0:00 Introduction
1:23 Square, Nintendo, and the Final Fantasy Series
12:02 Graphics and Gameplay
23:23 Major Themes
38:45 Barret
51:30 Red XIII
1:00:23 Cait Sith
1:06:14 Cid
1:10:19 Yuffie
1:16:05 Vincent
1:27:57 Sephiroth
1:51:20 Aerith
2:15:16 Tifa
2:39:21 Cloud
3:07:27 Zack
3:10:28 The Final Chapter
3:12:47 Conclusion
3:15:17 End Screen


Thank you for watching Why Final Fantasy VII Matters. Join me as I explore the story of Cloud Strife, Aerith (or Aeris) Gainsborough, Tifa Lockhart, Barret Wallace, Red XII, Yuffie Kisaragi, Cait Sith, Vincent Valentine, and Cid Highwind as they fight for the Planet against the evil Shinra Electric Power Company, the nefarious Ex-SOLDIER Sephiroth, and the eldritch Calamity from the Skies, Jenova.

This project was done over a one year period, and when I started I had zero experience at making videos. Various segments were recorded and edited at various times, with various pieces of equipment, and I do apologize in advance for the inconsistent audio quality and some of the changes in aspect ratio. This was a very educational process for me and I feel I have learned a lot from the process.

I consulted numerous sources in researching this: far too many to list here. However, I want to give special attention to some of the sources I found especially enlightening. If you are a fan of Final Fantasy VII, do yourself a check these out:

"Final Fantasy VII - A Literary Analysis" by Games as Lit.
   • Final Fantasy VII - A Literary Analysis  
One of the best video essays on the game out there, and the video that motivated me to start this project.

"The Impact of Final Fantasy 7: The Game that Changed Everything" by Super Eyepatch Wolf
   • The Impact of Final Fantasy 7: The Ga...  
A briefer examination of the game, but with some very insightful observations, especially into what makes the game emotionally impactful.

"Let's Mosey: A S-L-O-W Translation of Final Fantasy VII" by Tim Rogers
   • Let's Mosey: A Slow Translation Of Fi...  
A series of videos that go into excruciating detail about the game's English translation. Reveals many, many aspects of the game's original intent that were lost in translation.

"Norse Myths that Inspired Final Fantasy VII" by M.J. Gallagher
https://www.amazon.com/Norse-Myths-In...
This slim book provides some very astute theories as to the game's Norse influences. It goes quite in depth into the extended compilation, so if you only know Final Fantasy VII by the original release or the 2020 remake, this is a great place to get a concise, accurate summary of the game's extended lore.

I dabble in writing and you can find my work (both fiction and nonfiction) on my Ao3 account at
https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrI...

You can follow me on twitter at
  / wrathitchy  

For business inquiries please contact me at
[email protected]

If you enjoyed this video, please consider subscribing for more content.

Thank you.