Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director claims Zack Fair will play “important role” in game

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi has explained that Zack Fair will play an “important role” in the upcoming game.

Former First Class SOLDIER Zack Fair was a mentor to Final Fantasy 7 protagonist Cloud Strife. Before his death, Zack gave the Buster Sword to Cloud in an effort to continue his legacy.

While Zack merely appeared in flashbacks in FF7, he received his own spinoff prequel titled Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 in 2008. Square Enix later remastered the game for modern consoles in December 2022.

Viewers were shocked after watching a trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, which surprisingly featured Zack Fair alive and well. Now, the game’s director has claimed the First Class SOLDIER will actually appear as a “major character.”

Zack will be “major character” in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Square Enix

In an interview with One More Game, Hamaguchi discussed what fans can expect from Zack in the second entry of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy. “Zack will play an important role as a major character,” he said. Additionally, they should look forward to “what will the world be, how will the world move, and what will the players encounter.”

Regarding Zack’s involvement, Hamaguchi declined to speak about the matter and if any fan theories correctly predicted his role.

One Reddit fan theory suggested Zack could act as the antagonist in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Another speculated there could be two timelines within the game.

However, the director explained how they “always check the pulse of the players regarding feedback for the game.” They previously added Red XIII riding a Chocobo, which fans were surprised to see.

Hamaguchi also hinted at another “surprise” surrounding a certain character’s death at the hands of Sephiroth. It’s unclear how Rebirth will handle the memorable scene, but hopefully, it will fare well with dedicated fans.