Zack Fair

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Zack Fair
Zack Fair.png
Zack Fair in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Series Final Fantasy VII, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
First game Final Fantasy VII
Designed by Tetsuya Nomura
Voiced by (English) Rick Gomez
Voiced by (Japanese) Kenichi Suzumura
Fictional information
Class/Job SOLDIER 1st Class
Weapon Broadsword, later Buster sword

Zack Fair (ザックス・フェア Zakkusu Fea?) is a non-player character from the role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. Zack also appears in all the titles of Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. He originally was a minor character within Final Fantasy VII, but was given a basic backstory by a scenario writer. Zack was designed by Tetsuya Nomura and his name derived from 'fair weather', to contrast with Cloud Strife. Zack is voiced by Kenichi Suzumura in Japanese and Rick Gomez in English.[1] Suzumura was chosen specifically for his voice by Nomura, and was given the role without an audition. Western critics have praised Zack's character, as well as his role within Crisis Core.

Although Zack's character is already dead by the start of Final Fantasy VII, he is mentioned when his best friend Cloud develops a mixed persona of his original self and Zack which is present until Cloud is able to recollect his past and regain his personality. Zack was also the first love of Aerith, a playable character from Final Fantasy VII. Throughout the game and other titles it is explained that when he was young, Zack joined the Shinra Electric Power Company's armed militia SOLDIER with hopes of becoming a hero. He was present when his friend Sephiroth went insane and destroyed Nibelheim, and attempted to stop him. However, he was defeated and later experimented on by Hojo before being killed by Shinra's military.

Contents

[edit] Concept and creation

Zack had not existed during the original scenario, and was created when Nojima was adding to mysteries of the story.[2] Nojima used Zack to link Cloud and Aerith, as Aerith had seen her past love in Cloud, and as such Zack was used as that past love. Zack was designed by Final Fantasy VII character designer Tetsuya Nomura. Final Fantasy VII was reaching the end of development, making the request for concept art sudden.[2] Zack appears as a tall young man with spiky black hair. He wears the 1st class SOLDIER uniform, consisting of a black, sleeveless turtleneck, black boots, and armor. In Famitsu, Nomura stated that Zack's name was derived from 'fair weather' and contrasted with Cloud Strife.[3]

Nomura had wanted Zack to have a "nice, upbeat voice," which influenced his decision in casting Kenichi Suzumura.[4] Beforehand, Nomura had had dinner with Suzumura, where he had decided that "at that point [Nomura] wanted him to be in one of [Nomura's] projects if the opportunity ever presented itself." Suzumura was selected without an audition for the role; Nomura described that, because Zack had been chosen to be the lead in Last Order, he wanted "someone who could handle [the] role well."[4] Zack had few appearances in Advent Children, and as a result wasn't difficult to animate; the team had also acquired his design early on in the production stages, allowing modeling of his character to be taken care of then as well.[4]

In an interview with IGN, Yoshinori Kitase explained that when the original game had been created, "Zack was a rather minor character," though Nomura had created an art design and Kazushige Nojima, one of Final Fantasy VII's scenario writers, had created a "basic concept of his [Zack's] story." [5] Kitase followed by saying "So, you could say that the idea [for the storyline of Crisis Core] has been cooking for 10 years."[5]

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Final Fantasy VII

In Final Fantasy VII, Zack plays only a very small role and is seen in flashbacks, especially as Cloud realizes that certain memories, past experiences, and parts of his persona were that of Zack's and not his own.[6] Zack is further mentioned in Gongaga, Zack's hometown, where his parents are oblivious to what became of their son and worried for his safety after not hearing from him for years. Aerith also explains that Zack her first love and that he was member from the organization SOLDIER. An escape scene can be witnessed by meeting certain conditions which features Zack's death after being gunned down by Shinra troops in the barren rock scape outside Midgar.

[edit] Other appearances

Zack in Last Order: Final Fantasy VII.

Zack has a minor role in Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII as a 2nd class SOLDIER attempting to save two SOLDIER acquaintances, Sebastian and Essai, who had been captured and experimented on. Unable to save them, Zack is forced to kill them. He also makes an appearance during the chapter covering the Nibelheim incident.[7]

Zack has a small role in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, and most of his appearances are flashbacks from Cloud's point of view.[8] He and Aerith are last seen saying goodbye to Cloud. In the enhanced edition, Advent Children Complete, his role is expanded, with extended and additional flashbacks to the events of Crisis Core, an appearance during the climactic final battle between Sephiroth and Cloud, in which he offers a severely injured Cloud words of encouragement and reminds him of his dying words and a final scene in which Cloud and Denzel are at the site of Zack's death.[9]

The OVA Last Order: Final Fantasy VII, though narrated by Tseng, follows Zack and Cloud's journey to Midgar with flashbacks of the Nibelheim incident. When they manage to outrun attacking Shinra MPs, dispatched to kill them, and Turks, who under Tseng's command would merely catch them, they hitch a ride on a truck. While Zack continues to talk, a gun scope, held by a Shinra MP, locks onto Cloud. Noticing, Zack attempts to save Cloud[10] and yells at him to run.[11]

Zack acts as the protagonist of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, a prequel to Final Fantasy VII. As a 2nd Class SOLDIER, Zack works as a subordinate under his close friend and mentor Angeal Hewley, a renowned First Class, until being promoted to SOLDIER 1st Class. Through various events, Zack falls in love with Aerith and befriends Cloud, Tseng, Cissnei, and Sephiroth, along with two SOLDIERs named Kunsel and Luxiere.[12] Zack is assigned to accompany Sephiroth and two grunts, one being Cloud, on a mission to Nibelheim to find the cause of a Mako reactor malfunction. While there, Sephiroth discovers his supposed origins and goes insane, setting fire to the town and returning to the reactor to find Jenova, an alien who he believes to be his mother. Both Zack and Cloud engage him in battle, and Sephiroth is eventually thrown into the Mako reactor by Cloud. However, Zack and Cloud are too injured to continue on, and taken by Hojo for experimentation. After being experimented on for four years, Zack escapes with Cloud and begins a journey to Midgar to find Aerith. On their way, Zack is intercepted by Shinra armed forces and, overwhelmed by their sheer numbers, is shot multiple times. After he eliminates the bulk of the force, Zack is shot continually in the chest by a remaining soldier. While dying, Zack gives the Buster Sword to Cloud, telling him to live out his own life as well as Zack's; that Cloud is his living legacy, and holds his honor and dreams. As Cloud stumbles off towards Midgar, Zack is pulled into the Lifestream by Angeal, and wonders if he had become a hero.

Zack in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.

Zack is an unlockable character in the PlayStation version of Ehrgeiz, playable in arcade, versus, and minigame events.[13] He will also make his debut appearance in the Kingdom Hearts series in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep for the PlayStation Portable, featured prominently in the Olympus Coliseum, following the pattern of fellow Final Fantasy characters Cloud (in Kingdom Hearts) and Auron (in Kingdom Hearts II).

[edit] Promotion and reception

Zack has served as the basis for several forms of merchandise, including figurines,[14] as well as being pictured three times on the Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Potion soft drink cans.[15][16]

Critical response to Zack's character has generally been positive. In IGN's Final Fantasy VII: Top 10 Characters list, Zack made 6th place with writer Dave Smith noting that "his [Zack's] check-out scene in Crisis Core is just about as epic as it gets in videogames."[17] Kevin VanOrd, writing a review of Crisis Core for Gamespot, praised Zack as a "likable and complex hero" and that he "transcends the usual spiky-haired heroism and teenage angst with an uncommon maturity that develops as the game continues."[18] Niall Rough from Acegamez agreed with VanOrd by saying that Zack is a more appealing character than Cloud Strife, praising his personality and other traits.[19] GameSpy's Gerald Villoria described Zack as "King of the Nice Guys", noting that he can be a "pretty hate-worthy character if you're the jaded type who mocks the typical Final Fantasy storyline".[20] GameDaily's Chris Buffa said that the inclusion of Zack into Crisis Core was one of the things the players would enjoy the most, having found him as a "likable hero".[21] Although Eurogamer's Simon Parkin found Zack's appearance to be similar to Cloud's, he added that "This fan service doesn't put a foot wrong until he reaches into his [Zack's] pocket, pulls out a mobile phone and speaks."[22] He also praised Zack's English voice actor for doing a good job as Zack, noting "his character's maturing and developing over the 15-hour storyline".[23]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Square Enix. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. PlayStation Portable. (August 17, 2009)
  2. ^ a b Studio BentStuff, ed (2007) (in Japanese). Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania. Square-Enix. 
  3. ^ "Crisis Core: Scans and Info". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/pages/unions/read_article.php?topic_id=25438993&union_id=6033. Retrieved January 13, 2009. 
  4. ^ a b c SoftBank, ed (2006) (in Japanese/English). Final Fantasy VII Advent Children: Reunion Files. Square-Enix. p. 59. ISBN 4-7973-3498-3. 
  5. ^ a b McCarthy, Dave. "Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII UK Interview". IGN. http://psp.ign.com/articles/869/869858p1.html. Retrieved March 2, 2009. 
  6. ^ Cloud: I never was in SOLDIER. I made up the stories about what happened to me five years ago, about being in SOLDIER. I left my village looking for glory, but never made it in to SOLDIER...... I was so ashamed of being so weak; then I heard this story from my friend Zack... And I created an illusion of myself made up of what I had seen in my life..... And I continued to play the charade as if it were true. Square Co.. Final Fantasy VII. (SCE America). PlayStation. (1997-09-07)
  7. ^ "Before Crisis". Square Enix. http://www.square-enix.co.jp/mobile/bcff7.html. Retrieved 2008-08-21. 
  8. ^ Zack (to Cloud): Sorry, friend. Looks like you don't have a place here. (Final Fantasy VII Advent Children)
  9. ^ Cloud (to Zack): That’s right. I am your living legacy (Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete).
  10. ^ Zack: Watch out! (Last Order: Final Fantasy VII)
  11. ^ Zack: Cloud, run! (Last Order: Final Fantasy VII)
  12. ^ Aeris: What a shock..... I didn't know Zack was from this town. / Cloud: You know him? / Aeris: Didn't I tell you? He was my first love. Square Co. Final Fantasy VII. (SCE America). PlayStation. (1997-09-07)
  13. ^ "Ehrgeiz Hints & Cheats". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/ps/action/ehrgeiz/hints.html?tag=tabs;cheats. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 
  14. ^ "Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Play Arts Zack Fair". Square Enix. http://ssl.square-enix-shop.com/usa/detail.php?id=164. Retrieved March 8, 2009. 
  15. ^ "Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Potion (canned softdrink)". Play-Asia. http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-lx-49-en-70-29cf.html. Retrieved March 7, 2009. 
  16. ^ "Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Potion with Trading Arts Mini Figure". Play-Asia. http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-01-49-en-70-299n.html. Retrieved March 7, 2009. 
  17. ^ Smith, Dave. "Final Fantasy VII: Top 10 Characters". IGN. http://stars.ign.com/articles/861/861824p6.html. Retrieved January 7, 2009. 
  18. ^ VanOrd, Kevin. "Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Review". Gamespot. http://www.gamespot.com/psp/rpg/crisiscorefinalfantasyvii/review.html. Retrieved March 7, 2009. 
  19. ^ Rough, Niall. "Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Review". Acegamez. http://www.acegamez.co.uk/reviews_psp/Crisis_Core_Final_Fantasy_VII_PSP.htm. Retrieved August 17, 2009. 
  20. ^ Villoria, Gerald (March 19, 2009). "Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Review". GameSpy. http://psp.gamespy.com/playstation-portable/crisis-core-final-fantasy-vii/860767p1.html. Retrieved August 17, 2009. 
  21. ^ Buffa, Chris (April 9, 2008). "Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII Review (PSP)". GameDaily. http://www.gamedaily.com/games/crisis-corefinal-fantasy-vii/psp/game-reviews/review/3818/2003/. Retrieved August 17, 2009. 
  22. ^ Simon, Parkin (June 23, 2008). "Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII Review (PSP)". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/final-fantasy-vii-crisis-core-review. Retrieved August 17, 2009. 
  23. ^ Simon, Parkin (June 23, 2008). "Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII Review (PSP), page 2". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/final-fantasy-vii-crisis-core-review?page=2. Retrieved August 17, 2009. 
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