SPOILERS LTD Remake — It's like New Coke except ... no, it's exactly like New Coke

Eerie

Fire and Blood
It won’t count unless I have Cloud and Tifa’s children’s birth certificates personally hand-delivered to me by Nojima himself, dammit! jk I just think the vagueness from SE is pointless shipper bait

Am I the only one who thinks the devs aren't subtle or vague at all? I don't think so lol. The LTD exists for a various set of reasons, which range from bad interpretation to bad faith, and the illusion that the devs have always been vague about who Cloud loves, yet this is not true at all. You could think it's only a Nojima thing to push cloti, yet Nomura and others also talk about them freely and add scenes for those two. They are far from vague, and after having watched more than a few gameplays of Remake, I can see cloti painted all over it. That's not to say there's no clerith - there is - but it is far less than cloti, and less qualitative too, imho. The fact that Cloud only flirts openly with Tifa and seeks her approval is very telling.

It's also very telling that when asked about the LTD, the devs always hammer how they don't look at relationships but how to do the best they can with a character, and when they talked about giving the same number of scenes to Aerith and Tifa, they were talking about the girls, not the pairings... yet Tifa's scenes are all tied to Cloud.

This has made me realise something that I had overlooked before, it's that cloti and zerith are pretty much hardcoded in the game. They had a mix of Cloud and Zack as one male character, and a mix of Aerith and Tifa as the female character. Yet they split them nicely, so that Cloud and Tifa would compliment each other, as well as Aerith and Zack, both in looks and character. I joked the other day that I sometimes felt that Zack was Nojima's gift to Aerith, but I'm barely joking as it is - and I'm not even shipping it. Even if you only look at the OG, Aerith is the heroine that makes the overarching story advance, while Tifa makes the intimate story advance.

And when I say that cloti is hardcoded in the game, it is how it is: once Cloud regains his memories thanks to Tifa, this is where his heart is. And at this moment, you cannot change his feelings, the illusion is being shattered as you learn who the true Cloud is. He wavered, that was part of the illusion, but once you've reached that critical point, it's only cloti. And it's why cloti is hardcoded in the game, because they gave to Tifa the intimate part of the story; the devs chose to tear it down from Tifareth to give it to Tifa, making cloti canon in the process. This is why Aerith can never help Cloud, because she's already burdened with the overarching story. They gave Tifa everything that was needed, from the looks to the character and knowledge to make Cloud a pendant. And honestly, this shines even more in Remake than it did in the OG.
 

KindOfBlue

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Blue
Am I the only one who thinks the devs aren't subtle or vague at all? I don't think so lol. The LTD exists for a various set of reasons, which range from bad interpretation to bad faith, and the illusion that the devs have always been vague about who Cloud loves, yet this is not true at all. You could think it's only a Nojima thing to push cloti, yet Nomura and others also talk about them freely and add scenes for those two. They are far from vague, and after having watched more than a few gameplays of Remake, I can see cloti painted all over it. That's not to say there's no clerith - there is - but it is far less than cloti, and less qualitative too, imho. The fact that Cloud only flirts openly with Tifa and seeks her approval is very telling.

It's also very telling that when asked about the LTD, the devs always hammer how they don't look at relationships but how to do the best they can with a character, and when they talked about giving the same number of scenes to Aerith and Tifa, they were talking about the girls, not the pairings... yet Tifa's scenes are all tied to Cloud.

This has made me realise something that I had overlooked before, it's that cloti and zerith are pretty much hardcoded in the game. They had a mix of Cloud and Zack as one male character, and a mix of Aerith and Tifa as the female character. Yet they split them nicely, so that Cloud and Tifa would compliment each other, as well as Aerith and Zack, both in looks and character. I joked the other day that I sometimes felt that Zack was Nojima's gift to Aerith, but I'm barely joking as it is - and I'm not even shipping it. Even if you only look at the OG, Aerith is the heroine that makes the overarching story advance, while Tifa makes the intimate story advance.

And when I say that cloti is hardcoded in the game, it is how it is: once Cloud regains his memories thanks to Tifa, this is where his heart is. And at this moment, you cannot change his feelings, the illusion is being shattered as you learn who the true Cloud is. He wavered, that was part of the illusion, but once you've reached that critical point, it's only cloti. And it's why cloti is hardcoded in the game, because they gave to Tifa the intimate part of the story; the devs chose to tear it down from Tifareth to give it to Tifa, making cloti canon in the process. This is why Aerith can never help Cloud, because she's already burdened with the overarching story. They gave Tifa everything that was needed, from the looks to the character and knowledge to make Cloud a pendant. And honestly, this shines even more in Remake than it did in the OG.

After reading multiple essays on the LTD, I never thought I’d ever write one myself but here we go...

To your point, I guess most people’s idea of vague and subtle is anything short of either sharing a kiss onscreen or exchanging “I love you”s. Square Enix could also have Cloud explicity prefer one girl over another, or have one girl officially being considered Cloud’s girlfriend either in-universe or by the creators but it doesn’t seem likely that they would do that, though it would certainly be interesting if they actually go there in future parts of Remake.

Cloud and Tifa expressing mutual romantic feelings for each other is already canon but I think Nomura’s statement about not knowing if they were in a relationship leading up to Advent Children combined with silly affection mechanics ultimately keeps this LTD alive. You definitely seem to appreciate the nuances of these relationships, as do I and honestly I really wish more people would. Typically, my rule of canon is as follows: “if the creators confirm something, it’s true. If the creators don’t confirm or deny something, it’s a possibility. If the creators deny something, it’s false.” Which leads me to interpret the story as such:

- Cloud has canonically liked both Tifa and Aerith
- Aerith has canonically liked both Zack and Cloud
- Aerith has canonically never met the real Cloud, but is aware that he exists and desires to meet him
- Cloud and Tifa canonically become aware of mutual romantic feelings in the Lifestream and confirm them under the Highwind
- Cloud canonically blames himself for Aerith’s death (as well as Zack’s) and carries that guilt until the end of Advent Children
- Cloud and Tifa canonically live together and adopt Denzel, and they are still living together post-Advent Children


But I think it also leaves enough room for interpretation for the following points:

- It is unclear how much of Cloud’s feelings for Aerith are canonically from true Cloud, fake Cloud, or Zack
I noticed some people who try to debunk Zack’s effect on Cloud’s feelings completely forget that Cloud’s fake persona isn’t just him coping with all of his trauma. He is quite literally possessed by a 2000-year-old alien who is explicitly capable of reading minds, copying and manipulating memories, and casting illusions. Even in the OG, Cloud remembers specific conversations Zack had with Sephiroth in the Shinra Manor and the Nibelheim mako reactor that Cloud was not actually present to witness himself, yet he recalls them in Kalm years later as if he was. So I think it’s totally possible that Cloud has some kind of remnant of Zack’s affection and memories of Aerith due to Jenova’s influence at least partially, but unless we’re specifically shown this then I won’t treat it as a fact but a possibility.

- It is unclear how much of Cloud’s feelings for Aerith carry over from his fake persona to his real persona
I think the more important argument is not whether those feelings are from Zack, but whether or not they’re even from true Cloud himself. As much as I agree that Cloud and Aerith get along well, ultimately their connection is built on the false premise that he is who he says he is but he isn’t. Which Aerith herself even recognizes in the Gold Saucer date of the OG and the chapter 14 resolution of Remake. Could Aerith also get along well with real Cloud? I believe so, but ultimately that’s not what happens in the story.

- It is unclear if true Cloud canonically likes one girl over the other between Aerith and Tifa And no, I don’t consider Jessie a real option
Personally, I don’t think who he likes more is important to the story because the story works in either way. We don’t know how much of Cloud’s feelings for Aerith inform his guilt over her death in AC or if he even still has romantic feelings for her in his true persona, but I would at least contend those are possibilities unless the creators say otherwise. As long as they don’t confirm or deny those things I can’t really consider any stance as true or false. (Though it’s definitely false that Cloud is miserable living with Tifa and wants to die so that he can be with Aerith instead, but we know that through Word of God instead of the actual movie itself where we should’ve learned that from in the first place.)

- It is unclear if Aerith is canonically still not completely over Zack or if she’s only interested in Cloud during the events of the OG
This is a tricky one because of all of the debate surrounding whether or not Maiden Who Travels the Planet is canon. If it is, then I’d easily accept that Aerith likes Cloud more than Zack as a fact though it still doesn’t answer for what Cloud’s feelings are. We do know that she was initially reminded of Zack upon meeting Cloud but grew to fall for Cloud himself.

- It is unclear if Cloud and Tifa had sex under the Highwind or simply cuddled and/or kissed or performed the far more vulgar act of holding hands
Kind of a moot point honestly but it’s one that I see brought up a lot. I know the original scene is far more suggestive but because it’s not in the game, I don’t consider it the best defense for it. For me, the best defense for this scene is that regardless of which version of the scene you get based on affection value, it is still explicitly referred to as a romantic scene in which Cloud and Tifa confirm their mutual feelings across multiple Ultimanias.

- It is unclear what Cloud and Tifa’s official relationship status is post-AC
Though it does make sense that they would be boyfriend and girlfriend. I don’t think the rough patch they go through during Advent Children somehow makes it impossible that they’d be a couple, even if Cloud still had lingering feelings for Aerith. Though I would prefer if Cloud was completely over Aerith romantically before being in a relationship with Tifa, but like I said before, we also don’t know the extent of Cloud’s romantic feelings for Aerith after he gets his real self back.

Personally, I care less about shipping and more about what’s actually in the story. I wouldn’t say I have any personal attachment for or against either ship, but I did find myself doing a lot of digging across the last five months of being a fan of FF7. (Yes, I’ve only been a fan for the last five months, I can’t imagine what it must be like to have been in this debate since 1997!) If Cloud canonically rejected Tifa and only devoted himself to Aerith even in death, I’d accept that with no problem. But that very clearly doesn’t happen even though I was led to believe that for years because of how people talked about Advent Children before I finally got into the material myself. I’m very interested to see if Square Enix will ever actually clarify the above points and the backlash they’ll receive if they do will probably be the most epic shitstorm I’ve ever witnessed in fandom since the last chapter of Naruto was released.
 
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Stiggie

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Stiggie
After reading multiple essays on the LTD, I never thought I’d ever write one myself but here we go...

To your point, I guess most people’s idea of vague and subtle is anything short of either sharing a kiss onscreen or exchanging “I love you”s. Square Enix could also have Cloud explicity prefer one girl over another, or have one girl officially being considered Cloud’s girlfriend either in-universe or by the creators but it doesn’t seem likely that they would do that, though it would certainly be interesting if they actually go there in future parts of Remake.

Cloud and Tifa expressing mutual romantic feelings for each other is already canon but I think Nomura’s statement about not knowing if they were in a relationship leading up to Advent Children combined with silly affection mechanics ultimately keeps this LTD alive. You definitely seem to appreciate the nuances of these relationships, as do I and honestly I really wish more people would. Typically, my rule of canon is as follows: “if the creators confirm something, it’s true. If the creators don’t confirm or deny something, it’s a possibility. If the creators deny something, it’s false.” Which leads me to interpret the story as such:

- Cloud has canonically liked both Tifa and Aerith
- Aerith has canonically liked both Zack and Cloud
- Aerith has canonically never met the real Cloud, but is aware that he exists and desires to meet him
- Cloud and Tifa canonically become aware of mutual romantic feelings in the Lifestream and confirm them under the Highwind
- Cloud canonically blames himself for Aerith’s death (as well as Zack’s) and carries that guilt until the end of Advent Children
- Cloud and Tifa canonically live together and adopt Denzel, and they are still living together post-Advent Children


But I think it also leaves enough room for interpretation for the following points:

- It is unclear how much of Cloud’s feelings for Aerith are canonically from true Cloud, fake Cloud, or Zack
I noticed some people who try to debunk Zack’s effect on Cloud’s feelings completely forget that Cloud’s fake persona isn’t just him coping with all of his trauma. He is quite literally possessed by a 2000-year-old alien who is explicitly capable of reading minds, copying and manipulating memories, and casting illusions. Even in the OG, Cloud remembers specific conversations Zack had with Sephiroth in the Shinra Manor and the Nibelheim mako reactor that Cloud was not actually present to witness himself, yet he recalls them in Kalm years later as if he was. So I think it’s totally possible that Cloud has some kind of remnant of Zack’s affection and memories of Aerith due to Jenova’s influence at least partially, but unless we’re specifically shown this then I won’t treat it as a fact but a possibility.

- It is unclear how much of Cloud’s feelings for Aerith carry over from his fake persona to his real persona
I think the more important argument is not whether those feelings are from Zack, but whether or not they’re even from true Cloud himself. As much as I agree that Cloud and Aerith get along well, ultimately their connection is built on the false premise that he is who he says he is but he isn’t. Which Aerith herself even recognizes in the Gold Saucer date of the OG and the chapter 14 resolution of Remake. Could Aerith also get along well with real Cloud? I believe so, but ultimately that’s not what happens in the story.

- It is unclear if true Cloud canonically likes one girl over the other between Aerith and Tifa And no, I don’t consider Jessie a real option
Personally, I don’t think who he likes more is important to the story because the story works in either way. We don’t know how much of Cloud’s feelings for Aerith inform his guilt over her death in AC or if he even still has romantic feelings her in his true persona, but I would at least contend those are possibilities unless the creators say otherwise. As long as they don’t confirm or deny those things I can’t really consider any stance as true or false. (Though it’s definitely false that Cloud is miserable living with Tifa and wants to die so that he can be with Aerith instead, but we know that through Word of God instead of the actual movie itself where we should’ve learned that from in the first place.)

- It is unclear if Aerith is canonically still not completely over Zack or if she’s only interested in Cloud during the events of the OG
This is a tricky one because of all of the debate surrounding whether or not Maiden Who Travels the Planet is canon. If it is, then I’d easily accept that Aerith likes Cloud more than Zack as a fact though it still doesn’t answer for what Cloud’s feelings are. We do know that she was initially reminded of Zack upon meeting Cloud but grew to fall for Cloud himself.

- It is unclear if Cloud and Tifa had sex under the Highwind or simply cuddled and/or kissed or performed the far more vulgar act of holding hands
Kind of a moot point honestly but it’s one that I see brought up a lot. I know the original scene is far more suggestive but because it’s not in the game, I don’t consider it the best defense for it. For me, the best defense for this scene is that regardless of which version of the scene you get based on affection value, it is still explicitly referred to as a romantic scene in which Cloud and Tifa confirm their mutual feelings across multiple Ultimanias.

- It is unclear what Cloud and Tifa’s official relationship status is post-AC
Though it does make sense that they would be boyfriend and girlfriend. I don’t think the rough patch they go through during Advent Children somehow makes it impossible that they’d be a couple, even if Cloud still had lingering feelings for Aerith. Though I would prefer if Cloud was completely over Aerith romantically before being in a relationship with Tifa, but like I said before, we also don’t know the extent of Cloud’s romantic feelings for Aerith after he gets his real self back.

Personally, I care less about shipping and more about what’s actually in the story. I wouldn’t say I have any personal attachment for or against either ship, but I did find myself doing a lot of digging across the last five months of being a fan of FF7. (Yes, I’ve only been a fan for the last five months, I can’t imagine what it must be like to have been in this debate since 1997!) If Cloud canonically rejected Tifa and only devoted himself to Aerith even in death, I’d accept that with no problem. But that very clearly doesn’t happen even though I was led to believe that for years because of how people talked about Advent Children before I finally got into the material myself. I’m very interested to see if Square Enix will ever actually clarify the above points and the backlash they’ll receive if they do will probably be the most epic shitstorm I’ve ever witnessed in fandom since the last chapter of Naruto was released.

I personally am less concrete about word of god, since I think even word of god is often up to interpretation, sometimes changes, and differs depending on which god you're talking about, FFVII wasn't made by one man.
And I am also less willing to say everything is up for debate as long as there is no direct confirmation. Just like in court, I don't need direct video evidence, at some point, "beyond a reasonable doubt" has been established.

When people talk to me about Tifa and Cloud not being canon, I can't help it wonder how easy it must be to cheat on them.
"Yes, you found me in bed, naked, with another woman, but you didn't actually SEE us having intercourse so therefore it's up for debate".

Sure, maybe it is, but just because things are up for debate, doesn't mean that both sides of the debate are reasonable.
 

KindOfBlue

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Blue
Sure, maybe it is, but just because things are up for debate, doesn't mean that both sides of the debate are reasonable.
Oh, I agree! I’m at least willing to give some room for interpretation but I definitely have my limits on what’s reasonable and what’s not. Shippers sure have a funny way of projecting their own desires into the characters and sometimes it’s just...cringe.
 

Graymouse

Pro Adventurer
I have reached a point with the LTD to where I would like to think that the story should speak for itself. I believe it is quite obvious how things are to end within the main story. After the Life Stream scene there should be zero doubt about it. At that point onward, when both Cloud and Tifa confirm their love for one another, that should be the end of the LTD. But some how and for some reason the LTD was allowed to endure, even after all the supplemental materials out there that supports Cloud X Tifa being together at the end of all things.

I am one who thinks that people should be able to ship whomever they want and that is fine. However, when one begins to ship things that are absolutely not true is kinda of where I have my limits.

I truly wish that SE would finally put the nail in this coffin and outright leave zero doubts, as if there are doubts now, so that we can all rest our weary bodies of this absurd thing called the FFVII LTD. This "war" has been raging on for long enough.
 

leowhy77

Rookie Adventurer
AKA
LeoWHY
Kind of fascinating seeing this LTD thing been going for decades and still on going. It proofs how the main FF7 characters are so loved by mass audiences.

Personally when I play the OG, LTD didn’t really bother me that much. Both ladies standout by her own standards with Tifa leaving a stronger impression.
Why? Because of Aerith being portrayed as the more typical mage/healer type while Tifa is a frontline aggressive fighter with fists! Yet character behaviour wise they are totally reversed with Aerith being the more sassy and outgoing while Tifa tend to be the more introvert personality .

Early on game story beats do make Cloud( or me as a player) to like Aerith more. But that abruptly ended with her tragic death.
Then comes the live stream reveal. To be honest one may still argue the best romantic feeling ever express there was from cloud saying he wanted Tifa to notice him. (I do personally feel that’s enough weights he though)
I originally didn’t realised the high wind scene being so suggestive... but I fully agree they did exchange feelings for each other...

Fast forward to ACC. Actually it’s this movie itself that let me suddenly realised they were already couple by default... regardless all the vague story telling... some of the scenes are specifically between the two and it’s only normal those scene make available only if they are of natural couple status...
Like the dilly dally scene, like how they were both unconscious “together “ in the church. Like Tifa being the last person sending Cloud to give the Bahamut the final blow...
These setup somehow unconsciously tune my mind to vowing them as couple with certain romantic relationships involved. And this is without me being exposed with all those novels and ultimanias!

Still not really into LTD, but now with the remake, Tifa all the way! lol
 

Stiggie

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Stiggie
I am actually interested in knowing what each side thinks the best argument of the other side is, or the best piece of evidence, been wondering this for a while.


Both in general, and specifically, in the remake.

For me, I think Cloti is 100% the intended, canon pair, but if I had to guess what I think the most persuasive point or piece of evidence on the other side is, then I guess it's probably the lack of a definitive statement on the matter? I don't think there really is anything in the games or accompanying material that makes me look at Clerith as a thing, but I guess SE's tendency to still reference the possibility in non-canon materials, and to not just casually straight up say "no, get over it, Cloud and Tifa are together" is probably the most persuasive as an indication that they do want people to continue seeing Aerith as a potential love interest.

For the remake it's difficult, since it's all Soldier Cloud, we are still very much not sure of what the meaning is of most of the things we are seeing. But if I had to say something, I think it's the fact that the game overall hints at the idea of doing things over. Which, while that doesn't spell out romance specifically between Cloud and Aerith, does play into the hopes that some players have. Personally I am 90% sure they're just doing that to squash those hopes, but still, a set up implies the possibility of a payoff.

Any Cleriths here who want to answer?


Ps, for Cloti, I personally find Tifas last name to be the strongest argument because of the lifestream scene. The idea that they are talking about feelings locked away inside Clouds heart, and Tifas last name, is lockhart, basically just trumps everything for me, it shows me what the point/role of the character is, to be the person for whom Cloud has secret feelings, the one who PLOT TWIST, started and ended his entire arc of self-discovery, the Highwind scene is the icing on the cake, but I just don't get how anyone can look at the lifestream scene, which is THE core reveal of the game, and not walk away from that thinking "ahh, so that's the role both girls had in the plot, everything makes sense now". From a narrative sense it just doesn't make sense for Tifa NOT to be the love interest. Doing so makes her entire existence weird, removes her role, gives Aerith a double role, removes the point of the reveal, removes the point of the Zack reveal, basically nothing fits anymore.

For Remake, probably that it's been specifically mentioned that the real Cloud only comes out with Tifa, and that the game really shows that, oh, and the fact that Zerith has been SOOOO heavily pushed.
 

Torrie

astray ay-ay-ay
Zerith has been SOOOO heavily pushed.
It has, indeed, in so many ways. Nevertheless, I've seen somewhat raised interest to the pairing Zack/Tifa among artists on Twitter recently, and Clerith supporters claim that this pairing totally makes sense because if Cloud ends up with Aerith, Tifa will have to be left all alone, which doesn't do her justice, so ♫ Who you gonna call? Zack Fair! ♫

Personally, I don't share that point of view at all.
 

KindOfBlue

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Blue
I am actually interested in knowing what each side thinks the best argument of the other side is, or the best piece of evidence, been wondering this for a while.

I don’t consider myself a Cloti, I’m more of a defender of canon over everything. Which places me in the “Cloud x Aerith could have been a thing but in the end, Cloud x Tifa remains” camp. The best arguments for Clerith depend on the source, I suppose:

- Cloud is stated to “waver between Aerith and Tifa” but never definitively prefers one, leaving enough room to believe one way or the other
- OG affection mechanics favor Aerith and her Gold Saucer date is the default choice although it is still with fake Cloud at this point
- Remake resolution scene heavily implies Cloud is falling for Aerith but again, still fake Cloud as she directly tells him “even if you think you have (fallen in love with me), it’s not real”
- Cloud is depressed over Aerith’s death in Advent Children, though we don’t know if that is completely due to guilt or if it is at least partly fueled by lingering romantic feelings for Aerith
- No definitive statement on Cloud x Tifa’s official relationship status after the OG, leaving enough ambiguity as to who he “prefers”
- Because of the translation of that line at the end of the OG about the Promised Land which may or may not be accurate, it allows fans to interpret Advent Children as Cloud wanting to be with Aerith

None of the above points prove Clerith, but they do prove the possibility of Clerith. The tricky thing about making a case for Clerith is that Aerith dies before her and Cloud even have a chance to go further. So if we want to prove Clerith, what exactly is the basis for establishing canon? I think most Cleriths realize there’s no future there, so it forces them into a constant position of having to discredit Cloti as much as possible. Which is why the best they could hope for is to either prove Cloud likes Aerith more, or prove that Cloud never gets together with Tifa and instead devotes the rest of his life to Aerith in the hopes that they’ll reunite in death or some weird shit like that. Yuck.
 

Stiggie

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Stiggie
I don’t consider myself a Cloti, I’m more of a defender of canon over everything. Which places me in the “Cloud x Aerith could have been a thing but in the end, Cloud x Tifa remains” camp. The best arguments for Clerith depend on the source, I suppose:

- Cloud is stated to “waver between Aerith and Tifa” but never definitively prefers one, leaving enough room to believe one way or the other
- OG affection mechanics favor Aerith and her Gold Saucer date is the default choice although it is still with fake Cloud at this point
- Remake resolution scene heavily implies Cloud is falling for Aerith but again, still fake Cloud as she directly tells him “even if you think you have (fallen in love with me), it’s not real”
- Cloud is depressed over Aerith’s death in Advent Children, though we don’t know if that is completely due to guilt or if it is at least partly fueled by lingering romantic feelings for Aerith
- No definitive statement on Cloud x Tifa’s official relationship status after the OG, leaving enough ambiguity as to who he “prefers”
- Because of the translation of that line at the end of the OG about the Promised Land which may or may not be accurate, it allows fans to interpret Advent Children as Cloud wanting to be with Aerith

None of the above points prove Clerith, but they do prove the possibility of Clerith. The tricky thing about making a case for Clerith is that Aerith dies before her and Cloud even have a chance to go further. So if we want to prove Clerith, what exactly is the basis for establishing canon? I think most Cleriths realize there’s no future there, so it forces them into a constant position of having to discredit Cloti as much as possible. Which is why the best they could hope for is to either prove Cloud likes Aerith more, or prove that Cloud never gets together with Tifa and instead devotes the rest of his life to Aerith in the hopes that they’ll reunite in death or some weird shit like that. Yuck.

That's interesting because except for the "no definitive statement" part, to me personally non of those other ones hold any weight whatsoever, or, as in the case with the remake resolution scene, even hold weight towards the other direction. I hear them mentioned a lot, but they're the arguments I usually dismiss out of hand as being irrelevant. Didn't expect a Cloti defender (I know you said you just defend canon, but I think that's what every shipper says ;) , I ship Cloti because I consider it canon) to think they're the more persuasive ones.
 

KindOfBlue

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Blue
I know you said you just defend canon, but I think that's what every shipper says ;) , I ship Cloti because I consider it canon)
Fair enough :monster: I guess it’s a matter of semantics really, I wouldn’t mind defending Cloud solely being devoted to Aerith if that’s what actually happened in the story
 

Eerie

Fire and Blood
- Cloud is stated to “waver between Aerith and Tifa” but never definitively prefers one, leaving enough room to believe one way or the other
- OG affection mechanics favor Aerith and her Gold Saucer date is the default choice although it is still with fake Cloud at this point
- Remake resolution scene heavily implies Cloud is falling for Aerith but again, still fake Cloud as she directly tells him “even if you think you have (fallen in love with me), it’s not real”
- Cloud is depressed over Aerith’s death in Advent Children, though we don’t know if that is completely due to guilt or if it is at least partly fueled by lingering romantic feelings for Aerith
- No definitive statement on Cloud x Tifa’s official relationship status after the OG, leaving enough ambiguity as to who he “prefers”
- Because of the translation of that line at the end of the OG about the Promised Land which may or may not be accurate, it allows fans to interpret Advent Children as Cloud wanting to be with Aerith

- OG affection mechanics make it really easy to get Tifa at the date, and even though Aerith's makes most sense narratively, the only scene interrupted by fireworks (like the sound track is named) is Tifa's. But I kid, because I also think Aerith's the default date. But the Highwind HA scene is also the canon route so you have to accept that he has a date with Aerith before sleeping with Tifa. Oddly enough, those who insist on the canonicity of the GS date also are quick to dismiss the Highwind scene.

- I just rewatched the scene in French, and interestingly enough it's probably one of the two scenes where there is something that happens, on the romance side, for clerith - to me, at least, the other one being at the playground when they try to say goodbye. However, it's also very DOOMED as Aerith herself points out that it's just an illusion, even if he believes it - and then he tries to catch her arm, and it goes through, hammering the illusion that Aerith mentions. And the thing is, Aerith mentions that his FEELINGS or what he thinks he feels are an illusion, and we know it's SOLDIER!Cloud through and through - unlike Tifa's scene that has very romantic undertones and where we know the true Cloud pops up. I do believe that the devs wanted to give clerith something, but at the same time, it was a warning about the very nature of the pairing.

- The devs have said again and again that it's his GUILT speaking. I don't know, at some point, you have to accept what the devs say. They're not trying to say "ehhh maybe there's something else", NO, they're like "it's his GUILT, so the wolf represents his GUILT, he feels GUILTY over both Zack and Aerith's death" etc. etc. Here we are entering the bad faith argument because people refuse the information that has been given around AC/C. Hell they even made AC:C to make Cloud's feelings and why he acted that way clearer. The fact that Tifa has complex feelings towards Aerith at this moment is because she doubts herself and Cloud, because Cloud has closed himself even to her - while usually he does open up to her. This is why Tifa doubts.

- If you are waiting for a statement, how about Nojima's "at the end (of AC), I knew that Cloud and Tifa would be together again" or something like that. Seriously if you think Japanese people will get clearer than that, I have bad news for you. They also claimed that Tifa's line "words are not the only way..." under the Highwind to be "risqué", Yuffie reacts to Cloud's surprisingly good mood the next day... the proof of them being together, them being happy, is written all over the game, the novels and the movie is pretty much the proof that they can and will get over any trouble because no matter what, they reunite at the end (which is a heavy thematic for cloti, it's even written in Tifa's theme song). There is no need to say who he prefers because he never had the time to fall in love with Aerith. That's the thing. There was never time for them to fall in love truly with each other, even if Aerith thinks she has, I have serious doubts as she was only ready to move on from Zack in the GS date and then it's the end. Cloud fell in love with Tifa very early, I think that he crushed on her when they were kids - partly why he acted the way he did - was really in love with her by the time he left, was still in love with her when he was put on a tank, lost 5 years, spent 1 month as not himself, regained his full memories and feelings for Tifa. Looking at it like this is pretty damning. To dare say that he fell harder for Aerith than how he felt for Tifa, despite all those years separated from her, despite him going crazily after Sephiroth when he thought she was going to die - yes I know it was more like she was the switch, he ALSO cared about his mother and other people - I find that very particular. Also I find it amusing that people tend to forget that it's SOLDIER!Cloud who wavers, not true!Cloud. Once the illusion is shattered, you don't have any choice about Cloud's love life, and the Lifestream sequence is, to me, just a huge love confession to Tifa lol.

- The translation is not on the devs' though, we had years and years of explaining that line - both Cloud and Tifa thought they were going to die and join with everyone they had lost, not only Aerith. If people refuse the reality, I will say they are of bad faith.
 

KindOfBlue

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Blue
@Eerie I mean, I never considered the above arguments solid, just that they’re probably the best they have... :monster: you do raise some interesting points though:

Oddly enough, those who insist on the canonicity of the GS date also are quick to dismiss the Highwind scene.
I think it’s pretty telling that Remake decided to put Aerith and Tifa on equal footing this time as far as affection mechanics go. Personally, I believe all of the resolution scenes should have been non-optional but I digress. They’ll probably still make the Gold Saucer dates optional but I wonder if the Highwind scene will also vary based on affection. If there’s ever a way to put the nail in the coffin, I’d say it’s making the high affection version of that scene non-optional.

The devs have said again and again that it's his GUILT speaking. I don't know, at some point, you have to accept what the devs say.
Thing is, guilt and romance aren’t mutually exclusive. There’s always a chance that romance could be a part of that guilt, and honestly, I wouldn’t say it’s much of a stretch compared to some of the other more outlandish Clerith claims. (Like Cloud settling for Tifa as his second choice but he actually wants Aerith) So it’s kind of like, “well, the devs didn’t say it was romance but they didn’t say it WASN’T either!” Not that I agree, but unless we get a clear confirmation of “no, Cloud does not have any romantic feelings for Aerith post-Lifestream”, some will continue to hold on to that hope.

I was shocked that Aerith actually told Cloud his feelings for her weren’t real, as it’s probably one of the most blatant explicit references to romance in the entire compilation. Though, shippers seem more interested in the fact that the L-word was used and that Cloud wants his own say in the matter, ignoring that even if he has his own say, it’s still not actually his as he’s not aware of his identity crisis at this point. I do think the nuances of Cloud and Tifa’s relationship is what makes the writing so good, but after 20 years maybe it’s about time Square Enix hits us over the head with some undeniable canon.

Also I find it amusing that people tend to forget that it's SOLDIER!Cloud who wavers, not true!Cloud. Once the illusion is shattered, you don't have any choice about Cloud's love life, and the Lifestream sequence is, to me, just a huge love confession to Tifa lol.
If Square Enix wants to erase any room for doubt, here’s what I think they should do:
- Make the high affection version of the Highwind scene non-optional.
- Have Cloud and Tifa share a kiss before fading to black. (We can fill in the blanks ourselves ;))
- I would prefer if they DIDN’T exchange I love you’s at some point but if they REALLY want to remove any doubt, that’s one way to do it.
- Cloud and Tifa still live together and take care of Denzel and Marlene. I actually have a theory that defeating the three Whisper bosses, who are actually the remnants of Sephiroth from the future, will prevent the events of Advent Children. All that’s left is to find a way to permanently defeat Jenova and prevent Sephiroth from ever returning, which would finally let Cloud and Tifa live together in peace without the threat of geostigma or the three Sephiroth remnants.

Would those things be enough to shut the shippers up? Nope! If the internet’s reaction to the ending of Naruto is any indication, fans will celebrate and haters will grow even more rabid. Hell, we could have Red XIII 500 years in the future visiting a memorial of Cloud, Tifa, and all their many, many little Avalanche babies and people would STILL be in denial. Shippers gonna ship! Good God, the meltdown would be insane if they actually went there.
 
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Graymouse

Pro Adventurer
Interestingly and almost always forgotten in this argument is that even if Aerith had survived the OG storyline, Cloud and Tifa would still end up together. The story was written that way since the beginning. Simply the fact that it was Tifa and only Tifa who brought Cloud back from the comatose state that he was in. There is no way that Aerith can bring him back because the only one who knew true Cloud and could confirm Cloud's memories was and always will be is Tifa. Furthermore, once Cloud got his mind back he would undoubtable have "preferred" Tifa simply because of all of his childhood memories are of her and their time together.

This may sound very abrasive and I am sorry, but the only way Aerith would have a chance at Cloud would be if he held onto his fake persona through the entire OG storyline and that would completely change FF7. So, fundamentally, when Cloud is his true self, there is just way too much "history" between Cloud and Tifa for anything romantic to develop between Aerith and Cloud otherwise. I am sure that Cloud would have wanted to remained friends with Aerith but only friends and nothing more.
 

null

Mr. Thou
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null
Thing is, guilt and romance aren’t mutually exclusive. There’s always a chance that romance could be a part of that guilt, and honestly, I wouldn’t say it’s much of a stretch compared to some of the other more outlandish Clerith claims. (Like Cloud settling for Tifa as his second choice but he actually wants Aerith) So it’s kind of like, “well, the devs didn’t say it was romance but they didn’t say it WASN’T either!” Not that I agree, but unless we get a clear confirmation of “no, Cloud does not have any romantic feelings for Aerith post-Lifestream”, some will continue to hold on to that hope.

Yeah, that is the nitty gritty of this nutty doo doo of a debate. Two different standards of proof. Demanding explicit confirmation while offering mere possibility. I think it's fine to say there's visual subtext when Cloud stands back-to-back with Aerith and she touches his arm, as long as one concedes - for example - the subtext behind Graymouse's icon and the constant touching/holding/reaching in Remake. Instead of finding common ground this way, somehow everyone ends up chasing each other around thumping Ultimanias. This story is really not that subtle or vague to need Word of God. It ain't no Spike and Faye for dang sure, ain't no Mugen and Fuu neither.
 

Eerie

Fire and Blood
I think the devs have tried to erase a lot of the potential romance from AC by making AC:C and adding TONS of Cloud and Zack scenes (not necessarily together; the Cloud scenes really frame his desire to save Denzel). It was as if they wanted to correct that misinterpretation by saying "look, it's not only about Aerith, this is not about romance". The ending especially points towards Cloud aknowledging the Zerith bond. To me that speaks volume about what the devs wanted to convey.

For Remake, let's not forget that while all the scene are optional, they also are all canon - you are supposed to work to see them all. If I had to rate them, though, I'd say that the cloti scene tops because it's the culmination of Cloud's growth since Jessie died and his failure to comfort Tifa, adding to this a romance subtext with true!Cloud showing up and a hint to the Lifestream scene. But it's the only scene where Cloud gains something and achieves something he wanted to do, truly - it is no mistake that the picture chosen to depict the scene is the hug scene, also the only one where you can see Cloud. It's also very interesting that the game rewards you with new interesting dialogue only if you pick up Tifa in the sewers - which is the scene that choses who you will get in ch14. It seems that the game wants you to wake Tifa up.

Next scene would be Aerith's, because it hints at the big picture and her (possible) death. The dialogue also hints at cloti with the Highwind scene being referenced, at least in English. The last scene would be Barret's, because it's a nice bro scene that make them true friends, since Barret can open up to Cloud for the first time - and we discover him through Cloud's eyes. But it's the scene that brings the less to the characters and plot - sorry Barret!

Speaking of interesting tidbit, I think that the canon route when you first meet Aerith is to refuse the flower, and only take it when she insists it'll make your girlfriend happy. Why? Because in ch8, she asks who he gave the flower to, which only makes sense if this dialogue happens. It also follows the schema "more dialogue = reward". In the same fashion, we know that Cloud accepts Jessie's offer for a pizza since he talks about it when she dies.
 

Stiggie

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Stiggie
on the romance side, for clerith - to me, at least, the other one being at the playground when they try to say goodbye

I knew I was forgetting something, yeah, that to me was the strongest Clerith moment of the remake, to the point where it felt out of place almost IMO.


I've never cared much about the affection mechanics for several reasons.
1: They indicate the fondness the girls have FOR Cloud, not the other way around, which can be seen in the set-up for the questions (The old example being that you earn points with Tifa by mentioning Aerith first in Corneos mansion), as well as the fact that the date is instigated by the girl, with Cloud being forced to come no matter who shows up.

2: This argument ignores the reality of programming, 30 vs 50 affection points does not translate to less affection. Lets say Tifa and Aerith have an equal amount of affection for Cloud, but Tifa is less likely to ask him out on a date since she's the shy one. Then you wouldn't program that as her requiring more affection points, you'd just start her off with fewer points, that's easier to program and it makes no difference since code isn't supposed to translate to actual emotions. There is no difference between starting with the same amount, but needing 20 more, or starting with 20 less. It also ignores that developers take into account that it might be easier to collect points with a certain character rather than another.

3: So the most you can say is that MAYBE the developers wanted you to get the Aerith date first, and I've heard people argue that that means they intend that as the "real event", or more important one, since it's the first.
But that argument ignores the fact that the second playthrough of a game ISN'T less valid, on the contrary, in stories with twists the first play, or watch, is about you being lead by the lies of the game developers, while a second watching is the one where you are able to see the story for what it really is.

Also don't think the Cloud being depressed angle is powerful, he might feel guilt AND have romantic feelings sure, but those romantic feelings aren't a part of the plot, they might exist, but they don't matter, his depression and actions are caused by guilt, that's been stated.
If he also has romantic feelings thats a completely unrelated thing.
 

KindOfBlue

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Blue
It was as if they wanted to correct that misinterpretation by saying "look, it's not only about Aerith, this is not about romance".

I still don’t buy the “dead characters continuing their relationship in the afterlife” thing, but I will say this though. For years before I even knew anything about FF7 outside of playing tons of Dissidia 012 on PSP when it came out, I remember reading up a bit on Cloud, Tifa, & Sephiroth’s backstories since they were some of my favorite characters to play in the game. Naturally, I became aware of the LTD across multiple sites and forums, and from there I got the impression that Advent Children was basically about Cloud longing to be with Aerith in the afterlife. Fast forward to about five months ago, I played the OG and Remake and watched ACC all for the first time. I thought, “okay, I guess I see why people might interpret it this way” but I was mostly underwhelmed by how the characters were handled in the movie even though I enjoyed it overall. Then I read On the Way to a Smile and read those interviews with the creators explaining Cloud is actually happy with Tifa and the kids but is afraid of losing that happiness because he blames himself for Aerith and Zack’s deaths. My first reaction was annoyance that the movie was kinda weak at conveying its themes, but then I was relieved to know that the movie isn’t just some emotional torture-porn of Cloud rejecting Tifa and wanting to let himself die so he can be with Aerith forever, even if some choose to interpret it that way. The story the creators intended is far more interesting to me than whatever shipping silliness the fans love indulging in. And no, I don’t consider myself any better. Ain’t no getting off of this train.

For Remake, let's not forget that while all the scene are optional, they also are all canon - you are supposed to work to see them all.
I've never cared much about the affection mechanics for several reasons.

I find the affection mechanics disappointing when they make players miss character development by making it optional, which I think partly fuels misunderstandings about the characters in FF7R and even the OG. I think the chapter 3 Tifa discovery scene with Cloud in her apartment should’ve been non-optional with the actual option of picking a dress itself only available when you do all her side quests, and I also think the chapter 8 Aerith discovery scene with Cloud talking to flowers should have been non-optional as the variable scene actually happens later in Wall Market with the dress reveal. And don’t even get me started on the chapter 14 resolution scenes. Making them all non-optional is one way to do it, with the order varying based on affection. Or maybe if having all three scenes take place one after another throws off the pacing, they can have them all occur throughout different parts of the chapter. But 2% of players getting the Barret scene?! Come on!!
 

Eerie

Fire and Blood
I took years to enjoy the movie, AC is still trash but it took me time to enjoy what the creators did with Cloud in AC:C. It's depression that hits him as he realises he's going to die to, and explains his apathy and how he's trying to keep his loved ones at arms-lgenth because he thinks it's going to hurt them more to see him sink and die like that. But I think this is something you come to understand and appreciate if you have had depression or if you understand how depression works, which wasn't the case for me for years (I luckily never went through one, still touching wood, but I had friends badly hit and saw what it does to the mind). When you don't look at the big picture, yeah, it can be about romance, but it in fact it isn't about romance (nor clerith nor cloti) and the devs have been crystal clear about it. If people want their word so badly, here it is.

For Remake if you're not too much into fandom, you can totally miss that there are several scenes in ch14 so I totally understand your rant. I often read that people are like "wait up I had this character, there are other scenes there???" over at reddit and it shows perfectly that people did not take the time to read the log and understand there are several scenes to unlock.
 

Stiggie

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Stiggie
Yeah, for me enjoying AC took a while as well, mostly because I was a lot younger and more superficial when it comes to character struggles when it first came out. To me I liked it at first, then I grew contrarian, thinking I had grown up and now saw that Clouds edginess wasn't cool but childish, but then I actually grew up and started understanding FFVII better, alongside Clouds character.

Basically, when I was young I just thought Cloud was a cool soldier, and I never really looked past that, I really just saw Clouds false identity.
Then when I was older I thought that Cloud, especially in AC, was just an edgy boy, and me, also being an edgy boy, thought it was a bit pathetic.
Then at some point I started thinking about FFVII more again for some reason, even though I hadn't played it in ages, or watched the movie, for some reason it just creeped up in the back of my mind.

And this time I actually thought about the character, and realized that his main motivator was guilt, I actually saw the insecure boy, the reasons for his actions, and especially his motivations in AC/C. I realized this was a man driven by shame, guilt, feelings of inadequacy, etc.
I got this picture in my head of who Cloud really is, not an easily defined and judged 2d character, but a complex human being. Then I went back to FFVII and AC/C and was shocked at how blatantly correct and spelled out my interpretation was. It's like every scene, every sentence now made perfect sense, every moment in Clouds life revolved around the same theme of failure, insecurity, being dissatisfied with himself, etc. And I started looking into quotes and other related info and realized that every single deduction I made about Cloud was right on the money.

That's also the moment I really got into Cloti as being not just the canon pairing, but being the narratologically superior pairing, the one that reinforces the themes, that fits the overall flow, and started seeing Clerith as the more superficial one that just falls apart under any sort of scrutiny.

A lot of stories can be enjoyed on a superficial level as well as a deeper one, hell even animal farm can be read as an actual cute story about some farm animals.
From everything I know now it just feels like Clerith is that casual superficial reading while Cloti is the deeper one, Clerith works at first glance, but as soon as you do any sort of reflection on the themes and character arcs of FFVII the fantasy magical girl love story just starts screaming "red herring". It just doesn't hold up.
 
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KindOfBlue

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Blue
I find it really endearing that Aerith and Tifa basically work together to help Cloud out of his depression, with Aerith reminding him that he needs to forgive himself since her death wasn’t his fault, and Tifa reminding him that he doesn’t have to distance himself from his loved ones just because he’s afraid of failing again. It’s a shame much of the discourse surrounding Advent Children focuses on which waifu he wants to bang more though.
 

KindOfBlue

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Blue
Yeah, the interesting thing being that she only has one earring, Cloud has the other (since Marle gave it to him). Make it what you want lol.

I notice people tend to take stuff like this as evidence that Square is favoring one ship over the other, but I have a hard time with the idea of them “favoring” or “pushing” a ship. I never really saw having two love interests as Square trying to say that one is better than the other, just that they both have different but very important roles in the story. Everybody thinks the game pushes whoever, but at what point is it less about shipteasing and more about storytelling? Does Square really like to play into this idea, or is it just fan misconception?

Because Tifa and Aerith’s roles are cemented in the game’s narrative, I also have a hard time with the idea that Cloud’s feelings are “up to the player”. I know there’s a quote from Nomura indicating this that’s apparently an out-of-context quote from a Kingdom Hearts interview, but have the devs ever really said that his feelings are up to the player? Some look at the vagueness in Advent Children as evidence that his feelings are up to interpretation but considering the creators’ lack of experience with film, I feel like it was just them not really knowing how to tell a story through film as well as they could in video games. Otherwise, if it was really meant to be vague, I don’t think they’d describe Cloud’s relationships in nearly as much detail as they do in ultimanias, interviews, the Compilation etc. even if they tend to not use explicitly romantic terms like “boyfriend/girlfriend”. I mean, if I say one thing and the ultimania says something else, who’s more correct? So do the devs really make it up to the player?

I also think it’s kind of hard to talk about Cloud’s feelings publicly without spoiling the game when both relationships are so heavily tied to the two most important moments in the story, so I tend to not look at promotional materials as “evidence” either.
 

Stiggie

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Stiggie
but I have a hard time with the idea of them “favoring” or “pushing” a ship
I think it's not so much that they push one ship, it's just that Tifa and Cloud are the romantic pair, that's the story, so whatever they do reflects that.
The wording of saying they're "pushing a ship" makes it seem like they're outsiders trying to push a narrative on some external thing.
That's not what's happening, there is simply a story, in that story Cloud and Tifa are the romantic pair, and because of that the story has stuff indicating that.
Writers don't ship, readers do. Not all writers impose their views of the story on the reader, but they still determine the story, shipping I think is a reactionary thing, a hope for what will happen, a wish for a story to be something.

The fact that you can't determine it is what makes it powerful, when you read, the reason you care if someone lives or dies is because you have no power over it, you are in essence at the mercy of the writer. It doesn't make sense for a writer to say "I hope this characters survives", unless I guess they let the story write itself. Same goes for shipping.
 
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