The first two games of the Final Fantasy 7 (FF7) remake project have thrown some major curveballs into the familiar story, leaving some players confused about what is happening. Thankfully, we can figure out which events are happening in what timelines and how everything comes together in FF7 Rebirth.
Warning: The remainder of this article contains spoilers for both FF7 Remake and FF7 Rebirth.
At the end of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Cloud and the gang defeated the Arbiters of Fate, also known as the Whispers, meaning that the story’s fate can now be altered. The Whispers get sucked into Sephiroth’s wing and he disappears, leaving the party in an open world full of possibilities. Many fans believed that this would mean that Aerith could avoid her fateful demise. However, it looks like Square Enix has chosen a more complicated route.
Shinra’s Stamp Tells the Timelines
Stamp is a propaganda mascot Shinra has created, which has become a beloved mascot to the citizens, especially children. FF7 Remake introduced as a beagle wearing a WWI-style helmet with stars. At the end of FF7 Remake, when the party defeats the Whispers, players are shown a cutscene of Zack surviving his fight with Shinra instead of dying. At the end of the scene, players see Stamp on a snack bag, except instead a beagle, Stamp is now a terrier. This scene establishes the creation of a new timeline by showing an alternate version of Stamp.
This scene establishes the fact that different versions of Stamp will indicate which timeline the characters are in. Every time players see a new version of Stamp, a different timeline needs to be added to the list. By the time players start FF7 Rebirth, there are three different timelines.
- Original FF7 Timeline
- FF7 Beagle Stamp Timeline
- FF7 Terrier Stamp Timeline
By the end of FF7 Rebirth, three additional timelines are introduced. These timelines are all offshoots of the possibility of Zack surviving, and their existence can be easily missed if players are not paying attention. There are a total of six timelines once the following three are added.
- FF7 Pug Stamp Timeline
- FF7 Shiba Stamp Timeline
- FF7 Pomeranian Stamp Timeline
The Importance of the Different Timelines
Each timeline has its own purpose. Two of the timelines, the Shiba Timeline and Pug Timeline, show how different choices —especially ones that go against the Arbiters of Fate — will create divergent timelines. At one point at the end of the game, Zack needs to make a choice, either find a cure for Cloud or go stop Biggs. On the wall behind Zack in this scene is a picture of Terrier Stamp. Later, players see Zack walking up to Biggs in the Mako Reactor. Here Biggs is holding a bag with the pug version of Stamp. At this point, Zack making any decision past the time he was supposed to die seems like it would go against fate.
The Pomeranian Timeline is introduced when Cloud wakes up at Aerith’s house in Midgar and Aerith says it’s a dream world. Her statement makes it seem that it is one that she created. Here, Cloud and Aerith go on an impromptu date where a Pomeranian version of Stamp is shown on snack packaging and as a figurine. This world or timeline is on the verge of ending as shop owners are giving everything away for free and insinuating that there is no more time left.
Then we have two main divergent timelines, the Beagle Timeline and the Terrier Timeline. The Beagle Timeline is the main timeline for the remake games and the Terrier Timeline is the main “Zack survives” timeline.
Timeline Events and Ending for FF7 Rebirth
What exactly happened in the different timelines during FF7 Rebirth gets a little confusing if you aren’t paying close attention. Cloud from the Beagle Timeline ends up in the Pomeranian Timeline, waking up in Pomeranian Cloud’s body. Aerith is already awake and leads him outside for their “date.” Eventually, the two go to the church where Aerith gives Cloud the White Materia then sends him back to the Beagle Timeline. Cloud, now back in his original timeline, gives Aerith the White Materia to which she gives him the Clear Materia.
This series of events makes me believe that the Aerith Cloud talked to in the Pomeranian Timeline is not the Aerith from the Beagle Timeline. The Aerith in the Pomeranian Timeline seemed to have hinted that she knew she was going to die and that it had to happen. In addition, Sephiroth explains that the one Lifestream of the planet holds different timelines or “worlds.” This makes me believe that this Aerith could have been the Aerith from the Original Timeline because she knew what was going to happen and the original Aerith is part of the Lifestream.
Then there is Zack. The Zack players see sitting on the church steps is implied to be in the Pomeranian Timeline since Sephiroth shows up and sends him away. Players then see Sephiroth walking into the church behind the Aerith Cloud was just talking to. It’s Pomeranian Zack who shows up to help in the final battle.
Then there is the Aerith death scene. It appears as if two timelines are overlapping, one where Aerith is alive and talking with Cloud after he deflected Sephiroth’s sword and another where Sephiroth successfully killed Aerith. Everyone else in the party sees Aerith with her eyes closed and covered with blood, but it’s Cloud who sees her clean and with eyes wide open. However, it still seems like Aerith is saying goodbye as if she is dying. The important part here is the overlapping of timelines to create a reality.
Then, players start the final battle saga until the last part where Aerith appears to fight Sephiroth alongside Cloud. This could either be a manifestation of Cloud’s imagination because he’s been slowly going nuts the entire game or an Aerith from one of the divergent timelines, becoming another example of timelines coming together.
In the end, Aerith “dies” (we don’t get to see what happens to the Beagle Timeline’s Aerith after the fight) and Zack returns to his timeline away from the rest of the party. The exact fate of Aerith (or any of the other timelines’ Aeriths) is left open. We also don’t know which timeline Zack was sent to exactly. What we do know is that FF7 Rebirth has left open the possibility of having those timelines converge once again, leaving a lot of possibilities for where the story could go next.
For more Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth content, go back to see what you missed and ascend the ranks in Queen’s Blood.
