With the release of FF7 Rebirth, players are wondering about the inclusion of one of the game’s most memorable forms of transportation: the Highwind airship. We’ll investigate whether you can pilot the legendary Highwind in the latest installment.
Do you get the Highwind in FF7 Rebirth?
You do not acquire the Highwind in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. You get to see it when your adventure brings you to Upper Junon, where the Highwind is docked. However, despite its looming presence, the airship remains moored throughout your journey in Rebirth, serving as a visual treat rather than a mode of transportation. Strangely, despite the obvious utility of the airship, Shinra forgoes using it in favor of helicopters and Relnikha cargo planes for air travel. Even Cid, the character known for his association with the Highwind as its designer and namesake, does not comment on the airship during the course of the game.
This omission might come as a surprise to some, given how explicitly the game visually highlights it when you reach Upper Junon. However, it aligns with the progression seen in the original Final Fantasy 7. In the original version of FF7, we don’t see the Highwind take its first flight until after the events covered in Rebirth. Specifically, we first see it in action under Rufus Shinra’s command when the party reaches the Northern Crater.
Given that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth concludes at a similar juncture to where disc one ends in the original, the absence of the Highwind as a pilotable airship follows the narrative’s pacing. Unfortunately, we won’t experience commandeering the Highwind until the third installment of the FF7 Remake trilogy. Presumably, Cid will once again lead the crew in a mutiny after Tifa and Barret are captured in the Northern Crater and use it to rescue the two before Shinra can execute them.
