Owner and operator of the Inn at Kalm. He bears a grudge against Shinra, offering to help Cloud and friends escape their would-be corporate captors. His gaunt appearance may be due to his recent bout with an unknown illness.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth official website

Broden is a supporting character in the Final Fantasy VII series. He has a minor role in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Broden is a former SOLDIER operative and the owner and operator of the inn at Kalm. He is calm and polite, always ready to help out travelers and ensure guests have a pleasant stay, but adopts a more serious tone during emergencies. He begrudges his time working for Shinra Electric Power Company and was eventually struck by a mysterious illness.

Broden helps Cloud Strife's party escape Shinra's capture when they are in Kalm. He is also involved in a few side quests in the grasslands.

History

Early history

Broden was born in 1962 and grew up in Kalm, where his parents owned and operated the inn. During his youth, he became close friends with Mildred, and the two once skipped town together, vowing to see the world someday. Broden witnessed firsthand the destruction and subsequent rebuilding of Kalm due to an accident caused by the Shinra Electric Power Company.^[1][2][3]

Broden parted ways with Mildred and joined the Shinra Public Security Forces, becoming a SOLDIER at some point. He was deemed a "natural-born soldier" and handpicked to be experimented on. The years of service and experiments took a toll on Broden's body, ultimately causing his cells to degrade.^[3]

After his parents passed away, Broden retired from Shinra and took over the family business to honor their memory. Over time, he developed a deep resentment toward Shinra, blaming them for the loss of his family, his health, and his hometown. He later became an Avalanche supporter and met a contact in HQ.^[3]

Innkeeping at Kalm and the Reunion

During "Fall of a Hero" in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Broden noticed Cloud was unable to sleep and attributed it to past war wounds, having noted that Cloud was also a former SOLDIER, suggesting he retire for the night. The next morning, he left Cloud a Queen's Blood starter deck, greeted him, relayed a message from Barret Wallace, and encouraged visiting local shops and taking in the sights.^[2]

When Shinra troops landed in Kalm, Broden guided Cloud Strife and Aerith Gainsborough back to the inn, guaranteeing their safety and pleading against the use of violence. He knew Cloud's party were members of Avalanche and involved in the mako reactor bombings in Midgar, assuring he was an ally and had a contact in HQ. He helped the party escape through an underground shelter and directed him to his friend Oliver's farm.^[2]

Cloud's party checked in on Broden at Oliver's request in "A New Journey Begins". He opened up about his history with Shinra, the anger he harbored toward the company, and revealed he was suffering from an illness causing headaches, dizziness, and a strange feeling of being called by something.^[3]

Broden asked the party to assist Mildred in reactivating the old windmills in the grasslands. After they helped her, he was grateful, agreed with Red XIII's suggestion to rest, and vowed to fulfill his promise of seeing the world with Mildred. Before the party departed, Broden confided in Cloud that his cells were degrading, advised him not to take his youth for granted or allow Shinra to destroy his life like they did his.^[3]

Broden eventually succumbed to the Jenova cells within him, joined the roaming black-robed figures, and made his way to Nibel during "The Long Shadow of Shinra". While searching for the region's protorelic, Cloud encountered Broden among the robed men and tried to get his attention to no success. Broden, now mindless, only muttered about a "reunion" as he shuffled along with the others to places unknown.^[4]

Characteristics

Appearance

Broden is a middle-aged man with a gaunt appearance due to an illness. He has pasty fair skin, bluish-green "mako" eyes, and medium-length, scraggly, unkempt dark brown hair. His outfit consists of a dark gray vest over a white dress shirt, a patterned red ascot, dark gray dress slacks, and black dress shoes.

As a "Sephiroth-clone", Broden bears a "6" tattoo on his wrist. After succumbing to the Jenova cells within him, his skin becomes even paler, and he wears the standard black robe marked with a white symbol on the back.

Personality

Broden is a humble and mild-mannered innkeeper. He holds deep love for his late parents, honoring their legacy through his work by always being kind, ensuring guests enjoy their stay, and lending a helping hand to whoever needs it. However, his military background shows during crises, turning very serious and doing his best to avoid unnecessary violence.^[1][2][3]

Despite his affable nature, Broden is pessimistic. He believes Kalm is a "soulless imitation" of its former self and has a profound hatred for Shinra because of what they did to him, his family, and hometown, also supporting Avalanche and helping Cloud's party escape capture. After succumbing to the Jenova cells and becoming one of the black robes, he loses all sense of humanity and turns mindless, joining the other robed men and muttering about a "reunion".^[1][2][3][4]

Abilities

Broden served in Shinra's army and was recognized for being a "natural-born soldier". He was selected for experiments and made into a SOLDIER, gaining superhuman traits and abilities as a result.^[3]

Gameplay

Talking to Broden in Kalm lets the player stay at the inn in Kalm to restore health and MP. He is involved in an odd job in the Grasslands Region, but if the player already started the protorelic quest in the Nibel Region, his role as both the innkeeper in Kalm and in the odd job is taken by a different NPC.

Notes

Annotations

Citations

References

Video games

• Square Enix (2024). Final Fantasy VII Rebirth [Game]. Square Enix. PlayStation 5.

Bibliography

• Square Enix (2024). Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Ultimania [Book]. SE-Mook. ISBN 4757591349.