Character Battle QF3: Aerith vs Lightning

We're into the all-female half of the draw now, starting with Aerith against Lightning, the leading ladies from Final Fantasies VII and XIII. Both of these characters made it into the competition the hard way, not picking up enough votes in the qualifying stage but then going on to secure the nominations they needed. The two other nominated characters, Freya and Kefka, fell by the wayside in the group stage.


Who is your favourite of these two characters? Please post an explanation after you vote.

HURRRR Cloud already won one round.

Joking aside, Aerith's original character design is much better and she's not a bitch.

I voted Lightening, I never really cared for Aerith ever. Don't care for lightening that much either, so I'm basing this on whoever I would want in my party more.

I'm going with Lightning, even though I havent played FFXIII

I just like kickass- fighter types rather than mage types.

Plus, aside from the OG I don't like what they did to Aeriths character, in CC I found her downright annoying :/

Sorry Aerith. Nothing compares to Lightning. She is my favorite FF heroine ever.

Someone named Octo said:

Plus, aside from the OG I don't like what they did to Aeriths character, in CC I found her downright annoying :/

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It's only Aerith from the original game (or Aeris, I suppose) competing in this competition. Of course, her actions in other games will affect people's opinion of her, but they shouldn't be the deciding factor if at all possible. I know I used a Crisis Core picture for her card, but that's only because I want to use rendered images of the characters rather than artwork, and there aren't many readily available ones from VII.

This isn't particularly directed at you, Octo, it's just a general reminder for everyone

Flint, you made a error, in Aerith's Job Class you should write "flower girl"

annnnnnnnnd cue zee having an aneurism

lightning for me, no contest. i really like aerith but lightning was just an instant fave for me.

throws self off cliff

aaahasfalfka; THEY ARE BOTH JUST REALLY GOOD CHARACTERS i mean the compilation bullshit aside aeris' character was fantastic; i love that you think she would be this pure demure mage type chick but no she think dressing up dudes like female prostitutes is funny and has the tendency to be a snarky insensitive bitch but she's a good person and despite acting like an open book she keeps a lot close great big SIGH because she's so great and i relate to her a lot but

lightning just

first of all ali hills

second of all i like her badass military attitude but idk i think people write her off too fast as just being a bitch without taking into account she was just really hurt and angry with herself (i mean her sister did just basically DIE and there's snow spewing bullshit about how he's gonna save her, snow who are you anyway) but she's a big maternal baby because she still acts like hope's second mom and ends up looking out for everyone (EVEN THE MOOGLES.....) like she has a rough edge but she's not wallowing in self pity or being an ass simply for the sake of it and she does have a sense of humor and likes to smile she's not just sour really!!!


asdhashd I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO i love them both so much

Easily Aerith. She has got a special place in my heart. ;w; Aerith has such beautiful characterization... She's sweet, sassy, she's grown a lot as a character herself, especially comparing her AC self to what she was in Crisis Core. I know Maiden isn't really an official story, but I really adored who she was reading it. How she accepted the fact that she had a bigger role to play and that she had to protect the planet even though she was heartbroken seeing Cloud sad, and even though she wanted to be alive with everyone else. ;w; She's just a selfless character that has always gone for what she wanted, what she thought was right, and has never been afraid of outright saying what she feels and yeah... she's just really strong willed and a lot of people call her a weak character but she's really not especially spiritually. She's great.
Lightning doesn't even have a fraction of that greatness, imo.

Aerith. Care factor zero for Lightning. Okay, that was mean. I apologise.

I ended up voting for Aerith. Not necessarily for who she is but what she stood for.

Her death wasn't so much about the character herself, more about the stark finality that could befall a major video-game character. Characters can be KO'ed and brought back with a Phoenix Down. Your entire party can be wiped out but once you reload the game you know they'll be waiting for you. Aerith was a goner. There was no going back this time. It was one of the most groundbreaking moments in video-game history. It's been imprinted on video-game fans the world over, stimulating rumours and hearsay like you wouldn't believe, and symbolizes a time when the industry was still pushing the boundaries of dramatic expression.

Also, Aerith is by and large a pivotal cog to the narrative of FFVII. Even after her end, her influence permeates the game and ultimately culminates in her playing her part in the world's salvation, complementing the collaborative efforts of your main party and abridging the gap of her untimely death.

Lightning on the other hand... not so much.

Lightning certainly did appeal to me more viscerally with her take no shit personality and all-action veneer. Not to mention she's striking. That being said, I do think they should have toned down her 'hardass' image. It's just so cliché. Seems you can't have a strong female lead unless they've got a stick firmly lodged up their butt. I'm sure I read somewhere that in the original design stage they wanted to give her more of a flirtatious streak, and I for one would have liked to see that. I feel that sort of flourish would have made her seem less of a one-dimensional character.

I'm sure I read somewhere that in the original design stage they wanted to give her more of a flirtatious streak, and I for one would have liked to see that. I feel that sort of flourish would have made her seem less of a one-dimensional character.

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This. Damn, I would have loved to see a character like that.

Ghost X said:

Aerith. Care factor zero for Lightning. Okay, that was mean. I apologise.

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Yeah, this. All except...

I apologise.

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There we go.

is it too much to ask for both?


fuck I picked lightning, I wanted them both.

In a shock move, I voted for Lightning. I liked Aerith, but that's about it. I can't fault her character in any way, she's a true heroine. But Lightning is awesome aswell, and I'm trying not to let my "ff7 is the best thing ever" side dictate who I vote for.

I'm surprised at how this poll is turning out. O_o

I have to vote in Aerith's favor because she's really a great character. Her personality, her motivations both stated and implied, her backstory, and her role in the game make her a very interesting character. She was a great addition to the game and I adore her. Aerith is definitely very high on my favorite FF characters list.

Yay for Aerith!

Both are great, but I have to vote for Aerith. She's one of my favorite FF characters, and my absolute favorite from VII.

I love her so much in the original game. She was sweet, but spunky. You have her in your party for such a short time, but she made a huge impact on me.

auuuuugh ok voting lightning

if letting your attraction to a fictional video game character sway your decision is wrong i don't wanna be right

Every time I replay FFVII (which to be fair I have not in some years now) I grind Aerith up to be one of the highest leveled characters in the party for the Temple of the Ancients, and make sure to get her Great Gospel and the ability to use it. It may seem silly to work that hard for a character that is inevitably going to be gone forever so soon, but I have a weird thing for making sure she has the fullest experience (short of the tedium of getting her up to level 99, fuck that) she can before she goes out.

I voted Lightning.

I love Aerith but there's something about Lightning that I find special. She's rough around the edges and at her worst misdirects her anger towards others, but at her best she's actually pretty supportive and quick to admit her faults. But overall, she's always an extremely focused badass who tolerates little bullshit in her life and gave fate the finger and made her own future.

Neck and neck. Oh, how suspenseful.

Masamune said:

That being said, I do think they should have toned down her 'hardass' image. It's just so cliché.

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I can think of worse clichés.

Bakas. You've completely overturned my theory that an FFVII forum is only concerned with FFVII. The only explanation that remains is that 50% of you prefer uninspired characters as long as they're rendered in next-gen graphics and are "badass"

It is a sad day.