North Crater North Crater , also known as the Northern Cave Crater , or simply Crater , 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 ago . This , in tandem with the continent ' s titular proximity to the Planet ' s North Pole , makes most of the Northern Continent a frozen desert . An enormous wound to the Planet , a mass of Spirit Energy is brought around the crater to heal it . Because of the near - extinction of the Cetra , and thus few to no life being cultivated and no new Spirit Energy being created , the wound heals very slowly and still exists 2 , 000 years later . Profile . When the party first approaches the crater they do not realize what it is as 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 an energy barrier forms over it . Gaea ' s Cliff also becomes inaccessible and therefore all areas of the crater become inaccessible apart from the Northern Cave that can be visited after the barrier 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 as the party descends 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 party descends into the Northern Cave . Story . The North Crater was created when the asteroid or meteorite that contained Jenova crashed into the Planet thousands of years ago . 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 in case 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 during the Nibelheim Incident , he traveled through the Lifestream to the Northern Cave to recuperate . Five years later , Sephiroth , controlling Jenova and making her use his form , leads the Sephiroth Clone s 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 and discover the crater . They run down the descent into the Whirlwind Maze where they discover the Sephiroth Clones fall from exhaustion , or be killed by Sephiroth . Upon reaching Sephiroth the party fights 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 ago , rather , it was Zack Fair . Cloud is confident it is just an illusion , but Tifa , the only other party member to be in Nibelheim during the incident , does not refute Sephiroth ' s claims . Sephiroth tells Cloud he is just another drone like all the other mindless Sephiroth Clones . Cloud breaks down and Sephiroth tricks the party member with the Black Materia to give it up into the enemy hands . Rufus Shinra and his group of Shinra Executives land in the Whirlwind Maze with the airship " Highwind " . Seeing the abundant Mako , Rufus thinks the Northern Cave to be the fabled Promised Land of Cetra legends . Cloud appears and pleads Professor Hojo to tell his number 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 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 forcefield and continues to remake his body to prepare for his ascension into godhood , his plan being to absorb the Spirit Energy that would well up to treat the wound created by his Meteor . Shinra uses the Sister Ray cannon to destroy the Diamond Weapon and blast through Sephiroth ' s forcefield . With the crater ' s defense down , Cloud and his party enter the crater to access the Northern Cave to defeat Sephiroth . Defeating Sephiroth releases Holy , an ultimate White Magic spell , and it bursts from the crater to destroy Meteor while the party escapes on the " Highwind " . Locations . The North Crater is located to the North on Gaia ' s Northern continent .