Summary
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthmakes a number of tweaks to the original story and characters, and Tifa in particular receives some new attention that could set up a fresh approach to her character arc inFF7 Remake Part 3.As a powerful fighter, a key member of the Avalanche splinter cell, and a principal love interest for Cloud, Tifa has always had a major slice of the spotlight. The story ofFF7has a lot of ground to cover, however, and the original game didn’t necessarily have time to dwell on all of her nuances or relationships with other characters.
This article contains significant SPOILERS for the events ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth.Perhaps the biggest advantage of theFF7remake games is thatthe expanded runtime makes delving deeper into each character more feasible. Some of this time is spent on elevating figures who previously had only minor appearances, like Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge inFF7 Remake, but those who were always a major part of the story also get bigger roles than ever before. When it comes to Tifa, that extra time is spent in several places, but one particular focus is her relationship with Aerith.
FF7 Rebirth Sets Up A Huge Change To A Classic Location & One Character Benefits The Most
The final game of the FF7 remake trilogy is going to treat one area very differently, which is good news for fans of the associated character.
Tifa & Aerith Have A Stronger Friendship In FF7 Rebirth
Tifa & Aerith’s Relationship Isn’t Focused On Cloud
Considering Tifa and Aerith are both positioned aspossible love interests for Cloud, the originalFF7often played the relationship between the two as a rivalry. That isn’t to say that it was ever openly hostile, as the characters always clearly cared for each other. When it came to showing affection, however, their softer emotions were more often directed at Cloud or other characters.
This is one area whereFF7 Remakedidn’t seem too concerned with loyalty to the original game, as the bond between the women happens quickly in the remake and appears in a prominent fashion throughout the story. From small interactions like high-fives to major moments in the heat of action scenes,Tifa and Aerith consistently make a great pair. Some interactions that highlighted their rivalry in the originalFF7are also cut entirely fromFF7 Remake, showing that any adversarial aspect of their relationship just isn’t the focus anymore.
FF7 Rebirth’s Aerith Voice Actor Weighs In On Which Love Interest Cloud Should Choose
Briana White, who plays Aerith in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, shares her take on the classic debate regarding Cloud Strife’s complicated love life.
FF7 Rebirthdoubles down on this approach, setting up plenty of great moments for the duo across the adventure beyond Midgar. Once again, some of these are simply fun, and it’s hard not to get some joy out of moments like Tifa, Aerith, and Yuffie teaming up at the Gongaga Reactor. Others, however, are even more significant than anything inFF7 Remake, and they start to show howFF7 Remake Part 3could heighten aspects of Tifa’s story thanks to the new exploration of her relationship with Aerith.
Tifa Confiding In Aerith Is A Major FF7 Rebirth Change
Nibelheim Wasn’t Just Tifa’s Burden To Bear
As Reddit usershadowqueen15points out, a particularly big change comes in how Tifa reckons with the incident involving Sephiroth that occurred in Nibelheim when she was younger.Her memory of what happened differs significantly from Cloud’s confused recollection, as his version of events places him in a role that Tifa knows he was never in. In the original game, this is a burden she bears herself, and her unwillingness to confide in any other party members when it comes to the event leaves Cloud and everyone else lost in the dark.
Is It Better To Romance Aerith Or Tifa In FF7 Rebirth?
Aerith and Tifa are both set up as suitable romantic options for Cloud, but which one is the better choice to date in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
FF7 Rebirthmakes the significant change of having Tifa relay the story to Aerith, who’s every bit as sincerely interested in figuring out what actually happened as Tifa is. It’s a narrative alteration that’s largely made possible through the remake trilogy’s lack of interest in withholding reveals, as a lot of twists and turns from the original are established in a much more upfront way in the new games. This approach could makeelements of the story weakerfor those experiencing it for the first time, but it does open new possibilities like this one.
Addressing Nibelheim more directly also allowsFF7 Rebirthto deal more consistently with Tifa’s perspective, which is easy to appreciate in general.
FF7 Remake Part 3 Can Give Tifa More Depth Than Ever
This also means Tifa is relying on Aerith more than ever before, as the party healer’s support extends far beyond the battlefield. Consequently, Aerith’s death at the end of the game is a more personal blow than it was in the originalFF7, and it forces her to return to reckoning with Cloud’s past without her ally. This could open up a way to explore her doubts in more depth inFF7 Remake Part 3, and considering how much she does for Cloud in the final chapter of the story, she certainly deserves the increased attention.
Losing One Of FF7 Rebirth’s Best Combat Features Might Make FF7 Remake Part 3 Better
FF7 Remake Part 3 has to contend with the loss of some combat features from Rebirth, but there’s a surprising upside to this fundamental challenge.
The changes toFF7 Rebirth’s climax also point to the fact thatTifa’s reaction to Aerith’s death could be an essential part of the story’s final chapter. In the new version, Cloud hasn’t yettruly acknowledged Aerith’s death, and the crucial moment of him lowering her body into the water is missing entirely. It seems weird to completely abandon that iconic moment, and Tifa might very well be the key to ultimately bringing it to the screen.
By giving Tifa a more deeply personal connection with Aerith, her own sorrow at Aerith’s death could be what ultimately centers it for Cloud inFF7 Remake Part 3. It seems likely that the actual events surrounding Aerith’s demise could be seen from Tifa’s perspective inFF7 Remake Part 3, and if not, Cloud might finally confront them head-on thanks to Tifa’s coaching. Aerith’s death obviously rocked her in the original game as well, but this time around, her experience with it might be just as important as Cloud’s.
There are still plenty of different directions thatFF7 Remake Part 3could take, and there’s no guarantee that Tifa’s relationship with Aerith will end up being a central point of the final game. Considering just how muchRebirthsets up in that regard, however,it would certainly be weird to waste those changes now. Tifa deserves any recognition she might get inFF7 Remake Part 3, and if the events ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthare anything to go by, there might be a meaningful new layer to the final act of her character arc.
Source:shadowqueen15/Reddit
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake and will see Cloud and his friends set off beyond the walls of Midgar to explore the world, stop Sephiroth’s machinations, and see the world outside their slum prison. Now that the whispers of fate no longer guide the characters along the pre-destined path set in the original PlayStation classic Final Fantasy 7, the heroes (and villains) will shape the future. The game will still visit prominent locales and revisit crucial story points, but it will be a more significant departure from the first game from the source material.
