A possible connection between Jenova and Spira

[jazzflower92]

I know that FFX is the past of the FF7 world but it never seems to be elaborated all that much in spin off material. One thing that could be interesting is connecting Jenova to Spira. We don't know how much has changed over the millennium but if Jenova was originally from there it could possibly show it no longer exists. Not to mention there are some theories that Jenova actually is a SIN type of creature because of the many attributes they share.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Do you think it's Square's intentions that these worlds be connected? That they are, so to speak, in the same universe?

 

[Starling]

When I first heard about the whole FFX and FFVII are connected thing, I figured it was a joke or something. I still have a hard time reconciling people from FFX travelling to another planet with the whole Cetra are native to Gaia and are the ancestors of the people in FFVII.

 

[Cat Rage Room]

Do you think it's Square's intentions that these worlds be connected? That they are, so to speak, in the same universe?

I thought that was definitely confirmed by now.

 

[Ⓐaron]

When I first heard about the whole FFX and FFVII are connected thing, I figured it was a joke or something. I still have a hard time reconciling people from FFX travelling to another planet with the whole Cetra are native to Gaia and are the ancestors of the people in FFVII.

The Cetra aren't the ancestors of the people in FFVII though? Aerith is canonically the last surviving Cetra (and she's only half-Cetra, for that matter).

And yes, FFX and FFVII's worlds are canonically linked. I can't remember the source but it's definitely official. Which I honestly find kind of annoying, but canon is canon.

 

[jazzflower92]

Yeah, it really brings some plot holes into this but at the same time I wonder why Square doesn't explore the potential of expanding the connection between these two games. In order to fill in the blanks of what went on between the time of FFX and FF7. Although looking at what they are doing with FFX-3 they seem to be doing a really bad job.

 

[Tennyo]

The Cetra aren't the ancestors of the people in FFVII though? Aerith is canonically the last surviving Cetra (and she's only half-Cetra, for that matter).

And yes, FFX and FFVII's worlds are canonically linked. I can't remember the source but it's definitely official. Which I honestly find kind of annoying, but canon is canon.

I think what Starling meant was that the Cetra and the regular human population of FFVII share the same ancestry. At some point in their history one set broke off and eventually lost their ability to communicate with the planet. I assume this probably happened long before Jenova came along.

I don't think Jenova could be from Spira nor would she be a Sin-like creature, though. Who is summoning her into existence if this is the case? Who is her fayth?

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

The Cetra aren't the ancestors of the people in FFVII though? Aerith is canonically the last surviving Cetra (and she's only half-Cetra, for that matter).

And yes, FFX and FFVII's worlds are canonically linked. I can't remember the source but it's definitely official. Which I honestly find kind of annoying, but canon is canon.

It's a canon I ignore, like Deep Ground and Reeve's Inspire. Like, why did they even do that? It adds nothing to either game.

I have to say, though, that from what I remember, the Cetra are the ancestors of humans. Basically, there were Cetra who kept to the old ways and Cetra who wanted to settle down and stop wandering; the settlers hid during the struggle with Jenova and left the traditional Cetra to deal with her. Afterwards, when the traditional Cetra were decimated and exhausted, the settlers re-emerged and started to dominate the planet. At least, that's how I remember it going, but I can't find the part of the script where this comes from.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

It's during Seph's tirade in Shinra Manor's basement.

 

[Claymore]

And yes, FFX and FFVII's worlds are canonically linked. I can't remember the source but it's definitely official. Which I honestly find kind of annoying, but canon is canon.

It's a canon I ignore, like Deep Ground and Reeve's Inspire. Like, why did they even do that? It adds nothing to either game.

This.

I personally find it completely stupid so I just ignore it like it doesn't exist (which, beyond a throwaway line, it doesn't). I was kinda shocked at just how much I hated the idea though when I got into a 5 page rant with someone who wanted a VII remake with a clear rewritten backstory and connection to X.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

I've always liked it and thought it enriched the wider universe.

 

[Shademp]

I can enjoy the idea of FFX and FFVII being the same universe but I dislike the cryptic and vague way in which it has been executed.

 

[Starling]

To clarify what I said, I meant I thought whoever said it (in an interview I think) meant it as a throwaway or joke that wasn't meant to be taken that seriously. If you can manage a fanfic linking the two in a way that makes sense, then by all means explore the idea but it'd be too headache inducing for me to consider it canon.

Tennyo pretty much summed up the rest.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

That's the thing, though. The interviews (there were two, actually) were just the start, and they were entirely serious. They then actually went about seeding the idea more concretely in various places (X-2 International+Last Mission, Reunion Files, Dirge of Cerberus).

Still never part of the main plot in any way, but very obvious if you noticed.

 

[Claymore]

I can enjoy the idea of FFX and FFVII being the same universe but I dislike the cryptic and vague way in which it has been executed.

I can dig this sentiment. If it had been executed and expanded upon in a better way, I might have been behind it, but as it stands, no.

 

[ultima espio]

I honestly don't buy FFVII and FFX being the same place, just at different times.

I think they are actually separate worlds, just with one connection, Shinra.

Dissidia, and the other FF games that have Gilgamesh, heavily imply that all of the FF games are their own worlds connected by the void, which is how Gilgamesh gets from one place to the other.

What could have happened is that during his research, Shinra ended up in the void and found his way into FFVII's world. Now that works, but isn't Shinra an Al Bhed? Neither President Shinra, Rufus or Lazard have any Al Bhed traits on them.

He can't be President Shinra, unless he's his father or grandfather. Or, he has no relation at all and PS stole his research, and had him killed.

But yeah, I'd prefer that they were individual worlds with no connection. It's better off as a reference.

 

[jazzflower92]

Not to mention with the FFX being the past that means that technology must have downgraded by the time of FF7.

 

[Starling]

Not to mention with the FFX being the past that means that technology must have downgraded by the time of FF7.

It's amazing how often that seems to happen in fiction. Aren't there even a couple tropes about it?

Now that I think about it, I think I once found a fic that had FFX as the future instead of the past. As long as you didn't think about certain things too hard, it seemed like it could've shaped into a compelling story had it continued. I still think the best way to tie different FF worlds together is with some kind of dimensional stuff like Dissidia did or making a composite world trying various elements of the different worlds together into one. I'm pretty sure that's a general rule for any crossover really, even within the same franchise.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

I honestly don't buy FFVII and FFX being the same place, just at different times.

I think they are actually separate worlds ...

They are separate worlds. That's how the writer has described it -- stories happening on different worlds with thousands of years falling in between, with Shinra's descendant(s) settling on VII's world at some point.

 

[Joker]

I think this is utterly, incomprehensibly stupid.

 

[Cat Rage Room]

I dislike it because it bypasses the otherwise shallow worldbuilding of FFVII's universe (and all of the potential it COULD have) by a throwaway connection to an entirely different title in the series. FFVII has one of the most fascinating settings in the series, and every time they revisit it, they tend to give it more and more dumb filler to the story instead of enriching what they already have.

I don't hate the Compilation, but a lot of it is wasted potential.

 

[Gaël]

I almost feel as though the Compilation's developers either don't "get" the FFVII universe, or maybe they just don't care as much as the OG's development team did. The Compilation introduced a lot of great concepts and characters, but the execution is just terrible at points.

 

[Octo]

I hate the idea because I hated X - it was the first FF game that left me cold - and the idea of it being connected to VII in any way just taints VII. Honestly, it's an entirely pointless connection, I have to wonder what they were thinking when they said it.

Just like if you we're a Star Wars fan and they said that Holiday Special was canon.

EDIT: oh shit they did......fuuuuuuuu

 

[jazzflower92]

I dislike it because it bypasses the otherwise shallow worldbuilding of FFVII's universe (and all of the potential it COULD have) by a throwaway connection to an entirely different title in the series. FFVII has one of the most fascinating settings in the series, and every time they revisit it, they tend to give it more and more dumb filler to the story instead of enriching what they already have.

I don't hate the Compilation, but a lot of it is wasted potential.

And some of the material is really not needed like a certain red menace that will not be named.

 

[Shademp]

I hate the idea because I hated X - it was the first FF game that left me cold - and the idea of it being connected to VII in any way just taints VII.

I actually do agree here, when I take my dislike for FFX into account. Just picturing that Tidus and Yuna existed, albeit on a different planet, at a time before Cloud and the gang... UGH. It just feels wrong. I don't want Tidus and Yuna to be part of the same universe as Cloud. That does taint FFVII in my eyes.

If I look past my dislike for FFX, I can tolerate the FFX-FFVII connection though.