The originalFinal Fantasy 7came out when rumors surrounding video games were rampant. The internet was not nearly as ubiquitous in 1997 as it is now, and there were far fewer resources for learning about video game secrets. This environment created a persistent rumor aboutFinal Fantasy 7, which never proved to be true. Now that the game is being remade,FF7 Remakepart three has the chance to make the rumor true nearly 30 years later. However, for the sake of the trilogy, I think it’s best that Square Enix doesn’t make a major change like this.
I was a bit too young to be aware of theFF7rumors during their heyday. My first memories of video game rumors werePokémonmyths like Missingno and Pikablu. That said,it’s hard to be aFinal Fantasyfan and not hear about the initial flood of rumors that surroundedFF7and one of its pivotal moments. Ultimately, I think it was for the best that these rumors weren’t true, and I’m hoping that they stay that way when the conclusion to theFinal Fantasy 7remake trilogy finally comes out.
FF7 Part 3 Could Let Players Finally Save Aerith
There Have Been Rumors About Saving Aerith Since The Original Game Was Released
Aerith’s death is a major moment inFinal Fantasy 7, so big that I knew about it in detail before ever playing the game.It is very much the “Bruce Willis is dead inTheSixth Sense” of the gaming world. However, players were not initially ready to accept this plot development as an inevitability and began searching for ways to save Aerith.
There were a variety of popular methods, from attempting to master the Revive Materia before the fateful moment to more ridiculous methods. One of my favorite rumors I’ve since heard is that players thought if you were simply mean to Tifa throughout the game, she would die instead, like some sort of morbid inversion of theGold Saucer dates. Although speedrunners recently discovered a way to keep Aerith in your party, as described byIGN, as faras the story is concerned, she is still dead.
Cloud’s distorted visions inFF7 Rebirthinitially made it seem as though years of players' hard work had finally materialized in a new ending for everyone’s favorite flower girl. However, it is quickly revealed that, just like in the original, Aerith had died. Aerith does still participate in the battle that takes place immediately after, and she speaks to Cloud a bit before he and the rest of the party depart in the Tiny Bronco. Additionally,Aerith is still alive in the alternate reality where Zack is watching over her and Cloud.
With Aerith still in the story in some form, it doesn’t feel completely out of the question that theFF7 Remaketrilogy is building up to her return in some way. Of course, this could just be when Aerith commands the Lifestream to hold back the meteor. Still, with dead characters like Zack still hanging around, there may be a bigger change in store. However,I really hope thatFF7part three doesn’t bring Aerith back to life.
Aerith’s Death Is Key To FF7’s Story
Aerith’s Death Has A Strong Symbolic Meaning
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want Aerith to be dead. In fact, I was surprised at how devastating her death was when I playedFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, despite having known it would happen for more than a decade. However,her death is integral toFinal Fantasy 7’s story, especially from a thematic standpoint.
Whether it’s fighting Shinra or Sephiroth,Final Fantasy 7is a game about saving the planet before someone destroys it. Aerith - whose name means Earth - is the last Cetra, a group of people deeply connected to the Lifestream of the planet. Much like the planet itself, once Aerith is gone, she can’t come back, so her death at the hands of Sephiroth is the perfect symbolic representation of what is at stake.
Much like Aerith, there is no way to save the world once too much damage has been done to the environment.Final Fantasy 7implores us to protect the natural world while we still can, because there is no going back once it’s gone. Were Aerith to be miraculously brought back to life, it wouldn’t only lessen the emotional impact of the story, but it would cheapen this message.
Final Fantasy’s Style Of Storytelling Works Better Without Big Choices
Final Fantasy Crafts Deliberate Stories That Work Better Without Multiple Endings
In many RPGs, Aerith’s death would probably be preventable. It would be a “bad” development, and there would be secrets to find or choices to make ahead of time that could prevent it from happening. While I don’t have anything against that type of storytelling or gameplay,I have a lot of respect for the wayFinal Fantasychooses to tell its stories. Most games in the series have a set narrative that plays out exactly the same way for every player. This allows the developers to tell a clear story with deliberate themes with little debate over what’s canon.
I didn’t always appreciate this type of storytelling in games, and it was actuallyFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirththat finallysold me on the concept. I’m really glad that there is only one way for the events ofFinal Fantasy 7to play out, even if it means the tragic death of one of my favorite characters. Aerith’s story is much more impactful because of what it represents than it ever would be if you could simply save her with the right Materia, or by bullying poor Tifa.
