When one talks about some of the greatest video games of all time, it's only a matter of time before Final Fantasy VII comes into the picture. This title is considered as one of the most important titles for the genre, with the series itself becoming a household name post the massive success of Final Fantasy VII's international launch. There are many reasons as to why this title became such a resounding success, with the plot being perhaps the biggest contributor of them all.
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The numerous plot twists along with the mysteriousness of both Sephiroth and JENOVA ended up being one of the many highlights of the game. However, one has to admit that, while Sephiroth's story has been uncovered quite a bit, for the most part, the same can't be said for JENOVA. As this entity is still shrouded in mystery, let's shed some light on this alien life-form known as JENOVA.
10 JENOVA's Threat Was More Obvious In Earlier Drafts Of The Story
As per the initial drafts of the game's story, the player would've been made more aware of the fact that they were actually chasing JENOVA around the world, as opposed to Sephiroth himself.
However, it was clear that Sephiroth's impact as a villain would've been considerably hindered if the developers decided upon this course of action. Thus, the idea of JENOVA's threat being obvious was scrapped.
9 She Wasn't Meant To Be An Extraterrestrial Being But Eventually Became One
Initially, JENOVA wasn't even meant to be an alien life-form. Instead, she was conceived as someone who would cover different parts of the human body, including the genes themselves.
However, this seemed way too convoluted in hindsight, and the developers had to go back to the drawing board to figure out a plausible origin of this entity.
8 JENOVA Could've Initially Been Nothing More Than A State Of Mind
Another idea that was thrown around when it came to JENOVA's origin was the fact that she would appear in awakened individuals as a "heightened state of mind." However, this was ultimately scrapped in favor of her being an extraterrestrial.
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Nevertheless, aspects of this origin did make their way into other Squaresoft games — namely, Parasite Eve and Xenogears.
7 JENOVA's Only Line Of Dialogue In Final Fantasy VII Has A Typo
One fun fact about JENOVA is that she has only one line of dialogue in the entirety of Final Fantasy VII...and all its spinoffs and sequels as well! However, what definitely lessens the impact of this dialogue is the fact that it has a typo.
The line of dialogue she utters to Cloud is "Because...you are a puppet." However, in the original release, this came out as "Beacause, you are......a puppet," which definitely dampens the impact of an otherwise brilliant line that foreshadows the twist in the game.
6 Shiva Apparently Healed The Planet After JENOVA Landed On The Planet
As per Final Fantasy VII Remake, Shiva's history reveals that she once saved the planet from a great threat by "staunching a great wound with a glacier."
This is meant to refer to the landing of JENOVA on the north of the planet, which is eternally encased in ice because the Planet is focusing all its energies on healing that damaged area.
5 JENOVA's Head Isn't Really Present In Advent Children
The three Remnants of Sephiroth constantly talk about how they're trying to find Sephiroth's head in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Ultimately, Rufus ends up revealing the box that contains the same.
However, as per the film's staff, the term "head" was just used to refer to the remaining JENOVA cells. "Head" ended up being a misnomer that stuck, for better or for worse.
4 She Brainwashed Sephiroth And Forced Him To Go Insane
Most people consider Sephiroth to be inherently evil, believing that he wanted the destruction of the Planet of his own accord. However, the reality is that there was a major influence that pushed Sephiroth to the brink of insanity.
It goes without saying that this figure is none other than JENOVA, who latched on to Sephiroth's consciousness and slowly forced him to lose his mind and betray his own race.
3 She Helped Sephiroth Merge With The Lifestream To Preserve His Essence
After Sephiroth was stabbed by Cloud, he ended up falling to the Lifestream along with JENOVA. The alien entity needed someone to personify her will, and the death of Sephiroth would've thrown a major wrench in her plans to destroy the Planet.
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So, in a bid to preserve his mind and spirit, JENOVA helped Sephiroth merge with the Lifestream. That way, his hatred could remain intact and subsequently manipulated by JENOVA.
2 The Figure Of Sephiroth Seen Multiple Times In The Game Are Actually Fragments Of JENOVA
Throughout the game, the player can see the body of Sephiroth multiple times before he ends up causing a whole host of problems for the heroes.
However, what one may not be aware of is that the majority of Sephiroth's appearances are just fragments of JENOVA that use his appearance to manipulate Cloud and the rest of the party. In fact, Sephiroth's real body is only seen in the flashbacks and at the very end of the game!
1 The Botched Translation Is A Major Reason Why Most People Still Don't Understand JENOVA's Significance
There are many people who still have no idea how JENOVA and Sephiroth managed to team up and trigger the events that led to the destruction of the Planet. This is understandable since the translation of Final Fantasy VII is incredibly poor and conveys none of the nuances that would've helped people comprehend the complex nature of the plot.
The fact that there was only one person translating the entire script of such a massive game is probably the major reason why this translation absolutely failed in telling the plot properly.