The Final Fantasy series is well known for its very specific brand of protagonists. They usually fall into one of three categories: brooding loners, secretly significant newcomers, and deuteragonists masquerading as the protagonists. It's a formula that most lovers of the series can point to for their favorites and ones that are far more controversial. However, on the other side of the coin, there's Zack Fair, who doesn't neatly fit into any of the previous categories.

As the protagonist of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, the remake of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII that was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2007, Zack is incredibly unique both for his place in the story and his overall character. While all the other franchise protagonists fit neatly into one of the three aforementioned categories, Zack stands out as a willing participant in the game's proceedings whose fate has already been decided.

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Zack Fair Is a Protagonist and a Plot Device

Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion Zack Fair

Within the first few minutes of meeting Zack in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, it becomes very clear that he is incredibly different from the usual characters of the franchise. Unlike Squall and Cloud, who spend the first part of their games either insulting people or brooding in the corner, Zack comes out of the gate with a bright energy and clear excitement that manages to avoid the worst of what can make your standard shonen anime protagonist insufferable. Zack has experience -- he's not new to this -- but he still has a certain sort of wide-eyed love for the world around him that makes him instantly endearing.

Zack is referred to as "Zack the Puppy" in-universe, and it does indeed speak to parts of his character. He is interesting in that he changes and matures, losing some of his naive notions of SOLDIER, but he never falls into cynical aloofness. Zack is always inspiring, which is an attribute at the core of his character. Where other Final Fantasy protagonists are made to be inspired by others, such as Cloud with Zack and Aerith or Tidus with Yuna, Zack is a light in his world and the plot of Final Fantasy VII hinges on not only his actions but his character as a whole.

It's Zack's dedication to heroism and unyielding determination that push him to the end of his story. His character ripples through everyone who comes into contact with him. Ultimately, he is fuel on the fire of the plot, a major payoff when his existence comes to light over the course of Final Fantasy VII and Cloud is forced to face the reality of his situation. What makes him even more fascinating is the fact that once gamers get the chance to play as Zack, it makes it even easier to understand how this man made himself so unforgettable. He is one of the many spokes that hold the plot of the games together and is arguably the one with the most personal stake in what's going on in the world after he leaves it.

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Zack Fair's Fate Is a Foregone Conclusion - Mostly

Zack Fair helping Cloud Strife Final Fantasy VII Remake Ending

Unlike the majority of Final Fantasy protagonists who get to live a life beyond the length of their games or whose fate is up to interpretation, Zack's fate is already known to anyone who played the original Final Fantasy VII. The foregone conclusion of his journey is what makes him even more tragic. The player is made to root for him specifically -- to see him succeed and overcome. However, there's nothing that can be done to make this happen because Zack's fate is sealed.

This is also incredibly unique to the franchise. Zack is a tragic character in the same way that history unfolds in a tragic way. There is nothing that the observer can do to stop it. The player is simply on this march to the end with someone that they can come to love and respect and who they see grow into his own and inspire others to be their best. Perhaps the worst part about it is that Zack makes the player forget his fate with his upbeat attitude and ability to shirk the odds. He carries the audience with him on wings of hope that maybe -- this time -- he'll get his happy ending.

Zack's position as a Final Fantasy protagonist is one that stands apart from the rest. Not only is this due to what he means to the player but also because of what he means to the world around him and the history he shapes.