Zack's larger Final Fantasy VII Remake role is meant to explain Cloud and the trilogy's changes

Zack connects Cloud's past to the remake's new direction

That first purpose is about character context. Cloud's identity cannot be fully separated from Zack, but the original Final Fantasy VII did not flesh Zack out to the same degree as later material. Bringing more of Zack into the remake trilogy lets the games establish that relationship for players without requiring outside homework.

The second purpose is structural. Hamaguchi said Zack helps players understand where the original game and the remake series diverge. He described Zack as a guide for the audience's understanding of how events are changing, with gameplay built around the character carrying part of that explanation.

Hamaguchi did not identify the specific Zack sequences that will perform that work in Final Fantasy VII Revelation, nor did he resolve the character's ultimate fate. His answer instead defines why Zack remains present even after Crisis Core gave him a complete dramatic arc.

The trilogy still keeps the original story at its core

Earlier in the interview, Hamaguchi said the developers started from respect for the original game's story and kept its central beats recognizable. The changes are intended to leave room for players to imagine what will happen next rather than to discard the old narrative.

Zack is one of the clearest tools for maintaining that tension. His established connection to Cloud anchors the remake in familiar history, while his expanded presence signals that the path through that history is no longer identical.

The same interview says Revelation will add connections to Advent Children, Before Crisis, Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus. Hamaguchi still describes it as the trilogy's conclusion, with the development team aiming to use its ideas now instead of saving them for another installment.