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One of the biggest shipping wars in all of video games is between Tifa and Aerith for Cloud, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director, Naoki Hamaguchi, has wisely avoided picking between the two sides. Asked by Gamesradar whether he ships Cloud with Aerith or Tifa, Hamaguchi responded, “That’s one I absolutely cannot answer… I cannot answer the question, and I will not answer the question”.
Although unwilling to cast his vote for either Aerith or Tifa, Hamaguchi said, “I’ve got a lot of sympathy, a lot of affinity with Cloud himself, and I just want what makes him happy”. This is because “over 10 years of developing on the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series – [Hamaguchi has] spent so much time looking at Cloud, walking behind him, seeing him go around the world”. Hamaguchi even jokes that he’s “probably spent more time looking at the back of Cloud than I have anyone in my actual family”.
It’s wise of Hamaguchi to avoid picking between Tifa and Aerith as it’s a shipping war that’s ultimately for the fans. Canon aside, in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth alone, the game lets players in the mercenary boots of Cloud decide whether they prefer Aerith or Tifa, ultimately concluding with a date on a ferris wheel at the Gold Saucer. Either that or you can end up on the ferris wheel with the awkwardly clumsy Yuffie, as well as either Barret or Red XIII.
Shipping wars can be extremely obnoxious and insufferable, but it’s always good when there’s options for players to personally choose. Allowing players to lean towards Tifa or Aerith lets everyone shape their own experience rather than having to follow one path, similar to letting players choose between Triss and Yennefer in The Witcher 3, canon be damned. Granted, Tifa is the only one who actually kisses Cloud on the ferris wheel, showing a clear preference from Square Enix, but Aerith also has a sweet and touching scene for fans who prefer her such as Hollywood great, Robert Pattinson, who called Aeris his “first love”.
Both Aerith and Tifa will return in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3. There’s no release date, but Hamaguchi has said development is “going extremely well” with a “lot of content already playable”. The director even revealed Square Enix are “actively considering” DLC for the third installment, raising hopes of a playable Advent Children.
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