Game & Word Volume 5, Issue 2: Thursday, May 15, 2024
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Publisher: Jay Rooney
Author, Graphics, Research: Jay Rooney
Logo: Jarnest Media
Table of Contents
Summary & Housekeeping
Feature: “Sefer Sephiroth,” Part 1 (~60 minute read)
Food for Talk: Discussion Prompts
Further Reading
Game & Word-of-Mouth
Footnotes
Summary:
Today, we’ll take a look at the influence of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) on Final Fantasy VII, one of the best games ever made, culminating with a neat little thought exercise linking each of the game’s iconic playable characters to Kabbalah’s equally iconic “Tree of Life.”
Housekeeping:
Wow, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Just in case you’re wondering—I’m ok, I’m totally fine, and in fact have never been better! I did get myself a day job, so I’m not able to publish as frequently as I’d like to. But I haven’t stopped playing games, nor have I stopped jotting down my thoughts on them. So I’ll continue publishing—just on a much more irregular schedule.
And it’s probably for the best, as writing tens of thousands of words each week is a great way to burn oneself out. Since this is no longer my primary source of income, and thus a form of pure pleasure writing, I am free of the yoke of having to constantly feed the content machine in order to grow and monetize an audience.
So, I’ll continue writing my words and posting them here; and if anyone happens upon them and happens to enjoy reading them, then that’s good enough for me. Let the chips fall where they may.
Anyhoo, I’ll be picking up where we left off last year, and continue our examination of video games and magic. That said, I will probably continue adding to previous volumes as I play games that are relevant to them (at some point, I’ll organize the archive for better discoverability, in light of whatever jumping around I’ll be doing).
But enough about me. Let’s talk video games!
~Jay
Previous Issues
Game & Word’s most recent issues (currently, all of Volume 5) are available to all, free of charge.
Older issues are currently archived and only accessible to paid subscribers. Paid subscriptions are currently paused, and I’ll lower the paywall once I can afford to refund my current subscribers. In the meantime, you can always DM me if you want access to the full archive:
AI-Generated Gamer Tarot: “The Fool” || Prompt Credit: Author || Prompt Text:“a Tarot card with Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII as "The Fool" --ar 4:7” || Model: Midjourney
🚨🚨🚨 SPOILER ALERT 🚨🚨🚨
This post contains HUGE spoilers for the entire Final Fantasy VII Compilation, including the original game, its myriad spinoffs, and the Remake Trilogy, including the brand-spanking-new (as of press time) Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. You've been warned!
⚠️⚠️⚠️ CONTENT ADVISORY ⚠️⚠️⚠️
This series contains discussions of trauma, murder, sexual assault,body horror, terrorism, medical experimentation, and apocalypse. Reader discretion advised.
💡💡💡 POINT OF CLARIFICATION 💡💡💡
Ever since Final Fantasy VII was first released, the body of works in this setting has greatly increased to include prequels, sequels, spinoffs, movies, novels, and even a full remake trilogy. When discussing the story, characters, and setting, I will be referencing the original game unless I specifically note otherwise.
Introduction
When I was but a wee lad, a mere 13 years of age, Final Fantasy VII dropped on the gaming scene like a Meteor,1 irrevocably shaking up both the industry and the trajectory of my own life. JRPG powerhouse Square Enix’s magnum opus catapulted Sony and its newfangled PlayStation console to the top of the console wars, leaving the then-unstoppable gaming behemoths Nintendo and Sega in the dust, and had a profound influence on the JRPG genre and the ways that video games approached narrative, in ways that still bear its fingerprints today.
Final Fantasy VII proved that video games could tell compelling and complex narratives that explored deep, heavy, and mature themes—and sell 14.4 million copies (as of the time of this writing). Its setting is so granularly textured, its characters so complex, and its plot so gripping (if not a bit convoluted) that Cloud, Sephiroth, Midgar, the Gold Saucer, and Meteor remain iconic and universally recognized among gamers even 25 years after the game was first released, and the story’s most shocking and tragic plot twists still pull at players’ heartstrings with each and every playthrough.
It consistently ranks near or at the top of practically every “Greatest Games of All Time” list published since its release, and for very good reason.
On a more personal level, it’s hard to overstate how formative this game has been for me. Along with MOTHER and The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy2 rounds out the trifecta of video game franchises that have most influenced and changed who I am as a person. And within Final Fantasy itself, Final Fantasy VII is by far the entry that has had the most profound effect on me.
Right as I was entering that most turbulent, harrowing, and formative stage of life known as “puberty,” Final Fantasy VII gave me a rich world to escape to, with characters whose struggles I could relate with, and a story that served as both a distraction from and guide through some of the difficulties I was facing in my own life.
Cloud was a protagonist as brooding and troubled as I had been at the time. I could always count on The Turks for a laugh whenever I needed it most. I had a massive teenage boy crush on Tifa, to the point I even named my cat after her. And even after the game ended, its effect on me continued unabated—I devoured fan theories and speculation about the plot’s many intricacies and ambiguities. I wrote Final Fantasy VII fan fiction. And since this was also the early days of the internet, I—a quiet and socially awkward kid turned even more quiet and socially awkward teenager—found a community of peers I could finally call my own in the myriad Final Fantasy VII forums and chatrooms that I began frequenting.
And now, over two decades later, as Square is in the process of blessing the world with a Final Fantasy VII remaketrilogy (with the first two already released, and the third in development, as of the time of this writing), I’m absolutely relishing experiencing the story once again—but this time, with crisp HD graphics, superb voice acting, and revamped gameplay that delivers some much-needed quality of life changes and opens up the magic of Final Fantasy VII to a whole new generation (that said, I’m still conflicted about some of the narrative… deviations they decided to implement).
Oh, and when I say “magic,” I do mean that literally as much as figuratively. But I’m guessing you figured as much, seeing as the Game & Word volume you’re reading is about magic, after all.
And I don’t mean that because the characters use magic—as is the case not just in every Final Fantasy game, but within the fantasy genre, writ large.
Indeed, Final Fantasy VII is loaded with references, names, and symbolism pertaining to several esoteric traditions, as well as several archetypal concepts that the world’s mystical branches all share in common. The game is so richly detailed and ambiguous that there’s no way I can cover every single possible interpretation tying the game to every possible form of mysticism, so for this series, I’m going to focus on the most obvious one: Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism).
Mind you, Kabbalah isn’t the only mystical tradition referenced in Final Fantasy VII. Far from it! Everything from Gnosticism (Christian Mysticism) and Norse Paganlism to Eastern Mysticism and even archetypal concepts of the kind our good friend (and Game & Word patron saint) Carl Jung trafficked in. It’s just that Kabbalah is by far the most influential and impactful on the game.
You’ll see why.
Final Fantasy VII Abridged Plot Summary
SOURCE: Square Enix
Ah, but first, I must set some important character and story-related context for our readers who haven’t played Final Fantasy VII. If you’ve already played the game, feel free to skip to the next section.
WARNING: I hope it goes without saying that there will be SPOILERS galore from here on out! As a reminder, I will also be discussing Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth a game that was released in February 2024, barely three months ago as of press time. Proceed at your own risk!
Final Fantasy is an anthology series, which means that each mainline entry (aka “the numbered ones”) features a self-contained story, setting, and cast with no continuity between entries.3 As such, even though Final Fantasy VII is the seventh game in the series, you do not need to have played the first through sixth entries in order to follow the plot. Likewise, what happens in Final Fantasy VII has no bearing whatsoever on the stories of Final Fantasy VIII through Final Fantasy XVI, and however many more will follow.
So, let’s get started!
Final Fantasy VII is set in a high-tech, sci-fi, cyberpunk dystopia where the ordinary citizens and the Planet alike strain under the yoke of a world-spanning, all-controlling, ruthless, and highly destructive corporate police state. Practically all facets of life are controlled (directly or indirectly) by the ruthless and ravenously profit-hungry Shinra Electrical Power Company.
Shinra maintains a monopoly on the world’s energy production— it produces said energy by literally burning the planet’s lifeforce, performs inhumane and cruel experiments on people and nature alike, and brutally suppresses even the slightest hint of dissent through its “Public Safety Department” (a euphemism for what is essentially Shinra’s private army—tellingly, the company was an arms manufacturer before it cornered the energy market).4
Our story begins with our protagonist, Cloud Strife, as he helps the resistance movement AVALANCHE detonate a bomb at one of Shinra’s many power reactors after defecting from the army’s elite “SOLDIER” unit. Shinra’s reactors generate power by extracting and burning “mako,” the spiritual essence of the Planet itself. This not only causes blight and pollution throughout the land, but also threatens the very existence of the Planet itself, along with all life on it.
But Cloud isn’t who he says he is. He was never in SOLDIER, having only risen to the rank of “nameless and expendable foot soldier”; his memories were fabricated through a mixture of trauma, projection, and the deep psychic scars inflicted by years of torturous medical experimentation at the hands of Shinra’s amoral and thoroughly despicable head of research and development, Professor Hojo.
This followed an incident in which Sephiroth, SOLDIER’s strongest fighter and mentor figure to Cloud, figured out his similarly disconcerting origins at the hands of Hojo. This led him to snap, burning Cloud’s hometown to the ground and massacring its inhabitants before Cloud—somewhat miraculously—threw him into a pool of mako at a nearby reactor. putting an end to his rampage.
But shortly after Final Fantasy VII’s story kicks off, Sephiroth apparently re-emerges, seething with rage, dripping with bitterness, fully leveled up in megalomania, and ready to implement sinister new designs for the world with the help of a parasitic alien monstrosity named Jenova. It is now up to Cloud and his ragtag band of plucky misfits to save the world from Jenova and Sephiroth (while knocking Shinra down a few pegs, for good measure).
That’s basically the gist of it. Note that I’m vastly oversimplifying here—Final Fantasy VII’s plot is head-spinningly labyrinthine and multi-layered. I’ll expand upon relevant plot sections throughout the article.
Final Fantasy VII and Kabbalah: A Primer
SOURCE: Square Enix
As previously mentioned in this newsletter, Western religious imagery and symbolism abound in Japanese media. Often, their inclusion boils down to little more than “they look cool.”5 Sometimes, however, there is a deeper symbolic meaning behind the creators’ choice of symbolism and its role in conveying the story’s themes. Final Fantasy VII is an example of the latter.
The game references several Western spiritual traditions, but the most obvious and prominent one is Kabbalah.
Kabbalah 101
Kabbalah,6 in a nutshell, is Jewish esotericism. While it is far from the first Jewish mystical tradition—having emerged in late medieval Europe—it is the most recent and the only one still considered “kosher.”
Trying to summarize Kabbalah is only marginally easier than trying to summarize Final Fantasy VII’s storyline, so some degree of simplification is required here. It’s not at all what Madonna says it is. It’s a highly abstract concept rooted deeply in Jewish scripture, numerology, and folklore7—it is very hard to even begin to grasp fully, even with several years (if not decades) of study. So I’ll inevitably need to put it all in layman’s terms; apologies in advance.
Kabbalah is both a cosmography and a method for directly communing with God by using the Torah8 as a mathematical roadmap (of sorts) for revealing and understanding God. The “signposts” in the Kabbalist’s journey towards divine understanding and enlightenment consist of God’s physical and spiritual “echoes”: the emanations of 10 distinct facets/aspects of His creative process—ie, “the process that created the Universe”—called Sephirot (sound familiar?).
The 10 sephirot (singular: sephirah) are usually mapped in a diagram, with the more spiritual/celestial emanations at the top, and the more physical/material ones at the bottom. This diagram is known as the Tree of Life, and if you’ve ever had even a passing interest in Western esotericism and mysticism, or have seen the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, then you’ve definitely seen it before, as it is foundational to and features prominently in both:
The Tree of Life isn’t just a roadmap to Kabbalah itself; it’s also a guide for understanding Kabbalah in Final Fantasy VII. Just as the practicing Kabbalist journeys from the bottom of the tree to the top, so do Cloud and his companions symbolically move from the material to the spiritual through the locations they visit.
The game’s story starts out in Midgar, a hyper-industrial metropolis that serves as Shinra’s capital city and base of operations: a place of material comforts, carnal pleasures, and soul-breaking struggle—a place where humanity has utterly subdued nature, where material progress and prosperity are the driving forces.
In this vein, the 10th and bottommost of the sephirot is Malkuth (Kingdom), the last of God’s emanations, and the one closest to the physical realm.
Early on in the game, Cloud and Friends leave Midgar. The further away from the big city they travel, the more pastoral and eventually wild the setting becomes, culminating in the Northern Continent, the most remote location on the planet. This frozen and desolate landmass contains two narratively and symbolically significant locations: The City of the Ancients, and the Northern Crater.
The City of the Ancients is the long-abandoned home base of the Cetra, a primordial race (called the “Ancients” by those not in the know) said to have lived in perfect harmony with nature, and to have been able to commune with the Planet itself. The Northern Crater, meanwhile, was the site where a malignant celestial being called Jenova smashed into the Planet, spreading infection and leading to the Cetra’s eventual extinction and creating a gash in the surface so big and so deep that it opened up to the Planet’s interior—through which the Lifestream (the Planet’s spiritual essence) flows beneath everyone’s feet.
This point of access to the Lifestream is symbolic of the first and topmost of the sephirot, Kether (Crown/Leadership), the one closest to the spiritual realm and the last one before the Ein Sof—the fount of God Himself.
Meanwhile, just as the Kabbalist's end goal is to commune with God, the Cetra highly valued living in harmony with nature. In a world where the Planet is a sentient being of higher order, living in harmony with nature is functionally the same as living in harmony with God.
In fact, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth make this connection even more explicit! Remake reveales that the Cetra literally pray to the Planet as a deity (and even left behind holy texts in which these prayers are inscribed). But even more explicitly, we see that the Planet has a divine will of its own, and actively guides people and events to ensure its will is carried out.
More on the Cetra (and Jenova) later. For now, let’s examine this Lifestream business.
The Lifestream and the Ein Sof
SOURCE: Square Enix
The Lifestream in Final Fantasy VII is very similar to the Kabbalistic idea of the Ein Sof and the flow of divine light. In Kabbalah, Ein Sof represents the infinite, unknowable divine source (God, in other words), from which everything flows, and which is imbued in God’s creation. In this interpretation, God isn’t a separate entity in a separate realm, far removed from creation. Rather, God is creation itself, and the two are inextricable from each other.9
This is the Kabbalistic explanation for the divine spark being present in everyone—which is a foundational concept to all mystic traditions. Seriously, it pops up everywhere, in mystical paradigms around the world and throughout the ages. One of the many, many things that all esoteric branches have in common is the idea that divine knowledge, and indeed divinity itself, is accessible to any and all who seek it.
The methods through which one accesses or unlocks this inner divinity differ from tradition to tradition, as does the terminology (from “gnosis” to “enlightenment”), but they all involve “tuning into” the divine essence that is already present in you.
In Final Fantasy VII, the Lifestream is the lifeblood of the Planet, which is all but stated in the game to be a sentient entity in and of itself (a kind of genius locii, if you will). The Lifestream is the source of all life, the Lifestream flows through all living things, and upon death all living things return to the Lifestream.
There are even in-universe spiritual and scholarly traditions that focus on tapping into this essence and aligning your life and actions with the will of the Planet! The Cetra—to which I briefly alluded earlier—were an entire society built around communing with the Lifestream and living in harmony with the Planet, and modern-day Planet worshippers are called Planetologists.
Exemplary of this outlook is one of the game’s playable characters, Aerith Gainsborough, who is the last living Cetra and by far the kindest and most selfless person on the planet—both qualities that IRL mystical traditions also emphasize and encourage practitioners to cultivate. She prays. She brings flowers to orphans in her spare time. She’s naturally adept at healing and support magic. She can literally hear the Planet, through the Lifestream, speak to her—much like an IRL mystic channels the divine will through intensive prayer, meditation, and other devotional practices.
She also willingly gives her life so that Cloud & Co. have a shot at saving the world from Sephiroth—and thus returns to the Planet, achieving the ultimate goal of every mystic: to return to the divine source.
There are also more modern movements based on living in harmony with the Planet. Cosmo Canyon is a techno-hippie commune of Planet worshippers. Led by the very jolly (and very bald) old man Bugenhagen, these students of planetology seek to live simple lives where people, nature, and technology coexist sustainably and in perfect balance. And they understand better than anyone (besides the heroes) the grave implications of Shinra extracting and consuming the Lifeforce to create mako energy.
This is another reason Shinra is so evil—imagine if an IRL energy company made a fortune extracting, consuming, and burning up God. When you think of it that way, no wonder Shinra retains such a large evil army!
The Final Fantasy VII Tree of Life
SOURCE: Square Enix
So, now that we have at least a basic understanding of foundational Kabbalah principles like the Tree of Life and the sephirot, we can get to the really fun bits. First up, we’re going to examine how each of the playable characters in Final Fantasy VII map to each of the sephirot (well, sort of; there are ten sephirot, but only nine playable characters… ah, but don’t worry! The comparison still holds. You’ll see why).
If the above section on the Ein Sof and the way the characters’ journey mirrors the ascension through the Tree of Life (not to mention the fact that the main villain is named, ahem, SEPHIROTH) didn’t fully convince you of Kabbalah’s influence on Final Fantasy VII, then this section will leave zero room for doubt.
Now, that said, a disclaimer is in order. This is only an interpretation—just one of many, many, many ways in which one can interpret this game, its characters, and its themes.10 And as far as I know, the creators haven’t explicitly cited Kabbalah as an influence (though if any of you can read Japanese and have access to old Famitsu interviews with the creators from the late 90s, please let me know if I’m wrong).
However, the degree to which so many of the game’s elements align with Kabbalistic concepts is too great to handwave or write off as mere coincidence.
Besides, I’ve briefly mentioned how central Kabbalistic imagery is to Neon Genesis Evangelion—a cultural watershed moment that had as profound an influence on Japanese media (including JRPGs) as Star Wars did on Western media, and which experienced quite a bit of creative cross-pollination with Square at the time when both IPs were being developed.
So, even if Final Fantasy VII’s creators weren’t consciously aware of it at the time, the Kabbalistic influence clearly found its way into the game. Read on, and change my mind.
So, now that the stage is set… behold! The Final Fantasy VII Tree of Life:
I just noticed that Cloud, Tifa, and Cid—the three characters I always pick for my party—form the Middle Column of the Tree of Life. Neat!
I know what you’re thinking: “yeah, that looks cool and all, but what does this even mean?!” Well, fret not! We’re going to dive into the nitty gritty… though if you’re familiar with these characters, you can probably guess. Give it a shot, and let me know how on the mark you were.
1. Cloud Strife — Kether (The Crown)
SOURCE: Square Enix
“Will you all come with me?”
~Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII)
Bio
Cloud was born in the remote and vaguely Lovecraft-esque mountain village of Nibelheim. Long excluded and ostracised by his peers (with the significant exception of his love interest,11Tifa Lockhart), his insecurities about his lack of strength spurred him to enlist in the Shinra army with the goal of eventually making it into SOLDIER—Shinra’s elite fighting force, members of which are infused with mako and Jenova cells to greatly augment their physical strength, at the expense of their longevity, health, and mental stability.
Cloud presents himself as an ex-SOLDIER, but in fact, he never made it into SOLDIER, becoming only a lowly infantryman. However, he was chosen to accompany Sephiroth and Zack Fair—the two strongest and most capable fighters within SOLDIER’s ranks—to investigate an anomaly at the mako reactor near Nibelheim.
What they find greatly disturbs Sephiroth, who finds out he was the product of experimentation at the hands of the twisted Professor Hojo, since even before he left the womb. He snaps, catches a nasty case of megalomania, and burns down Nibelheim, slaughtering its inhabitants (including both Cloud and Tifa’s families) and severely injuring both Zack and Tifa… before Cloud—somewhat miraculously—manages to overpower him and throw him to the bottom of the mako reactor and into the Lifestream, into which he disappears and is subsequently presumed dead.
In assessing the aftermath, Hojo came upon the severely wounded Zack and Cloud (Tifa had been spirited away by her mentor and martial arts instructor before Shinra could send in reinforcements) and decided they’d make perfect test subjects for one of his many grotesque and inhumane experiments.
So that’s exactly what he subjected them to for over four long years before Zack was able to spring them out, bringing Cloud to the outskirts of Midgar before getting gunned down by Shinra forces on the hunt for them.
As you can imagine, this did quite a number on Cloud’s already fragile mental state. As a coping mechanism, he assumed Zack’s identity, personality, and backstory as his own. But Sephiroth—who turned out to be alive (sort of) all this time—knew the truth, and before long, confronted Cloud with said truth, precipitating another mental breakdown before Cloud fell into the Lifestream, emerging in a catatonic fugue state brought on by the shattering of his new identity and prolonged exposure to mako in the Lifestream.
With Tifa’s help, Cloud was able to reckon with his past, come to terms with his failures, and finally accept himself for the person he was—and in doing so, emerge from the abyss as the strong, capable leader he always sought to become, ready to lead the party to its climactic showdown with Sephiroth.
Sephira: Kether (The Crown)
Kether is the highest of the ten sephirot on the Tree of Life. Kether represents the purest and most transcendent aspect of the divine. It is the very start of God’s creative process, from which everything else emanates. Cloud, being the leader of the party, the lens through which the story that is Final Fantasy VII is filtered, and the poster boy for not just Final Fantasy, but the JRPG genre as a whole, is a natural fit for Kether.
Here are some other things about Cloud that Kether symbolizes:
The Concealed Head: Kabbalists often refer to Kether as the “Concealed Head,” which represents the ineffable and utterly unknowable essence of God. Seeing how near incomprehensible Cloud’s inner life is, it’s easy to make this connection—for much of his character arc, Cloud’s true story and nature are a mystery to the other characters and the player alike.
Will and Desire:Kether is seen as the divine will or desire that initiates the process of creation. Cloud’s central role in driving the story forward, meanwhile, can be seen as comparable.
Mercy and Grace: Despite its lofty and transcendent nature, Kether is also associated with the divine attributes of mercy and grace, as it is the source from which all blessings and goodness flow. By the time Cloud concludes his character arc, he has fully dropped the angsty, faux-badass persona he leaned into so much at the beginning, and has fully become a compassionate and capable leader who cares deeply for his friends and for the people and Planet for which he fights.
In all these aspects, Cloud also exhibits the exact opposite traits of his nemesis, Sephiroth. But I’m getting ahead of myself here.
2. Red XIII — Chokmah (Wisdom)
SOURCE: Square Enix
“Is it our destiny to defy destiny? It's an interesting question.”
~Red XIII (Final Fantasy VII Remake)
Bio
Like Aerith, Red XIII12 is the last surviving member of an ancient race. Unlike Aerith, Red XIII is a talking wolf/lion with orange fur and literal fire on the tip of his tail.
Almost everything about Red XIII and his species is a mystery that never gets explained or revealed. We don’t know how or where his species originated, or what happened to them. All we know of Red XIII’s backstory is that his father, Seto, was turned into stone while defending his hometown of Cosmo Canyon from invaders, and Red XIII was raised by the wise old man Bugenhagen, who presumably imparted all his wisdom and knowledge of the planet to him.
Cloud and Co. first encounter Red XIII in Shinra HQ while attempting to free Aerith from Hojo’s research lab. The mad professor places Red XIII in the same room as Aerith, with the stated intention of mating them (?!) to produce another Cetra offspring. Our heroes foil Hojo and bust out both Aerith and Red XIII, who eventually leads him to Cosmo Canyon, the site of a massive exposition dump on the nature of the Planet, the Lifestream, and mako.
Red XIII also discovers the truth behind his father, Seto. Throughout the game, Red XIII expresses nothing but scorn and contempt for Seto, believing he abandoned Cosmo Canyon to be overrun by intruders. But what actually happened was Seto “died” (he was actually set in stone—not actually dead, but unable to do anything but stand there and shed the occasional tear) while defending his home from the invaders.
Just as Seto gave everything to defend his home, Bugenhagen implores Red XIII to help Cloud do the same for the Planet. From that point forward, both Red XIII and Bugenhagen provide valuable insight to the party, from giving helpful context to the planetary significance of certain plot points, to sussing out what Shinra and Sephiroth’s next moves might be.
Sephira: Chokmah (Wisdom)
The second of the sephirot, Chokmah (Hebrew for “wisdom) represents the divine attribute of wisdom, or pure intellect. In the game, Red XIII is a furry encyclopedia of insight into the world and its history, owing both to his insanely long lifespan (he was born decades before the heroes, and as seen in the ending, he will outlive them by at least 400 years) as well his tutelage under planetary sage Bugenhagen—himself a fount of wisdom and knowledge regarding all things planetology.
Red XIII also symbolizes Chokmah in the following ways:
Pure Thought:Chokmah is the source of pure, abstract thought—the primordial wisdom that underlies all creation and existence. And Red XII’s wisdom and musings often veer into the highly abstract, metaphysical, and philosophical.
Insight and Understanding: Just as Chokmah gives form to profound insight, understanding, and perception of the universe’s underlying patterns and connections, Red XIII intuitively grasps the nature and nuance of the Planet and its will. This insight helps the party (and, by extension, the player) make sense of a nature and cosmology as richly layered and textured as our own.
Father Principle and Masculine Energy: On the Tree of Life, Chokmah is the first sephira on the right-hand column, which represents the aspects of the divine creative process associated with “masculine” energy and active, assertive, initiating, and outward-moving forces. Red XIII is very assertive and can be downright intimidating at times. He values traits like bravery, initiative, and protection of his land and people. He also “emanates” wisdom to the party, just as Chokmah emanates wisdom to the rest of the sephirot.
Red XIII shows streaks of immaturity like impatience, stubbornness, and antipathy towards his dad, but is nevertheless wise for his age (he’s 48 years old, but his species has a life expectancy measured in centuries—making him a veritable spring chicken by his species’ standards). And his knowledge of the Planet makes him a most valuable asset to the heroes throughout their adventure.
3. Cait Sith — Binah (Understanding)
SOURCE: Square Enix
“You don't get paid. You don't get praised. Yet, you still risk your lives and continue on your journey. Seeing that makes me... it just makes me think about my life.”
~Cait Sith (Final Fantasy VII)
Bio
For all its modern sci-fi trappings, Final Fantasy VII is still a fantasy tale, and nothing illustrates this interconnected duality between the fantastical and the technological as Cait Sith, one of the more… unique members of Cloud’s party.
He is an animatronic cat operated remotely by Reeve Tuesti, who is a high-ranking executive at Shinra. Cait Sith was initially sent by Reeve to infiltrate AVALANCHE—the eco-terrorist group that Barret Wallace founded to oppose Shinra—and monitor their activities. However, as the story progresses, Reeve grows increasingly disillusioned with Shinra's ruthlessness, moral bankruptcy, and constant sidelining of his concerns, and decides to aid Cloud's party as a “mole” within the corporation.
Despite being robotic, Cait Sith fully conveys Reeve’s human-like emotions, as well as his internal struggles surrounding his duplicitous role as a Shinra spook. Though he’s eventually outed as a spy, he grows quite fond of AVALANCHE, eventually sacrificing his robotic body to secure the destructive Black Materia from Sephiroth,13 and even risks his own neck to save Barret and Tifa from being executed at the hands of Shinra. By the tail end of the game, Reeve is fully in our heroes’ camp and ultimately roots for them to succeed (the fact that Shinra eventually throws him under the bus probably helped things, too).
He’s quite the enigmatic ally.
Sephira: Binah (Wisdom)
The third sephira, Binah (Hebrew for “understanding”), represents understanding, comprehension, spiritual perception, and the “mother” principle (which complements the “father” principle of Chokmah). Cait Sith’s role as a spy-turned-double-agent who eventually comes to understand (ahem) the heroes’ motives and use his position within Shinra to help them make sense of the company’s machinations, fits this perfectly.
Mother Principle and Feminine Energy:Binah is the first sephira on the Tree of Life’s left column, and as such represents the divine creative process’ receptive, formative, introspective, and “feminine” energies. Binah is the “receiving” vessel that takes in the raw, concentrated wisdom emanating from Chokmah and gives it form, structure, and manifestation. This is similar to how Cait Sith, being privy to hidden and highly valuable knowledge from inside Shinra, acts as a vessel that channels this knowledge to the party in the form of relevant, actionable information.
Discernment and Analysis:Binah symbolizes the ability to discern, analyze, and comprehend the deeper implications and nuances of the wisdom received from Chokmah. Cait Sith (who, remember, is controlled by Shinra executive Reeve) is privy to the complete, bigger picture of the struggle between Shinra and AVALANCHE, and is able to inform and contextualize it to the party.
Limitation and Boundaries: While Chokmah represents limitless expansion, Binah introduces the concept of limitation and boundaries, allowing Chokmah’s formless wisdom to take shape and manifest. Cait Sith is a literal vessel that Reeve controls from afar—an animatronic container through which Reeve’s “essence” and knowledge take literal form and connect to the party.
Also of note: the party’s only non-human members, Cait Sith and Red XIII, represent Binah and Chokmah (respectively), which along with Cloud (Kether), round out the first three sephirot, called the Supernals. These are the three sephirot closest to the spiritual realm, and thus the three that are hardest to access (that gap in the Tree of Life between the Supernals and the rest of the sephirot is not without meaning).
Between the three, Kether represents the Creator, Chokmah the Divine Masculine, and Binah the Divine Feminine. Although Reeve (and therefore Cait Sith) is male, his character is nevertheless emblematic of the feminine essence, not least because he’s the only Shinra executive who shows even an iota of compassion and concern (both traditionally “femenine” emotions) for the people under the company’s charge, as well as the many folks whose lives have been lost or ruined as a direct result of Shinra’s activities.
Also, Cait Sith is a cat, and cats have been associated with femininity since time immemorial.14
4. Aerith Gainsborough — Chesed (Mercy)
SOURCE: Square Enix
“People hate the steel sky, the slums... but I don’t. How could I? All that passion, all those dreams, flowing and blending together into something greater...”
~Aerith Gainsborough (Final Fantasy VII Remake)
Bio
Aerith Gainsborough plays a central role in Final Fantasy VII. An enigmatic and kind-hearted flower girl, she is the last surviving member of the Cetra—the ancient race that could commune and communicate with the Planet and manipulate the Lifestream (traits that Aerith is shown to have been born with).
Growing up in the Sector 5 slums in Midgar’s undercity, Aerith has an upbeat and caring personality in spite of her harsh environs. She sells flowers to make a living, which hints at her unique connection to the Planet and the Lifestream (Midgar’s slums, being under a gigantic sun-blocking metal plate, lack natural light, and as such are widely thought to be completely incapable of sustaining plant life).
Aerith first meets Cloud when he falls into her flowerbed from Sector 5’s upper plate. After a series of mishaps including a hilarious sequence where Cloud has to infiltrate lecherous mob boss Don Corneo’s lair by dressing up as a girl, Aerith joins Cloud, Barret, and AVALANCHE's rebellion against Shinra.
If one thing defines Aerith more than anything, it’s her warm, nurturing spirit. She brings kindness and emotional support to Cloud and the party members, and her gentle nature stands in stark contrast to the darkness, brutality, and devastation that follows in Shinra’s wake.
Tragically, Aerith meets an untimely demise at the hands of Sephiroth. This isn’t exactly a spoiler—even though I did warn you! True, Aerith’s death was an unprecedented, shocking, and pivotal moment in gaming history at the time. But 25 years later, it’s achieved a status akin to Luke Skywalker finding out Darth Vader’s his father, or Ned Stark getting beheaded at the end of Game of Thrones’ first season. As in, it’s so widely known that for a gamer to have not had it spoiled by now is next to impossible, and even for a non-gamer it’s kind of impressive.
Anyway, the point is: before Sephiroth shish-kebabed her with his Masamune, Aerith used her final moments to summon Holy, the Planet’s ultimate defense mechanism, thus kicking in motion a process that would eventually save the Planet from destruction at the hands of Sephiroth, Jenova, and Meteor.
Aerith is one of the most beloved heroines in Final Fantasy history (and in video games writ large), and hopefully, by now, you can see why. Aerith is hope. Aerith is peace. Aerith is the physical manifestation humanity's connection to the natural world.
Sephira: Chesed (Kindness)
The fourth sephira, Chesed (Hebrew for “kindness” or “love”) symbolizes unconditional love, mercy, and compassion. If you’ve played Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, or even just read the bio above, Aerith’s placement here won’t be the least bit surprising unless you’re the world’s most oblivious player, reader, or person. It’s like being surprised that the sky is blue, or that Kentucky Route Zero is an atrocious “game” that’s more (to quote the great Larry David) akin to “pretension masquerading as art.”
Aerith is by far the kindest, gentlest, and most compassionate character in the Final Fantasy VII universe, and this is despite (or perhaps because of?) a lifetime of unfathomable hardship, including: losing her parents, spending her early years as one of Hojo’s test subjects, and being constantly hounded by the Turks (more on them later).
She lives in a filthy, desolate, and blighted Midgar slum, but that doesn’t stop her from being a paragon of kindness and virtue who regularly goes out of her way to help and give to those in need. She’s universally beloved in her community. Animals and children adore her. She turns herself in to Shinra and the Turks in order to save Barret’s daughter, Marlene. Upon realizing that saving the Planet will require her getting killed by Sephiroth, she selflessly accepts her fate and gives her life to give the Planet a shot at a future. And all of this without giving her own well-being a second thought.
Aerith’s death wouldn’t have felt like the gut punch it was if she wasn’t as kind, compassionate, merciful, and loving as she was.
Divine Love, Empathy, and Compassion:Chesed is the sephira through which the Divine’s infinite love and grace flows outward, nourishing and sustaining all of creation. It is the source of empathy, compassion, generosity, and unconditional love. If you can’t immediately connect this to Aerith, you haven’t been paying attention. Maybe video games aren’t for you; perhaps you should go binge Suits reruns on Netflix instead.
Righteous Conduct:Chesed also connects with righteous conduct, ethical behavior, and the pursuit of what’s good and just. As for Aerith… I don’t know about you, but if growing flowers for orphans and literally giving your life so the rest of the world may live isn’t righteous conduct, I don’t know what is.
Expansiveness and Generosity: In addition to all of the above, Chesed is associated with expansiveness, generosity, and an abundance mindset. It represents the willingness to give freely without expecting anything in return. As to which Final Fantasy VII character this describes… I dunno, I’m stumped. Got any ideas?
Masculine Energy: This one may seem counterintuitive, as empathy, compassion, nurturing, and grace are traditionally considered feminine qualities (particularly in the highly patriarchal Abrahamic traditions and late medieval European cultures where Kabbalah gestated). But think about it: in Kabbalah, masculine energy is the active/giving force, whereas feminine energy is the passive/receiving force. In this context, the act of giving love is, by definition, imbued with masculine energy. Besides, Aerith has quite a bit of masculine energy in other ways! She’s very girly, dainty, and feminine on the outside, but she’s also very active and assertive, to the point of being much more of a tomboy than her other female counterpart, Tifa—a martial arts-trained bruiser and barkeep who projects a more stereotypically “masculine” exterior but is actually quite meek and passive on the inside.15 Aerith’s will is indomitable, and once she’s set her mind on attaining something, it’s almost impossible to talk her out of it (Remake plays up this trait even more than the original game does, further reinforcing this aspect of her personality).
Another note: like Chokmah to Binah higher up in the Tree of Life, Chesed is connected horizontally to Gevurah, where they balance out each other, and in which a dynamic tension forms between Chesed’s love and mercy and Gevurah’s discipline and justice.
Hey, speaking of which…
5. Barret Wallace — Gevurah (Severity)
SOURCE: Square Enix
“Ain’t no getting off this train we’re on.”
~Barret Wallace (Final Fantasy VII)
Bio
Barret Wallace is the burly, brash leader of the eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE, which is engaged in a battle against Shinra for the life of the Planet. His fierce determination to fight Shinra stems from the company’s draining of the Planet's life force, but is also informed in large part by the destruction of his hometown at the hands of the company’s private army.
Despite his imposing stature and highly intense demeanor, Barret has a big heart, especially when it comes to his daughter Marlene. As a single father, he displays a softer and sweeter side underneath his gruff, brash exterior. His love for Marlene, revenge for his hometown, and a general concern for the environment are what motivates him to fight to save the Planet.
As head of AVALANCHE, he serves as the ragtag revolutionary movement’s vocal, head-strong leader, constantly rallying the team against Shinra's evilness and encouraging them to keep up the good fight despite their staggeringly low odds. Barret also has little patience for bureaucracy, preferring direct action (usually in the form of going in guns-blazing first and asking questions later).
Despite his rough edges, Barret is immensely loyal to his teammates, especially Tifa, whom he views as a daughter figure of sorts (as well as a kind of surrogate mother figure to Marlene, even though Barret has no romantic feelings whatsoever towards Tifa). And while initially highly distrustful of Cloud, he eventually comes to admire, respect, and even grows somewhat fond of our spiky-haired protagonist. His decision to concede leadership of the party to Cid when Cloud goes missing further illustrates his growth as a character.
(Final Fantasy VII Rebirth plays this up even further. If the player takes the time to build up affinity with Barret, you can see his relationship with Cloud evolve to the point the burly, brash, and distrustful Barret comes to increasingly see Cloud as not just an equal, but even a close friend. It’s incredibly heartwarming, as well as—if Barret is picked as Cloud’s companion for the famous Gold Saucer date sequence—pretty damned hilarious as well.)
Barret personifies the resolve to fight for one’s rights and protect others, even when outmatched by an all-powerful corporation. His… ahem, colorful dialogue (especially in the original PlayStation release, which was more stereotpically “ebonics”; subsequent re-releases have him speaking in more “plain” English) has raised some eyebrows over the years, but his big life and larger-than-life boisterousness also makes him one of the game’s most memorable and likable characters.
Sephira: Gevurah (Severity)
Gevurah (Hebrew for “severity,” “strength,” or “judgment”), the fifth sephira, is the divine emanation of discipline, boundaries, and justice. Flowing (or being birthed) from the structured wisdom of Binah (immediately above it in the Tree of Life), Gevurah introduces restraint, discipline, and judgment into the divine creative process, providing needed boundaries and limitations to the expansive forces of all the preceding sephirot.
Barrett embodies Gevurah in the discipline he instills in his fellow AVALANCHE team members, and his desire to bring justice upon Shinra for slowly killing the planet and razing his hometown of Corel.
Severity and Awe:Gevurah is the domain of severity, awe, and the fear of transgressing divine laws and principles. It is the Fear of God made manifest, the firm hand of justice and accountability—which is precisely the reason Barret founded AVALANCHE to oppose Shinra’s excesses.
Discipline and Discernment:Gevurah also provides the discernment and discipline needed to channel the outpouring of divine energy into constructive and productive forms, preventing chaos and excess. Though this is downplayed somewhat in Remake—where Barret, instead of founding AVALANCHE, runs a rogue cell that split off from the main group over his willingness to use violence and terrorism (both of which are agents of chaos if there ever were any)—he still uses AVALANCHE as a means through which he channels his righteous rage into an organized instrument of justice.
Spiritual Warfare: In some Kabbalistic traditions, Gevurah is also tied to the concept of spiritual warfare, representing the struggle against negative forces and the protection of the divine order. This parallels quite neatly with Barret’s unquenchable passion for bringing down Shinra, both as a means to exact justice for the company’s many crimes, and to protect the Planet and its natural (ie, divine) order from Shinra’s highly destructive mako reactors.
Gevurah, ultimately, encourages people to cultivate a sense of accountability, discernment, and respect for divine laws and principles—all qualities that Barret tries to instill in the AVALANCHE members under his charge and command. Gevurah also recognizes the importance of balance with the qualities of love and compassion represented by Chesed, as demonstrated in Barret’s deep, endless, and unconditional love for his daughter Marlene—in the presence of his daughter, Barret drops his tough guy persona and turns to mush, like an angry grizzly transforming into a cuddly teddy bear.16
6. Tifa Lockhart — Tiferet (Beauty)
SOURCE:The Eternally-Pining and Aching Depths of My Heart… erm… I meant Square Enix. (Seriously, though, just LOOK at her. Perfect. Simply perfect 😍 )
“Words aren't the only way to tell someone how you feel.”
~Tifa Lockhart (Final Fantasy VII)
Bio
Tifa Lockhart is the very essence of Aphrodite Cloud’s warm and tough childhood friend, having grown up with him in the town of Nibelheim. When they reunite, she’d already joined Barret and AVALANCHE, and in doing so became a central ally in the fight against Shinra.
When Nibelheim was burned down by Sephiroth, it traumatized her as much as it did Cloud, shaping her resentment towards Shinra and motivating her to join AVALANCHE. But it’s the deep care she feels for Cloud that makes her so pivotal to the story.
Tifa's central character trait is her caring, maternal nature towards her companions—and our insecure and emotionally fragile protagonist in particular. She is Cloud’s main emotional support, and eventually helps him restore his memories and sense of self. Her warm personality also provides a nurturing contrast to Barret’s intensity and harshness.
But don’t let her gentle disposition fool you. Despite her kindness, Tifa is a tough fighter with an unwavering spine and inexaustible determination. She is driven by a personal quest to stop Shinra's environmental rampage and uncover the truth behind the tragedy that befell her hometown. And, of course, she holds a deep fondness for Cloud and an unwavering desire to rescue him from his demons. Her resilience in the face of adversity makes her a central pillar of the journey.
All this has helped Tifa remain one of the most iconic and beloved female characters in video game history. No, it’s not entirely because she’s the very avatar of beauty and perfection; that’s just a fortunate coincidence… why do you ask?
Sephira: Tiferet (Beauty)
Oh, my dear, sweet, beautiful, Tifa, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… From the very first day I laid eyes on you, light and color burst into my drab, grey world…
Erp… sorry! What I meant to say was…
Tiferet (Hebrew for “beauty,” “glory,” or “harmony”) is the sixth sephira, and occupies the very center of the Tree of Life. Tiferet symbolizes the divine attributes of beauty, balance, and harmony. But there’s more to this than the fact that Tifa is the most gorgeous collection of pixels and polygons to ever grace a TV screen or computer monitor.17 In case the name wasn’t obvious enough, here’s why Tifa is absolutely perfect in every way the walking personification of Tiferet:
Balance and Integration:Tiferet occupies midpoint of the central pillar of the Tree of Life, and as such serves as the central balancing force that harmonizes and integrates the opposing energies of Chesed (Kindness), Gevurah (Strength/Judgment), and their related opposing energies in the left and right pillars. Tifa has a similar role in the story, serving as the figurative “heart” of AVALANCHE and the party—she plays a maternal and supportive role, mediates the inevitable squabbles and personality clashes between the heroes, and briefly assumes a leadership role after Cloud falls into the Lifestream.
Beauty and Harmony:Tiferet—like Tifa herself—is beauty, elegance, and the harmonious synthesis of opposites, representing the perfect equilibrium and union of various divine attributes. Similarly, Tifa’s personality is a harmonious blend of opposites—she is tough yet sensitive, masculine and feminine, headstrong yet plagued with doubt, and entirely self-sufficient yet still yearning for her hero (Cloud) to save her. As for the beauty part… come on, do I really need to spell that out for you?
Masculine and Feminine Principles:Tiferet also unites the masculine and feminine principles—the active and receptive energies—into a balanced and harmonious whole. Tifa is tough as nails—trained in martial arts, forged through the fires of trauma, and able to mow down armies of Shinra mooks and mechs with nothing but her bare fists. But she’s also timid, demure, and constantly defers to Cloud and Barret to lead the way (contrast this with Aerith, who is actually quite feisty and stubborn despite her outwardly gentle disposition). In this way, she balances out herself and the other heroes quite well.
Spiritual Centeredness and Connection to the Divine:Tiferet symbolizes spiritual centeredness—the state of inner balance and alignment with the divine will. It is also considered the point of direct connection to the Divine, as shown by the pathway connecting it directly to Kether (Crown) in the Tree of Life. In Final Fantasy VII, nobody understands and is trusted by Cloud (Kether) more than Tifa (Tiferet). They grew up together, and are bound by promises they made to each other. Tifa was the first character to find Cloud after his arrival in Midgar prior to the start of the game, the first one he sees after regaining consciousness following his plunge into the Lifestream, and the one who guides him in conquering his personal demons and coming to terms with his past and true identity, clearing the path for him to assume his role as the Crown leading the group to victory over Sephiroth.
Connection to the Heart:Tiferet is associated with the heart, both physically and metaphysically. In this sense, Tifa’s last name, Lockhart, acquires extra significance—it hints at both her role as the “heart” of the party, as well as the pain and torment she keeps locked away in her heart.
Tiferet represents the desire for spiritual centeredness, to cultivate a connection with the Divine, and to embody compassion, love, and harmony. And considering Cloud gets to share a bed with someone as jaw-droppingly stunning and absolutely perfect in every way as Tifa, how could he not have eventually achieved harmony in his life?
(It should also be noted that the romantic tension between Cloud and Tifa, while characteristically (for JRPGs) understated in the original, is still bubbling below the surface if you you know how to spot it. And in the Remake trilogy, it’s even more explicit—out of all the companions Cloud can pick for his iconic date scene at the Gold Saucer, Tifa is the only one he can kiss (provided you’ve raised her affinity levels enough). Even in the original, they spend a night together before the final battle where it’s strongly hinted that they actually knocked boots together, as well. And in Advent Children, they’re living and raising a child together.)
Tifa is the divine light that pierces the deepest darkness, the sweet smell of warm apple pie on an empty stomach, the first sip of beer after a hard day’s work, the vibrating comfort of a purring kitten, the first ray of spring sunshine after a brutally cold winter, and the angelic chorus that greets your weary soul at the gates of paradise.
Tifa is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. And that’s just an indisputable fact of life.
👩❤️👨😡💔 SIDE QUEST: Shipping Wars
Alright, so picture this: you're neck-deep in a fandom, really into a show or book or video game or whatever. And you start to notice, "Hey, those two characters have some serious chemistry!" Maybe they're always bickering like an old married couple, or giving each other heart-eyes, or sacrificing everything (up to and including their own lives/souls) to save each other. And you think to yourself, "Man, they would make such a great couple."
Congratulations, dear reader! You've just been initiated into the wonderful, wacky world of shipping!
And no, I don’t mean maritime commerce and logistics. “Shipping" is when fans start rooting for two (or more, if that's your jam) characters to get together romantically. The term comes from "relationship," see? Clever!
Anyway, once you start shipping characters, it's like putting on a whole new pair of goggles. Suddenly, every interaction between them is laced with romantic subtext—every lingering glance, every inside joke, every "accidentally" falling asleep on each other's shoulders during long rides… it all points to your ship being "endgame" (that's how the cool kids say it was "meant to be").
Now, here's where things get spicy. See, not everyone in the fandom is going to ship the same characters you do. Maybe they think that Character A has way more chemistry with Character C, or that Character B's soulmate is clearly Character D. And thus, a shipping war begins.
Shipping wars are basically just heated debates between fans about which ships are superior. And trust me, fans can get really passionate about their ships. We're talking long meta posts analyzing every micro-interaction, endless steeams of fan-made memes and videos and fanfiction, maybe even some (hopefully) good-natured name-calling.
"You only ship them because of their looks!"
"Oh yeah? Well your ship has no character development!"
Shots fired, indeed.
It can all seem a bit silly from the outside looking in, but hey, it's fun! Shipping adds an extra layer to the story, and it's a way for fans to connect over their shared love for the characters. Plus, sometimes the creators will throw in a little "ship tease" to rile the shippers up (certain TV shows, like the CW’s Supernatural and Sherlock, were notorious for this).
Of course, it's not all sunshine and roses. As is sadly so often the case in fandom, ship wars can turn nasty when people take it too far or get way too invested in their ships. And then there's the whole debate over whether shipping real people—like the actual actors playing the characters, or the members of a band—is ever okay (rule of thumb: it's generally frowned upon, though your fandom’s mileage may vary).
But overall, shipping is just another part of the wide world of fandom. And speaking of fandoms, the one around Final Fantasy VII has played host to an epic shipping war that's been raging since the days of dial-up internet and GeoCities vanity sites. One that has, undoubtedly, acquired an unusual degree of intensity (even by shipping standards) thanks to a hidden “affinity” mechanic that determines, based on your interactions with each character, whether Cloud takes Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, or even Barret out on a date at the Gold Saucer (Final Fantasy VII’s mashup of Disneyland and Las Vegas).
On one side, you've got the Clerith shippers (that's Cloud/Aerith for the uninitiated). They'll tell you that Cloud and Aerith's relationship is pure, tragic romance at its finest. Just look at how their date plays out! The fireworks, the gondola ride, the way Aerith's hair looks pink in the lighting... it's all just so damn symbolic. And don't even get them started on Aerith's death scene (25-year-old spoiler alert… oops). The shock of it all? Cloud laying her to rest in the water? The way her theme song plays over the ensuing battle against Jenova? If that's not true love, what is?
But then... you've got the Cloti shippers (Cloud/Tifa; keep up, dear reader!). And let me tell you, as a proud Cloti shipper myself, our evidence is undeniable. First off: “childhood friends-to-lovers” is a classic trope for a reason, and these two have been through thick and thin together. And yeah, maybe Aerith's date was all symbolic and meaningful, but Tifa's the only one who actually got a night alone with Cloud later on in the game. Sure, it was vague and ship tease-ey as hell, and Aerith was already dead at that point so Tifa kind of won by default, but it happened!
Oh, and there’s also Cluffie (Cloud/Yuffie), but we don’t care about that ship. Yuffie sucked in the original game, and she still sucks in the Remake trilogy. Yeah, I said what I said. Get at me, Cluffie shippers! …Okay, maybe that's not entirely relevant to my thesis here, but I saw my shot and I took it.
(Oh, and about Barret—there’s absolutely a cohort that ships Cloud with Barret (and others that do the same with Cid, Vincent, and even non-human characters Red XIII and Cait Sith [!!!], despite Cloud not actually being able to date any of them). And credit where it’s due to Clarret shippers: Barret’s date sequence with Cloud is knee-slappingly hilarious. But since it’s framed as more of a “bro’s night out” without much romantic subtext, I’ll omit it for the purposes of this analysis. But let it be known to any Clarret shippers in my audience: I’m totally here for Cloud and Barret, whether it’s romance or “bromance.”)
Anyway, just when we thought the shipping wars might finally cool down, along comes Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to stir the pot all over again, with an even more complex affinity system, as well as multiple possible outcomes for each date with each dateable character. Suddenly, all that symbolism and foreshadowing in Aerith's date scene is turned up to the nines and thrown into even sharper relief against the context of her ultimate fate, especially with the addition of a whole new dream/timeline shifting sequence where Aerith gets to act out a “date” with Cloud, on her terms, knowing she’s about to die soon.
To which us Tifa stans can only say:
Read it and weep, SUCKERS! [SOURCE: Square Enix]
SEE?! THEY KISSED! SHE’S THE ONLY ONE HE’S ABLE TO KISS! YOU CAN'T DENY IT NOW!
(Then there’s the fact that, in the sequel anime/film, Advent Children, Cloud and Tifa are a literally canonical couple who live together and are raising children—one of which they both adopted—but now it just feels like I’m running up the score, so I’ll stop now.)
Honestly, at this point, I feel this shipping war has reached a fever pitch that shows no signs of slowing down—regardless of where the evidence points. Clerith shippers will continue clinging to their tragic romance, Cloti shippers will keep riding high on that Rebirth vindication, and poor Yuffie will always be just kind of... there. (#SorryNotSorry, Yuffie fans. Also, please get your head checked out.)18
So in the end, you know what? I'm going to stick to my guns. Cloud and Tifa forever, baby. Childhood sweethearts, battle-forged soulmates, the light in each other's darkness—it's just meant to be. And that’s just on top of the undeniable truth that ever since Final Fantasy VII first dropped, Tifa became and has remained the archetypal sex symbol in video games. In a fair and just world, Cloti is truth. Cloti is canon. Cloti is endgame. I will proudly die on this hill. Fellow Cloti shippers, keep fighting the good fight.
#Cloti4Lyfe
7. Vincent Valentine — Netzach
SOURCE: Square Enix
“The gate to tomorrow is not the light of heaven, but the darkness of the depths of the earth.”
~Vincent Valentine (Final Fantasy VII)
Bio
Vincent Valentine is a former Turk who was once close to Shinra's leader, President Shinra. But that was before the dastardly Professor Hojo (more on him later… oh, so much more on him later) subjected him to the mad scientist’s particular brand of ghastly medical experimentation before leaving him cursed and entombed in a coffin for decades.
When Cloud & Friends awaken him from his coffin sleep in the basement of Nibelheim’s Shinra Mansion, Vincent comes off as brooding as you’d expect (I mean, can you blame him?). He’s wracked by guilt over not stopping Hojo’s twisted and depraved experiments—which claimed the life (sort of) of the woman he loved, Lucrecia, and ultimately unleashed Sephiroth on the world. Unlike most goths, this guy actually has legitimate reasons for being gothy.
Vincent is gloomy and melancholic, reveling in dark and (surprise!) gothic motifs. However, once Cloud recruits him in the fight against Sephiroth, Vincent finds purpose again in trying to atone for and undo the wrongs he failed to prevent. He still doesn’t shed the edgy gothlord shtick, though.
His haunting backstory as a falling hero aside, not to mention his complex psychological hangups (being almost as much of a basket case as Cloud), Vincent nevertheless represents the quite relatable struggles of facing one’s inner demons and redeeming past sins.
His monstrous transformations in battle—his limit breaks19 involve him transforming into literal demons, one of which sports the awesomely ominous moniker of “Death Gigas”—also serve as a metaphor for the darkness and utter inhumanity he was subjected to by Hojo and his (and by extension, Shinra’s) experiments.
Sephira: Netzach (Eternity)
We’re getting towards the bottom! The seventh sephira, Netzach (Hebrew for “eternity,” “victory,” or “endurance”) is the domain of endurance, perseverance, and the drive to overcome obstacles. And in the world of Final Fantasy VII, few have gotten a rawer deal—and endured it for as long—as Vincent, the angsty gothic heartthrob who launched a million shipping wars and the patron saint of lemon fanfic writers everywhere.
Endurance, Persistence, Ambition, and Drive:Netzach is all about that endurance, persistence, and being able to overcome challenges and adversity through sustained effort and determination. It represents the innate drive and ambition that propels people to pursue their goals and aspirations with unwavering focus and commitment. In short, it’s the hustler’s sephira. And Vincent’s longing for Lucrecia and vendetta against Hojo have not only endured for decades—they’re the main motivation for him to join Cloud’s quest.
Confidence and Self-Assertion:Netzach is also the fount from which springs confidence, self-assertion, and the ability to assert your will and desires productively. Sure enough, Vincent got to work as soon as Cloud freed him from that coffin. Hojo gets his own by the end of Final Fantasy VII (albeit not necessarily by Vincent’s hand), and by the time spinoff game Dirge of Cerberus takes place several years later, he’s still looking all over for Lucrecia (long story short: it turns out, she was alive all along… sort of).
Spiritual Discipline:Netzach is linked with spiritual discipline—remaining on a spiritual path despite challenges and obstacles. And while Vincent gravitates towards a… shall we say, darker spirituality (he’s really committed to that goth life), one can’t say he doesn’t lean into his literal demons. He’s a master class in shadow work.
Netzach is directly below Chesed (Aerith) in the Tree of Life. On a similar note, we also see, in Vincent, distinct echoes of Aerith’s assuredness and headstrong dedication to whichever path she’s committed herself to.
8. Yuffie Kisaragi — Hod
SOURCE: Square Enix
“The stars shine so bright, like glowing materia... reach up and grab one!”
~Yuffie Kisaragi (Final Fantasy VII)
“Grrrrr…”
~Red XIII (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth)
Bio
Good God, this girl’s so annoying. Yuffie McStealyface Kisaragi is a ninja and materia20 thief (she calls herself a materia “hunter,” but let’s not mince words, she’s a thief… a slimy, shady, scummy, bratty, and utterly self-obsessed materia thief). She’s an optional character, one of only two in the party (along with Vincent), and if you recruit her, she seems to tag only very begrudgingly.
We find out why during her side quest, when the heroes happen upon her home country of Wutai. As soon as you set foot on the continent, she shows her cards by stealing all your items and materia before vanishing into the shadows. She doesn’t relinquish them until you rescue her from the lecherous crime boss Don Corneo—and even then, she still warns you that she’ll end up with all your materia in the end.
What an ungrateful little shit.
In addition to that episode, Yuffie spends her time with the party constantly bitching, kvetching, and overall being a whiny, entitled, and thoroughly insufferable little twerp. Oh, it gets worse! In Rebirth, she even sells out the party to Shinra after they save her life, and as if that weren’t enough, she then goes on to immediately sabotage a proposed truce between Rufus and Cloud for setting aside their differences to focus on the greater-scope thread of Sephiroth. Yeah…
Yuffie sucks, and that’s all there is to say about her.
[NOTE: After playing through Rebirth, I will say they definitely toned down a lot of her annoying brattiness, and the game plays up her patriotism and devotion to her pet cause of Wutaian resistance against Shinra, which does temper her selfishness somewhat. That said, she’s still very much annoying and still very much a brat (to the point that Cloud, as if channeling the player base, even tells her at one point to “please shut up”).]
Sephira: Hod (Splendor)
This one’s a bit of a wild card. The eighth sephira, Hod (Hebrew for “splendor,” “humility,” or “majesty”) usually represents humility, modesty, and the recognition of and submission to higher authority and truth.
The problem is, none of these words describe Yuffie in the slightest. She’s a brash, hyper, selfish, deceitful, and intolerable little brat. She’s so annoying that if her side quest didn’t include a fun and humorous sequence involving Cloud and the Turks, I’d never even go through the trouble of recruiting her into my party.
However, Yuffie is also obsessed with luxury, material wealth, and everything shiny or sparkly (or both). I mean, she is a literal thief, which tells you all you need to know. And since Hod happens to also represent splendor, it’s as good a fit as any.
Ok, fine… Yuffie’s also a ninja, and there is a certain splendor in the way she flips and parkours around while stealing your crap. And I suppose her youthful “spunkiness” has a certain charm to it as well… though this is pushing the limits of “generous interpretation.”21
Fun Fact: I actually considered slotting Yuffie in with Malkuth (Kingdom) at first, as that sephira’s connection to the material world would make her a pretty good fit. And there are notable NPCs that embody the virtues of Hod to a far greater degree than Yuffie could ever hope, including Bugenhagen (Gratitude, Acceptance, Spiritual Receptivity) and the Biggs/Wedge/Jessie triad (Humility, Modesty, Recognition of Limits, Submission to a Higher Authority), but alas, none of them are playable characters.
Anwyay, that’s enough of Yuffie for now. Just like in Final Fantasy VII proper, she’s only tolerable in small doses (and even then, just barely).
9. Cid Highwind — Yesod
SOURCE: Square Enix
“This planet's still a kid. A little kid sick and trembling in the middle of this huge universe. Someone's gotta protect it. Ya follow me? That someone is us.”
~Cid Highwind (Final Fantasy VII)
Bio
My main man! Cid Highwind is the most awesome Final Fantasy VII character, hands down—and a strong contender for the most awesome Final Fantasy character, full stop.
Cid is a gruff, foul-mouthed, hardened airship captain and pilot, and at one point was slated to become the first human in space. Despite his rough edges, Cid’s heart is in the right place, and we see him go through some honestly quite touching character development.
Originally working for Shinra as a pilot in the company’s rocket program, Cid's unbridled ambition and ego made him a natural fit for a would-be space cowboy. However, he fell into shame and disgrace after a launch failure caused by a supposed technical error from his assistant, Shera. Ever since then, Cid would constantly take his anger out on Shera, and he eventually left Shinra, opening up an airplane business for hire.
When Cloud & Pals meet him, long after his space dreams were dashed, Cid is permanently grounded, and spends his days constantly wallowing in cigarette smoke, resentment, and self-pity. He reluctantly joins forces with Cloud, partly to spite Shinra, and partly in the hopes of getting another chance at a rocket launch with a little assistance from AVALANCHE.
But beneath his prickly, chain-smoking exterior, Cid demonstrates loyalty and courage. He eventually owns up to his past (and quite horrible) treatment of Shera, he recaptures his passion for aviation and aeronautics by aiding AVALANCHE with air transportation, and serves as a father figure of sorts to the heroes—even assuming leadership of the party after Tifa splits off to tend to a catatonic Cloud following the latter’s fall into the Lifestream.
Cid’s evolution from has-been dreamer to redeemed hero, skilled in aerial combat and manning airships critical to the group's journey, has endeared him to many—myself included. He also serves as excellent comic relief, what with his constant swearing and the way he clashes with the other heroes’ and NPCs’ personalities alike (though sadly, his sweary personality was greatly nerfed in Rebirth).
Sephira: Yesod (Foundation)
We’re almost there! The ninth sephira, Yesod (Hebrew for “foundation”), is the divine attribute of connection and mediation, as well as the channel through which the spiritual and physical realms intersect. Cid—a short-tempered, foul-mouthed, impatient, and cynical air jockey—may seem like an odd choice, but hear me out.
Yesod lies on the Tree of Life’s middle column, directly above Malkuth (The Lifesteam) and directly beneath Tefaret (Tifa), which is itself directly beneath Kether (Cloud). These three characters—Cloud, Tifa, and Cid—are the only ones to directly lead the party at certain points in the game (and the latter two pick up the mantle when Cloud falls into… dun dun dunnnn… the Lifestream!).
And similarly to how Tefaret is the “gateway” or conduit to the “higher” sephirot and the spiritual realm, Yesod is likewise the conduit to the “lower” sephirot, and the gateway through which divine energy and consciousness descend and eventually manifest in the material world. And whether it’s aircraft, cigarettes, tea, or swearing, Cid certainly enjoys his material creature comforts!
In addition, similarly to how Cloud (Kether) is the leader and Tifa (Tefaret) serves as a maternal figure to the party, Cid (Yesod) likewise serves as the party’s main paternal figure (mostly by virtue of being the oldest playable character at a ripe, positively-geriatric-by-JRPG-standards 32 years old).22 And, of course, the Lifestream is the source from which all these characters spring, and the place where they’ll end up after they die.
Here are some more connections between Cid and Yesod:
Mediation and Balance: Much like Tiferet directly above it, Yesod acts as a mediator, balancing and harmonizing the energies and influences flowing from the higher sephirot—in Yesod’s case, right before they manifest in the physical world. In addition to Cid’s role as a father figure of sorts, Cid’s background as a pilot also grants the party access to airships, like the humble Tiny Bronco and the majestic Highwind, allowing our heroes to cruise to their destinations far easier than they had been on land and by sea. This symbolizes Yesod’s function as a conduit for manifestation—the faster Cloud & Friends can get to where they need to go, the faster and easier they can manifest their goals and destinies.
Intuition and Subconscious:Yesod is also associated with intuition, the subconscious mind, and the ability to access and integrate unconscious knowledge and wisdom. Cid has honed his intuition throughout his many years as an ace pilot (and eventually astronaut), and IRL pilots develop a similarly deeply intuitive feel for the aircraft they pilot. Indeed, the way that Cid flies everything from flimsy puddle jumpers to jet-powered airships and even spacebound rockets makes them all appear as if they’re extensions of himself.
Sexuality and Procreation:Yesod is the domain of sexuality, procreation, and the generative forces that allow for the continuation and renewal of life. In Cid’s case, this is more symbolic—a pioneer of aviation, Cid represents progress, discovery, and the pioneering spirit that drove humanity to dominion of the world (and, of course, the skies), a sort of procreation and renewal of the spirit.
Spiritual Integrity:Yesod also represents spiritual integrity, and the moral fortitude necessary to act as a worthy vessel for divine energy and consciousness. Cid may present a gruff and vulgar front, but underneath his brashness, he truly does care—not just for his aircraft and ambitions as a pilot (both of which he clearly cares for very deeply), but also the people around him, as shown when he aborted what would have been the first human flight into space just to save the life of Shera, his devoted (albeit long-suffering) assistant and eventually wife. Besides, you have to have a certain fortitude if you want to be a pilot and… you know, live.
Cid is also keenly aware of the cyclical and generative forces that govern existence, both in the sense that he respects the laws of physics enough to bend them to his will when sitting in the cockpit, and that he realizes the gravity and stakes of the party’s quest to save the Planet, as illustrated by his quote above.
10. The Lifestream — Malkuth
SOURCE: Square Enix, via Fandom
“The Lifestream. That's what we call the river of life that circles our planet, giving life to the world and everything in it.”
~Marlene Wallace (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children)
“Bio”
The Lifesteam isn’t technically a “character,” but it is the source and vessel of the Planet’s spiritual essence. And since in the Final Fantasy VII universe, the Planet itself is a sentient consciousness with agency and a will of its own—not to mention so richly detailed and textured to be as central to the Final Fantasy VII experience as Cloud and Sephiroth—this certainly qualifies it to be a “character” of sorts.
Like the people who inhabit it, the Planet has its own will and desires.
It communicates these desires through people who are attuned to it (like the Cetra), as well as (in the Remake trilogy) through the Arbiters of Fate, spiritual entities charged by the Planet with maintaining the course of destiny.
It feels pain, as can be heard by the wailing and moaning sounds it makes as Shinra’s mako reactors keep draining it of its essence.
It’s capable of defending itself, as shown by its creating WEAPONs to push back against threats to its existence, as well as its ultimate failsafe in the form of the Holy materia, a sort of planetary “reset” button.
And it’s strongly implied to have guided Cloud and his allies to the point where they could challenge and purge the dual scourges of Sephiroth and Jenova and the threats they pose to the Planet, once and for all.
The Planet does all this through the Lifestream.
Sephira: Malkuth (“Kingdom”)
And here we are! The tenth, final, and bottomost sephira, Malkuth (Hebrew for “kingdom”) represents manifestation, physicality, and the grounding of spiritual energy into the physical realm. It is the culmination of the divine creative process, where divine energy and consciousness take physical form in the material universe.
If you’ve made it this far, you already know how the Lifestream fits into this schema, so I won’t rehash it here. But let’s dive a little deeper:
Earth and Materiality: This sephira is associated with the earth, the physical world, and the tangible aspects of existence. It is the realm of concrete manifestation and embodied experience. While the Lifestream contains the Planet’s spiritual essence, is nevertheless also a tangible, physical thing. It can be interfaced and interacted with, and even manipulated, whether by burning it to generate mako energy and using magic with materia—both of which spring from the Lifestream.
Foundation, Grounding, and Stability:Malkuth serves as the receptacle and foundation for all the energies and influences that flow down from the higher sephirot, providing a vessel for their manifestation in the physical plane. As the grounding force that anchors spiritual energy and consciousness in the material world, it provides a sense of stability and tangibility. Similarly, the Lifestream is the vessel through which life is able to take form on the Planet. Every living thing on the planet originates in, and eventually returns to, the Lifestream.
Senses and Perception:Malkuth is also linked to the physical senses, and the perception of the material world, allowing for the experience and appreciation of manifested creation. For the Lifestream analogy, just read the bullet directly above.
Completion and Integration: As the final sephira, Malkuth signifies the completion and integration of the entire divine creative process, the point at which the spiritual and material realms converge. In-game, this is reflected in the Lifestream’s dual nature as both a spiritual force and tangible matter (think of where the term “materia” comes from).
Sovereignty and Earthly Kingdom: Finally, Malkuth represents the earthly kingdom: the domain of human sovereignty and stewardship over the physical world. And in Final Fantasy VII, the Planet itself, through the Lifestream, charged the Cetra with stewarding life on the Planet and living in harmony with its will.
In Kabbalah, Malkuth is revered as the realm where the divine creative process finds its ultimate expression: the tangible, material world. This encourages us to ground our spiritual pursuits in practical reality, appreciate the material aspects of existence, and cultivate a sense of stewardship and responsibility for the world around us. In a sense, we are all the Cetra.
Aaaand that’s it for this week! Next time, we’ll map the villains of Final Fantasy VII to the Tree of Life’s evil twin, the Tree of Death of the qlipoth.
Until then, blessings be upon you all!
~Jay
Food for Talk: Discussion Prompts
While you wait for the next issue, I invite you to mull over the following discussion prompts. Please reply to this email with your answers, or post them in the comments—I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Have you ever played Final Fantasy VII? If so, who was your favorite character? What was your favorite moment?
Which character and/or sephira do you feel the greatest affinity towards? How so?
What other references to Kabbalah or other forms of mysticism have you noticed in Final Fantasy VII?
In Final Fantasy VII, who did you date at the Gold Saucer? Was the date with your character of choice?
Any Yuffie fans in the audience: what is the appeal, precisely? Honestly asking; I just don’t get it.
Final Fantasy VII Remake, developed and published by Square Enix — Steam | PlayStation 4 + 5
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, developed and published by Square Enix — PlayStation 5
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If you’re wondering how an iconic and beloved franchise now in its sixteenth main entry (not including remakes, spin-offs, etc) could be a “final” of anything, there’s a funny story behind that.
Back in the 80s, Final Fantasy developer SquareSoft (now half of the JRPG juggernaut known as Square Enix) was in such dire straits after merely eking out an existence creating derivative knockoffs of more famous IPs, that it was facing imminent bankruptcy and closure.
So as a bit of gallows humor, they decided to name their upcoming fantasy epic RPG “Final Fantasy” because they were fully expecting it to be the last title they ever made. But then, in one of the most fortuitous reverse jinxes in gaming history, their “final” fantasy game became a surprise hit, saving Square from bankruptcy, placing them on the map, and setting the stage for Final Fantasy VII to propel them into the stratosphere just 10 years later.
That said, there are sequels and spin-offs, but these are tied to a specific numbered entry and aren’t considered “mainline” games. For instance, Final Fantasy VII’s many spinoffs bear names like Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core or Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus to signal that these entries take place in the Final Fantasy VII universe.
Final Fantasy is behind countless mechanical and narrative innovations that have since become standard in JRPGs, and this is among the most significant. For the first five entries, Final Fantasy games were standard fantasy fare, set in a standard (read: recognizably medieval European) fantasy setting, following all the standard fantasy tropes and conventions.
Final Fantasy VI nudged the series in a different direction by introducing steampunk-esque, early industrial-era aspects to its still recognizably “fantasy” setting and story. But Final Fantasy VII broke with the established fantasy conventions almost entirely. While some fantasy elements like magic and dragons remain present in Final Fantasy VII, many genre (and, up until that point, series) staples like wizards, knights, peasant villages, wizards, and castles are replaced by cars, machine guns, industrialized megalopolises, rockets, and skyscrapers. This was practically unprecedented in the genre, and part of what wowed and awed audiences so much at the time.
This is stated to be the case with Neon Genesis Evangelion, the seminal anime megahit which would later have a profound influence on Final Fantasy VII, most obviously in its saturation with Kabbalic imagery and symbolism.
Spelt with a “K” to distinguish it from Hermetic Qabbalah, which—despite using the same Tree of Life as a schematic of sorts—is an entirely different thing altogether, with its own separate tradition, symbolism, interpretations, and practice.
There’s a common misconception that Kabbalah is a “closed” practice, available only to Jews. This is not the case, and it likely stems from the myth that Kabbalic Rabbis will only teach Kabbalah to Jewish men over 40 (like all myths, this is not meant to be taken literally—it’s more an admonition to get some life experience as well as a spouse and family to keep you grounded before you go spelunking in the mystical plane, which is overall very sound advice!).
In reality, there’s nothing and nobody stopping you, regardless of what faith you subscribe to (if any at all), from picking up the Zohar or Sefer Yetzirah and diving down the Kabbalah rabbit role on your own. However, studying Kabbalah requires a deep familiarity with the Torah, Talmud, and Midrashim, as well as Jewish religious rituals and observances, in order to even begin making sense of it all without giving yourself a permanent migraine.
Jewish mysticism has always benefitted from cultural exchange, with Jewish mystics exchanging ideas and practices with their Christian and Muslim counterparts throughout the centuries. Ever since the Ancient Israelites set up shop in Canaan, cultural and mystical cross-pollination has had a profound effect on the evolution of Jewish esoteric thought and tradition. Jewish esotericism, meanwhile, has also had a major influence on Western occultism writ large, especially Hermeticism, which is what people usually think of when they hear “Western occultism.”
So if anybody tells you that you can’t study Kabbalah if you’re not Jewish, then know this: as a Jew, mystic, and practicing Kabbalist, I give you my full blessing to tie your head up into psychic knots with our amazing mystical tradition as much as you want!
Attention all Clerith shippers: before you get at me, play Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and go through each of the date sequences. Then, get at me… SUCKERS! >:D
I’m not making value judgments about the roles typically seen as "masculine" or "feminine." Yes, our modern society often values active, "masculine" traits, encouraging both men and women to adopt these qualities. However, undervaluing “feminine” traits harms us all on both an individual and societal level.
Both masculine and feminine energies are essential for our well-being. They are the Yin and Yang, the animaandanimus, the two complementary polarities that great thinkers from Cunficious to Carl Jung knew are necessary for harmony. This balance is necessary across all levels of society, from family units to corporations, as successful organizational units encompass both leadership and supportive roles.
Consider successful couples you know. Typically, one partner embodies the active decision-making role, and the other, the passive supportive role. This dynamic holds true across different types of relationships, not just monogamous hetero couples, and promotes harmony regardless of the couple's makeup. Problems often arise when there's an imbalance, with both partners occupying the same type of role (ie, two “Yins” or two “Yangs”).
Reflecting on history, men have achieved great feats, but women have been equally influential, nurturing generations and offering wisdom and balance. Feminine energy, often seen as "soft" power, is as impactful as the "hard" power of masculine energy. The adage "Behind every great man is a strong woman" underscores this influence.
We should embrace the freedom to align with our true selves, free from societal expectations tied to our gender. Criticism of traditional roles as "oppressive," devaluing feminine traits as “beneath you,” and labeling all masculine traits as "toxic" all miss the broader importance of these energies in their purest forms.
Both men and women can exhibit destructive behaviors, but at their best, they contribute uniquely and powerfully to society, fostering a world that values both strength and nurturing.
So, dispel the notion that “active” energy is better than “passive” energy. These terms simply describe different but equally valuable traits. It’s the superfluous extra meanings we attach to them that subsequently brings morality and judgment into the picture. We’d do well to shed it all and appreciate the balance that both energies bring.
...Obviously, I say all this in jest, and with nothing but the utmost love and respect for my fellow Final Fantasy VII fans, no matter who they ship. At the end of the day, we're all united by our shared love of this incredible game and its unforgettable characters. Even if some of those characters are Yuffie.
“Limit Breaks” in Final Fantasy VII are, essentially, insanely powerful moves—unique to each character—that become available once the character takes enough damage in battle.
In the world of Final Fantasy VII, “materia” are crystal orbs of mako said to contain the crystallized knowledge of the Planet. They also serve an important practical purpose: they allow the wielder to use magic. There are different types of materia, each enabling a different type of magic (for instance, “Fire” materia casts fire spells, “Cure” materia casts healing spells, and “Summon” materia call forth all sorts of powerful mythical beasts).
As mentioned, Remake and Rebirth flesh her character out a bit more—in this continuity, she’s fiercely patriotic and acts as a covert agent of the new Wutaian government, a job which she carries out with zeal and gusto. She’s so gung-ho about her new government overlords that she even fully supported them staging a military coup that ousted her own father from power.
So, I suppose this counts as recognition of a higher authority.
She’s still primarily in it for herself, however, as her obsession with riches and obtaining as much sparkly, shining materia as possible remain on full display. Besides, betraying your own flesh and blood over something as pointless as ideology is the act of a thoroughly rotten and reprehensible personality.
Vincent may well be older, but his aging was basically halted when he got shoved in that coffin (and Vincent is one of the last people you’d expect to be a good dad), so he doesn’t count.
You’re BACK! 🎉👏🎮💃🏻
This finally got me to start playing the original game outside of the remake, super excited to see you’re back and writing these masterpieces again!