“At Don Corneo’s mansion, Tifa gains affection points when Cloud tells her they have to go save Aeris. But Aeris loses affection points if Cloud tells her they have to go save Tifa. Therefore, Tifa is a nicer person than Aeris.”
This claim occasionally makes the rounds in the Final Fantasy VII fandom. Unfortunately, it is as superficial as most “Aerith vs Tifa” debates, demonstrating a lack of understanding of the source material. While I do find these discussions petty and rooted solely in waifu wars, it’s easy to provide context that hopefully puts this to rest.
To start, here is the affection point mechanic in isolation:
If Tifa is chosen as Don Corneo’s date:
- “You alright?” (+3 Aeris)
- “We gotta help Tifa!” (-2 Aeris)
If Aeris is chosen as Don Corneo’s date:
- “You alright?” (-2 Tifa)
- “We gotta help Aeris!” (+3 Tifa)
Looking at it in isolation, Tifa certainly seems like a kinder person than Aeris, focused on helping her romantic rival while she’s in danger, whereas Aeris would rather Cloud dote on her first.
But it doesn’t exist in isolation. Let’s look at the full scene.
If Tifa is chosen as Don Corneo’s partner, Cloud meets Aeris in the basement and sees her having a brief altercation with Kotch. The conversation begins after Aeris shoves Kotch down the stairs.
Cloud: Aeris!!
- [Option 1] Cloud: You all right?
Aeris: I told you. I’m used to danger. To tell you the truth, my heart was pounding!
- [Option 2] Cloud: We gotta help Tifa!
Aeris: Ye… yes, you’re right… ……let’s hurry!
If Aeris is chosen as Don Corneo’s partner, Cloud meets Tifa in the hallway in front of Don Corneo’s room. Tifa has already dispatched her attackers.
Cloud: Tifa!!
- [Option 1] Cloud: You all right?
Tifa: Of course! If you take me lightly, you’re gonna pay for it!!
- [Option 1] Cloud: We’ve gotta help Aeris!!
Tifa: Hey, don’t you even care about how I am? ……never mind, let’s go!
In the case of Tifa being chosen, Aeris appreciates Cloud asking if she’s okay – initially brushing it off, before admitting she was in adrenaline mode. If Cloud immediately tells her they have to help Tifa, she stammers but agrees, and says they had better hurry. It isn’t that Aeris doesn’t want to help Tifa, it’s that Cloud walked in on someone trying to sexually assault her and she is grateful for him checking in on her.
After all, why would she be put down about saving Tifa? Following Tifa into Wall Market was entirely her idea – not Cloud’s – and she is the one who insisted on dressing up to infiltrate Don Corneo’s mansion to rescue her.
In the case of Aeris being chosen, Tifa gets annoyed if Cloud asks if she’s okay – but does not suggest it’s because she’s worried about Aeris. Instead, she gets defensive that Cloud would worry she cannot handle thugs and berates him for underestimating her. (Remember, Cloud meets Tifa in the hallway, after Tifa has already taken care of Kotch.) If Cloud says they have to help Aeris, she pouts a little about him not caring about her, but then shrugs it off and agrees they had better get going.
Since both choices for both girls are part of the affection point minigame, one needs to be deemed the “good answer” and the other must be the “bad answer.” It was decided that Aeris appreciates Cloud’s concern and Tifa hates being underestimated, thus, the reverse values. In Tifa’s case, assuming that she dislikes Cloud not prioritizing Aeris’s well-being misunderstands the scenario – she is still put out that Cloud doesn’t ask about her, and complains about it (whereas Aeris does not), but this was made the “good” option because Cloud asking if Tifa is okay is interpreted by her to be condescending.
If that is not enough to put to rest any arguments on who is a kinder person, Aeris or Tifa, to rest based on the affection point system, it’s worth noting that Tifa additionally comes across as less magnanimous shortly after this portion in the game. At the Shinra headquarters, right after the team liberates Aeris from a test tube in which she is threatened with sexual assault, Cloud asks either Tifa or Barret to take care of Aeris.
Cloud: Somebody take Aeris somewhere safe…
- [Option 1] Cloud: “Tifa, I’m countin’ on you!”
(-2 Tifa affection points)- [Option 2] Cloud: “Barret, take care of her!”
(+2 Barret affection points)
Choosing Tifa to look after Aeris makes her lose affection points, whereas Barret gains affection points for being entrusted with the same task.
Of course, this seems to follow the same rationale as before. A boss fight is upcoming, and most likely, Tifa feels “underestimated” by not being included in Cloud’s fighting party, and thus is put out if she’s demoted to the bleachers. It’s probably not intended to be a slight against Aeris. To accept this explanation, though – while knowing that that Barret, who also enjoys fighting, is glad Cloud trusts him to look after Aeris – we need to also accept that this is the same reason Tifa loses affection points for Cloud expressing concern for her at Don Corneo’s mansion. In both cases, Tifa dislikes being seen as too weak to fight.
At the end of the day, though, trying to determine “Best Girl” based on an affection point minigame is disingenuous. Both Aeris and Tifa are portrayed as incredibly kind people who love those around them deeply. While the OG Final Fantasy VII did feature some instances of jealousy as a result of their “love rival” status, it’s also apparent that Tifa and Aeris become fast friends. At no point is either portrayed as selfish or cruel – on the contrary, they both constantly value being caretakers and uplifting others. Even their flaws are both rooted in good intentions.
If they occasionally gain or lose affection points based on specific personality quirks, so what? The dating sim minigame is based on figuring out those quirks – and isn’t much deeper than that.
Earth & Sky: A Cloud x Aeris Love Story 