Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending explained

Beating the final boss in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth leads to the game's ending. There are some interesting moments that take place here, some of which are left to interpretation. For this article, some of it is speculation on my part and how I feel things went down after the final events. However, the majority of it is clear-cut and makes perfect sense.

I can't discuss the ending of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth without ruining it. Thus, going through this article means you will know everything about the game's ending. If you wish to avoid going through spoilers, skip the next section and play it yourself.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for the ending of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Parts of it are subjective and based solely on the writer's opinions.

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What takes place during the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending?

1) Wrapup at the City of the Ancients

There's so much more to do (Image via Square Enix)

Even though Cloud and Aerith ultimately defeat Sephiroth in the final boss battle of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, he’s not completely gone. Something keeps this powerful foe around. He retreats, leaving the two alone for a brief moment in the infinite void where the battle takes place. Cloud inquires about Sephiroth’s laughter, to which Aerith responds:

“Because he knows this isn’t over.”

The two are whisked away by the White Whispers, and unfortunately, Cloud is returned to the City of the Ancients, but not before the two hold hands. Aerith informs him that “everybody’s waiting.” Before the game returns to the City of the Ancients, Zack is once again sitting alone in the church ruins.

This is it. . . the end (Image via Square Enix)

He is back on his timeline, thanks to Sephiroth’s attack during the final battle. Though he is glad that the latter has been bested, in his timeline, the meteor is still hurtling toward the planet. With a sad farewell, he says goodbye, but only “for now.”

Back at the City of the Ancients, Aerith is slain. We wondered whether Aerith dies in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth back in December, and it turns out that she does. She lies slain on the ground in the next scene of the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending.

The party rushes to her side, but it’s too late. Masamune’s blade cut deep enough to defeat the Flower Girl. The White Whispers surround the two, and Cloud kneels before the dead Aerith, picking her up. Asking her to wake up, she opens her eyes briefly.

Is this really her, or is it an illusion? (Image via Square Enix)

The screen turns black, making it unclear if that was another timeline or if that happened at the moment. Soon, the party is sitting by the water in the City of the Ancients, looking sad. Barret recommends they get going, to which Cloud emotionlessly agrees.

Cloud has another one of those painful jolts where he hallucinates at this point of the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending. However, instead of Sephiroth, he saw Aerith, who says she’d see him off.

Everyone leaves the final resting place of Aerith, who walks alongside the party. Tifa is the last to get up and leave, finally joining Cloud and the others.

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2) President Rufus has a rude awakening

An interesting conversation happens at Shinra HQ (Image via Square Enix)

While reminiscing about his father being “quite the man,” Glenn appears, joking about the remark made about him. He says that Viceroy Sarruf stood him up and made him look like a fool.

According to Glenn, the resistance is very much fired up, and that means the Midgard vs. Wutai war is still on track. However, Rufus is convinced this is all a plot to distract him from looking into where Sephiroth is going after the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending.

Glenn and Sephiroth speak in one voice, stating that the Promised Land would still become a reality and that a father’s dream would be accomplished by the son. Pointing his gun at Glenn, he demands the real thing and not an imitation of the once-SOLDIER. Quick-witted, Glenn points out that an imitation is all Rufus deserves.

Sephiroth isn't done with Rufus (Image via Square Enix)

The trigger is pulled, and a creepy black-robed man falls to the floor. Of course, it isn't the real Glenn, just another clone that shambles all over the place, seeking the Promised Land. This concludes the Rufus scene in the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending.

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3) The lifestream swirls, Zack Fair, and Nibelheim

The lifestream is a very tense location (Image via Square Enix)

The next scene of the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending appears to be the lifestream. The Whispers are locked in battle, and the WEAPONS have also come to combat them.

A moment later, the game cuts to Zack Fair, once again at the abandoned church in the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending. This isn’t the demolished one used in the final battle against Sephiroth. This looks like it’s in the current timeline.

He wonders if it was a dream. Somehow, Zack Fair is still alive, as if he survived the calamity of the Meteor. Perhaps he’s back in the regular timeline. That remains unclear, but he does remember Sephiroth’s words from the fight.

The next day, the camera cuts to Nibelheim, where floods of Whispers fill the town, flying through the air. It appears that some citizens can see them this time, which is more unsettling. The black-robed men shamble away from town, heading toward the mansion nearby.

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4) To the North

It's certainly an interesting Materia (Image via Square Enix)

With the Tiny Bronco almost fixed, the party prepares to move on. Seated in a peaceful meadow for the final scene of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s ending, Cloud is alone, but he’s holding the White Materia - Aerith’s “useless” Materia.

A few comical moments occur between the party as they work together, and Aerith runs around, although nobody interacts with her. Yuffie weeps in the distance as Aerith stands next to her. The Flower Girl then walks over to the sobbing Tifa, who is sitting by Red XIII. However, Red mentions her name as if he can sense her presence.

He puts the Materia down, only to pick it back up - now it’s the Black Materia. Another migraine hits him, after which he states, “The Reunion.” Hiding the Black Materia in his Buster Sword, he joins the rest of the party. That’s when he’s reminded of Aerith’s message, “You have to promise not to look up.” This makes him do so, and he sees the clouds rent asunder.

It's an eerie sight, for sure (Image via Square Enix)

Cloud mutters, “It isn’t real,” and “It’s just an illusion,” likely in reference to the sky being torn open. As the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending begins to wrap up, he says that Sephiroth has gone north, so they need to head that way.

Barret confides in Cloud that everything is riding on finding Sephiroth and stopping him; he needs to be ready to carry the burden. Cloud says he can handle it, but he doesn’t get on board just yet. He has one final farewell for Aerith, who tells him to “take care.” Cloud can apparently still see and hear her, asking if she will have any problems “getting back” to where she belongs.

What a melancholy way to end the game (Image via Square Enix)

The two have a peculiar conversation, where Aerith says if something bad happens, she’ll send up smoke for Cloud. As the Tiny Bronco revs up, Aerith says she’ll stop the meteor and leave the rest to Cloud. He promises to stop Sephiroth, and then the party takes off: destination North. The final words on the screen before the credits:

“No Promises Await at Journey’s End.”

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While it seems that Aerith is dead in the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending, nothing is truly certain. I believe what Cloud is seeing is her ghost, or her essence, still connected to the lifestream. It could also be that she’s lost between timelines. It will be very interesting to see where things go next.