Fenrir is the wolf motif that became prevalent in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. Usually, Fenrir is used to refer to Cloud's motorcycle in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, but the term can also be used to refer to the gray wolf that follows Cloud throughout the film, the same wolf whose symbol Cloud wears in his Advent Children outfit.
Fenrir's Interpretations
The Wolf
Fenrir outside Midgar.
Fenrir, a brownish-gray timber wolf that appears several times in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, is seen as a symbol of Cloud's loneliness and his guilt for the deaths of two of his greatest friends: Aerith Gainsborough and Zack Fair, as well as for his other failures. This is not stated in the movie, but is mentioned in the Reunion Files, a "making of" book for Advent Children. The wolf was also speculated by some to be the spirit of Zack, following Cloud from the Lifestream. The wolf can also be attached to Cloud to signify his being a "lone wolf" who tries to deal with problems his own way - either by confronting them or escaping from them - without the help of others.
The wolf first appears early in the movie, at the Buster Sword memorial outside Midgar before Kadaj kicks it down and before Cloud returns to replace it. It is not seen again until Cloud collapses after a bout of pain from his Geostigmatic arm, where the Fenrir stands watch in the flower field near Tifa and Cloud. It returns in the Forgotten Capital, standing by the waters of Aerith's grave before vanishing. The wolf does not appear again until the end of the movie, when Aerith and Zack send Cloud back from the Lifestream. The wolf appears, only to vanish, symbolizing Cloud finally forgiving himself and letting go of his guilt and loneliness.
The Emblem
Cloud wears an emblem on his shoulder pauldron known as either the Fenrir or the Cloudy Wolf. He also wears an earring with the same emblem. In Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, it is shown that the background of Cloud's cellphone also has this image watermarked behind the menu. If one looks closely, they can see the emblem on Barret's, Denzel's, and Tifa's rings. It can also be seen on Cloud's gloves.
The Bike
Fenrir, with its front compartments open.
Cloud's motorcycle is the best-known instance of Fenrir. The bike is a combination of polished black metal over brushed gold mechanics. On either side of the front tires there is an expandable compartment that fits all pieces of the Fusion Swords, and is clearly large enough to fit the completed sword as well. It switches to reverse easily and seems to be able to keep itself upright and driving even without a driver, for Cloud is able to drive it with only his feet. Fenrir's maximum speed is nearly up to 400 km/h.
Non-Final Fantasy appearances
Kingdom Hearts II
In Kingdom Hearts II Tifa Lockhart gives Sora a Keyblade called Fenrir after he defeats Sephiroth. This weapon is unique in that it is the only Keyblade in the game to be modeled after a modern-day key, a motorcycle key specifically, and has the distinction of having the highest Attack power and reach in the game, even above that of the Ultima Weapon. It is also one of the Special Gummi Ship models, where it features Cloud riding on his motorcycle.
Dissidia Final Fantasy & Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
The Fenrir is Cloud Strife's ultimate weapon, which offers +69 ATK, Wall Rush HP Damage +30% with minor Sneak Attack Effect.
Merchandise
A special edition PlayStation 3 bundle was released in Japan along with Advent Children Complete and a copy of the Final Fantasy XIII demo. It features the Fenrir badge on the cover of the games console.
The "Cloudy Wolf" Zippo lighter depicts Cloud's Fenrir wolf emblem. It has the wolf's bust in the corner, and the emblem carved onto the lighter's surface. The lighter was released in 2005 and is limited to 3,000 pieces. All official Zippo lighters come with limited lifetime guarantee, a certification of authenticity and are serial-numbered.
iPhone4 case.
Numerous Fenrir items have been sold in the official Square Enix online shop. These include Cloudy Wolf iPhone 4 case made with silicone, the Cloudy Wolf genuine leather bracelet with .925 silver Fenrir charm, a metallic cellphone strap with the Cloudy Wolf design and the Advent Children stamp on the back, a .925 silver clip-on earring based on the Cloudy Wolf motif worn by Cloud, and a .925 silver ring with the wolf design. The Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Advent Pieces special edition set limited at 77,777 copies also comes with a serial-numbered Fenrir motif keyring.
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Trivia
Fenrir's emblem on a trading card.
- The Fenrir emblem has been appeared in the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game in the back of some cards.
- The name "Fenrir" is reference to the giant wolf Fenrisulfr in Norse mythology, often known as Fenrir, who is bound by silk chains and is destined to devour Odin at Ragnarok. This is particularly interesting as Fenrir is considered by many to be a hellhound due to his link to the guardian of Hel, Garmr. This leads to an interesting set of coincidences, as it means Cloud, represented by Fenrir, hails from Nibelheim, named for the land of the dead, where Odin is found in Final Fantasy VII. Cloud being represented by the hellhound who devours a god may be a deliberate distinction with Sephiroth, who wishes to achieve godhood, but is repeatedly defeated by Cloud. Another interesting coincidence, Cerberus, a hellhound of Greek mythology, shares its name with Vincent Valentine's gun.
- Fenrir also appears as a summon in several other Final Fantasy titles.
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