"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 … Continue reading Affection Points & Niceness: Tifa and Aeris at Don Corneo’s Mansion
Category: Essays
No, Cloud and Aerith Don’t Have a Brother-Sister Relationship
It's a tale as old as love triangles in pop culture media: one side's superfans will try anything to try to disprove and invalidate the other. Fandom veterans might've heard this one before: the ship you like is actually sibling-coded and therefore wrong. That feeling when your sis asks you not to fall in love … Continue reading No, Cloud and Aerith Don’t Have a Brother-Sister Relationship
Myth: Is Cloud talking about Aerith or ALL his deceased loved ones in FF7’s ending?
In Final Fantasy VII's gut-punch of an ending, Cloud defeats Sephiroth in the Northern Crater as Meteor descends upon the Planet. In volcanic eruptions of green Lifestream, Cloud sees Aeris above him, and reaches her hand out to hers. Afterwards, he and Tifa quickly climb to safe ground in the unstable terrain and share brief … Continue reading Myth: Is Cloud talking about Aerith or ALL his deceased loved ones in FF7’s ending?
Myths and Misconceptions: Does Player Choice End at the Lifestream?
The myth of the "myth" of player choice and its repercussions on the Love Triangle Debate.
Does Tifa Know the Real Cloud?
There's a common argument in among Final Fantasy VII fans that Tifa knows Cloud's true self and thus her experiences with him throughout the game are genuine, whereas Aeris does not know Cloud's true self and therefore her own relationship with him is inherently counterfeit. Dismantling this claim doesn't require delving into secondary sources (the … Continue reading Does Tifa Know the Real Cloud?
Clerith Wins in the FF7 Rebirth Ultimania (And Other New Official Literature)
The release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has meant new official literature with it, including a World Preview, a 700+ page Ultimania, and even things like CD pamphlets. There's a lot here for Clerith fans to enjoy - especially concerning the date scene between Cloud and Aerith. So kick back and enjoy some of the … Continue reading Clerith Wins in the FF7 Rebirth Ultimania (And Other New Official Literature)
NO PROMISES TO KEEP: Aerith’s Ballad to Cloud (Part 2)
We, as an eager fandom, learned that No Promises to Keep would be the theme song of the yet-unreleased Final Fantasy VII Rebirth at The Game Awards in December 2023. At that time, I took a deep dive into the available lyrics and trailer presentation of the piece, during which it was pretty easy to … Continue reading NO PROMISES TO KEEP: Aerith’s Ballad to Cloud (Part 2)
The Most Epic Date Ever: Remake’s Chapter 9 Entire Purpose is Building the Cloud/Aerith Romance
Chapter 9 of Final Fantasy VII Remake is the game's longest chapter, and it serves one primary purpose: to build up the romance between Cloud and Aerith. Sounds crazy? It might be - but it's true. After all, the seeds have already been planted. The last chapter opened with Aerith promising Cloud "one date" in … Continue reading The Most Epic Date Ever: Remake’s Chapter 9 Entire Purpose is Building the Cloud/Aerith Romance
A Compilation of Cloud Canonically Loving Aerith
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 … Continue reading A Compilation of Cloud Canonically Loving Aerith
“Underneath the Rotting Pizza” – Cities in the Sky and a Desolate Earth Beneath
The cities of Final Fantasy VII operate somewhere within the aesthetic realm between cyberpunk and 80's grunge. Sci-fi but not quite, we see a human population with flying airships but no successful human launch into space, chunky computers and PHS phones and a distinct lack of high-speed travel. While Final Fantasy VII: Remake injects a … Continue reading “Underneath the Rotting Pizza” – Cities in the Sky and a Desolate Earth Beneath









