| “ | The Lifestream. That's what we call the river of life that circles our planet, giving life to the world and everything in it. | „ |
| ~ Marlene, in the prologue to Advent Children |
Summary[]
The lifestream (ライフストリーム, Raifusutorīmu?), also known as spirit energy and mana, is an ethereal substance that streams beneath the surface of the planet of Gaia introduced in Final Fantasy VII[1]. It is the energy inside everyone that allows skilled users to preform various attacks and use various abilities.
Beginner[]
Users on this level have little mastery over their spirit energy and their control. This usually is the case for characters that have had little training but not conciderebly enough to use their abilities proficiently.
Examples of users: Shinra Infantrymen, Infantryman Cloud, Avalanche members
- Blessed (Every living being is blessed with Spirit Energy[2])
- Emotional Empowerment & Awakened Power (Strong emotions greatly enhance a users power[3]. Once a person is feuled by a certain emotion they can reach greater heights than before[3]. Notably rage and anger trigger limit breaks once they reach breaking point[2])
- Regeneration (Low; Users can recover from minor wounds relatively quickly[4])
Resistances to the following:
- Minor Exposure to Mako (Scaling to Shinra Infantrymen and members of Avalanche who can traverse through Mako reactors without any side effects[5]). Which has these effects:
- Perception Manipulation (Exposure to small amounts of Mako can cause hallucinations[5])
- Statistics Reduction (Exposure to Mako can make a person drastically weaker than they were[3])
- High & Low Temperatures (Shinra Infatrymen are seemingly unaffected by the top of cold mountains and Avalanche members can run through hot flames like it's nothing[3][2])
Standard[]
Users on this level are skilled fighters, that can use use various abilities more preficiently that users in the beginner tier. They have seen their share fair of battles and can easily handle themselves in tough situations.
Examples of users: SOLDIER 2nd class Zack Fair, The Party during Disc 1 & Remake, Sonon Kusakabe
- All abilities from the beginner tier greatly enhanced.
- Indomitable Will (Users can snap out of Mako Poisoning through their will power alone[2][6])
- Energy Manipulation (Users on this level can succesfully manipulate their Spirit Energy to preform attack as Limit Breaks[7][2])
- Damage Boost (Limit Breaks are attacks coated in Spirit Energy which enhance their power[8][2], which is stated aswell as visually shown[3])
- Aura (Limit Breaks cover the user aura[2][9])
Resistances to the following:
- Madness Manipulation (Type 2; Once a person is exposed to large amount of Mako, the Spirit Energy of the lifestream carries the knowledge of all beings that have existed on the planet, exposure to this is to much for a persons mind to take in shattering it in the process[6])
- Death Manipulation (Long enough exposure can kill someone[2])
- Memory Manipulation (Mako Poisoning can cause memory loss[2])
- Sleep Manipulation (Mako poisoning can render a person unconscious or even put someone in a coma for years[11][5][4])
- Enhanced Statistics Reduction (People that are poisoned can barely crawl let alone walk[3])
- Enhanced Perception Manipulation (Mako Poisoning causes hallucinations[11])
Skilled[]
Users on this level are experienced and skillful warriors that have been fighting for a long time now or have been in a many variety of battles. Users on this level are able to use their Spirit Energy better and more creative than the previous being able to use a large range of abilities and Materia.
Examples of users: SOLDIER 1st class Zack Fair, Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley, the party during disc 2
- All previous abilities greatly enhanced.
- Free Movement & Underwater Breathing (Type 2; scaling to the main party disc 2 who can fight underwater for long periods of time[2])
- Enhanced Indomitable Will (Users on this level are unaffected by the large amounts of Spirit Energy from the Nothern Crater or the Cave of Wonders[2][3])
Resistances to the following:
- Technopathy & Biological Manipulation (The large amount of Spirit Energy begins to change the body and behaviour of organisms, aswell as machines[3])
- Corruption (Type 2 & 3; Long enough exposure and in a high enough volume can turn humans an animals into Makonoids[3][7])
- Enhanced Madness Manipulation (Type 2; To much exposure to Mako can make someone more vicious or make someone go completely berserk[3])
- Necromancy (This amount of Spirit Energy can bring someone back from the dead[3])
Perfected[]
Users on this level have perfected their ability to manipulate their Spirit Energy. Their will has reached a height were it isn't affected by the lifestream anymore. They have been in countless fights and can perfectly use their magic and skills.
Examples of Users: the party during disc 3, Pre-lifestream fall Sephiroth, Knights of the Round, The Weapons
- All previous abilities on a massively higher degree.
- Astral Projection (Scaling to Disc 3 Cloud who could send his spirit into the lifestream to fight Sephiroth[20], and Sephiroth who could travel the lifestream after losing his physical body[2][21])
- Healing Negation (Scaling to Pre-lifestream fall Sephiroth whose cut on Tifa was unable to be healed by materia[2])
- Enhanced Indomitable Will (Scaling to the party in disc 3 who can enter the lifestream without being affected by it[2])
Resistances to the following:
- Enhanced Soul Manipulation, Emotional Manipulation & Mind Manipulation (When the spirit, something that exists out of your soul, emotions and mind[2], gets absorbed into the lifestream, it is completely dismantled and results in the person no longer existing[22][20])
- Life Manipulation (The spirit is the source of life[2], which the lifestream will absorb)
- Disassembly & Matter Manipulation (Particular; The lifestream will dissolve any physical body that enters it[10][21]. Concidering Materia is simply condensed Mako energy it should have the same effect of Firaga and Blizzaga[8][23][3], likely on a far higher degree, which alter the electrons of the target[24])
- Power Nullification (Spirit Energy is the source of Materia and special attacks like Limit Breaks[3][10], the Lifestream absorbs a persons Spirit Energy meaning it causes a user to be unable to use their Spirit Energy[6])
- Enhanced Absorption (When someone dies there physical body returns to the earth and their spirit is absorbed into the lifestream[2])
- Enhanced Memory Manipulation (The lifestream is made out of the experiences and memories of people that have died[20][22]. Falling into the lifestream takes your memories away)
Unleashed[]
Users on this level have reached near impossible heights. They can preform limit breaks without restrictions and have full mastery over materia and various magic abilities. They are capable of freely existing in the lifestream without any negative side affects.
Examples of Users: Vincent Valentine (Dirge of Cerberus), Cloud Strife (Advent Children), Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII), Kadaj, Loz, Yazoo, Nero the Sable and Weiss the Immaculate
- All previous abilities on an unfathomably higher degree.
- Immortality (Type 2 & 3) & Regeneration (Low-Mid; Scaling to Cloud who survived getting stabbed in the chest by Sephiroth and kept fighting afterwards[9], also regenerated from being shot in the heart[9])
- Enhanced Damage Boost (Scaling to Cloud who one-shot Bahamut SIN while weakened with Climhazzard a level 2 limit break[9], while his previous attacks had little affect on him[9]. And scaling to Vincent who can destroy his enemies with his Metamorphosis which allows him to destroy his enemies which he had previously no effect on[14])
- Enhanced Energy Manipulation (Scaling to Cloud whose rage doesn't need to reach an overflow to preform Limit Breaks, he can preform them by simply fighting[9])
Resistances to the following:
Merged[]
Users are on a level that would be impossible to reach without external factors like a power source or heritage. Users can defy the order of the planet and can preform feats that would be considered outright impossible to others. They are capable of using magic without the need of materia and aren't affected by the lifestream.
Examples of Users: Aerith (Post-Death), Sephiroth (Post-Final Fantasy VII), Minverva, The Cetra
- All previous abilities on an impossibly higher scale.
- Enhanced Indomitable Will (Scaling to Sephiroth who could retain his individuality even though his spirit was destroyed and the Lifestream was actively trying to get rid of him[22][20])
- Enhanced Astral Projection (Scaling to Aerith who can project her spirit to earth multiple times[9])
- Magic (Scaling to Minerva, who can use magic without the usage of Materia by simply borrowing it from the planet[7]. And Bizzaro Sephiroth who can use magic due to him absorbing knowledge and information from the lifestream[2][2][4])
- Clairvoyance, Enhanced Senses & Extrasensory Perception (Scaling to Aerith who gained true senses when traveling the Lifestream[20]. Users can also see events happening in the living world[20][22])
- Self-Sustenance (Type 2; Users do not need to eat[20])
- Fate Manipulation (Users are shown to be able to break through the wall of fate[5][26], breaching into a singularity where fate doesn't exist[27])
- Emotional Manipulation (Scaling to Sephiroth and Aerith who can respectively empower people with negative and positive emotions[22])
- Healing (Scaling to Aerith who could heal Cloud of his Geostigma[9]. And scaling to Minerva who could heal the incureable genetic decay[7])
Resistances to the following:
References[]
- ↑ Final Fantasy Wiki
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 Final Fantasy VII (1997)
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (2007)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII- (2004)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega (2005)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Crisis Core Complete Guide (2008)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete (2009)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania (2007)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Final Fantasy VII Remake Ultimania (2020)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (2021)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-: Online Mode (2006)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- (2006)
- ↑ Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)
- ↑ Final Fantasy II (1988)
- ↑ Final Fantasy IV (1991)
- ↑ Final Fantasy VI (1994)
- ↑ Final Fantasy Explorers. Japanese Website Summon profiles (2014)
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 Final Fantasy VII: The Maiden Who Travels the Planet (2005)
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children -Reunion Files- (2006)
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile (2009)
- ↑ Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion (2022)
- ↑ Final Fantasy IV Settei Shiryō-hen (1991)
- ↑ Final Fantasy VII: Plot Analysis FAQ by Glenn H. Morrow (2014)
- ↑ Final Fantasy VII Remake: Material Ultimania Plus (2021)
- ↑ Final Fantasy VII Remake: Ultimania (2020)