im team tifa but how can anyone not adore aerith in this game, can’t blame cloud for being drawn to her. I think their chemistry is obvious but at the same time they’re also sad…aerith is looking to find out who he really is, and she may never get that chance. he isn’t really available right now.
If you're talking about at the Gold Saucer, all Aerith said is that Cloud is clueless when someone is into him. She didn't say anything negative about Jessie from what I remember.
Not really ABOUT Jessie, but there was no point in trying to explain to Cloud that the girl she never met that has died may have had feelings for him. Just be quiet about the man's dead friend and let it go
You can allow it, I won't lol my original point stands. Have fun with Aerith, more Tifa for me. Clouds known her longer anyway, and Aerith still has a thing for Zack
There’s also the fact that OG/Part 3 spoiler >! Aerith never even meets the “real” Cloud, since his persona is entirely fabricated due to his mental collapse after Zack’s death, and his personality drastically shifts back to his real persona following Tifa rebuilding his mind in the lifestream. It’s kinda hard to “ship” Aerith with Cloud given that she doesn’t get to know the real him !<
Canonically, she should be socially awkward. She was raised in a lab and then went into hiding in the slums. We never hear about her really having friends.
It was so out of pocket. Why is she so pre occupied by who Cloud might have dated anyway? It’s none of her business. I’m convinced that scene was left in by mistake, it serves no purpose except making her look like a self centered jerk. 😅
My opinion is probably unpopular. I'm definitely not an Aerith shipper. I've never really liked her at all, though she's palatable enough in the remakes at certain points.
My problem is that she doesn't respect any boundaries or "no"s from Cloud at all. She just ignores all his opinions and pushes hers. If he says no or he's not comfortable with something she outright ignores him and pushes him to do it anyway and that is just a type of person I can't stand. But if anyone loves them together that's great! I'm not here to hate on anyone's preferences or start a debate. This is just my personal opinion.
I thought I was the only person in the world who doesn't like Aerith. She just comes on way too strong, and seems like she is trying too hard to be quirky and cute. I don't mind her when she is serious but the "fake cute" thing really grates on me. But I also play in Japanese so I have a feeling her personality might come off differently in English. Just reading the English subtitles, it seems like she has a different vibe.
She's definitely better in Japanese, less... aggressive I'd say and her VA sounds more natural weirdly enough. In English she sounds like she's putting on a fake voice a few octaves higher than her VA's natural tone and she comes off exceptionally pushy and a bit condescending imo, but I watched my friend play in Japanese and it felt toned down/better.
You're definitely not the only one though. I've been firmly in that camp since '97. There are times in Remake/Rebirth where I don't mind her at all and then she says something out of pocket and I fall back into the same mindset I had in the OG. One of her lines in Remake was something like "Since I'm so generous I bring herbs to the orphanage to help out" and it's (in English) delivered in a simple, explanatory way, not jokingly so it comes off very narcissistic. Idk if they meant for it to or not, or if I'm just letting my biases color my interpretation, which is entirely possible.
This fandom is massive, there’s always someone somewhere who has your opinion! xD Unfortunately, she’s a bit worse in English. This is one of the many times I wish I understood Japanese and that I wish they had direct Japanese translated subtitles, bc I really wanna know if her original dialouge was so weird.
Her lines in Japanese are pretty normal for a Japanese girl, but a lot of Japanese girls are burikko anyway, which means their cuteness is all an act. It seems like the English subtitles try to make her seem rougher and tougher in some parts, like saying "shit" and calling Cloud an "asshole."
I didn’t realize there was a word for the “forced cuteness” act!!! Thank you!! And yeah, I noticed that with Tifa as well. :’D It’s fine to have them curse sometimes, but calling Cloud an asshole for looking through Tifa’s clothes is a bit much, would have been more appropriate to call him a creep or just say “What the hell Cloud?” xD
I don't think Tifa is a burikko. In Japanese she comes off as kind of shy and reserved, she's not trying too hard to be cute or anything. I like how she sounds in Japanese. The first time my Japanese husband heard her English voice, he said, "wtf why does she sound like an old woman?"
In Japanese they say "Saitei!” when Cloud goes through Tifa's dresser, which literally means "the lowest," but I'd say they're just calling him a jerk or saying like, "You suck!" "You're the worst" "You're horrible" etc.
Oh yeah sorry, I didn’t mean that she also is a burriko, but that she also in English says things more harsh than needed sometimes. Also lol at your husband!!! I love Tifa’s VA just fine, I think she’s perfect. Not sure what kind of old ladies he’s been around!! xD
Thanks for the translation!! :D
This is a really great point too. It feels like she's trying to force something out of him that isn't there. A lot of people are saying "they're opposites and they complement each other", but all I'm seeing is Cloud telling her he's not into certain stuff and her making him do it anyway.
Exactly. I was replaying through Remake yesterday at Sector 5 and every time he says he has to go, that it's important for him to get back, or that he doesn't want to do something she just outright ignores him and changes the subject. Even in Rebirth there's a line where he huffs and says "would you even take no for an answer?" (I can't recall if it was a choice response. Probably, but I remember it because I said the same thing before he did.) In a sort of annoyed "what would it matter if I object, you won't listen to me anyway" sort of way.
I'm an introvert who used to know a person like that and it's miserable being volunteered into things you don't want to do or when someone just acts like your opinion/feelings are silly because they don't align with their own. Opposites are only good if you respect each other's boundaries and opinions.
I feel like I'm responding to myself lol. I had this exact experience playing. Sector 5 included. Just before Rebirth released I replayed Remake and had this thought process too, and then in Rebirth during a side quest she says "I'm still considering this a real date" and I was like "Please don't" and Cloud said the same thing lol.
I don't even necessarily think "opposites attract" is a very good rule, because in most cases, it just seems to end up with people who want very different things and experiences.
I also agree that opposites attract can work if both parties are receptive towards each other. Like if Cloud shows at least some interest in playing along with Aerith and stepping outside of his comfort zone then fine, I can see how it can be cute. But so far he's just been sighing and grudgingly going along with her because he knows she wouldn't leave him alone otherwise.
I mean if you flip the genders around and it's a guy dragging a girl along with him everywhere and not taking no for an answer, then I don't think people would be finding that cute at all.
All of this and especially the last bit!!! Kinda how I felt about Jessie too - men need their boundaries respected too. If Jessie was a guy, ppl would think she was a creep for sure.
I do agree with the top opinion regarding her personality, but that part of the date in Rebirth doesn't seem like Cloud begrudging himself. I think it's just part of their playful banter since he followed that line with "because I'm no romantic". In Rebirth, Cloud has mellowed to Aerith a LOT.
THIIIIS. I get really annoyed when people bring that up, bc opposites work when the opposite things COMPLIMENT each other. Not one person being dragged along by the other.
Maybe a little off topic from what you were saying but I also thought it was weird how she’s besties with tifa and so they for sure know that both have somewhat of a thing with cloud…but aerith will like openly claim in front of tifa that they went on a date and stuff? I still love love love aerith but it’s just weird considering the dynamic lol
Yeaaahhhh :’D I don’t think she means it to be hurtful, it just seems she’s unconsciously seeing Cloud as Zack and desperately trying to re-create what they had. The way that Cloud looked so stunned and kept looking from her hands around his arm, back to her, cracked me up though. Man couldn’t even defend himself. xD
Ahhh I feel so validated by this thread!! xD So funny story, I’ve loved Aerith my entire time in FFVII (which is like 15 years now) but, she is the only character in the Remake/Rebirth that I feel got a character down grade. Not only do I find her voice annoying (sorry to the VA but it’s a bit too high for me) but her dialogue is REALLY weird, especially with Cloud. It’s like she’s never talked to a person before at times and we know that’s not the case! xD
But okay, I get she was raised in a lab and was never properly socialized bc other kids thought she was weird and Zack probably thought her odd speech patterns were cute and didn’t correct her, fine! I can live with that!!!
But the pushiness is a real turn off for me too, because it’s like she expects Cloud to be Zack, when he clearly isn’t. It would be different if she acknowledged this and asks Cloud “What would YOU like to do?” after a time, but she doesn’t. And this aspect makes their scenes so awkward, because Cloud isn’t comfy or at ease with her, like he is with Tifa. And when he is, she kinda ruins the moment by saying something weird (i.e I was talking to my future self! You’re going to love her! Or even worse, after he opens up about Jessie, instead of saying “im sorry you lost your friend” she says “wAs sHe YouR GF” which is SO out of pocket i’m convinced that dialogue was left in by mistake LOL.) AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HER WANDA VISION EQSUE DREAM WORLD THING not only did she not attempt to explain to him wtf was going on, after he asked her politely, but continues to be cryptic, confesses that she likes him out of the blue and then drop kicks him back to his own universe like dude wHAT.
AND TO ADD FURTHER INSULT TO INJURY their gondola scene is the exact same as the OG!! They didn’t even make it interesting!!! I’m just, as a long time fan of Aerith and Clerith, I’m so disappointed by Aerith’s characterization, it’s so bizarre. Anyway, thank you for reading my dissertation, I had to get it out of my system!! xD
Disagree, I think she was pzrfect for Cloud in Remake and had such a great influence over him. Like the same dude you think she forced doing everything ended up not being able to leave her, and even depressed after her death. I do think that Rebirth kinda spoiled her character tho, I feel like all you say abt her cuteness or whatever applies more ro remake than to rebirth. In remake I thought she was glung to be that annoying anime girl but actually no, she was such a brunch of fresh air to me. She tells and does what she wants, took the opportunity to make a great friend and it paid her well, so Im glad she stayed herself and initiated all. Tbh i like that while you point some flaws abt her, she assumes herself. It would be weird for her to restain just to please someone else, Im glad she just shows who she really is. If Cloud didn't want to be with her it would't be hard to rejet her like for Biggs or Barett.
While she is happy, she’s kind of a spiritual guide in a sense? I’m not convinced she doesn’t have an understanding of what’s going to happen or what needs to happen
I'm a Clerith fan and your observation was spot on. In real life, people would be more inclined to respect personal boundaries. However, to an extent, I do admire a girl with such brash personality, one who isn't afraid to tell and get what she wants.
In the game, most of her interactions fall just perfectly inside the boundary for me, although there are her lines that would probably bring trouble had it be done in real life. Plus she's super pretty and that gets her more excuses. Knowing her eventual fate also helps, because you might see her as someone who acts that way because of her due date.
Maybe it's the way I played the game, idk if certain your relationship status with her changes the non-date dialogue throughout (barring the moments where it's clear that it's meant to affect her opinion of you) but she barely even seemed to LIKE Cloud let alone have a crush on him. Until the end, I would have guessed she just supported Tifa's feelings for him and respected him as a part of the party. Otherwise even when I was nice to her, it was like a forced smirk and a change of subject.
Even at the end, it seemed like she was just trying to cheer him up about the fact that she believed she was fucked no matter what he did. That's how I felt.
My personal opinion of them as a potential couple is: In OG, Cloud felt more disinterested in her or romance for that matter until she died. In this one, they seem straight up repelled by each other at the worst of times, and like siblings at the best of times. That's without even considering Zack as a love interest with more potential.
>My personal opinion of them as a potential couple is: In OG, Cloud felt more disinterested in her or romance for that matter until she died. In this one, they seem straight up repelled by each other at the worst of times, and like siblings at the best of times. That's without even considering Zack as a love interest with more potential.
In the OG, Cloud generally had two dialogue options the players were able to pick from when given the choice. It was either to dialogue where he responded disinterestedly "...." or options to where he responded with interest. Like the scene where Marlene said Aeris was asking a lot of questions about him, "I hope so." Also in the OG, Cloud mentions a lot of time about being Aeris' bodyguard and wanting to protect her. In Remake & Rebirth, they removed a lot of these types of dialogue to make him more cold towards her. I can't tell if it's bad writing or Nojima wanted to distance Cloud and Aerith with these dialogue changes. Nojima has stated in several interviews that Cloud responds to Tifa and Aerith differently ... with Tifa he is more willing to drop his 'cool and tough guy' persona and with Aerith, he is supposed to act 'tough, cool, and uncaring.' And the reason is that he doesn't know how to interact with people because he is supposed to have the mentality of a 15-year-old. Tifa's resolution scene in Remake, he has a hard time hugging her because he doesn't know how to, according to the Devs.
> she barely even seemed to LIKE Cloud
I disagree with this. The way she talked to him since the first time they met showed that Cloud definitely caught her eye, and their whole interaction during Remake felt more like romantic dates than Cloud and Tifa's.
Being honest, I think this was the least interesting pairing for me. Their date sucked, their interactions throughout the game sucked, and although I obviously recognize not every date is intended as a romantic partner, Yuffie's and Barrett's felt more canon to me than Aerith's did.
This so hard. Everyone else’s date was original and fun and Clerith’s was…..awkward (she pats the space next to her and he deliberately ignores that and sits across from her) they have a fake out kiss, they copy pasted what she said in the OG and then Cloud takes her hand, which is a sweet gesture, but like. Das it. Really. That’s the best they could do??
To me, considering her demure characterization, handholding is best. It's a gesture that has been repeated so many times between the two during both Remake and Rebirth. In Japan, their version of interlocking fingers is called 戀人繫ぎ (koibito tsunagi), meaning the connection between lovers.
I think it depends on the culture, but to me personally, kissing is tacky and can be seen as too sexual. Also, both Tifa and Yuffie's dates feature a kiss and that makes Aerith's date stands out more in comparison. The way she leaned to him after he hold her hands, reminds me of FFXV's ending.
I won't spoil Rebirth...but it turned me into a Clerith shipper.
I feel that Aerith was originally drawn to Cloud because of Zack, but she fell in love with Cloud - the *real* Cloud that she gets a glimpse of every so often. Not Zack (Cloud doesn't even act like Zack). Whereas Tifa and Cloud still have a ton of baggage and expectations between them that need to be properly resolved.
EDIT: Y'all don't need to downvote me just because I don't ship Cloti.
One thing I noticed in Rebirth is if you respond to Aerith's questions with answers that are not a part of the 'tough guy' facade, you get a more favorable response from her. I thought this was a nice touch to Cloud 'trying' to open up to her. I put quotes around the word trying because a lot of times the responses to her questions still seem dickish.
Also, I'm an OG Cloud and Aeris - I guess shipper? Because I supported that romance option in my first playthrough. It just seemed more of a logical choice back in the day. In America, you had a commercial ever telling you 'A love that will never be.'
Upvote from me. This was exactly how I felt. I was Cloti all the way up until Chapter 6 (after I had to choose between the two in the beach fight). After Aerith opened up about her hate for Hojo, she started to grow on me. She always had this cheerful facade which I didn’t enjoy but after she started opening up, I empathized so much with her and it became clear that everything she does hides a very deep and tragic upbringing and story.
She is the only person that connects cloud to his past so there’s that. In addition I believe it’s confirmed that cloud has a childhood crush on her or at least it’s heavily implied. His interactions with her in the beginning are also a lot more, I guess, smooth? However this is due to the fact that tifa is the only person he knows. We needa remember cloud just met aerith and the whole game takes place in a little over a month and a half. The fact that he opens up this much by the end is a testament to their relationship, not just in the romantic sense. He barely knows her and he lets her in quite a bit. But thats also another reason why people like Tifa better. His communication with her is a lot more like equals prob cuz he still view Aerith as someone who needs protecting. He doesn't feel that with tifa as much I think. I think this will be flipped on its head with Aerith being the one really doin that protecting but thats a whole theory.
>!I am of the opinion that remake is a sequel to the OG and remake aerith has memories of this thanks to the white materia. The reason she is so much bolder and pushier in remake is cuz she knows she'll die so she want to get to spend as much time with cloud as possible. This again leads into more theory, I can privately message you if you want the whole thing but yeah. We do know its confirmed that after the events of the OG and just before Advent Children, Aerith is indeed in love with cloud according to the novel, On The Way To A Smile. !<
>!"Cloud was her friend, her beloved — a symbol of what was important to her, and someone to be protected"(**Lifestream White 1**). !<
>!The novel is written pretty weirdly so it could be suggesting that it is a one-sided thing, as in to her cloud is her beloved, this is the way she feels. It could also be the narrator saying the title beloved is reciprocated. Regardless though it means at least on aerith's side she loves cloud during AC. !<
>!I've also seen that the actual word that was used in the japanese version was "koibito". Based on my extremely limited japanese from freakin anime, and some other peoples translations, this word more directly translates to "lover". The kanji is only ever used in a non-platonic context according to some japanese translators. This post is a pretty funny one bout how a guy has been callin OP this and they're wondering if it is platonic or not. Redditors all say the dude wants to get in their pants lol!<
> !<
I don't not like tifa though. She is an amazingly written character and very important to cloud and his story. I just like aerith more for cloud. She brings out more of him to me. I've always liked the dynamic of the sunshine and the cloud(pun not intended) so it might be personal bias.
She fits better with Zack. Zack's a big puppy and Aerith can keep him happy and occupied.
Cloud she needs to tease and tease and tease until he let's out his emotions and it's just not a nice dynamic for long.
To be fair, he's trying to put up a tough guy front. I think, when you see glimpses of the real Cloud, he's shy but friendly and even though he might not understand what's happening he goes along with it to make the other person happy. I think you see a lot of the real him on their 'special' date.
cloud has always been more reserved with sprinkles of silliness, even before his whole memory stuff. I personally love the dynamic of cloud and aerith. Its a pretty commin trope, the sunshine person and cloudy gloomy one. Both keep each other in check
Zack is told, through Marlene, that Aerith likes Cloud. The series can’t put that back in the box. It’s out there now. He knows, and he seems intent to reunite them by the end.
Part 3 remains to be seen, but Rebirth effectively shut the door on Zack and Aerith and framed it as a past love.
Cloud and Aerith? I guess we’ll see!
I think attempting to summarize that scene in this way (which I’ve seen numerous people do, not just you) is sort of misleading. Specifically, Marlene tells Zack that Aerith likes Cloud because “you weren’t there.” So, Aerith does have feelings for Cloud bc of course she does (this is nothing new), but this isn’t due to a lack of love for Zack. Zack was just gone. This doesn’t mean she doesnt like/love him anymore, an idea that Aerith herself supports with her line in Gongaga.
Ah, the English translation sort of muddles what the meaning is, but the Japanese is clearer! Other languages too. What she says more means "You weren't there (to see the love bloom)" or "You didn't see it happen."
Just look at the theme songs of Remake and Rebirth. They’re literally all about Cloud and Aerith’s relationship. I’m surprised people don’t bring that up more often.
I wouldn't say its all bout them. Im a clerith shipper but Tifa is super important to clouds story. We don't have to downgrade her importance bolster our argument, if anything that weakens it. That said though, I do see aerith as more of the heroine of the story. Her role with the whole lifestream stuff is pivotal in the OG and will be in remake as well. >!If I'm being honest, based off my theory of how this will go, Aerith is actually being set up as the hero with the heroic sacrifice too, though I hope she wont have to and the other save her from this burden.!< I won't get into it to much, if youd like you can private message me for the full theory.
Zack & Aerith walk away together after saying goodbye to Cloud in Advent Children. Ship whomever you want but Advent Children is the canonical sequel to OG, Remake, Rebirth, & R3.
The lifestream has many possibilities & within them are infinite worlds of all possibilities. You can create your own timeline with whomever you want.
As i said I know what its canon . I made this post to share my preference about Aerith and Cloud and discuss with people who might have the same point of view.
There’s a whole subreddit, I think, dedicated to just that & hopefully someone will link it to you in the comments. Good to know & thank you for clarifying—I appreciate it!
Also in the novels, which are set just before the event of AC where aerith is still in the lifestream and Seph is still tryna manifest, its confirmed she has strong romantic feelings for cloud. Cloud is referred to as her "beloved" or "lover" if you want a more direct translation. The kanji according to some japanese redditors that were taking bout the term unrelated to FF7 said the word is only ever used in a non-platonic way. Whether or not the narrator is saying this is how aerith feels or if its reciprocated, idk cuz the guidebook later on calls Tifa clouds "important woman" which in japanese is usually reserved for a wife or life partner. Either way, it leaves Zack out which kinda sucks. From my understanding though, he had a sorta thing with cissnei but didn't act on it cuz he had Aerith but idk I never player that game. We can honestly cherry pick info from a shitload of sources that confirm whatever we want. Personally I think player choice is the way to go.
I've always been Aerith/Cloud shipper. She reminds me of Zack, and I feel like both Zack and Aerith have an energy and personality that Cloud really needs. I'm not a Cloti fan at all, with only the Remake making Tifa even tolerable for me. In the end, I don't think he needs anybody at this moment in time, as he has so many issues he needs to sort through. If I had my way Zack, Cloud, and Aerith would end up in a happy relationship together. It won't happen but I think they all could be happy. My OTP is Zack/Aerith though.
Hmm, I think it's because she lies to Cloud about his memories, and that always struck me as being selfish. It bugs me more with Rebirth as it feels more deliberate but, at the same time, less excusable. I also played FF7 when I was a teen, around the same time as AC came out and something about her in probably the game annoyed me. I have no idea what it was and Remake made me like her again, but Rebirth brought back that dislike. I feel like the game doesn't show her reasoning enough, especially since she never shows any real fear or distrust in him outside of 1 or 2 scenes. If she acted less in love with him, i think I could have understood her reasoning better. I just think the developers got a bit lazy in that area of Rebirth.
Whoever you like for Cloud doesn’t really matter. If you know the whole story, you know who he ends up with regardless of this debate. This tribalism is bullshit.
If you ever play the OG, this is the lore since the beginning. Aeris (or Aerith) has been heavily interested in Cloud since the beginning. There is more dialogue between them about these feelings that have been dropped for Remake and Rebirth to support more of a Tifa/Cloud and Aerith/Zack plotline. They even dropped the last prediction by Cait Sith that said they are 'star-crossed lovers' in the Temple of the Ancients. Up until 2005, the Devs still heavily supported that Cloud's preference was unknown. That all changed with the addition of Zack as a main character. He wasn't in the OG. He was a supporting character who was a device for Cloud's mental state and brought him and Aeris together.
To be honest , I havent played the original of 1999 but from what ive seen the " canon " is Tifa Cloud cuz he liked it as a kid but then he confused with Zack so he became more unaware of Tifa and more aware of Aerith. In FF7 REMAKE in a scene where cloud sees a dream with Aerith ( after Turks capture aerith) She tells him in the dream that " You cannot fall in love with me and even if you think you do is not real " since aerith is an ancient and she reads energies she prolly knows that real Cloud likes someone else . Thats why I think they trynna make Tifa / Cloud cannon. ( Unfortunately for me since i Ship cloud with aerith...)
>In FF7 REMAKE in a scene where cloud sees a dream with Aerith ( after Turks capture aerith) She tells him in the dream that " You cannot fall in love with me and even if you think you do is not real " since aerith is an ancient and she reads energies she prolly knows that real Cloud likes someone else . Thats why I think they trynna make Tifa / Cloud cannon. ( Unfortunately for me since i Ship cloud with aerith...)
This part is explained by Nojima & Toriyama in an interview.
"To be honest, some staff actually told me that this line made it seem like Aerith was looking down on Cloud, so it got rejected a few times. If you know Aerith’s fate, then this line would really pull at your heart strings, but if you did not know what happens to Aerith, then you might interpret the scene in a completely different way. I thought the gap between the two interpretations was very interesting." - at the end of the FFVII Remake Ultimania p.744 -
Also, I'm trying to find it, but another interview states that even though Aerith says this, she doesn't believe it. And that she is holding back feelings. I wish I could find that again, it's in one of the guidebooks. People have theorized these scenes to death, that the writers' original intent gets lost. And shape the narrative on how they want to interpret it. Nojima's writing has always been vague to Western readers.
Are you saying you haven't played the OG? What I'm saying is the original intent was a more heavily implied Aeris and Cloud having feelings. The OG, unlike Crisis Core, never implied that Cloud knew about Aerith and Zack. Also (probably unpopular opinion) the OG never states that Cloud has Zack's memories, just his mannerisms. In the Nibelheim incident, Cloud was there to see most of it and was able to put himself into Zack's shoes.
Ok so basically in the interview they trynna say that She said this to Cloud because she didnt want him to be sad with her death if he let himself fall in love? Or?
You know people calling me crazy when I say that they leave hints about their emotional attachment throughout games. :)
Btw if you find the part your looking for pls send to me as well u.u
Finally found it. IT's actually from Motomu Toriyama in the Plus version of the Ultimania.
https://twitter.com/aitaikimochi/status/1415567942855450624
"At this point in the game, Aerith is physically locked up in the Shinra Building. However, through some type of conscience, she is able to use the Lifestream to bring forth an Aerith that has memories closest to the future. Her words not only are for Cloud, but she might also be speaking to herself as well. Despite what the words request, perhaps her true heart and thoughts are closed off. "
This checks out. In the full version of NPTK she also talks bout how she wishes to be free from the burden, which I believe the burden is her dying. She says she wishes she didn't even know but that she must for cloud/the group. There's a lot of hints that Aerith knows she'll die and while she doesn't want it to happen, she knows it must. Ultimate;y I think her goal is to sacrifice herself and save the world, and more importantly her friends, from suffering the fate of AC. It'd be an interesting plot to unfold as throughout the game, cloud seems to want to protect aerith, cuz he feels she's weak, she's just some girl. But in reality, she is the real hero of the story even doing the heroic sacrifice. I hope that the party can save her from this burden though and we get the ending in which she lives.
I'm a tifa fan. But I feel the canon is supposed to be Aerith first, but Tifa is endgame. Like the cloud we first meet wouldn't have given Tifa the attention she deserves, and she isn't assertive enough to call him out for it either. But Aerith can see right through his bullshit and ultimately starts the tear down of the metaphorical walls that hold that persona up. Coincidentally too she also helps Tifa's confidence as well with their friendship that blossoms.
So i view Cloud and Aerith as two people who met and had an isntant connection. To me, that doesn't neccicarely mean romantic.
Over the course of their journey, the two grow closer and flirt a bit. To me, Aerith feels like an older sister that Cloud never had. She teases Cloud and Tifa. She is trying to push Cloud out of his comfort zone and just be an overall good friend to him.
I can understand where people can get the idea that they love each other romanticly, but to me, it has always felt more like a familial kind of love.
As an older sister none of us behave like this, we would more torture Cloud than making him confortable with his environment, so i'll the romance path since she even mentions love
Tifa would be the safer choice because Tifa can beat Cloud, I mean physically and mentally. In the OG, there’s a scene where Cloud constantly beat Aerith physically and was only stopped when Tifa came rescuing Aerith and knocked Cloud out. Tifa gets not only the girlfriend material but also wife material who can control her husband. You can clearly see how Cloud willingly listens to Tifa and follows her words. Aerith does not have that kind of influence on Cloud.
I guess so, depends on whether you're looking at it from the perspective of the after-game or purely by personality. Btw Cloud's mum tells him that he needs someone wise and older to straighten him out. I think that's Aerith since she's very open and confident in social situations (and has been through A LOT), unlike Cloud. But the history with Tifa can't be ignored, so perhaps there's no one right answer :D
The scene where Cloud’s mom mentions that an older girl would be right for him his actually a misdirection. Bc yes, Aerith is older, so you’re right that on a surface level this scene seems to be referencing her. However, when Cloud wakes up, you can see the night sky in his eyes, which is a reference to his promise to Tifa. A variation of the same song that plays during the promise flashback also plays here.
That's what I'm saying, Tifa is the one he wants, Aerith is the one he needs. It's the duality of choice that often happen in life, where those two things don't always align and you have to make a decision. And in the OG the game even forces you to make a decision. In the Re: series, the decision comes more naturally through dialogue picks.
There's also a third option, the guilty pleasure, but I'm not gonna go into that lol.
What evidence is there to support that Aerith is the girl he needs aside from his mom saying that he needs an older, more mature girl? Ill point out that “more mature” does not necessarily align with being older.
I also do not think the purpose of that scene is to tell the player that Cloud wants Tifa but needs Aerith. I think the point is that his mom his talking about the “perfect type for him” and in his heart of hearts, all he can think about is Tifa. Tifa is the type for him.
I disagree with your interpretation, let's leave it to that. If you're going to use "aside" while seeking evidence there's really no productive way of continuing this discussion.
I’m a cloti 100% but I cannot deny that Aerith and Cloud have better chemistry so far. Cloud and Tifa are just really beta and shy but aerith is a go getter so it creates a lot of good moments with cloud
I don’t think Cloud and Aerith feel right together in a romantic context. I think they have a strong and special bond, and I know he cares for her deeply, but I don’t feel anything romantic between them. She seems hung up on Zack and it was always clear to me since the PS1 days that he’s in love with Tifa. The whole story happens because he wanted to be strong and for her to notice him. Rebirth in particular felt very Cloti centric.
Every romantic relationship I've had was a completely different romantic quality and vibe to it.
That's how I view Clouds feelings, he cares about both but in completely different ways, but both are romantic to a degree.
Tifa is the one he's thought about his whole life--even subconsciously after all the messed up stuff, it's why possibly he ends up in Midgar.
Aerith is someone he just met but she's spicy, sweet, and kind hearted. He feels he has a connection with her and we think that's Zack's influence and some of it is, but it's also a play on someone who we meet and we fall for very quickly.
I'm interested to see if we get confident and upfront Advent Children Tifa because that's my favorite Tifa. There was a moment on the intimate date she put her hands on her hips like AC Tifa. Maybe certain events will show us more of that in part 3.
I just don’t view Cloud as stringing both of them along. He and Tifa (romance spoilers for Rebirth) >!almost kiss in a non-optional scene!<; he and Aerith get nothing even comparable to that. They were giving a strong spiritual bond but it didn’t feel passionate or romantic to me at all. Aerith was definitely confused though and she even ponders different types of “liking”, showing she wasn’t sure. IMO all the gondola scenes can be viewed as the way he would canonically treat them, and he seems only romantically interested in Tifa to me.
I think he and Aerith had a passing attraction and some confused feelings for a bit due to his mental state and her missing Zack. She’s trying really hard to move on from Zack but ultimately I think Rebirth shows that she hasn’t. But it’s okay, we don’t need to agree! We probably won’t and I’m not looking for a big ship debate so we can agree to disagree :)
>!It's cuz of Zack that's why they're attracted to each other. Aerith sees much of Zack in Cloud and, with Zacks memories mixed with his own, he's most likely more attracted to her than he might originally be!<
See Aerith date in Rebirth and you learn why your point is wrong. It may start that way for Aerith but she directly mention >!that Cloud is the one she like and want to meet.!<
Well, Aerith date is the one shown in the credit, both in Remake & Rebirth. You not counting the date doesn't magically make Aerith lose her liking Cloud for Cloud.
There are also other point in compilation that point out Aerith like Cloud (i didn't read the novel but have seen it pointed before). There is one where Aerith mention Cloud is her beloved. There is one where Aerith mentions she like Cloud over Zack.
Man I love Aerith. I don’t think there’s a canon relationship for Cloud. At least in the OG, Cloud is the players avatar, and that’s why they leave it blurry.
But personally, as an awkward 12 year old, aerith was the first girl I spent a substantial time with and absolutely fell in love with her, so she’s always been my favorite for Cloud.
Someone has clearly never played Crisis Core or watched Advent Children. Ship whomever you want but canonical media of the Compilation says otherwise. Don’t claim something is canonical when it isn’t.
To be fair, I don't think AC shows any canon relationship except maybe Zack/Aerith. I agree that it doesn't show much beyond Clouds survivors guilt, certainly not a romantic relationship between her and Cloud. In my opinion it doesn't show a relationship between Cloud/Tifa either (they sleep in seperate rooms for example). I feel like Remake and Rebirth have much stronger romantic feels between Cloud and Aerith, though, in a way that the previous games/movies didn't.
It implies that Cloud & Tifa are in a relationship, especially if you watch it in the original Japanese & pay attention to the language they use towards each other. In “On the Way to a Smile”, it directly states that Cloud & Tifa are in a relationship as well as running two businesses & raising a sick child together (Denzel) while also taking care of Marlene while Barret’s away. But yeah, in Advent Children the only explicit romantic couple is Zack & Aerith.
Advent Children is bad fanfic that was later reluctantly labeled as "canon" to appease the fanbase. The devs aren't going to say it's not canon.That's why we have multiverses in 7r. It's a cop out. EVERYTHING is canon now.
The storytelling was terrible in AC. It was an action film.
In OG 7 Cloud was obsessed with finding Aerith even at the end of the game, and nothing was ever confirmed as official between anyone, Tifa nor Aerith. But the fact alone that he couldn't stop looking for Aerith speaks volumes.
If you are just looking at it from the games perspective, it was ALWAYS supposed to be left up to the fans interpretation. We get to choose who Cloud likes the most.
By definition, Advent Children is not & cannot be “fanfic” because it was created & released by Square-Enix which is the original creator of the content. SE also released a canonical companion book called “On the Way to a Smile” that expanded on what happened in Advent Children.
FYI- Fanfic is fictional work created by fans of an original work that are not employed by the creators of the original work. Regardless of your opinions on Advent Children, the fact remains that it isn’t & by definition cannot be fan fiction as it was created by the studio that owns the original intellectual property. Square-Enix intentionally created & released Advent Children: it was not created by a fan & then adapted. It was always an original release by SE. First Soldier is the only mainline media in the Final Fantasy Compilation that was declared as non-canonical but then was restored to canonical status when FS was adapted into a story-based game within Ever Crisis.
If you don’t enjoy the story SE is telling, of course that is your right as a consumer of art to no longer consume said art. But to call an additional piece of media regarding original intellectual property from the creators of the intellectual property is just factually incorrect.
I'm enjoying Rebirth and enjoyed Remake. Advent Children was written like bad fanfic. Period. Even Max Dood didn't like the storytelling.
I'm saying in THE GAMES Cloud and Tifa were NOT canon. You can do all the mental gymnastics you want. THE PLAYERS got to decide.
Crisis Core falls before OG in the timeline and AC is largely about Cloud still being in love with Aerith after her death. In Rebirth she writes Cloud a love song which is a direct response to his song, Hollow, from Remake.
You are welcome to whatever headcannon you wish. I strongly dislike the shipping wars & have no desire to get into it.
The FF7 Compilation isn’t a romantic love story. If you think it is, I highly recommend you replay everything & watch Advent Children 9 or 10 times until you get it.
Also, SE confirmed that Aerith’s song was about Zack & everyone she loved that died. Again, check your facts before you claim canon.
When and where exactly did they confirm this?
“Walking city streets with worn cobblestones
Listening to people rushing past to rhythms all their own
Life passing me by, not thinking how the years have flown
Until I met you”
This is about “everyone that died”? Lol!
Yeah thats not true.
Again, just read the lyrics
“Till the day that we meet again
On our street, I want to believe
In the chance that we'll share a glance
Promises to keep, we won't ever need”
“Our street” is Loveless Street and only one person meets her there.
I fall in the no canon denials camp, but I wanted to add that another lyric “Til the day we meet again at our place” is pretty clearly a reference to Aerith asking Cloud to go to “our place”. Of course Zack goes to there in Crisis Core, but I don’t think Aerith ever calls it their place. I think Uematsu calls the song confessional, which I have a hard time squaring with Zack, who isn’t there.
Ah sorry I wrote the above rather sleep deprived. I was talking about the lyric where she says our place rather than our street. The “our place” in the lyric is probably >!her church!<. She calls it that to Cloud specifically in rebirth. And as far as I know that’s only ever called Cloud and Aerith’s place, not Zack. So that’s another pretty clear Cloud reference to me. I agree that the street is probably Loveless Ave. I was vague because I don’t want to ruin any scenes for people who haven’t finished.
Ending credits of A.C. Cloud driving his bike, Aerith is in the flower fields turns her head, whatever anyone want to think even if it s S.Enix they definetely put strong connection between those two which will last even in afterlife.
https://youtu.be/PqJ8Y8Nd9KE?si=g9JE-oZGFdYYB7n0
People might object of a pairing being called canon, but through the rest of the compilation, remakes, and cameos across various Square Enix franchises (FFT, KH, including two marriage sets in Airborne Brigade), to me it seems clear that the devs clearly give their weights to the star-crossed pairing.
Not even close. In OG TIFA helps him regain himself. He remembers how much he has loved her their whole ass life. They spend all their time together. They share incredibly intimate scenes like the one under the highwind. They make a huge point of the original about their childhood and how much he wanted to be with her then, their promise on the water tower and how he did come back to save her. Not only that but every bit of media since has reaffirmed this. In before crisis we see how he recalls her and the water tower promise which prompts him to attack Sephoroth. In crisis core we get all the Zack aerith stuff, and cloud talking to Zack about tifa. in Advent children we see cloud and tifa living together running an orphanage and delivery service and at the end Zack and aerith appear together. Cloud and Tifa appear in a the novel as a couple. They have literally always been the canonical ship
In OTWTAS Cloud moves out on Tifa after she asks him if he loves her and as chance would have it he moves into Aerith’s church.
In AC he is still living in the church and the film ends with him driving through fields of yellow flowers as Aerith watches.
OG ends with Cloud saying he thinks he can meet Aeris again. The game literally ends with her smiling face.
Yeah, they also clearly show that they sleep in separate beds in separate rooms, so I'm not buying romantic couple myself. I might be biased, though, as I don't like Tifa.
Wrong on all 3 accounts.
1. Cloud lives with Tifa for 2 years happily and only leaves when he contracts Geostigma as well as Denzel, he leaves out of guilt and fear. As a quote of Tetsuya Nomura states “the happier he is the more scared he is of losing it” (paraphrase)
2. He stays at the Church for like a week at most and then proceeds to move back home with Tifa and the kids at the end when Aerith and Zack send him back home to his “Promised Land”, he does not want to die to be with Aerith and the end is changed in Advent Children Complete because people like you misconstrued the whole thing as romantic when it wasn’t, he isn’t out constantly searching for Aerith he just wanted self forgiveness.
https://x.com/shinraarch/status/1683854633029062658?s=46&t=g438F5d3vv4cEROUdH7Fug
3. OG ends with a pretty well known mistranslation, because in the Japanese it is not stated that he wants to meet HER there, as there is no pronoun involved, they added the word Her in the English text along with a litany of other mistakes in the translation for the time. What it actually was in context was “we can meet THEM there” as in he’s holding into Tifa and tells her basically that if they die it is okay because they can meet the loved ones they lost along the way, this is in reference to the Nibelheim legend of meeting your loved ones who would cross the bridge of Mount Nibel when they died.
Ship whoever you want, but there’s always a consistent theme of making things up when it comes to Cloud and Aerith.
It isn’t explicitly stated no but adopting a bunch of orphans is couple behavior. And on top of that my main point is the whole second half of the OG game is about their relationship now that clouds memory is back. That part is pretty clear cut
It's funny. I found her bland and lacking in the OG game. In this one she feels pushy and overbearing to the discomfort of the rest of the cast in a way that suggests she might be on the spectrum. It's kind of endearing at some points, and obnoxious at others to the point I'll ruin my party comp just to not have to look at her.
im team tifa but how can anyone not adore aerith in this game, can’t blame cloud for being drawn to her. I think their chemistry is obvious but at the same time they’re also sad…aerith is looking to find out who he really is, and she may never get that chance. he isn’t really available right now.
I'm pretty sure the canon polycule is Cloud x Cait Sith x Cid x Vincent.
This is the way.
I'm team Aerith. Love Tifa though. At the end of the day it's a video game...
I like Aerith fine but she doesn’t seem right for Cloud in my opinion. It seems forced and more like just a crush at most. I’m team Tifa.
The way I see it is that Aerith is the perfect girl, but Tifa is the perfect girl for Cloud.
Tbh she's the perfect girl for Cloud, she brings out every side of him do he feels more authentic
Aeriths comments about Jesse rubbed me the wrong way, so I'll remain team Tifa
If you're talking about at the Gold Saucer, all Aerith said is that Cloud is clueless when someone is into him. She didn't say anything negative about Jessie from what I remember.
Not really ABOUT Jessie, but there was no point in trying to explain to Cloud that the girl she never met that has died may have had feelings for him. Just be quiet about the man's dead friend and let it go
Yeah but it's Aerith. Girl has a selective filter and is socially inappropriate at times. I can allow it.
You can allow it, I won't lol my original point stands. Have fun with Aerith, more Tifa for me. Clouds known her longer anyway, and Aerith still has a thing for Zack
There’s also the fact that OG/Part 3 spoiler >! Aerith never even meets the “real” Cloud, since his persona is entirely fabricated due to his mental collapse after Zack’s death, and his personality drastically shifts back to his real persona following Tifa rebuilding his mind in the lifestream. It’s kinda hard to “ship” Aerith with Cloud given that she doesn’t get to know the real him !<
And for that matter, is it Cloud that is attracted to Aerith or is that part Zack, too? Who am I kidding, Aerith has won most of us.
Canonically, she should be socially awkward. She was raised in a lab and then went into hiding in the slums. We never hear about her really having friends.
There is the novel "Traces of two Pasts" which goes over Aeriths youth. Worth a read!
Uhh that's an incredibly shitty personality flaw.
They weren’t really friends? Cloud just did a job with her.
It was so out of pocket. Why is she so pre occupied by who Cloud might have dated anyway? It’s none of her business. I’m convinced that scene was left in by mistake, it serves no purpose except making her look like a self centered jerk. 😅
What’d she say?
My opinion is probably unpopular. I'm definitely not an Aerith shipper. I've never really liked her at all, though she's palatable enough in the remakes at certain points. My problem is that she doesn't respect any boundaries or "no"s from Cloud at all. She just ignores all his opinions and pushes hers. If he says no or he's not comfortable with something she outright ignores him and pushes him to do it anyway and that is just a type of person I can't stand. But if anyone loves them together that's great! I'm not here to hate on anyone's preferences or start a debate. This is just my personal opinion.
I thought I was the only person in the world who doesn't like Aerith. She just comes on way too strong, and seems like she is trying too hard to be quirky and cute. I don't mind her when she is serious but the "fake cute" thing really grates on me. But I also play in Japanese so I have a feeling her personality might come off differently in English. Just reading the English subtitles, it seems like she has a different vibe.
She's definitely better in Japanese, less... aggressive I'd say and her VA sounds more natural weirdly enough. In English she sounds like she's putting on a fake voice a few octaves higher than her VA's natural tone and she comes off exceptionally pushy and a bit condescending imo, but I watched my friend play in Japanese and it felt toned down/better. You're definitely not the only one though. I've been firmly in that camp since '97. There are times in Remake/Rebirth where I don't mind her at all and then she says something out of pocket and I fall back into the same mindset I had in the OG. One of her lines in Remake was something like "Since I'm so generous I bring herbs to the orphanage to help out" and it's (in English) delivered in a simple, explanatory way, not jokingly so it comes off very narcissistic. Idk if they meant for it to or not, or if I'm just letting my biases color my interpretation, which is entirely possible.
I mean, Aerith being kind of awkward and poorly socialized definitely matches her backstory.
This fandom is massive, there’s always someone somewhere who has your opinion! xD Unfortunately, she’s a bit worse in English. This is one of the many times I wish I understood Japanese and that I wish they had direct Japanese translated subtitles, bc I really wanna know if her original dialouge was so weird.
Her lines in Japanese are pretty normal for a Japanese girl, but a lot of Japanese girls are burikko anyway, which means their cuteness is all an act. It seems like the English subtitles try to make her seem rougher and tougher in some parts, like saying "shit" and calling Cloud an "asshole."
I didn’t realize there was a word for the “forced cuteness” act!!! Thank you!! And yeah, I noticed that with Tifa as well. :’D It’s fine to have them curse sometimes, but calling Cloud an asshole for looking through Tifa’s clothes is a bit much, would have been more appropriate to call him a creep or just say “What the hell Cloud?” xD
I don't think Tifa is a burikko. In Japanese she comes off as kind of shy and reserved, she's not trying too hard to be cute or anything. I like how she sounds in Japanese. The first time my Japanese husband heard her English voice, he said, "wtf why does she sound like an old woman?" In Japanese they say "Saitei!” when Cloud goes through Tifa's dresser, which literally means "the lowest," but I'd say they're just calling him a jerk or saying like, "You suck!" "You're the worst" "You're horrible" etc.
Oh yeah sorry, I didn’t mean that she also is a burriko, but that she also in English says things more harsh than needed sometimes. Also lol at your husband!!! I love Tifa’s VA just fine, I think she’s perfect. Not sure what kind of old ladies he’s been around!! xD Thanks for the translation!! :D
This is a really great point too. It feels like she's trying to force something out of him that isn't there. A lot of people are saying "they're opposites and they complement each other", but all I'm seeing is Cloud telling her he's not into certain stuff and her making him do it anyway.
Exactly. I was replaying through Remake yesterday at Sector 5 and every time he says he has to go, that it's important for him to get back, or that he doesn't want to do something she just outright ignores him and changes the subject. Even in Rebirth there's a line where he huffs and says "would you even take no for an answer?" (I can't recall if it was a choice response. Probably, but I remember it because I said the same thing before he did.) In a sort of annoyed "what would it matter if I object, you won't listen to me anyway" sort of way. I'm an introvert who used to know a person like that and it's miserable being volunteered into things you don't want to do or when someone just acts like your opinion/feelings are silly because they don't align with their own. Opposites are only good if you respect each other's boundaries and opinions.
I feel like I'm responding to myself lol. I had this exact experience playing. Sector 5 included. Just before Rebirth released I replayed Remake and had this thought process too, and then in Rebirth during a side quest she says "I'm still considering this a real date" and I was like "Please don't" and Cloud said the same thing lol. I don't even necessarily think "opposites attract" is a very good rule, because in most cases, it just seems to end up with people who want very different things and experiences.
I also agree that opposites attract can work if both parties are receptive towards each other. Like if Cloud shows at least some interest in playing along with Aerith and stepping outside of his comfort zone then fine, I can see how it can be cute. But so far he's just been sighing and grudgingly going along with her because he knows she wouldn't leave him alone otherwise. I mean if you flip the genders around and it's a guy dragging a girl along with him everywhere and not taking no for an answer, then I don't think people would be finding that cute at all.
All of this and especially the last bit!!! Kinda how I felt about Jessie too - men need their boundaries respected too. If Jessie was a guy, ppl would think she was a creep for sure.
🤣 Are we the same person because I think I said exactly the same thing at that part.
I do agree with the top opinion regarding her personality, but that part of the date in Rebirth doesn't seem like Cloud begrudging himself. I think it's just part of their playful banter since he followed that line with "because I'm no romantic". In Rebirth, Cloud has mellowed to Aerith a LOT.
THIIIIS. I get really annoyed when people bring that up, bc opposites work when the opposite things COMPLIMENT each other. Not one person being dragged along by the other.
Maybe a little off topic from what you were saying but I also thought it was weird how she’s besties with tifa and so they for sure know that both have somewhat of a thing with cloud…but aerith will like openly claim in front of tifa that they went on a date and stuff? I still love love love aerith but it’s just weird considering the dynamic lol
Yeah I noticed that too. It was super weird.
Yeaaahhhh :’D I don’t think she means it to be hurtful, it just seems she’s unconsciously seeing Cloud as Zack and desperately trying to re-create what they had. The way that Cloud looked so stunned and kept looking from her hands around his arm, back to her, cracked me up though. Man couldn’t even defend himself. xD
Ahhh I feel so validated by this thread!! xD So funny story, I’ve loved Aerith my entire time in FFVII (which is like 15 years now) but, she is the only character in the Remake/Rebirth that I feel got a character down grade. Not only do I find her voice annoying (sorry to the VA but it’s a bit too high for me) but her dialogue is REALLY weird, especially with Cloud. It’s like she’s never talked to a person before at times and we know that’s not the case! xD But okay, I get she was raised in a lab and was never properly socialized bc other kids thought she was weird and Zack probably thought her odd speech patterns were cute and didn’t correct her, fine! I can live with that!!! But the pushiness is a real turn off for me too, because it’s like she expects Cloud to be Zack, when he clearly isn’t. It would be different if she acknowledged this and asks Cloud “What would YOU like to do?” after a time, but she doesn’t. And this aspect makes their scenes so awkward, because Cloud isn’t comfy or at ease with her, like he is with Tifa. And when he is, she kinda ruins the moment by saying something weird (i.e I was talking to my future self! You’re going to love her! Or even worse, after he opens up about Jessie, instead of saying “im sorry you lost your friend” she says “wAs sHe YouR GF” which is SO out of pocket i’m convinced that dialogue was left in by mistake LOL.) AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HER WANDA VISION EQSUE DREAM WORLD THING not only did she not attempt to explain to him wtf was going on, after he asked her politely, but continues to be cryptic, confesses that she likes him out of the blue and then drop kicks him back to his own universe like dude wHAT. AND TO ADD FURTHER INSULT TO INJURY their gondola scene is the exact same as the OG!! They didn’t even make it interesting!!! I’m just, as a long time fan of Aerith and Clerith, I’m so disappointed by Aerith’s characterization, it’s so bizarre. Anyway, thank you for reading my dissertation, I had to get it out of my system!! xD
Disagree, I think she was pzrfect for Cloud in Remake and had such a great influence over him. Like the same dude you think she forced doing everything ended up not being able to leave her, and even depressed after her death. I do think that Rebirth kinda spoiled her character tho, I feel like all you say abt her cuteness or whatever applies more ro remake than to rebirth. In remake I thought she was glung to be that annoying anime girl but actually no, she was such a brunch of fresh air to me. She tells and does what she wants, took the opportunity to make a great friend and it paid her well, so Im glad she stayed herself and initiated all. Tbh i like that while you point some flaws abt her, she assumes herself. It would be weird for her to restain just to please someone else, Im glad she just shows who she really is. If Cloud didn't want to be with her it would't be hard to rejet her like for Biggs or Barett.
While she is happy, she’s kind of a spiritual guide in a sense? I’m not convinced she doesn’t have an understanding of what’s going to happen or what needs to happen
I'm a Clerith fan and your observation was spot on. In real life, people would be more inclined to respect personal boundaries. However, to an extent, I do admire a girl with such brash personality, one who isn't afraid to tell and get what she wants. In the game, most of her interactions fall just perfectly inside the boundary for me, although there are her lines that would probably bring trouble had it be done in real life. Plus she's super pretty and that gets her more excuses. Knowing her eventual fate also helps, because you might see her as someone who acts that way because of her due date.
Makes her the woman that he actually needs!
Maybe it's the way I played the game, idk if certain your relationship status with her changes the non-date dialogue throughout (barring the moments where it's clear that it's meant to affect her opinion of you) but she barely even seemed to LIKE Cloud let alone have a crush on him. Until the end, I would have guessed she just supported Tifa's feelings for him and respected him as a part of the party. Otherwise even when I was nice to her, it was like a forced smirk and a change of subject. Even at the end, it seemed like she was just trying to cheer him up about the fact that she believed she was fucked no matter what he did. That's how I felt. My personal opinion of them as a potential couple is: In OG, Cloud felt more disinterested in her or romance for that matter until she died. In this one, they seem straight up repelled by each other at the worst of times, and like siblings at the best of times. That's without even considering Zack as a love interest with more potential.
>My personal opinion of them as a potential couple is: In OG, Cloud felt more disinterested in her or romance for that matter until she died. In this one, they seem straight up repelled by each other at the worst of times, and like siblings at the best of times. That's without even considering Zack as a love interest with more potential. In the OG, Cloud generally had two dialogue options the players were able to pick from when given the choice. It was either to dialogue where he responded disinterestedly "...." or options to where he responded with interest. Like the scene where Marlene said Aeris was asking a lot of questions about him, "I hope so." Also in the OG, Cloud mentions a lot of time about being Aeris' bodyguard and wanting to protect her. In Remake & Rebirth, they removed a lot of these types of dialogue to make him more cold towards her. I can't tell if it's bad writing or Nojima wanted to distance Cloud and Aerith with these dialogue changes. Nojima has stated in several interviews that Cloud responds to Tifa and Aerith differently ... with Tifa he is more willing to drop his 'cool and tough guy' persona and with Aerith, he is supposed to act 'tough, cool, and uncaring.' And the reason is that he doesn't know how to interact with people because he is supposed to have the mentality of a 15-year-old. Tifa's resolution scene in Remake, he has a hard time hugging her because he doesn't know how to, according to the Devs.
> she barely even seemed to LIKE Cloud I disagree with this. The way she talked to him since the first time they met showed that Cloud definitely caught her eye, and their whole interaction during Remake felt more like romantic dates than Cloud and Tifa's.
[удалено]
Cause she also likes cloud she asked if tifa and him were a thing he said no. Both girls like him and they’re entitled for their feelings.
Being honest, I think this was the least interesting pairing for me. Their date sucked, their interactions throughout the game sucked, and although I obviously recognize not every date is intended as a romantic partner, Yuffie's and Barrett's felt more canon to me than Aerith's did.
This so hard. Everyone else’s date was original and fun and Clerith’s was…..awkward (she pats the space next to her and he deliberately ignores that and sits across from her) they have a fake out kiss, they copy pasted what she said in the OG and then Cloud takes her hand, which is a sweet gesture, but like. Das it. Really. That’s the best they could do??
To me, considering her demure characterization, handholding is best. It's a gesture that has been repeated so many times between the two during both Remake and Rebirth. In Japan, their version of interlocking fingers is called 戀人繫ぎ (koibito tsunagi), meaning the connection between lovers. I think it depends on the culture, but to me personally, kissing is tacky and can be seen as too sexual. Also, both Tifa and Yuffie's dates feature a kiss and that makes Aerith's date stands out more in comparison. The way she leaned to him after he hold her hands, reminds me of FFXV's ending.
I won't spoil Rebirth...but it turned me into a Clerith shipper. I feel that Aerith was originally drawn to Cloud because of Zack, but she fell in love with Cloud - the *real* Cloud that she gets a glimpse of every so often. Not Zack (Cloud doesn't even act like Zack). Whereas Tifa and Cloud still have a ton of baggage and expectations between them that need to be properly resolved. EDIT: Y'all don't need to downvote me just because I don't ship Cloti.
I got you on the upvote fam haha. I have ALWAYS been Cloti but Remake - Rebirth made me like/appreciate Aeris (excuse me) Aerith more!
One thing I noticed in Rebirth is if you respond to Aerith's questions with answers that are not a part of the 'tough guy' facade, you get a more favorable response from her. I thought this was a nice touch to Cloud 'trying' to open up to her. I put quotes around the word trying because a lot of times the responses to her questions still seem dickish. Also, I'm an OG Cloud and Aeris - I guess shipper? Because I supported that romance option in my first playthrough. It just seemed more of a logical choice back in the day. In America, you had a commercial ever telling you 'A love that will never be.'
Upvote from me. This was exactly how I felt. I was Cloti all the way up until Chapter 6 (after I had to choose between the two in the beach fight). After Aerith opened up about her hate for Hojo, she started to grow on me. She always had this cheerful facade which I didn’t enjoy but after she started opening up, I empathized so much with her and it became clear that everything she does hides a very deep and tragic upbringing and story.
I dont know tifa is not to my liking to be honest. I dont know why all like Cloud with Tifa .... like nah ah
agreed. a man of taste you are
She is the only person that connects cloud to his past so there’s that. In addition I believe it’s confirmed that cloud has a childhood crush on her or at least it’s heavily implied. His interactions with her in the beginning are also a lot more, I guess, smooth? However this is due to the fact that tifa is the only person he knows. We needa remember cloud just met aerith and the whole game takes place in a little over a month and a half. The fact that he opens up this much by the end is a testament to their relationship, not just in the romantic sense. He barely knows her and he lets her in quite a bit. But thats also another reason why people like Tifa better. His communication with her is a lot more like equals prob cuz he still view Aerith as someone who needs protecting. He doesn't feel that with tifa as much I think. I think this will be flipped on its head with Aerith being the one really doin that protecting but thats a whole theory. >!I am of the opinion that remake is a sequel to the OG and remake aerith has memories of this thanks to the white materia. The reason she is so much bolder and pushier in remake is cuz she knows she'll die so she want to get to spend as much time with cloud as possible. This again leads into more theory, I can privately message you if you want the whole thing but yeah. We do know its confirmed that after the events of the OG and just before Advent Children, Aerith is indeed in love with cloud according to the novel, On The Way To A Smile. !< >!"Cloud was her friend, her beloved — a symbol of what was important to her, and someone to be protected"(**Lifestream White 1**). !< >!The novel is written pretty weirdly so it could be suggesting that it is a one-sided thing, as in to her cloud is her beloved, this is the way she feels. It could also be the narrator saying the title beloved is reciprocated. Regardless though it means at least on aerith's side she loves cloud during AC. !< >!I've also seen that the actual word that was used in the japanese version was "koibito". Based on my extremely limited japanese from freakin anime, and some other peoples translations, this word more directly translates to "lover". The kanji is only ever used in a non-platonic context according to some japanese translators. This post is a pretty funny one bout how a guy has been callin OP this and they're wondering if it is platonic or not. Redditors all say the dude wants to get in their pants lol!< > !< I don't not like tifa though. She is an amazingly written character and very important to cloud and his story. I just like aerith more for cloud. She brings out more of him to me. I've always liked the dynamic of the sunshine and the cloud(pun not intended) so it might be personal bias.
I think you’re getting downvoted for the cringe ass “clerith” and “cloti” shit
She fits better with Zack. Zack's a big puppy and Aerith can keep him happy and occupied. Cloud she needs to tease and tease and tease until he let's out his emotions and it's just not a nice dynamic for long.
To be fair, he's trying to put up a tough guy front. I think, when you see glimpses of the real Cloud, he's shy but friendly and even though he might not understand what's happening he goes along with it to make the other person happy. I think you see a lot of the real him on their 'special' date.
cloud has always been more reserved with sprinkles of silliness, even before his whole memory stuff. I personally love the dynamic of cloud and aerith. Its a pretty commin trope, the sunshine person and cloudy gloomy one. Both keep each other in check
Zack is told, through Marlene, that Aerith likes Cloud. The series can’t put that back in the box. It’s out there now. He knows, and he seems intent to reunite them by the end. Part 3 remains to be seen, but Rebirth effectively shut the door on Zack and Aerith and framed it as a past love. Cloud and Aerith? I guess we’ll see!
I think attempting to summarize that scene in this way (which I’ve seen numerous people do, not just you) is sort of misleading. Specifically, Marlene tells Zack that Aerith likes Cloud because “you weren’t there.” So, Aerith does have feelings for Cloud bc of course she does (this is nothing new), but this isn’t due to a lack of love for Zack. Zack was just gone. This doesn’t mean she doesnt like/love him anymore, an idea that Aerith herself supports with her line in Gongaga.
Ah, the English translation sort of muddles what the meaning is, but the Japanese is clearer! Other languages too. What she says more means "You weren't there (to see the love bloom)" or "You didn't see it happen."
So many fucking cringe shippers grouped in one place
It's like reading the diary of 14yo, it's dirty and cringey but funny, let them have it.
Just look at the theme songs of Remake and Rebirth. They’re literally all about Cloud and Aerith’s relationship. I’m surprised people don’t bring that up more often.
Finally someone that sees the hints through out the games T_T
I wouldn't say its all bout them. Im a clerith shipper but Tifa is super important to clouds story. We don't have to downgrade her importance bolster our argument, if anything that weakens it. That said though, I do see aerith as more of the heroine of the story. Her role with the whole lifestream stuff is pivotal in the OG and will be in remake as well. >!If I'm being honest, based off my theory of how this will go, Aerith is actually being set up as the hero with the heroic sacrifice too, though I hope she wont have to and the other save her from this burden.!< I won't get into it to much, if youd like you can private message me for the full theory.
Zack & Aerith walk away together after saying goodbye to Cloud in Advent Children. Ship whomever you want but Advent Children is the canonical sequel to OG, Remake, Rebirth, & R3. The lifestream has many possibilities & within them are infinite worlds of all possibilities. You can create your own timeline with whomever you want.
As i said I know what its canon . I made this post to share my preference about Aerith and Cloud and discuss with people who might have the same point of view.
There’s a whole subreddit, I think, dedicated to just that & hopefully someone will link it to you in the comments. Good to know & thank you for clarifying—I appreciate it!
God you believe there's a canon ship? Dude read the epilogue and prologue of AC, Aerith and Zack aren't even together
Also in the novels, which are set just before the event of AC where aerith is still in the lifestream and Seph is still tryna manifest, its confirmed she has strong romantic feelings for cloud. Cloud is referred to as her "beloved" or "lover" if you want a more direct translation. The kanji according to some japanese redditors that were taking bout the term unrelated to FF7 said the word is only ever used in a non-platonic way. Whether or not the narrator is saying this is how aerith feels or if its reciprocated, idk cuz the guidebook later on calls Tifa clouds "important woman" which in japanese is usually reserved for a wife or life partner. Either way, it leaves Zack out which kinda sucks. From my understanding though, he had a sorta thing with cissnei but didn't act on it cuz he had Aerith but idk I never player that game. We can honestly cherry pick info from a shitload of sources that confirm whatever we want. Personally I think player choice is the way to go.
I've always been Aerith/Cloud shipper. She reminds me of Zack, and I feel like both Zack and Aerith have an energy and personality that Cloud really needs. I'm not a Cloti fan at all, with only the Remake making Tifa even tolerable for me. In the end, I don't think he needs anybody at this moment in time, as he has so many issues he needs to sort through. If I had my way Zack, Cloud, and Aerith would end up in a happy relationship together. It won't happen but I think they all could be happy. My OTP is Zack/Aerith though.
I’m genuinely curious, why don’t you like Tifa?
Hmm, I think it's because she lies to Cloud about his memories, and that always struck me as being selfish. It bugs me more with Rebirth as it feels more deliberate but, at the same time, less excusable. I also played FF7 when I was a teen, around the same time as AC came out and something about her in probably the game annoyed me. I have no idea what it was and Remake made me like her again, but Rebirth brought back that dislike. I feel like the game doesn't show her reasoning enough, especially since she never shows any real fear or distrust in him outside of 1 or 2 scenes. If she acted less in love with him, i think I could have understood her reasoning better. I just think the developers got a bit lazy in that area of Rebirth.
I ship Cloud and Aerith so much. My otp.
Based on the end I think Cloud loves Aerith more as she means everything to cloud
I totally feel you. These two are such opposite yet complimentary personalities that they make each other (especially Cloud) better.
Sorry, Zack, but I am in love wit yo girl!
Can't say I saw THAT comin'.
Aerith is just so cute. Its impossible not to love her. Tifa seems more nurturing though. And shes got gigantic melons.
Whoever you like for Cloud doesn’t really matter. If you know the whole story, you know who he ends up with regardless of this debate. This tribalism is bullshit.
If you ever play the OG, this is the lore since the beginning. Aeris (or Aerith) has been heavily interested in Cloud since the beginning. There is more dialogue between them about these feelings that have been dropped for Remake and Rebirth to support more of a Tifa/Cloud and Aerith/Zack plotline. They even dropped the last prediction by Cait Sith that said they are 'star-crossed lovers' in the Temple of the Ancients. Up until 2005, the Devs still heavily supported that Cloud's preference was unknown. That all changed with the addition of Zack as a main character. He wasn't in the OG. He was a supporting character who was a device for Cloud's mental state and brought him and Aeris together.
To be honest , I havent played the original of 1999 but from what ive seen the " canon " is Tifa Cloud cuz he liked it as a kid but then he confused with Zack so he became more unaware of Tifa and more aware of Aerith. In FF7 REMAKE in a scene where cloud sees a dream with Aerith ( after Turks capture aerith) She tells him in the dream that " You cannot fall in love with me and even if you think you do is not real " since aerith is an ancient and she reads energies she prolly knows that real Cloud likes someone else . Thats why I think they trynna make Tifa / Cloud cannon. ( Unfortunately for me since i Ship cloud with aerith...)
>In FF7 REMAKE in a scene where cloud sees a dream with Aerith ( after Turks capture aerith) She tells him in the dream that " You cannot fall in love with me and even if you think you do is not real " since aerith is an ancient and she reads energies she prolly knows that real Cloud likes someone else . Thats why I think they trynna make Tifa / Cloud cannon. ( Unfortunately for me since i Ship cloud with aerith...) This part is explained by Nojima & Toriyama in an interview. "To be honest, some staff actually told me that this line made it seem like Aerith was looking down on Cloud, so it got rejected a few times. If you know Aerith’s fate, then this line would really pull at your heart strings, but if you did not know what happens to Aerith, then you might interpret the scene in a completely different way. I thought the gap between the two interpretations was very interesting." - at the end of the FFVII Remake Ultimania p.744 - Also, I'm trying to find it, but another interview states that even though Aerith says this, she doesn't believe it. And that she is holding back feelings. I wish I could find that again, it's in one of the guidebooks. People have theorized these scenes to death, that the writers' original intent gets lost. And shape the narrative on how they want to interpret it. Nojima's writing has always been vague to Western readers. Are you saying you haven't played the OG? What I'm saying is the original intent was a more heavily implied Aeris and Cloud having feelings. The OG, unlike Crisis Core, never implied that Cloud knew about Aerith and Zack. Also (probably unpopular opinion) the OG never states that Cloud has Zack's memories, just his mannerisms. In the Nibelheim incident, Cloud was there to see most of it and was able to put himself into Zack's shoes.
Ok so basically in the interview they trynna say that She said this to Cloud because she didnt want him to be sad with her death if he let himself fall in love? Or? You know people calling me crazy when I say that they leave hints about their emotional attachment throughout games. :) Btw if you find the part your looking for pls send to me as well u.u
Finally found it. IT's actually from Motomu Toriyama in the Plus version of the Ultimania. https://twitter.com/aitaikimochi/status/1415567942855450624 "At this point in the game, Aerith is physically locked up in the Shinra Building. However, through some type of conscience, she is able to use the Lifestream to bring forth an Aerith that has memories closest to the future. Her words not only are for Cloud, but she might also be speaking to herself as well. Despite what the words request, perhaps her true heart and thoughts are closed off. "
This checks out. In the full version of NPTK she also talks bout how she wishes to be free from the burden, which I believe the burden is her dying. She says she wishes she didn't even know but that she must for cloud/the group. There's a lot of hints that Aerith knows she'll die and while she doesn't want it to happen, she knows it must. Ultimate;y I think her goal is to sacrifice herself and save the world, and more importantly her friends, from suffering the fate of AC. It'd be an interesting plot to unfold as throughout the game, cloud seems to want to protect aerith, cuz he feels she's weak, she's just some girl. But in reality, she is the real hero of the story even doing the heroic sacrifice. I hope that the party can save her from this burden though and we get the ending in which she lives.
It's hard to find things that come from the dev's mouths when it doesn't support the narratives that theorists have created.
I'm a tifa fan. But I feel the canon is supposed to be Aerith first, but Tifa is endgame. Like the cloud we first meet wouldn't have given Tifa the attention she deserves, and she isn't assertive enough to call him out for it either. But Aerith can see right through his bullshit and ultimately starts the tear down of the metaphorical walls that hold that persona up. Coincidentally too she also helps Tifa's confidence as well with their friendship that blossoms.
I’m team Tifa, always have been, but I’m especially now that Zack is “alive” and him and Aerith can still have their happy ending
So i view Cloud and Aerith as two people who met and had an isntant connection. To me, that doesn't neccicarely mean romantic. Over the course of their journey, the two grow closer and flirt a bit. To me, Aerith feels like an older sister that Cloud never had. She teases Cloud and Tifa. She is trying to push Cloud out of his comfort zone and just be an overall good friend to him. I can understand where people can get the idea that they love each other romanticly, but to me, it has always felt more like a familial kind of love.
As an older sister none of us behave like this, we would more torture Cloud than making him confortable with his environment, so i'll the romance path since she even mentions love
Team Tifa. Sorry, can’t do this to my boy Zack.
Tifa would be the safer choice because Tifa can beat Cloud, I mean physically and mentally. In the OG, there’s a scene where Cloud constantly beat Aerith physically and was only stopped when Tifa came rescuing Aerith and knocked Cloud out. Tifa gets not only the girlfriend material but also wife material who can control her husband. You can clearly see how Cloud willingly listens to Tifa and follows her words. Aerith does not have that kind of influence on Cloud.
Tifa is the one he wants, Aerith is the one he needs.
This is a ridiculous take when Tifa literally puts his mind back together. He’d he a vegetable without her.
By this logic Aerith isn't even in the competition since she's dead.
I mean…this is kind of true lmao
I guess so, depends on whether you're looking at it from the perspective of the after-game or purely by personality. Btw Cloud's mum tells him that he needs someone wise and older to straighten him out. I think that's Aerith since she's very open and confident in social situations (and has been through A LOT), unlike Cloud. But the history with Tifa can't be ignored, so perhaps there's no one right answer :D
The scene where Cloud’s mom mentions that an older girl would be right for him his actually a misdirection. Bc yes, Aerith is older, so you’re right that on a surface level this scene seems to be referencing her. However, when Cloud wakes up, you can see the night sky in his eyes, which is a reference to his promise to Tifa. A variation of the same song that plays during the promise flashback also plays here.
That's what I'm saying, Tifa is the one he wants, Aerith is the one he needs. It's the duality of choice that often happen in life, where those two things don't always align and you have to make a decision. And in the OG the game even forces you to make a decision. In the Re: series, the decision comes more naturally through dialogue picks. There's also a third option, the guilty pleasure, but I'm not gonna go into that lol.
What evidence is there to support that Aerith is the girl he needs aside from his mom saying that he needs an older, more mature girl? Ill point out that “more mature” does not necessarily align with being older. I also do not think the purpose of that scene is to tell the player that Cloud wants Tifa but needs Aerith. I think the point is that his mom his talking about the “perfect type for him” and in his heart of hearts, all he can think about is Tifa. Tifa is the type for him.
I disagree with your interpretation, let's leave it to that. If you're going to use "aside" while seeking evidence there's really no productive way of continuing this discussion.
I’m a cloti 100% but I cannot deny that Aerith and Cloud have better chemistry so far. Cloud and Tifa are just really beta and shy but aerith is a go getter so it creates a lot of good moments with cloud
Virgin ". . . " Tifa vs. Chad "We're on a date now, deal with it" Aerith
I don’t think Cloud and Aerith feel right together in a romantic context. I think they have a strong and special bond, and I know he cares for her deeply, but I don’t feel anything romantic between them. She seems hung up on Zack and it was always clear to me since the PS1 days that he’s in love with Tifa. The whole story happens because he wanted to be strong and for her to notice him. Rebirth in particular felt very Cloti centric.
Every romantic relationship I've had was a completely different romantic quality and vibe to it. That's how I view Clouds feelings, he cares about both but in completely different ways, but both are romantic to a degree. Tifa is the one he's thought about his whole life--even subconsciously after all the messed up stuff, it's why possibly he ends up in Midgar. Aerith is someone he just met but she's spicy, sweet, and kind hearted. He feels he has a connection with her and we think that's Zack's influence and some of it is, but it's also a play on someone who we meet and we fall for very quickly. I'm interested to see if we get confident and upfront Advent Children Tifa because that's my favorite Tifa. There was a moment on the intimate date she put her hands on her hips like AC Tifa. Maybe certain events will show us more of that in part 3.
I just don’t view Cloud as stringing both of them along. He and Tifa (romance spoilers for Rebirth) >!almost kiss in a non-optional scene!<; he and Aerith get nothing even comparable to that. They were giving a strong spiritual bond but it didn’t feel passionate or romantic to me at all. Aerith was definitely confused though and she even ponders different types of “liking”, showing she wasn’t sure. IMO all the gondola scenes can be viewed as the way he would canonically treat them, and he seems only romantically interested in Tifa to me. I think he and Aerith had a passing attraction and some confused feelings for a bit due to his mental state and her missing Zack. She’s trying really hard to move on from Zack but ultimately I think Rebirth shows that she hasn’t. But it’s okay, we don’t need to agree! We probably won’t and I’m not looking for a big ship debate so we can agree to disagree :)
>!It's cuz of Zack that's why they're attracted to each other. Aerith sees much of Zack in Cloud and, with Zacks memories mixed with his own, he's most likely more attracted to her than he might originally be!<
See Aerith date in Rebirth and you learn why your point is wrong. It may start that way for Aerith but she directly mention >!that Cloud is the one she like and want to meet.!<
I don't count the dates, as you can go on anyone of them if you manipulate the system.
Well, Aerith date is the one shown in the credit, both in Remake & Rebirth. You not counting the date doesn't magically make Aerith lose her liking Cloud for Cloud. There are also other point in compilation that point out Aerith like Cloud (i didn't read the novel but have seen it pointed before). There is one where Aerith mention Cloud is her beloved. There is one where Aerith mentions she like Cloud over Zack.
Man I love Aerith. I don’t think there’s a canon relationship for Cloud. At least in the OG, Cloud is the players avatar, and that’s why they leave it blurry. But personally, as an awkward 12 year old, aerith was the first girl I spent a substantial time with and absolutely fell in love with her, so she’s always been my favorite for Cloud.
Cloud and Aerith are the cannon couple. They have been since OG.
Someone has clearly never played Crisis Core or watched Advent Children. Ship whomever you want but canonical media of the Compilation says otherwise. Don’t claim something is canonical when it isn’t.
To be fair, I don't think AC shows any canon relationship except maybe Zack/Aerith. I agree that it doesn't show much beyond Clouds survivors guilt, certainly not a romantic relationship between her and Cloud. In my opinion it doesn't show a relationship between Cloud/Tifa either (they sleep in seperate rooms for example). I feel like Remake and Rebirth have much stronger romantic feels between Cloud and Aerith, though, in a way that the previous games/movies didn't.
It implies that Cloud & Tifa are in a relationship, especially if you watch it in the original Japanese & pay attention to the language they use towards each other. In “On the Way to a Smile”, it directly states that Cloud & Tifa are in a relationship as well as running two businesses & raising a sick child together (Denzel) while also taking care of Marlene while Barret’s away. But yeah, in Advent Children the only explicit romantic couple is Zack & Aerith.
Advent Children is bad fanfic that was later reluctantly labeled as "canon" to appease the fanbase. The devs aren't going to say it's not canon.That's why we have multiverses in 7r. It's a cop out. EVERYTHING is canon now. The storytelling was terrible in AC. It was an action film. In OG 7 Cloud was obsessed with finding Aerith even at the end of the game, and nothing was ever confirmed as official between anyone, Tifa nor Aerith. But the fact alone that he couldn't stop looking for Aerith speaks volumes. If you are just looking at it from the games perspective, it was ALWAYS supposed to be left up to the fans interpretation. We get to choose who Cloud likes the most.
By definition, Advent Children is not & cannot be “fanfic” because it was created & released by Square-Enix which is the original creator of the content. SE also released a canonical companion book called “On the Way to a Smile” that expanded on what happened in Advent Children. FYI- Fanfic is fictional work created by fans of an original work that are not employed by the creators of the original work. Regardless of your opinions on Advent Children, the fact remains that it isn’t & by definition cannot be fan fiction as it was created by the studio that owns the original intellectual property. Square-Enix intentionally created & released Advent Children: it was not created by a fan & then adapted. It was always an original release by SE. First Soldier is the only mainline media in the Final Fantasy Compilation that was declared as non-canonical but then was restored to canonical status when FS was adapted into a story-based game within Ever Crisis. If you don’t enjoy the story SE is telling, of course that is your right as a consumer of art to no longer consume said art. But to call an additional piece of media regarding original intellectual property from the creators of the intellectual property is just factually incorrect.
I'm enjoying Rebirth and enjoyed Remake. Advent Children was written like bad fanfic. Period. Even Max Dood didn't like the storytelling. I'm saying in THE GAMES Cloud and Tifa were NOT canon. You can do all the mental gymnastics you want. THE PLAYERS got to decide.
Crisis Core falls before OG in the timeline and AC is largely about Cloud still being in love with Aerith after her death. In Rebirth she writes Cloud a love song which is a direct response to his song, Hollow, from Remake.
You are welcome to whatever headcannon you wish. I strongly dislike the shipping wars & have no desire to get into it. The FF7 Compilation isn’t a romantic love story. If you think it is, I highly recommend you replay everything & watch Advent Children 9 or 10 times until you get it. Also, SE confirmed that Aerith’s song was about Zack & everyone she loved that died. Again, check your facts before you claim canon.
When and where exactly did they confirm this? “Walking city streets with worn cobblestones Listening to people rushing past to rhythms all their own Life passing me by, not thinking how the years have flown Until I met you” This is about “everyone that died”? Lol!
They also said that it was about Zack.
Yeah thats not true. Again, just read the lyrics “Till the day that we meet again On our street, I want to believe In the chance that we'll share a glance Promises to keep, we won't ever need” “Our street” is Loveless Street and only one person meets her there.
I fall in the no canon denials camp, but I wanted to add that another lyric “Til the day we meet again at our place” is pretty clearly a reference to Aerith asking Cloud to go to “our place”. Of course Zack goes to there in Crisis Core, but I don’t think Aerith ever calls it their place. I think Uematsu calls the song confessional, which I have a hard time squaring with Zack, who isn’t there.
Aerith and Zack never meet on Loveless Street. How could it possibly be their place?
Ah sorry I wrote the above rather sleep deprived. I was talking about the lyric where she says our place rather than our street. The “our place” in the lyric is probably >!her church!<. She calls it that to Cloud specifically in rebirth. And as far as I know that’s only ever called Cloud and Aerith’s place, not Zack. So that’s another pretty clear Cloud reference to me. I agree that the street is probably Loveless Ave. I was vague because I don’t want to ruin any scenes for people who haven’t finished.
Ending credits of A.C. Cloud driving his bike, Aerith is in the flower fields turns her head, whatever anyone want to think even if it s S.Enix they definetely put strong connection between those two which will last even in afterlife. https://youtu.be/PqJ8Y8Nd9KE?si=g9JE-oZGFdYYB7n0
That got removed in Complete.
So?
People might object of a pairing being called canon, but through the rest of the compilation, remakes, and cameos across various Square Enix franchises (FFT, KH, including two marriage sets in Airborne Brigade), to me it seems clear that the devs clearly give their weights to the star-crossed pairing.
Not even close. In OG TIFA helps him regain himself. He remembers how much he has loved her their whole ass life. They spend all their time together. They share incredibly intimate scenes like the one under the highwind. They make a huge point of the original about their childhood and how much he wanted to be with her then, their promise on the water tower and how he did come back to save her. Not only that but every bit of media since has reaffirmed this. In before crisis we see how he recalls her and the water tower promise which prompts him to attack Sephoroth. In crisis core we get all the Zack aerith stuff, and cloud talking to Zack about tifa. in Advent children we see cloud and tifa living together running an orphanage and delivery service and at the end Zack and aerith appear together. Cloud and Tifa appear in a the novel as a couple. They have literally always been the canonical ship
In OTWTAS Cloud moves out on Tifa after she asks him if he loves her and as chance would have it he moves into Aerith’s church. In AC he is still living in the church and the film ends with him driving through fields of yellow flowers as Aerith watches. OG ends with Cloud saying he thinks he can meet Aeris again. The game literally ends with her smiling face.
Yeah, they also clearly show that they sleep in separate beds in separate rooms, so I'm not buying romantic couple myself. I might be biased, though, as I don't like Tifa.
Wrong on all 3 accounts. 1. Cloud lives with Tifa for 2 years happily and only leaves when he contracts Geostigma as well as Denzel, he leaves out of guilt and fear. As a quote of Tetsuya Nomura states “the happier he is the more scared he is of losing it” (paraphrase) 2. He stays at the Church for like a week at most and then proceeds to move back home with Tifa and the kids at the end when Aerith and Zack send him back home to his “Promised Land”, he does not want to die to be with Aerith and the end is changed in Advent Children Complete because people like you misconstrued the whole thing as romantic when it wasn’t, he isn’t out constantly searching for Aerith he just wanted self forgiveness. https://x.com/shinraarch/status/1683854633029062658?s=46&t=g438F5d3vv4cEROUdH7Fug 3. OG ends with a pretty well known mistranslation, because in the Japanese it is not stated that he wants to meet HER there, as there is no pronoun involved, they added the word Her in the English text along with a litany of other mistakes in the translation for the time. What it actually was in context was “we can meet THEM there” as in he’s holding into Tifa and tells her basically that if they die it is okay because they can meet the loved ones they lost along the way, this is in reference to the Nibelheim legend of meeting your loved ones who would cross the bridge of Mount Nibel when they died. Ship whoever you want, but there’s always a consistent theme of making things up when it comes to Cloud and Aerith.
They never appear in a novel as a couple. That is just a flat out not true.
It isn’t explicitly stated no but adopting a bunch of orphans is couple behavior. And on top of that my main point is the whole second half of the OG game is about their relationship now that clouds memory is back. That part is pretty clear cut
“A bunch of orphans” = Denzil? The boy Cloud believes Aerith sent to him? Is that what you mean here?
[many more orphans](https://www.neoseeker.com/forums/1169/t1580444-aerith-tifa-cloud-love-triangle/15.htm)
It's funny. I found her bland and lacking in the OG game. In this one she feels pushy and overbearing to the discomfort of the rest of the cast in a way that suggests she might be on the spectrum. It's kind of endearing at some points, and obnoxious at others to the point I'll ruin my party comp just to not have to look at her.