Avalanche is the anti-Shinra group in Final Fantasy VII trying to save the planet from the corporations’ evil operations. Since the original 1997 classic spin-offs have fleshed-out the organization. Even Final Fantasy VII Remake adds numerous tidbits, whether it be their place in the bigger picture or stories about the individual members.
The recent 2020 title is not the last people will hear from Avalanche, either. The sequels in this new remake franchise will surely have a place for the group in its narrative. Whether they’ll be friendly or opposed to the party is up in the air, however.
10 The Bigger Organizations
Other spin-off titles have shown the bigger Avalanche organization, but this is the first time they interact with the main crew from the original Final Fantasy VII.
Their new design takes influence from their appearances in other games, but like everything in Final Fantasy VII Remake, they are given a new coat of paint which breathes life into the terrorist group.
9 Barret’s Cell
Another thing implied in the original but never stated outright, Barret’s Avalanche is not the whole organization. In fact, by the time Cloud joins up with them to destroy the Mako Reactor, his ragtag group has separated from the main organization, deemed too extreme for their tastes.
Avalanche has weapons and uses them against Shinra soldiers, but they draw the line at taking innocent lives. Barret, on the other hand, does not feel too guilty about the collateral damage caused by blowing up the reactors.
8 Why Jessie Joined Them
Chapter Four in the remake reveals Jessie’s true aspirations to become an actress. Her father’s illness due to Mako poisoning changed her life’s trajectory, however. When sneaking through her house, players see the direct effects Shinra’s power source has on the human body as her dad lies in bed, unconscious.
Her family is completely unaware of her new activities, even though all of her friends dress exactly like they are taking on an evil corporation in a dystopian cyberpunk future.
7 Biggs’ Work With The Orphanage
The new game fleshes out all the minor characters from the Midgar chapter. Biggs does not spend every waking moment striking blows at Shinra.
When not blowing up reactors, he spends his time helping out at the orphanage in Sector Five. While he is the tougher looking character among the Avalanche members, this revelation exposes a softer side.
6 Wutai
Wutai is already shaping up to play a larger role in the story than just being Yuffie’s hometown. The big rumor swirling around Midgar is the city’s involvement with Avalanche.
Some say the two are conspiring against Midgar in retaliation for their loss in the war. How much truth is there to these rumors? This is just another question fans will wait years to find out.
5 Wedge’s Love Of Cats
Wedge has some questionable characteristics regarding the humor of his character, though at least he is usually heroic.
Additionally, he lets Cloud know about his love of cats. He has three of them and they clearly love him, as evidenced by the way he holds and cuddles them. In Chapter Twelve Wedge even risks his life to save them. Thankfully, they are unharmed by the plate crashing down.
4 Midgar’s Opinions
The original game shows this in little ways, but the remake’s heavily detailed world really drives Midgar’s distrust of Avalanche home.
Shinra spouts anti-Avalanche propaganda and the city eats it up like a three-course meal. After all the destruction, it is easy for the residents to blame them. Avalanche is not completely without blame, either. They did intentionally blow up the reactors, even if they did not foresee Shinra’s hand in making the explosions bigger.
3 The Other Members
If players see Barret’s cutscene in Chapter Fourteen, he mentions several other members of Avalanche with whom he is closely associated.
These are Finn, the artist who paints the Stamp graffiti the party uses for directions earlier in the game; Al, an intel specialist and ladies’ man; and Nellie, a quartermaster who people often think is related to Jessie. These characters are still alive, so they may show up in future installments.
2 Mayor Domino
During the assault on Shinra’s Headquarters, the party discovers the Mayor’s involvement with Avalanche. Mayor Domino is also in the original, though he is not explicitly in cahoots with the organization. While the character is silly and does not seem to take anything seriously, Cloud and the party have to consider themselves lucky they had someone on the inside lending a helping hand.
1 The Assault On Shinra HQ
In the original game, the party is alone during their attack on the Shinra Building which ends with them escaping Midgar. In the remake, the organization comes to offer a helping hand. They try to evacuate the party on the roof with a helicopter, but the plan fails. While the larger organization may disapprove of Barret’s actions, their assistance near the end and in Chapter Four shows they will help out in a time of need.
