Zack (Final Fantasy) - Appearances

Appearances

Zack had only a small role in the original Final Fantasy VII. He is first mentioned by name in Gongaga, his hometown, where his parents are oblivious as to what became of him after he left to join SOLDIER, and are worried for his safety after not hearing from him for years. It is at this point that Aerith explains Zack was her first love. Cloud later realizes that some of his memories and even aspects of his personality were actually Zack's, and not his own. Flashbacks reveal that both Zack and Cloud battled Sephiroth after he burned the town of Nibelheim upon discovering he was the result of a scientific experiment. After Cloud defeated Sephiroth, both Zack and Cloud were taken to be used in experiments by Shinra. Eventually, Zack woke up and was able to escape with a semi-conscious Cloud to the city Midgar, but on the edge of the city, he was gunned down by Shinra troops. While Zack's and Cloud's flashback escape is optional in the North American and European releases of Final Fantasy VII and the Japanese International version, it was originally planned to be shown once Cloud discovered the results of Shinra's experiments.

Zack's character and backstory is expanded upon throughout the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. In the prequel game Before Crisis, Zack supports Shinra in their fight against the eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE. During the game, two of his SOLDIER acquaintances are captured and experimented upon, and unable to save them, Zack is forced to kill them. Zack also makes an appearance during the chapter covering the Nibelheim incident, and later as a boss character when he and Cloud are fugitives from Shinra and are being pursued by the Turks. The OVA Last Order: Final Fantasy VII follows Zack and Cloud's journey to Midgar with flashbacks of the Nibelheim incident. Zack also has a small role in the film sequel Advent Children, where most of his appearances are flashbacks from Cloud's point of view. He also appears at the end of the film, where he and the now deceased Aerith speak to Cloud. In the director's cut version, Advent Children Complete, his role is expanded, and he makes an appearance during Cloud's battle with Sephiroth. His death is also shown in the film, where he gives Cloud the Buster Sword and tells him to become his "living legacy."

Zack is the protagonist of Crisis Core, a prequel to Final Fantasy VII, which deals primarily with Zack's backstory. In the game, Zack is trained as a SOLDIER by his close friend, Angeal Hewley, and hopes to become a hero while working for Shinra. When Angeal, and another SOLDIER, Genesis Rhapsodos, betray Shinra, Zack and Sephiroth are dispatched to kill them, but they decide to avoid doing that if possible. He and Sephiroth learn that both Angeal and Genesis were the result of a Shinra experiment called "Project G", where they were injected with Jenova cells prior to being born in an effort to create perfect SOLDIERS. However, both Angeal and Genesis are suffering from secondary effects which led them to antagonize Shinra in the hopes of finding a cure. In the course of the game, Zack befriends Cloud and begins dating Aerith. During a mission to find Angeal and Genesis, Angeal forces Zack to kill him, as he wants to stop hurting people because of his mutations. Before dying, Angeal thanks Zack for stopping him and gives him his Buster Sword. Later, while Zack and Sephiroth search for Genesis and the former Shinra scientist Dr. Hollander, they go to Nibelheim where Sephiroth learns that he too was the result of genetic experimentation involving Jenova. The game then depicts the Nibelheim incident, leading to Zack and Cloud being taken captive and subjected to experiments themselves. Four years pass, Zack and Cloud are able to escape, and Zack learns that Genesis has come to believe the only way he can be cured is by being injected with Sephiroth's cells. As Sephiroth is thought dead, the only source of these cells is now Cloud, and Zack realises that Genesis plans to kill Cloud. Zack decides to stop Genesis, and after defeating him, he and Cloud head to Midgar, where he hopes to be reunited with Aerith. However, Zack and Cloud are intercepted by Shinra infantry, and Zack is killed In his dying breath, Zack gives the Buster Sword to Cloud, telling him to be his living legacy. As Cloud stumbles off towards Midgar, Zack is pulled into the sky by Angeal, and wonders if he has become a hero.

Outside the Final Fantasy VII series, Zack is an unlockable character in the PlayStation version of the fighting game Ehrgeiz, where is playable in arcade, versus, and minigame events. He made his debut appearance in the Kingdom Hearts series in the prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep for the PlayStation Portable, where he has a more youthful appearance than in his Final Fantasy incarnation. He is featured prominently in the Olympus Coliseum, commonly participating in tournaments in order to achieve his dream of becoming a hero. As the game is a prequel to the other Kingdom Hearts titles, the staff chose him as they wanted a character from a Final Fantasy prequel.