If Clerith is canon, then how come there only exists the possibility for Cloud to kiss Tifa in the game? At the point where Aerith is still alive. And as for your question about why Aerith needs to die like in the original, itâs partly because she needs to be in the Lifestream to summon Holy. Thereâs also the fact that Final Fantasy 7 is a game about loss and finding the strength to still live despite said loss. Aerithâs death works because she was a character who loved life, and thus to see that vibrant spirit suddenly snuffed out is tragic. And as for the whole Clerith vs Cloti thing, the Sector 5 dream date kind of puts a wrench in that with Aerithâs dialogue about âknowing where they standâ and the difference between âliking someone and liking someoneâ. The love triangle is an illusion that ends when Cloud regains himself, and the player can no longer choose dialogue options for him. Nojima seems to be going full steam ahead with Cloti and Zerith in Part 3, and while itâs fine not to prefer that, thatâs whatâs happening.
The reason why I question the choice of killing Aerith again is because the devs have said that dying is a fate/promise that Aerith is desperately trying to escape. Couple that with the fact they promoted Remake and Rebirth so far with posters as, âDefying fate,â and making the characters say âthe future isnât set in stoneâ. Near the ending of Remake you the player gets to defeat fate. Introducing alternative worlds where Zack and Biggs are alive. Implying that even if Cloud didnât save Aerith in his world there is another world where she did survive and that Aerith is waiting for him. All of this sweet build up and for it to what? To go down the route of, âpsych, no you cannot change your life. You need to give up and resign to whatever is coming your way.â Giving hope to not follow through with what you have been hinting at isnât good storytelling. Itâs pure sadism. But no matter. I am relatively confident that Aerith will get her wish. To live long happy life with her friends and Cloud.
Zerith is a âcoupleâ that doesnât exist. It was created by certain shippers to get Aerith out of the way without being overtly hateful to her. Aerith is allowed to have somewhat complicated feelings to Zack without her feelings for Cloud being diminished. Zack may have been her first love, but there is no doubt that Cloud is her true love. That is clearly established in the alternative world where Marlene says Aerith is In love with Cloud. This is even further hammered down when Aerith has the opportunity to fight with either of them near the end of Rebirth but while she heals Zack she chooses to stand by Cloud and with him fight against Sephiroth. Zack himself has accepted that Aerith moved on. He wants Cloud to save her and not let her die. If only people more understanding like him.
As for the kiss you speak of. Nojima said that all the Gold Saucers dates are separate from the main story and more similar to dating sims. The fact that the kiss did not change the relationship between Cloud and Tifa in the main story shows it should be treated like it never happened. No impact means not relevant. Itâs interesting you believe that is the direction the game is going. We each can have our interpretation and can only wait for the part 3 game in a few years to confirm whose analysis is right. Until then I say goodbye, anon.
This is what I needed to read/hear after foolishly watching the Tifa date. Curse you trophy for making me select her in Loveless and curse myself for thinking there would be no harm in watching. If that's true, about the dates being a sim and not relevant to the story (which makes sense given the character relationships later), my cat can keep his name and Cloud Strife is no longer dead to me.
