The Gray Wolf
This dept should be paid at any price.
Rufus Shinra In AC more than once appears the Gray Wolf. First time: the Wolf stands near Zack's grave. Twice the Wolf appears in fits of Geostigma, we see its face close-up. Third time: when Cloud and Tifa lay in church unconscious the wolf stands near Cloud. Fourth: in Forgotten Capital the Wolf stands near the lake where Aerith is buried. Fifth: we see the Wolf in Lifestream. Also we clearly see wolf's emblem on Cloud's cape, gloves and earring. Furthermore rings with the same emblem are worn by Tifa, Denzel and Barret. The Wolf is a subject of much controversy - what means his appearance, whom or what it symbolizes, for what is it inserted inside the narration, and if it is an allegory so what is hidden behind it?
There are pulled out from the context of the "Reunion Files" album, perverted by many retellings statement: "The Wolf is a symbol of Cloud's guilt". Usually, discussions about the meaning of the Wolf are ended with this phrase and with it reach a deadlock: why Barret wears the ring with a symbol of Cloud's guilt? We made a rule to not lay on interviews and additional statements, using as a source of information only art-work itself and interpretation of the Wolf described below follows from the analysis of the narration and not from the RF text. However, we have to pay attention to the obvious fact: Reunion Files is a great present for the fans of the FFVII world and AC. This album contains many hints for those who wants to know more than it is shown. Following explanation has been built on the base of the well-known quotation about the Wolf - let it be an obvious example of the process of analyzing of thesis given by the Authors.
First of all, let's formulate the base idea: there is a Wolf that acts like independent, but invisible, character and there are emblems with its image that are worn by some personages. It is reasonable to say that the emblems of the Wolf are worn because of the fact of existence of the Wolf itself: not the Wolf copies the picture of the emblems but the emblems serves as a reminder about it. But before reach the personality of mysterious gray beast we need to examine the emblems: for what are they worn only by concrete persons?
Originally RF says about the Wolf: "The emblem of the Wolf worn by Cloud is a symbol of Cloud's guilt". Let's continue this idea: "The emblem of the Wolf worn by Tifa is a symbol of Tifa's guilt", "The emblem of the Wolf worn by Barret is a symbol of Baret's guilt". In other words they wear some reminder about their guilt - as fetters. What for? There is only one answer - they remember the guilt when they are on the way of atonement. In other case guilt is forgotten and denied. So we see that the emblems of the Wolf are worn by people who consider themselves responsible for the current state of the world. It corresponds to the main idea of FFVII and AC. To mention briefly: the Game is about casting stones away; AC is about gathering stones together. Rufus as a man who paid his debts in the Game says to Cloud: "We owe to the world and this dept should be paid at any price", "Your power is borrowed. Return it." W.R.O. usually interpreted as "World Regeneration Organization". From the standpoint of Rufus's words about paying debts we think the "R" can mean not "Regeneration" but "Redemption". So then it is obvious that theme of redemption appears not only in the implication but also in the context of the movie.
Let's examine debts of the bearers of the emblem. Barret is guilty for the death of the people because of explosions of the reactors and also he blames himself for the destiny of Corel and its inhabitants. At the moment of AC he searches for oil - a new source of energy which use will not traumatize the Planet as use of Mako. Tifa is also privy to the destructive activity of AVALANCHE. Also she blames herself for her chaotic and inaccurate memories that redouble destruction of Cloud's personality, and accuses herself of the fact that real Cloud of Nibelheim because of her apathy toward him became aggressive and cruel. She has one more guilt - when Tifa falls in Lifestream in Mideel, some voice blames her for something, and she screams that she know nothing about it and did never do such things. At the moment of AC Tifa bends every effort to make Cloud return to the normal life and she also cares for two children. Denzel wears somebody else's ring that is too big for him and we may content that the guilt that he took upon himself is also too big for him. Cloud is covered by Wolf's emblems and we should look at his debts in details.
Cloud is responsible for the fact that he was under the power of Jenova cells and acted in her interests. He attacked Sephiroth and threw down him together with Jenova's head in Lifestream. In that way Jenova got total freedom of action and many following tragic events are the result of exactly this fall through Cloud's fault. Also Cloud is the reason of the Meteor and awakening of Weapons - they are activated after Cloud during his Reunion gives away Black Materia. One more his fault is about broken life of Aerith and Zack. If we look globally, from the point of view of the world damage, we see that self-sacrifice of these people is irreplaceable loss of the possibility to revive Cetra people. During fits of Geostigma Cloud again and again goes through the moment of his friend's murder - geostigma breaks people making them remember the worst from their experience. Guilt that Cloud tries to get forgiveness for is in the fact that because of his fault Zack was killed and he not coped this shock became his "copy" and made Aerith suffer. If the debt to the Planet can be paid with actions in order to protect it, here you can do nothing. Last scene in AC, when Cloud sees Aerith and Zack together, completes this theme - they are together happy in another life.
In that way, interpretation of emblems as a symbol of redeeming one's fault is right. The emblem of the Wolf is a reminder about fact that the person still has debts that should be returned. In the world psycho-symbolism wolf is a symbol of a man who paid all debts and because of that is free and perfect. In AC we see the Wolf that tosses his head and looks at Midgar, looks at water, bends forward to Cloud as if saying something to him, that is we see a character performing conscious activity. Wolf as much ghostly as Aerith and Zack are but it as much really also. It dwells inside the same layer of space where they are - in Lifestream. Is it possible that the Wolf is an image of a man who farther then all passed the way of Redemption and has gone to the Planet by the moment of AC? In that case carrying of emblems with his image is a sign of the fact that you should not stop at the half of this path. This idea is confirmed by episode in Tifa's bedroom: when she becomes angry because of Cloud's indecision she hits the counterpane with her palm and we see a close-up of her hand with a ring on her fourth finger. At that time she says: "You are running away again, avoiding again". Picture supports sound: right after blame about getting out the way and giving up the struggle the Wolf appears - as a reminder.
In the Game many characters die but among persons who sacrificed their lives there is only one man who is not given his due in AC. It is Sephiroth. In AC we see an image that is a result of Reunion of spirit body and Jenova's head; however it is not Sephiroth himself. Even in the Game we saw such illusion, at the time when Sephiroth himself was in North Crater. The name "Sephiroth" had become a synonym of Jenova because of her adherence to his look, but the man called Sephiroth never was at Jenova's side and being the same as she in his physical nature anyway resisted her, sacrificing his life and his honor for that. Cloud says: "I was being summoned by Sephiroth. All the anger and hatred I bore him made it impossible for me to ever forget him." - that is Sephiroth on his own free will disavowed his status of a brilliant hero to give a chance for the future to the Planet. It would be strange and unfair if this feat remains unnoticed and Sephiroth would be forgotten at the moment of AC. The Wolf - a character appearing during whole movie - is Sephiroth. Not Sephiroth-like Jenova's illusion that is usually seen by viewer and player, but Sephiroth himself - a friend of Zack, best of SOLDIER, the first who started to resist Jenova after original Cetra, although, for him by his birth right it was the most hard thing to do. Emblems of the Wolf are memories about Sephiroth and his victim and a symbolical reference point for debtors to the man who gave to the Planet so much, accepted his terrible destiny and started "return of the Planet to Cetra's hands", that is a rehabilitation of the race of "traitors" and returning them to their own sources. Cloud pays his debt - once he prevented Sephiroth acting of Jenova's will and in AC he defeated her. Last scene in AC is a scene of paid debts, forgiveness and release: the Wolf leaves Cloud just as later Aerith and Zack leave.
Source :
Over Final Fantasy
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