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My theory for the FFVII Remake trilogy: The true chronology is OG FFVII → Compilation → Advent Children → Remake → Rebirth → Part 3. OG/AC really happened and are not being overwritten. After AC, that completed history exists within the Lifestream as part of the Planet’s accumulated memories. Remake is not time travel into OG’s past. Instead, a new branch of existence manifests from the Lifestream using that history as its foundation, which is why Remake initially appears to be recreating FFVII despite chronologically existing downstream of OG/AC.
Post-AC Sephiroth is the catalyst. Having maintained his individual consciousness within the Lifestream, he exerts his will upon this new branch. The original history remains encoded within the Lifestream, explaining why the Whispers know how events are “supposed” to happen and attempt to make this new existence conform to OG. Sephiroth isn’t seeing his future. He remembers the history upon which this world is based.
Aerith is the counterforce. The commonly referenced “Omni Aerith” is post-AC Aerith, whose consciousness also persists within the Lifestream. She passes memories and knowledge to this branch’s Aerith to help her counter Sephiroth. This explains why Remake Aerith possesses knowledge she shouldn’t have while still being a distinct Aerith experiencing these events herself.
But calling Remake a Lifestream branch doesn’t make its world any less real than OG. Everything in FFVII ultimately originates from the Lifestream. The Cosmo Canyon NPC in Rebirth gives us an important clue: spiritual energy may be a manifestation of knowledge and memories, but she questions whether the Lifestream even distinguishes between memories of things that actually happened and “unrealized desires buried deep within our hearts.” If hopes, dreams, memories and unrealized possibilities can all exist within the same spiritual substance from which life and reality emerge, then a world born from those possibilities isn’t necessarily an illusion. It is another manifestation of the same fundamental substance that produced the original world.
This is why the different worlds in Rebirth don’t need to be conventional sci-fi timelines. They’re Lifestream shards or branches, manifestations of possibilities stemming from a shared underlying history. Some may be temporary or eventually return to the Planet, but that doesn’t make the people experiencing them imaginary. From their perspective, their lives, choices, suffering and memories are completely real. OG isn’t the “real universe” surrounded by fake copies. OG and the Remake worlds are manifestations of the same Lifestream, with OG serving as the foundational history from which the later branches emerge.
So Remake works in either play order. A newcomer experiences Remake as their FFVII and gradually discovers the mystery behind its world. An OG player recognizes an established history being echoed, resisted and changed. In that sense, OG/AC becomes the prequel to Remake, while Remake simultaneously presents itself as a new telling of FFVII.
That’s why the developers can describe the original storyline as “enshrined” within Remake’s narrative as “a thing in the world.” Under this theory, that’s almost literal. OG isn’t Remake’s future. It’s Remake’s inherited history. The Lifestream remembers what happened, contains what could have happened, and from both can manifest something new. Remake doesn’t simply recreate OG. It exists because OG already happened.
OG → Compilation → AC
↓
that completed history enters/remains within the Lifestream
↓
Sephiroth persists + Aerith persists
↓
new manifestations branch from that remembered history
↓
Remake → Rebirth → Revelation
I will include further evidence in comments below.
Are these moogles singing about running through reality hand in hand to stick together? Maybe I’m not understanding them right
As the world changes in Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the Moogle House finds itself facing financial trouble.
In a last-ditch effort to bounce back, the Moogles are starting an unexpected idol business...!
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Oathgate 🌸 retweeted
You act like it’s some kind of common mindset that the ONLY reason the remakes were created was for shipping Aerith when that’s just simply not the case. You even changed your definition further down by saying you were “shortcutting” by essentially talking about people who theorize one of the goals this time is to save Aerith and that she might end up with Cloud. Your post absolutely comes across as biased and extremely rude to people who think that way by stretching your own interpretation of what they mean. Especially when you have multiple devs still highlighting her fate is in question. You took what people theorize and pretty much said it in one of the rudest ways possible by adding to it.
Oathgate 🌸 retweeted
I'm just saying, if you think Aerith living would threaten the canon relationship between Cloud and Tifa, which is being a family, I can tell you confidently that it wouldn't. Whether Cloud ends up with Aerith, Tifa, alone, or with someone else, it won't change the canon of them being family, families don't work like that. So the idea behind your post seems completely misplaced to me.
If, in contrast, your worry is that Aerith living would threaten a romantic relationship that you superimposed on a deliberately ambiguous relationship, then yes, there is reason for possible worry, but over your headcanon, not the actual story.
What I'm saying is, Cloud ending up with Aerith (or someone else) wouldn't threaten the story that we were told at all, if you actually accept what the story is.
So saying something like "if the devs don't have him end up in the relationship I like to think of as canon, then they hate the original story" is just baffling to me, when the reason for the ambiguity might precisely be changing the ending (or not).
Not sure if I'm being clear.
Well this got super disingenuous really quickly. The second they are asked more about it, basically they are talking about anyone who theorizes that Aerith is going to live/could end up with Cloud. They “shortcutted” (made up different reasonings) to come to that conclusion.
Oathgate 🌸 retweeted
I like how some people say FF7 Remake is the same as "The OG" but miss one of the most important info that been said by the devs in the ultimania " even those with the knowledge of the og game" that should automatically be one of the main reasons to put this convo to rest.
#FF7R
In the game files for Rebirth there are deleted lines where Cid could see the crack in the sky during the final cutscene.
Additionally Tifa’s isn’t in the same location depending on the scene. I think the cutscene is actually two worlds blended together. Showing different outcomes.
Two scenes of Sephiroth going into the church. One in the dream date and one in Zack’s world. What’s weird is the door opens opposite directions.
This article makes me happy.
Revelation will be a game capable of surprising fans themselves, especially those who know the original story and played the first Final Fantasy VII.
I refuse to believe that Aerith doesn’t come back or that her death isn’t resolved until the end.
We are taking that girl on the Highwind.
Why is it Final Fantasy 7 always refers to Zack as Aerith’s “first” love?
Doesn’t seem like a term you’d use if it’s the only love.
Okay this has been spread around enough to where I would like to give my two cents.
I think the spoiler here was him saying “I’m talking about the lifestream where we’re alive and we go back and” and motions at himself at that point he stops himself from saying more. In my opinion he’s hinting the party is alive and Aerith is in a branch where she was saved and they (the party) goes back to the altar and saves her. It’s the only way it makes sense in the context of saving animals like he was talking about. I think it links to the scene in the trailers with Cloud kneeling in front of the flowers with gold particles and whispers everywhere. In my opinion they included her return scene from the first trailer.
I cannot wait for the potential return of Aerith to the main world in Revelation. The reactions of it happening are going to be insane.
On one hand you will have some people flipping out and ecstatic.
On the other you’ll have people flipping tables and trying to claim Revelation isn’t canon.
Will truly be one of the best moments in gaming.
An important part about marketing is setting up expectations. Why do people think the devs have started more blatantly saying new worlds and have reiterated advent children “links” to the game instead of directly leads? Why do you think they’ve made Aerith’s fate so ambiguous? Why do you think they’ve her into conversation more?
It’s because a portion of the community shoves their fingers in their ears and refuses to accept context. They are prepping you to understand even if you don’t like it.
