The Final Fantasy VII Remake has made numerous changes to the story of the original game, including modifying iconic characters like Tifa and Aerith. Unlike a remaster, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake does more than polish the game's graphics, it changes elements of the game's story and gameplay as well. Though only the first part of the remake has been released, dramatic changes have already been made to this fan favorite title. As the story is altered, so too are the characters around which it revolves.
One of the most well-known titles in the franchise, Final Fantasy 7 lured in players with beloved characters, such as Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith. However, Aerith has a special legacy as she is the last of an ancient race - the Cetra - who were once the stewards of the planet. This gives her unique abilities, but leads to her spending her life with Shinra hunting her so that they can use her power to find the Promised Land. Now, years after the original release, the remake gives players more insight into Aerith's abilities while simultaneously leaving them with more questions and the suspicion that Aerith has a secret in FF7 Remake - a foreknowledge of events. It might be easy to write off the strange lines that Aerith says, but there's no denying that the remake has made this already enigmatic character even more puzzling.
Like the rest of the cast of characters in Final Fantasy 7, Aerith received changes in the form of added depth that she's been given compared to her original incarnation. Originally, Aerith was the calming and kind presence of the party, as befits her role as a healer. The remake has added more dimension to Aerith's personality without changing its core elements. The new Aerith has an added layer of sass, playfulness, and attitude to complement her steadfast generosity and willfulness. She's also more flirtatious towards Cloud, though the love triangle between Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa isn't at all hostile. Rather than be rivals for Cloud's affection through the events of FF7 Remake and its prequel, Tifa and Aerith are friends, and that makes their scenes together a delight to watch.
Aerith's Relationships With Cloud & Tifa Are Different In FF7 Remake
Aerith's relationship with Cloud is among the changes seen in the remake. Their first meeting is no longer in the field of yellow flowers into which Cloud falls. Instead, it takes place on the street and is much more rushed and impersonal. The remake forces the player to make choices that will affect later portions of the game, so the romance angle appears more quickly than it did in the original Final Fantasy 7. The impact of choices that the players make when interacting with Aerith and Tifa come into play earlier in the remake than they did in the original game, and those choices will decide the Resolution cutscene in chapter 14. With only the first part of the game released, it's difficult to guess where this heavier emphasis on Aerith's romantic relationship with Cloud in FF7 Remake will lead - especially when the fate of Aerith in the original game is brought into question - or to speculate why there are so many more moments that affect Cloud's relationship with Aerith or Tifa crammed into the first part of the game.
Like her relationship with Cloud, Aerith's relationship with Tifa is more pronounced in the remake. They are given moments to develop their friendship on screen, and their interactions make it clear that they care deeply about each other. They even plan a shopping date for after they stop the Sector 7 plate from falling. When Tifa is being taken to Don Corneo's, Aerith insists that they go after her because she's worried about the danger, even if Cloud says Tifa can handle herself. She also doesn't hesitate to go find Marlene and get her to safety at Tifa's request. Tifa, likewise, helps to find and rescue Aerith when the Whispers spirit her away and when she's being held by Shinra. Unlike in the original game, Aerith and Tifa get equal FF7 Remake screentime, portrayed as equals and friends.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Makes Changes To Aerith's Personality & Background
While there's ongoing debate about the changes the remake made to the story, there's no doubt that the changes made to Aerith's personality and the depth given to her background are an improvement. One of the most interesting new qualities is the fact that she seems to know the future. Some of her lines allude to knowledge that she should have no way of knowing at the given point in time, such as the fact that Marlene is at the Seventh Heaven when the plate over FF7 Remake's Sector 7 slums is about to be dropped or her insistence that Sephiroth is the greatest threat to the planet, not Shinra. Depending upon the choices that players make, they might get to watch a cutscene in which Aerith communicates with Cloud through using the Lifestream and warns him not to fall in love with her, hinting at the possibility that Aerith knows about her impending death at the hands of Sephiroth. There are too many instances where Aerith shows knowledge of the future to write it off as coincidence. One way or another, Aerith knows the events of the original Final Fantasy 7 timeline.
Alongside her personality and relationships, Aerith's background is expanded upon in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The player gets to witness flashbacks to her childhood, such as when Elmyra first met her and the moments they shared as mother and daughter. Rescuing Aerith from Shinra also gives a new, unique view into her past as the player gets to see the room in which she lived with her birth mother, Ifalna, while they were prisoners. These glimpses into Aerith's past further enforce the belief that she knows more than she lets on, particularly with the symbolism in Aerith's mural in FF7 Remake, which she drew when her mother was taken away each day. It's filled with references to the Lifestream, the history of the Cetra, and even Meteor colliding with the shield of Holy, all of which she should not have knowledge of when she drew it.
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake has brought with it so many changes that it is more of a new game with references to the original than a standard remake. Though a lot of depth was added to give characters and the world they inhabit more dimension and realism, there are also a lot of differences in the story. Even the most seasoned Final Fantasy players cannot be sure where the remake's journey will end - or who will live to see it. With the game putting so much emphasis on fighting destiny, perhaps Final Fantasy VII Remake will change (or put a new spin on) Aerith's fated death.
