The timeline is broken in Final Fantasy 7 (FF7) Rebirth, and the story fans knew from the original game has been set on a new course. This change of events doesn’t just impact Cloud’s future, but plot points that happened in the past, like Zack Fair’s death.
Zack Fair is the SOLDIER First Class who stars as the protagonist of FF7: Crisis Core, operating alongside Sephiroth under the direction of Shinra. Throughout his story, Zack befriends Cloud, who he saves at the cost of his life at the end of the game. Zack’s memories have merged with Cloud’s, leading to confusion about who he is during the events of Final Fantasy 7. However, following Remake, timelines have become unstable, and it seems Zack may get another shot at life – with a catch.
**Major Plot Spoilers Ahead**
Is Zack Fair Alive in FF7 Rebirth?
The short answer is yes, Zack Fair is alive in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. However, the circumstances behind his survival of the Shinra military attack outside of Midgar are more sinister.
Due to Sephiroth’s actions at the end of Remake, timelines have diverged. The version of Zack who escapes with Cloud does not exist in the same reality as the Cloud leading Avalanche through Rebirth, but in a divergence that seems to be unstable. In this timeline, there are also versions of Cloud and Aerith that differ from those traveling with Red XIII, Barret, and Tifa.
How Does Zack Survive The Shinra Attack Outside Midgar in FF7 Rebirth?
When first starting Rebirth, players see a cutscene that shows Zack escaping the attack outside of Midgar that originally kills him. He makes his way into a devastated Midgar, where a series of confusing events occur that are easy for players to miss. This includes Zack seeing versions of Avalanche trying to escape Shinra attackers. Leaving Cloud temporarily, he chases after a helicopter that contains Aerith. The chopper crashes, and inside he finds Aerith unconscious, along with what appears to be a deceased version of Red XIII.
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Taking Aerith, he escapes the Shinra troops that come to investigate the chopper crash. She remains unresponsive, and the white Materia falls from her hair in the same way it does when she dies in the original game.
In a scene much later in Rebirth, Zack meets up with Biggs, who has mysteriously survived the events that originally killed him. He and Zack have similar experiences, in which they were looking death in the face, only to be interrupted by the Whispers, which appeared to both men as a “strong wind” that swept the lethal threats away. For Zack, the wind blew threw, and the Shinra attackers on the cliff vanished. For Biggs, it removed the fire that should have burned him alive.
Are Zack and Cloud in the Same Timeline?
No, it appears the two are operating in different timelines. This is made apparent at the end of the game when going through the final boss fights against Sephiroth. Zack is stuck behind a misty barrier. Zack and Cloud both have to face Sephiroth down in their versions of their timelines. It is suggested that the timeline Zack inhabits is badly broken, and is arguably the “bad universe” created by the meddling of events that would have taken place in the original storyline.
Is Zack Alive At The End of FF7 Rebirth
Yes, though in what capacity is unclear. Because Zack’s timeline is a divergence, it isn’t clear if he is truly alive, or if this is a temporary situation that will vanish if Cloud and the team can fix things in the final installment of the trilogy. While Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fans would love to see the peppy protagonist come out a hero without a headstone, it seems likely Zack’s future may be tethered to the correcting of the timelines and erasure of splintered universe extensions.
Published: Mar 5, 2024 12:48 pm