Quick Links
MostFinal Fantasygames exist independently of other entries in the series. There are rare exceptions, such as the Fabula Nova Crystallis set of games and direct sequels, but otherwise the games stan completely separate. One of the major defining features ofFinal Fantasy 7is the Lifestream.
But what exactly is the Lifestream? A similar concept exists in other entries in the series, such asFinal Fantasy 10’s Farplane, though the Lifestream serves a much more direct plot relevance, and is defined in more concrete terms. It is the centre of everything in the compilation of games that make up FF7, so let’s try to break it down into easily understood terms.
The Lifestream As An Afterlife
At its core,the Lifestream is the heart of the planet of Final Fantasy 7. This is a mostly literal definition too. The Lifestream is life itself, or rather the energy of it, and that is what gives life to everything on the planet.Without the Lifestream, there would be no life, and the planet would be left as a barren rock.
With that understanding, we can move on to how the Lifestream functions:In reality, nothing is ever truly gone but instead changes form. This is a base principle of energy, and one applied overtly in FF7 with the Lifestream. When new life is born, whether it be a plant, a human, or an animal, energy from the Lifestream is diverted to give that being life.Upon death, this energy is returned to the Lifestream.It is a force in constant equilibrium.
Many different religious beliefs are built around this system,from those of the ancient Cetraand their communication with the planet to thepractices of Planetology in Cosmo Canyonthat profess a natural cycle to the planet’s functions and the life contained within. It can be viewed strictly scientifically, as a process of energy changing form - or more spiritually, as a form of rebirth similar to reincarnation.
It is a mass of energy that supports life on the planet, and through that passage of energy back to the Lifestream,imparts the memories of the people holding that energy as well.
The Lifestream As An Energy Source
As it is in reality,power will seek to exploit anything natural in pursuit of capital. As we see in our own lives with fossil fuels, so we see the same with the Lifestream in Final Fantasy 7. Being a great font of the energy that creates life,Shinra discovered that this very same energy could be condensed into something usable, something profitable.
Shinra is the company that founded Midgar, and also operates as a world power due to its control of Mako and Materia.
Though it contains the energy of all life, it is also just that - energy. And energy can take many forms.In a slightly more condensed form, it becomes Mako, a green liquid with a more physical appearance in the world than the more ethereal aspects of the Lifestream at large. Like the splitting of the atom,Shinra discovered a way to use Mako as a form of energy. Yet just like the waste from Nuclear energy,the overuse of Mako drains the world around it, leaving barren wastes in its wake.
Mako has another usage, as well.It can naturally occur across the world, manifesting as Materia, orbs of condensed Mako that hold immense energy due to the Mako contained within. However,such a massive concentration of Mako can also lead to poisoning, which for many results in irreversible mutations. Yet like many evil corporations, Shinra used this byproduct for experimentation, augmenting much of their SOLDIER operatives, and dramatically shortening their lives.
Overexposure to Mako in humans leads to Mako Poisoning, which can be seen by the green eyes in many SOLDIER operatives.
Since the Lifestream is not permanent but instead an exchange of power,the exploitation of Mako leads to the endangerment of the planet itself. When utilised as an energy source, it cannot naturally nor as efficiently return to the Lifestream, the same as fossil fuels cannot return to the Earth. As a result,Shinra is choosing to sacrifice all life on the planet for the sake of short-term profit. Seems illogical, doesn’t it?
The Lifestream As A Planetary Defense System
The bodies of all living things have an in-built defensive system. Spicy plants are so hot to deter predators, we sweat to manually lower our internal temperature, and animals hibernate to conserve energy. It’s a complex system beyond control, andthe Lifestream acts as the immune system for the planet of Gaia.
The Lifestream, of course, has a slightly different immune system from the average human. Whereas we have our platelets and blood cells,the Lifestream has Weapons. The capitalisation is important there because these aren’t our regular swords and guns; these are themassive biomechanical forms that take jewels as their namesakeand can wreak untold damage to anything that threatens the planet.
The intent of Weapons is toprotect the planet against massive threats. Due to them not being able to find Sephiroth, they instead target human populations, most typically those with a Mako Reactor.
The known Weapons shown within the various Final Fantasy 7 games are as follows:
As we see across the games,the Weapons are typically tricked in some form to appear. For example, Deepground members performed mass killings to force Omega to appear, thinking the planet was in grave danger. Important to note is that these Weapons have no will of their own.They are purely a biological function of the Lifestream.
The Relationship Between The Cetra And The Lifestream
Throughout the various Final Fantasy 7 games, we hear about the Ancients, which are sometimes referred to as the Cetra. The latter is their true name, the former a title given to reflect their historical presence on Gaia, and the general lack of knowledge around them.By the time of the FF7 games, Aerith is assumed to be the final Cetra left living.
For a period, Sephiroth believed both himself and Jenova to be Cetra, though this was caused by Shinra scientists, especially Gast, misclassifying Jenova as a Cetra, rather than an alien parasite.
We see glimpses of the Cetra’s connection to the LIfestream through Aerith.She can hear the voices and memories within the Lifestream of those who have died, and can quite literally hear the pain it goes through that Barret more metaphorically states. The ancient Cetra, however, were even more keenly in tune with the Lifestream.
In the past,they had the ability to listen to the wants of the Lifestream, guiding its energy where it saw fit. This allowed life to flourish across the planet, and for the Cetra to live a peaceful life. They inherently understood the processes of the Lifestream, of the natural process of life. In some ways, it is eventheorised that the Cetra are guardians of the Lifestream, and their fabled ‘Promised Land’ is the ultimate home of the Lifestream itself.
Sephiroth’s Usage Of The Lifestream
Sephiroth is a fascinating villain within the Final Fantasy series, especially for the fact of how misunderstood he technically is. For one, he is long dead by the time you start playing. Back during the events of Nibelheim five years before the beginning of the game,Cloud pushed Sephiroth into the Lifestream, destroying his physical form.
Sephiroth, however, was created with the genes of Jenova, an alien parasite. This made it so the Lifestream could not fully absorb him. As such, he drifted within the Lifestream with his full consciousness, but no physical form to direct him. Believing Jenova to be a Cetra and him as her descendant, he instead viewed this as proof of his divine power over Gaia. As such,he used the Lifestream to reach the minds of all those other humans with Jenova genes, Cloud included, to foster his Reunion.
Whether by choice or by force, Cloud eventually battles Sephiroth in the North Crater, empowered by the Reunion and given something more akin to a physical form. He is defeated, this time with no remnants of the Reunion to bring him back.Yet still, he was made from Jenova, and this essence now spread across the whole planet due to the pulsing of the LIfestreamtrying to repel the Meteor.
This resulted inGeostigma, as depicted in Advent Children. Spread across the world like a plague, itallowed Sephiroth to exert his will over them like Jenova. With this, he tried to enact another Reunion but, despite once again forming a physical body, failed. As a manifestation of her own will,Aerith summoned a healing rain that removed the Geostigma from the Lifestream, and presumably Sephiroth with it.
