How FF7 Remake May Foreshadow Tifa’s Death In The Sequel

During the final act of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, as Cloud and his party invade Shinra headquarters, a holographic display of company propaganda turns into a foreboding vision of an apocalyptic future where Sephiroth appears to kill Tifa. Some fans speculate that this sequence is a premonition of the future, and that it foreshadows the death of Tifa in a later installment of the series. The story of FF7 Remake suggests the future is open to anything, as the embodiments of fate, the Whispers, are defeated. It is certainly possible that the beloved Tifa Lockheart could fall to Sephiroth’s blade in the sequel.

The Whispers’ metafictional role is akin to stalwart fans of the original PlayStation Final Fantasy 7, acting as guardians of the integrity of the specific timeline of events as they originally occurred. At several points in the story the Whispers block certain paths and prod Cloud onto others. When Barret is killed during the invasion of Shinra HQ (an event that did not take place in the original version of the game), the Whispers intercede to restore him to life. Sephiroth seems fully aware of the Whispers and speaks in nebulous terms about defying predestination and forging a new future.

As one of the final battles in the game against the Whisper Harbringers seems to pave the way to the undefined future Sephiroth alluded to, it could mean that events like the tragic death of Aerith are no longer set in stone. However, it may have also opened the door to new losses. With fate no longer predetermined, no Final Fantasy 7 Remake characters are safe in the new timeline of the series. The same vision which appears to show Sephiroth murdering Tifa also showed Barret similarly dispatched, and citizens fleeing the destruction of Midgar. This suggests more than a simple swap of Sephiroth’s victim from Aerith to Tifa, but rather, it reinforces the idea that no one is guaranteed to make it through the story alive.

No One Is Safe In Final Fantasy 7 Remake – Not Even Tifa

The first part of the series focused entirely on the city of Midgar, and as the FF7 Remake sequel promises an even more ambitious game, with Cloud and his allies journeying out into the larger world of Gaia. FF7 Remake Part 2‘s story is also expected to branch out in new, unpredictable ways. One constant is that following Sephiroth to stop his plans is still the central goal of the game. Clearly the new incarnation of Sephiroth has a deeper understanding of the role of fate than the heroes, suggesting he knows how his quest to revive Jenova ended. The imagery of destruction displayed in the vision might suggest that Sephiroth is aiming to finish what he started in the original timeline, and has plans to eliminate Cloud’s allies, like Tifa.

Considering Sephiroth already killed Barret in Shinra headquarters near the end of FF7 Remake, this part of the vision may have already come to fruition – even though Barret was revived by the Whispers. However, the Whispers are now defeated, meaning that Tifa likely won’t be saved by them if Sephiroth kills her. It would also make for an interesting shake-up, considering Aerith’s death is one of the most iconic moments in the original game.

The actions and possibly prophetic visions of Sephiroth still suggest a destructive endgame, but the story may well have a more complex role for Cloud’s iconic antagonist. The rules and metaphysics of fate have not been clearly defined in the FF7 Remake universe. It could be there is more than one Sephiroth at work, one who is going through the original motions of following Jenova’s call, and another who exists outside of the timeline who could have a different motive altogether. Sephiroth himself may not have been the source of the vision of Tifa’s death. The Whispers, or some unknown party, could be working to keep Cloud focused on eliminating Sephiroth by showing these threatening visions. It is far too early for fans to say where the story of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series will go, but killing off Tifa could be a major divergence for its sequel.

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