie’s journey, she constantly tries to gain a new life as a merc but due to her laziness, loses it before reuniting with her grandmother, the Angel of the Slums, and re-establishing her life in a new light. It might seem like they are gaining, losing, and then returning to their original state, but that original state is gone. Just like how Sector 7 may one day exist again, the plate is gone, those people are gone, and things cannot go back to how they were.

Zack’s entire episode is about this loss of normality. His normal before Nibelheim was Shinra. His normal after Nibelheim was the labs. His normal after the labs was that struggle to survive and take care of Cloud. And finally, when he makes it to Midgar? The world is ending. He’s gained a second chance and he’s about to lose everything for good this time, when he’s already lost so much of his identity. With Aerith unconscious, he has lost any sense of direction and doesn’t know where to go or what to do. He just wanted to start where he left off, but where he left off no longer exists. He has no choice but to forge forward.

All the different timelines show him gaining something: in the timeline where he goes after Cloud’s cure, he gains apathy toward the end of the world. In the timeline where he goes after Biggs, he gains a will to keep going, to reclaim his life. In the timeline where he does nothing, he gains access to an entirely new world; that ending doesn’t quite hit the mark, but it follows the pattern. With all that Zack has lost, at the very end, he gains something, for better and for worse. He has forged forward, through loss gaining something new.

The very game starts with that showcase of loss: Cloud’s retelling of the Nibelheim Incident. Despite his version not being accurate, this tragedy is the epicenter of Cloud’s character and goes on a tidal wave of losing and gaining. It starts with something lost: Nibelheim burning. And then, something gained: Cloud’s status as an experience. Lost: Cloud no longer knows who he is in those experiments. Gained: Zack saves him, and his status is now free. Lost: Zack dies. Gained: Claiming Zack’s memories, Cloud Strife, First Class Soldier is created.

Or, in other words: Cloud is reborn. Again and again, Cloud is reborn. Once as an experiment, again as a free, comatose man, and once again as a SOLDIER (see: a mentally ill, conscious man). Cloud ‘dies’ and is ‘reborn,’ and he is constantly redefining himself, whether by choice (such as in Advent Children) or against his will (such as pretty much every other moment in his life.)

This theme of loss leading to rebirth is shown masterfully in the beautiful Trial of the Ancients sequence. We have Nanaki who loses his freedom, even loses his name, becoming Red XIII. We have Tifa who loses her home, loses her father, and loses everything she’s ever known. We have Yuffie who loses Sonon, leading to an extreme mental breakdown. We have Barret who loses his wife, loses his best friend, and loses his home indirectly due to his actions. And we have Aerith, who loses her mother and loses the only life she’s known.

Not shown in the trials, we know what the others have lost: Cid (whose backstory in OG was his losing the ability to make his dream of going to space come true) who loses so much freedom due to Shinra and loses Elmyra. Vincent who loses Lucrecia and loses his place in life. Cait Sith (see: Reeve) who loses the lives of thousands.

These characters do not know the extent of each other’s losses—they are not even aware of each other’s losses. But they are connected through it. They have all lost so much; and yet, they are reborn.

Nanaki becomes Red XIII who becomes a new, loved Nanaki. Tifa becomes a bartender who becomes a warrior for the planet. Yuffie becomes a part of a new team who becomes her true glowing self. Barret becomes a father who becomes the leader of an AVALANCHE branch. Aerith becomes a new daughter who becomes a florist. Cid becomes a pilot who becomes the team’s pilot. Vincent becomes a non-literal vampire who becomes a leading force against Sephiroth. Cait Sith literally died and was literally reborn.

They are reborn from their memories and through their love. Their loss carries them forward, oftentimes hindering them from connecting with others. And yet, it is that hindrance that connects them. It is the struggle that connects them. What they lose in immediate friendship, they gain in lifelong comradery. For example, Cloud and Barret couldn’t see on the same planet, let alone eye-to-eye when they first met, and they, throughout Remake, became each other’s ride or dies.

Even we, the players, are reborn in the story. We experience the loss of Aerith once again in a new light, in a new tragic twist, and we have gained so much by the reimagining of her character and here we are again, losing.

With every step we take, we are leaving the one behind us. They are footprints that we have made, footprints we cannot erase, but we have left them behind us. And we continue to forge forward a new path. We cannot be born again, for we are already alive. Yet we can reinvent ourselves with the knowledge we have.

who we are

So, who gets to be reborn? All of us.

Every gain is a loss and every loss is a gain. There’s loss, gain, and grief everywhere. Grief is love lingering, and there is love everywhere. Grief is loss and grief is gain. These characters have lost so much, have had so much grief piled onto them that it should surely destroy them, and yet they gain: they become new versions of themselves, for better and for worse.

That is the meaning of Rebirth and that is the message of Rebirth: love, live, lose, and then do it all again. That is what ties us together in life. Love and loss are two sides of the same coin like life and death. There cannot be one without the other. And if you let loss overtake you, you stop living; much like Sephiroth. He let the loss of his normality define him. He lost everything and was reborn one last time as a monster.

We lose every single day. We lose keys and we lose arguments and we lose our minds. And we gain every single day. We gain friends and we gain insight and we gain new ways forward. And so, we are reborn every single day. Every step we take, every word we say, we are redefining who we are, who we want to be, and who we can be. Just like how all of Cloud’s new hobbies (dancing, crossdressing, photography, cards, chocobo racing) in Rebirth give him a new path forward, so too do all our choices. Our fates are up to us, just as it is up to them. We are the ultimate harbingers of our destiny.

So when are we reborn? Every single second we are alive. So make the most of life, and above all, love and lose.

I hope this ‘essay’ was readable. I hope you gained something and hopefully didn’t lose your mind. Thank you for reading!

[chronicas]

Anyways I know none of you care about Game Awards. Here’s the real runner up.

Kellington’s Games Played 2024

So unfortunately this year I didn’t play at least 10 video games I’d never played this year. Yes throw tomatoes at me. I was too busy playing some of the most exciting ones. Regardless, I still look forward to this every year SO!!!

#8 Kingdom Hearts 3: I want to say I had fun with this one but honestly I really didn’t :/… It does NOT live up to KH2, while a lot of the gameplay was pretty good, it mostly felt just super repetitive in a bad way. There’s a lot of cute moments though. The Monsters Inc level was definitely the most fun and most creative imo. I always love seeing Sora, Donald, and Goofy though. My sillies :). Still had some fun, just wasn’t it for me. 5/10..

#7 Baldur’s Gate 3: Ugh I spent almost 300hrs on this game. It has so many glaring issues, but I wouldn’t have played it so much if I wasn’t having fun. I’ve been playing 5e since I was a teen, it’s far from my favorite TTRPG, but still holds a place in my heart. There was a lot of fondness at getting to see all my favorite monsters in such a large scale game. However, this game sucks in so many ways. Sooo many glitches, such a weak story, and god so much more that’s so much worse. However I still came out the other end with some love for it. Wyll’s by far my favorite character in this game, he’s funny and witty and I just liked going through his story and being his bestie. The main appeal of this game for me was definitely using D&D combat in a few new and interesting ways. Also multiclassing has never been more fun. I can’t confidently recommend this game, it’s got some really REALLY big issues, most that other people have discussed much better than I have. Do not put this game on a pedestal, it doesn’t deserve it. 5/10.

#6 Kingdom Hearts 2: SAURRRR fun! Definitely my favorite KH game! This one really really endeared me to KH as a franchise and especially Sora as a protagonist! Also Cloud and Yuffie are there. Still no Barret so I have to dock points off. As fun as this game is, I can’t speak toooo highly of the story because Christ is this franchise confusing. I AM playing all the games btw.. or well.. watching some of the less fun ones :P. So I’m not missing anything, this series is still just over complicated as hell. Nonetheless I love visiting silly Disney worlds with Sora, Donald, and Goofy. These games are sillyyyyyy and that makes it all worth it :) 7/10

#5 Sonic x Shadow Generations: RAHHHHHGGGGGGHHGGHH SHADOWWWWW! Well firstly let me say I’d never played Generations before now, it’s such a good one, I love love love the levels, really good. But we already know Sonic Gens is good. SHADOW GENS FUCKING KILLS!!! God can Ian Flynn ever miss? Shadow’s story has always been deeply important to me, y’all KNOW how much I love Maria. This game was full of lots of wonderful moments with Team Dark and Shadow’s family, adore adore adore!!! And of course I’m over the moon to see Black Doom again. The real only reason this isn’t a #4 is because it was short but sweet. I would’ve loved to have seen this game closer to the actual size and scope of Sonic Gens. But it’s just got a couple less levels. Also no Westopolis so points off for that. However all the levels we DID get were WONDERFUL!!! Overall this game was LOVELY!! I highly recommend it if you haven’t played it yet!!! 8/10

#4 Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth: Debated a lot how high up this game would go. Story kinda pissed me off, but it was so fucking fun, so insanely beautiful, that I just can’t help but putting it any lower on this list. The team attacks are what sold me on this one, they’re so fucking cute and insanely fun, they did a lot to put a new spin on a classic gameplay wise. UNFORTUNATELY.. Story kinda sucked ass. Get Zack outta here. However, POINTS BACK FOR FUN AND SILLY BARRET AND YUFFIE MOMENTS AND AERTI MOMENTS!!! Also the dates were super cute and fun, Barret date my beloved. And most importantly… BUGENHAGEN!! WE GOT MY FUCKING SILLY OLD GUY!!!! ALL IS WELL AND RIGHT WITH THE WORLD WE GOD BUGENHAGEN WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Anyways. Overall, can never live up to the classic.. but still a 8/10.

#3 Hi-Fi Rush: RAHHHHH THIS GAME OWNS!! God the characters are so fucking fun, the music fucks insanely hard, and the level design is SO FUCKING FUN!! Not to mention I’m a sucker for fully 2D animated cutscenes, that shit fucking owns. Chai is such a fun protagonist, love this silly guy. Peppermint and Korsica are some of the characters of all time. And I LOVE this game’s exploration of disabled characters and corruption in the medical industry. All with music and levels that completely kick ass. So glad this game got on PlayStation finallyyy. 10/10 Kellington would recommend!!!

#2 Hades 2 [Early Access]: FUCK HOLY SHIT THIS GAME IS SO FUCKING FUN RAHHHHH!!! If TFS hadn’t come out this year this would’ve been an EASY GotY. I fucking adore the leveling system, character design, combat, and level progression. Points off for Arachne not looking like a spider though. Insanely badass to have a really cool lesbian protag so points back for that. Leaving my thoughts on Hades 2 at a 10/10!!!

#1 Destiny 2: The Final Shape: Well well well, look what ongoing video game won “Cloud’s GotY” once again, surprise surprise. Anyways JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. Talk about knocking the ball out of the fucking park. THIS WAS SO GOOD!! It’s definitely the best of D2 if not the best of the entire franchise. Insanely beautiful level design, invoking storytelling, and FUCK YES PRISMATIC SO FUCKING FUN. To wield Light and Dark abilities at the same time just fucking owns. I haven’t stopped using Prismatic even once since it came out (RIP Chaos Reach). A beautiful beautiful ending to my favorite game of all time. Perfect, I only wish Lance had been here for it. 100/10

[raunchybanana69]

KH1-KH2 parallels to FF7 (Pt.3)

If you haven't looked at the first two parts please check them out

Riku + Ansem SoD + Sora parallels to Cloud + Sephiroth + Tifa (feat. small Kairi and Aerith parallel)

KH2 and Advent Children Parallels

So If you haven't gathered already from reading the first post, Tetsuya Nomura was working on Advent Children at the same time of the CoM and KH2 production. And by now if you haven't already saw the parallels in KH1 and CoM, Nomura basically all but shows you that Riku parallels Cloud, Sora parallels Tifa, and Ansem SoD parallels Sephiroth by this game.

Here we have a very obvious in your face parallel of Sora looking for Riku and Tifa looking for Cloud. If you haven't already seen the Sora and Tifa parallels, then...

Interesting thing to note is that Advent Children only came out a couple months in Japanese theaters before the release date of KH2. Nomura choosing the Advent Children outfits for specifically Cloud and Tifa (and Yuffie) while leaving Aerith and Sephiroth unique outfits was definitely a choice. Whether it's a matter of wanting to promote Advent Children for $$ or wanting people to looking into Advent Children because the parallels are interwoven into the KH writing (we can only speculate).

This one is more of a visual parallel with how Cloud and Riku look away. But also Aerith asks Cloud "you mean you don't want me there when you go away again?" and Cloud replies with "I just--- Listen even if I go far away, I'll come back". Aerith asks "Do you mean it?"

Cloud is unsure of whether he will come back or not which parallels Riku who was originally just going to leave once he was sure Sora and Kairi were safe.

Another note is how Aerith's KH2 outfit is something unique and incorporates white in her pink color palette which makes me wonder...

If you haven't gathered already that Sora was looking everywhere for Riku then idk...

When you look into the actual Advent Children movie, you'll start to see similar dialogue to KH2. In Advent Children, Cloud has Geostigma (a disease described as "the Sephiroth gene") and he camps out in the abandoned church for a couple weeks in seclusion while trying to find a cure. We see Tifa and Marlene stumbling upon Cloud's stuff. Marlene asks "Is Cloud Sick?" which Tifa replies with "He should have told me" ("Why didn't he say something?" in localization) a couple seconds later she says "I think he wants to fight alone" then pauses "I don't think that he will"

Sora in KH2 when finally reuniting with Riku is like "Why didn't you let me know you were okay?" and Riku replies with "I didn't want to be found... not like this."

Lmao funny dialogue but also

If you have not picked up on Riku paralleling Cloud and Ansem SoD paralleling Sephiroth then idk what to tell you...

Fun visual of driving a vehicle to the boss fight.

During the Bahamut boss fight, Cloud is being lifted by his team, and as Tifa lifts Cloud, in the Japanese version she says something like "まだんだ" (not over yet!) which got localized to "No giving up"

When Sora helps Riku up he says "まだ 終われないんだ" (it's not over yet) which got localized to "Don't say another word. It's not over, it's just not"

Anyways that's the end of the long post, keep winning Soriku