For the most part, fans assumed Final Fantasy 7 Remake would remain as faithful as possible to the original canon of Final Fantasy 7. As more players reached the game’s finale, it became increasingly clear that this would no longer be the case. Final Fantasy 7‘s overarching narrative beats remained the same in Remake, but specific events throughout the story and the ending seemingly confirmed the game is in a completely different canon. This is especially proven with a certain character tease who seems to be making a return somehow.
Zack Fair in the original Final Fantasy 7 had a very different fate compared to what appears to be a new canon in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It’s unclear if Zack is now appearing in a different timeline, or if he’s within the same timeline as Cloud and the gang in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. One thing has been made abundantly clear: Zack is alive in Remake, and to be teased this early on means he’ll be a prominent figure in Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s subsequent episodes.
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Upon reaching the end of Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s first episode, the game seems to be heavily inferring Zack survives his last stand on the ridge above Midgar. In the original canon, after Zack and Cloud escape Nibelheim, Zack dies protecting Cloud from the Shinra execution squad. Now it’s unclear how or why Zack seems to have survived that final stand, but he supposedly does thanks to the defeat of Remake‘s Whispers. Cloud’s victory at the end of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, at bare minimum, signifies some kind of timeline alteration that changes Zack’s fate.
These Whispers, hooded spectres that changed several pivotal moments in Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s plot, seemingly kept Cloud and the gang on track with the original Final Fantasy 7 timeline until the end. Given how the final battle of Final Fantasy 7 Remake takes place in a “Singularity,” it’s clear there’s some kind of time travel, space-time continuum conversion going on that has lead to Zack surviving his final battle and bringing Cloud to Midgar himself. What’s more interesting is how Zack’s survival coincides with the events of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and what his character’s role truly is now that he’s supposedly alive.
There’s two potential realities that could take place now that Zack Fair is apparently alive: Zack Fair is either alive and well in a completely different timeline separate from Final Fantasy 7 Remake, or he’s alive in the world of Remake‘s story but has disappeared somewhere. In the event that Zack’s alive in a different timeline, it’s possible his influence could align with the subtle and spiritual guidance Zack provided in the Compilation of Final Fantasy 7. That being said, his survival would have to be justified somehow, which could be tricky.
In the event that Zack is alive in Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s timeline, that understandably brings up a lot of valid questions. Fans of the original Final Fantasy 7 will remember that Cloud’s entire character development arc is dependent on Zack’s death and Cloud’s identity crisis. The trauma of Zack’s death is designed to inflict a kind-of persona unto Cloud’s personality, basically forcing him to become Zack’s “living legacy.” If Zack is alive in the current timeline, then why doesn’t Cloud suddenly remember all of his memories with him? Is there a possibility that the two may clash and trigger Cloud’s mental breakdown similar to the original Final Fantasy 7?
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In terms of Remake‘s future episodes, it’s not entirely clear, but it seems Zack’s survival seems to be in a timeline separate from Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s primary timeline. The implications aren’t certain, as Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s ending does infer that the future is now undetermined when compared to the original Final Fantasy 7 canon. Either one of these timelines where Zack is alive is entirely plausible now, and could mean we’ll see more of him in future episodes. He could act as a vision of the future if Cloud and the gang defeat Sephiroth in a new timeline, or he could serve as some kind of guide for Aerith and potentially avoid her death as well.
At this point, Final Fantasy 7 Remake has gone full Kingdom Hearts with its storyline, albeit with a bit less narrative baggage. There’s a whole lot of uncertainty now brewing amongst fans for Remake‘s next episode. Considering Tetsuya Nomura is the game’s director, this kind of time-travel debauchery is to be expected. As for Zack’s role in the Remake, it seems Cloud’s efforts may revive Zack in the primary timeline if he succeeds in beating Sephiroth. With the Whispers no longer guiding Cloud along the original canon, some potentially severe changes could be coming in Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s subsequent episodes.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 is actively in development.
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