Creative Director Tetsuya Nomura Says ‘Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’ Treats Sephiroth As A Protagonist

The winds of change have already begun to blow in Final Fantasy VII Remake, and they will only pick up in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the sequel to Square Enix’s 2020 game. In particular, the treatment of main antagonist Sephiroth has brought a very fresh spin to the classic adventure dating back to 1997, but it seems the team is just getting started.

Nomura says Sephiroth can be considered a protagonist in FF7 Rebirth? Excuse me, Nomura, WHAT?

I’m so ready for the Sephiroth redemption arc 😂 pic.twitter.com/d9E06CazBZ

— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) November 3, 2023

Creative director Tetsuya Nomura has revealed that the silver-haired character can be considered a protagonist of the upcoming title, prompting fans to speculate that his redemption arc might potentially be part of the game’s story. As highlighted by X (formerly known as Twitter) user aitaikimochi, the industry veteran gave new insights into the inclusion of Shinra’s strongest warrior in the follow-up.

“As far as Sephiroth being this extremely popular character, frankly, I’m very curious as to what makes him so attractive to users, because I hear this opinion very often. His appearance, firstly, I’m sure, but also perhaps there is something about his background that brings about a particular appeal to so many of the players that makes him this iconic character,” said Nomura in an interview with Shacknews. “And so, for Rebirth, I would think that besides Cloud, Sephiroth is also a protagonist that we can think of for this title.”

This latest revelation joins other existing evidence that the fan favourite will play a major role in the upcoming title, with him becoming a playable character for the first time in the series. In the original, Cloud and the Midgar gang don’t face Sephiroth properly till the very end of the game, but Remake saw players fighting him as the final boss.

Of course, it’s worth noting that the protagonist role doesn’t necessarily mean “hero”, though a Sephiroth redemption arc wouldn’t be too far-fetched. After all, the Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis mobile game has elaborated on the character’s backstory, and it’s possible Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is putting him in a more heroic role along with Cloud and Zack. Either way, it’s confirmation that the Masamune wielder will have his fair share of the spotlight when the game arrives on 29 February 2024.