Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending, explained

As a JRPG, by nature, the ending to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is high on drama, big-time moments, and grand spectacle, and offers key resolutions to some of FF7 fans’ most burning questions.

You know how impactful a game’s legacy is when people are chomping at the bit to find out how a remake is going to end. That’s the case with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth as the community has spent the better part of four years desperately wanting to know how Square Enix would tell this story.

2020’s Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a masterful entry in a storied franchise, and its narrative blasts you through many hours of gameplay until it reaches a heated and impactful ending.

Huge spoilers lie ahead, so be warned.

How does Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth end? (Spoiler warning)

After falling into a dreamlike state following the tussle for Black Materia at the Temple of the Ancients, Cloud awakens with Aerith, and they go on a date akin to their early days in Midgar. Aerith speaks cryptically to Cloud saying that he shouldn’t blame himself for what will happen, and gives him the White Materia, thanking him for everything. It feels like foreshadowing what’s to come.

We also spend some time with Zack as he figures out whether he’s going to help Cloud, Aerith, or the renegade Biggs in his efforts to take down Shinra on his own and carry the Avalanche name forward. We have to believe at this point that he’s probably still not alive either, but we’ll get to that later.

After a confrontation with Sephiroth in which he rejects him, Cloud awakens, and it’s clear the lines of reality are becoming blurred. They head onward in search of Aerith, and Cloud makes his way inside the Forgotten Capital and sees Aerith praying. Cloud fights off a swarm of Whispers to reach her, and just as he does, Sephiroth descends from above with his sword raised and thrusts his Masamune at Aerith.

After the confrontation, Aerith falls to the ground, mortally wounded by Sephiroth, and sinks into Cloud’s arms. Sephiroth laughs and tells Cloud not to cry as his tears are empty. Aerith offers some final words of consolation for Cloud before Aerith dies in his arms. An interesting moment occurs where the blood around Aerith temporarily disappears again, with the image flickering—making you wonder if she’s really dead.

After the gang and Zack are victorious against Sephiroth and his deity-like forms, we begin to question whether Zack is actually dead, and if it wasn’t a dream after all. He sees Meteor heading toward the planet, possibly as a vision, and see Zack in the Church as he questions if their worlds can reunite once more. This is a multiverse with timelines and worlds running in parallel to one another—hence why Zack briefly crossed over to aid Cloud, and why he’s potentially alive in the first place. I don’t feel much of this was a dream at all, and Zack might actually be alive.

We do get confirmation that Aerith has passed away, though, but it’s evident only Cloud can still see and communicate with Aerith. Aerith should feature throughout much of part three, even if just as a vision or spirit in Cloud’s imagination.

Also, the flickering of the blood around Aerith, the initial hesitation over whether she was stabbed, and Sephiroth’s idea that fate has been breached all lead me to think that if he is defeated, probably in Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, Aerith may yet live.

The two giant monsters emerging from under the water were Ruby and Emerald Weapon, surely setting up challenging boss fights for the sequel. Additionally, Cloud finding the Black Materia in his pocket and murmuring “the reunion” is very interesting, as it means his ties to Sephiroth are still there.

A final subtitle before the credits reads, “No Promises Await at Journey’s End,” and I feel Square Enix is setting us up for a major twist in part three.