Sephiroth, Sefirot and Messianism: Final Fantasy 7’s ambivalence to Western culture and religion - Introduction

 

This essay aims to explore the significance of some of the naming choices made by the developers of Final Fantasy 7 (hereafter FF7), in particular the game’s two main villains (Sephiroth and Jenova), the real-world sources for these characters’ names, and the occult or mystical concepts associated with them. In turn, it will be shown how real-world religious ideas – but also their history and politics - are mirrored in the script and the story of FF7. This will allow for an interpretation of the deeper meaning of those names, characters, and story-arcs. As with all good science fiction, the story of FF7 is not merely fantasy, but reflects thorny topics from our real world, in some subtle and surprising ways, and this essay we will not therefore talk about Jewish mysticism in isolation as it might appear from the title, but will touch upon its relation to European history, politics, psychology, philosophy and many things besides.

In particular I will argue that the characters and story arcs of Sephiroth and Jenova, and the concept of the “Jenova reunion” are critiques of the theme of messianism, as it appears in both religious and non-religious contexts. We will see how these characters derive their names from the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah, and how the spiritual significance of these concepts is reflected in the role played by these corresponding characters in the game. We will also see, in the second half of the essay, how the depiction of these characters seems to embody a critique of messianism. But I will also argue that FF7 is not a mere critique of messianism as a Western cultural artefact. Rather, it will be important to show that FF7 attempts to digest the theme of messianism by presenting a story in which the messianic impulse, in both its political and psychological manifestations can be made intelligible to the player through their depiction in a fictionalised, high-fantasy setting.

We will do this in 3 parts. In the first part I will try to outline a definition of what I mean by messianism, what is the meaning of the name “Sephiroth” and begin to suggest what the connection here might be. In turn, I will focus on some key dialogue in Sephiroth’s storyline and explain how we can connect these to the idea of messianism. In the second part we will do the same thing again, but this time with Jenova. This will allow us to connect this information together and show how Sephiroth’s messianism reflects the history of Jewish messianism. In the final part, I will try to spell out the historical-political message that seems to be represented through Sephiroth’s storyline, and how this all fits into the context of other JRPGs and Japanese media with (more or less explicit) philosophical themes, released during the late nineties and early 2000s.  

Before we begin, I must give the following disclaimers.

·       Firstly, and as will be clear to - careful - readers, this is not intended to be an anti-religious screed. I am not claiming that final fantasy 7 is anti-Christianity, anti-kabbalah or anti-Judaism. Instead, I am saying that the writers of ff7 borrowed concepts from these religions to critique a broader cultural theme, namely messianism – in both its religious and secular varieties – and the psychology behind it. My ultimate point is that messianism is not the target of a dismissive critique. Rather, it is through this critique that FF7 attempts to incorporate and make intelligible an aspect of Western culture that is, in some sense, alien to that of its Japanese developers.

·       Secondly, in this essay I am not claiming to have direct access to the minds and intentions of the creators of this video game. What I will say here is simply my interpretation on the basis of the text of the game, and of my research into its real-world sources. I am not claiming that the writers at FF7 are spiritual adepts in Kabbalah, or scholars in German philosophy (perhaps this is something to be grateful for). Nor do I claim to have any expertise on Kabbalah, beyond the admittedly superficial research I present here. The point of the essay is simply to explore the meaning of the game’s real-world references, rather than the intention of the game’s developers.

·       Thirdly, and on a related note, this is not meant to be a piece of academic writing. All of the information contained here, with a few exceptions, can be found using online dictionaries, Wikipedia, the FF7 wiki, or Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy. I have mentioned my sources where possible, but prefer to avoid breaking the flow with constant footnotes, etcetera. Whosoever wishes to correct or challenge what they find here is welcome to do so. I also encourage you to offer your own references if you have them.

·       Fourthly, in the course of our discussion on Jenova and Sephiroth, the topic of gender identity will inevitably come up. This, of course, has become a much bigger deal, culturally, than it was in 1997. Whatever the attitude of FF7’s developers is towards gender/trans issues, and whatever the rights and wrongs of the matter are, this is not what I am concerned with in this essay. I simply aim to point out certain ambiguities in the text, and to point out what their significance may be – again, I do not know the minds of Nojima and the rest, and so it is not for me to take issue with them on this point one way or another.

·        Finally, I will assume the reader is already familiar with the plot of FF7. For those who are not, it is recommended either to play the game first (!) or at least to read a plot synopsis.