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Zack Fair (ザックス・フェア, Zakkusu Fea) is a non-player character from the critically acclaimed role-playing game Final Fantasy VII, and the protagonist of its prequel, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. In Crisis Core, Zack's early relationships with many recurring characters such as Cloud Strife, Sephiroth, Tseng, and Aerith Gainsborough are shown. The game reveals how Cloud and Zack became best friends, and how Zack developed a relationship with Aeris. In Final Fantasy VII, he appears only in flashback sequences, which portray him as almost identical to Cloud (the game's main playable character) in physical appearance, except for his black hair. When strung together, the sequences explain a great deal about Cloud's past and his connection to Sephiroth, the game's antagonist. He also wielded the Buster Sword before Cloud.

Creation and influence

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Appearances

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Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Zack's story begins in Crisis Core, about six to eight years before Final Fantasy VII. At the beginning of Crisis Core, he is a SOLDIER second-class and is being trained by Angeal (SOLDIER first-class).

In the beginning of Crisis Core, Zack is eager, energetic, cocky and sometimes rather easily distracted. Because he does not pay attention to enemies once he believes they are defeated/dead, several get up and attack him while his back is turned. Angeal warns him on a regular basis to pay attention and to "be serious" about his missions. Angeal also calls Zack "the Puppy" whenever he talks to others about him (but does not say it in front of Zack). Zack protests against the name both times he hears it.

Zack is also very idealistic about the SOLDIER program and what he is fighting for. He is very loyal to his friends, and for a long time cannot accept that Angeal betrays Shinra. Even when he finally does accept it later in the game, he still believes in Angeal and tries to get him back on the right track. Anyone who calls SOLDIERs monsters make him angry, as well as anyone who suggest that Shinra is corrupted (or that Angeal is a betrayer).

Two years later, Zack is a little more mature. He is not as liable to rush into fights, or not pay attention, and his skills have improved as he has gained experience. Many respect him, and he is a reliable SOLDIER, though this is when he begins to doubt the SOLDIER program and Shinra.

When asked what his dream is, his response is always "to be a hero".

There are several people who are obviously important to Zack in Crisis Core, and we learn more about him by how he interacts with them.

Angeal is Zack's mentor and friend. Even when Angeal goes rogue, Zack still insists they are friends. Throughout the game, Angeal refuses to seriously hurt Zack and protects him from monsters and Genesis, and Zack refuses to fight Angeal, even when ordered to. When Angeal dies, he gives Zack the Buster Sword (which represents hope, pride and dreams to both Angeal and Zack).

Zack meets Sephiroth (who he looks up to) the same night Angeal is accused of deserting to join Genesis. After he becomes a SOLDIER first-class, he and Sephiroth are sent on various missions to uncover what Angeal and Genesis are up to and over time, his respect for Sephiroth grows, and the two become something like friends.

In a fight with Angeal, the floor breaks beneath Zack and he falls into the slums. When he wakes up, he sees Aerith, who he thinks is an Angel. He offers to take her on a date for "saving his life." When she refuses, he asks her to show him the way out of the slums. As they walk, he suggests she make a cart and sell flowers from her garden to rich people. When they pass a shop Aerith likes, he buys her a ribbon for her hair (because he still owes her for "saving his life"). During the course of the day, they end up at a park, where Aerith admits she is afraid of Shinra and SOLDIERs. Zack tells her he is a SOLDIER, and Aerith apologizes and tells him his eyes are beautiful, so she does not mind that he is a SOLDIER. Over time, Zack visits Aerith on a regular basis and when he is not with her, she often calls him. He helps her build her flower-cart before he leaves for Nibelheim and she tells him her greatest wish (and writes it down so he would not forget). Later, when he is fleeing Shinra with Cloud, he finds the note, which says "my greatest wish is to spend more time with you."

Cloud makes his appearance in Zack's life as Zack heads to Modeoheim with Tseng to find new clues on Genesis' location. Cloud is the only other person in their group of SOLDIER, Turk, and regular Shinra soldiers to be able to keep up with Zack, and Zack asks him where he is from and jokes around with him. Two years later, Cloud is in a group of SOLDIER trainees who Zack is helping to train. He recognizes Cloud and gives him a friendly pat on the shoulder before beginning his speech to the class.

At Nibelheim, Zack witnesses Sephiroth's madness and tries to stop him, but does not succeed. Because he is injured at the time, he is easy prey (along with an equally injured Cloud) for Hojo, who keeps them imprisoned for four years until Zack becomes aware enough to break out of his tank and free Cloud. Cloud is suffering from Mako poisoning, so Zack must carry him as he tries to get to Midgar and stay out of Shinra's sight. The whole time, Zack takes care of Cloud, protects him, and constantly tries to talk to him, hoping Cloud will wake up. He attempts to visit his parents in Gongaga, but Cissnei (a young Turk) tells him to leave or he will be caught. Later, he encounters two Angeal-clones and Genesis, and helps the Angeal-clones to defeat Genesis. Both clones end up in bad shape, and Zack leaves them and Genesis propped up together on chairs and says his final goodbyes before getting Cloud and sneaking away from the Shinra soldiers who have appeared close by.

Zack and Cloud are almost to Midgar (and Aerith) when Shinra catches up to them. Zack leaves Cloud sheltered in some rocks and goes to face the many soldiers surrounding them. He is fatally wounded and left to die on the edge of the cliff. Cloud (who was left alone because of his vegetative state) wakes up and crawls to Zack's side. Zack tells him "you are the proof that I existed" and gives him the Buster Sword before he finally dies.

After Cloud has left for Midgar, a gloved hand descends from the Lifestream (probably Angeal) and Zack sits up and grips the hand, then fades into the Lifestream, having fulfilled his dream of being a hero.

Final Fantasy VII

Before Final Fantasy VII begins, Zack is dead. As in Advent Children, he 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.

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children

Zack has a small role in Advent Children, and most of his appearances are flashbacks from Cloud's point of view. Many of the scenes Cloud remembers, correspond to those seen between Cloud and Zack in Crisis Core. He and Aerith both appear to be keeping an eye on Cloud and AVALANCHE. Zack can be seen one time at the end of the movie, when he and Aerith say goodbye to Cloud after telling him it is not his time to enter the Lifestream.

Other appearances

Ehrgeiz

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.

Last Order: Final Fantasy VII

Most of Last Order follows Zack and Cloud's fateful journey to Midgar, with a few flashbacks of Cloud and Zack's fight against Sephiroth. Last Order begins with Zack carrying Cloud through a forest and defeating the Shinra soldiers right behind him. As in Crisis Core, Cloud is poisoned and does not move or respond to anything. Zack carries him until he finds a bike, which he uses to get him a fair distance before hitching them a ride with an older man in a truck. The whole way, Zack talks to Cloud, and while in the back of the truck, he tells Cloud what he plans to do when he reaches Midgar, and assures Cloud that he'll take Cloud with him and he won't leave him to fend for himself. As he is talking, he switches positions so he can see over the cab of the truck and spots a Shinra helicopter heading straight for them. The last scene is through Cloud's eyes; you hear Zack say "watch out!" and then he dives towards Cloud, to cover him so he doesn't get shot. The last thing that is heard is "Cloud, run!" and then a gunshot.

Reception

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

External links

• Official Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII website

References

• Articles lacking sources from January 2008
• Misplaced Pages articles with plot summary needing attention from January 2008
• Final Fantasy VII characters
• Fictional soldiers