Do we know how old Elena is?

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Yeah, that's the thing I can never quite wrap my head around, the assumption that this world has things like drinking ages, or ages of consent, or seat belt legislation.

 

[Rydeen]

Considering this is a world where 14 year olds can join the army, I'd be reluctant to automatically assume that the drinking/serving age is the same as in Japan. It's also hard to say what the school system is like, how long high school would be, and if she went to the Shinra academy "high school" from about 14-18 like one would assume based on real world. Perhaps people interested in a military career with Shinra have the option to enlist straight into the army at 14, or specialize in a 4 year program.

Based on what we know, the age range for the specialized schooling is likely either 14-18, or younger. I don't believe Elena to be any older than 18 in the OG. Her design in BC is very child-like. In the OG, as well as Advent Children, she looks younger than all the other female characters, and I believe her clumsiness to be a symptom of her youth and inexperience. She really seemed to have grown into her own skin over the two years between the OG and AC. But I do wonder how Kadaj's torture has effected her. Perhaps her and Tseng support each other on this shared trauma.

 

[Fangu]

Ohey, old thread revived! This was a fun read The good old days talking fic and shipping Tselena... I feel nostalgic

 

[Legend]

My headcanon has Elena at age 19 in BC/OG, but I'll admit that 18 or even 17 might be more believable. She could have enrolled to the SMA late or simply taken a longer time to complete her degree. She can't be that much younger than her sister, anyway. (3-4 years younger would mean than her sister joined the Turks at age 16-17, which is reasonable.)

I also think Tseng can be 27 minimum in the OG, and not early 30s like a lot of people have said. If we go by the timeline, he's a rookie Turk in the year 1995, which would make him 15 at the time. 15 is reasonable considering that Cissnei joined the Turks at age 14. (I also find it odd that she's the only Turk with a known age.)

So 10-year-old Aerith is still a child when 15-year-old Tseng visits and requests her to return to Shinra. It's still unlikely, but possible.

So the minimum possible age gap between Elena and Tseng would be 8 years if we assume Elena's 19 in the OG.

(The timeline I'm going by is the one on the SE Members website. Not sure how accurate it is.)

 

[ForceStealer]

More than her age, I'm curious of her pre-Turk occupation in Shinra. She says she was 'promoted' to the Turks after you take out Reno. So is there some sort of Turk advancement program, or was she just in the military and singled out for showing promise in intelligence work or something? Alternatively a desk job and singled out for showing potential in beating the shit out of people

 

[Makoeyes987]

She attended a Military Academy in Midgar as a high school student while a bartender during Before Crisis.

She wanted to be a Turk, but due to her sister being so far above her, she was discouraged and resented her. And when her sister "died" she decided to finally pursue her dream and enroll in the Turks.

She's a Monk class. She would have been a gunner but since her sister is "Gun/Female", she disavowed guns and made it her mission to be a master brawler.

Despite her ditziness and being a n00b she's actually really strong and elite for her class. Her sister was just better.

 

[Clement Rage]

It's an interesting dynamic. Her co workers keep belittling her across FF7, then she turns out to be a far better fighter than they are.

Did she enroll, or did they poach her due to needing the numbers? I expect the Turks keep an eye on the top candidates as a matter of course.

 

[Makoeyes987]

Elena and "Gun Female's" father is a military leader and instructor at the Shinra Military Academy in Midgar. They were both proud and eager to join Shinra's Turks. Well Elena was, until her sis became a legendary Turk.

 

[Legend]

It's an interesting dynamic. Her co workers keep belittling her across FF7, then she turns out to be a far better fighter than they are.

Was it ever shown that she was a better fighter? Aside from the fact that her level and stats were higher than Reno and Rude's. She was pretty ruthless in the novel, I'll give her that... but if I recall correctly, all she did was beat the shit out of a civilian who was tied to a chair.

Maybe it's reasonable to assume so after seeing how bad her colleagues got their asses kicked in AC, lol.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

The Shinra Military Academy is in Junon, according to Before Crisis. President Shinra goes there to make a speech, and is attacked by Avalanche Mark 1.

 

[Makoeyes987]

Oh, my bad. Its been awhile.

 

[Legend]

The Shinra Military Academy is in Junon, according to Before Crisis.

Where did you get this from? I skimmed through Chapter 2 of BC and there was no mention of the SMA. It also wouldn't make sense considering Elena's part-time work was in Midgar when she was in school.

 

[Tashasaurous]

I always had thought in my head that she's at least three or five years younger than Reno who's about five years younger than Tseng.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Oh my god, you're right. I made it up. I've reached the point where I've forgotten what's real and what's my headcanon. Sorry about that, everyone.
I'm also convinced that Elena dropped out of school to work in that bar, but I might have made that up, too.

 

[Clement Rage]

Was it ever shown that she was a better fighter? Aside from the fact that her level and stats were higher than Reno and Rude's.

I'm talking about the bossfight. She's tougher and more dangerous than Reno and Rude, and she's what makes the team finally dangerous instead of just annoying.

 

[Firstone33]

From what I know she is at least eighteen maybe early twenties, they did say how old but at one point the ff wiki changed it like they changed how old sephiroth might be, before they said he was thirty in ffvii and twenty five in crisis core mainly Nibel incident but now it says he was twenty two during nibel and twenty seven in vii.

So depends on what year Elena was born subtract her year of birth from date of vii which takes place in 2007 and you will have her age but we don't know the year she was born but I thought she was sixteen during before crisis and crisis core which would make her twenty three in vii this is speculation I do not know if it is true

My headcanon has Elena at age 19 in BC/OG, but I'll admit that 18 or even 17 might be more believable. She could have enrolled to the SMA late or simply taken a longer time to complete her degree. She can't be that much younger than her sister, anyway. (3-4 years younger would mean than her sister joined the Turks at age 16-17, which is reasonable.)

I also think Tseng can be 27 minimum in the OG, and not early 30s like a lot of people have said. If we go by the timeline, he's a rookie Turk in the year 1995, which would make him 15 at the time. 15 is reasonable considering that Cissnei joined the Turks at age 14. (I also find it odd that she's the only Turk with a known age.)

So 10-year-old Aerith is still a child when 15-year-old Tseng visits and requests her to return to Shinra. It's still unlikely, but possible.

So the minimum possible age gap between Elena and Tseng would be 8 years if we assume Elena's 19 in the OG.

(The timeline I'm going by is the one on the SE Members website. Not sure how accurate it is.)

Possible I thought she was sixteen during BC but the ff wiki tends to change into now and again so her age is unknown but she likely is either nineteen or in her early twenties

 

[Chocobo Eater]

Knowing the Turks' official ages has only made me more curious about Elena's.

It wouldn't surprise me if she's past her teens... maybe closer to Aerith's age, just so the gap between her and the rest of the Turks isn't too large. This may come off as a surprise to some considering she was still a student two months prior to joining the Turks, but was it ever confirmed that the SMA is a high school? We know it's a military school, and military school may not have age restrictions.

If I'm wrong about the school thing and if they stay true to BC's timeline of events (for that part, at least), then the question really boils down to what age they feel is appropriate for a high school student who is also a barmaid. Even then it's not unlikely that they make her slightly older than expected like they did Rufus.

 

[Torrie]

Knowing the Turks' official ages has only made me more curious about Elena's.

Well, a couple of years from now, and we'll finally get to know the word of God the creators on that matter

To be honest, I'm super curious too, but I have a bit of a problem perceiving some characters as young as they are designed to be.