Numbers play an important role in symbolism, and that can be clearly seen in Final Fantasy 7. For this game, seven isn't just a number, but also an obsession. Throughout the entire Compilation of Final Fantasy 7, this number shows up frequently. Some of these are very obvious callouts to the fact that this is the seventh main entry in the franchise, while others are much more subtle. Even still there are some connections that players have found that seem like a stretch, but when it comes to Square Enix, there's really no way to know for certain. Regardless, it's fun to explore some of the ways this game uses the number seven.
For those interested in finding a full list of times the number seven was relevant to Final Fantasy 7, there's massive compilations online that compile everything that fans have been able to dig up. These are just some of the most interesting or unique examples, but there are plenty more hidden within the original Final Fantasy 7 as well as the remake and various spin-off titles and movies. Ironically, there's even a new use of the number seven that only became true after the announcement of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade.
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Aside from being in the title, players will find the number seven all throughout the original Final Fantasy 7 for PlayStation. Even at the very start of the game, after Cloud jumps off the train, players will notice he levels up to level 7 after beating the first fight. Moving on from there, it isn't hard to piece together why Tifa, Barret, and the crew happen to live in sector 7 as opposed to any of the other sectors. Likewise, Tifa's bar and the location of AVALANCHE's secret hideout is called Seventh Heaven, a homage not just to her sector but also the game as a whole.
These ones are all obvious, but there are some very well hidden ones as well. The final boss of the game, Safer Sephiroth, sports seven wings at the end of the game. There are seven Shinra executives that players deal with, and some fans even noticed that there are seven different characters with seven different limit breaks. What's more, there are also seven mandatory party members in the original game since both Yuffie and Vincent are optional. These types of references go on and on, and sometimes the number seven will randomly be painted on the side of walls like in Costa Del Sol or the door to enter Midgar.
In terms of story, many of the same number seven references from the original are still present in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but Square Enix still managed to squeeze a few more in there. For example, when the player activates the pinball machine in Seventh Heaven to go to AVALANCHE's secret hideout, the score on the machine changes to 777,777. Likewise, in order to get first place on the darts scoreboard, players have to win in 7 or less throws.
There are just as many outlandish ones here as well. Players noticed that the Shiva summon has seven hoops in each of her earrings, and if players talk to the singer at the Wall Market club, she tells them she's been singing for seven years. It's also revealed that there are 49 Sephiroth clones in total, with 49 being the square of seven. The number continues to crop up throughout the entire story, all the way up to the very end. When Cloud and Sephiroth have their climactic battle at the Edge of Creation, Sephiroth tells Cloud he has seven seconds until the end.
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This trend doesn't stop with the main games, however, as various spin offs also feature allusions to the number seven itself. A notable one comes from Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core, in which the events of the story take place over the course of seven years. Along the same line, Angeal's attacks are based on the seven deadly sins, and players can't enter the final area without collecting seven Goddess Materia. As time goes on, it seems as though Square Enix finds even more ways to cram the number seven into the extended universe of Final Fantasy 7.
When the original Final Fantasy 7 released, there were only five Weapon monsters, but that changed as more spin offs came out. Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7 introduced players to the Jade Weapon, and Dirge of Cerberus added another in the form of the Omega Weapon. Now that all three of these games are out, there are officially seven Weapon monsters in the Final Fantasy 7 universe. This could change if Final Fantasy 7 Remake introduces new ones in later episodes, however. Ironically, the most recent Final Fantasy 7 announcement created yet another reference to the number seven.
After revealing the Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade expansion, Square Enix also announced two new Final Fantasy 7 mobile games. When these release, players will be able to experience the entirety of Final Fantasy 7, thanks to Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis, and witness the beginning of the SOLDIER program through Final Fantasy 7: The First SOLDIER. Notably, these are the sixth and seventh games set in the Final Fantasy 7 universe. Although this technically falls apart if players consider the short lived and non-canon mobile game Final Fantasy 7 G-Bike.
The original Final Fantasy 7 started things off, and was followed up by Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7 as a prequel. After this, Square Enix released Final Fantasy 7: Dirge of Cerberus in 2006 and Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core a year later in 2007. After a long hiatus, Final Fantasy 7 Remake became the fifth game in the series, and now these two newest mobile game announcements will make seven. Players that dig far enough will almost certainly find more connections to the number seven, as they seem to be almost everywhere within the world of Final Fantasy 7.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now on PS4 and on June 10, 2021 for PS5.
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