GamesRPGFinal Fantasy 7 RebirthAfter 27 years, a Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth book has reignited efforts to solve a mystery that’s been lingering since the original JRPGWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRPGFinal Fantasy 7 RebirthAfter 27 years, a Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth book has reignited efforts to solve a mystery that’s been lingering since the original JRPGWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Square Enix)
A newFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthbooklet is catching fans' attention thanks to one short story that holds clues to a mystery everyone has been mulling over since the original JRPG launched 27 years ago.
The Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth World Preview booklet is out now in Japan. The folks over at Shinra Archaeology Department havestarted the fan translation effort in earnest, focusing on a story called “2,000 Gil on the Road to be a Hero” that covers the onset of a 14-year-old Cloud’s journey to Midgar.
As Aitai Japan CEO and translation enthusiast Audreysummarizeson Twitter, the short story sheds light on Cloud’s dear ol' dad, who has remained a mystery since the JRPG was first released 27 years ago. He’s apparently an upbeat and optimistic guy who believes that “as long as you got 2,000 Gil in your wallet, you can go anywhere you like and overcome almost anything.” Handy, as Cloud takes his dad’s wallet, finds 2,000 Gil and uses it to go where he likes in a bid to overcome almost everything.
As Audrey also points out, this could lead us to a character we met in Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier called Glenn Lodbrok, a new and popular entrant in the ‘is that Cloud’s dad’ arena.
As for how the new story links to Lodbrok, we first learn that he owes someone 4,000 Gil – enough to use half to “go anywhere” twice over. Ever Crisis does put the debt down to Lodbrok being a habitual gambler trying to cover a family member’s medical bills, mind you. Aside from that, the personality traits of Cloud’s dad described here are quite Glenn-like.
Lodbrok’s introduction in Final Fantasy 7 spin-off titles The First Soldier and Ever Crisishadfanswonderingif his blonde hair and Mako-green eyes provided the answer to who Cloud’s dad is. It’s partly a theory based on vibes, though The First Solider does take place around 15 years before the original Final Fantasy 7 begins, so the timelines match up.
Another popular fan theoryI’ve seen kicked around over the years is that Cloud’s dadis a Shinra, focusing on the company’s presence in Nibelheim. The theory I’m more fond of is that he’s just a guy. A Final Fantasy 7 Remake novel, Traces of Two Pasts,tells ushe was a restless soul who wandered into the mountains one day and was never heard from again – his bag was discovered, but not him. Part of Cloud’s appeal is his unremarkable background as a Shinra trooper who hoped for something more, getting just that after one act of heroism. So why not let his dad be just as unremarkable?
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The identity of Cloud’s dad remains a fun thing to ponder and with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth around the corner, we may still get more clues.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
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Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”