Sephiroth or Jenova Spoiler Discussion

[Poptart]

The Original Final Fantasy 7 allowed for a great deal of contemplation and debating regarding the character Sephiroth that still continues to this day, so what are your thoughts on the "Reimagining" of Sephiroth thus far?

In a great many discussions, Sephiroth is depicted as some ultimate evil incarnate, a mustache twirling villain of epic proportions. But was he? Is he? Or did a very clever perspective trick of story-telling make the tragic hero into a monster no one would think could be redeemed, would want to redeem, or would deserve it?

The only time we, as a player, have a chance to know Sephiroth in FF7 (until Crisis Core was released) is during the events in Nibelheim's flashback. After those events, Sephiroth is sealed in a crystal until the end of the game. (The same condition Lucrecia can be found hidden away.)

Every appearance of Sephiroth in FF7 that we see is JENOVA using one of the many victims as puppets for the attack on the Shinra Building in which Jenova is freed and President Shinra is killed (along with every thing along the way), the Midgar serpent, and even the death of Aerith (for which many fans have considered the most unforgettable and unforgivable act).

What evidence is there that Jenova, rather than Sephiroth, is responsible for these acts aside from Sephiroth being sealed throughout the game which is not discovered until far later? Every instance the player must fight a form of Jenova when confronted with that image of Sephiroth.

So, what is Jenova? As a life form, it appears to have a similar affect of John Carpenter's The Thing. Jenova can imitate host organisms. Beyond that, the cells themselves appear to be capable of controlling a host organism such as Jenova does to the player as Cloud himself at points.

Why is the line presented 'Shall I give you despair?' Why does the hallucinations of Sephiroth attempt to break Cloud down? Jenova could be interpreted as an allegory for depression and war time PTSD. The control Jenova has over anyone seems to take place once a person's own will falters, and breaks.

When Cloud's will breaks down, he is controlled into nearly stabbing Aerith from our perspective in the OG game. Another Jenova clone appearing as Sephiroth finishes the job when Cloud does not. Cloud, under Jenova's influence, does in fact deliver the black materia to Sephiroth under Jenova's control.

By that same thought process, when does Jenova take control of Sephiroth? At Sephiroth's lowest point in Nibelheim in the flashback sequence. Through Crisis Core and the Nibelheim flashback we see Sephiroth as he was.

Sephiroth refuses to do Shinra's bidding and hunt down Angeal and Genesis to destroy them. He says this himself to Zack. He wants to find his former friends, not kill them, and thinks about leaving Shinra entirely for what they uncover along the way. Angeal dies, and Sephiroth is confronted by Genesis in Nibelheim during the events in which he learns the truth of his own origin. Genesis taunts him with the revelation rather than being a supportive friend. Sephiroth doesn't kill Genesis during this act. He simply denies him the help he asks for, and walks away.

Zack is the one to fight Genesis. Sephiroth explores the truth of Genesis' words, and has his PTSD moment. Sephiroth's friends are dead or abandoned him. In the research, it states that at the time of his creation, every person in Nibelheim was a part of Shinra, and this town functioned to support the lab and horrors that were created here. Sephiroth loses himself to despair, and Jenova has access to use Sephiroth to free itself -- the very same way Jenova uses someone to free itself from the Shinra Building years later.

Throughout the game, Cloud is able to overcome his PTSD, even though not completely, with the support of the friendships he's formed along the way. It is only with the support of Tifa, Aerith, Barret, Cid, Red, Vincent, Yuffie, and Cait Sith that Cloud does not meet the same end as Sephiroth and all the other puppets in the game.

Truly, the original game had an amazing underlying feature of showcasing veterans or people in general with PTSD and the importance of a support system and I am left to wonder what the reimagining of FF7 will make of it.

If the whole point of the 'Remake' is a new twist on the story where the events of the original story are actively attempting to be changed, what can be changed? What should be changed? ...and if nothing is... what was the point of creating this version of FF7 and not a shot for shot recreation?

Does the remake still carry the heavy themes and layered narratives of the original well enough, or has it become too blatantly black and white? If by the end, all the player has left is hatred, and a desire to destroy rather than heal... has the player too become another puppet of Jenova?

[AIR]

Some people think I was trolling when I wrote Sephiroth being "Rebirth" as a woman, since the original writers of the game wanted it to be like that, but it was a corporate decision that went against their will and made Sephiroth into a man.

Final Fantasy, ultimately, isn't game of thrones when it comes to the "Maturity" of the topics.

My point isn't about being "Woke" or "Gender Equality", but as you said, it is to explore new avenues, not a 1:1 copy.

Can you imagine if Sephiroth Rebirth copying the face of Aerith? The whole gang having to see he steal her likeness to destroy the world, instead of saving it? That would be a twist of epic proportions, and it would really hit deep down in the core of people who played the game before.

And it's something in character with Seph: to torture the mind, not only the body, of his opponents. And Aerith weilding a No-Dachi would be spectacular.