Angeal

Fact Corner:

Angeal Hewley is a First Class SOLDIER in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-. He is Zack Fair's mentor and passes down the Buster Sword to him. He is stoic and serious, but with a playful side, giving Zack the nickname "Zack the Puppy."

Angeal is friends with fellow SOLDIERs First Class Sephiroth and Genesis and has a fan club dedicated to him called the Keepers of Honor.

Angeal's name is most likely derived from the Irish word for "angel," aingeal, tying into his white wings. An angel is a non-physical entity or spirit found in various religions and mythologies. In Abrahamic religions and Zoroastrianism, angels are often depicted as benevolent celestial beings who act as intermediaries between God or Heaven and Earth, or as guardian spirits or a guiding influence. Other roles of angels include protecting and guiding human beings, and carrying out God's tasks. The term "angel" has also been expanded to various notions of spirits found in many other religious traditions. In art, angels are often depicted with bird-like wings on their back, a halo, robes and various forms of glowing light.

Out of those born from the Jenova Project, Angeal was the first and only one to have more than one wing and have them be a color other than black. Angeal is the only product of the Jenova Project who does not wish harm to others, so the white wings may symbolize retaining his honor. This may also be done in contrast to Genesis and Sephiroth who both have a single black wing, symbolizing fallen angels/Satan, while Angeal has two white wings, making him more akin to one of Heaven's angels.

Also tying into the Judeo-Christian traditions are Angeal Penance's special attacks, named after the Seven Deadly Sins: Unleashed Wrath, End of Gluttony, Wings of Pride, Charge of Greed, Thunder of Envy, Defense of Lust, and Rage of Sloth. Penance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Anglican Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession.

Hewley derives from hyle. Hyle, a Greek word, translates as "Materia" in Latin.

It is believed that the last Angeal copy was born out of Angeal's will on the planet and that he controls it from within the Lifestream to continue helping Zack. This is foreshadowed when, after a Genesis copy attack on Costa del Sol, Tseng speculates that Genesis might be controlling his copies from beyond the grave.

The scenes of Angeal and Zack grabbing hands in Wutai and the ending FMV are reminiscent of Aerith and Cloud grabbing hands after Cloud's final confrontation with Sephiroth at the end of Final Fantasy VII, and during the fight against Bahamut SIN in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete.