Final Fantasy 7’s Aerith and Tifa Were Originally a Single Character

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Final Fantasy 7's Aerith and Tifa Were Originally a Single Character

Key Takeaways

  • Final Fantasy 7’s Tifa and Aerith were originally planned as a single character but were split to create iconic heroines.
  • Aerith is connected to the planet, Tifa is Cloud’s friend – fans debate who is best girl. The split happened to avoid standard character tropes.
  • System restrictions influenced Aerith and Tifa’s appearances. Breakaway from formula created personalities fans love today.

As a seasoned gamer with decades of gaming under my belt, I can confidently say that the revelation about Aerith and Tifa being originally intended to be one character has left me utterly astounded. Growing up, these two iconic heroines were integral parts of my Final Fantasy 7 journey, and their unique personalities have always been a source of fascination for me.

It’s been disclosed that during an interview, it was mentioned that Tifa and Aerith from Final Fantasy 7 were initially intended to be one character. The choice to divide her into two distinct characters for the game led to some of the most memorable heroines ever created in a video game.

In the original or remastered version of Final Fantasy 7, Aerith and Tifa play significant roles. Aerith, who has a profound bond with the planet and the life-stream, contrasts with Tifa, Cloud’s childhood friend, who knows him intimately like no one else. Fans have long debated which character is better suited for Cloud or simply the “better girl,” but it appears this debate may never have occurred if the original plan had been followed through.

During a recent interview (through Siliconera with Youngjump), Tetsuya Nomura, the character designer for Final Fantasy 7, discussed the development of Aerith and Tifa’s characters and backgrounds. Interestingly, Nomura mentioned that he had never shared this before, but Aerith was initially intended to be the main heroine for the game. However, her original version wasn’t identical to the Aerith players eventually encountered upon the game’s release. Instead, Aerith originally bore a resemblance to her current appearance, but with Tifa’s personality. To move away from typical character templates, the team decided to separate Aerith into two unique characters: Aerith and Tifa.

System Restrictions Impacted Aerith and Tifa’s Appearances

Initially, Aerith kept her look but developed the sweet, quirky, and feisty character we see today, whereas Tifa underwent a design change, becoming the strong yet compassionate heroine gamers recognize. Originally, Aerith was meant to be glamorous, but due to the limitations of polygonal modeling at that time, Nomura opted for her signature rope braid hairstyle as rendering flowing, loose hair wasn’t feasible. The hairtie on the end of Tifa’s long hair served a similar purpose. Interestingly, Tifa’s hair caused issues in “Advent Children,” leading to its shortening.

Reflecting on all these years since the release of Final Fantasy 7, it’s tough for me as a fan to grasp the idea that Aerith and Tifa were once part of a single entity at some point in the game’s development. This thought-provoking fact raises numerous questions about how their characters might have evolved differently, such as whether Aerith would have mastered hand-to-hand combat like Tifa or if she would have remained Cloud’s longtime friend or an unfamiliar stranger. Given that this idea emerged early in the game’s development, it’s plausible that some aspects of their roles and abilities were still under consideration at that time. Nevertheless, it’s intriguing to ponder what the story could have been like if only Aerith – not the beloved character we all know today – had existed in the world of Final Fantasy 7.

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2024-09-19 03:43