Time Travel in OG FF7 - FF7 Rebirth Theory and Preparation
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- Опубликовано: 4 янв 2024
- #ff7 #ff7r #ff7rebirth #ff7remake #ff7rebirththeory
watch the follow up video: Stagnant Reality
• Stagnant Reality - FF7...
@DashingDavid @Sleepezi @PhilipHarts @RayCoffman @TheNightSkyPrince @profnoctis @Maximilian_Dood @SubTXT_ @schrodingersbabyseal @TheLandiLodge @FinalFanTV @Vyzzuvazzadth
@BltzZ @CuriousCorduroy @AlleywayJack @FailroadExpress @FinalFanTV @Sector6UK 
Игры
Follow uo video: ruclips.net/video/GJMk6hmfKOU/видео.htmlsi=rTUmJVmQGAWUPx50
Bugenhagen: "Looking up makes you lose perspective."
Also Bugenhagen: lives in a friggin' observatory.
Yup!
to be fair,
for him to point that out signifies that he's grown wise to that by studying his own faults and rectifying them...
Further solidifying his theories in relation to Gaia and the Lifestream to be more accurate,
takes a wise soul to look within and fix such faults in their own character...
looking up is a distraction that takes our Focus away from the perspective of truth,
especially with the visions that the Ancients/Cetra and Sephiroth are clearly capable of Inducing...
Proof of this is in the OG FF7 when you enter the North Crater at the end of the game when Sephiroth separates the team from each other,
that's just off the top of my head...
not to mention Clouds altered Memories, of course
Technically, he lives in a planetabotory.
FF7 released in 1997 and now we are in the year 2024 and we are STILL learning about this game. This is part of why it's my #1 game of all time. Awesome video!
Reminds me of the good ole days, when I had to use my next door neighbor's computer to look up how to save Aerith, then spend the summer trying. 😂
It's amazing how packed with detail the story was. So many modern games are kind of just following a map marker with no purpose, but FF7 had so many story points pulling you forward from place to place. I remember not being able to put it down. I needed to see what happened next. I haven't felt that way since the PS1 days.
Yes!
💯
WOW
@@_caustics_ Amen
Really excellent video, dude. I'm now very keen to see how the Time Guardian is presented in Rebirth. You've presented a few great arguments that I haven't seen elsewhere. Compelling stuff.
Thank you MJ!! I watched your entire chapter by chapter breakdown a whilw back of Remake where you talked about the compilation elements. Great stuff and of course I've seen your massive contributions during the seal team 7 podcasts. Im so glad this video reached you and thank you for checking it out. Sorry i forgot to shout you out during my intro sir!
@@off-meta-michael don't be silly, I would never have expected a shout out. I'm very grateful for your kind comments. I look forward to anything else you might have cooking for Rebirth.
Dahaka! That is the best Time Guardian I have ever seen.
@@off-meta-michaelcan you please make your thoughts and breakdown like this on the rebirth game please. I would love to know your thoughts now.
@@RyanJones-nh3mu hey, tha ks for reaching out. yes i will. I have lots of other things im working on and some people have only just finished Rebirth as it is, but i will do a video for it for sure. Thanks
I don’t know how this video appeared in my recommendation but this was really well done! Keep up the good work, King! As a huge FF7 fan, I can’t wait for Rebirth to come out next month.
Im stoked for it. Scheduled a off a week from work just to play on launch!
Man this is so well done! You have me questioning and rethinking and wondering. This is great thank you! Very good video.
Glad you enjoyed it, and i hope it helps you enjoy whatever Rebirth has in store for us
Thanks for the shoutout!! And great video man, I agree with all of this, it’s all in the original and we are getting the true vision and definitive version of FF7 finally!!
Phil!!! Dude, i watched all your ff7 videos my man. Im so glad this video reached you.
@@off-meta-michael my pleasure, great work with this and please continue making content if you enjoy it, that “I will create the future” line has been the subject of much discussion when I replayed the OG too, fascinating!
yooooo its Chadiroth
Outstanding! I never would have put these pieces together but it does make a lot of sense. We need to be mindful that their story telling abilities were very limited by the technology of the day. It makes sense to me that now there getting to tell the story they wish they could have, and probably even expand on it quite a bit. I’m here for it.
While I've only completed the OG and half of the remake, I can't shake the feeling how close these parallels you presented offer the clarity to what could be the plot. It's right under our noses! It hadn't occurred to me that the Remake could be a FF version of "What if...??" Until Rebirth is released we won't know for sure, but the evidence is certainly evident here.
Having my Sunday afternoon coffee and finished this video. Awesome explanation and research, and very well done! Thanks for this! I'll have this on my mind during Rebirth. Enjoy your playthrough!
Thanks for watching the whole thing. Can't wait for Rebirth!
I was skeptical at first but wow, this is fantastic. I can’t wait to hear more from you. Excellent work
More to come! thanks
OMG this video was SO DAMN GOOD. I am in the middle of replaying OG in full for the first time since 2019 (played it in prep for Remake) and I've also been catching a lot of similar things about traces of these Remake ideas in the OG that I simply overlooked. I was especially fascinated by that same Bugenhagen scene about fate. And for a couple of years now, I've also been OBSESSED with that scene at the Temple of the Ancients with Sephiroth talking about creating the future.
But you really illuminated something for me with your thoughts on Sephiroth's potential endgame and the idea of a stagnant reality.
I have also been wondering about the Time Guardian in Temple of the Ancients. It is a pretty compelling precedent for some kind of time altering mechanic, but I never considered it being a piece of Ancient technology that is no longer operational. It reminds me of something I saw on Twitter yesterday. Apparently there is a scene in Dirge -- I believe aboard the Highwind -- where one of the NPC mechanics says this if you talk to them: "To tell you the truth, the ship is not even from this era. It is a relic from a lost civilization." More precedence for Ancient technology?
Also, really nice find about the original idea of the clones being some kind of floating figures in black robes. In the end, it made more sense for them to have more of the corporeal form that they have since they are meant to be clones/copies of Sephiroth, but it's still an interesting discovery about how they're repurposing some original concepts. And, as you noted, Sleepezi has talked about the connection between Jenova and the Whispers before as well.
Really, really excellent video and you inspired some new thoughts in me for sure. It'll really be helpful as I continue to replay the original ahead of Rebirth (just reached Aerith's death).
DUDE, thank you so much for this response. I was HOPING that other content creators would chime in and give this a listen. You just made my day. Super appreciative. My channel is geared towards diablo 2 content so i knew it would be hard to get some legs on this video, but thank you for giving me a sign that the people who are deep into the lore are watching. Thank you!
@@off-meta-michael I've definitely been sharing it around. Good stuff 👏
@@SubTXT_ thank you so much for sharing it. Before you commented, the video only had like 50 views or something. So thanks again man. Nobody would have saw it had you not taken the time to help out.
@@off-meta-michaeland now it’s almost at 3k 🙌🏼 well deserved. Great video
This is the best theory video out. And I watch everyone. You had solid facts and examples. I feel like I know what’s going on in rebirth now.
Thank you SO MUCH for watching and for the really nice comment.
AFTER ALL THESE FREAKING YEARS! This, This makes sense! I love it! Great Hypothesis! getting on OG right now and replaying. Thanks for the inspiration!
*Thumbs Up and Subscribed!*
Thanks very much for the sub!
YOOOO this was great!!!!
Babyseal!!! My dude, THANK YOU. Your videos over the last 3 years have been absolutely excellent. Im very happy my video reached you.
yo yo yo
I think the 'sequels' all take place in the 7 seconds Cloud and Seph are facing each other in the Northern Crater. A battle of Wills before the final Omnislash. Great vid.
Thanks
I have two more theory vids on the channel that relate to this. I could rephrase and say the "sequel" is in the Remake trilogy itself as you are somewhat suggesting. If you watch those youll see what i mean. Thanks for checking it out
What an amazing video! It prompted me to restart OG FF7 and read and actually try to comprehend the info dump at The Temple of the Ancients, though I'm only up to Junon at the moment. Hahaha!
This is a phenomenal video. Thank you for making this, I really enjoyed it. Your introduction about the game, fandom and content creation may as well have been about me! This is an amazing community. Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much, glad it resonated with you
This is such a good video !! I loved hearing your take on what's going to happen in the new game and i totally never even thought about the stagnant reality part but it actually makes so much sense.
FF7 is the #1 Video Game of all time!
Definitely top 5 for me!
Oh yes! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Indeed! #JenovasWitness
@@off-meta-michaelwhat great storyline would you put above 7? Just curious so I can play it lol
@K1LoFoX there is none, not even chrono trigger/xenogears can touch it.
Nice to see some evidence to back up this theory. I actually do relate to Seph's fear of death because the fear of dying and losing my individual identity as I know myself in the afterlife is very scary to me. As is just ceasing to exist and eventually being forgotten. It keeps me awake sometimes
Sephiroth even says in chapter 2 that if the planet dies then all the memories would cease to exist. and in a twisted fondness gives the example of Cloud's town burning.
Ive seen many people die, it comes with my job, and very few are at peace with it. Most are scared.
Probably one of the best theory videos. 😊
BIG THANKS
THANK YOU everyone for liking, commenting, and subscribing. The ff7 community really showed up and pulled me in. Thank you for giving me a chance and making me a part of this. I am floored and absolutely blown away how well this video was received. I spent many many hours working on it. To be accepted like this; being my genuine self on a topic i love is unbelievably gratifying.
The next video is already in the works to follow up with this one and we are so close to Rebirth. Thank you all!
👏👏👏👏
Good job mike this is my all time favorite game, wish i had the PS5
@@JohnnyJMurphy thanks man
Enjoying all of this! With all that we have now on the table it's easy to say they're making a sequel. If Sefirot and Aeris have not ended this is clearly a sequel.
I love how have you connected all of this with the OG. Great work!
Wow thank you for this video. This is the best preparation I could’ve possibly asked for. You make strongly supported points and I can’t wait to see how your theories and thoughts play out. I never ever made these connections. Really beautiful work here. Thank you thank you for contributing this and I hope you get a ton of views/likes because this deserves recognition, attention, and validation.
Thanks VERY much for the comment. Im glad it will give you some context going into Rebirth. Whether im right or wrong about some of the direction, it still shows people that the OG has major influence on the time, reality, and fate aspects of Remake, which so many people have overlooked. People that say ff7 is there favorite game of all time have said those things were not in the OG and this is a point of contention for them concerning Remake. Hopefully i have clearly shown Remake is really grounded in the OG no matter what the story direction is supposed to be.
Yeah man great video I’ll subscribe. I remember thinking as a kid the blocked doors on the path of the giant clock were gateways to the past or future that were locked
Amazing video! I also thought back to Temple of the Ancients when Whispers appeared in the Remake. And 'Cries of the Planet.' They kinda felt like the expanded versions of the same idea!
Superb video ace!
Great insight and clearly explained.
I recognise your profile pic from my many scrolls down YT comment sections so we follow the same guys for sure.
Sephiroths 'listen' response to Cloud has just taken a badass tone to it now.
Loved the connection of Sephiroth and Bugenhagens thinking of the inevitable demise of the planet and the implications of its cries too.
I have no personal theory but i just love the conversations people have and the ideas it brings.
Thanks for the time and effort you put into making this, really.
Not often I come across not only new, but valid and interesting points regarding the new trilogys direction.
Thanks very much! The prep for the video did take a large amount of time so thanks for noticing
@judestongue Not at all.
It shows.
Stay safe ace.
Gonna be checking this out right awaaaay!
Oh my gosh the lore master himself is stopping by? NICE to see you dude! Im stoked that my video reached you. So awesome what you've contributed to the ff7 community.
Your video is awesome, and to elaborate on your theory as to what Zack's role is in this: I think Zack's reality is what Sephiroth will try to lure Cloud with. Think about it .. In this reality, both Aerith and Zack are alive. He gets to escape the pain of losing both of them while living there. What if .. at the end of Rebirth Cloud witnesses Aerith's death, but his consciousness is whisked away and wakes up in Zack's reality? He'll have to make the tough choice of living in a reality where his guilt is assuaged because two of his friends are alive but everything else goes to hell in a hand basket or he goes back to the main reality where Zack and Aerith are dead to save the planet and all those on it. Remember, there's a part of the OG game where Cloud is missing, and even after he's found, he's in the same condition as the Cloud we see in Zack's reality. All this can happen without necessarily changing the main story. Food for thought! Thank you!!~Ben
Thank You So Much for this! It is my dearest hope that this isn't a sequel but that it is an actual remake but certain characters like aerith and Sephiroth can see future possibilities
You're welcome! but as i said in the video i think it could be either with the information we have. Im not gonna be disappointed if it is a sequel.
However, my own personal sense is that it doesn't seem like sequel is the direction, because the entire story would basically boil down to Sephiroth being like, "okay ive got one chance now that the arbiter is gone to change some stuff to see if i win this time, ill do everything else exactly the same though and watch that all play out how i remember it." It just doesn't seem like that's what is happening. Even with Aerith, who knows more than she lets on, has moments where she has no clue what's going on. I can't confidently say it's a sequel where Aerith and Sephiroth have gone back for new game+ because of these things.
And furthermore, ff7 has a main character. Its Cloud. And in a sequel time travel story in this manner it would seem redundant to have Cloud go through his character arc again while having the cosmic time travel battle between Aerith and Sephiroth be the actual main thing.
The only thing i can think of currently would be that Cloud becomes aware of these things sometime around Temple of the Ancients or Mideel, "remembers" his Advent Children fight with Sephiroth and everything really takes a big turn for his persona, while also adding the sequel context around the weapons, the whispers, and meteor. The thing is, you dont need it to be a sequel even if this is the case, so im back to square one haha.
Wow good theory and there is time material and squaresoft not shy of time travel. FF8 and FFX
Awesome Video! I have seen a lot of other theories from Sleepezi to Maximilian Dood. Yours fits in perfectly. Thank you and greetings from Germany. :)
Danke! Glad you liked it
Your video confirmed some of the thoughts I had. It's well made and thoroughly researched. It's been awhile since playing OG FF7, I might start playing it again this weekend looking for other clues muffled away by the devs. I watch a lot of other content creators for the new trilogy, but you're the first that I subscribed to. Keep on making this kind of videos.
Thanks man. I have another video in the works. I also make d2 content so if you see a bunch of those just know that the ff7 video will come out eventually still. Thanks for the sub!
Incredible work and really neat
Wow, great video. I hope you do more videos about FF7! ❤️
I think you nailed it! Great job and nice video!
I've been saying it's the prequel and will lead to a version of Cloud Kadajing himself into the "Sephiroth" we find in Midgar and up to actually freeing him.
That would be wild
Holy/lifestream with the collision of meteor caused a paradox and compressed past present and future
Just stumbled upon your video. I loved this breakdown! It's like the whole talk if fate was happening, even back in the original! It's mad how detailed the devs were thinking back then! Good shout looking at the sephiroth lyrics too! I love your sephiroth impressions btw 😊
Thank you so much! I was wondering before Rebirth came out if my ff7 videos would become irrelevant and so im glad people can still enjoy them and get something out of the parallels and precedences that i show.
I will be doing more videos on Rebirth, but im waiting until more people have completed it and i have still been thinking about it myself still. Should be soon though.
an interesting thought provoking take. much appreciated
Thanks! Your comment reminds me of Red XIII after Cloud tells his story in the Kalm Inn
+7 points for your video Michael!
This video has not only shed some light on the things that I've overlooked when I first played FF7 as a kid, but have expanded my views on the things to come with the Remake Trilogy.
I appreciate you adding to the conversation that gets me more hyped for Rebirth!
This is brilliant!
Thanks man, glad you got it
This will be the LOTR of video games!
This video was extremely fascinating and well made! I really like your narration and how you voice your thoughts and theory. I would be really interested to hear your thoughts about Rebirth on how your theory holds up once the game has been released. Thank you for making this :)
Yea man, i am totally open minded to whatever happens and my theory here has basically set me up to not be disappointed by anything. Ill cover it for sure, because you KNOW they are gonna pull something in Rebirth that has us questioning everything again for part 3. They have to in order to keep the intrigue and hype going.
Started out the video skeptical, but you were extremely persuasive, kudos!
this was awesome!
After 23 years I am now just realizing OG FF7 does indeed have time travel. WHAT!!! 😱🤯
Just popped up on my feed randomly. This is an awesome video. Didn't seem like it was almost 45 minutes.
that's good dude, thanks
Wow, the screams of the planet and the screams of the shipers sound really similar too.
Brilliant video
Awesome well crafted theory
Thanks for watching
Dude, this is the one!! So frustrating hearing people say their “favorite game” has been ruined by concepts that were there the whole time lol. Great video man I’m subscribed👍🏼
I’ve been thinking a lot of this for a while but the way you put it all together is phenomenal. That part from the wiki about whispers being parts of jenova, basically floating robes, is huge!! Amazing
Thanks for the sub dude!
Yea that wiki kinda blew my mind when I found it. I was like...."uhh the whispers were an OG concept basically....whaaaat."
Nice! Ive been playing the OG at least once a year since 1999. I can definitely get behind this theory. Good sources and ideas. Great Sephiroth impressions as well lol
Ive played it about that much as well. Ive noticed that people who REALLY know the OG seem to be more accepting of the Remake project and have a lot of fun with all the theories in general, whereas people who remember ff7 fondly but haven't played it in a while think Remake is some kind of "nomura fever dream" or "fan fiction"
This is actually what drove me to make this first video. Thanks for checking it out. I have two more on the channel. Its all in a playlist.
@@off-meta-michael yeah I agree with you. I'm ready for the "unknown journey". As you said in one of your videos, the OG game becomes really easy after a while and I could beat it blindfolded at this point. I'm excited to see how things turn out in the upcoming installments and I'm just grateful to have been able to experience Remake and the Rebirth Demo. Keep up the good work man, you got my sub!
@@off-meta-michaelHi, it's interesting that you say this, because I'm in a similar situation (Play original FF7 annually), but the friend group I regularly discuss FF7 with disliked the new story elements of Remake (Zack's fate, Whispers, Sephiroth's new presentation, etc.) despite knowing the original very, very well. I think my friends and I would be in what's labeled the "purist" camp to Remake fans.
And I do not mean to disparage any of the compilation/remake fans when I say this, but I think the FF7 community at large just valued different things about the original story (themes, concepts, importance of certain characters/moments, etc.) and it just may not be possible to reconcile all of those differences in the FF7R trilogy.
I think our community just might be fractured into our little subgroups now, forever thinking the other side: "Just doesn't understand what made FF7 special." Because we took certain parts of it to be the story's "true meaning/value."
Not sure how to feel about that state of things, but that just seems to be inevitable at this point looking at the discussions since Remake's release. (And since the Compilation really).
The unsurety that follows next will be amazing no matter the outcome. I really like your points and thankful for your elabaration. It would be insane to think these lines have no meaning and agree that there is something more to them.
Dude, im on board. I love that the unrelable narrator is still intact with this adaptation. We dont fully know the story even though we the OG inside and out, and to me, this is genius. We'll see how it all pans out of course when the trilogy is done, but im not gonna forget the years of intrigue and speculation that it created. Its been a blast ao far.
Finally someone worthy to have a conversation with. Yes, you get it. The Sephiroth at the end of remake is from the far future and has seen the end of the planet but was unable to do anything to stop it far after the events of FF7 because he had no body. That's what I think.
It's neat to see some of the details tossed out there, but considering it's the same guy doing the remake as made the OG FF7, my headcanon has always been that he's now getting to flesh out the story and characters in ways that technology would not let him in 1997. While FF7 was trailblazing in a number of ways at its time, there's no way you can go through all the details you would have liked, be it for graphical, coherent or storage reasons. He's far less restricted now on the PS5 platform, so he gets to go through all the details he always had/wanted for the story. I don't really get anyone throwing a fit over this, it's literally his story, he can do what he wants with it, and this is possibly what he always envisioned, too.
Yea, the devs have said as much as well, but its not just that. They have said that the compilation of ff7 is also being incorporated into the remake in many ways because it also is canon. Further, they have said that they wanted to add new elements to the remake in order to make it interesting for themselves to create. I totally get this because if you're a creator and you're not excited about the project then its gonna be a drag to make. So there are definitely new elements that were not just old ideas being implemented. The stamp logo and zack's role, for example, are massive additions.
in my video i am trying to prepare people for the possibility of either an actual Remake or Sequel by showing with evidence how the OG allows for this kind of story telling within its lore. I think the devs have precedence since they are the original creators but also because the world of ff7 they created shows how their additions make sense.
As you said, you're not sure why people are put off by the OG creators adding to it, and i would agree, but ive seen a lot of comments from who people are very disgruntled nonetheless about these additions, and i was hoping to alleviate some of this tension while making people excited for either possibility.
Great stuff Michael, loved this take!
Hey! Thanks very much. I have listened to several of your video essays. You have a very naturally pleasing voice and are probably one of the most articulate people ive ever heard talk about final fantasy. It seems to come easy to you. Im glad my video reached you!
@judestongue Thanks, that means lot. I hope you continue with your own analysis as your own cadence and delivery is fantastic - casually essaying as you do on camera is an enviable skill 😅
29:51 great great discussion here! Love this background on the whispers. I tend to think that the whispers are corrupted (by Jenova) arbiters of fate. I think it’s just an added unreliable narrator- the planet
Yea, and someone just pointed out to me that the whispers dont seem to think sephiroth is ever the problem. Could just be he's working under their radar and orchestrating us to get their attention though.
@@off-meta-michael I think it’s possible that during remake they are become active to defend against Sephiroth. And in the end of remake, he uses the party to defeat them? And possibly in rebirth, Jenova and he fully control them? It could go a lot of different ways
I have always thought this game was a sequel but as you argued it could really be either a sequel or a remake and to me that is kind of beautiful.
This is a great video loved how you presented it and pulled resources and your depth of knowledge on everything. It reminded me of an english professor breaking down a story to the class.
I have always thought time travel was heavily involved because as you said there is a precedent. It just seems some of those elements, like the whispers, were cut or diminished in OG FF7 but to be fair I am sure tons of things were. I honestly think Sephiroth has time traveled and the lifestream is the key to doing so. I think Aerith and Zack will in turn do the same in the background to support Cloud and company who are doing the direct engagement with him, and most likely aid in the final blow. While I think it is interesting this idea of a stagnant world idk if I am completely on board. To nerd out a bit I see parallels a bit with Marvel Secret War 2016 where Dr. Doom creates his own new universe outside of the multiverse using broken realities to save, and rule over, everyone eternally.
Could this be what Sephiroth is doing with the knowledge he has gained, creating broken stagnate worlds outside of time and fate and the plans to bring them all together in a reunion where he is an eternal god? Would be on brand for Final Fantasy but I think it might be a little more sinister.
I have been working on my “Final” theory but want to wait until the final trailer is out to finish it off and articulate it but the short is I think Sephiroth is continuing the Jenova legacy, and they are more than just world destroyers. I think they essentially infect the life stream of planets and in turn become the life stream of the planet and imprison all the souls within them so the planet cannot continue the natural course of death and rebirth. They then in turn move on to the next world essentially to add more inmates to their eternal soul prison. I guess you could say this prison is the stagnant world you mentioned so I might just be saying the same thing in a different way.
Either way I loved the theory. hope to share more theories and discussions with you in the future for Rebirth and beyond!
Hey thanks for taking the time to write this comment. Im flattered by the english/lit teacher comparison. You mentioned your own theory "final" theory youve been working on? Id be interested to check it out. Thanks man
this video is INSANE IM GOING CRAZY ITS AMAZING
When the third installment of this trilogy is complete, I believe we’ll be talking about this being the best gaming trilogy of all time.
Ayyy I appreciate the shoutout
For sure dude, ive watched all your news, updates, and theories for the last few years. And you upload the most consistently out of anyone. It was always nice to get something for ff7 even if it was going over old info with a new idea. We're almost there to Rebirth and we'll have more stuff to tall about!
Im glad my video reached you!
@@off-meta-michael yeah I meant to comment on the video topic as well after I watched it. Very well researched man. And I like the observations of time travel related shit in og. Very interested to see the whole time guardian/clock puzzle in rebirth. Really just temple of the ancients in general haha
After this amazing dive into what has happened so far, I am getting the feeling that it might be a sequel and that the name "Remake" is that future that Sephiroth has built, and Rebirth is how its giving Birth into this new reality and now the third one will be the conclusion of whatever will happen. If not, I'm still happy and mind-blown. So thank you my G for your time and sharing all of this content. Props 2u
Yeah I remember thinking this puzzle was kinda odd.
Pretty sure it was inside of the Black Materia pyramid thing.
Very well done. I like that you have shown evidence to prove either outcome and maybe this is really what Square-Enix is doing in order to appease both camps.
What a great and chill video. RUclips boosting smaller channels recently has put the spotlight on some great creators. Would be super interested to hear your thoughts on other theories or predictions you have for rebirth!
hey, thanks a lot! i definitely could talk more about ff7
_Chills_
If it weren't for Aerith already knowing things like Cloud's a merc or that Tifa wanted her to get Marlene out of the bar without them saying a word to her beforehand and Sephiroth trying to keep Cloud from meeting Aerith, I wouldn't know what to think. But everything she knows has precedence and Seph was making calculated, pre-planned moves so it's hard for me to not write this off as a sequel. Other than that, VERY interesting stuff👏🏻
I totally hear ya. I will be discussing this exact thing in my 3rd theory video soon to offer some other perspectives. Currently only this one and the Stagnant Reality video (as of today) are out
@@off-meta-michaelI'll keep an eye out👌🏻
I think the only feedback right now in FF7 Remake Trilogy is the Info-dump and the spoon feeding of every information we need. But all those information is still not enough and still needs to be interpreted.
I've watched Max, NSP, Blitzz, Sleepezi, BabySeal and other youtubers out there and I'm on the "This game is a Remake and not a Sequel" or some other say "Requel". I knew about the Temple of Ancients dialogues and scenes and I think that's where it should explain everything. Everything happened in the Remake do not moved away on what the OG FF7's story really is. It's just expounded and just like you said, an amalgamation to the whole compilation.
Zack is only there to not impact the story but to explain how FF7 world works, primarily how Lifestream really works.
BTW, Great Video and looking forward to your other theory crafting videos!
Great theory! I thought there wouldn’t be any more theories until after Rebirth. This makes the most sense of Sephiroth and his motives. I was resolute in believing Remake is a sequel, but this convinces me that it could go either way
There are good reasons to see it both ways for sure. Will be discussing further with the next video.
Great video
Reading the text dialogue in old school JRPGs is like reading a book, if you skip certain things you miss very important relevant details in them that you wouldn’t think exists, glad to see someone took their time connecting the dots and showing that elements in Remake are not entirely new concepts and that exist in the Original but they are making it more apparent this time around, good analysis video overall the best I’ve seen👍
Finally we get the real FF7 and I mean the complete experience
Brilliant job! Thank you
Thank you so much! Means a lot. Ive been holding onto this presentation in my head for a while and it took quite a bit of planning to actually record a video for it in one take.
Loved the video dude!
Glad you enjoyed!
Absolutely astonishing video. You did great. Love this! Like button hit 👍
Nice video. I've seen you swap ideas on other videos for a while now and glad to see you taking the "next step". I played the OG when it came out, played it about as much as you have, and still forgot some of these points. This is why I think they went with "Remake" on a practical level - to bring the franchise's fan base back to page 1 after 20+ years of complilation entries that have frankly confused a few things along the way. I think even if you're right there's a big risk of a sloppy telling going forward though. Time "travel" in terms of seeing the past is one thing, manipulating it is another which opens up never-ending story entries and offshoots. The stagnant world theory is great though - sort of a purgatory, where Jessie's dad is.
When considering why we would need another timeline/reality, i really couldn't come up with a better narrative reason than this. The stagnant reality makes the most sense with Sephiroth's plan, and also would keep zack and aerith from joining the lifestream if they are trapped there or killed there. They could also tie Geostigma to this concept if they wanted.
@@off-meta-michael I figure it all comes down to why is Zack alive, and therefore who made that happen (planet or Sephiroth)? Or was it a mistake and the whispers merely failed to ensure he died? Your idea obviously relies on Sephiroth, but what if the planet is using him to counteract the main party somehow? Nothing "good" comes from that timeline it seems.
So there's something called Stagnant Lifestream in Dirge of Cerberus where there are some connections between that and corrupt/Jenova/Sephiroth influence. And we see Sephiroth use this stagnant lifestream (if I recall) in AC, and when Geostigma was introduced. And if all that is true, then it makes sense for Sephiroth to want to create a third 'lifestream' so to speak that is destitute of life and death, and it's merely an empty void where only he (and likely Cloud) will exist. Almost gives me Dr. Strange vibes where he is consumed with wanting to alter time to the point where he destroys everything and is left alone in the eternal void. It doesn't seem like Sephiroth's goal is to destroy everything just for the sake of destruction, like say Kefka. He would exist, but outside reality. The more we learn about Sephiroth, the more somber his goal seems to be. Not so much evil, but more poignant.
...so basically Sephiroth wants to fight Cloud for all eternity. What a selfish boyfriend (just kidding)
Great theory! Beautifully explained and crafted. Looking forward to more as we delve deeper into Rebirth!
Thanks for that info. That's pretty huge for what im talking about here. This is how i see Zack's reality being necessary in conjunction with Sephiroth's line: "but i....will not end."
On the clock, consider this. In the entire compilation including remake, we have hexagons on everything. Art, menus, HUD, everything in every post-OG title, and these represent genetic memory. In rebirth, the menus have all changed. The main menu during gameplay shows the temple of the ancients. The HUD shows clocks. The themes have completely changed, now that we are no longer bound to the past.
Also, a fun one.... Nomura was at some point questioned about the many incarnations of the Nibelheim incident, including last order and crisis core which developed around the same time and still changed a critical moment. His response was did the final outcome change? Memories are fickle and fleeting, but the outcome (destiny) never changes.
In each one, we are meant to take away one thing, Sephiroth doesn't die and is alive when given the black materia.
But...in remake, he doesn't deny it, in fact he calls it a crowning achievement. He focuses and forces Cloud to remember him. To let the hate grow as he manifests himself more and more. In the Sephiroth fight, the song is unfamiliar but as you progress, it continues to get more and more familiar, until it becomes a mix of every song to recall everything... In the books, after he was killed in the OG he had to struggle to reclaim the memories he threw away to enhance meteor, to fully embrace mother. Furthermore, Sephiroth seems to be pushing away from mother.
Jenova can fly without wings, as can the puppets holding her. Sephiroth, Angeal, Genesis, all needed their wings. In remake, Sephiroth jumps in battle but doesn't fly until revealing his wing.
Jenova speaks little as Jenova-Roth. Tells Cloud not to deny her. Compliments the reunion, doesn't mention Cloud's name. Doesn't know or really care who he is beyond the puppet Cloud has always been to her.
In crisis core, all three of the winged friends succumbed. Genesis compelled to murder as he tried to find his cure. Angeal eventually unable to resist any further craves an honorable death. And Sephiroth came to get mother... Then, became her.
Time travel in FF7 Remake seems to work the same way it does in Attack on Titan in my opinion. People don't literally travel in time, it's more like the past, present and future all exist at a single predestined coordinate in time, and certain people have the ability to send their memories backwards and forwards to past/future versions of themselves to influence the outcome of the final timeline.
In the first novella written for the OG... Aerith's perspective introduces that in the LifeStream, going back and forth through time is like going up or down. It could slow down to a halt, and speed up to see centuries fly by.
The Ultimania says that Sephiroth has stopped time 7 seconds from the planet's death, and is manipulating it's memories in the LifeStream...effectively altering the past.
The key art always depicted him with four whispers. There are exactly four whispers that act against whatever the other whispers are doing. One of them that speaks to Cloud does so in Sephiroth's voice.
all excellent info. im curious though if there is an actual quote stating that sephiroth is manipulating memories in the lifestream. i dont recall hearing about that directly from the devs. although of course i think that's pretty much what he's trying to do...
7:22 I am only this far in and excited to see the rest. But I had a theory awhile back about this image. If we look at this image, it’s actually a different version of the events. Like technically it could be the same occurrence, but the angles we see are different. Even the animation of her falling and the white materia being released is different from the moment we see this in the main story. Just wanted to throw this out there that while it is clearly a past event, I believe it could even be a different version of this event.
Great analysis! To me as well the whole fate/destiny themes were always pretty prominent in OG, but I totally glossed over the Time Guardian. Thanks for pointing that out. Also this video makes me extra excited how the Temple of the Ancients segment will play out in Rebirth. Keep the FFVII theory/vids coming 🤓!
The temple is also featured in the background of the party menus in Rebirth. Seems like they are featuring this for some purpose. The Temple is so important to moving the plot along in OG, i imagine it will be pretty wild in Rebirth. Trying to keep my hype in check but kinda hard not to be excited about it haha
@@off-meta-michael Yeah same lol!
@@off-meta-michael I just finished Rebirth. I was just curious if you also had finished it and if so are you gonna share your thoughts about it?
@@verussadap hey, yea i have. Im still working out the video for it and what i wanna say. Theres a lot!
@@off-meta-michael Hahah yeah I bet, my mind is also working overtime as to what exactly happened lol. Should you need someone to spar with theory-wise I'm always up for it! In any case I will wait and see what you're cooking ;).
Great video! I've been wondering whether it was Square Enixes conspiracy that all marketing and most of the content creators kinda omit the topic of the Planet's life cycle lol
Great vid, just a thought. When Sephiroth says "but I will not end, nor will I have you end," he is looking at the universe that is in the shape of the yellow flower. The way he says it does not seem he is referring to cloud since he doesn't end in the game. He may be referring to planet as the flower represents that, Aerith since she is also connected to it, or Omega from Dirge of Cerberus since he carries the life from one dying planet to another. They put all this effort in creating that scene for the audience who know the story.
It was confirmed that the nebula behind Cloud represents Destruction and the one behind Sephiroth represents Creation. Cloud is Destruction and Sephiroth is Creation.
Ah yea that's a good point, that he's kind of ignoring Cloud there and just infatuated by his plan to create his own reality/future.
A counter to this though is the idea that sephiroth needs Cloud to hold onto his "hatred" in order to keep sephiroth in his mind at all times so he can keep appearing and manipulating
@@mrplayfulshade1038 yea i remember that as well. I think this fits well with the idea that sephiroth thinks he can save the planet while Cloud will only postpone the inevitable end by defeating Sephiroth.
Congrats mate!!!
Thanks!!
It evolution baby
Michael, this is an incredible, absolutely outstanding video and contribution to the FF7 community. I was beaming from ear to ear how evidence driven and carefully you unpacked your theory, and supplied us with ample evidence to ruminate on the facts. I couldn’t be more grateful. Subscribed (I like D2 as well!) and I hope you make more FF7 videos in the future. I hope the FF7 community embraces you with open arms! Phenomenal job! 🎉
Wow thank you so much! Such high praise, im honored dude
@@off-meta-michael I was especially inspired by your introduction as a commentator who is stepping up to the plate to share love for the series. Pushes me to put my voice out there too! Nicely done 👏 praise well earned.
Maybe the Artbiter of Fate is like the Weapons. The Weapons are there to protect Gaia. The Arbiter is similar but wants to protect destiny.
It's definitely possible, except the color scheme of the harbinger, its name, and original concept for the cloaked figures (which became the whispers) all point to some kind of jenova influence. We'll see!
Uhh, it connects very well with my view on the last Scene where we beat Sephiroth in Remake. Many say that Sephiroth absorbs the whispers but for me it all way long seems like they ARE Sephiroth und we are just tricked into thinking that he absorbed them. Thank you for your Video. 👌
This has been a common theory I thought. There's a channel, I forget the name but has a whole documentary series explaining why it's a sequel.
I'm subscribing even though I'm not interested in Diablo at all just because your theory video was both compelling and really clearly explained and I'm curious to see what you have to say about this later.
Thanks, yea im gonna be doing both games and once rebirth is out there will be more to theorize about
Duuude… great theory about the clock. Would be nuts if that’s what happened in Remake.
Holy crap after 14 years I am now learning about this time travel existed in this part of ff7!! Wtf!!!! 😱
A thought that's been running through my head since Remake and the whispers seemingly being so inline with letting the "current" Sephiroth continue unimpeded, keeping Destiny on the same track to OG's end (humans extinct 500 years in the future) is that what if Jenova, this so called "calamity" from the heavens is actually a part of the natural cycle? Part of the larger planetary level lifestream system that was meant to give life, death, and rebirth on the cosmological scale? Things could have just ended up really wonky due to human experimentation causing essences of Jenova to be paired with a conscious being--Sephiroth--which allowed his spirit to defy the consciousness merging with the lifestream and creating this hybrid force that is seemingly defying the rules (and maybe fully believing he is), but I almost wonder if it is ALL part of the capital D destiny, but not just of the force of the planet, but of the cosmos. That in the end, Sephiroth will be faced with the knowledge that it was all part of a bigger plan and his comeuppance will be a knock on any notions of Godhood that his ego has created through this process. I can't wait to see where they are going with the story!!
You sir need thanks for two things. First for making the link between the clock and what's happening in Remake. While I did not think this far I was thinking for a while it could be important and you are just the first I see address this in a video. If any other content creator I watch did talk about it I am sorry I missed it. Second you entertained my cats with your mouse and that's nice too.
I have not seen anyone talk about the clock and i tried looking before i made the video.
I havent seen anyone make the connection between sephiroth's talk about the cries of the planet, fate/destiny and bugenhagen's teaching either.
If someone out there has put these ideas together in this way, sorry, but i tried looking for it but couldn't find anything.
@@off-meta-michael pretty sure you are the only one and honestly this makes this video one of the best out there. So many good things in it. Thank you very much. It was a real pleasure to watch
@@rivianbaguette9114massive THANKS to you sir
@@off-meta-michaelI believe in Part 1 of Sleepezi’s Structure of 5, he went pretty deep on the link between the cries of the planet and the Whispers.
But I think you’re the first one who put it together in this way and everything about the Stagnant Reality being Sephiroth’s endgame is new to me.
I had been thinking about “creating the future” as creating the timeline we’re seeing in Remake, but not through the lens of a Stagnant Reality as you proposed. Really smart link back to Tim Roger’s translation there too.
@judestongue There's been some jp posts/users who have brought up the clock and how there might be a choice based decision in Rebirth based on triangle or O and the reaction commands in remake/CCR, but you're the first I've seen on the western side to bring it up to date.
Fun fact: “Fate, Monstrous and empty,” or in Latin:
Sors Immanis Et inanus , is most likely a direct pull from the “O Fortuna,” which has the exact same line.
From wikipedia:
"O Fortuna" is a medieval Latin Goliardic poem which is part of the collection known as the Carmina Burana, written early in the 13th century. It is a complaint about Fortuna, the inexorable fate that rules both gods and mortals in Roman and Greek mythology.
fits perfectly
Just found your channel and thoroughly enjoyed your detailed examples and explanations. This very closely goes along with a theory I developed overtime and filled in some gaps. I speculated that Sephiroth somehow timetraveled and your video explained how it could have happened.
During the recent theatrical re-release of Advent children in the pre interview Nomura and crew confirmed that advent children fans will have tie ins from the movie in rebirth. To me it’s obvious we’re dealing with post advent children Sephiroth at end of Remake. (He has black wing 🪽 which doesn’t come until AC & Dissidia) and he has knowledge of those events and even quotes a rebuttal to Cloud you mentioned: “I will never be a memory” to Cloud’s “Stay where you belong, in my memories.”
I have a crazy theory that Sephiroth might even get a redemption arc as he realizes the true villain and now knows the truth about Jenova. The real villains are Jenova and Hojo. She poisoned the lifestream and to finally resolve this he must want Cloud’s help to accomplish this somehow. Why he needs Clouds strength in particular eludes me. In the recent rebirth trailer they’re talking to a being asking for the black materia to “end the cycle” I wonder if Sephiroth knows/thinks that there is a way to continue living instead of everyone being doomed to repeat this endless time loop and resolve the situation somehow. Or he’s simply just as evil as ever and is manipulating everyone to change it so he survives and “sails the galaxy with this planet as his vessel” as he said before. We’ll soon find out more on this eve of Rebirth. Kudos if you read all that lol. Great content man. Can’t wait to see more.
Hey thanks for sharing your theory!
I do have more in this playlist if you're interested. Thanks man! TWO DAYS until Rebirth
ruclips.net/p/PLd9O2b2YPpJp6sPL-GHa4Uvr2SB5g9NNG&si=J2nUHB-_cwKH1od0
@@off-meta-michael Cool I’ll definitely check those out now. It feels like the longest 24 -48 hours in history lmao. I’ll need something to keep my mind busy haha.
@@Modioman69 cool dude, it will def help pass the time!
Great video! A lot of the same stuff I was thinking with regards to many elements being in the original, including the whispers in the form of the howling spirits from the lifestream. Obviously they are a bit different in Remake as they seem to be trying to maintain "Destiny" but herein is where I always wondered:
In the original ending of FF7, it is assumed that Aerith convinces the Cetra and other souls of the lifestream to stop Meteor. However, by doing that they still have to "absorb" it in some way, right? Now consider what happens at the end of Remake, where the whispers are flying around and spreading over Midgar - this feels like it could be an echo of how they formed to stop Meteor, but then within the lifestream portal thing following the party's fight against the Arbiter of Fate, that Sephiroth seemingly absorbs the power of meteor.
Always wondered if that was done as a ruse against the party, or if he actually found a way to absorb the massive energy from the Meteor which the lifestream had to contend with. The non-linear (omnitemporal, or whatever) attribute of the lifestream could mean that the souls infected by Jenova are utilized to transfer that energy to Sephiroth.
Yea, that spiritual energy could be tainted like you said and be part of what's needed to summon Meteor. OG says one person alone can't do it. You need great spiritual energy. The whispers manifesting to protect the future course brings along the memory of the future (meteor), which in ff7, memory is synonymous with lifestream, which equals souls or spiritual energy.
Sephiroth absorbs those memories of meteor.