Copy technology

The technology was stolen from our scientists. It apparently allows Genesis's abilities and traits to be transplanted... to SOLDIER members... and monsters.

Tseng

Copy technology is employed by Dr. Hollander to create an army by endowing other creatures with the cells of Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- to be used in the Genesis War.

Process[]

Genesis copy production from CCVIIR — A Genesis copy being made.

A copy is created when the cells of a G-type SOLDIER are implanted in a living subject. As an extension of Jenova's ability to read the memories of others and shift its appearance based on those memories, this confers the donor's abilities, appearance, and other characteristics on the subject. The subject's capacity to manifest their new abilities varies depending on their mental and physical integrity. The vast majority of subjects seen in Crisis Core lack the same integrity as Genesis and Angeal, and thus only receive a fraction of the ability their donors have, the exact level of transference varying between individuals.

Angeal copy in a tank from CCVIIR — Angeal copy being made.

Aside from transferring abilities and physical characteristics, there are two large downsides to creating a copy. Implanting the cells of the G-type SOLDIER strains the subject's mind, and if they are weak-willed their sense of self will break down, rendering them entirely obedient to the donor's mind. Subjects with a strong will maintain their sense of identity, but will still be influenced by the donor's mind. The subject's mental and physical integrity affects their degradation, as subjects who are physically weak will experience a higher rate of degradation than those who are strong. The level of degradation in the donor affects the rate of degradation in the subject; the more degraded the donor is the faster the subject will degrade.

Copies are shown being made in the Banora apple processing factory and in Mako Reactor 5 inside mako tanks, similar to how makonoids appeared in Nibel Reactor in Final Fantasy VII.

Genesis copies[]

G-Copy-Soldier — Artwork of a Genesis Copy.

Genesis Copies (ジェネシス・コピー, Jeneshisu Copī?) comprise the bulk of the forces of the Genesis Army, and were largely created by injecting Genesis's cells into the bodies of 3rd and 2nd Class SOLDIER members who had allied with Genesis and deserted Shinra. The subjects imbued with Genesis's cells take on his facial appearance, and emulate his style of dress with red and black clothing based on Genesis's coat and uniform, some directly wearing replicas of his attire. Because Genesis was already undergoing degradation his state passes on to his copies, and several of them experience accelerated degradation.

Genesis Copies can mutate into demi-humanoid forms. An otherwise normal Genesis Copy transforms into G Eliminator upon consuming a lock of Zack's hair, which contain S-cells from Project S. G Warrior, G Purgatorio, and several palette swaps of them also appear heavily mutated. Whether these mutations result from the subject's latent potential, degradation, mako exposure, or a combination of these and other factors, is unknown.

List of Genesis copies[]

Angeal copies[]

The second type of copy is Angeal Copies (アンジール・コピー, Anjīru Kopī?). The monsters imbued with Angeal's cells do not take on Angeal's appearance, but instead Angeal's face appears grafted onto their bodies, and they take on a silver, black, and gold color scheme. Angeal copies have the limited ability to sense each other and call for aid from other copies, such as how Lazard Deusericus could call an Angeal Copy in Midgar to aid him at Banora, and Angeal can summon several Angeal Copies to himself to become Angeal Penance.

Only one human Angeal Copy is seen in Crisis Core, Lazard, who received Angeal's cells at an unidentified point prior to Angeal's death. Several years after being transformed, Lazard's face has taken on Angeal's features, and his hair is white from degradation. Though maintaining his own identity, Lazard is influenced by Angeal's will to aid Zack in his battle with Genesis, and has Angeal's white wings that enable him to fly.

As with Genesis Copies, the rate of ability transference and degradation varies between individual subjects.

List of Angeal copies[]

Winged Hound Angeal Copy from Crisis Core Reunion

In addition to the types of copies listed below, there is a fifth type of copy that appears in the Sector 5 slums church and stands guard over Aerith Gainsborough after Zack leaves Midgar. This fifth copy type is never given a designation, or fought as an enemy, and is the only copy of its type to be seen. It appears as a winged canine with silver armored body with gold accents.

Other subjects[]

Hollander eventually injected cells from Project G into himself. He claims he used cells from Genesis, but the Crisis Core Complete Guide states he used cells directly from Gillian, making him a G-type SOLDIER like Genesis and Angeal, rather than a normal copy. Because Hollander is physically weak, he experiences an accelerated rate of degradation, and the wing he manifests is small and sickly.

If Hollander used Gillian's cells to transform himself, presumably he would be able to create copies from his own cells as Genesis and Angeal can. However, due to his accelerated degradation, any created copies would likely be prone to even more rapid degradation themselves, making them ineffective as warriors.

The Sephiroth-clones in Final Fantasy VII share several similarities to the Genesis and Angeal Copies, and are called "Sephiroth Copies" in the Japanese version of the game. The Sephiroth-clones are normal humans implanted with the cells of Sephiroth by Professor Hojo, causing them to break down and lose their sense of self, becoming entirely obedient to Sephiroth. Genesis mentions that a Project S SOLDIER, like Sephiroth, cannot copy his traits onto others via his cells, and his body will not degrade. This is likely why, aside from Cloud, none of the Sephiroth-clones show enhancements to their physical abilities.