Submarines, also known as Shinra Sub,[1] are a mode of transport in Final Fantasy VII. One is used first in the Submarine Game in "Clash in the Deep Sea", and then one is obtained at the end of the quest and can be used on the world map. Depending on their performance in the minigame, they will either obtain the grey one or the red one.
Submarines are the only vehicles that can submerge to the ocean floor and explore the Bottom of the Sea locations. They can be docked and picked up at various natural harbors next to Junon, near the Gold Saucer, and just outside the waterfall cave. There are two submarine types: the red version and the gray version. The kanji on the gray submarine means "#2" (弐, Ni?), while the kanji on the red submarine means "#1" (壱, Ichi?).
Transportation[]
Submarine on the world map overworld (top) and underwater (bottom).
Whether the player kills the soldiers in the submarine or takes them hostage has no effect on the gameplay involving the submarine. If the player takes them prisoner, cutscenes involving the inside of the submarine, such as when finding the Key to Ancients during "What Aeris Left Behind", will have them sitting on the side.
While searching for the Huge Materia, the party will encounter a red submarine transporting it and become embroiled in an underwater battle. If the enemy submarine is not defeated, the Huge Materia is lost forever and the player can find the red submarine at the submarine dock at the Underwater Reactor. If the player defeats the red submarine, examining its sunken wreckage on the sea floor will reveal the Huge Materia. The submarine minigame can be later replayed in the Gold Saucer's Wonder Square, known as Torpedo Attack.
Submarine combat screen.
If the player's submarine gets destroyed, Cloud and the party are saved by Mr. Dolphin and wash ashore in Under Junon. The player loses the submarine they had, but they can get another one by going to Junon and taking the entryway previously guarded by a dog to the Junon Submarine Dock. This is the only way for the player to get a red submarine; otherwise their submarine will be gray.
The submarine can also be used to explore the ocean in the center of the world map. If the submarine touches the Emerald Weapon, a battle initiates. The submarine is required to get to the Sunken Gelnika, and is needed to obtain the Key to Ancients necessary to progress through the game.
There is a glitch concerning the submarine, where if the player dismounts a chocobo next to the submarine and immediately gets into the sub, they can cause the submarine to get stuck on land. Some players have also reported a glitch in the PC version and the following versions based on it where the submarine gets permanently stuck in the Junon harbor. If the player hasn't yet picked up the Key to Ancients, this glitch would ruin the save file, as the player needs the submarine to get it to continue the game.
Fields[]
Both the gray and the red submarines share the same layout, though the torpedo room can only be accessed in the former. To access the room one would have to fail the submarine mission, and it is this same criteria to be able to see the interior of the red submarine.
Bridge[]
Passage[]
Torpedo Room[]
