North Crater (北のクレーター, Kita no Kurētā^?, lit. "Crater in the North"), also known as the Northern Cave Crater (大空洞火口, Dai Kūdō Kakō^?, lit. "Large Crater Cavity"), or simply Crater (クレーター, Kurētā^?), is a geographical location in Final Fantasy VII. It appears in the Icicle Area on the Northern Continent of the Planet. It was created when an asteroid or meteorite fell thousands of years prior to the game. This, in tandem with the continent's titular proximity to the Planet's North Pole, makes most of the Northern Continent a frozen desert. Because the crater is such an enormous wound to the Planet, huge amounts of Spirit Energy are brought around it to heal it.

ProfileEdit

When the player first approaches the crater, they do not realize it is a crater; the cliffs that make up the crater's circumference are known as, Gaea's Cliff. After descending into the crater, the Whirlwind Maze lies at the bottom. Beneath the crater lies a cavern system known as the Northern Cave, which leads down to the Planet's core. It is suggested in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- that the Great Cavern of Wonders is also in the crater, indicating it is "a second subterranean den near the northern cave." It is explored in the ninth set of missions titled Great Cavern of Wonders.

In Final Fantasy VII, when the party gains access to the Highwind, they cannot access the crater as it has a force-field over it. Gaea's Cliff also becomes inaccessible after its storyline visit, and therefore all areas of the crater become inaccessible apart from the Northern Cave only visited on Disc 3 after the force-field is destroyed.

There are three areas of the North Crater not technically belonging to other areas. The first two areas are referred to as "Crater" and are traversed by the party as they run down into the crater after reaching Gaea's Cliff's peak. The other area is known as "Northern Cave Crater" and is the area before the player descends into the Northern Cave.

StoryEdit

The North Crater was created when the asteroid or meteorite that contained Jenova crashed into the Planet thousands of years before the start of Final Fantasy VII. From here, Jenova began to destroy the Planet's lifeforms, until the Cetra sealed her within the crater. The Planet placed its guardians, the Weapons, to lie in the crater until another threat as great as Jenova would appear. Jenova was left dormant until Gast Faremis, working for Shinra Electric Power Company, unearthed her, thinking Jenova to be an Ancient.

Later, when Sephiroth was defeated by Cloud Strife at the Nibelheim Mako Reactor, he travelled through the Lifestream to the Northern Cave to recuperate. Five years later, Sephiroth, controlling Jenova and making her use his form, leads the Sephiroth clones to the crater.

Cloud and his party follow Sephiroth north after the events of the Forgotten City. The party travels through the Great Glacier and are confronted by Gaea's Cliff. After conversing with Mr. Holzoff, a climber who never reached the cliff's peak, they climb up. After reaching the cliff's peak, the party discover the a crater and run down the descent into the Whirlwind Maze where they discover the Sephiroth clones.

As they travel down, they witness the other Sephiroth clones fall from exhaustion, or be killed by Sephiroth himself. Finally the party reaches Sephiroth and they fight Jenova∙DEATH, after which Sephiroth is gone and they find the Black Materia on the ground. Cloud leaves the Black Materia with a remaining party member. Sephiroth shows Cloud and his party Nibelheim, back before the incident, and shows Cloud he was never in Nibelheim five years previous, rather, it was another, Zack Fair. Cloud is confident it is just an illusion, but Tifa, the only other party member to be in Nibelheim, does not refute Sephiroth's claims. Sephiroth tells Cloud he is just another drone like all the other mindless Sephiroth clones. Cloud breaks down emotionally and Sephiroth tricks the party member whom the Black Materia was left with to give it up into the enemy hands. Rufus Shinra and his group of Shinra Executives, land in the Whirlwind Maze using the airship Highwind. Seeing the abundant Mako, Rufus thinks the Northern Cave to be the Promised Land. Cloud appears, pleading Professor Hojo to tell him what his number was in the Jenova Project. Hojo laughs off how a specimen he considered a "failure" turned out to be the only successful Sephiroth clone, but cannot recall much about Cloud.

Cloud hands the Black Materia to Sephiroth whose true form is residing within a cocoon of crystallized Mako. Sephiroth summons Meteor and the Planet summons its protectors, the Weapons, to rise and defeat the threat creating a massive explosion of energy. Rufus and his entourage flee the chaos on the Highwind, taking Tifa and Barret Wallace with them. Cloud is flushed into the Lifestream, and leaves the party temporarily.

Sephiroth seals the crater's entry with a force-field, and continues to remake his body to prepare for his ascension into godhood. Shinra uses the Sister Ray cannon to destroy the Diamond Weapon and blast through Sephiroth's force-field. With the crater's defence down, Cloud and his party descend into the crater to access the Northern Cave to defeat Sephiroth.

GalleryEdit

Crater

Shield being destroyed by blast from Sister Ray FMV.

North Crater being destroyed in an FMV.

TriviaEdit

• In Final Fantasy VII, if the player rides the Highwind backwards into the barrier around the crater, they can pass through it. However, if the player tries landing the Highwind within the crater, they will be knocked out by the barrier.