15 Facts You Never Knew About Jenova In Final Fantasy 7
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15 Facts You Never Knew About Jenova In Final Fantasy 7
There's a ton of buzz surrounding Final Fantasy VII thanks to the remake, so today we'll unpack some facts about Jenova, the game's scariest villain. is perhaps the most beloved JRPG ever, and, with a remake in sight, it's a great time to talk about it again. With its release in 1997, a whole host of fans delved into the sometimes confusing but always fascinating world. Perhaps one of the most emblematic elements of this is Jenova, one of the villains who is at once both a source of mystery and a stumbling block to Cloud and co. Jenova is a weird sort of science experiment that is entangled within the story of the main villain, Sephiroth. Now, with over twenty years of other releases separating us from the initial release and with the remake coming soon, it's easy to forget just what Jenova was all about. Or maybe you never even knew, either way, here are 10 facts about you never knew about Jenova in Final Fantasy 7. Updated May 31st, 2020 by Meg Pelliccio: is now in the hands of fans all around the world, and both old and new players alike are getting to re-discover, or discover as the case may be, the wonderful world of Midgar. This story-rich RPG has been a fan favorite for generations and it's great to see it brought into the modern day with updated graphics, gameplay, and mechanics. Of course, the story wouldn't be complete without Jenova, and whether you've already played the game or not, you might be surprised at what you didn't know about this character. Spoilers ahead! THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY Jenova Features in Other Games
With Final Fantasy 7 generally considered to be the most popular and fan-favorite of the franchise, it's no surprise that elements of the game appear in other titles as an easter egg for players. Jenova is no different; appearing as a boss in the mobile title Final Fantasy Record Keeper, as well as having a server named after it in . Additionally, Jenova Chen, who is famed for creating the games Flower and , said that Final Fantasy 7 is a massive inspiration for his own work, so much so that he took his name from the game's character. Jenova Is An Alien
When the body of Jenova was first discovered by Professor Gast, he mistook it for the race sometimes called the Ancients or also known as the Cetra, but he was wrong. Jenova was actually the being responsible for wiping out most of the Cetra and devastating their civilization. Jenova was known among the Cetra as the "calamity from the skies". That was a pretty disastrous event, but, to their credit, they were able to seal Jenova in North Crater, the place where it first arrived, using a meteoroid as its spaceship. Additionally, Jenova is indeed true to its name, as its only purpose seems to be to destroy planets and then use the dead planet to find its next victim. Shiva Helped to Save the Planet When Jenova First Arrived
Though it has long been known that it was the Cetra that finally managed to seal Jenova away, Final Fantasy 7 Remake has given fans more food for thought on the matter with a particular loading screen. The screen in question claims that Shiva "once saved the planet from certain destruction by staunching a great wound with a glacier." While the Cetra may have sealed Jenova, the planet would have died without Shiva's intervention. This also explains why the Icicle Area, where Jenova originally landed, is completely frozen. In the original game, a taped conversation found at the Icicle Inn explains that the northernmost part of the planet never melts due to all the energy that is gathered there, healing the planet’s injury. Jenova Is Uniquely Suitable For Ending Planets
Its genetic makeup ensures that it can adapt to any planet that it ends up landing on. It can take on the traits of any creature or being it finds in order to accomplish its destructive purpose. On the other end of things, it can insert its own genes into any organism, turning them into violent monsters. Using these two particular abilities, it was able to infiltrate the Cetra. After killing one of them, it took their place so as to be able to escape detection until it was too late. Though by some miracle, the few remaining Cetra were able to band together to seal it. One more aspect of Jenova is that its cells, once separated, will attempt to gather together again regardless of whether they're in their own form or in a host. This is called the Reunion Theory by Hojo. Jenova s Etymology And Gender
Contrary to what you might believe based on what you see, Jenova isn't necessarily female. Being an alien from outer space, it's unknown if Jenova even has a gender. In the game, Jenova definitely has a female form, and Sephiroth does refer to it as his mother. However, Ifalna, 's mother, refers to Jenova as a 'he' or 'it' depending on which version of the game you are playing. This gives Jenova's gender a very uncertain nature and considering it is an alien, gender might not even matter. The name Jenova is a portmanteau, a blend of two different words; Jehova and Nova. Jehova comes from the Hebrew word which refers to Jesus Christ. Nova comes from the Latin adjective for new but could also refer to a terrestrial explosion, such as a Supernova. SOLDIER Are Humans With Modified Jenova Cells
When Jenova was first discovered, it was believed to be a Cetra, so Shinra began experimenting using it. In their haste to find the promised land told of in the Cetra's legends, they began to fuse Jenova's cells with human subjects. The most famous example of this is Sephiroth, regarded as their most successful subject. Sephiroth was created by injecting him with Jenova cells while he was still a fetus. Other subjects were merely treated with the cells and, as a result, turned superhuman. Not everyone who was subjected to Jenova's cells became a member of SOLDIER, but the most successful of them surely did. Jenova Is Not Sephiroth s Mother
At different parts of the game, Sephiroth refers to Jenova as his mother. The reason behind this is Hojo, who lies to Sephiroth and tells him that Jenova is the name of his mother and that she died in childbirth. Sephiroth's real mother is Lucrecia Crescent, the same woman who fell in love with. Through a series of strange decisions, Lucrecia ended up with Hojo and she gave birth to Sephiroth, who was injected with Jenova's cells while still in the womb. While Jenova is not Sephiroth's mother, it did have an impact on who he became. Jenova's cells gave him power and his insane belief that he was the son of Jenova, one of—if not the last—Cetra, warped his personality even further. Jenova s Four Forms
Throughout the game, you fight Jenova four different times. The various forms are referred to as Jenova: BIRTH, LIFE, DEATH, and SYNTHESIS. The first three forms allude to the Buddhist belief of Saṃsāra, a cycle of life where the soul reincarnates to experience each state over and over. The SYNTHESIS form is Jenova's final and possibly truest form, the one it would presumably use to destroy the planet and then move on to its next victim. At one point in development, each form of Jenova was intended to be a different body part, and there would most likely have been more than four forms. This is why Jenova: BIRTH is referred to as "the arm" by Cloud after their first boss encounter with Jenova. Originally Jenova Wasn t Going to be an Alien
In very early planning stages, Jenova was not slated to be an extraterrestrial lifeform at all, but instead a certain gene/element, or considered as a particular region of the brain. The initial idea was that in rare circumstances, people could be born with this gene already inside of them. Additionally, the Jenova gene/element could be "awakened" in people in an artificial way by exposing them to Mako energy. The name "Jenova" was taken from an ancient Cetra book detailing the human brain. The early concept of Jenova being similar to a state of mind was instead recycled by Square Enix (Square, at the time) to be used in both and Xenogears. Inspiration for Jenova
Jenova appears to be strongly influenced by the idea of Lurian Kabalā, a medieval Jewish Mysticism that is a variant of Gnosticism. Gnosticism believes that humans contain a spark of divinity within their bodies, which returns to the Absolute when they die. The Absolute appears to be a parallel of the Lifestream, as it is considered to be the source of all goodness, energy, and knowledge. The Kabbalah, a branch of Gnosticism, believes the Absolute is a true god, whereas Gnostics view it as a false god, the demiurge. However, the demiurge believed he was a god as he was kept isolated from the truth by his mother, and set about crafting his own “creations” as if he were a god, but nothing good ever came of his efforts. Instead, he corrupts the light, in the same way that Jenova corrupts the lifestream. The Jenova Project and Reunion Theory
The Jenova Project is what led to , Sephiroth, and so much more. It was split into two different and competing teams. One team worked on Project S, named after Sephiroth, the other team worked on Project G, named after test subject Gillian Hewley. Project S was deemed the most superior by far and became the basis for SOLDIER. Project G had the subjects receive cells from Gillian, who had been injected with Jenova's cells. The reunion theory was created by Hojo and basically said that when Jenova's cells were separated, they would inevitably attempt to come back together into one form. This also includes anyone who was injected with Jenova's or Sephiroth's cells, but depending on various factors, the call could be resisted. Zack was able to ignore the call despite, or perhaps because, he was a member of SOLDIER. Cloud was only somewhat able to resist. Jenova s Boss Mechanics And Weaknesses
You can get a pre-emptive start on the first from, BIRTH. Arguably, it's most dangerous attack is the Stop spell, but it can only cast it three times before running out of mana. LIFE uses a lot of water magic, so a water ring will make this fight trivial. You can also deplete its magic using the magic hammer enemy skill, but Jenova will cast Reflect in response. When it does, simply use De-Barrier or any spell that goes through reflect. LIFE can be paralyzed with Cloud's Cross-slash or certain Dazer items. DEATH only uses fire attacks, so use equipment that protects against fire. DEATH can also be paralyzed in the same way as LIFE. Finally, SYNTHESIS is Jenova's most powerful form and it has no weaknesses. Instead, utilize your best attacks to quickly dispatch the tentacles. Once those are gone, the fight shouldn't give you any trouble. Jenova s Boss Fights Have Three Different Musical Themes
Interestingly, only two of Jenova's different forms—and the Hojo boss battle—play the same musical track, J-E-N-O-V-A, those are the Jenova: BIRTH and DEATH forms. Jenova: LIFE, perhaps most appropriately, play's Aerith's Theme. SYNTHESIS plays its own unique track called Jenova Absolute. The transition from the J-E-N-O-V-A soundtrack to Jenova absolute helps instill in the player that now is the final battle with Jenova. It's gone through its different forms both in the game's boss battles and now in the music. Interestingly, there is no fanfare music after defeating Jenova: LIFE because of the events that just transpired with Aerith. Sephiroth Takes Over Jenova
There can be no doubt that Sephiroth is the e, but as the story progresses it gets confusing as to whether he is still alive or not. Cloud cuts him down in a flashback, so how is he alive? When he was cut down by Cloud, he takes Jenova's head with him and falls into the lifestream. The lifestream is unable to fully reintegrate him back into the planet because of his Jenova cells, and so he is able to remain sentient. Sephiroth is able to overcome Jenova's will and substitute it for his own; he learns how to control those affected by Jenova's cells and, furthermore, is able to control parts of Jenova. So when you see Sephiroth back in and even as you chase him across the world, that is actually the Jenova body you find in Shinra Headquarters. Final Fantasy 7 Remake Redesigned Jenova
Final Fantasy 7 Remake decided to introduce a new look to Jenova, adding in the form known as "Jenova Dreamweaver" as a boss that players must defeat. This ghastly aberration is an illusion that the real Jenova projects and it appears to resemble some of the Jenova forms from the original game. In the Japanese version, it is called "Jenova Beat." The game's data shows that it was initially referred to as "Jenova PULSE" for localizations. The Italian version kept this name and the German and French versions use a variation, calling it "Jenova-Puls" and "Jenova-PULSATION" respectively.