20 Hidden Secrets In Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth

20 Hidden Secrets in Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth

Aaron Brown

Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re traveling across Gaia as we uncover all the hidden secrets, easter eggs, and callbacks to the original Final Fantasy 7 in both the 2020 Remake and recent sequel Rebirth.

48?!

“Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” (2024)

Finally playable in Rebirth, Red XIII’s role within the group is significantly expanded upon as their journey continues. A constant source of wisdom, Red’s stoic delivery brought a sense of calm no matter how outrageous the events unfolding around Cloud and company became. All of this changes however when the group reaches Cosmo Canyon and suddenly Red’s old soul behavior is replaced with an almost child-like demeanor which understandably catches the group off guard. Bugenhagen explains that Red XIII, real name Nanaki, is actually only 48 years old which is barely a teenager in his species. This was also represented in the original FF7 but due to poor localization and lack of voice acting, it amounted to little more than how much dialogue Red would have during conversations after he dropped his old man facade.

Flashbacks or Flashforwards?

“Final Fantasy 7 Remake” (2020)

As the timelines begin to break down and the Whispers can no longer hold back the changes to the time stream at the end of Remake, Cloud and the rest of his companions are shown flashes of visions of the past and things yet to come. Some of these flashes include direct recreations of shots from the Final Fantasy 7 sequel movie Advent Children using the game’s engine. The creators of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth have stated that no matter what happens in the remake trilogy, the storyline will still end with the events of Advent Children being canon, so this is a nice nod to things to come for longtime fans and some homework for newcomers.

Umbrella Crisis

“Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” (2024)

Cloud has no shortage of swords at his disposal throughout Remake and Rebirth, but it’s one of his impromptu weapons that is a much deeper cut than newcomers might realize. While on the beach at Costa Del Sol, Cloud and his friends are ambushed by some of Hojo’s experiments and Cloud must improvise a weapon by grabbing a nearby beach umbrella. For longtime fans of the series, particularly Crisis Core, this is a direct callback to Zack doing the same during an unexpected attack on the same beach long before the events of the original Final Fantasy 7. Even without Cloud realizing it, Zack continues to inspire him.

Sea Salt Ice Cream

“Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” (2024)

This one has almost nothing to do with the Final Fantasy series but is instead a direct callback to game director Tetsuya Nomura’s other beloved franchise, Kingdom Hearts. Tracking our heroes through the desert, the newest addition to the Turks, Elena, bemoans her predicament of being dressed all in black while being lost in the desert. Shortly after she’s picked up by Rude, she can be seen cooling off with a sea salt ice cream, the preferred ice cream of many of the characters in the Kingdom Hearts series, especially Roxas and his friends during the prologue of Kingdom Hearts 2.

Da-Chao Beans

“Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade” (2021)

Anyone who played the original Final Fantasy will more than likely be familiar with the Wutai Water God Da-Chao and Yuffie’s side quest bringing her into direct contact with the massive stone visage of their deity. However, instead of directly calling out this moment upon Yuffie’s introduction, Yuffie instead offers her new friends one of her Da-Chao beans, so named after the stone statue. Naturally, since they’re named after the stone representation, the beans themselves are hard as a rock, something Yuffie happily proclaims helps make Wutai superior. Breaking someone’s teeth is a strange way to make new friends, Yuffie. Although it does fall in line with her character.

Thank You

“Final Fantasy 7 Remake” (2020)

Tifa’s bar in Midgard, Seventh Heaven, is a beloved and special location not just for Tifa but also fans of the original. The developers of the Remake made sure to put as much love and care into the bar’s creation for players to explore and filled it with Easter Eggs for longtime fans. One of the most easily overlooked is a small but meaningful detail hidden among the many pictures and plaques on the walls of the bar. One of these plaques is a piece of piano sheet music with the description “Thank you for all the wonderful memories” and is a direct copy of the real-world piano arrangement collection of some of Final Fantasy VII’s most iconic songs.

Aerith and the Highwind

“Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” (2024)

Spoilers for a 27-year-old game as well as Rebirth, but Aerith’s death had such a profound impact on players, some spent years trying to find ways to resurrect her, scouring every bit of code to undo the tragedy that scarred them for life. Although there is no way to properly bring Aerith back, some fans pointed to some concept art which depicts her standing beside the Highwind as it takes off which never appears in the game proper, so then maybe Aerith wasn’t always meant to die. While this has never been confirmed, in Rebirth players can get a brief moment of this concept art come to life as Aerith watches the Highwind lift off as she stays behind in the Forgotten Capital. It’s a nice payoff for longtime fans and theorists, even if sadly Aerith’s fate remained relatively the same.

Bladed Staff

“Final Fantasy 7 Remake” (2020)

Every character has a number of secret weapons in Final Fantasy 7 Remake but one of Aerith’s is not only the hardest to obtain but also the easiest to overlook. Obtainable only in Chapter 11 from a very specific boss, in this case Eligor, players won’t even know the boss possesses the weapon unless they scan him using Assess, and even then, they have to steal it in order to add it to their arsenal. However, should they miss their opportunity, they’ll need to replay the entire chapter over again just for another shot at what might not be Aerith’s most powerful weapon but still a worthy addition for those looking to 100% the game and their team.

The XIII King

“Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” (2024)

While no one can definitively say just what Red XIII is, whether he’s a dog, a lion, a tiger or some combination of all of them, there’s no denying he comes from a noble and respected bloodline and should likewise be commemorated as such. If players bring pictures to the painter Maeve, she will recreate some of these into works of brilliant brushstrokes and even build a story around them. Specifically, if you bring her pictures of Red XIII, she will craft a story akin to the Lion King with even the final panel of her creation directly referencing Simba standing on Pride Rock overlooking his domain with Red XIII in his place.

Alone At Last

“Final Fantasy 7 Remake” (2020)

Much like in Rebirth, albeit to a lesser extent, the more quests players complete for certain companions, the more specific rewards they can unlock. For Tifa, players earn the “Alone at Last” cutscene in which Cloud visits Tifa in her apartment. While the scene itself would be an interesting enough hidden secret, there’s one more discreetly tucked away for players to find. Eagle eyed fans will notice a pair of boots that are almost certainly the ones Tifa wore during her time in Nibelheim which can be seen in various flashbacks as well as her outfit in the original Final Fantasy 7. Understandably, Tifa seems unable to let go of her past and the tragedy she endured.

Brothers From A Different Age

“Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade” (2021)

The PS5 expansion Intermission introduced more than just Yuffie to the world of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake world, it also introduced a pair of sadistic brothers obsessed with belts and bondage gear. However, for the few of you out there who played the PS2 pseudo sequel Dirge of Cerberus, you’d know these two brothers have quite the future in store for them as the leaders of the Shinra subdivision Deepground. This might be one of the most obscure callbacks in the Remake saga, but it shows the developers are keeping up with the Final Fantasy 7 Compendium and are focused on maintaining the series canon no matter how obscure.

Slap Fest

“Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” (2024)

The original Final Fantasy 7 is packed to the brim with iconic and memorable moments, but some are overshadowed by others. One such event takes place when Tifa and Scarlet have a knock down, drag out slap fight aboard a ship’s cannon, finally dishing out some well-deserved justice to the corrupt Shinra Executive. Remake features a direct callback to this moment as two NPCs recreate it almost one-to-one as the pair seem to be fighting about a man. Let’s hope that when this moment arrives in the Remake Saga, Tifa uses all of her martial arts skills rather than just a five finger open faced sandwich.

Callback Poses

“Final Fantasy 7 Remake” (2020)

This is probably the easiest to spot for longtime Final Fantasy 7 fans but it’s still a nostalgic touch that we’re grateful the developers included. Throughout the entire Final Fantasy series, the protagonists will strike a pose after their victory and arguably some of the most iconic ones come from the franchise’s beloved seventh entry. In both Remake and Rebirth, these moments are recreated flawlessly. The poses are especially noticeable in Chadley’s combat simulation when the group lines up together after a fight and Barret will even occasionally hum the victory theme from the game.

Pride & Joy Prototype

"Final Fantasy 7 Remake” (2020)

The Final Fantasy series is no stranger to secret bosses, with some of the most iconic and memorable coming from the original Final Fantasy 7 itself. Remake decided to really make the player work to take down not only its strongest opponent but also its most well-hidden. Not only do players need to complete every optional fight in the Combat Simulator as well as the Corneo Colosseum, but also survive a gauntlet of tough encounters just to meet arguably one of the most difficult enemies in the entire game, the Pride and Joy Prototype which can easily knock you back to the beginning of your trial should the other battles have left you unprepared. This is a challenge only the most dedicated will unlock let alone chase after and really the only reward in the end is another trophy towards platinuming the game.

Moogle In Disguise

“Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade” (2021)

Another callback to Vincent’s often forgotten solo outing, Yuffie leaped onto the scene in Intermission wearing an enormous Moogle poncho, but without their grace or their penchant for saving the game or shop keeping abilities. Besides resembling the adorable series mascots, Yuffie’s costume is also the same one she wears when reuniting with Vincent in Dirge of Cerberus, albeit the costume had seen better days in that entry, but it manages to act as a much better disguise than in Intermission as Vincent doesn’t immediately recognize her. Or perhaps he was deliberately trying to forget her. There’s no denying she can be a bit much.

Portrait Foreshadowing

“Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” (2024)

Shinra Mansion remains one of the most important locations in any Final Fantasy game and in Rebirth players are able to explore the iconic location in greater detail than ever before. One of the most tantalizing aspects is the numerous portraits and paintings scattered around the manor. Not only can players find a portrait of a young and hopeful future Shinra President Rufus, but they’ll also find numerous paintings of the nearby Nibelheim and its many landmarks. However, by far the most important picture hanging in the halls has been nearly destroyed but dedicated fans can still make out the visage of a younger Hojo and a woman of great importance in the story going forward.

Test 0

“Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” (2024)

The original Final Fantasy 7 had a number of secret or hidden boss fights for the player to track down but one of them had such a low spawn rate, it was widely considered an urban legend. However, once the existence of Test 0 was later confirmed to be real, it was also revealed that it was only available in first run prints of the Japanese release of the game. Rebirth brings back this elusive encounter, still waiting for players at the bottom of a pit in Corel Prison, but thankfully much easier to find than its original incarnation and waiting for the player at the end of one of the many side quests to collect Chocobo food for Ester.

Pixel Pictures

“Final Fantasy 7 Remake” (2020)

As we mentioned earlier, Tifa’s Seventh Heaven Bar is a bonafide treasure trove of Easter Eggs for longtime fans and the many pictures lining the walls continue to hold many of the best secrets. In the hallway beside the bar, players will see a couple snapshots framed and hanging above the doorway. These are screen captures of the original Final Fantasy 7 incarnation of Seventh Heaven exactly as players remember it, pixelated and all. The angle overlooking the bar is even the same exact camera positioning as in the original game. Even with all the timeline shenanigans, the developers continue to pay homage to the original classic.

Shinra Connections

“Final Fantasy 7 Remake” (2020)

It has long been believed that Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy X take place within the same universe, primarily due to one character in Final Fantasy X-2. In X-2, Yuna will meet a young character who remains anonymous due to his distinctive mask but bears the very familiar name of Shinra. Shinra even discusses the many uses of this energy that is most likely the planet’s life stream and the ways to harness such a power. In Final Fantasy 7 Remake, players can find a portrait of President Shinra with his graduating class and sitting in the middle wearing a very familiar mask appears to be the same young man from X-2 all grown up. This isn’t the only connection to X-2 players have noticed either as upon arriving at the Gold Saucer, Cait Sith appears to fire one of X-2’s dress spheres at Yuffie, transforming her into her new outfit.

The Gem Warriors

“Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” (2024)

Square and the developers of the Remake saga seem to be holding back some of the franchise’s most difficult and notorious optional bosses for the third entry, namely the Emerald and Ruby weapons, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t left clues to their existence within the Remake trilogy. Players have found posters tacked up around the Shinra-8 Cruise Ship and the Gold Saucer that seem to be nods to the infamous weapons. With one reading “Marvel at the Ruby Red Sunset” and the other proclaiming “ Dive into the Emerald Sea”, both featuring the distinct and unmistakable outlines of the super weapons that players will undoubtedly encounter in the Remake’s 3rd entry.

What was the most surprising Easter Egg or callback you found in the first two entries of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake saga? Share your discoveries down in the comments.