FF7 Remake Part 2 could resurrect 1 dead character, producer hints

For a fan-favorite character to die in any video game feels like a tragedy, especially when they’re as likable as Jessie Rasberry in Final Fantasy VII Remake. In the original FF7, Avalanche’s resident bomb expert dies when Shinra brings the Sector 7 plate down on an entire neighborhood, but there’s new evidence to suggest that things could turn out differently for Jessie in the new timeline.

Here’s how.

On Sunday, Sony held a PlayStation Play! Play! Play! event presented in Japanese, and it included exclusive interviews and footage for Resident Evil Village and FF7 Remake: Intergrade, the PlayStation 5 upgrade for the first Remake. During an interview with Producer Yoshinori Kitase, a bit of nervous laughter seems to imply that Jessie may have survived the explosive events of the first game.

In the above clip, the stream’s hosts discusses Jessie’s increased role in Remake, particularly an early chapter where “Jessie is like the protagonist” and you visit her parents’ home. That prompts one of the hosts to assume Jessie must still be alive, which makes Kitase burst into a fit of nervous laughter. A translation posted to Twitter from user @aitaikimochi sure makes it seem like there’s something more to the story here.

Host: Jessie is alive, right? She must be alive...

Kitase: *nervous laughter*

Host: What, did the internet connection suddenly go bad or something?

Kitase: Sorry I can't say anything about that...

Granted, this is a totally normal reaction that anybody in Kitase’s position would have when confronted with a question about big spoilers for a future installment. He’d likely get into some kind of trouble if he answered yes or no here, but if she truly were dead, why wouldn’t he just say it? And the thing is, FF7 Remake already presents plenty of evidence to suggest that Jessie did survive, so it’s more than just a pipe dream.

In a grand way, FF7 Remake celebrates the original game’s plot while also deviating pretty far from what’s supposed to happen in this story. The Dementor-looking Whispers try to ensure that the original timeline is preserved, but the game’s final act proves that after our heroes have defeated “Destiny” itself, anything is possible. As if to drive this point home, we’re shown a scene at the very end of the game featuring Biggs, another member of Avalanche who seemingly died alongside Jessie. He’s recuperating in a bed in Midgar’s Sector 5, and on the desk nearby is a red headband (both he and Jessie wear them) and Jessie’s armored gloves.

Are these a memento from a dead friend? Or is Jessie recuperating in a bed nearby? Whether she’s alive or dead, Jessie’s body was obviously found if her gloves are accounted for. And if your best friend were dead, would you really go out of your way to remove her gloves and keep them as a keepsake? Probably not, considering the fact that you’d literally be prying them from her cold, dead fingers.

This scene was probably top of mind for the Play! Play! Play! host when she asked about whether or not Jessie survived. FF7 Remake Part 2 needs to explain what the deal is with her gloves being here. Will it be a sad confirmation of her demise, or a more pleasant surprise?

It’s worth noting that in our June 2020 interview with Jessie voice actor Erica Lindbeck, she hinted that she’d be open to reprising the role of Jessie in future games. Lindbeck confessed that Square Enix doesn’t tell the voice actors much in the way of spoilers, but she was very careful to not confirm outright that Jessie was dead.

“I’ve come to terms with the fact — or not the fact, rather the idea — that if this is all it is, then that’s okay,” Lindbeck said. “Jessie’s death was really impactful. Either way, I feel so lucky to have been a part of something like this.”

If FF7 Remake is all that there is to Jessie’s story, then it was a thrilling and moving story worth telling — but there’s a whole lot more that could be explored in FF7 Remake Part 2 and beyond.

FF7 Remake Part 2 is currently in development.