The world of Final Fantasy VII contained bio-mechanical giants that protected the planet from anything that would harm it. These monsters were known as the Weapons and they provided some of the most difficult boss battles in the Final Fantasy series. There is an exception to this, as one Weapon monster was swindled out of a bigger role in Final Fantasy VII; but the remake series has a chance to turn it into a credible threat by letting the player fight it.
[Spoilers for the original FFVII below]
In the story of Final Fantasy VII, the planet created the Weapon monsters as a means of dealing with Jenova, as she posed a threat to all life. The Cetra managed to deal with Jenova on their own, so the planet sealed the Weapons away. The Weapons were awoken when Sephiroth summoned Meteor and they went on a rampage, leaving Avalanche and the Shinra Corporation with the task of stopping them.
In the original Japanese version of Final Fantasy VII, the player could only fight Ultimate Weapon, as Emerald & Ruby Weapon didn’t exist and both Diamond & Sapphire Weapon died in cutscenes. The international version of Final Fantasy VII introduced Emerald and Ruby Weapon while letting the player fight Diamond Weapon before it’s killed. This means that Sapphire Weapon is the only one that the player never gets to fight.
Sapphire Weapon is given one cool cutscene where it attacks Junon, but it gets its head blown off by the Sister Ray. A similar fate also befalls Diamond Weapon, but the player at least has a chance to fight it first and see how tough it is. Diamond Weapon also has a chance to fire back and (seemingly) kill Rufus Shinra.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is an action RPG, so fans have wondered how the Emerald Weapon battle will occur, as it takes place underwater. It’s possible that the player will need to seek out the Underwater Materia and it will create a bubble of air that will allow the party to move and fight unhindered. The party should be given a similar opportunity to battle Sapphire Weapon in future entries in the Final Fantasy VII Remake series. This is one of the coolest-looking monsters in Final Fantasy VII, yet it wasn’t even named in-game.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is going in a different direction from Final Fantasy VII and it’s unclear if the Weapon monsters will even return in future entries. If they do, then it’s easy enough to come up with a reason for the player to battle Sapphire Weapon. The members of Avalanche could tackle it as it arrives at Junon in order to give the Sister Ray time to charge up. It’s also possible that Sapphire Weapon is just wounded in the Sister Ray attack and it flees to the sea, leaving it available for a post-game boss battle. Sapphire Weapon was the jobber of the Weapon monsters in Final Fantasy VII, but the developers of Final Fantasy VII Remake can finally give it the awesome/insanely difficult boss battle that it deserves.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is available now for PlayStation 4.
