Fans get to meet some pretty unique characters in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion. It acts as a prequel to the original Final Fantasy VII, allowing fans to not only see characters like Yuffie as a child, but new faces that help lift the old favorites to greater heights. Originally exclusive to the PSP, the newly remastered game has its first act entirely devoted to the teacher-student relationship between Zack Fair and Angeal Hewley.
Zack Fair may have had a small role in the original Final Fantasy VII game, but i Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, he is the main character. Players go through the story of what secrets Shinra has hidden deep within the SOLDIER program as Zack meets characters like Cloud and Tifa while hacking and slicing alongside the Buster Sword’s original owner, Angeal. As Angeal teaches Zack to embrace his dreams and protect his SOLDIER honor, he constantly calls his student a puppy, much to his dismay.
Zack the Puppy in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion
Early in Crisis core, Angeal refers to his protégé as “Zack the Puppy”, and characters close to him follow his lead and do the same. Although Zack doesn’t seem at all fond of the nickname, it’s quite fitting. He runs around almost constantly, enthusiastically taking on the challenges he has been given in the SOLDATE program. Angeal’s mother even says her son has written to her about him, calling him a restless puppy because of his short attention span. She laughs as she talks about Angeal’s letter to her, but Zack Fair takes it as a blow to his reputation.
It seems that Zack resents being called a puppy because he feels like he’s not being taken seriously. Zack’s dream is to reach SOLDIER 1st Class among Shinra’s ranks and become a hero, even though others have told him it’s an unattainable goal. However, it’s hard not to see him as a puppy with how he acts and behaves at the start of the game. While he may feel his “puppy” nickname is because he doesn’t make the cut, it’s actually a name made out of affection.
Angeal Hewley loves dogs
If fans sign up for Angeal’s fan club in their Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion playthrough, known as Keepers of Honor, the first email they receive will discuss the facts from Angel’s “unauthorized” profile. This email will reveal that Angeal’s favorite hobby is listed directly as “dogging dogs.”
The email goes even further to say that Angeal has a soft spot for puppies, even saying that the more a puppy frustrates him, the cuter the puppy seems to him. This adds new context to Angeal’s nickname for Zack, and even makes the earlier moments where the 1st Class SOLDIER gets frustrated with him even sweeter.
It makes it clear that even though Zack dislikes being called a puppy, there is an affection for Angeal. It stands as a symbol that even when he seems clearly frustrated and constantly tells Zack to take things seriously or stay focused, Angeal finds it cute. This even shows in one of Zack’s DMW memories where he has lost his sword and all Angeal can do is call him a restless puppy. Although Angeal sees Zack as a frustratingly cute puppy, becomes quite ironic after his student “killed” him. The last remaining piece of Angeal is found in a strange dog-like replica that watches over him in Aerith’s church. Even then, he still watches over the person he calls a “restless puppy” until the end.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
