The following contained SPOILERS for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Summary
Thanks to the introduction of the Whispers inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthpresents an exciting opportunity to see some of theFinal Fantasyseries' most iconic characters in a new light. Right from the outset ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s opening moments, it becomes clear that players are entering uncharted territory in terms of how the game will reimagine established story beats and character relationships, and the game goes to great lengths to further develop characters that weren’t necessarily done justice in the original game. Perhaps no other core character fromFinal Fantasy 7exemplifies this more than Red XIII.
Other than his introduction in Professor Hojo’s lab within the Shinra building and the exciting revelations held within Cosmo Canyon, Red XIII was one of the least examined characters in the originalFinal Fantasy 7. What’s more, thanks to his late game introduction inRemake, players didn’t even get the chance to use Red XIII as a party member. WithFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthending its portion of theRemaketrilogy’s story atthe Forgotten Capital, Red XIII gets plenty of time to shine as an important member of Cloud’s party, complete with a brand-new game-changing impact resulting from the party’s time in Cosmo Canyon.
Red XIII Shines as One of the Most Versatile Party Members in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
After not getting the chance to directly control Red XIII inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthimmediately makes good on the character’s inclusion, with him being one of the better available choices as far as who to include as one of Cloud’s two companions.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s new Synergy Abilitiesmake carefully choosing party members more important than ever. Red XIII’s synergies with Cloud provide some excellent early-game bonuses to combat proficiency that make the character an ideal inclusion in any adventuring party.
Following the fight with Midgardsormr and entering the Mythril Cave, Barret and Red XIII become a locked party that the player gets to control. During this section, it becomes readily apparent how well Red XIII synergizes with ranged characters likeBarret, as well as Aerith. While ranged combatants deal damage to enemies from afar, Red XIII can use his fast and fluid melee attack style to apply pressure, eventually either staggering foes or opening up opportunities for using Synergy Abilities.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthpositions Red XIII as a support character that enhances the effectiveness of other party members, and his place in the party is all the more valuable for it.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Shows Red XIII to Be a Thoughtful and Introspective Character
Though he would receive some more development as part ofFinal Fantasy 7: Advent Children, Red XIII’s characterization inthe originalFinal Fantasy 7was limited to just a handful of key moments in the story. Comparatively, bothFinal Fantasy 7 RemakeandRebirthgive Red XIII much more time in the spotlight, whether that be through brand-new dialogue that establishes his personality in more depth or the framing ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s story around the Cosmo Canyon segment.
Due to the revelations about Red XIII’s past and his family that arise from the party’s time within Cosmo Canyon,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthfeatures two variations of each quest. The version that players get to experience changes depending on whether they’ve visited Cosmo Canyon or not, with Red XIII’s personality and outlook undergoing a distinct change afterwards.
Even prior to the paradigm-shifting Cosmo Canyon events inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s story, Red XIII comes off as a thoughtful and helpful party member, and his loyalty to Cloud establishes his thankfulness for the rescue from Hojo’s lab. Despite his advanced age, Red XIII is the equivalent of a teenager for his species, but his wisdom and outlook make himFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s resident scholar of the world of Gaia.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
