SPOILERS FFVII:R Chapter 18 Spoiler Discussion

[Darudius]

Just thought I'd ask, whats the consensus on Aerith dying? Are you guys feeling like its not gonna happen this time around? With the whole party being aware of the OG story and what happens and are going to try to prevent it I feel like they're not gonna have her die this time around, which is a shame. Not because she dies obviously but because it was a impactful scene and it would be a shame if they don't do it.

 

[MelodicEnigma]

Might want to know the Japanese version... because she said "Oh... right" then walked away...

Yeah, that's what I saw. A reaction like that is evasive and distant, which pretty much matches the tone of that similar thought process through ambiguous loss. There was nothing else after that, but that's what I think it poked at. I don't see how at that time it'd be about her thoughts of Sephiroth being alive or not.

 

[Makoeyes987]

The party isn't aware of the OG's story.

So I do think Aeriths' death is gonna happen. The heroes are not aware of the future of FFVII or it's progression. They had no context or understanding of the rapid stream of glimpses from the future that they briefly saw fighting the big-bad.

 

[Theozilla]

I would guess there still might be some recurrence of the Whispers plot but I don’t think it will be a prominent as it was in this first installment. Especially since (presuming three parts total) the next ending points for the second installment (either Aerith’s death or the Meteor summoning at the Northern Crater) lend themselves to a far more natural climax, both narratively and gameplay option-wise, than the escaping from Midgar on the highway was for this first installment.

 

[pollenainne]

Yes, perhaps you are right. But still, it probably was a feeling that made her consider what she has chosen, so she misses the steel sky.

Right now, my questions are really centered in the next installments, which may have been their focus since the beggining. Does this Sephiroth-time-conundrum will become the decisive mystery that the next parts will explain? Was this ending, such change from the original, just something to "meta-explain" that the next parts will be "different but similar", or will that be the new focus of FFVIIR project? It just seems odd to fight Sephiroth trying to summon Meteor when he just did some crazier stuff in the first part.

Yeah, unfortunately we will have no answer until they start giving more info about the next part. It is already in development right? I hope they actually have a full coherent story in mind and not thinking to change things depending on fan reaction. lol But based on the interviews, I am really thinking they will stick their guns to maintaining the key aspects of the story. Or at least I hope so. Things happening differently but ending up the same. Maybe?

The party isn't aware of the OG's story.

So I do think Aeriths' death is gonna happen. The heroes are not aware of the future of FFVII or it's progression. They had no context or understanding of the rapid stream of glimpses from the future that they briefly saw fighting the big-bad.

I am like 99.9% sure Aerith is going to die. But how will she die is now questionable.

 

[oty]

I still think she is gonna die the same way, but the context is gonna change. I mean, they are far and aware of the unique and remembered shots of the original (just look at the Seph x Cloud end fight), so I dont believe they will cut that. But I mean, its maybe going to be similar to the Cloud going to bomb Reactor 5 situation? Not that the Whispers will be certainly involded, more that....the result is the same, but the path to it is changed, the "whys" of it.

 

[MelodicEnigma]

I still think she is gonna die the same way, but the context is gonna change. I mean, they are far and aware of the unique and remembered shots of the original (just look at the Seph x Cloud end fight), so I dont believe they will cut that. But I mean, its maybe going to be similar to the Cloud going to bomb Reactor 5 situation? Not that the Whispers will be certainly involded, more that....the result is the same, but the path to it is changed, the "whys" of it.

That's essentially how I view Zack. With the additions to his Last Stand, rather than it being to change the end result, it'll just be a bit of a detour—to me, with the hope of story points that get emphasis at a later time as well.

 

[Wol]

Yeah, unfortunately we will have no answer until they start giving more info about the next part. It is already in development right? I hope they actually have a full coherent story in mind and not thinking to change things depending on fan reaction. lol But based on the interviews, I am really thinking they will stick their guns to maintaining the key aspects of the story. Or at least I hope so. Things happening differently but ending up the same. Maybe?


I am like 99.9% sure Aerith is going to die. But how will she die is now questionable.

Seph is going to make Cloud killing her isnt? Now that would be a twist lol

 

[Obsidian Fire]

Sephrioth already made Cloud try to kill Aerith in the OG. But it's one of the few times Cloud manages to resist Sephrioth's influence. So Sephrioth has to kill her himself.

 

[pollenainne]

Seph is going to make Cloud killing her isnt? Now that would be a twist lol

Dang, that would kill Cloud. Even if it was Barret he killed (someone he didn't promise to protect), we would have x10 emo Cloud. lol

Sephrioth already made Cloud try to kill Aerith in the OG. But it's one of the few times Cloud manages to resist Sephrioth's influence. So Sephrioth has to kill her himself.

Yeah, so it won't be too much of a twist. But imagine if he puts things together and saves her as he did have visions of her death. But she still ends up dying anyway. I love it.

 

[pollenainne]

they are far and aware of the unique and remembered shots of the original (just look at the Seph x Cloud end fight), so I dont believe they will cut that..

Ugh! You're right. I wouldn't want to change that scene either... sigh~

 

[rkss]

Just thought I'd ask, whats the consensus on Aerith dying? Are you guys feeling like its not gonna happen this time around? With the whole party being aware of the OG story and what happens and are going to try to prevent it I feel like they're not gonna have her die this time around, which is a shame. Not because she dies obviously but because it was a impactful scene and it would be a shame if they don't do it.

It'd be a cheap move if they rewrote whole ff7's plot & theme just to keep Aerith alive in my opinion
But hey it's SE, they might actually do it.

 

[Wol]

So Aerith says that beyond the portal lies freedom, and that if they win and defeat Seph they might change even themselves... but Seph wasnt defeated, and obviously if they did all the rest of the story wouldnt happen... Does that mean they had the opportunity to change their fate, but that wasnt the case in the end?

 

[oty]

If what Mako has said is true, then yeah. Sephiroth wanted to bait them to change fate, they didnt. Its weird bc....well they pretty much resolved everything right? It came and went in the first game, with little explaining. Maybe as a meta-interpretation of that could mean for the whole Project? Or maybe there is going to be more of it in the nexts installments.

 

[Wol]

If what Mako has said is true, then yeah. Sephiroth wanted to bait them to change fate, they didnt. Its weird bc....well they pretty much resolved everything right? It came and went in the first game, with little explaining. Maybe as a meta-interpretation of that could mean for the whole Project? Or maybe there is going to be more of it in the nexts installments.

There is still "An Unknown Journey Awaits" tagline at the ending though.

 

[Eerie]

I still think the second game is going to end with Aerith's death and they're going to make a super long and beautiful cutscene with Cloud putting her corpse in the lake and the whole party mourning. I know a lot of people think the Northern Crater is a better ending, but I feel that this is where they'll want to end it, narratively - I've always felt that Aerith's death would be a great moment to end the second game, and now I feel it more than ever - part 1 ends with Zack's death, part 2 will end with Aerith's death.

 

[Wol]

I still think the second game is going to end with Aerith's death and they're going to make a super long and beautiful cutscene with Cloud putting her corpse in the lake and the whole party mourning. I know a lot of people think the Northern Crater is a better ending, but I feel that this is where they'll want to end it, narratively - I've always felt that Aerith's death would be a great moment to end the second game, and now I feel it more than ever - part 1 ends with Zack's death, part 2 will end with Aerith's death.

Just that this time it will be Zack mourning her death lol

 

[pollenainne]

So Aerith says that beyond the portal lies freedom, and that if they win and defeat Seph they might change even themselves... but Seph wasnt defeated, and obviously if they did all the rest of the story wouldn't happen... Does that mean they had the opportunity to change their fate, but that wasnt the case in the end?

That is what I understood. In the end, though we the players won, they actually failed. Thus they didn't really change fate, otherwise, Sephy would not ask Cloud again during their last battle. But we are still dangled a bait that with the Whispers gone, we might be able to forge a new path?

There is still "An Unknown Journey Awaits" tagline at the ending though.

That must be the largest bait. Tbh, I do like that they are trying to open up possibilities. But in the end, I do want everything to end up almost the same. lol

 

[Wol]

That is what I understood. In the end, though we the players won, they actually failed. Thus they didn't really change fate, otherwise, Sephy would not ask Cloud again during their last battle. But we are still dangled a bait that with the Whispers gone, we might be able to forge a new path?


That must be the largest bait. Tbh, I do like that they are trying to open up possibilities. But in the end, I do want everything to end up almost the same. lol

If they are gone, because apparently they're tied to Sephiroth.

 

[pollenainne]

If they are gone, because apparently they're tied to Sephiroth.

I don't think they are gone either. But bait... you know.

Just that this time it will be Zack mourning her death lol

Ehhh... how about no? lol

 

[Darudius]

I also saw people saying that Tifa might die in Aeriths place, not sure how serious they were being though. Is that a possibility?

 

[Eerie]

As I have stated before, people are saying that because of a vision Cloud has while fighting Sephiroth... but in this vision, Meteor falls, Tifa and Barret are killed by him, Midgard is destroyed, so that means you failed the game lol. In short no, Tifa will not die instead of Aerith.

 

[Suzaku]

Just thought I'd ask, whats the consensus on Aerith dying? Are you guys feeling like its not gonna happen this time around? With the whole party being aware of the OG story and what happens and are going to try to prevent it I feel like they're not gonna have her die this time around, which is a shame. Not because she dies obviously but because it was a impactful scene and it would be a shame if they don't do it.

They've said they're still going to hit all the major story moments.

I get the feeling that any twists or mindfuckery are just going to be there to screw with our expectations to make the inevitable gut punches hit even harder when they do come.

I'm thinking of Paz in MGSV. You see her get killed in Ground Zeroes (or do you?), but she shows up injured in MGSV, suffering from amnesia, and there are various scenes where you try and help her remember who she is. But eventually, you find out she's just a hallucination caused by Venom's PTSD and brain injury.

 

[rkss]

I also saw people saying that Tifa might die in Aeriths place, not sure how serious they were being though. Is that a possibility?

What would it even do to the story? Aerith's death makes sense because she's demi god, Tifa is a barmaid. Sure.. Jenova totally does not like alcohol.

Might as well kill Reeve while we're at it because nobody likes Cait Sith.

 

[Arianna]

I like Cait Sith/Reeve.