The behaviour of that guy.. sitting on the floor, rocking his head back and forth, shaking, talking nonsense and gibberish, not even noticing your presence... If you saw that person would you think he is ill /sick ? I would rather think he has a mental disease /disorder, that he is a disabled person. Just saying.
Now what I'm about to say may not be related to the text or its localisation, the text may be independent from thinking one thing or another, but... I'd like to say that *I* think that the guy is Zax.
I know you (DLPB) think otherwise. But at least, I think the game deliberately allows uncertainty about it. Like for Harisson Ford and his replicant nature.
But here is how I see things..
- Why would he deserve his own cutscene ? Why would he deserve that special attention from Aerith ? (but I'm not saying she has recognised him for sure or knows anything about him)
- That n°2 ..THAT number two... n°1 is Sephiroth ! Do you really think that the n°2 tatoo would be given to the most random character in the game ?
- The guy is fucking bold xD The thing special about Zax' look is his haircut. That's part of his identity. If you wanted to make Zax unrecognisable, but still hinting at him, or make him look weakened, out of his former glory, you would make him bold ! For me that's no coincidence if Zax has that special haircut and if that guy is anormally bold.
- Zax was considered as the subject on which the Jenova treatment has been successful, and Cloud as the failure not even deserving a number. But we know that in reality it is the other way around, Cloud being the only one who could overcome the "body disease /mental disorder" caused by Jenova's cells. As if a successful subject actually goes from a bad state to a strong state, and a failed subject goes from a good state to a poor state.
When Cloud was disabled, Zax was alright. So for me that's no surprise, when Cloud's state got better, that in fact Zax' got worse. Like a balance, part of the connection they share. And the time frame for their state change would match with their arrival at Midgar.
- The guy has been found around the slums and Zax has been shot around Midgar.
- I could not believe that a character like Zax could be killed just by a bunch of infantry soldiers.
That's just me.
But I believe the game lets that very question unanswered on purpose. And in any story (movie, game,...) when the author does something like that, I almost automatically believe that yes, H. Ford is a replicant, that Shadow /Clyde is Relm's father, and so on.
And on a side note, I believe that the clones /copies are actually the creatures found in the Nibl reactor. That's what would make the most sense for me. We know for sure that those were infused with Jenova's cells. And then what did they become ? ..I say black-cloaked Nasguls, and failed experiments roaming in despair. What are they hiding ? ..a monster body, that makes sense.
Next playthrough I'mma note down every tatooed number and compare with the number of capsules by Jenova's chamber.
Oh, and while I'm on that, if I remember correctly the tatooed numbers found throughout the game go from 1 to 12.
12 really?
Or rather XIII ? =p
Hojo marked every Jenova subjects with a number, so why would Nanaki have the 13 number if he hadn't himself been infused with Jenova ? Then first thing that comes to my mind is that his race is immuned to any effect caused by the cells, even the Reunion.
Butthhhey just theories, my theories. That's what is good about good games, they make you dream about them even 20 years later.
