Red XIII

"Just as his name implies, he is an animal with fire-red fur. But under his fierce exterior is an intelligence surpassing that of any human's..."

Red XIII, real name Nanaki, is a red lion or wolf-like beast with a fiery tail from Final Fantasy VII. Red XIII was the name he received while being a specimen "owned" by Professor Hojo. Even though he is 48 in human years, he is around 15 to 16 years old by his own species' standards. He has a vast intelligence and a big heart.

Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-
Before being captured by the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company, he resided in Cosmo Canyon. Together with Dinne, another member of his species, he was to perform the rite to appease the Planet. However, he was hesitant due to an indescribable uneasiness. Just then, he witnessed Dinne being chased by suspicious people. When she was on the verge of crisis, he realized the true nature of the thoughts he held within himself and in order to protect her, he took a step forward as a warrior of the valley. He fights against the main playable characters as a boss in episode 18 and later in the Training Mode.

Final Fantasy VII
Red XIII joins with Cloud's group after being rescued from the Shinra HQ. They encounter him right as an experiment involving he and Aeris was taking place, in which Hojo was trying to coerce them to mate in order to "preserve" their species (Aeris being half-Cetra), and provide him with new people to be used in his decades-long plan to clone Ancients. During his captivity, Hojo placed a tattoo of the number 13 on his left front leg as Hojo had planned to later turn him into another Sephiroth Clone. After being freed by the group, he remarks that Red XIII was a name given to him by Hojo, and has no consequence to him. After escaping from Midgar, he also says to the party he will only stay with them until they reach Cosmo Canyon.

Before returning to Cosmo Canyon, Red XIII tries to evade all the comments of his past. After arriving there and meeting with Bugenhagen, it is revealed that Bugenhagen is Red XIII's surrogate "grandfather", that his true name is 'Nanaki', and despite being about 50 years in age he is really only about 17 in human years. After Bugenhagen hears Nanaki's remarks towards his own father, whom he believes was a coward, Bugenhagen invites him and the party to enter a sealed cavern within Cosmo Canyon. As Cloud's party travels through the cavern Bugenhagen explains it is haunted by the ghosts of the Gi Tribe, a faction of tribal warriors who laid siege to Cosmo Canyon and that their anger prevents their souls from assimilating into the Lifestream. Once they reach the end of the cavern, the party encounters a very powerful spirit which had dwelled there for some time with intense hatred and fight a tough battle against it. After it is defeated, a back entrance to Cosmo Canyon is made accessible.

After traveling out, Bugenhagen explains that the Gi Tribe greatly outnumbered the forces of Cosmo Canyon and had tried to enter through this back pathway. Here Nanaki discovers his father Seto, alone, stood ground and fought the Gi and had they managed to enter all of Cosmo Canyon would've been lost. After victory, though, the stone-enchanted spears of the Gi Tribe took their toll on Seto and turned his body to stone, which still stands there.

Bugenhagen requests Red XIII join Cloud and the others and survey the world for him, as he is far too old to do so anymore. Red XIII agrees, and also feels he should go and live up to his father and make him proud. He howls at the moon and tears stream from Seto's stone eyes.

Later in the game, Bugenhagen joins the party to visit the City of the Ancients and unveil to them the nature of Holy. After returning to Cosmo Canyon and the defeat of the Diamond Weapon, he falls into a serious illness. Nanaki runs to him, and the party stays back to leave them alone. Bugenhagen tells Nanaki that there is so more to life than that which is within Cosmo Canyon and he should survey the world its self and all it's unique facets to gain the true knowledge he mentioned in their last meeting. Bugenhagen then passes away and Nanaki takes up a resolve to protect this planet, and the things that make it up as that is what constitutes his knowledge and concept of life itself. After the game's credits roll, a scene is shown 500 years after the ending of Final Fantasy VII. An older Nanaki is shown with two young pups, implying he found another of his species, and they dash through a canyon and climb up to the crest of a cliff. There, all three stand and look down at the remains of Midgar, which is now covered heavily in moss and overgrown with trees. A flock of birds fly by and it is unknown if human life still exists. However, after the scene fades to black, the sound of distant laughter can be heard. What this laughter is is left up to the player to decide.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children


The film opens 500 years after the events of Final Fantasy VII, with Red XIII roaring atop the hill that overlooks the former Midgar, then moves back to two years after Final Fantasy VII. When Edge was under attack by Bahamut SIN, he hastened there with Cait Sith on his back. He appears later in the film, aboard the Shera and once more in Aerith's church. He is only given one line in the entire film, commenting how some children still have the stigma.



Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-
Although there is a scene where whole cast gather at Midgar, Red XIII is not present, although he does appear during the ending with Shelke.

Equipment and Stats
Like Cloud, Nanaki is a well-rounded attacker who uses hairclips to enhance his fighting abilities. His hairpins all have decent power and many boost his magic power. His ultimate weapon, the Limited Moon, does more damage the more MP he has. Another weapon of note is the Seraph Comb, obtained after the Cave of the Gi. With 68 battle power, it is the strongest weapon in the game up until that point, and most other characters do not acquire weapons of equal power until the Temple of the Ancients and after.

Limit Breaks

 * See videos of the various Breaks here

Trivia

 * Of all the player characters of Final Fantasy VII, Red XIII recieves the least screen time in Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus. This is because his fur makes him extremely difficult and costly to animate.

Red XIII