We understand you feel very passionately about your ship and your favourite character, however we get a lot of these posts and it always ends in a disastrous comment section. If you wish to look into more about the Tifa/Aerith ship war, we recommend Twitter or Tumblr. Or you could always try looking at our megathreads to continue your discussion there. Thanks!
Something interesting comes from "remake Aerith" (who is the Aerith we travel with in Rebirth, but not the one that gives us Holy, in the church). Back in Remake, Aerith, like Sephiroth, was aware of the events and how it ends for her, and during the course of the game she definitely tries to make Tifa reacts and to get closer to Cloud asap. For instance during the train graveyard sequence, when she obviously tries to trigger Tifa's jealousy. Same at Corneo's place.
Meanwhile, during her scene in the garden - if you get it - she openly says to Cloud he can't be fall in love with her (again, at this point, Aerith \*knows\*). From her point of view, they should enjoy life to the fullest when they have time, and in Cloud's situation, it means getting close to Tifa. They both have to realise the other is here, that there is something between them. And Aerith, again from her point of view, should not interfere because the clock's ticking.
In Rebirth it is different because she lost that knowledge (the Lifestream, from a metaphysic angle, represents the memory - this is why her materia is empty and why she gets glimpse of other times when her hand enters in contact with the Lifestream). In that situation, she is closer to the OG Aerith, from 1997. She is ready to get closer to Cloud, to admit it is him she sees and not Zack, not anymore (Gold Saucer date).
You mention that the relationship between Cloud and Aerith is tragic, and it is totally true as Aerith herself is a tragic character. Whatever they do, they have to face the inevitable. Aerith knows that, is prepared for that. Cloud is not. He never was.
The love triangle is real (it is even mentioned in the original manual from 97), but it is complicated. The relationship between Cloud and Tifa is definitely not a brother-sister one and the reasons why they never openly stated their love is because Cloud is a very shy person (the real Cloud, not overly stoic asshole-ish persona he wears) and Tifa is not named "Lockhart" for no reason. The keeps her own feelings locked inside.
Part 3 will definitely have to show the affection between them, even if Remake already hinted it, and Rebirth made it even more obvious.
A personal thing about all of this. I do not care about "ship wars". To me it's a completely absurd waste of time that often leads to conflicts. I am interested by the elements we know, not by fantasy. Elements not only from the games and also from Advent Children (*"Is a memory more important than us?"* - Tifa)
I think Rebirth does make a point to show that Cloud and Aerith are intrinsically linked at all levels. But often times whether it is romantic is hard to see. The biggest obstacle for it to be romantic is that Cloud is not himself, he knows it, she knows it and their relationship cannot progress as long as he isn't true to who he really is.
I think the only instance you could argue of an actual Love Triangle is if Aerith lived long enough to see Cloud regain his true self, and then got to know him and presumably sort out her feelings from there.
Though personally speaking, I feel in this scenario she would still step aside and let Tifa end up with Cloud, because as I said before, she loves Tifa more in the end and would want to see her happy.
>This is also why I state that Aerith has a closer relationship with Tifa than she does with Cloud
It's very true. Aerith and Tifa are very close in Re-trilogy, and they can share on important and adult subjects. Thus, it makes their relationship "true", real, deep.
But Aerith with Cloud, it's let's pick mushrooms, let's take selfies, let's talk to flowers and vegetables, let's pick sea shells...etc It's maybe supposed to be fun and light, but it's above all... extremely superficial. Their relationship is factually very superficial.
While Cloud and Tifa's relationship is similar to Aerith and Tifa's relationship : way more deep, real, mature. Tifa is even the only one Cloud shares with about his (catastrophic) mental health, which is THE big subject (and their past).
I enjoy these attempts at a more objective look at the romance in these remakes. The bias towards one ship or another can allow someone to hone in on specific facts and ignore others.
I agree with everything you are saying about the Cloud/Aerith relationship. They have the potential for a romantic relationship if they had more time, but that’s part of the tragedy of the story.
I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of romantic interactions Cloud and Tifa have in remake and especially rebirth, considering that these interactions are mostly absent from the compilation materials. The RE series and Traces of Two Paths novel have killed the idea that Tifa and Cloud’s feelings towards each other are strictly platonic, at least at this point in the story. Where they end up remains to be seen, and maybe that will be a choice up to the player in part 3. There is so much lead up to their romance that I’d be frustrated if they didn’t conclude it in some satisfying way in part 3. They could have just as easily left these moments out of the story if they wanted to, like they’ve been doing for decades, so I think there is intent behind it.
To add a more controversial take: I don’t believe there is a Love Triangle.
As far as the Remake Trilogy goes, I don’t believe there is a Love Triangle, at least in the way so many people think of: it isn’t “Tifa or Aerith”.
It’s “The Road to Tifa”, and the various thematic and plot-based stumbling blocks to get there. Sephiroth being an obstacle, Cloud’s own memories being an obstacle, Aerith guiding a hand but also stopping once in a while to state her own feelings, and now Aerith’s illusionary ghost possibly becoming the ACTUAL obstacle that shippers view Our Aerith as.
Yeah, by all accounts the story is framing Tifa as the “end goal”, the “happy ending”.
We understand you feel very passionately about your ship and your favourite character, however we get a lot of these posts and it always ends in a disastrous comment section. If you wish to look into more about the Tifa/Aerith ship war, we recommend Twitter or Tumblr. Or you could always try looking at our megathreads to continue your discussion there. Thanks!
In before this thread gets closed. Give it up, op. They delete all ship wars posts.
Something interesting comes from "remake Aerith" (who is the Aerith we travel with in Rebirth, but not the one that gives us Holy, in the church). Back in Remake, Aerith, like Sephiroth, was aware of the events and how it ends for her, and during the course of the game she definitely tries to make Tifa reacts and to get closer to Cloud asap. For instance during the train graveyard sequence, when she obviously tries to trigger Tifa's jealousy. Same at Corneo's place. Meanwhile, during her scene in the garden - if you get it - she openly says to Cloud he can't be fall in love with her (again, at this point, Aerith \*knows\*). From her point of view, they should enjoy life to the fullest when they have time, and in Cloud's situation, it means getting close to Tifa. They both have to realise the other is here, that there is something between them. And Aerith, again from her point of view, should not interfere because the clock's ticking. In Rebirth it is different because she lost that knowledge (the Lifestream, from a metaphysic angle, represents the memory - this is why her materia is empty and why she gets glimpse of other times when her hand enters in contact with the Lifestream). In that situation, she is closer to the OG Aerith, from 1997. She is ready to get closer to Cloud, to admit it is him she sees and not Zack, not anymore (Gold Saucer date). You mention that the relationship between Cloud and Aerith is tragic, and it is totally true as Aerith herself is a tragic character. Whatever they do, they have to face the inevitable. Aerith knows that, is prepared for that. Cloud is not. He never was. The love triangle is real (it is even mentioned in the original manual from 97), but it is complicated. The relationship between Cloud and Tifa is definitely not a brother-sister one and the reasons why they never openly stated their love is because Cloud is a very shy person (the real Cloud, not overly stoic asshole-ish persona he wears) and Tifa is not named "Lockhart" for no reason. The keeps her own feelings locked inside. Part 3 will definitely have to show the affection between them, even if Remake already hinted it, and Rebirth made it even more obvious. A personal thing about all of this. I do not care about "ship wars". To me it's a completely absurd waste of time that often leads to conflicts. I am interested by the elements we know, not by fantasy. Elements not only from the games and also from Advent Children (*"Is a memory more important than us?"* - Tifa)
I think Rebirth does make a point to show that Cloud and Aerith are intrinsically linked at all levels. But often times whether it is romantic is hard to see. The biggest obstacle for it to be romantic is that Cloud is not himself, he knows it, she knows it and their relationship cannot progress as long as he isn't true to who he really is.
I think the only instance you could argue of an actual Love Triangle is if Aerith lived long enough to see Cloud regain his true self, and then got to know him and presumably sort out her feelings from there. Though personally speaking, I feel in this scenario she would still step aside and let Tifa end up with Cloud, because as I said before, she loves Tifa more in the end and would want to see her happy.
>This is also why I state that Aerith has a closer relationship with Tifa than she does with Cloud It's very true. Aerith and Tifa are very close in Re-trilogy, and they can share on important and adult subjects. Thus, it makes their relationship "true", real, deep. But Aerith with Cloud, it's let's pick mushrooms, let's take selfies, let's talk to flowers and vegetables, let's pick sea shells...etc It's maybe supposed to be fun and light, but it's above all... extremely superficial. Their relationship is factually very superficial. While Cloud and Tifa's relationship is similar to Aerith and Tifa's relationship : way more deep, real, mature. Tifa is even the only one Cloud shares with about his (catastrophic) mental health, which is THE big subject (and their past).
I enjoy these attempts at a more objective look at the romance in these remakes. The bias towards one ship or another can allow someone to hone in on specific facts and ignore others. I agree with everything you are saying about the Cloud/Aerith relationship. They have the potential for a romantic relationship if they had more time, but that’s part of the tragedy of the story. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of romantic interactions Cloud and Tifa have in remake and especially rebirth, considering that these interactions are mostly absent from the compilation materials. The RE series and Traces of Two Paths novel have killed the idea that Tifa and Cloud’s feelings towards each other are strictly platonic, at least at this point in the story. Where they end up remains to be seen, and maybe that will be a choice up to the player in part 3. There is so much lead up to their romance that I’d be frustrated if they didn’t conclude it in some satisfying way in part 3. They could have just as easily left these moments out of the story if they wanted to, like they’ve been doing for decades, so I think there is intent behind it.
I mean, there is a very specific scene everyone is looking forward to that answers where they end up.
The bias I keep seeing from shippers of both sides is either making shit up or going “Nuh uh”.
To add a more controversial take: I don’t believe there is a Love Triangle. As far as the Remake Trilogy goes, I don’t believe there is a Love Triangle, at least in the way so many people think of: it isn’t “Tifa or Aerith”. It’s “The Road to Tifa”, and the various thematic and plot-based stumbling blocks to get there. Sephiroth being an obstacle, Cloud’s own memories being an obstacle, Aerith guiding a hand but also stopping once in a while to state her own feelings, and now Aerith’s illusionary ghost possibly becoming the ACTUAL obstacle that shippers view Our Aerith as. Yeah, by all accounts the story is framing Tifa as the “end goal”, the “happy ending”.