Spoilers For Final Fantasy VII Remake Ahead!
When Final Fantasy VII Remake was first announced, the fans wondered if it would reference the Final Fantasy VII prequels, sequels, and spin-offs that had been released after the original game. By far the most referenced piece of Final Fantasy VII media in the remake is a 2011 novel called Final Fantasy VII The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story, which is set between Final Fantasy VII and Advent Children.
One of the most surprising aspects of Final Fantasy VII Remake is that a minor character from The Kids Are Alright has a major role in the story. Leslie Kyle debuted in The Kids Are Alright, but he has a big role in the Don Corneo storyline in Final Fantasy VII Remake and the player has to interact with him throughout the latter half of the game.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
The party encounters Leslie Kyle in Wall Market, as they are trying to gain access to Don Corneo's mansion. Leslie is one of Corneo's top guys and he is the one who tells Aerith and Cloud that they need to seek permission from one of Corneo's trio in order to enter the audition to be one of Corneo's wives. The trio are the people in Wall Market who know Corneo's tastes the best.
When it's clear that Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa are there to foil Corneo, Leslie shows up with their weapons and gear and asks them to finish the job.
After the Sector 7 Plate falls, the party needs Don Corneo's aid in order to reach the Shinra Headquarters. Corneo has gone into hiding, as the Shinra Corporation learned that he spilled the beans to Avalanche and they're gunning for him. When the party travels to Corneo's mansion, they run into Leslie, who offers to help them reach the plate, but he needs their help in order to enter Corneo's hiding place in the sewers. Leslie's bag is grabbed by a monster and the party has to pursue it through the sewers. Once they catch up with the monster, they discover a jeweled pendant in the bag. Leslie reveals that the pendant belonged to his former fiancee, but she disappeared six months ago when Corneo chose her to be his new bride. This is the reason why Leslie was so quick to betray Corneo. The group tracks down Corneo, but he escapes. Tifa tells Leslie not to lose hope and that his fiancee could still be out there.
The Kids Are Alright
Leslie survives the ending of Final Fantasy VII and he befriends Kyrie Canaan, who also appears in Final Fantasy VII Remake. It's revealed that Leslie's fiancee is named Merle. Leslie finally caught up with Merle and the two are expecting a child. The Kids Are Alright stars a young man named Evan Townshend, who forms a detective agency with Kyrie and Leslie, as many people are looking for missing relatives following Meteor.
Evan needs to leave Midgar and go to Nibelheim, but he requires gasoline for the journey. His only option is to turn to Don Corneo for help. Leslie gives Evan advice on how to contact Corneo. Evan travels to Wall Market and he meets a wheelchair-bound Corneo, who agrees to deliver the fuel. While in Corneo's home, Evan finds photos of Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith, as well as a photo of Merle. Evan destroys the photo of Merle as a favor to Leslie.
Evan and Kyrie are planning on driving to Nibelheim and Leslie shows up with their fuel and some weapons, claiming that he stole them from Corneo's mansion and burned it down, though Corneo is still alive.
Leslie later travels to Junon in search of Evan. He later travels with the Turks to Icicle Inn and helps in the fight against Kadaj from Advent Children. Leslie joins the search party and helps track down Evan and Kyrie when they're lost in the snow. Leslie survives the events of the novel and he likely continued to live with Merle and their child after the events of Advent Children.
Final Fantasy VII Remake will be released for PlayStation 4 on April 10, 2020.