Cissnei is a new character in FF7 Rebirth, and she has a secret past that ties back to Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a beautiful but bloated tribute to the original game, and part of that excess includes a large cast of characters that draws upon the larger world of Final Fantasy 7 media. At this point, it’s getting to be a bit like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because Rebirth adds several characters who never appeared in the original, but did in some of the spinoffs. If you’ve just played either the original Final Fantasy 7 or Final Fantasy 7 Remake, then Rebirth can get confusing at points, since some characters from other games just show up out of the blue.
While you don’t need to know who these characters are to enjoy the story, it’s good to understand some additional context of their backstory and larger role in the world. One such character is Cissnei, who appeared in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 and its remake, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, along with the Japan-only mobile title Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7.
In Rebirth, she’s a local leader in the Gongaga region who welcomes Cloud and the rest of Avalanche to town. Although she doesn’t play the largest role, her appearance is meaningful given she’s central to the events leading up to Final Fantasy 7. So here is everything you need to know about Cissnei from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
[Ed’s note: This post contains spoilers for chapter 9 of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and the ending of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion.]
Before we begin, it’s important to note that Cissnei does not appear in the original Final Fantasy 7. The developers originally introduced her in separate Final Fantasy 7 compilation media. Her introduction in Rebirth marks the first time she appears in a “mainline” Final Fantasy 7 story.
