Zack Fair

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Zack Fair
Image:Crisiscore2.jpg
Zack in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Game series Final Fantasy VII, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
First game Final Fantasy VII
Designed by Tetsuya Nomura
Voiced by (English) Rick Gomez
Voiced by (Japanese) Kenichi Suzumura
Information
Class/Job SOLDIER First Class
Weapon Broadsword (prior to Angeal Hewley's death, Katana)
Home Gongaga

Zack Fair (ザックス・フェア Zakkusu Fea?) is a non-player character from the role-playing game Final Fantasy VII and the protagonist of two of its prequels, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and the OVA Last Order: Final Fantasy VII. Though he appears only in flashback sequences in the original game, he is portrayed as almost identical to Cloud, the game's main playable character, in physical appearance with the exception of Zack's black hair. When strung together, the sequences explain a great deal about Cloud's past and his connection to Sephiroth, the game's antagonist. Before death, Zack was Cloud Strife's best friend and wielded the Buster Sword before him, though his mentor Angeal was its first user. Zack also had friendships with Sephiroth, Tseng, Angeal, and Cissnei and was the first love of Aerith

Zack is voiced by Rick Gomez in English and by Kenichi Suzumura in Japanese.

Contents

[edit] Creation and influence

In Famitsu, Tetsuya Nomura stated that Zack's name was derived from 'fair weather' and contrasted with Cloud Strife.[1]

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Final Fantasy VII

In Final Fantasy VII, Zack plays only a very small role and is seen mostly in flashbacks, especially as Cloud realizes that the persona he has taken on at the beginning of the game is not his, but is actually Zack's. An escape scene can be witnessed by meeting certain conditions.

[edit] Related Final Fantasy VII appearances

Zack has a minor role in Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII as a 1st class SOLDIER attempting to save two SOLDIER acquaintances who had been captured and experimented on. Unable to save them, Zack is forced to kill them. He also makes an appearance during the chapter covering the Nibelheim incident.

Aerith and Zack in the final scene of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children
Aerith and Zack in the final scene of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children

Zack has a small role in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, and most of his appearances are flashbacks from Cloud's point of view and correspond with Crisis Core. When Cloud is in critical condition, he can be heard telling Cloud he has no place in the Lifestream.[2] He and Aerith are last seen saying goodbye to Cloud. Throughout the movie, a large grey wolf appears in many of the same places as Cloud does, but at different times, only meeting him once at the end. It is speculated by many that this is a representation of Zack's spirit, following Cloud. He appears next to the Buster Sword memorial in the wasteland, sleeping in the church when Cloud falls unconscious due to Geostigma symptoms, next to the lake in the Forgotten City after Aerith left a message on Cloud's phone, and next to Cloud before he awakens in Aerith's church.

Most of the OVA Last Order: Final Fantasy VII, though narrated by Tseng, follows Zack and Cloud's journey to Midgar with a few flashbacks of the Nibelheim incident. Between flashbacks, Cloud is completely silent and responds to nothing due to him suffering from mako poisoning, while Zack speaks to him throughout the escape. When they lose attacking ShinRa MPs, dispatched to kill them, and Turks, who under Tseng's command would merely catch them, they hitch a ride on a truck. While Zack continues to talk, a gun scope, held by a ShinRa MP, locks onto Cloud. Noticing, Zack attempts to save Cloud[3] and yells at him to run.[4]

As the chief protagonist of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, the prequel to the original game, Zack's backstory is fully explained with footage not included in Final Fantasy VII. Zack works as a subordinate under Angeal Hewley as a 2nd Class SOLDIER, until being promoted to SOLDIER 1st Class. He also falls in love with Aerith, befriends Cloud, Tseng, and Cissnei, and works with Sephiroth until discovering truths behind SOLDIER and Shinra. The game also portrays the Nibelheim incident in greater detail, retconning a flashback from Cloud Strife to rectify plot holes from Final Fantasy VII. After being captured by Hojo and experimented on for four years, Zack escapes with Cloud and begins a journey to Midgar to find Aerith. On the way, he is attacked by numerous amount of MPs and is shot multiple times. While dying, Zack gives the enormous broadsword, the Buster Sword, to Cloud. As Cloud stumbles off with the sword heading towards Midgar, Zack is pulled into the Lifestream by Angeal, wondering if he had become a hero.

[edit] Other appearances

Zack is a character in the PlayStation version of Ehrgeiz, functioning more or less as a head swap of Cloud in the arcade, versus and minigame events.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Crisis Core GameSpot Info (English). GameSpot. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  2. ^ Zack (to Cloud): Sorry, friend. Looks like you don't have a place here. (Final Fantasy VII Advent Children)
  3. ^ Zack: Watch out! (Last Order: Final Fantasy VII)
  4. ^ Zack: Cloud, run! (Last Order: Final Fantasy VII)

[edit] External links