Nibel Reactor is a mako reactor on top of Mt. Nibel owned by the Shinra Electric Power Company, and was particularly infamous for its role in the Nibelheim Incident that resulted in Sephiroth losing his sanity. It is visited in Final Fantasy VII in a flashback and during the party's route through Mt. Nibel to reach Rocket Town, and is seen in Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-, Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, Last Order -Final Fantasy VII-, and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Story[]

A makonoid in a tank.
Five years prior to the events of Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth, Zack Fair, and several Shinra troops—including Cloud Strife—were sent to Nibelheim to investigate the local reactor. After Tifa Lockhart guided them through the mountain, she was forbid entry due to not being affiliated with Shinra. Inside was a sealed chamber with the text "Jenova" above the door. Sephiroth deduced the reactor was malfunctioning due to a broken section in the mako purification tanks, as Professor Hojo had placed several makonoids—human test subjects mutated into monsters by the mako—in the tanks.
Troubled by the idea that could have been created by the same process as the beings in the tanks, as well as Shinra defector Genesis Rhapsodos explaining that Sephiroth was "Shinra's perfect monster", Sephiroth returned to Nibelheim to investigate. For several sleepless days he stayed in the Shinra Mansion's basement to read on the Jenova Project. Sephiroth was driven mad by the findings and razed Nibelheim before returning to Mt. Nibel to claim Jenova's remains.

Sephiroth reveals Jenova.
Tifa chased after him with a newfound hatred for SOLDIER and Shinra, but was easily cut down. Zack battled Sephiroth, but was defeated. Cloud, having followed Zack and Tifa, defeated Sephiroth and flung him into the lifestream below the reactor. The collapsed Zack and Cloud were claimed by Shinra and used as test subjects, but before Shinra's arrival Tifa's teacher, Zangan, took Tifa away to Midgar to recover.
During the events of Final Fantasy VII, Cloud Strife and his party cross Mt. Nibel during their worldwide pursuit of Sephiroth, but Jenova has been moved away from the Nibel Reactor. At some point, Shinra collects a Huge Materia from the Nibel Reactor, and if the party collected all the other Huge Materia already, loads it up in the Shinra No. 26 rocket. The Nibel Reactor Huge Materia is the blue one.
Locations[]
Nibel Reactor Entrance[]
The outside of the reactor is barren and has stairs leading up to the entrance. Tifa stays here with a Shinra infantryman in the story Cloud tells the party in Kalm in Final Fantasy VII.
Nibel Reactor[]
- Core
A narrow walkway crosses the glowing core that leads to the depths of the planet and the lifestream. Steam or mako vapor rises from the pit.
- Container Room
The room has rows of pods that are filled with mako energy and test subjects known as makonoids. The broken valve that had the reactor malfunction was located here. The stairs in the middle lead to a chamber that has the plaque "JENOVA" above the door.
- Jenova's Chamber
Jenova is held in the container in the middle that is illuminated by blue lights. Various tubes are attached to her body, and on the floor in front of the tube is a sign that reads "JENOVA". One can use the largest tube into the tank to walk up to it. Jenova is usually covered by an angelic effigy.
Enemies[]
Final Fantasy VII[]
Battles in Nibel Reactor Entrance occur in two screens: the first is Reactor Area and the second is In Front of the Reactor. Some enemies don't appear during the flashback.
Reactor Area (Flashback), and In Front of Reactor (Flashback)[]
- [24/64] Twin Brain x2, Sonic Speed
- [22/64] Twin Brain x3
- [18/64] Sonic Speed x3
Reactor Area (Normal)[]
- [15/64] Twin Brain x2, Sonic Speed
- [14/64] Twin Brain x3
- [13/64] Sonic Speed x3
- [12/64] Zuu
- [10/64] Screamer x2[note 1], Twin Brain
- [8/64] Screamer x2 (Back attack)
In Front of the Reactor (Normal)[]
- [15/64] Twin Brain x2, Sonic Speed
- [14/64] Twin Brain x3
- [13/64] Sonic Speed x3
- [12/64] Zuu
- [10/64] Screamer x2[note 2], Twin Brain
- [4/64] Screamer x2 (Back attack)
- [4/64] Screamer x2 (Ambush)
Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-[]
Inside the Reactor[]
- Sephiroth (Boss)
- Fire Materia (Boss)
- Blizzard Materia (Boss)
- Thunder Materia (Boss)
- Support Materia (Boss)
In Front of the Reactor[]

Musical themes[]
"Mako Reactor" (魔晄炉, Makō Ro?), the typical theme inside of reactors, plays when inside it during both the flashback and the present day.
In Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, "Pipes and Steel (from LAST ORDER FFVII)" plays.
Other appearances[]
Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade[]
