The Ancients, also known as the Cetra, are a race of people who act as caretakers of the planet of Gaia, as seen in Final Fantasy VII. In the original game, little was known about the Ancients aside from their connection to the lifestream within the planet. We’re first introduced to this race through Aerith Gainsborough who is the last of their kind.
In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, more is known of the Cetra as they’re mentioned in planetology books and live on in legend. Cetra look just like regular humans, but they have a deep connection to the planet, able to interact directly with the lifestream and act as stewards, or protectors.
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The Cetra are far more important than originally thought - the caretakers are actually responsible for life on Gaia after they opened up veins of lifestream to cultivate the planet. In fact, it’s said that the Cetra could have been moving from planet to planet creating life. This ancient race, while not mentioned much in the original Final Fantasy VII, was a large part of why Shinra wants to find the ‘promised land’ as it is said to be full of mako, and the Cetra were the only ones able to enter this supposed land.
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They lived on Gaia for some time until an alien creature crashed into the northern hemisphere of Gaia; an alien we later know as Jenova. After slamming into the planet, Jenova used telepathic powers to mutate Cetra, using a virus, and turn them into monsters. The Cetra were eventually able to seal away Jenova where she crashed, however, after 2,000 years Shinra found the crater housing Jenova and unearthed her believing her to be Cetra.
It’s here that Shinra began using the Jenova cells within their military, as Hojo believed Jenova to be a member of the long disappeared race. He was trying to create human/Cetra hybrids, but instead created SOLDIERS and, of course, Sephiroth. After this monumental mistake, Shinra learned of Aerith and her bloodline and began following her to see if they could use her to open the promised land and gain access to the mako.
Featured Image Credit: Square EnixTopics: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy 7, PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Sony, Square Enix