Chaos and Jenova - Design Similarities... a coincidence?
Whether Square Enix intended to do this or not, I do not know-- nor do I have proof. However, based on the FF7 dev team and their reputation for mystery, it might be safe to say that they tend to be very cryptic and highly intentional with the smallest details. That being said, here is what I noticed.
Jenova and Chaos have eerily similar designs.
Facial Scars
First of all, notice the cracks on Jenova's mechanical structure-- the ones running under her jaw, connecting the corner of her mouth and then up towards her eye. Then notice the similar scars/engravings on Chaos' face. While it may not be an exact replication, Chaos in Dirge of Cerberus looks strikingly similar to the version of Jenova in OG. If one were to look upwards towards Chaos' head-gear, the scars continue to his scalp just as Jenova's does.
Speaking of headgear--
Headgear and Eyes (Opposing colors)
For those familiar with Vincent's design, you would know that the odd jagged portions of his hair are a result of his Chaos gene; they still show while he's in human form. This is may be of a stretch, but it was nevertheless interesting to note the design similarities in the headgear as well. There is an obvious band about Jenova's head with her laboratory identification engraved on it. Her hair has consistently been depicted as-- shall I say 'chaotic' in style while Chaos also has a very similar 'hair' layout. If I had to guess, I wouldn’t be surised if there was a hidden tattooed number or identification on Vincent’s brow which might explain why he wears the band. However-- One very opposing design these two have is that Jenova's eye(s) is the color purple while Chaos' eyes are yellow. By now, many folks already know the meaning behind yellow and purple, but for those who are not aware-- Yellow represents salvation/redemption, while purple represents destruction/corruption in a simplistic way of saying it. For example, Aerith has yellow flowers and her holy magic issues yellow color. Whenever we see Sephiroth, he has a lot of purple tones. I will simply interject my perception on this part. There is a saying-- 'the eyes are the window of the mind'-- meaning the eyes never lie about what is in the heart. Here we have Jenova who appears to be this alien/angel figure (Sephiroth is called an 'angel') but her eyes are purple (corruption). Yet Chaos/Vincent is known as the entity of destruction, corruption, and the one designated to end all life-- but his eyes are yellow (redemption). This might be a way of showing how-- while Vincent is the embodiment of death and corruption, his heart seeks redemption. Just a coincidence?
And lastly...
Wings
An over-arching idea that keeps coming up in this game is the significance of one-wing-- incompleteness. Yet of the main characters in the compilations, Jenova and Chaos are the only ones (to my knowledge) depicted to have two wings. Jenova's mechanical figure sports two wings rather clearly, and if one were to look at the alien form of Jenova, she too has what looks to have been two extensions/wings. One detail is that both Jenova and Chaos have the same number of segments or phalanges-- six. Yet another design coincidence?
In closing, while these designs are oddly similar and could merely just be random design choices, I feel like there may be some underlying reason for this decision. I briefly brought this to Sleepezi's attention, and to my pleasant surprise, he too noticed the designs reflecting each other. Again-- this may all be a stretch. But in the event that it isn't, what might be the implications of Jenova and Chaos's connection? For those who are not familiar with Sleepezi and his highly merited theories on FF7, check out his videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeQuZwIK6Xl1W30pLoBc8UQ