Summary
- The FF7 Remake trilogy may have a new final boss, breaking tradition and offering more variety in storytelling.
- A storytelling concept called the rule of three suggests changing the final boss in FF7 Remake part three would be impactful, engaging, and challenging to audience expectations.
- Final boss candidates include, interdimensional anomalies, the destructive entity Meteor, and even fate itself.
The third and final part of the FF7 Rebirth's side quests.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the endings and final bosses of FF7 Rebirth & Remake.]
But no matter what Cloud and company do, Sephiroth is still there. He's been the final boss of the original game and both titles in the FF7 Remake trilogy to date, and if that trend continues, may be the final boss of the third one, too. It certainly wouldn't be the end of the world. But the trilogy deserves a little more variety, and a break from the hour-long Sephiroth boss fights that have capped off each of the previous two games. But there's reason to believe FF7 Remake part three could have a different kind of ending.
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FF7 Rebirth doesn't follow the original game to the letter, and this ends up being a major downgrade when it reaches its emotional climax.
Story Changes Hint At A New Final Boss For FF7 Remake Part Three
A Common Storytelling Device Hints At A Switch From Sephiroth
First and foremost, the general story changes in the trilogy suggest that FF7 Remake part three could have a different final boss from Sephiroth. However, given the remake trilogy's general willingness to alter the original story, it wouldn't be out of the question for part three to have a different final boss. FF7 Remake has a different theme from the original - while the environmental aspect is still important, there's the added conceit of fighting fate. New themes need to be resolved satisfactorily, and that can only be done through a different kind of ending.
There's an important device in the storyteller's toolbox, commonly called the rule of three. It holds that story events that come in groups of threes are inherently more satisfying or effective. It's why there are three bears in the house Goldilocks finds in the woods, three little pigs who hide from a wolf, and three musketeers who fight for justice. It's why there are three stories listed in the previous sentence.
In a further twist to the rule of three, if the third event in a series of three unfolds differently from the first two, it can be more impactful in getting a moral across. This plays with the audience's expectations: after watching the first two pigs' houses go down, they're prepared for the wolf to huff and puff and blow the third one away. But the brick house withstands the impact, the audience is engaged in the drama, and everyone leaves with an important takeaway about the importance of choosing sturdy building materials.
The FF7 Remake trilogy has already displayed a willingness to toy with expectations, most notably by teasing changes to Aerith's fate at the end of Rebirth, but ultimately keeping it the same.
That would make FF7 Remake part three the perfect time to change the final boss. Players inevitably expect to fight Sephiroth for a third time, whether that expectation was established by the original FF7 or by the two previous entries in the remake. Switching that up would be surprising to veteran FF7 fans and remake first-timers alike, and would hammer home the remake trilogy's wider point about being in control of one's own fate. As a result, the final boss battle would be much more meaningful than a third scuffle with Sephiroth.
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An emotional scene in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth finally receives clarity thanks to the game’s writer, but the meaning is still up for interpretation.
That said, players will probably still fight Sephiroth in the final chapters of FF7 Remake part three. Note that all the biggest story changes to the original FF7 have involved adding events or characters, not taking them away. It's unlikely that Sephiroth will mysteriously disappear ahead of the final confrontation, or suddenly have a Grinch-like change of heart and realize he's been fighting for the wrong side all this time. However, considering the wider themes of challenging fate and rewriting history, there's inevitably something larger at play here.
Possible Candidates For FF7 Remake Part Three's Final Boss
Meteors, Whispers, Or Fate Itself?
Someone or something is manipulating the timeline, ensuring that FF7's canon events unfold in the same way they always have. It doesn't seem to be Sephiroth - if things play out the same, he inevitably loses in the end. So the final boss of FF7 Remake part three could be whoever's pulling the strings and controlling the Whispers, or even a manifestation of fate itself, especially if there's a significant departure from the original FF7's ending.
Consider also the potential implications of all the dimension-hopping Cloud, Zack, and Aerith are doing at the end of FF7 Rebirth. There must be consequences for all that, paradoxes created by all the characters existing in multiple places at once. That'd be another potential final boss for FF7 Remake part three: some kind of monstrous, interdimensional anomaly borne out of all the changes to FF7's canon.
The final boss battle could also take place in Aerith and Zack's alternate universe, against whatever proves the greatest threat to their freedom. Since, in that world, Avalanche's fight appears to have been cut short, the final boss could instead be someone involved with Shinra. This would help ensure a relatively happy ending for all, ensuring both worlds are free from Shinra's oppression and Sephiroth's destructive anger.
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Another potential final boss for FF7 Remake part three is Meteor itself, the destructive magic entity Sephiroth summons in an effort to destroy the planet. The end of the game has Cloud and company use the White Materia to summon Holy, which ultimately manages to destroy Meteor before it hits the planet. In the original game, this all unfolds in a cutscene, with Aerith focusing the Lifestream's energy to push Meteor back further.
However, this moment could instead be playable in FF7 Remake part three. Perhaps it'd play out almost like one of Final Fantasy 16's Eikon fights, with two giant, godlike entities clashing in an earthshaking confrontation. Or, it could take place in the Lifestream, not unlike Cloud, Zack, and Aerith's dimension-hopping scenes at the end of Rebirth. They might have to defend themselves against a smaller manifestation of Meteor in order to give Aerith the space to strengthen Holy.
But in the end, there's no way to know exactly who or what FF7 Remake part three's final boss will be. While there's plenty of reason to believe the third entry will depart from its long-standing tradition, it could choose instead to play it safe and stick with the Sephiroth everyone knows and loves. Still, playing it safe isn't exactly what the remake trilogy is known for doing. The truth will only become clear once Final Fantasy 7 Remake part three is released.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
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- Top Critic Avg: 88/100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- April 10, 2020
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
The classic PlayStation RPG returns in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. In a unique twist on the formula, Final Fantasy 7 Remake acts as a reimagining of the original game's events, except the entirety of this first entry in the future trilogy takes place in Midgar. Acting as a sequel to the original title, Remake puts players in the shoes of Cloud Strife, an ex-SOLDIER from Shinra now making ends meet as a mercenary for hire. When Cloud partners up with an eco-terrorist group, Avalanche, he returns to Shinra to sabotage their reactors. When things go awry, and ghosts from his past begin to re-appear, Cloud will now have to face those demons head-on as fate seems determined to intervene and keep the cast on a destined path - embarking on the journey of a lifetime as Cloud and his friends race to stop Sephiroth and his hidden agenda.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4
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