Bow wow wow ~ My Final Remake Theory

[cold_spirit]

For your listening pleasure while reading, here's "Stamp" with lyrics.

The following is months worth of effort to create a theory that addresses all the new mysteries introduced in Remake. This level of organization is something I wish I had done with my pre-release Whisper theory. Included is a chronological walkthrough of events as I see them, as well as footnotes and a diagram. Let's get to it.

• The lifestream's cycle of life and death extends beyond organisms and planets. Entire universes follow the same pattern [1]. Small variations exist between the universes such as Stamp's breed [2]. In Remake, the Beagle Stamp universe and Terrier Stamp universe exist as separate spaces at different points in time (i.e., December 0007 in the Beagle Stamp universe occurs simultaneously with September 0007 in the Terrier Stamp universe) [3]. In other words, the Beagle Stamp universe was born first.
  
  
• In the Beagle Stamp universe, Zack dies in a last stand against the Shinra army [4].
  
  
• In the Beagle Stamp universe, an unspecified event occurs involving Aerith and a mysterious Sephiroth [5]. This event threatens Aerith's role in "destiny". However, before anything drastic can unfold, the Whispers appear and restrain the mysterious Sephiroth [6].
  
  From this incident, Aerith receives memories of another universe [7]. She's also able to connect others to that universe, either unintentionally or by her own hand. The Whispers begin to actively monitor the situation and intervene when they deem necessary [8]. As a consequence, Aerith loses her ability to commune with the planet and is no longer able to hear the voices of the lifestream in her garden [9].
  
  
• In the Beagle Stamp universe, the events of Final Fantasy VII Remake unfold. This culminates with the party fighting Whisper Harbinger and Sephiroth inside the Singularity. At the same time in the Terrier Stamp universe, Zack fights against the Shinra army. Whispers are present at this fight to ensure Zack is killed.
  
  With the defeat of the Whispers, Zack survives in the Terrier Stamp universe. However, this also releases the mysterious Sephiroth from the Whispers' restraint.
  
  
• The mysterious Sephiroth shows Cloud a vision of the planet's demise [10]. He speaks of a great joining and ultimate end that will come to themselves and the world [11]. Though he offers his hand in allyship, Cloud refuses. After a short battle, the mysterious Sephiroth leaves with a warning. Considering his knowledge and demeanor, it would appear the mysterious Sephiroth is from another universe altogether [12]. A universe where the planet has already met its ultimate end.
  
  
• In the Terrier Stamp universe, the unspecified event involving Aerith and the mysterious Sephiroth is allowed to unfold now that the Whispers no longer exist to intervene. Afterwards, the slum community gathers at Aerith's church to mourn.
  
  
• In the Beagle Stamp universe, the party arrives at Kalm. At the same time in the Terrier Stamp universe, Zack arrives at Aerith's church.

I genuinely attempted to write this theory in a way that is concise and down to earth. It's hard to imagine, but someday Remake's mysteries will be described plainly on the game's Wikipedia page. I sought to portray my theory with that objective quality. To that end I've included footnotes to explain my reasoning each step of the way.

I also want to note that I don't believe Remake is a time travel story. It's a multiverse, akin to the Spider-Verse. Multiple realities are occurring simultaneously and memories are jumping between them. Aerith does not "see the future" nor does the party "change the past" to save Zack. Instead, Aerith has been influenced by another universe (one where the original game's events have already occurred) and likewise the party's victory over the Whispers influenced the Terrier Stamp universe (allowing Zack to survive). Time is progressing linearly throughout all of this.

Let's use Into the Spider-Verse as an example. In that film, the modern-day New York that Miles Morales lives in is happening simultaneously with the New York of Spider-Man Noir, which is set during the Great Depression. One universe is in the 2010's and the other in the 1930's. However, Spider-Man Noir is not "the past". They're separate realities. Because characters are jumping between universes and not time, Into the Spider-Verse is categorized as a multiverse story, not a time travel story. I believe Remake functions the same way.

Below is an expanded diagram that seeks to place Remake relative to other games in the series, as well as further illustrate how universes are "born" after each other.



We don't know precisely when Aerith began seeing the Whispers. Nomura is even tight-lipped about it as shown by the quote in my footnotes. However, I think we can narrow down the possibilities. If Aerith started seeing the Whispers sometime before or during Crisis Core, then I think that'd affect her mood and actions. The Whispers clearly trouble her. In the lead up to Crisis Core Reunion's release, the developers insisted in multiple publications that the story would not receive any modifications because of Remake. As such, no distress over the Whispers implies to me that Aerith doesn't see them yet.

I propose that Aerith began seeing the Whispers sometime in the two months between Crisis Core and Remake. I think some event occurred (involving Sephiroth) that resulted in Aerith connecting to another universe and consequently placing her under the Whispers' moderation. From there the deviations continued to stack until the party chose to challenge "destiny" itself.

The only thing I can't answer is where this is all going. I certainly have thoughts on that, but those thoughts go beyond theory crafting and enter the realm of fan fiction. Only time will tell and I eagerly await the next chapter!

Finally, to all readers who just finished Part 2: "Hello there!"

--- Footnotes ---

[1] The Japanese Material Ultimania names the universes shown during the Edge of Creation scene as the angelic "dying universe" and red "universe that will be born" (translation by TurquoiseHammer). This naming implies to me that universes, along with organisms and planets, are part of the lifestream's cycle of life and death.

[2] Beagle Stamp is the only Stamp shown to the party throughout Remake. Terrier Stamp is the only Stamp shown during Zack's cutscenes. Stamp's design is not shown to have been affected by the defeat of the Whispers. This suggests to me that Stamp is a variation that has always existed between the universes.

[3] When the party confronts Sephiroth at the end of the Midgar expressway, Zack is shown before his confrontation with the Shinra army. When the party departs Midgar, Zack is shown approaching Midgar with Cloud. When the party arrives outside of Kalm, Zack is shown arriving at Aerith's church. The placement of Zack's cutscenes suggest to me that his story is happening simultaneously with the party's.

[4] The Final Fantasy VII Remake World Preview and Final Fantasy VII Remake Material Ultimania both state that Zack died in September before the events of Remake.

[5] Aerith avoids discussing Sephiroth at the kids' hideout in Chapter 8. In Chapter 18, Aerith addresses Sephiroth as if she's already aware of his goal. Her knowledge and demeanor suggest to me that the two have crossed paths before. I assume this meeting was not without violence.

[6] Sephiroth invites the party into the Singularity where they fight Whisper Harbinger. Whisper Harbinger features a glowing, purple heart. After its defeat, Sephiroth is shown at the center of a purple aura. We see the ways in which the Whispers restrain Aerith due to her other memories. If Sephiroth has similar knowledge, it would stand to reason that he would require restraining as well.

[7] Nomura declined to comment on when Aerith first received her other memories (translation by aitaikimochi). It seems the details surrounding this event are major spoilers. I believe this event ties in with the new mysterious Sephiroth.



[8] In Chapter 4, the Whispers break Jessie's ankle so that Cloud is forced to participate in the Mako Reactor 5 bombing mission, correcting Remake's events to align with the original game.

[9] In Chapter 8, Aerith explains that the flowers in her garden no longer speak to her. I take this to mean that her ability to commune with the planet has been blocked since receiving her other memories. Quick side note: in Chapter 17, Aerith is distressed by the Whispers and states that they are taking pieces of herself. I believe they are taking back her other memories, which Aerith feels should remain with her. They are part of her now.

[10] "From the world beyond, Sephiroth shows Cloud a vision of the planet seven seconds before its demise." - In-game description for the Edge of Creation cutscene

[11] "Our world will become a part of it… one day. But I... will not end. Nor will I have you end." - Sephiroth at the Edge of Creation

[12] The Final Fantasy VII Remake Ultimania highlights that the mysterious Sephiroth uses the Japanese pronoun "ore" during the Edge of Creation scene. This is the pronoun Sephiroth used before he encountered Jenova during the Nibelheim Incident.

Edit: (June 26th, 2022) Changed all instances of "timeline/timelines" to "universe/universes" to avoid confusion with time travel

Edit: (July 3rd, 2022) Updated diagrams with months for clarity and added Into the Spider-Verse example

Edit: (August 26th, 2022) Expanded theory with the idea that universes are "born" after each other, explaining why the Beagle Stamp and Terrier Stamp universes take place in different months

Edit: (January 13th, 2023) Moved my forum commentary to a spoiler tag at the end of this post. Added two paragraphs about when Aerith began seeing the Whispers

Edit: (February 28th, 2023) Minor edit to line on the origin of the Whispers

Edit: (April 18th, 2023) Updated sentence structure around the unspecified event involving Aerith and Sephiroth

Spoiler

Before anyone suggests that investing in a theory will only lead to disappointment, I 100% assure you that I'll be just fine. My enjoyment of Part 2 and beyond is not dependent on “being right”. I just want each game in this series to be interesting, and that can happen with or without the theories I bring to them. This thread is just for fun. I will approach Part 2 with an open mind when it finally releases.

In fact, theory crafting shouldn't be about being right or wrong. At its core it's about research. There are a lot of appreciations to be found in research, both directly and indirectly related to the plot question at hand (for example, rewatching cutscenes sure does make me appreciate the game's animation and soundtrack). It's a fun way to go back and engage with the game.

This forum has adopted a "wait and see" approach to theories and speculation after Remake's ending, largely as a defense mechanism. Nobody wants to be caught off guard again. However, I think about it differently. Being wrong opens me up to being surprised, and as someone who's followed this series for most of their life, to be surprised would be truly novel.

Well, that's four paragraphs I wrote hoping to preemptively strike the negativity. I sure do like commenting on the state of the forum through the lens of Remake. Let's get on with it.

 

[Thenir]

Thank you for sharing your theory and the detailed recap! Jusp addressing a couple of points:

At the same time in the Terrier timeline, Zack fights against the Shinra army. Whispers are present at this fight to ensure Zack is killed.

I initially thought the same but than I noticed that in the Terrier timeline the Whispers "explode" and disappear after Zack's survival. Zack himself sounds very surprised of his victory, as he was alone against a whole army. It may sound crazy and contradictory but I think those three Whispers were there to protect him.

In the Terrier timeline, the unspecified event involving Aerith and the mysterious Sephiroth is allowed to unfold now that the Whispers no longer exist to intervene. Afterwards, the slum community gathers at Aerith's church to mourn.

I don't think the people in the church are mourning, to me they look like refugees. Some people are lying on the ground, some seem to be injured and one of them is stepping on Aerith's precious flowers. I'm not sure if it is just a case of reuse of the same NPC but the kid crying appears also in the opening cutscene in Sector 5 upperplate. In any case his fine clothes suggest he may be not a slum resident. Agreed that something unexpected happened to Aerith, people wouldn't carelessly step on the flowers if she was just momentarily missing, but I wouldn't take this scene as a confirmation of her premature death. Anyway it's interesting the theory that the same event that caused her disappereance in the Terrier timeline could be the same event that put into motion the oddities of Beagle timeline, you might be onto something here.

 

[OWA-2]

I really dislike the idea of a multiverse in FFVII, because it jeopardizes the entire cosmology of the series IMO. I mean, ever since the OG came out, FFVII's cosmology was already defined: The center of everything is the Lifestream. EVERYTHING is conbected to it, and it is the source of all life in the universe(DoC even alludes to the existence of a universal Lifestream). We also know how it works, how it 'creates' new life. It is all pretty well explained and connected, leaving nothing outside of it.

But with a multiverse, the cosmology changes to something completely random. Now there are multiple Lifestreams, multiple cosmologies, where anything can happen. The Lifestream is not the source of everything anymore, because there are many of them, in different realities. The grandioseness of the Lifestream and all of FFVII's cosmology is completelly diminished and overshadowed, by a new concept that was never introduced before.

 

[Eerie]

I used to think that there would be several universes too, but thinking about it, I'm doubtful; if it's an AU, I have two problems with it:

- how does it end up having an impact on our timeline
- the time that it needs to be developped, resource-wise

While if we take that Zack is dead (shot after his Last Stand), it removes those two problems because they can just give some scenes here and there without developping it, and it doesn't need to have an impact on our timeline - and they can give Aerith and Zack reuniting in the Lifestream. ToTP and how Aerith described the arrival of Elmyra's dead husband really reminded me of Zack, who was unaware that he was dead.

Also I do think that future!dead!Aerith sent her younger self visions of the future, and in chapter 18 by beating "destiny" they cut that connection. I do wonder if the same applies for Sephiroth too.

 

[Roundhouse]

After the end of Remake, making Zack dead feels a bit....well, a lot like an anti-climax, honestly.

 

[Makoeyes987]

I genuinely attempted to write this theory in a way that is concise and down to earth. It's hard to imagine, but someday Remake's mysteries will be described plainly on the game's Wikipedia page. I sought to portray my theory with that objective quality. To that end I’ve included footnotes to explain my reasoning each step of the way.

I'll give you credit, you definitely succeeded here. It does make sense and isn't needlessly convoluted! However...

It’s a multiverse, akin to the Spider-verse. Multiple realities are occurring simultaneously and characters/memories are jumping between them. Aerith does not “see the future” nor does the party “change the past” to save Zack. Time is progressing linearly.

This doesn't gel with what we know. We know Aerith is getting future memories from herself. That's what Chapter 14 and the Ultimania Plus tells us. Sephiroth is aware of events in the future. The Edge of Creation is in the future. I'm not sure how that doesn't count as "time travel." You can say they are "asynchronous continuities" but Zack fighting his last stand is the past from the temporal perspective of the main party, even if they are in a separate timeline. It's the past, albeit an alternate one.

1) When the party confronts Sephiroth at the end of the Midgar expressway, Zack is shown before his confrontation with the Shinra army. When the party departs Midgar, Zack is shown approaching Midgar with Cloud. When the party arrives outside of Kalm, Zack is shown arriving at Aerith's church. The placement of Zack's cutscenes suggests to me that his continuity is happening simultaneously with the party's.

Why does that make you think they are happening simultaneously? We know that the moment Zack and Cloud metaphorically/existentially cross paths with Cloud and the others cannot possibly be literal. Zack's last stand happens before FFVII. Cloud and the others are walking on that same spot during FFVII. It may happen before our eyes as the audience simultaneously, but we are expected to know the time these two events took place. Now if we are to believe that the Intermission ending for both groups are occurring "simultaneously", one has to wonder what Zack has been up to for all that time. Because the events of FFVII are happening. I think this is a perfect example of what you call an "asynchronous continuity."

But with a multiverse, the cosmology changes to something completely random. Now there are multiple Lifestreams, multiple cosmologies, where anything can happen. The Lifestream is not the source of everything anymore, because there are many of them, in different realities. The grandioseness of the Lifestream and all of FFVII's cosmology is completelly diminished and overshadowed, by a new concept that was never introduced before.

Not sure how this is random or somehow overlaps/nullifies the nature of the Lifestream. Technically speaking, the Lifestream isn't just the source of everything either. Because there exists an even larger system that the Lifestream is part of. Planets die, recycle, and find new planets to seed their spirit energy to. That's what Omega revealed to us. If spirit energy is the basis of all life, then it stands to reason that exists in micro and macro scales to the highest level possible. The fact that could go even up to the universal scale makes perfect sense and doesn't negate the system at all.

 

[Ryushikaze]

I'll give you credit, you definitely succeeded here. It does make sense and isn't needlessly convoluted! However...



This doesn't gel with what we know. We know Aerith is getting future memories from herself. That's what Chapter 14 and the Ultimania Plus tells us. Sephiroth is aware of events in the future. The Edge of Creation is in the future. I'm not sure how that doesn't count as "time travel." You can say they are "asynchronous continuities" but Zack fighting his last stand is the past from the temporal perspective of the main party, even if they are in a separate timeline. It's the past, albeit an alternate one.



Why does that make you think they are happening simultaneously? We know that the moment Zack and Cloud metaphorically/existentially cross paths with Cloud and the others cannot possibly be literal. Zack's last stand happens before FFVII. Cloud and the others are walking on that same spot during FFVII. It may happen before our eyes as the audience simultaneously, but we are expected to know the time these two events took place. Now if we are to believe that the Intermission ending for both groups are occurring "simultaneously", one has to wonder what Zack has been up to for all that time. Because the events of FFVII are happening. I think this is a perfect example of what you call an "asynchronous continuity."



Not sure how this is random or somehow overlaps/nullifies the nature of the Lifestream. Technically speaking, the Lifestream isn't just the source of everything either. Because there exists an even larger system that the Lifestream is part of. Planets die, recycle, and find new planets to seed their spirit energy to. That's what Omega revealed to us. If spirit energy is the basis of all life, then it stands to reason that exists in micro and macro scales to the highest level possible. The fact that could go even up to the universal scale makes perfect sense and doesn't negate the system at all.

We even know of several other FF universes where this is explicitly canon, among them 9 and 13. The cosmology of FF5 and 14 also track with this.

Also FF7 is also explicitly part of a multiverse where time travel is possible (1 says hi) before the remake. So the idea that time travel AND multiple realities are involved is hardly out of the question.

Also Crystal Chronicles sub-series has entries involving jumping multiverses and changing the timeline.

 

[Eerie]

After the end of Remake, making Zack dead feels a bit....well, a lot like an anti-climax, honestly.

Everyone here knows I've been honestly playing with the idea in my head for a long time but the two problems are truly the ones I keep having a problem with. At most, I think it may be a sort of afterlife world created by Aerith (unknowingly) to save Zack, hence the discrepancies between the church Stamp etc. and our continuity. But the problem of no interaction with our world, making Remake longer for no reason, is a real problem, IMHO.

 

[Makoeyes987]

If FFVII is primarily the story of Cloud Strife and his coming to terms with his identity along with saving the world with his friends/allies, why would Zack not being a principle main character be a problem? Whatever role his survival past the original point of his death may lead to, I'm pretty positive it's not going to be one that shifts focus from the central theme of the story nor supplants it.

I never understood why folks think Zack's appearance in the ending means there has to be something like a permanent resurrection to justify the scene, otherwise it's pointless/anti-climactic. That's simply confirmation bias and wish fulfillment.

 

[OWA-2]

Not sure how this is random or somehow overlaps/nullifies the nature of the Lifestream. Technically speaking, the Lifestream isn't just the source of everything either. Because there exists an even larger system that the Lifestream is part of. Planets die, recycle, and find new planets to seed their spirit energy to. That's what Omega revealed to us. If spirit energy is the basis of all life, then it stands to reason that exists in micro and macro scales to the highest level possible. The fact that could go even up to the universal scale makes perfect sense and doesn't negate the system at all.

As long as they can connect the Lifestream and/or the concept of memories to all this multiverse/timeline nonsense, that's enough for me. Because the Lifestream/memories should always be the center of FFVII's cosmology IMO.

 

[Eerie]

Nah, you know I don't doubt that. My problem is how time consuming this is. If they really keep Zack alive, it must have a purpose; that purpose is to be shown. It will take a lot of time and resources when the next parts of Remake are going to be already filled byt the "normal" FFVII. I'm looking at it on a practical view; it is easier for it to be a sort of preserved space inside the Lifestream so that Zack won't dissolve and allow a few adventures with Aerith once she's dead - how did she rally the Lifestream? I'd like to know that, for example. It's also going to happen at a time when the plot will allow a bit of breathing, so a chapter can be dedicated to this.

But I mean maybe I'm totally wrong and it's completely a new AU - but then, why? Zack isn't Aerith, he can't connect with the Lifestream, nor with another reality. If it's to show the "what ifs" then we have a problem of time consuming and expanding twice more the original project.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Nah, you know I don't doubt that. My problem is how time consuming this is. If they really keep Zack alive, it must have a purpose; that purpose is to be shown. It will take a lot of time and resources when the next parts of Remake are going to be already filled byt the "normal" FFVII. I'm looking at it on a practical view; it is easier for it to be a sort of preserved space inside the Lifestream so that Zack won't dissolve and allow a few adventures with Aerith once she's dead - how did she rally the Lifestream? I'd like to know that, for example. It's also going to happen at a time when the plot will allow a bit of breathing, so a chapter can be dedicated to this.

But I mean maybe I'm totally wrong and it's completely a new AU - but then, why? Zack isn't Aerith, he can't connect with the Lifestream, nor with another reality. If it's to show the "what ifs" then we have a problem of time consuming and expanding twice more the original project.

I suspect it's to let us know that the scope of the threat has escalated. No longer does Sephypoo threaten the planet, he's got designs on the multiverse, perhaps his and our actions have collapsed two adjacent realities together- again, not the first, second, or even only 3rd time such a thing has happened in the series as a whole- Or perhaps simply just drawn Zack into the Remake Reality.

 

[Eerie]

Yeah one of my theories was that the Lifestream actually was the link between all the alternate universes, so it's something I can see. But to develop it properly whithin FFVII, even if it's a very interesting idea, I am not sure that they have the time. I mean, it's very plausible, but it would ask for a lot of development, so I'm not sure they are going there.

 

[null]

So are we heading for a Crisis on Infinite Planets? Will all the universes merge at the end so it still leads into ACC like nothing happened? Will Zack and Aerith and Sephiroth be the only ones who remember afterward? Will Terrier Zack and Beagle Cloud and St. Bernard Angeal team up and get their swords mixed up?

 

[Kain424]

Reminds me of that Marvel show, What If...?

That said, I'm with Eerie. There just doesn't feel like enough time to explore all that while we're also revisiting the world of Final Fantasy VII proper. We've got a lot of ground to cover, especially if they're planning on expanding the next section to an extent even approaching an equivalent amount to Midgar. No need to muddy an already fairly convoluted storyline with timey-whimey nonsense and alternate dimensions.

For your listening pleasure while reading, here's "Stamp" with lyrics.

Honestly, I find this song extremely catchy.

 

[OWA-2]

No need to muddy an already fairly convoluted storyline with timey-whimey nonsense

To be honest, that's exactly what I thought(and still think) about the Whispers and all this destiny/time nonsense. But they did it anyway.

 

[KindOfBlue]

 

[cold_spirit]

@TurquoiseHammer tweeted their Material Ultimania translation of the names given to universes seen during the Edge of Creation scene. The angelic looking "dying universe" and red "universe that will be born".

Turquoise then connected this to an excerpt from the Ultimania Omega's Early Material Files. I find the usage of "cosmic egg", "alternate dimensions", and "universe" to be shocking.



Dirge of Cerberus brought back the idea that the planet is part of a larger cycle within the universe. It shouldn't be off the table for Remake to bring back "alternate dimensions".

As I've probably repeated too many times around here, I'm all about "December in the Beagle universe (when the party fights Whisper Harbinger) is occurring at the same time as September in the Terrier universe (Zack's last stand)!" And I understand when people are like "...why tho?" It is highly speculative. However, to see this framing, that universes may pop into existence like children being born, is quite validating.

I know this isn't a confirmation that my theory is correct, but just let me run with it for a bit. Why is December in Beagle occuring at the same time as September in Terrier? Because the Terrier universe was born later. Additionally, where do Aerith's other memories come from? A universe that was born before Beagle (one where the events of the original one have already occured).

As I stated in my initial post, I've ensured this interpretation works with everything we've seen so far. I don't know why the Whispers want all universes to play out like the original game, and I don't know how Zack will factor into the story moving forward, but it should be clear from the clues dropped during the Edge of Creation scene that we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg here. This concept of "universes" will return.

Here's the twitter thread for anyone interested.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1543237301270188032

 

[Eerie]

Personally, I've come to the conclusion that the Planet was reborn in this scene, with the Ultimania's translations - and the reddish logo with the title 'Rebirth'. Everyone that was in the Singularity meshed together and the time resumed from after Cloud and the others leave Midgar, which would explain why Zack arrives so late. It does have the problem of 2 Cloud and 2 Busters though, which has to be resolved in a way or another.

If this Planet bears the will of Cloud, then it makes sense that Zack would still be alive - however! What is a delusion (due to his state) and what is real is probably where the red line occurs, and where SE is going to trick us. Zack is to stay a mystery until part 3, I think, but contrarily to the OG, we will hear a lot more about him. SE clearly wants to show his importance to the plot, Cloud and Aerith.

I would add that this also explains why Aerith doesn't have visions anymore; the Planet has been Reborn, so it cut ties with its future. In the same idea, Sephiroth also probably is cut from his future self, which will lead him to make the same plans than what he did in the OG, hence we'll be following closely the OG on that front.

I think people forget that the OG had a really good ending, since the Planet and human life were saved. And I think we're heading back to that; it may look like we could change the future, but is it a desirable outcome?

 

[waw]

, I've come to the conclusion that the Planet was reborn in this scene, with the Ultimania's translations - and the reddish logo with the title 'Rebirth'. Everyone that was in the Singularity meshed together and the time resumed from after Cloud and the others leave Midgar, which would explain why Zack arrives so late. It does have the problem of 2 Cloud and 2 Busters though, which has to be resolved in a way or another.

I've seen these sorts of ideas, and I think the work Turqoise provided above, and commentary from Cold shows at least a probability here. I run into some issues when trying to wrap my head around it.

1. Our party is walking in a universe after the Singularity. I would presume this is our universe that we just played Remake in because the ending scenes show characters we've grown attached to. If they're just alternate versions it renders that moot. So what is the universe we're in after the Singularity? (In other words, if it is reborn, did everyone else... change?)

2. If it's just the birth of another version of the storyline (so like... Zack's timeline/world?) how can that be plausibly balanced against the main story in the room that we have left?

Part of me wonders if Zack and Cloud and their parallel timeline/universe will just be occasionally seen, with party members like Biggs (maybe others from the compilation. Cissnei? Elfe? Sonon?) going about similar adventures, just in parallel. We climb Mt. Nibel, we see them arriving below, all working on their own journey but only snippets. In part, I just don't see how this gets enough development or space to be a story that's fully told if we're doing multiple universes/timelines. I'm here for it, but I don't see how they can effectively pull it off.

 

[Golden Ear]

In the OG was it 3 months from Zack's death to when Tifa found Cloud laying at the sector 7 train station, or was it 3 months from when Tifa found Cloud to when Cloud and Avalanche went on the mission to Mako Reactor 1?

 

[cold_spirit]

In the OG was it 3 months from Zack's death to when Tifa found Cloud laying at the sector 7 train station, or was it 3 months from when Tifa found Cloud to when Cloud and Avalanche went on the mission to Mako Reactor 1?

This site's Complete Timeline of the Compilation of FFVII, which is compiles the 10th Anniversary Ultimania, Crisis Core Ultimania, and Ultimania Omega, states that Zack is killed at the end of September. It's not specified when Cloud and Tifa meet after this. The Mako Reactor 1 bombing mission then occurs on December 9th and the party departs Midgar a few days later.

For Remake, the World Preview book and Material Ultimania both state that Zack died in September. Once again it's not specified when Cloud and Tifa meet, but some languages (Japanese and German) state that Cloud arrived in the Sector 7 slums on December 8th. Then, identical to the original game, the Mako Reactor 1 bombing mission occurs on December 9th and the party departs Midgar a few days later.

 

[cold_spirit]

I updated my original post with a new diagram at the bottom (also included below). My goal was to visually convey how the universes could be "born" after each other, hence the descending staircase structure. This idea is 100% derived from the names given to the universes shown during the Edge of Creation scene: the angelic "dying universe" and red "universe that will be born". I also wanted to place the original game and Crisis Core Reunion in respect to Remake.

We don't know precisely when Aerith began seeing the Whispers. Nomura is even tight-lipped about it as shown by the quote in my footnotes. However, I think June's announcements help narrow down the possibilities. If Aerith started seeing the Whispers sometime before or during Crisis Core Reunion, then I think that'd affect her mood/actions. The Whispers clearly trouble her. However, the developers insisted in multiple publications that CCR's story will be exactly the same as CC's. So to me, no distress over the Whispers means that Aerith doesn't see them yet.

As such, I'm proposing that Aerith began seeing the Whispers sometime in the two months between Crisis Core Reunion and Remake. I think some event occurred (involving Sephiroth) that resulted in Aerith connecting to another universe and consequently putting her under the Whispers' moderation. From there the deviations continued to stack until the party chose to challenge fate itself.

Debating if I should change "Unspecified event involving Aerith and the Whispers" to "Aerith's memories cross over, Whispers become visible" in my diagram. The former keeps things vague which is why I went with it for now. It's unclear whether Aerith receiving memories of the original game was a one time deal and she's slowly accessing them, or if she acts as a "bridge" to that universe/history/whatever-your-interpretation-is. Right now I'm leaning towards "she's a bridge" because of her ability to make others see their own memories of the original game as well (primary examples being Cloud and possibly Marlene).

I think my diagram may seen overwhelming at first glance. However, I put a lot of effort into making it easy to follow if one reads it from left-to-right, top-to-bottom.



For comparison, here's the first ever diagram of my theory from May 2020. The core idea of "separate realities at different points in time" is there, but I think I've learned to convey that a lot more clearly now.

 

[Kain424]

I would wager the scene after the opening bombing mission is the first time Aerith has encountered the Whispers. She is openly confused by their presence at first.

 

[Eerie]

Nah, she knows by then, she just pretends she doesn't. She goes straight to Cloud's arm so he can see them, and when the Shinra grunts appear, she looks at the Whispers going around them and suggests they go each their separate way, then one looking specifically at Cloud and she runs away. Aerith perfectly knows. The Ultimania also confirm that she's used to hide her powers.

Now that I think about it, what we can draw from ToTP though, is that she didn't see them until she at least met with Zack, because she didn't mention them at all in the book. Given she's talking to Tifa, she could have make a mention of them "oh that's also when I started seeing the Whispers...".