We just want to get this out of the way first – Final Fantasy VII is (and will forever be) one of the best games ever made. The imagination, the vision, and the sheer aura that it exudes is simply something that can’t be replicated in video gaming–an authenticity that runs through every facet of its makeup.

With a dollop of fantasy, a smidgen of love, and a pinch of horror, the seventh installment in the iconic RPG series is one of those titles that captivates the player from the first epic moment to the last. First released in 1997, the game is still beloved by many around the globe, with interesting myths and legends still surfacing with regards to its design–and that includes some bizarre secrets too.

RELATED: 10 Details About Midgar You Didn't Notice In Final Fantasy 7 Remake

This steampunk-infused, fantastical thrill-ride is littered with peculiar Easter eggs, obscure facts, and jaw-dropping outtakes–many of which you probably never even knew about. Well, after reading this list, you’ll know everything there is to know about this monumental gaming feat.

It includes the strangest secrets surrounding the game that managed to go unnoticed by audiences. Whether it’s the dark origins that influenced the game or some questionable dialogue that would never get through quality control today – Final Fantasy VII is steeped in strange secrets, lore, and facts.

Updated on May 5th, 2021 by Russ Boswell: Final Fantasy 7 continues to be an absolute juggernaut in the gaming world. Even in the modern age, there are plenty of gamers experiencing the iconic adventure for the first time. It's refreshing and heartwarming to see players that weren't even alive during Final Fantasy 7's release be able to pick it up and look past its aged graphics to see the beauty underneath. 

The love for the title has been recently renewed thanks to the Final Fantasy 7 Remake and a lot of gamers out there are chomping at the bit, anxiously awaiting the next installment in the revitalized storyline. There's no better time to jump into the deep lore and development behind this legendary game, so we've gone in to find even more secrets to uncover.

18 Cloud's Hair Was Almost Very Plain

Because of the ease with which developers would’ve been able to design Cloud’s hair, it was initially decided that they would make it quite plain–something which is enough to leave most fans aghast.

Yes, in the initial stages, Square had Cloud’s hair designed as being brunette and slicked back. However, after seeing that it wasn’t quite as effective as they first thought, they decided to go a more complex route with the spiky blonde hair that we all know and love today.

Imagine Cloud without that eye-catching hairstyle! It’d be like having the Gold Saucer without that awesome snowboarding mini-game.

17 The Original Game Design Had An Old-School Detective Feel

Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy 7

It might sound strange at the outset, but Final Fantasy VII was originally intended to be based around a detective tale. It would feature a sleuth by the name of Detective Joe, who would go around investigating the iconic Mako reactors.

It was certainly a radically different approach from what gamers ended up with in the final product–less fantasy and more crime, in fact. It would’ve been an adventure game, but it probably wouldn’t have had all the quirks and distinctive qualities that a ground-breaking RPG like this had.

16 The Backgrounds During Battle Were A Headache To Choose

Final Fantasy 7 was one of the most ambitious projects that Square would ever take on and it really shows. The finished product is so much more expansive and detailed than gamers could have predicted. This is especially impressive when you consider the era in which the title released. Developers had access to better tools and more space (moving from Nintendo's cartridges to CDs), thanks to their choice to port the game on the PlayStation, but that doesn't mean they were completely without limitations.

One of the more difficult development issues was choosing what backgrounds would appear during combat. The creators wanted to keep things as visually appealing as possible but they also wanted combat to feel dynamic, with a multitude of changing camera shots. Because of these constantly changing shots, the backgrounds had to be as low-poly as possible, creating a bit of a headache for development.

15 Sephiroth's Third Battle Makes Him Weak

We hope this doesn’t ruin your view of one of gaming’s greatest ever villains, but we had to inform you–turns out Sephiroth is actually a bit of a weakling.

The player faces the ashen-haired baddie a total of three times during the game’s duration, however, in the third instance it seems he isn’t the formidable opponent that he once was. Because, while the first two boss battles with him are insanely tough, the final encounter is much more doable.

RELATED: Final Fantasy 7: 10 Reasons Why Sephiroth Is Scarier In The Original Game Than The Remake

Using a Gameshark device, it shows his health at only 1 HP – seriously. We were led to believe that he was practically invincible for the whole game, however, this little secret proves otherwise.

14 Cloud's Ragnarok Has A World-Ending Meaning

One of Cloud’s obtainable swords, the Ragnarok, is one mean-looking piece of kit. It’s exactly what you’d want the hero of this game to have, and it seems it’s not just from an aesthetic level that it’s useful either, but from a mythological standpoint too.

Yes, the name is actually derived from Norse mythology, and basically means ‘the end of the world’ when put in context with the mythology. It is the foretelling of future events–most of which are based around natural disasters, monumental battles, and a great loss of life. So yeah, a pretty intense name for a pretty badass weapon.

The next time you’re wailing monsters with this bad boy, just remember it has a dark translation in Norse mythology.

13 One-Winged Angel Sees Influence From Norman Bates

You probably know that Jimi Hendrix’s stunning track “Purple Haze” was a great inspiration for Sephiroth’s epic boss theme song “One-Winged Angel,” but you probably didn’t know that it has much darker origins: the frightening score from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

It doesn’t get any more intense than taking influence from a horror movie soundtrack, but that’s exactly what the game’s composer Nobuo Uematsu did. The sheer dread that can be felt on the film’s score can also be felt on “One-Winged Angel,” which is a credit to Uematsu’s musical talent.

While we’re on the subject of theme songs, why in the world does nobody mention Sephiroth’s bone-chilling track “Those Chose by the Planet!?” It plays almost every time he’s on-screen, and to this day, is one of the most effective (and utterly terrifying) scores to ever grace a video game.

12 Most Of The Characters Were Created During Story Development

Tetsuya Nomura wanted to take Final Fantasy 7 in a different direction from its predecessor. FF6 was amazing in its own right, especially from a story perspective, but featured an ensemble cast. Players would control a variety of heroes throughout FF6's expansive world, even if most players consider Terra as the game's lead. Nomura created Cloud Strife to helm Final Fantasy 7's story, intending the entire game to revolve around him.

Because of this, many of the characters that were crafted for the title were simply thought up during the story's development. That said, not every character was a spur-of-the-moment addition. Both Cait Sith and Barret were character designs that Nomura had always wanted to use in some capacity, and FF7 gave him the platform and excuse he was looking for.

11 You Can Hear Kefka's Iconic Laugh In The Gold Saucer

via.ScreenRant.com

The Gold Saucer serves as the perfect distraction from the darkness and heartache that the story provides–featuring some awesome diversions that would go on to inspire many games of its ilk to include mini-games and the like.

However, while it was an evolutionary transition, there are still some nods to the series’ earlier titles–specifically Final Fantasy VI. If players interact with the big green pumpkin situated in the corner of the room, they will hear the slowed-down sinister laugh of iconic villain Kefka.

It’s always nice to see references to earlier titles in the franchise, but it has to be said that this one is pretty alarming!

10 Final Fantasy 7 Was The First Game In The Series To Use Blood

Final Fantasy VII marked the first time that blood was ever used in the series. While we’ve become somewhat desensitized to the sight of it in games, back in 1997, it was quite a new thing.

RELATED: Final Fantasy 7: 10 Secrets That Took Fans Years To Find

Also unique was the fact that JRPGs were usually cutesy affairs, choosing instead to go with a lighter and less controversial color scheme. However, this bold title would have none of that. Freed from the graphical limitations that chained Square in the past, Final Fantasy VII certainly doesn’t shy away from depicting blood in all of its intense detail.

9 The Game Was Originally Going To Be Set In New York City

Can you imagine Final Fantasy VII being situated in the real world? No, us neither, but that’s exactly how Square had planned it initially. Yes, and it would have taken place in The Big Apple: New York.

It’s surprising given how much of the game is focused on fantasy and mythology, and it would have most definitely taken away from the otherworldly feeling that the title so effortlessly nails. It wasn’t a unique take on the city either, but rather, it would have been set in the modern-day. Wait, what?

Goodness knows how they thought this would work, to begin with, but considering the original detective concept, it kind of makes sense. The more we think about it, the more we realize just how different the game would’ve been with its original outline.

8 Sephiroth And Aeris Were Originally Together

Even though Aeris meets her demise at the hands of Sephiroth, it seems there was originally going to be a closer connection between the two. Sephiroth was written in as Aeris’ first love.

Despite being one of the evilest men in gaming history, Sephiroth originally had feelings for Aeris – and she presumably shared those sentiments too. In fact, it wasn’t until much later on in the writing process that the sinister baddie was taken out of the storyline strand and replaced with Zack.

Again, a weird secret regarding the two characters’ initial backstory, but one that disturbs us due to how tragic Aeris’ demise was at the hands of Sephiroth.

7 The PlayStation Wasn't Their Original Platform Of Choice

It was strange and a little bit heartbreaking to see the Final Fantasy franchise shift from Nintendo to another platform. We'd grown accustomed to seeing the series exclusively under Nintendo's banner but after playing Final Fantasy 7 in all its glory, most gamers were completely content with the console shift. The PlayStation and its roomy discs allowed developers to create a Final Fantasy world like we'd never seen before.

But the PlayStation wasn't the only system that designers considered. The team knew they wanted to work on something disc-based and they also took a look at the Sega Saturn and PC as possible outlets. It's crazy to imagine where Sega might be today if they managed to land the iconic title.

6 One Developer Wanted Many More Characters To Die

Not everyone perishes in Final Fantasy VII. Although, it could’ve turned out much differently if one of the developers had gotten his way. He had it written in the story that nearly everyone in the game would be lost!

In the sequence which involves the gang parachuting into Midgar, the pesky developer thought it’d be a good idea to have everyone eliminated – leading to a bit of a backlash from the others in the team. Only the three endgame characters would make it out unscathed if they had of gone through with the idea.

RELATED: Cloud Strife Vs. Squall Leonhart: Who Is Better?

The game is already heart-breaking in parts, but to see most of our favorite characters perish would’ve been an ultimate bummer. Luckily, he was talked out of it.

5 An Official Spoiler

How about this irritation – one of the biggest reveals of Final Fantasy VII was practically given away on the back of Platinum versions of the game. The spoiler is a big one, but it didn’t stop Square from printing a shot of it on the back of the case.

Of course, it’s the shocking demise of Aerith. One of the snapshots depicts Cloud holding her lifeless body in the water – completely shattering one of the main plot points of the game.

It’s especially annoying considering that the game had only been out for a short period of time before the Platinum version was released. If this was your first copy of the game, we offer our sincere condolences.

4 Chasing The Villain Was Innovative For The Franchise

Tetsuya Nomura wanted to add a lot of interesting and unique elements to Final Fantasy 7 to help separate it from the rest of the franchise. Not only did it look and feel different thanks to its dark and gritty atmospheres, but there were combat mechanics and visual effects that were brand new and innovative to the series.

Another unique element was the idea to have players "chase" after Sephiroth. Nomura wanted a feeling of urgency, regardless of how large the game world was, and assumed that having players constantly pursuing the villain would help drag the main story along.

3 A Ghost-Like Aerith Can Be Seen In The Church

10- Aeris
Via: cdn.xgn.nl

Were you one of the ones devastated by Aerith's passing? Well, you weren’t the only one. Many players longed for the sweet girl to be back in their party – scouring the map for ways to bring her back from the grave.

While they weren’t successful, some fans did spot something rather intriguing in the church where you first meet her – a ghostly figure of Aerith in the flowerbed. While it could also be a glitch, it seems far too specific to be a mistake – especially considering the fact that it was her favorite flowerbed, so it would only make sense that she would go back there to rest in peace.

Whatever side of the fence you’re on with this one, it’s just another example of how much effort went into the game, by both the developers and the fan base.

2 Some Fans Believe Cloud Is Responsible For Her Passing

Capping off our triple-header of Aerith's secrets is this one which has been floating around now for years, one which many fans swear by. They believe that it wasn’t Sephiroth that eliminated her, but instead, she was slain by Cloud.

For those who can’t accept her tragic fate at the hands of Sephiroth, it’s widely believed that she was mistakenly drowned by Cloud. They think that although Sephiroth drives his sword through her, the blade never hits any vital organs, but simply causes her to pass out. The cause of her passing? Cloud drowning her inadvertently when he lowers her into the water.

This is a deeply disturbing fan theory, but thankfully, it's only a theory.

1 The Finished Product Was Inspired By The Passing Of A Loved One

Cloud confronts Whisper Harbinger in battle

You’ve probably noticed that we’ve been talking about demise a lot for the past few entries, and much of that stems from the game’s origins. It’s true that Final Fantasy VII’s dark themes were influenced by the real world, but more specifically, personal loss.

The game changed from a detective story into something much deeper and darker –something which was directly influenced by the passing of game creator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s mother. It turns out that the trauma inflicted on the RPG’s creator resulted in a game much more profound than anyone could’ve imagined.

It just goes to show that even in the darkest of times, light can be found at the end of the tunnel. Because after the tragic passing of his mother, Hironobu Sakaguchi used his harrowing experience to dictate the creation of one of the greatest video games ever made: Final Fantasy VII.

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