Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade’s Co-directors Talk Yuffie in New Interview

It’s kind of wild that we’re getting a Final Fantasy 7 game staring Yuffie. After all, she’s an optional character in the original release that most players probably missed on their first playthroughs. You have to find her, fight her, and then answer a set of specific questions properly to get her to join you. Mess up at any point and you’ll miss her. Worse still, she might run off with some of your Gil.

If you were lucky enough to get Yuffie, though, you know she’s a delight. And in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, she’s the protagonist, not just another party member. Not a bad showing for a character most players probably never even got. In a recent interview published on Square Enix’s website, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade co-directors Naoki Hamaguchi and Motomu Toriyama sat down to talk about Yuffie, her moogle suit, the episode, and more.

Here’s the full interview:

What do you think makes Yuffie such a popular character?

Toriyama: “In the original Final Fantasy VII, Yuffie was the type of person who would appear wherever and whenever she pleased… and you’d never know whether or not she was going to join you.

“Even if she does join you, you could never let your guard down, because you didn’t know when she’d steal your materia!

“That makes her quite different from your other allies in the fight against Shinra and Sephiroth. She’s always after materia, honest about her desires, and never afraid to show that.

“It’s that combination of traits that leads to unpredictable and unexpected twists, and I think one of the reasons she’s become such a popular character.”

How does the Yuffie we meet in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade “EPISODE INTERmission” differ from the original game?

Toriyama: “It’s very much the same Yuffie we all know and love that appears in Midgar.

“She’s still elusive, and still does things at her own pace, but she’s also fired up by her desire to exact revenge for her homeland of Wutai—and to execute her mission as a ninja.”

Hamaguchi: “When I think about Yuffie, the first things that come to mind are: ‘a materialistic materia hunter, who’s not comfortable or proficient with vehicles.’

“Materia is Yuffie’s motivation, and I was mindful to bring that aspect of her personality to the forefront in every part of the new episode, from the story to even the mini games.”

Oh no—does that mean she’s going to steal our stuff in the new episode too?

Toriyama: “(Laughs.) Yes, in the original Final Fantasy VII, she caused quite the hassle because she stole her allies’ materia!

“Don’t worry—in the new episode Yuffie’s the protagonist, so rest assured you don’t have to worry about your valuable materia getting taken away.”

Hamaguchi: “Actually, we’ll be introducing some new materia that wasn’t included in Final Fantasy VII Remake. That’s pretty exciting!”

Yuffie does sport a new look though with her moogle outfit. Why is she dressed like that in the new episode?

Toriyama: “Actually, the moogle hood draws its reference from the time it was used in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, and Yuffie wears it whenever she is on a covert mission.

“She might think she’s perfectly disguised, but it actually makes her stand out even more in a metropolis like Midgar.

“I feel that’s just very ‘her’, and probably why I like it so much!”

So what can we expect from Yuffie in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade “EPISODE INTERmission”?

Hamaguchi: “The new episode takes place at the same time that Cloud and company are continuing their fight in Midgar. The story follows Yuffie on her mission as a ninja operative—tasked with stealing valuable materia from Shinra.

“Our goal was to present players with a story that leads up to Yuffie’s later encounter with Cloud and his group. In addition, the new episode was an opportunity to dig deeper into the lore of Final Fantasy VII.

“I would definitely encourage people who’ve played Final Fantasy VII Remake to experience it when they’ve completed the game—I think they’ll really enjoy it.”

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade releases for PS5 on June 10th. You can read our review of Final Fantasy 7 Remake here, and watch a trailer for Intergrade below, courtesy of Square Enix.

* This article was originally published here