Regardless of whether or not fans think Cloud loves Aeris, she dies. That leaves only one love interest left. So surely, the story concludes with Cloud and Tifa canonically becoming a couple, right?
At first glance, it seems conclusive enough. After the events of Final Fantasy VII, and with the rival love interest deceased, Cloud’s closest companion is Tifa. In Advent Children, they are living together and even acting as parental figures to two children whom they’ve adopted. The movie, and its corresponding novel On the Way to a Smile, introduce the importance of family to the narrative, and emphasize that Cloud and Tifa consider one another to be family.
But it doesn’t take much digging below the surface to conclude that there’s more – or less? – to their relationship than what we see on the surface.
1. Cloud and Tifa live together (sometimes) – but have separate bedrooms
While Cloud and Tifa are roommates in the new Seventh Heaven bar, they do not share a bedroom together. Cloud’s bed is in his office, as is visible in the Advent Children film. This contrasts from Tifa’s bedroom, which is pictured with two single-beds.
This is also confirmed in Case of Tifa chapter of On the Way to a Smile, when a frustrated Tifa tells Cloud to drink in “your room.” The official Advent Children script also describes “Cloud’s room” in its setting notes.
Even with separate bedrooms, that doesn’t mean they can’t sometimes share a bed. Yet, Case of Tifa goes out of its to tell readers that Marlene always sleeps with Tifa in her bed.
Also, before the beginning of Advent Children, Cloud is not living with Tifa. In fact, judging by Cloud’s “missed call” log on his phone, he has been away for at least two months. Check out just how many missed calls Cloud has from “7th Heaven” – Tifa’s number. He doesn’t answer.
More interestingly, when Denzel calls Tifa on Cloud’s cell phone, Tifa brightly answers “Cloud, what a surprise! You never call!”
If Cloud and Tifa were in a romantic relationship and it’s now strained, that’s a strange tone for Tifa to take when she finally receives a call from his cell. While Tifa undoubtedly is frustrated by Cloud’s isolation from her, she also doesn’t sound like she believes he owes her anything, like a boyfriend would.
It isn’t clear just how long Cloud has been living in Aeris’s church. But the script contains the line “Tifa gazes emptily at Cloud’s meager personal effects” – a rather defeated description, and the ensuing dialogue confirms that Cloud’s “living” here, not “staying” here.
2. Cloud won’t tell Tifa he loves her
“Do you love me?”
On the Way to a Smile: Case of Tifa
Suddenly, his eyes opened, and he looked at her groggily.
“Hey Cloud. Do you love Marlene?”
“Yes. I just don’t know how to act around her sometimes.”
“But we’ve been together for a long time now.”
“Maybe I need more than just time.”
“…And what about you and me?”
Cloud didn’t answer.
“Sorry,” said Tifa. “I don’t know why I’m asking these things.”
“Don’t be sorry. It’s… my problem.” Cloud shut his eyes again.
“We could make it ours.”
Tifa waited for him to say something, but he never answered.
This conversation is painful to read. Cloud may be awkward with words, but when asked “what about you and me?” to the question of whether or not he loves her, Cloud refuses to say a word. He was quick enough to say “yes” to the question of whether or not he loves Marlene.
If, as many Cloti fans claim, Cloud and Tifa had an intimate relationship under the Highwind during Final Fantasy VII, how could Cloud not tell Tifa he loves, or even cares for her?
Cloud mentions he has a problem that stops him from saying he loves Tifa. Yes, that problem is Aeris: this is confirmed in the final scene of Case of Tifa.
“Did you fix the problem?”
Case of Tifa
“What problem?”
“Your problem.”
“Oh…”
Cloud was clearly deep in thought.
“If you don’t want to tell me, don’t.”
“I can’t explain it well…” Cloud searched for the right words. “I didn’t fix the problem. I don’t think I’ll ever fix the problem. I can’t make somebody unlose their life.”
Cloud then goes on to confess that he feels that Denzel, the orphan boy, was brought to him by Aerith herself – that she gave him a child so that he could save someone’s life to assuage the guilt of not saving her. Tifa tries to pivot his sentiment, claiming that Aerith brought Denzel to both of them, not just Cloud, and this scene ends her story.
Cloud still can’t tell Tifa he loves her, because the problem of Aeris cannot be fixed.
3. Cloud and Tifa have a family of “friends” – and this includes Barret
They live together, fight together, and raise a child named Marlene together. No, I’m not talking about Tifa and Cloud – I’m talking about Tifa and Barret.
All right, then. Maybe it is safe to say we’re a family. We just have to work together as one. Together with friends to call a family, there’s no storm we can’t weather, Tifa thought.
Case of Tifa (Advent Children Novel)
Cloud and Tifa did not set off to live as the sole adults of a family together. In fact, Barret was also part of the cohabitation. It is likely he has his own room (a passage above mentions that the night before Barret left, Marlene “plopped down” in her father’s bed for the night.) Cloud and Tifa had the expectation that Barret would also live with them, but Barret’s guilt led him to depart on a long – but temporary – journey.
In fact, Tifa is even upset when Barret leaves, asking Cloud if he didn’t try to stop Barret from going.
In fact, Barret has returned to live with Marlene by Dirge of Cerberus.
Furthermore, another adult joins the family after Dirge of Cerberus – a Deepground soldier named Shelke Rui.
So this “found family” is made of many friends, and the children have multiple adults who act or have acted as their parents – biological or otherwise. Though unconventional, there’s no rule that a family must follow traditional, heteronormative rules.
Being “family” does not mean Cloud and Tifa are in a romantic relationship.
4. Cloud is still pining for Aeris – and Tifa is jealous
I believe for those who formerly traveled with her as comrades and for the viewers, each carries their own feelings and love for Aerith. In this story, Cloud also carries his own undying feelings for Aerith, even to this very day… Its relation with the church scene is… yup. I’ll leave this part to your imagination.
Nomura, Famitsu Magazine (October 2003)
Cloud’s guilt for losing Aeris drives his arc in the movie. The pain he feels at not being able to save Aeris has caused him to fall into a deep depression – isolating him from his friends, making him ignore cell phone calls, and even cause him to acquire Geostigma (which only affects those who have given up on life or lost a loved one.)
“Can sins ever be forgiven?” – Cloud asks this to Vincent, who mutters a brief answer. For both of them, ‘I couldn’t protect my loved one’ is the sense of guilt that they carry, so their words resonate with weight.
Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania, page 72
Cloud is compared to Vincent Valentine, with whom he shares a heart-to-heart in the painful location where he lost Aeris forever – the Forgotten Capital. Vincent also feels guilt that he couldn’t protect the woman he loved, so this conversation is meaningful.
The fact that he couldn’t protect Aerith tormented Cloud – that she knew. He was trying to get over that and live. But if he went back to the place where she had left him forever, wouldn’t the grief and regret just tear fresh wounds in his heart?
Case of Tifa
Here’s an interesting promo for Advent Children – which features an image of Aeris under the headline of “Reuniting with her. That’s my dream.”
So Cloud is pining, and Tifa, who fervently wants to achieve a sense of normalcy with people she can call a family, cannot help but feel jealous.
A close friend as well as rival?
The complicated emotions she feels towards AerithBoth of them share feelings for Cloud — Tifa was close to Aerith, who can also be called a love rival. With that point in mind, they were also good friends. Nevertheless, it is not hard to imagine that she carries complex feelings as a woman toward Aerith, who had built up a special bond with Cloud that was different from Tifa’s.
Tifa’s complicated feelings continue even in AC, two years after Aerith had departed the world. This was due to the fact that Cloud, succumbing to the notion that Aerith’s death was his fault and condemning himself, construed that Denzel was “the child which Aerith brought here” and took care of him. In addition, Cloud had also gone away to the church that Aerith had been in. The thing which she is unable to hide in her irritation towards Cloud is the fact that he isn’t merely dragging the past around, but because that reason might perhaps be related to Aerith.
← [FFVII] Watching Cloud and Aeris develop their world together before her eyes, she inadvertently expresses her peevish feelings.
← [AC] When she learns that Cloud, who had left the place they had been living together, has been living in Aeris’s church, her expression becomes complicated.
← [AC] Tifa smiles at the presence of Aeris. Tifa’s true feelings are that she cherishes Aeris.
Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania – Tifa’s profile
The fact that Ultimania chooses to bring up Tifa’s continued feelings of jealousy at the sight of Cloud living in Aeris’s church and adopting Denzel as the “child which Aeris brought here” is noteworthy. While anyone might feel jealousy at a lover’s ex, the Ultimania poetically notes how Tifa watched “Cloud and Aeris develop their world together before her eyes” – which sets up for Tifa’s ongoing anguish at Cloud’s feelings for Aeris.
Cloud may forgive himself for losing Aeris at the end of the film, but…
5. Nothing states Cloud and Tifa are anything more than friends
Cloud and Tifa continue to be referred to as friends in and after Advent Children – with nothing confirming they are in a relationship or even suggesting they share romantic feelings for one another.
In the relationship charts of the Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania, Cloud and Tifa are only listed as “childhood friends” in the Advent Children chart. In the Dirge of Cerberus chart, they have no relationship line at all.
This is noteworthy, when “canon” couples are listed as having “romantic affection” (such as Zack and Aerith in Crisis Core – though that tag disappears in and after Final Fantasy VII.)
Other official relationship charts have indicated that at least Tifa has romantic affection for Cloud in Final Fantasy VII – so why doesn’t Tifa continue to show romantic affection for Cloud in Advent Children?
The Dirge of Cerberus guide is equally platonic in its language.
Nearly two years later, Cloud and his longtime friend, Tifa Lockhart, work together running the Strife Delivery Service while also taking care of children orphaned during the Jenova War.
Dirge of Cerberus guide, “Prologue”
Although Cloud has come to embrace his circle of friends in Edge and forgive himself for the past, the constant loner Vincent Valentine has yet to come to terms with himself.
Dirge of Cerberus guide, “The Story Continues”
Tifa Lockhart
Dirge of Cerberus guide, character profiles
After helping Cloud set up his delivery service, Tifa got involved with the displaced youth of Midgar and opened an orphanage. She keeps in close contact with Cloud and Barret and remains the steadying force she always was – or at least tried to be.
And in the Japanese game manual:
Tifa Lockhart: a woman who is Cloud’s childhood friend and uses martial arts.
Japanese Dirge of Ceberus manual
If Cloud and Tifa were intended to be “canon” – isn’t their romantic relationship worth bringing up?
6. Cloud and Tifa’s familial relationship might be more like mother and son than husband and wife
Cloud and Tifa consider each other family, but what does that mean?
It’s clear that Tifa would like it to mean that she and Cloud have a romantic relationship. But in Case of Tifa, she starts developing new feelings for Cloud: maternal feelings.
Just like a little kid, Tifa thought. But she felt a pang, somehow, to learn that Cloud had found another world to live in, one she wasn’t part of. At the same time, she was glad his horizons were broadening.
Maybe this was kind of what a mother felt like. Once she saw Cloud off, Tifa was alone with the new emotions growing inside her. She realized she was happy.
Case of Tifa
These feelings inform another section of Case of Tifa, where Tifa expresses that she is proud of Cloud for managing trade and learning new things – even when it’s basic things, like the names of vegetables. Tifa really does sound like Cloud’s mother.
At first, Tifa was amused that mighty Cloud’s new life started with learning vegetable names – but then when she remembered why he was ignorant of such based things, she thought better. No, I shouldn’t laugh.
…Cloud was taking steps forward, and she was proud of him for it.
Case of Tifa
Tetsuya Nomura confirms Tifa’s maternal role toward Cloud in Advent Children Reunion Files.
Tifa was a very difficult character to create. Like Aerith, she also has a maternal side to her, but in a different sense. Not only was she looking after Marlene and Denzel, but she also felt a certain maternal bond to Cloud, who is a “big kid” himself in some respects.
Nomura, Advent Children Reunion Files (page 18)
Tifa having some maternal feelings toward Cloud doesn’t necessarily mean it is impossible that they are or will ever be in a romantic relationship. (After all, Tifa isn’t his mom – in fact, she is one year younger than him.) But it does set up an alternative familial relationship between the two, and justifies how they might have feelings of family without being lovers.
6. Even the developers have no idea if Cloud and Tifa will ever get together
Interviewer: By the way, how many girls has Sephiroth dated?
Nomura: What a question! I haven’t thought about it. To be honest, I don’t care who is dating who. I think it’s better to get fans to imagine and enjoy the parts that are not spelled out in the game or movie. It’s more fun to talk to friends about filling in the blanks afterwards. For instance, I’m often asked, “did Tifa and Cloud have a romantic relationship in the 2 years leading up to AC?” but I just don’t know.
Interviewer: Of course! If Mr. Nomura says “this is what it is” then that would be the setting.
Nomura: I just think that would take away the room for enjoyment.
Interviewer: That’s wonderful kindness. Thanks to that, I have lived for 8 years with wild fantasies.
Nomura: Well, shall we return back to reality? (Laughs)
Dorimaga magazine / ドリマガ（2005 11月号)
If Cloud and Tifa were intended to be a couple, there is no reason why Nomura would refuse to say it. Yet Nomura asks the audience to come to their own conclusions, which follows that Advent Children also lacks any scene demonstrating romantic or physical intimacy between Cloud and Tifa – a kiss, a romantic hug, or even an indication from another character that Tifa is Cloud’s girlfriend – we are going to have to take Nomura’s word for it. He wants fans to decide for themselves.
But Nomura doubles down with a second quote:
AC is piece of work made by Japanese people. In Hollywood movies, I think there is a tendency where the meaning of all the scenes have to be expressed clearly but, this isn’t something like that. With our work, the viewer is free to decide how they interpret or enjoy it. The staff has their own answers to all the scenes in the movie such as the angel statue that makes an appearance many times.
But, even if someone who have watched it interprets it differently then that is just another answer. I guess “comparing answers” with friends is one of the ways you can enjoy the movie. I think AC is a movie that makes those who have watched it, want to talk about it with others.
Nomura
Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima, who himself wrote the “Case of Tifa” chapter in On the Way to a Smile, says this:
Discussing “Case of Tifa,” Nojima ruminates on if Cloud and Tifa can and will ever work out.
“First off, there’s the premise that things won’t go well between Tifa and Cloud, and that even without Geostigma or Sephiroth this might be the same. I don’t really intend to go into my views on love or marriage or family. After ACC, I guess Denzel and Marlene could help them work it out. Maybe things would have gone well with Aerith…”
Nojima, Advent Children interview
Nojima flat-out says the problems between Cloud and Tifa would exist regardless of the movie’s chaotic drama with JENOVA and Sephiroth, and implies the issue is interpersonal. He muses if Denzel and Marlene can help them “work it out” before positing that things may have gone better if it were Aeris alive with Cloud.
This all follows the developers’ general rule that the love triangle is ambiguous (which you can read more about here). The fact of the matter is, if Cloud and Tifa were ever intended to be canon, then the writers would just say so.
Conclusion
Cloud and Tifa’s relationship holds some level of ambiguity, but not only is it not “canon” that they are in a romantic relationship, there is quite a bit of evidence to suggest they are not – and might never be.
Earth & Sky: A Cloud x Aeris Love Story 
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