New Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth trailer features a nod to a 4-year-old mystery that's been left to linger, and my mind is unraveling

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We might finally know what Marlene saw

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's latest trailer might have just resolved a four-year-old mystery that started in Remake.

Be warned: there are spoilers for the original Final Fantasy 7 in this article, and quite possibly Rebirth, depending on how closely the sequel follows the original storyline.

Back in 2020, one scene in Final Fantasy 7 Remake caused quite a stir. Barrett's adopted daughter, Marlene, has what could be a pivotal scene late on in the game. Aerith touches Marlene, and the latter sees an apparent shocking vision that leaves her a little haunted. You can see the full scene just below.

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The thing is, Remake never explained what Marlene actually saw. Common speculation around the time was that Marlene saw Aerith dying at the hands of Sephiroth, and now Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's new trailer might have just confirmed that theory after nearly four years of speculation. 

The screenshot below comes from said trailer. Marlene is talking to Zack and makes him promise not to tell anyone what she's about to reveal. Marlene then says, "When she wakes up, a scary man is gonna kill her." We don't know exactly who Marlene is talking about, but it's probably not an accident that the trailer then switches to Aerith singing.

Uh oh - it sure looks like Marlene foresaw Aerith dying to Sephiroth, just like in the original Final Fantasy 7 storyline. There has been a lot of heated debate over whether Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will actually end on that scene, and this has only been hastened by Rebirth's director saying the sequel would end at the Forgotten Capital. 

It sure sounds like Aerith's fate will be a big plot point in Rebirth. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches next year on February 29, exclusively for PS5, and you can read up on our full Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth preview for what we made of the upcoming game when we played it for ourselves.

You can also check out our recap of The Game Awards 2023 for every major announcement made. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.