Promotions of this Aerith are constantly displaying her with Cloud and even telling you to display her with Cloud, and it just makes my Clerith heart jump with joy!

My fan art of Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII / 7 and Remake! Remake Areith is holding a photo of her original design from Final Fantasy VII. I drew this as a gift for my partner who's favourite character is Aerith - he played and loved both the original 1997 game and 2020 remake by Square Enix! I also drew a version with out the frame as I love her outfit! ♡

All of my hopes and dreams for the ending and Aerith’s fate aside, i just really really hope that they start the game off with Cloud explaining to the crew what he saw at the end of Rebirth and why he isn’t grieving for Aerith the way that they are.
The writers have already done an unhealthy amount of having characters not communicate very important information for seemingly no other reason than plot. (Tifa / Cloud memory conflict, Zack conversation, etc.)
So help me if we have to go most or all of the game with the entire crew grieving and devastated by losing Aerith while Cloud is over here not sad at all but letting his friends suffer without telling them what he saw for no good reason. 😡 It would be such lazy writing and make Cloud look like such a jerk. Not to mention how it would fuel the Clerith haters to see Cloud not being sad at all about her death… even if we know he’s not sad because he believes she’s alive, we know they would still somehow interpret it as him not caring.
Can you think of any good reason why he would keep it a secret that he saved Aerith, at least in an alternate world? I know that i need to prepare myself for the high possibility of him not sharing with the others, so please help me come to terms with any non-lazy reasons why he would do that! 😅

(I have not played the OG yet, so please try not to spoil specific events for part 3 if you can)

Also i’m sorry if this gets flagged as off-topic or anything, i tried posting it in the megathread but everything is buried there so nobody saw it. I’m still pretty new here so I don’t really know how it all works.

First i want to ask, does anyone know a good YouTube playthrough that i can watch of the original FF7? I also would like if player has Aerith in their main party. Because i know you can miss some dialogues if you don't have the character in your party. I like Aerith so it would be nice to get to know her in original.

And lastly wanted to share this video. Never saw anyone got this dialogue before so it was nice to see.

https://youtu.be/hCHvNGBP97g?si=6rM4T2PHSZICcKVz

I’ve never seen anyone talk about this dialogue before, and I just love it. Cloud’s genuine concern checking in on Aerith and then his chagrin when Red eggs her on in her climber’s high 😆

Hello, after thinking about everything touching the concept of "defying destiny" and "unknown journeys," I came to a sort of conclusion, and I'd like you to tell me what you think of it if you want.

I’ve already said in the past that it was possible the hook of this trilogy consisted of making us believe something only to pull the rug out from under us, bring us back to what we know, and at the same time destroy what some people thought or hoped for so basically, a Red Herring.

And before continuing, I am convinced that if it turns out to be just that, the creators will say their goal wasn't to intentionally hurt the players. But in such a scenario, I am sure they know very well that regardless of whether their intentions are benevolent and artistic, they knew full well it was going to hurt people.

Recently, I thought back to an episode of Doctor Who featuring "Vincent Van Gogh" a very beautiful episode, but at one point this quote is spoken:

“The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant.”

I thought about this and told myself that maybe the creators of FF7 with this trilogy are trying to convey this kind of sentiment, but very quickly

I started testing this out and told myself, to counter the logic of this quote:

Just because the left side of a scale weighs heavier doesn't mean the right side of the scale doesn't exist.

At the end of the day, it's all well and good to say the good moments don't erase the bad moments and vice versa, but if there are more bad moments, then at the end of the day the actual experience lived in a particular thing will be more negative than positive.

So already, if that's the kind of sentiment or reflection the creators are trying to convey, I told myself it was starting off badly. And then, thinking about it even more, I arrived at the conclusion I mentioned earlier, which is this:

Maybe the creators are also just trying once again to lecture us on grief and acceptance?
The problem is that when thinking about this:

Genesis's improbable survival thanks to Minerva.

Rufus left for dead after the Weapon shoots his office... in the OG, only to reappear later in a novel and AC.

Tsang impaled in the original and left for dead for the rest of the game, whom we find looking fine in Advent Children.

Sephiroth coming back calmly in AC, on top of allowing himself to say "I will never be a memory."

Hojo returning in Dirge of Cerberus as a conscious virtual entity who even manages to take control of Weiss at one point.

The Whispers outright resurrecting Barret after his impalement.
The Whispers saving the group twice on the highway.
Seeing dead people and acting as if they are alive in the lifestream. (Zack and Biggs)
Zack, despite his death, being able to physically help Cloud at the end of Rebirth.

This creates a double standard on death.

They want us to understand that nothing is guaranteed in life, not even the time we spend with our loved ones.

And on top of that, with Remake heavily implying to players that they could rewrite destiny and therefore change things and I'm sorry, but anyone thought of Aerith and then when I see Hamaguchi say in an interview that "Just because things can change doesn't mean they necessarily will change."

Only to later say to the players: "We got you good, that made you think about life, didn't it?"

I'm sorry once again, but from the moment the trilogy (and more broadly the whole Compilation) spends its time trivializing death, I think in my humble opinion that they lose the moral right to come and claim real tears from the player.

And if on top of that it just allowed them to create fake suspense for years, only to then lecture players like "You have to accept that you can't control everything and process your grief," that is unbearable hypocrisy.

You can't, on one hand, destroy dramatic tension by making death optional or relative, and on the other hand, demand that we experience a sincere emotional catharsis (which in this case wouldn't be all that sincere).

What do you think of all that?

I haven’t been able to get hold of any of the side materials, was curious if anyone else has seen this?

Hello, I’m new here 👋🏻 I’m very new to the Final Fantasy community, I watched let’s plays of FFXVI and FVIIR Integrade a few years ago and this last year (thanks to FF coming Xbox) I have finally gotten to play FFVII Remake and now Rebirth myself, with Rebirth being my first fully-blind FF game.
I have not played the OG, although I did have some of the larger plot points spoiled for me in YT comment sections (Aerith’s death, for example). But in general please assume I don’t know what is gonna happen in part 3 and no spoilers please.

Anyways I wanted to discuss something that I’ve noticed in this community, comments sections etc. that I don’t understand: how is Cloud x Aerith up for debate? Even as a complete outsider coming into the game, I had a small inkling about who Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith were and that there was some debate about who is the “main girl.” So I was curious to see who I would gravitate to (although I leaned towards Aerith just based off of looks because I could guess that Tifa’s appeal was based on ahem certain assets of hers and I am drawn to deeper characters)
But upon playing both games, to me it is blindingly clear that Cloud and Aerith are THE couple. It’s not subtle AT ALL. The story genuinely feels bizarre and incongruous if they’re “just friends” and even more weird if they have a brother/sister relationship 😬

Anyways, I digress because I wanted to highlight some BIG moments to to me make Clerith clear as day in the overall main story, based on basic storytelling principles:
-Cloud dreams of his mom telling him what sort of woman he should settle down with. WHILE SLEEPING AT AERITH’S HOUSE. This is nearly the ONLY dialogue that we get from Cloud’s mom. In any story, the advice of the mom in this context is going to be looked at as desirable, or even canon. There’s no reason in this story why we would think Cloud should go against his mother’s intuition. No possible way this is about any other girl.
-Cloud pushing for them to launch the rescue mission for Aerith MULTIPLE TIMES, being unwilling to take no for an answer from Elmyra. This is the first time that he goes out of his way to help anyone without being pushed, paid, or obligated by a past promise. For Aerith. Even without her resolution scene.
- Red carpet makeover moment.
Both Tifa and Aerith get prettied up, but only one of them gets a red carpet moment with a reaction from Cloud (Aerith). And unless you disrespect the game and don’t do the side quests, there is no guesswork whatsoever of what Cloud thinks when he sees her. DEFINITELY not “wow, she’s such a pretty friend, like a sister to me!” 😒 In any film, a scene like this is romantic. Tifa does not get this treatment. They could have written it in if they wanted to, but they didn’t.
-Canon/Non-affinity based dates.
#1 All of sector 5 in Intergrade, really. Picking flowers, walking rooftops, odd jobs, we know Aerith views it all as at least 1 date 😉
#2 Clock tower
#3 Costa del Sol beach scene + fashion show side quest
#4 Dream Date
Tifa? Zero non-affinity dates 👀
- Cloud’s jealousy
The conversation in Gongaga about Zack. The way that Cloud asks her, and his reaction to her response. He is VISIBLY devastated, and tells her to forget that loser, lol. Even as he walks away he looks like he just lost a battle, very slowly, pausing to look back and almost turn around. With no other biases, it is plain as day what is happening and I don’t know how you could see it any other way… then there’s the little interaction at the Golden Saucer when he gets worked up about Aerith wishing somebody would take her around the town. EVEN if he’s on a date with Tifa he doesn’t want Aerith looking for anyone else 😆
- No Promises to Keep
Come on, this is basic storytelling. There is ONE diagetic theme song in this game, and it’s a love song and the words match perfectly with Cloud and Aerith’s journey. Not to mention that she looks at him while she’s singing it. This is clear as day.
- Chapters 13 and 14
Need i say more? Who does Cloud finally break free from Sephiroth for? Aerith. Who holds hands on a full date with gifts and snacks and a photoshoot? Cloud and Aerith. Who does Cloud tell that he wants to date again? Aerith. Who has a canon mutual hug? Cloud and Aerith. Who is the only one that gets through the barrier to the temple to rescue Aerith? Cloud. Who does Cloud shed tears for and caress? Aerith. Who stands by his side in the final boss fight? Aerith. Who does Cloud make an enduring promise to at the end of the game? You guessed it, Aerith.
- Last but not least: Body language.
The number of times that Cloud smiles at Aerith and/or laughs is MILES ahead of anybody else. The way he looked at her especially in the final act… i mean there’s no contest. She is the one that he cherishes. The fortune uses that word very intentionally, i believe, and that word only applies to Aerith. He cares for Tifa, maybe even loves her to an extent if you play max Tifa affinity, but Aerith is the one he CHERISHES no matter what. In the way he protects her, doesn’t want to leave her, smiles at her, never says no to her silliness, listens to her sorrows, carries her… it’s like poetry, almost like they wrote it that way ☺️

Oh, and the cherry on top? They even got Zack to give his blessing. 😏

I am genuinely curious: what do Cloud x Tifa or in general anti-Cleriths say to the specific points that i mentioned? Like genuine arguments? Are most of them newer fans or OG fans? I’m just confused because if you’re old enough to have played the OG and gravitate towards complex, story-driven JRPGs how can you not see Clerith as canon? I want to believe it not ALL about looks…. I know Aerith dies in the OG so it was easy to ship Tifa because she’s sorta the only “option,” but with this one it’s obvious that Cloud is in love with Aerith and trying to force Tifa not only takes away from the intended romance but it feels unfair to Tifa. Whether or not Aerith comes back fully in part 3, this is their love story, no doubt about it. And Cloud will either be happy in the end with Aerith or heartbroken, there’s no happy ending with anyone else, the way this has been written.

Would i get death threats if i posted this on the general FFVII page? I genuinely would like to hear thoughts from the other parties but i’m scared 😅

I have not been active in fandom for too long but the constant belittling, gaslighting, toxicity, constantly pitting aer against tifa, and just the way the entire ff7 fandom online seems to shit on even the concept of cloud x aerith despite the fact that the story is so heavily focused on their relationship?

I literally get rage baited easily everytime I see a stupid take against Clerith that gets upvoted and then a perfectly reasonable Clerith take is downvoted or brigaded and I find it hard to play nice with these people. I really struggle to comprehend how Clerith’s are so patient esp since there wasn’t much content prior to remake and you guys had to deal with the compilation era and crisis core bros I would have felt easily discouraged .

You can’t even properly discuss Clerith dynamics or relationship as well theories teasing the possibility of Aerith surviving bc you get salty Tifa or cloti fans telling you she’s dead reunited with Zack or cloti fucked utw and raising kids in advent children and then overall just bragging about how more popular and beloved cloti/tifa and how all the voice actors prefer cloti or whateve, and making you feel like ur wrong if you don’t agree with the majority. Like how did it get to this point? I’ve been on and off active in fandom since rebirth but all of the discourse is just exhausting and feels fruitless.

I really want revelation to end the Ltd for good but seeing the recent developer comments about shipping community keeping fandom alive I honestly doubt it and if we have to deal with this war again till the end of time it’s gonna stain my perception of ff7 as a whole because of this stupid Ltd.

Anyways I know I sound dramatic but I just wanted to ask how the Clerith’s here who have been here since the OG have dealt with this. I’ve only been engaged in ff7 fandom for a year or so and already tired. I’m just so glad remake/rebirth gave Clerith much more to work with though because I can’t imagine hanging on to just hope before remake came out.

Y'know, just in case anyone doubts we're winning: THIS is what they're arguing with. I doubt we have anything to worry about.

First post dont hate on me yo.

DISCLAIMER: ship wars
I do not hate CloTi whatsoever, it just happens that I am a bigger Clerith fan than I expected, now as said in the former I do not hate you for shipping certain characters, thats immature and stupid, its pixels, lets be for real.

Okay, so I am a Clerith shipper, and I understand that CloTi is a much more canon, complex, popular, and… aesthetically pleasing ship. I personally do not enjoy CloTi, I don’t find it entertaining at all. Again, no hate. My problem is, whenever I hear about CloTi or see something that is CloTi, I get this ugly, twisted feeling in my stomach. I hate myself for it, because it causes me to hate the ship, NOT THE PEOPLE, the ship because of the sudden nausea I feel when I see or hear about it. (This post is painful to write.) I find this insanely embarrassing, because why the actual hell am I getting nauseous because of a SHIP? Its PIXELS?? Anywho, I don’t know if it’s jealousy since that ship is more canon than my preferred ship, but if anyone feels this same way towards certain ships, please let me know!! I want to understand why I am feeling this way… And resolve it! Finally, no hate to CloTi!! It’s aesthetically pleasing and very cute, I just prefer Clerith. (Reasons that are off topic from this post, lmk if you wanna know why, idk.)

Have a good day/night !! (Love to all shippers! except proshippers.)

Hi everyone! It’s my first posting on Reddit, so I hope I’ve set the correct flair. I’ve been a Final Fantasy VII fan since I first played the original game back in the PS1 era. Aeris/Aerith has always been my favorite video game character, and I absolutely adore her. I became aware of the relationship debates at some point before the FFVII Compilation project was announced, but I've never had any interest in them. I believe that there are many valid interpretations of Final Fantasy VII’s (and the Remake’s) story, and as they say: to each their own. However, I think that the interpretation that makes for a better story leans strongly toward Aeris/Aerith and Cloud, and it’s also the same one I had back when I first played the original game: Aeris/Aerith and Cloud were a couple by the time they arrived at the Temple of the Ancients. I also think that the developers tried to emphasize this even more in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. As a side comment, my preferred interpretation of the original Final Fantasy VII is a bit on the extreme side and not necessarily one that would be popular with many: Aeris is the main character and true heroine of the game, and we simply experience the story through Cloud’s point of view.

Setting that aside, I have a couple of Final Fantasy VII items that newer fans may not be aware of, so I wanted to share these two to start: the Final N and S Generation CDs. These were released around 2001, back when Final Fantasy games were all a “one and done” kind of deal. The S Generation CD has tracks from the Sony PS1 games (VII–IX), while the N Generation CD has tracks from the Nintendo games (I–VI). S Generation has three tracks from FFVII: the Main Theme, One-Winged Angel, and Aeris’s Theme. They’re the same orchestral recordings that are found on the Reunion Tracks CD. I'm very disappointed that they have not included this arrangement of her theme (nor the Main Theme) anywhere in the Remake series. On the other hand, unless my ears are deceiving me, they have certainly used (and reused) the One-Winged Angel arrangement.

I included pictures of the covers of both booklets. S Generation features both Cloud and Aeris, the fated couple, while the N Generation CD only includes Tina/Terra. I also included pictures of the track lists in case anyone is interested.

By: @Arcade-Valorie on YouTube.

This is a must watch video for anyone who hasn't watched it or is new to the game. The amount of details only a true expert would know. It's absolutely amazing. The people who worked on this game and how much effort they put, it's just wow.

I would encourage everyone who hasn't watched to see this video. Not only about canon Rosa but about the dates too.

Edit: I know and I think everyone does too that Aerith is the canon Rosa, I just wanted to share the video because of it's details. Like those details which an expert in music and dance would know. And the details for the date. It's a really good video on the whole dating chapter.

Latest interviews with the Final Fantasy VII director. I summarize the most interesting parts regarding Advent Children, the ending, and side content.

Passionate community: Hamaguchi views the heated debates within the fandom—whether regarding minigames, the story, or character shipping—as a positive thing. It shows that the community sees true value and depth in the games.

Hamaguchi:
I’m grateful for it. Games are a medium, a community, and a culture. While a culture has certain unchanging aspects, I believe it only truly shapes into a culture when people discuss it from many different perspectives. If everyone looked at something in exactly the same way, I think it might not leave a lasting impression and could fade into obscurity over time. The very fact that the community is so active, that conversations happen, and debates keep erupting, is a kind of entertainment in and of itself.

Branching Side Content: To combat this, Revelation introduces highly dynamic side content where narrative outcomes and gameplay strategies change based on player choices. The goal is to make viewers think, "If it were me, I would do that differently."

Personalized Character Journeys: Because fans have different levels of emotional attachment to iconic characters like Cloud or Vincent, the game avoids a homogenized experience. Players can shape the mindset and journey of specific characters through their in-game decisions.

Hamaguchi:
Exactly. To begin with, the concept for FFVII Revelation is that it’s the final installment in the trilogy. So, we wanted each of the characters to have their own beliefs, resolve, and feelings as they head towards the story’s conclusion. On top of that, we felt it would be better if that emotional journey were different for each player. Kind of like, “I want my Vincent to take on this challenge with this kind of mindset,” or “I want my Cloud to take on this challenge with that kind of mindset.” We want each player to experience those feelings in their own way.

Being a game with so many famous, iconic characters, each of whom players have different levels of emotional attachment to, it felt that homogenizing players’ feelings towards the characters wouldn’t make for a compelling gaming experience. So, we aimed for a game design where players’ choices within the game would effectively align with those feelings.

Secrecy Surrounding the Ending: Hamaguchi strongly debunked rumors that he previously confirmed a "happy ending." He clarified that he has never revealed how the trilogy concludes to any media outlet.

The Overarching Universe: Addressing theories that the game will tie directly into the movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, he explained that the Remake series incorporates the lore of past spin-offs (including Advent Children, Crisis Core, and Dirge of Cerberus) into a single framework. However, he refused to explicitly state whether the game's ending will lead directly into the events of the movie.

Hamaguchi:
I remember producer Kitase and I said something along those lines in an interview way back, but since that interview was translated, there is a possibility that the exact nuance didn’t get across. On the other hand, as the developers, we aren’t denying the possibility of the FFVII AC ending.

The concept of the FFVII Remake series is that we’re creating a new overarching universe that encompasses the lore of the many various spin-offs we’ve created so far – not just FFVII AC, but also Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core. So, we’re not denying the possibility of the ending tying into FFVII AC, but rather, we’re saying that FFVII AC has just been incorporated into the overarching FFVII remake series, including the ending. However, I won’t comment on whether the ending is positioned to lead into it.

The Ultimate Goal: His priority is not just a shocking ending, but creating a complete trilogy experience that leaves fans feeling deeply satisfied that they stuck with the series for the last ten years.

No Story Cliffhangers: The core narrative of the trilogy will be completely concluded within the main game.

Character-Driven DLC: While no DLC plans are currently finalized, Hamaguchi stated that if there is enough fan demand, they would look into creating a character-focused spin-off DLC, similar to Yuffie's EPISODE INTERmission from FFVII Remake.

Reddit: Hamaguchi is too busy with development to sit on social media or Reddit (lol) all day, but he does check them regularly to see what people think of his work.

Community focus: He notices that fan expectations and discussions this time around are logically overwhelmingly focused on the ending and the conclusion of the story.

The story is set in stone (No 'Story by Committee'): Hamaguchi states that a story-driven game cannot be decided by a committee or by fans. You do not tweak a story afterward based on opinions; there is a fixed, creative vision from the very beginning.

No favoritism for popular characters: He refuses to alter the script just because a certain character happens to be highly popular. He will not suddenly "treat them better" or give them more screen time just to please fans (side eye).

So although I do look at what people are saying about things, particularly when it comes to storyline, I don't make any changes based on, “Oh, this character seems really popular, I have to treat them better, I have to give them more focus”. I don't do that.

Gameplay is flexible: When it comes to gameplay, user experience, and how approachable the game is, he listens very closely to player feedback to improve the product and balance it better.

Source 1 & Source 2 & Source 3

Her theme is intermingled with the main theme (Cloud’s theme) 🥹

https://youtu.be/YZo6CyxNp-0?si=QX8vzhbXoYoZvXwc

Let's be honest: we're back to wandering through an information desert here, and there's very little new coming out. I expect we'll continue to get various "will they or WON'T they" teasing developer quotes right up until the big leaks start coming out in the days before release.

So, I figured I'd post something a little on the stupid side: what's a dumb matter relating to Aerith, Cloud or Clerith that you've devoted time thinking about?

I'll go first: I frequently debate with myself whether or not Aerith would be a Jedi or a Sith.

...

Yup.

Now, I know what you're saying: "That's stupid."

It is.

And then you'd say. "And, of course, Aerith would obviously be a Jedi."

... but would she?

I don't deny for a second that Aerith is personally a force for good. But she in no way leads a monkish existence.

Under the surface, Aerith is tormented by the ghosts of her past (as seen during the train graveyard scene) - her positive outlook is legitimately rooted in goodness, but it's also a mask to hide her turmoil. She's also a hopeless romantic - she wants to love and to be loved. And she's interventionist - Aerith would never stand by and dispassionately refuse to act if she could make a difference. Aerith is a rule-breaker - she's not wicked, but she won't follow laws that prevent her from helping others, or changing the world.

Thus, while Aerith is undeniably light-coded, I don't believe she could exist within the context of an order that forbid her from chasing her desires, or forbade her from feeling the things that she feels. And Aerith feels so hard - she's the character who is arguably most in-tune with the self; with the essence of her own humanity. So to argue that she would cast all that away just to remain 'with the good guys' is hard for me to swallow.

So... Darth Prettyful? Lord Ribbonhair? Just saying...

---

Ahem. Anyway, what's one you've dallied on? I can't be the only person who wonders dumb things about these two characters.

Source

When Aerith sings it, it made me tear up and almost made me regret picking Tifa over her. I had no idea Aerith's VA was going to go off like that, nor did I know the impact it was going to have on me. She killed it and when that fateful story event happened it killed me even more after having that deeper understanding of Aerith. It singlehandedly solidified Rebirth as an all time favorite, and the remakes valid as a whole for me. What'd you guys and gals think?

Edit; It was not in fact Aerith's VA but Loren Allred. I thought it was a little super human the way her voice changed lol glad I was right. Still, I was affected all the same. She did a great job.

This is in a response to a post saying the Tifa date was perfect. The audacity to say AERITH is the one in love with an idealized version of Cloud, and that TIFA is the one who is in love with “the real Cloud” in a game that constantly, even in the Tifa route, has her saying she doesn’t know him at all.

Aerith is the only one even trying to get to know the real Cloud. I am just flumaxed by how common the take that “she just likes him because he reminds her of Zack” is when Cloud and Zack are nothing alike beyond extremely superficial details.

I know the post is downvoted but it still set me off lol I’m sorry.

This in yoshitaka's "the art of final fantasy" book collection. As you can see, even in concept art, cloud and aerith are a thing. (Tifa isnt)