FF7’s Post-Credits Scene's Secret Meaning, Explained
Jessica Cortez There's actually a deeper meaning to the post-credits scene in Final Fantasy 7, as Red XIII was following a pact he had made centuries earlier.
The post-credits scene in the original Final Fantasy 7 confused a lot of fans back in '97, but there is an explanation for it buried within the lore of the series. The ending of FF7 was ambiguous and it wasn't explained until Advent Children was released.
At the end of FF7, Cloud and his friends defeated Sephiroth and unleashed the power of Holy. It wasn't enough to stop Meteor and it looked as if all was lost, until the Lifestream burst from the ground and aided Holy. The camera flashes to all of the members of Avalanche (except for Vincent and Yuffie, who are optional party members), finally ending on Aerith, who died earlier in the game. There is then a post-credits scene, set 500 years later. Red XIII is shown running to the ruins of Midgar with his cubs, while the sound of children laughing is heard in the background.
This ending confused Final Fantasy 7 fans in the late '90s, as many assumed that mankind was wiped out by Meteor and only Red XIII's species survived. Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children and the other pieces of sequel media confirmed that Meteor devastated Midgar, but the planet was saved and all of the cast survived. This raises the question of why Red XIII was traveling to Midgar in the first place, as the sequel media said that it was uninhabitable for long periods of time, thanks to the Mako reactors. The reason why Red XIII was traveling to Midgar is actually referenced in one of the FF7 novels.
The Pact Between Red XIII & Vincent
Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile is an anthology novel set between the events of the original game and Advent Children. It was penned by Kazushige Nojima, who was one of the scenario writers of FF7. On the Way to a Smile follows the characters from the original game, as they deal with the fallout surrounding the Geostigma outbreak. One of the chapters deals with Red XIII, as he comes to grips with his expanded lifespan and how he will outlive all of the friends he fought alongside of in the past. It's during Red XIII's chapter that he meets Vincent and the two discuss their future.
Vincent reveals to Red XIII that he is immortal and cannot die. The two of them make a pact, where they will return to Final Fantasy 7's Midgar every year and talk about the past. This moment explains the post-credits scene of FF7, as Red XIII was most likely traveling to Midgar to meet Vincent. The last canonical moment of the original FF7 timeline happened in Dirge of Cerberus, with Vincent still alive at the end of the game. It's likely that the discussion between the two characters was added to On the Way to a Smile to explain Red XIII's journey to Midgar at the end of Final Fantasy 7, as he was living up to a promise he had made centuries before.
