Final Fantasy 10 is officially the prequel to Final Fantasy 7, though set on different planets thousands of years before, the ancestors of Shinra, and the Cetra, were from Spira.
- Toward the end of FFX-2, after the Gullwings have travelled to the Farplane but before they fight the final boss, the player can return to the airship and talk to Shinra, a young Al Bhed boy who mainly stays on the ship and serves as a kind of gadgeteer for the group (in gameplay terms, the player talks to Shinra whenever they want to access various directories, sphere scenes, etc.)
Talking to Shinra at this point initiates a cut-scene where he notes that the Farplane is full of a kind of life energy; enough, he says, to provide an awful lot of power, if only it could be harnessed. Shinra says he believes it could be done, but it would take "generations" and none of them would live to see it. Nonetheless, Yuna expresses excitement at the possibility of a "city of light" that "never sleeps", powered by the energy from the Farplane.
The connection: Shinra is the name of the "enemy" corporation in Final Fantasy VII that harnessed the life energy of the planet (called the Life Stream in that game) to power their machines and their primary city. (Pyreflies/Farplane = Lifestream)
The fact that Square named a character Shinra, had him discover the potential energy uses for a planetary life force, and especially that they have that character specifically allude to future generations harvesting this power and using it to run a massive city seems to be much more than a coincidence. It is of course an official coincidence if you read the interview below.
Final Fantasy X & X-2 Ultimania translations:
Interview with Yoshinori Kitase (producer) and Kazushige Nojima in the Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega:
FFVII and FFX are connected?!
--"Previously, with a conversation in the FFX Scenario Ultimania, you made certain inferences, and since it's been about half a year since then, is there anything new you'd like to clarify about FFX?"
Kitase
"That's true...... Now that FFX International is out and we're in the future, I'm in a predicament; it really isn't that hard to think of another story [set] in that world; room for expansion was left possible there without too much difficulty, don't you think? Speaking conversely, FFX received a splendid reception and made us think of adding to it."
Nojima
"After FFVII was finished, we were easily able to add Zack's open[-ended role] into the International version. But, with X, there was an older story with a partly-finished world and an opening that this new one could be added to and [, in doing] so[,] complete it."
Kitase
"So, you could say [in terms of] time, Nojima-san decided to designate it to act as a sequel to VII, if you follow me."
--"It's a sequel to VII!!"
Kitase
"Well, there was a joke right there. Simply put, in VII's ending, Holy came, and the next thing you knew, it was over without closing things up, and then it was the "500 years later" [scene] in the future. There's a large margin buried there. A margin for the imagination. Nojima-san and Toriyama are going to be filling something of that with VII, though, while they're at their best and can do it."
--"So, will it become a sequel to VII's story?"
Nojima
"I have a strong feeling that they're going to be connected."
--"Huh, so VII and X ARE connected?"
Nojima
"Well, there's not many specifics to it. I know that what becomes of people when they die is among them; you could say that it's basically the same. Both [concepts came to] function along the same line of thought as I wrote the stories. Sometimes my thoughts just flow out like that, even though pyreflies distinctly aren't green."
--"When you speak of the dead becoming [something] green, do you perhaps [mean]......?"
Nojima
"Yes. In my mind, pyreflies and VII's Lifestream are the same substance."
Kitase
"Nojima-san's even considering making use of an idea like this -- [with] an addition to the idea of life origin -- in a sequel to FFX International. That's just a little bit of the thought that's been going into what to do with VII."
Nojima
"That's right. There's something like the Lifestream [in X's world also]......."
--"'An addition to the idea of life origin'......does that mean you're going to revise life origin concepts or something?"
Nojima
"I can't say......it's a secret (laughs)."
Kitase "It's a surprise with how someone from the story conducts theirself with regards to the Farplane."
(Page 191)
Interview with FFX-2 creators from the Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania:
"So, what of this child, Shinra......"
--"Among these latest stories, 'connected' is one of the key words becoming applicable, isn't it?"
[Daisuke] Watanabe
"I personally like the word 'connected,' but there's one aspect where that applies well."
Nojima "During the game's progression, various vague things will be tied together to reveal it."
--"For example, the name 'Shinra' suggests a connection with VII? There's [what's said] in the 'Graduation Mission' scenario [ -- 'graduation' referring to Shinra being soon to leave the Gullwings -- ], and the 'I am not alone in my thinking' line from the 'Rin's Detective Work' scenario seems to have some particular significance."
Nojima
"Actually, it does. After quitting the Gullwings, Shinra received enormous financial support from Rin, and began trying to use Vegnagun to siphon Mako Energy from the Farplane. But, he is unable to complete the system for utilizing this energy in his generation, and in the future, when traveling to distant planets becomes possible, the Shin-Ra Company is founded on another world, or something like that....... That would happen about 1000 years after this story, I think."
--"So VII's story is after that?"
Nojima
"Well, you could say the feelings I have are like that. When I think about the characters, those are the kinds of feelings I already have. Shinra is a good child, but his descendants are going to end up becoming like the president [of Shin-Ra] (laughs)."
Watanabe
"With you said about VII, after seeing your episodes with Shinra, one of the people on the [development] staff said that the first shot of the Bevelle Underground 'gives the impression of somewhere else.'"
[Motomu] Toriyama
"Certainly; it looks like the opening shot of Midgar in VII."
(Page 723)
Information on Shinra of the Gullwings in the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega:
Shinra is a boy who supports the Gullwings, the group which the main protagonist, Yuna, belongs to. He carries a name that gives him an association to the Shin-Ra Company, and he is researching a method that could utilize the energy of "the life force that flows through our planet." The results of this cannot be seen in FFX-2, but maybe one day his descendants will establish a "company that supplies the energy of the planet"?
(Accompanying screenshot caption)
* The words of Shinra, which can be heard at the end of the story. This world has something similar to the Lifestream that is worthy of attention.
(Page 563)
Interview with FFVII creators from the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega:
--"At E3 (the world's largest game show, which was held in America), as a demo for the PS3, the opening of FFVII was shown; was its purpose to serve as something of a preliminary announcement?
Kitase
"Well, in regard to that, please think of it as a mere demonstration. Because the production period for its imagery was [going to be] so short, we made the opening of FFVII, as it was easy to represent. Beyond that, there is no particular deeper meaning.
--"In that case, it's not a remake; when might you be making something to serve as the direct continuation of FFX-2?"
Kitase
"Producing something like that holds the same problem as a remake [of FFVII], as our schedule just isn't open for it [right now]."
- Toward the end of FFX-2, after the Gullwings have travelled to the Farplane but before they fight the final boss, the player can return to the airship and talk to Shinra, a young Al Bhed boy who mainly stays on the ship and serves as a kind of gadgeteer for the group (in gameplay terms, the player talks to Shinra whenever they want to access various directories, sphere scenes, etc.)
Talking to Shinra at this point initiates a cut-scene where he notes that the Farplane is full of a kind of life energy; enough, he says, to provide an awful lot of power, if only it could be harnessed. Shinra says he believes it could be done, but it would take "generations" and none of them would live to see it. Nonetheless, Yuna expresses excitement at the possibility of a "city of light" that "never sleeps", powered by the energy from the Farplane.
The connection: Shinra is the name of the "enemy" corporation in Final Fantasy VII that harnessed the life energy of the planet (called the Life Stream in that game) to power their machines and their primary city. (Pyreflies/Farplane = Lifestream)
The fact that Square named a character Shinra, had him discover the potential energy uses for a planetary life force, and especially that they have that character specifically allude to future generations harvesting this power and using it to run a massive city seems to be much more than a coincidence. It is of course an official coincidence if you read the interview below.
Final Fantasy X & X-2 Ultimania translations:
Interview with Yoshinori Kitase (producer) and Kazushige Nojima in the Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega:
FFVII and FFX are connected?!
--"Previously, with a conversation in the FFX Scenario Ultimania, you made certain inferences, and since it's been about half a year since then, is there anything new you'd like to clarify about FFX?"
Kitase
"That's true...... Now that FFX International is out and we're in the future, I'm in a predicament; it really isn't that hard to think of another story [set] in that world; room for expansion was left possible there without too much difficulty, don't you think? Speaking conversely, FFX received a splendid reception and made us think of adding to it."
Nojima
"After FFVII was finished, we were easily able to add Zack's open[-ended role] into the International version. But, with X, there was an older story with a partly-finished world and an opening that this new one could be added to and [, in doing] so[,] complete it."
Kitase
"So, you could say [in terms of] time, Nojima-san decided to designate it to act as a sequel to VII, if you follow me."
--"It's a sequel to VII!!"
Kitase
"Well, there was a joke right there. Simply put, in VII's ending, Holy came, and the next thing you knew, it was over without closing things up, and then it was the "500 years later" [scene] in the future. There's a large margin buried there. A margin for the imagination. Nojima-san and Toriyama are going to be filling something of that with VII, though, while they're at their best and can do it."
--"So, will it become a sequel to VII's story?"
Nojima
"I have a strong feeling that they're going to be connected."
--"Huh, so VII and X ARE connected?"
Nojima
"Well, there's not many specifics to it. I know that what becomes of people when they die is among them; you could say that it's basically the same. Both [concepts came to] function along the same line of thought as I wrote the stories. Sometimes my thoughts just flow out like that, even though pyreflies distinctly aren't green."
--"When you speak of the dead becoming [something] green, do you perhaps [mean]......?"
Nojima
"Yes. In my mind, pyreflies and VII's Lifestream are the same substance."
Kitase
"Nojima-san's even considering making use of an idea like this -- [with] an addition to the idea of life origin -- in a sequel to FFX International. That's just a little bit of the thought that's been going into what to do with VII."
Nojima
"That's right. There's something like the Lifestream [in X's world also]......."
--"'An addition to the idea of life origin'......does that mean you're going to revise life origin concepts or something?"
Nojima
"I can't say......it's a secret (laughs)."
Kitase "It's a surprise with how someone from the story conducts theirself with regards to the Farplane."
(Page 191)
Interview with FFX-2 creators from the Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania:
"So, what of this child, Shinra......"
--"Among these latest stories, 'connected' is one of the key words becoming applicable, isn't it?"
[Daisuke] Watanabe
"I personally like the word 'connected,' but there's one aspect where that applies well."
Nojima "During the game's progression, various vague things will be tied together to reveal it."
--"For example, the name 'Shinra' suggests a connection with VII? There's [what's said] in the 'Graduation Mission' scenario [ -- 'graduation' referring to Shinra being soon to leave the Gullwings -- ], and the 'I am not alone in my thinking' line from the 'Rin's Detective Work' scenario seems to have some particular significance."
Nojima
"Actually, it does. After quitting the Gullwings, Shinra received enormous financial support from Rin, and began trying to use Vegnagun to siphon Mako Energy from the Farplane. But, he is unable to complete the system for utilizing this energy in his generation, and in the future, when traveling to distant planets becomes possible, the Shin-Ra Company is founded on another world, or something like that....... That would happen about 1000 years after this story, I think."
--"So VII's story is after that?"
Nojima
"Well, you could say the feelings I have are like that. When I think about the characters, those are the kinds of feelings I already have. Shinra is a good child, but his descendants are going to end up becoming like the president [of Shin-Ra] (laughs)."
Watanabe
"With you said about VII, after seeing your episodes with Shinra, one of the people on the [development] staff said that the first shot of the Bevelle Underground 'gives the impression of somewhere else.'"
[Motomu] Toriyama
"Certainly; it looks like the opening shot of Midgar in VII."
(Page 723)
Information on Shinra of the Gullwings in the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega:
Shinra is a boy who supports the Gullwings, the group which the main protagonist, Yuna, belongs to. He carries a name that gives him an association to the Shin-Ra Company, and he is researching a method that could utilize the energy of "the life force that flows through our planet." The results of this cannot be seen in FFX-2, but maybe one day his descendants will establish a "company that supplies the energy of the planet"?
(Accompanying screenshot caption)
* The words of Shinra, which can be heard at the end of the story. This world has something similar to the Lifestream that is worthy of attention.
(Page 563)
Interview with FFVII creators from the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega:
--"At E3 (the world's largest game show, which was held in America), as a demo for the PS3, the opening of FFVII was shown; was its purpose to serve as something of a preliminary announcement?
Kitase
"Well, in regard to that, please think of it as a mere demonstration. Because the production period for its imagery was [going to be] so short, we made the opening of FFVII, as it was easy to represent. Beyond that, there is no particular deeper meaning.
--"In that case, it's not a remake; when might you be making something to serve as the direct continuation of FFX-2?"
Kitase
"Producing something like that holds the same problem as a remake [of FFVII], as our schedule just isn't open for it [right now]."
