Square Enix Showcases Memorable Clerith Scenes

When Square talks about memorable lines of dialogue and unforgettable scenes in Final Fantasy VII, Clerith always gets showcased. From the images selected for screenshot collages to the official Uniqlo T-shirts, we frequently see Cloud and Aeris’s reunion in the church, Cloud laying Aeris to rest, their meaningful date at Gold Saucer, or Cloud extending his hand to take hers in the game’s ending.

Here are two official Square Enix anniversary events that have showcased Cloud and Aerith’s scenes together.

Final Fantasy VII 15th Anniversary Event (2012)

On September 1-2, 2012, Square held an exhibition event in Shibuya, Tokyo to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy. During a presentation dedicated to Final Fantasy VII, Square offered snapshots of the Compilation and its 15-year legacy, with three voice actors, including Takahiro Sakurai (Cloud Strife) , Hideo Ishikawa (Cait Sith), and Kenichi Suzumura (Zack Fair), joining as panel speakers.

The results of a survey offered earlier to Japanese fans were then presented, which included questions about the most memorable lines of dialogue and most impressive scenes in Final Fantasy VII. What was the verdict? (Hint: there’s lots of Clerith!)

Most Impressive Scenes:

3) Sephiroth disappearing into the flames in Nibelheim

2) The game’s intro movie (which, of course, heavily features Aeris)

1) Aeris’s death scene and funeral

Most Memorable Lines of Dialogue:

3) Aeris’s line from her date with Cloud at Gold Saucer:

“Hey Cloud, I’m looking for you. I want to meet you.
(Yeah, I know, but what I mean is..)
I want to meet… you.”

2) Sephiroth’s (and Jenova’s) lines admonishing Cloud for grieving Aeris’s death and telling him he doesn’t have feelings:

Sephiroth: Because, Cloud, you are..
Jenova: Because you are.. a puppet.”

1) Cloud’s lines of grief at Aeris’s death:

“Aeris will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry…… or get angry……What about us…… what are WE supposed to do? What about my pain? My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!”

Read more about the event here!

Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary Event

On January 21, 2022, Square Enix livestreamed their virtual Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary Commemoration Event, which featured Final Fantasy VII’s director Yoshinori Kitase himself as a special guest. The event largely provided information and updates about the mobile game “First Soldier” – but spend some time reminiscing on Final Fantasy VII’s 25-year legacy.

As part of a nostalgic segment about sharing memories from special moments in the game, two scenes were selected to be played during the production’s “reminiscence” portion. The first was riding the gondola with Aeris in Gold Saucer during Cloud’s date with her, and the second was Cloud’s reunion with Aeris in the church. Both scenes were played fully on the stream.

The introduction card for the Gold Saucer included comments from fans representing all four possible Gold Saucer date scenarios, but only Aeris’s date was played. (The comment for Aeris was: “The lines uttered by Aeris during the gondola conversation made for a heartrending, but beautiful, scene.”)

For the church reunion scene, fans shared the following comments:

• “Contrasting the scenery up to this point, the beautiful and gentle space was very impressive.”
• “It was insanely cute how she answered “How about one date?” to Cloud when he asked about payment at her request of being her bodyguard.”
• “I liked how Reno blamed the soldiers when he stepped on the flowers that Aeris grew in the church.”

Watch the stream on Square Enix’s YouTube channel here: