Theories and Interpretations as to the Themes of Final Fantasy VII

by Kaji 

There have been debates about the 'true' meaning of Final Fantasy VII's ending for years, and I've come to the conclusion that they are all right. Square made this ending so obscure because they WANTED us to debate over it and try to interpret it. There are so many different ways to look at it, and so many different perspectives, I can't begin to count them all, but here is my interpretation, which stems from the many I've read and how I personally saw the ending.

First off, Sephiroth. Five years ago, after discovering his true origins, became enraged. Believing himself to be the last remaining Ancient, a race betrayed by that of Cloud's race, he felt it was his purpose to seek revenge for his people. What he didn't know was that not only was he not the last remaining Ancient (there was still Aeris living in Midgar), but he wasn't an Ancient at all. In the records made by Professor Gast and Ifalna at Icicle Inn, it is stated that Jenova was the "Scourge from the Skies" or something to that effect. Jenova, apparently a race not of this world, came down from the skies, somehow causing the North Crater to form (whether this is from a space ship crash or what is unclear). Jenova then proceeded to infect the Cetra with a virus, killing most of the race. The Cetra in turn used their powers of the Planet, as well as Weapon, to stop Jenova, and freeze her beneath the earth. This is where the Shinra scientists find her and mistake her for an ancient. Hojo, using Lucrecia's womb, creates Sephiroth through genetic engineering using Jenova's cells. He is a partial clone of Jenova, not an Ancient.

Now, fast forward to five years ago again. Cloud, outraged by Sephiroth burning down his hometown, chases him to the reactor. Sephiroth falls into the lifestream and is considered dead, but since he is part of Jenova he doesn't die. He travels the lifestream, assimilating the knowledge of the Ancients, and goes into a state of sleep in the North Crater. This is where Jenova takes over. Using Sephiroth as a puppet, Jenova seeks and finds the Black Materia, the Ultimate Destructive Magic, Meteor. This is where Aeris comes in. At the Temple of the Ancients, Aeris talks to others of her race. This is where she discovers the true purpose of the "worthless" materia her mother gave her - Holy. Holy is the opposite of Meteor. The purpose of Meteor is only to destroy, while the purpose of Holy is to protect the Planet, which includes destroying anything harmful to it. Aeris goes to the Forgotten Capital of the Ancients, where she begins to pray for Holy, which she believes is the only way to stop Meteor. Jenova/Sephiroth knows this, and so he kills her, preventing her from summoning Holy.

When Cloud and his allies return to the Forgotten Capital with Bugenhagen, Bugen explains what Aeris' intent was, and he also explains the purpose of Holy. He also remarks that he wonders whether or not the planet will judge humans as evil. It is discovered that her prayer did in fact reach the planet. That's why the Holy materia was a pale green. So what was stopping Holy? Sephiroth/Jenova. Cloud and his crew head to the North Crater to destroy Sephiroth in order to free Holy. Sephiroth and Jenova are destroyed here, and finally Cloud fights Sephiroth one-on-one in his own consciousness. It is important to note that this isn't in reality them fighting, because Sephiroth is already dead. Cloud is just cleansing his mind of the control of Sephiroth, and this fight is just a symbol of that.

So, with Sephiroth and Jenova out of the picture, there are only two conflicting forces left - Holy and Meteor. Cloud and the Highwind escapes from the North Crater to see Meteor destroying Midgar. Meteor has arrived. But, just in time, Holy appears, and comes between Midgar and Meteor. This is where Holy makes its final judgment. Who is evil? The ultimate purpose of Holy is to protect the planet. So what is hurting the planet? Two things - Meteor, obviously, and humans with their Mako reactors. Holy then amplifies Meteor's power to destroy Midgar, the center of the human civilization. It appears that Bugen was right, and Holy judged humans as harmful to the Planet after all.

But it's not over yet. There is still one person that still has faith in the human race. That person is Aeris. Aeris' consciousness is still alive in the lifestream, and she leads the swirling spirit energy to Meteor and Holy to protect the humans. The Lifestream gathers at Midgar, and in a flash of light the characters shield their eyes, and a vision of Aeris appears. Aeris is the savior.

Now, it's hard to tell whether Aeris' plan worked or not. Obviously, Midgar was destroyed. This is seen 500 years later. And also, Nanaki is still alive. But what about the humans? Were they spared? I think this is a point left to ponder. It's all a matter of whether or not Aeris and the Cetra's belief in humankind was strong enough to overpower the magic of Holy and Meteor. The moral that the game leaves you with is this - Life will go on. No matter what happens, it will continue. The laughing children symbolize new life, and the renewal of plants and animals near Midgar shows that even if humans try as they might to destroy, they won't be successful. Life will always prevail. Maybe we'll never know if humankind survived to live this lesson, but I think that's what Square intended. Whether they lived or perished doesn't really matter. What matters is that life continued, and the player hopefully learned the lesson they were meant to learn.