With last year’s release of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, and the surge in popularity the franchise saw with the Remake’s initial release in 2020, it’s no surprise that a shipping debate as old as time has resurfaced.
Players have argued over the game’s “canon” pairing since 1998. That’s not a shock; people grow attached to fictional couples. What is surprising though, is the fact that the nastiest bullying surrounding this LTD comes not from impassioned teens experiencing the game for the first time, but rather from twenty-,thirty-, and forty-somethings who have been fighting about it for years.
For those unfamiliar with the cast of Final Fantasy VII, the game’s protagonist is Cloud Strife, an ex-SOLDIER. He has two primary love interests* throughout the game: Aerith Gainsborough and Tifa Lockhart. Aerith sells flowers in the slums of Midgar, and is the primary healer/mage of the party. Tifa runs a bar in Sector 7 called Seventh Heaven, and is the primary brawler/monk of the party. Both of these characters are fantastic in their own right. Aerith is charming, funny, reckless, sweet. Tifa is caring, down-to-earth, strong, shy.
And both of them have undeniable romantic connections with Cloud. The nickname for the pairing of Cloud and Aerith is “Clerith,” while the nickname for the pairing of Cloud and Tifa is “Cloti.” It only takes a quick Google search to find the immense body of content fans have created for both pairings, from fanfiction and fanart to entire websites dedicated to proving that one pairing is canonical.
While it’s great that fans have such a passion for these characters and pairings, it unfortunately leads to an incredible amount of hate towards fans of the rival pairing. It also means Aerith- and Tifa-bashing is commonplace.
So, how has this Clerith vs Cloti debate managed to stay this fiery for so long? The answer lies in several places. It’s important to remember the circumstances the original Final Fantasy VII game was released under. Up until this point, the player never really got a choice in who the protagonist’s love interest would be. There was one (or no) option who was usually a mandatory party member. The player was watching and interacting with a story, but had no agency over the romance subplots.
Enter Cloud Strife, the standoffish, too-cool protagonist of FF VII. Then meet Tifa, the caring barmaid with a penchant for hand-to-hand combat, and Aerith, the spunky healer with a dangerous secret. Two perfectly eligible bachelorettes. And what’s more, the player was forced to pick dialog options that actually affected story events.
Players could essentially choose the character they preferred and flirt with them, culminating in a date at the Gold Saucer. And if they tried hard enough, they could even have their date with Yuffie or Barrett!
But then, another bombshell. Spoiler warning here for anyone who has somehow avoided learning any major plot points about Final Fantasy VII.
AERITH DIES.
What?!
Although it’s common knowledge now, at the time, losing a main party member—let alone one you could form a romantic relationship with—was unheard of. Not even a Phoenix Down could bring Aerith back.
However, this terrible death led people to different conclusions, depending on which character they’d dated. For players who wooed Tifa, it seemed obvious that this meant Cloud and Tifa were the canonical pairing. She was the “last woman standing” in a way, the one Cloud turned to in his grief. She supported him, pulled him out of his breakdown, and shared a special night with him under the Highwind.
On the other hand, players who dated Aerith had a different reaction. The reason Aerith’s death was so impactful, and so devastating to Cloud, is because she was his true love. She understood him and connected with him on the deepest level. He made her feel less alone at Cosmo Canyon. He was her bodyguard, and he failed to protect her.
The fact is, both of these interpretations are correct. Depending on the way you play the game, you can buy into either version. They both make sense for different reasons.
The problem is that a very loud portion of fans don’t recognize, or at least refuse to accept, that fact. Instead, they fight with each other online, talk about how horrible the “other” woman is, and even bully cosplayers. Not only is this incredibly toxic, it’s also highly embarrassing. There is no reason that fans of each pairing can’t peacefully coexist. After all, there are plenty of FF VII fans who ship completely different pairings. Aerith x Tifa, or Aerti, fans are a great example of this.
Ultimately, the love triangle debate that has plagued Final Fantasy VII’s legacy needs to end. It’s no longer a debate so much as it is a mean-spirited competition in who can come up with more “evidence.” Fans who are wrapped up in the LTD are missing the whole point of VII. Tetsuya Nomura said it himself multiple times:
“Honestly, I don’t care who loves whom. I think you could imagine the scenarios that we don’t mention however you want to. You could enjoy talking about that with friends. I was frequently asked if there had been a romantic relationship between Tifa and Cloud for two years, after FF VII ended, but I don’t have any clue.” (2005 Interview)
“With our work, the viewer is free to decide how they interpret or enjoy it…even if someone who has watched [Final Fantasy VII Advent Children] interprets it differently, then that is just another answer.” (FF VII AC Prologue Book)
“Players make strong conclusions by themselves, [so] I want to leave room for everyone’s line of thought.” (Kingdom Hearts Ultimania Guide)
At the end of the day, it’s entirely up to the player to decide who Cloud does—or doesn’t—romance. If the creator himself says so, I think it’ time we as fans listen. So enjoy your chosen pairing, but don’t stop to argue with people simply enjoying a different coupling than yourself.
Now go forth and ship in peace.
*I say primary for two reasons. First, because you can ship and headcanon Cloud with whichever character you like. Secondly, because Cloud can gain Affection Points and go on a date with Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, or Barrett.