We know it’s canon that Aeris loves Cloud. (Read this post for more on that.) But typically, Cloud’s feelings are considered to be a matter of interpretation (and the game’s built-in affection mechanics.) So, do we have any official evidence that Cloud loves Aeris? Take a look at just some of the evidence of Cloud’s own feelings for our flower girl-cum-Planet savior.
In the ending, Cloud expresses desire to be with one woman
[After reaching for Aeris’s hand in the Lifestream]
Cloud: ……I think I’m beginning to understand.
Tifa: What?
Cloud: An answer from the Planet…
Final Fantasy VII, ending
the Promised Land…
I think I can meet her…there.
World of Final Fantasy – Terra confirms Cloud loves Aeris
Cloud: [Sephiroth] took someone away from me. Forever.
World of Final Fantasy
Terra: So when you find him, what are you going to do? Will killing him bring back the woman that you lost?
Terra: This isn’t any way to honor her memory. To take your love for her and turn it into hate?
Dirge of Cerberus: Aeris is Forever Engraved in Cloud’s Heart
「エアリス・ゲインズブール」彼の心に生涯刻まれることとなる古代種の血を引く少女。
Aerith Gainsborough: A young woman descended from the Ancients who will forever be engraved in [Cloud’s] heart.
Dirge of Cerberus (Japanese game manual)
FF7 Remake Says Aeris is Cloud’s “Loved One” (with a parallel to Leslie’s own lost lover)
For the Reunion
Final Fantasy VII Remake, mission description
Leslie gives them grappling guns, and they wish each other luck in reuniting with their respective loves ones.
Advent Children: When Sephiroth asked Cloud what he cherished most, and his first thought is of Aeris
He not only thinks of Aeris first, he thinks of her three times in the original Advent Children movie – more than any other character!
Ultimania Omega: Cloud and Aeris instantly feel something special toward each other
There is a scene where Cloud and Aeris laugh when they escape from the church. This is the only time Cloud laughs clearly through the story of Final Fantasy VII. Is the reason he was able to open up to her, despite just meeting, because they felt something special for each other?
Ultimania Omega, page 14
Cloud’s Dancing Song Meant to Give off Sexy, Romantic Image Between Cloud and Aeris
I wanted the English song title for the dance battle at the Honeybee Inn to give off a sexy image, where romantic feelings are gradually rising between the two…
Toriyama, Famitsu interview
That Time Cloud looked deep into his heart and found Aeris
Bugenhagen: What to do? Have you lost your way? When that happens, we each have to take a good long look at ourselves.
There’s always something in the deepest reaches of our hearts.
[…]Bugenhagen: Do you see it? What is it that you are searching for?
Cloud: I remember Aeris a lot.
Final Fantasy VII (disc 2)
All of this in the 10th Anniversary Ultimania
“It is my sin that I couldn’t protect my loved one” – under this assumption, Cloud closes off his heart. What will the reunion with Aeris bring him?
Two years have passed since she returned to the Planet, and AErith still lives on in the hearts of her friends who saved the Planet. Especially in Cloud, to whom she is a symbol of “the sin of failing to protect a loved one,” and the main factor in him closing off his heart.
10th Anniversary Ultimania, page 52
“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.
10th Anniversary Ultimania, page 72
*Note that in these cases, I translated “taisetsu na hito/taisetsu na mono” as “loved one,” which is one of the phrase’s common translations, though literally it means “important person/important thing.” The romantic subtext, however, is generally contextual with this phrase. In the case of Vincent’s section above, his loss of the woman he loved, Lucrecia, and the sense of guilt he feels, is meant to directly parallel Cloud’s own feelings for Aeris. Read more here.
Nomura on Why Cloud Sees Aeris in Advent Children
The words “memetic legacy” are used a lot in the film…but in Advent Children, rather than focusing on memories we wanted to show that consciousness is what lives on. We took the ending of the game and expanded on that idea. Even if they’re dead, their consciousness is still with us. As for Cloud…he sees Aerith several times throughout the film. It’s not that he sees her because he feels her presence. He sees her because her consciousness…lives on inside him.
Tetsuya Nomura, Making of Advent Children
Ultimania: A Prediction of their Wedding
[Cait Sith] tells one last fortune about Cloud and Aerith’s compatibility.
The result of it turns out as,
“Aerith’s star and Cloud’s star! They show a great future!”
Later, it will become a sad prediction when we get to know what happens afterward. But if we can catch the meaning of the “future” from another angle, we can see hope… perhaps.
Caption: Cait Sith’s lines which predict Cloud and Aerith’s wedding now becomes more painful.
pg. 151, FVII Ultimania Omega
Ultimania: Tifa Jealously Watched as Cloud and Aeris Built their World Together
A close friend as well as rival?
The complicated emotions she feels towards Aerith.
Both 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.
10th Anniversary Ultimania
← [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.
Advent Children Script: Cloud “Abandons Himself” to Aeris’s Voice
Cloud hears Aerith’s voice and abandons himself to it, silently watching over Kadaj. A (Lifestream) rain begins to fall.
Advent Children Official Script
Famitsu Interview: Nomura Says Cloud has Undying Feelings for Aerith
エアリスはかつてともに旅をした仲間で、受け手側の皆さんにも、それぞれの愛情や想いがあると思います。この物語のクラウドも、エアリスに対して、いまもなお 死なぬ想いは あると・・・・。この教会の場面との関係は・・・・・うーん。このあたりは皆さんのご想像におまかせします（笑）。
Nomura, Famitsu Magazine (October 2003) [ファミ通PS2! 2003年10月24日号 NO.153]
“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. (laughs)
Final Symphony’s Incredible Write-Up of the Love Triangle
II. Words Drowned by Fireworks
The second movement, “Words Drowned by Fireworks”, focuses on the dynamic between the three main protagonists: Cloud (the central character), and his two potential love interests, Tifa and Aerith. It opens with a short introduction to Aerith via her theme, before the titular song begins (59:21), portraying her date with Cloud. Manifestations of “Main Theme of Final Fantasy VII” make appearances throughout, and the two characters hit it off while chimes flutter around like birds. Just as the conversation starts to go places, the interaction is halted by fireworks (1:02:20).Afterwards, “Aerith’ s Theme” begins to play (1 :03:29), but before it can fully blossom the attention shifts back to Cloud for his exposition (1:03:48). His theme starts rather timidly at first, a young man wrestling with new-found emotions. Fragments of Aerith’s and Tifa’ s themes run throughout as Cloud becomes more confident and his relationship grows with them both. Just as Aerith is about to come back into the picture (1:04:50), Tifa’ s theme cuts in almost intrusively (1:04;5,6), drowning Aerith out. Tifa takes centre stage, Cloud’s theme appearing occasionally in perfect fit with Tifa’s. Bus as Cloud remembers Aerith (1:06:33), he is left with a dilemma.
The second part of Cloud’s theme plays, timidly once more (1:06:52). The birds return with Aerith, who tries to find her way back into his theme (1:07:09). Eventually the solo violin and cello are able to harmonize, and Cloud realizes his feelings for Aerith. Her theme is finally allowed to blossom (1:08:08), and Cloud’s theme fits perfectly with hers. Despite this, Aerith still shows some reservations (1:08:31), partly troubled by the resemblance that Cloud bears to an old friend named Zack. Aerith tries to shake off those feelings (1:09:07), but they are no longer in perfect harmony as their themes play simultaneously in higher and lower registers (1:10:06). Although they are able to reconcile briefly, Sephiroth suddenly interrupts and things are left in disarray (1:10:06).
Aerith and Cloud try to find each other again (1:10:28), fragments from each theme appearing in different keys in a desperate attempt to return to harmony. Things become increasingly dire as Sephiroth resurfaces, increasing the dissonance and tension. Aerith’s theme repeatedly tries to make it through, but to no avail as Sephiroth impales Aerith with his blade (1:11:54). All she can manage now is quick, laboured breaths. Sephiroth draws out his sword (1:12:12) and Aerith’s breathing slowly tapers off, until finally, she breathes her last.
Final Symphony, official concert program
Remake: Cloud’s Heart Goes Doki-Doki for Aeris
Cloud arrives at the top [of the slide] and sits just a short distance from where Aerith is. Aerith closes the distance [between them] and smiles. Their shoulders just barely touching. Cloud’s face looks calm, [but on the] inside his heart was throbbing.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Ultimania Plus
30th Anniversary Exhibit: Aeris Thaws Cloud’s Heart
“Aeris’s brightness comes to open Cloud’s cold and closed-off heart. But this warm respite proves brief, as he loses Aeris to the hand of his nemesis Sephiroth.
Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Farewell Exhibit
“The story follows the protagonist Cloud’s point of view, but it is the heroine Aeris who opens Cloud’s heart and plays an important role in bringing him closer to his mysterious past.
Losing Aeris Tore Wounds in Cloud’s Heart
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 (Advent Children Novel original translation)
25th Memorial Ultimania: Sephiroth “Robbed Cloud of His Beloved”
The End of Everything
Final Fantasy 25th Memorial Ultimania, Vol 2. Page 21
Sephiroth: the enemy Cloud admired in his youth, the one who robbed him of his beloved, and who is the nucleus of the Reunion. As the Planet’s enemy and for all these reasons, Cloud’s battle will not end until he settles things one-on-one with him.
*Note that the official English version, translated by Darkhorse, makes numerous additions and ommissions and is generally not a trustworthy reflection of the Japanese text at all. In this case, though “aisuru mono” is a fairly clear-cut meaning of “loved one,” the Darkhorse translation omits this phrase entirely.
Kingdom Hearts 1 “Answers Questions” About Cloud and Aeris, Something Nomura Wanted to Give Fans
Question: What was the thought behind bringing back Aeris [in Kingdom Hearts]?
Nomura: Yes, she died in Final Fantasy VII, but there’s no real relation to where she was at or what role she played in FFVII. There’s no relationship from FFVII to the Kingdom Hearts stories. I consider them separate stories. But if you play Kingdom Hearts, toward the end, some of the questions about the relationship between Cloud and Aeris in FFVII might be answered. It’s sort of like a side story, and this was an extra bonus that I wanted to give to players.
Official U.S. Playstation Magazine; October, 2002, page 139-140
Remake: Cloud and Aeris’s Chapter 9 Date is “One of the More Romantic Moments of the Game”
This piece plays during the scene where Cloud and Aerith are walking together under the night sky, when she joins him under the guide of acting as a guide. The awkwardness between the two of them is so sweet; it really is one of the more romantic moments of the game. I found inspiration for this piece while walking through town around Christmastime, with all the bustle of the crowds and holidays decorations. Whenever I listen to the track now, I get pulled back into that moment, pondering the approaching end of the year. I think the sparkling sequences and the warm pads really bring out that Christmas feeling. In regard to the song’s placement in the story, I feel that it helps foster a moment of calm and respite between battles.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Material Ultimania
Cloud is Aeris’s “Koibito” – Lover
Cloud was [Aerith’s] friend, her lover – he represented something precious, an existence that she must protect.
On the Way to a Smile, Case of Lifestream (White)
*Note that koibito, while generally used to mean a two-way love (that is, lover) can also mean one-way feelings (beloved). The official English translation used the latter meaning of “beloved” – however, other language translations including French and German used the former, “lover.”
Remake: Cloud and Aerith’s Resolution Scene in Chapter 14 Confirms His Love for Her
Aerith: But you can’t fall in love with me.
Cloud’s reaction looks upset.
Aerith: Even if you think you have [fallen in love with me], it’s just your imagination.
Before finishing what she has to say, Aerith begins to disappear. Cloud frantically reaches for Aerith’s hand but his hand slips right through hers.
Cloud: That’s very one-sided. [English: Do I get a say in all this?]
CAerith does not respond to Cloud’s objection.
Aerith: It’s already morning. Time to go.
Suddenly, dazzling lights start to appear, and Aerith begins to disappear into the light.
CLoud: I’m coming to get you.
Aerith: I shouldn’t be… but I’m happy.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Ultimania: Japanese translation
Cloud and Aeris portrayed as married in “Final Fantasy Brigade” Mobile Game
No quote for this one – but it speaks for itself for those wondering if Square has ever portrayed Cloud as loving Aeris. Read more about the Clerith marriage in Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade here.
Earth & Sky: A Cloud x Aeris Love Story 