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kuro71 · 3 years ago

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A Clinical Analysis of Cloud's Psychology, Part I - Trauma, Dissociation, and Psychosis

This analysis was originally posted on Reddit, but I decided I wanted to archive it on this old blog too. This topic's been beaten to death already, but in light of the 25th anniversary stream and Rebirth trailer, I want to release my own take on Cloud's psychology using the lens of professional psychology. I'll cover a range of humanistic concepts and criteria from the DSM-5 (basically the bible of clinical psychiatric diagnosis) and tie them in with the lore of FFVII. Although the reasons for Cloud's identity crisis are well-known among OG fans, I'm interested in breaking down exactly why and how those factors resulted in his fabricated ex-SOLDIER persona within the context of real world psychology. I'm going to look into three main areas of exploration: trauma, identity, and reintegration. These areas will conceptualize how Cloud's experiences opened the gateway to pathology, how his understanding of himself is built and then shattered, and how the pieces come back together. This first post will cover the trauma piece, including the topics of dissociation and clinical diagnosis.

Part I - Trauma, Dissociation, and Psychosis [you are here] Part II - Identity, Self-Concept, and Mako Part III - Reintegration and Unconditional Love

One of the most common misperceptions about trauma is that any adverse experience will cause it. While it's true that adversity can cause stress, this belief undermines the remarkable resilience that humans have. The most important thing to consider is that everyone has resilience and the capacity for coping, but this differs from person to person. In the clinical context, traumatic experiences are defined as frightening, dangerous, or violent experiences that elicit strong emotions and physical reactions. People can also experience trauma by witnessing an event that threatens the life or physical security of a loved one (i.e. watching a parent die). When the stressfulness of a traumatic event exceeds a person's ability to cope, the stress becomes pathological and can be classified as trauma. The tragedy of Cloud's life is that his traumatic experiences are deeply stressful and essentially occurred back to back. Each event ticks off multiple boxes for the likelihood of trauma, and then Cloud essentially experienced them in succession, if we assume that his sense of time in Hojo's laboratory was warped due to catatonia.

Dissociation

Different people have different reactions to the same traumatic experiences, and the ex-SOLDIER persona is a unique one. Although we know Cloud's ex-SOLDIER persona is his primary consequence, there's a clinical way to contextualize what purpose it serves. Cloud's headaches are used as a constant indicator that something isn't right with him. His headaches are even described in the FFVII Remake Ultimania within his character profile (translation provided by aitaikimochi):

Cloud suffers from sudden headaches that last for brief moments. This pain is usually accompanied by flashes of his childhood, his fated opponent Sephiroth, or pieces of his past. There are times when visions of the future get mixed up as well. His headaches are filled with mysteries. Perhaps there might be more than one cause of these headaches that plague him...?

Aside from serving as narrative hints, the headaches are also connected to experiences of dissociation. Dissociation is a common consequence of trauma that center around a detachment from reality as a defense mechanism. It has numerous features, some of which open the gateway to psychosis. Let's focus on the specific features that are integrated into Cloud's story.

Memory

Memory is the largest piece of Cloud's dissociation since his ex-SOLDIER persona requires him to ignore key memories. At the start of FFVII, Cloud experienced problems with remembering anything between the Nibelheim incident and his arrival in Midgar. You could argue that Cloud has selective retrograde amnesia, but his memory between the time he left Nibelheim to join SOLDIER and the Nibelheim incident is deeply distorted, rather than unclear or largely missing. This hints to us that Cloud's memory problems are a function of dissociation, which is commonly invoked in trauma victims to protect them from memories of their traumatic experiences. Cloud's case is more complex though, since he also experiences identity problems. Even though sense of identity is also a feature of dissociation, we'll talk about it later in Part II.

Hearing voices

Hearing voices can be considered a part of dissociation when the voices are internal, or inside the head. It's when they are external and appear to be coming from outside the body that we begin to think of psychosis. This is where fantasy starts to blur how we can interpret Cloud's psychology. Cloud mainly hears two different types of voices during his journey: Sephiroth's voice, and his own voice. Cloud hears Sephiroth's voice taunting him from time to time, and it is an external voice. However, it's important to recognize that Sephiroth is a true external influence with his own agenda. Therefore, we can assume that it really is Sephiroth speaking to Cloud, not just a fabrication of Sephiroth in Cloud's head. We know this because when he experiences a headache, Sephiroth's voice often comes after. Basically, the more unstable Cloud's identity becomes, the more he mentally vulnerable he is and the more he hears Sephiroth's voice.

The other voice, Cloud's own voice, is internal. The problem is, sometimes it's tricky to tell whether it is functioning as dissociation or as a storytelling device. The key to understanding this is recognizing that this internal voice is meant to represent Cloud's real self. Cloud's identity crisis is the core of his pathology and is portrayed as a suppression of his real self. The times when he does hear his real self appear to be moments of clarity. In this case, the voice of Cloud's real self is understood as a sign of deconstructed identity; this voice is a manifestation of dissociation.

Intense Flashbacks

Intense flashbacks are another common feature of dissociation. Again, our perception of this concept in Cloud is somewhat unclear due to the fact that flashbacks are also a storytelling mechanism. However, we can use Cloud's headaches as an indicator of whether he is recalling a memory voluntarily or involuntarily. Cloud's involuntary flashbacks are shown to be disruptive and disorienting. They will initiate sometimes due to triggers in the environment, but might also occur out of the blue. Again, these flashbacks largely tie back to Cloud's identity crisis, so it's safe to say that this is another feature of his dissociation.

Reality Testing

Reality testing refers to a person's ability to understand and distinguish the external and internal world, or reality and fantasy. When someone has problems with reality testing, he experiences hallucinations. For the most part, Cloud is able to grasp his reality and navigate the environment just fine. It's either when something in the environment triggers Cloud's memories or when Sephiroth reaches out to him that he experiences intense hallucinations, which are indeed moments of dissociation. Again though, it's sometimes hard to tell if these are fabrications of Cloud's mind or if they are purposeful illusions created by Sephiroth, especially since other party members can sometimes see Sephiroth as well. But, even though there are moments where Cloud seems to have trouble distinguishing reality from his imagination, these moments are better explained by Sephiroth's influence. Therefore, I wouldn't say that Cloud's hallucinations are a sign of psychosis.

The other complicated piece here is the knowledge that the existence of Cloud's ex-SOLDIER persona is an inherent rejection of reality. Essentially, the ex-SOLDIER persona is like a delusion, a fixed belief that is resistant to change even with the presence of conflicting evidence. Cloud has to reject the reality of who he is, what happened to him, and Zack's existence in order to keep himself grounded. This is maybe subject to change now in Rebirth, but as far as the original story goes, Cloud begins to doubt himself once he is told that his memories actually belong to another person he can't remember. So, should we still talk about psychosis?

Real World Disorders

Before we proceed, a disclaimer. I do have professional training in clinical diagnosis and psychotherapy, but ultimately I'm still playing armchair psychologist. This is just my personal take on Cloud's psychology.

When I talk about psychosis, this refers to a remarkable loss of contact with reality (see the NIH). Psychotic episodes can involved disturbed thoughts and difficulty with understanding what is real and what is not. It seems appropriate to discuss psychosis in Cloud's case given that his dissociation does make us question his understanding of reality around him, including what he remembers.

One of the most common things that I've seen people speculate is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) due to the implication of the ex-SOLDIER persona as a distinct personality. DID was formerly called Multiple Personalities Disorder, and it's pretty much what it sounds like. The key feature of DID is the presence of two or more distinct personalities that alternate in the conscious. Most of the the time, each personality (or alter, as it's often called) is unaware of what the others are doing when they have control of the conscious. See Marvel's Moon Knight for an excellent recent portrayal of DID. There's a lot of dispute about what causes DID, but the general consensus is that DID results from the combination of childhood trauma, mostly abuse or neglect. To best explain it: "in DID, traumatic memories are decontextualized and processed to retain internal and external balance, which leads to formation of alter personality states each with a sense self and agency, personal history, and a mission" (Şar, 2014).

Despite this, I'd argue we cannot say that Cloud has DID as we understand it in the real world for several reasons. The most important aspect is that Cloud doesn't consistently switch between his ex-SOLDIER persona and his real self - in fact, his real self rarely if ever comes out explicitly. Rather, it looks like as long as the ex-SOLDIER exists, the real self is suppressed. This specifically tells us that Cloud's experiencing an identity issue. Furthermore, people with DID present remarkable problems with reality testing regardless of external influences. The times that Cloud sees and hears Sephiroth are arguably still partly hallucinations, but we already established that Sephiroth is deliberately messing with Cloud's sense of reality and identity in some form. He's purposefully taunting Cloud, especially when others cannot see him. We know that Sephiroth is literally reaching out to Cloud, that this isn't all happening inside Cloud's head. Therefore, Cloud's hallucinations are likely not a sign of psychosis, and it's unclear if we can even call them hallucinations in the first place.

If I had to give an armchair DSM-5 diagnosis to Cloud, I would suggest that he has Delusional Disorder. This disorder shares some features with Schizophrenia, but does not include hallucination as a symptom. More importantly, delusional disorder doesn't feature "bizarre or odd behavior" that's often seen in other psychotic disorders. Outwardly, people with delusional disorder don't appear delusional unless the subject of the delusion is involved. I do still hesitate with this diagnosis though, mainly because Cloud ultimately does respond to information that challenges his delusion. The DSM-V does specify that "individuals with delusional disorder may be able to factually describe that others view their beliefs as irrational but are unable to accept this themselves." When Cloud is explicitly confronted with information that is inconsistent with his delusion, this in fact opens the gate for Sephiroth to convince him that he is essentially not real. If he had delusional disorder, Cloud would have continued to reject reality.

The fact of the matter is that Cloud's ex-SOLDIER persona cannot be fully understood in the context of real world psychosis. The fantasy elements of FFVII complicate diagnosis, especially considering when and how the ex-SOLDIER persona was born. Plus, I wouldn't pathologize Cloud this far given that I don't think real world psychosis best explains what happens to him. While Cloud's ex-SOLDIER persona appears to be a delusion, it doesn't present negative consequences unless he's presented with conflicting information and is vulnerable to change when challenged. Essentially, we can partly understand the ex-SOLDIER persona as an ongoing dissociation that serves to protect Cloud from the memories of traumatic experiences. But, I wouldn't go so far as to give him a DSM-5 diagnosis.

Basically, we can't fully conceptualize Cloud within the realm of psychosis or personality disorders. Rather, his dilemma revolves around the deconstruction of his identity, which I'll discuss in my next post.

Edit 10/12/22: Clarified that psychosis refers to a loss of contact with reality, not a disconnect from reality (which is dissociation).

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kuro71 · 3 years ago

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50 EPIC REASONS TO SUPPORT CLOUD X AERITH

1. “Cloud was her (Aerith) friend, her *koibito* (lover in Japanese) – a symbol of what was important to her, and someone to be protected.” ~Case of Lifestream: White; Square Enix

2. Nomura of Square Enix doesn’t know the nature of Cloud and Tifa’s relationship *AFTER* the Highwind scene:

“For example, I was frequently asked if there had been romantic relationship between Tifa and Cloud for two years, after Final Fantasy VII ended, but I don’t have any clue.” ~Nomura; Dorimaga interview; published at Flaregamer

3. Cloud and Aerith’s canon date is pictured on Square Enix’s For the One I Love page:

“Through the long journeys, the love of the protagonists develop. Occasionally they become separated, but the two’s value to one another gives them the great strength to overcome whatever crisis may come.” ~Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania; For the One I Love page; Square Enix

Lines to remember:

“…the love of the protagonists develop.”

“…the two’s value to one another…”

Only one date (the pictured & canon Cloud x Aerith date) can be applied to the For the One I Love page.

4. Denzel and Barret are members of the same family, it’s just that Denzel is not *living* with Barret, which is why Barret does not appear in any of the quotes regarding Cloud, Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel *living* together.

Here is the proof:

“After visiting various locations with Tifa and Barret, Tifa opened the “Seventh Heaven” bar. Before setting off on a journey, Barret left Marlene in Cloud and Tifa’s care, and the three of them began living together.” ~Case of Tifa, Square Enix

It says the “three of them (Cloud, Tifa, Marlene)” began living together *AFTER* Barret set off on a journey.

This unequivocally proves that when the words “live”/”living”/”lived” are used to describe Cloud, Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel, it is *ONLY* excluding Barret because he is not *TECHNICALLY* living with them.

We also know Barret returns to living with Marlene in Dirge of Cerberus:

“Currently he is living with Marlene, the orphaned child of his best friend, however…” ~Dirge of Cerberus Official Complete Guide; p.21; Square Enix

Further – Denzel’s presence has no relevance towards Cloud and Tifa’s relationship. Cloud believes Aerith brought Denzel to him, so if anything, Denzel would be considered Cloud and Aerith’s spirit child. Cloud x Tifa supporters make it seem as though Cloud and Tifa adopted Denzel because of their “relationship,” which couldn’t be further from the truth.

Both Marlene (Barret’s daughter) and Denzel (the child Cloud believes Aerith brought him) have no relevance towards the possible romantic nature of Cloud and Tifa’s relationship.

5. We know Cloud and Tifa are going through serious problems that prevented them from being in a relationship. Final Fantasy VII creator Nojima speaks of a premise that things “won’t go well” between Cloud and Tifa:

“First off, there’s the premise that things won’t go well between Tifa and Cloud, and that even without Geostigma or Sephiroth this might be the same…” ~Nojima interview about On the Way to a Smile; Square Enix

Did you catch that last bit? Even without circumstances such as Geostigma and Sephiroth, things still probably wouldn’t have gone well between Cloud and Tifa. Without Sephiroth, Cloud wouldn’t have PTSD. Therefore, this speaks to the inherent issues that have persisted between Cloud and Tifa since childhood.

Nojima also says the children (Barret’s daughter, Marlene, and Cloud and Aerith’s spirit child, Denzel) *MIGHT* be able to help Cloud and Tifa sort through their problems:

“After Advent Children Complete, I guess Denzel and Marlene could help them work it out.” ~Nojima; On the Way to a Smile interview; Square Enix

Even after Cloud’s Geostigma and guilt is removed, and Sephiroth is defeated, Nojima still isn’t sure Cloud and Tifa will work out.

Nojima, the creator of Final Fantasy VII, has said two very important things:

Cloud and Tifa’s problems likely have nothing to do with Geostigma and Sephiroth.

Even when the issues plaguing Cloud are resolved (his guilt, Geostigma, and Sephiroth) Nojima still isn’t sure Cloud and Tifa will work out.

Given both of these things, we know Cloud and Tifa have serious, inherent problems that prevent them from partaking in a healthy, long-lasting relationship.

Unfortunately, nothing between Cloud and Tifa has been shown to be resolved. Barret returns to living with Marlene in Dirge of Cerberus, and Cloud and Tifa’s relationship status is still unknown and in fractured territory.

Of course relationships aren’t always romantic — it’s normal and natural for couples to have problems. But, it is *equally* normal and representative of a real relationship to also have romance and a honeymoon phase. Cloud and Tifa only qualify under the negative aspects of a relationship, whereas Cloud and Aerith qualify under the positive aspects of a relationship.

6. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret create a family together after the Highwind scene in Case of Tifa (seriously, read the novel). Marlene is Barret’s daughter and invites Cloud into their family, a family that already includes herself and Barret. The family formed was not created for romantic reasons or formed from a romantic place like most families are:

Marlene: “I’ll put Cloud in our family too.” Cloud: “I appreciate that.” ~Revised Case of Tifa; Square Enix

The family formed was Barret’s idea (seriously, read the novel) and is a ‘family of friends’. This family has zero romantic connotations. Unfortunately, Cloud x Tifa supports love to exclude Barret from this family to build up the false notion Cloud and Tifa started an exclusive family together out of love, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

Barret returns to living with Marlene in Dirge of Cerberus and Denzel is a child Cloud believes Aerith brought him:

Cloud Strife: “Denzel had collapsed in front of Aerith’s church. That’s why I thought Aerith lead him to me.” ~Case of Tifa; Square Enix

7. The Cloud x Aerith Gold Saucer date is confirmed as canon within the compilation:

“#111: The Planet’s largest amusement park is run by Dio. Cloud and company visit this place many times in their battle. They meet Cait Sith here. A PROMISED date (there is only one promised date in the game) that ends in a magical night. In the city of desire that floats above the sands, the light memory of the two people is asleep even now… Aerith: “I think I must have seen him again, in you… But you’re different. Things are different… No, Cloud… I’m searching for you…” ~Final Fantasy Art Collection; Square Enix

“In Aerith’s case, if you play the game normally, the partner that generally comes will be Aerith.” ~Final Fantasy VII Dismantled; Square Enix

“Oh, Cloud…I enjoyed our date at the Gold Saucer. The view from the gondola that night was really beautiful. I’ll never forget it. I’ll never forget you, Cloud…” ~Aerith; Final Fantasy VII Dismantled; Square Enix

8. Cloud has a separate bed in his private room during Advent Children. Not only do we see pictures of Cloud’s private room with a bed during Advent Children, but Tifa tells Cloud to go drink in his room alone when they are having another one of their numerous fights:

Cloud: “I want to drink alone.” Hearing that, Tifa lost control and said, “Then drink in your room.” ~Case of Tifa; Square Enix

People often say that because there is a lack of other furniture in Cloud’s room (like a dresser), it somehow invalidates the fact Cloud has a bed in his room. But how does a lack of other furniture mean Cloud can’t sleep in that bed? The point is, I find it hard to believe Square Enix would include a random bed in Cloud’s room just for the hell of it. If Cloud doesn’t sleep there, who does? Until we see Cloud and Tifa sleeping together, it only makes sense Cloud sleeps in the bed found in his room. This is further evidence that a romantic relationship did not begin between Cloud and Tifa after the Highwind scene.

Marlene is also stated to ALWAYS sleep with Tifa in Case of Tifa:

“Marlene, who had always slept with Tifa, slept with her foster father Barret the night before he left. Their conversations could be heard late into the night. Early the next morning, Barret set off.”

9. “Each carries their own feelings and love for Aerith. In this story, Cloud also carries his undying feeling for Aerith even to this very day…” ~Nomura; Square Enix

When *undying* is applied to a feeling or emotion that someone has, it is eternal & forever. So although you can make the argument that *undying* when applied to a fictional creature doesn’t mean eternal or forever, when the word "undying” is applied to a human emotion or feeling, it *IS* eternal & forever. Therefore, it does not make sense Nomura would be referring to Cloud’s guilt as *undying* when the entire point of Advent Children is to rid Cloud of his guilt. This undying feeling Cloud has for Aerith is most obviously romantic love. That’s why Tifa stays forever jealous of Cloud’s love for Aerith.

10. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT:

Cloud Strife: “Here I met a flower girl.

She’s a girl with impressive eyes.

She’s around my age, or older by one or two years but the innocent radiance in her eyes simply makes her suddenly look younger. Maybe she’s pleased that the flower was sold, because the worried look on her face had vanished.

If this smile costs only one gil, it is a good purchase.” ~Final Fantasy VII Dismantled; Square Enix

11. “There’s no relationship from Final Fantasy VII to the Kingdom Hearts stories. I consider them separate stories. But if you play Kingdom Hearts, toward the end, some of the questions about the relationship between Cloud and Aeris in Final Fantasy VII might be answered.” ~Nomura; Square Enix

Nomura specifically says that although the two universes of Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy VII are separate, the Kingdom Hearts universe might help answer questions about the relationship between Cloud and Aerith as it pertains to Final Fantasy VII’s universe. Cloud and Aerith are seen together at the end of Kingdom Hearts – similar to other romantic couples.

12. Tifa admits to not knowing if Cloud loves her *AFTER* the Highwind scene:

“Do you love me?” Cloud opened his eyes. He looked perplexed. “Hey, Cloud. Do you love Marlene?” “Yeah. But… sometimes I don’t know how to act around her.” ~Case of Tifa; Square Enix

If Tifa doesn’t know if Cloud loves her, Cloud x Tifa supporters shouldn’t pretend they know, either.

13. Aerith Gainsborough: “A girl with the blood of the Ancients flowing through her veins who is engraved in Cloud’s heart for the rest of his life” ~Dirge of Cerberus Japanese game manual; Square Enix

14. Love beyond death is a common theme in Final Fantasy: Tidus x Yuna, Shuyin x Lenne, Laguna x Raine, Ashe x Rasler, etc. Plus, in Final Fantasy VII, you have Vincent’s bond with Lucrecia. Vincent can see her and speak with her in Dirge of Cerberus, similar to the way Cloud can interact with Aerith in Advent Children.

15. Tifa’s jealously over Cloud and Aerith’s relationship:

“The thing which she is unable to hide in her irritation towards Cloud is the fact that he isn’t merely dragging the past around, but because that reason might perhaps be related to Aerith.

Final Fantasy VII: Seeing Cloud and Aerith developing their world together before her eyes, she inadvertently lets slip her peevish feelings.

Advent Children: Upon knowing that Cloud had been residing in Aerith’s church after leaving the place they had been living in together, her expression becomes complex.” ~Tifa’s character profile; 10th Anniversary Ultimania; Square Enix

Aerith, very flirtatiously, says, “I knew that Cloud would come for me.” Cloud responds with, “Hey, I’m your bodyguard, right?”

Cloud references back to the conversation he and Aerith had in her Church, when Aerith promised Cloud a romantic date in return for his protection.

Aerith picks up on this and responds with, “The deal was for one date, right?”

Cloud and Aerith were very obviously flirting back-and-forth. If Tifa hadn’t been in the jail cell with Cloud, the flirtatious banter between Cloud and Aerith would have most certainly continued. However, because Tifa was in the same room as Cloud, she picks up on this flirtation, which is why she says, “…………oh, I get it.”

Through this dialogue, Square Enix was conveying to us that Cloud was holding more favor for Aerith than Tifa. Cloud intentionally directs his conversation with Aerith back to when they made the arrangement that he would be her bodyguard for the price of a romantic date.

We know Tifa viewed this as Cloud and Aerith developing their own world together before her very eyes:

“Seeing Cloud and Aerith developing their world together before her eyes, she inadvertently lets slip her peevish feelings.” ~Final Fantasy 10th Anniversary Ultimania; Square Enix

And although some will say this is only Tifa’s perspective, it is also an accurate perspective. Tifa isn’t being the delusional stereotypical woman many like to paint her out to be. Before this conversation takes place, Cloud tells Marlene (in the canon version of this scene) that he “hopes” Aerith likes him. Marlene responds by saying she won’t tell Tifa. We also know Cloud found Aerith physically attractive in Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Dismantled.

Obviously, Cloud was romantically interested in Aerith based on his physical attraction to her, his conversation with Marlene, and his agreement to protect Aerith in exchange for a romantic date. This mutual romance between Cloud and Aerith played out before Tifa’s eyes in the Shinra jail cell, which is why she let her “peevish feelings” slip.

I honestly don’t think Tifa was being delusional or acting irrational. It’s obvious Cloud and Aerith were developing their own world together in the Shinra jail cell.

Back when I played the game as a kid, I always took this scene to unequivocally prove Cloud and Aerith were meant to be together. Why? Because Cloud shows favor for Aerith in-front of Tifa. This was probably the scene that confirmed Clerith to me the most.

I mean, hell, Cloud and Aerith flirt together right in-front of Tifa’s face. How much more obvious can it be that Cloud prefers Aerith?

And although Aerith didn’t know Tifa was in the room with Cloud, Cloud did. And he still decided to direct his conversation with Aerith back to when a romantic date was promised, by flirtatiously saying, “Hey, I’m your bodyguard, right?”

It doesn’t get much more obvious than that, which is exactly why Tifa let her “peevish feelings” slip when she saw Cloud and Aerith “developing their own world” together.

16. “Looks good. You are perfect for each other!” “Aerith’s star and Cloud’s star! They show a great future!” — “Poor Tifa!” ~Cait Sith; Final Fantasy VII

“After solving the puzzle about Cait Sith’s replaceable body, he tells one last fortune of Cloud and Aerith’s affinity. Cait Sith’s lines, which seem to expect Cloud and Aerith’s wedding, now makes it more painful.” ~Final Fantasy VII Dismantled; Square Enix

The argument about Cait Sith’s prediction should not revolve around how reliable he is. The argument should be about what was SE’s intent for including this wedding prediction in the game. SE could have had Aerith ask Cait Sith about her future and Cait Sith could have said, “You will have a bright future full of many happy times!” – this would have set the player up to get their heart broken when she was killed by Sephiroth. Instead, they specifically decided to include a prediction about Aerith’s romantic future with Cloud. It was a romantic prediction about her future with Cloud, not just a generic prediction about her future. So given the context of the game and how things were progressing between Cloud and Aerith, it is obvious why SE included this wedding prediction – so the gamer would have the idea in their head that Cloud and Aerith had the possibility of sharing a romantic future together, which would then be destroyed by the hands of the evil Sephiroth. A generic prediction about Aerith’s future would not have been nearly as meaningful or impactful to the gamer, which is why they specifically made the prediction about Aerith’s romantic future with Cloud. The romance that was clearly developing between Cloud and Aerith, in addition to a prediction about a their romantic future together, makes her death all the more sad. SE killed off a romantic love interest to Cloud because it would be more impactful to the gamer. If SE had killed Barret, I can guarantee you that it would not have been as memorable or as impactful to the gamer. One of the biggest reasons Aerith’s death is so sad is because she wasn’t just a friend to Cloud. Aerith had a possible romantic future with Cloud, which is exactly what SE wanted us to think, so that when they killed her, it was that much more painful and heartbreaking for those of us playing the game. Luckily, their love transcends traditional barriers and continues in the spiritual world. Furthermore, SE refers to this prediction as a wedding prediction. Why would they refer to it as a wedding prediction if it was not meant to highlight the romantic connection Cloud and Aerith have in the game?

Further – Cait Sith’s wedding prediction is stated to become “more painful” after Aerith’s death. The only way Aerith’s death would make a wedding prediction “more painful” is if Cloud and Aerith had a mutual romance that would have led to a marriage had she not died.

17. After Cloud and Aerith share a spiritual connection, Cloud says in the final moments of Final Fantasy VII:

“An answer from the Planet… the Promised Land… I think I can meet her… there.”

One of the main themes of Final Fantasy VII is that death isn’t the end of ones journey. Death doesn’t stop love from continuing.

Despite Aerith’s eventual death, their love transcends traditional boundaries. Cloud associates his Promised Land (his supreme happiness) with Aerith at the end of Final Fantasy VII, and they will one day reunite in the lifestream.

18. “You should have… An older girlfriend, one that would take care of you. I think that would be the perfect type for you.” ~Mrs. Strife (Cloud’s Mom); Final Fantasy VII

Before this flashback, Cloud thought Aerith’s smile was a “good purchase” and her eyes were “impressive”. He left their initial meeting with a “mysterious feeling”. Shortly after, he agreed to be Aerith’s bodyguard for the price of a romantic date.

Then, while Cloud is being taken care of in Aerith’s house, Square Enix decides to throw in a flashback where Cloud’s Mother talks about having an older girlfriend that will take care of him — two things Aerith qualifies under. Cloud wasn’t interested in this until he met the exact woman described by his Mother: Aerith Gainsborough.

This is not a coincidence on Square Enix’s part.

After this flashback, Cloud shares a “date” with Aerith in the Sector 6 park, he canonly tells Marlene he “hopes” Aerith likes him, he starts developing his “own world” with Aerith in the Shinra jail cell (which leads to Tifa letting her “peevish feelings” slip), he tells Aerith he will always be there for her in Cosmo Canyon — a classic romantic slip, he goes on a canon date with Aerith at Gold Saucer showing the “…love of the protagonists…” and the “…two’s value to one another,” they are given a “wedding” prediction by Cait Sith that becomes “more painful” after Aerith’s death, and Cloud expresses a desire to find Aerith in his supreme place of happiness — the Promised Land.

This flashback was the shift between Cloud Strife’s initial physical attraction to that of long-lasting love for Aerith Gainsborough.

19. “Marlene is a sharp girl - Even though she’s only 4 years old, Marlene is perceptive and well attuned to the woman mind. The scene where she ascertains that Aerith has favor for Cloud and tells him so, then says “I won’t tell Tifa!” demonstrates this grownup behavior.” ~Final Fantasy VII, 25th Anniversary Ultimania, Square Enix

In order for Marlene to say “I won’t tell Tifa,” Cloud is required to say he “hopes” Aerith likes him. Therefore, this is the canon version of this scene:

Marlene: "Guess what? Guess what? Aerith was asking me lots of questions. Like what kind of person Cloud is. I bet she likes you, Cloud!“

Cloud: "Let’s hope so.”

Marlene: “I won’t tell Tifa.”

20. “The staff has their own answers to all the scenes in the movie such as the angel statue that makes an appearance many times. But, even if someone who has watched it interprets it differently, then that is just another answer.” ~Nomura; Square Enix

21. “The words “memetic legacy” are used a lot in the film…but in Advent Children, rather than focusing on memories we wanted to show that consciousness is what lives on. We took the ending of the game and expanded on that idea. Even if they’re dead, their consciousness is still with us. As for Cloud…he sees Aerith several times throughout the film. It’s not that he sees her because he feels her presence. He sees her because her consciousness…lives on inside him.” ~Nomura; Distance Interview

22. Cloud and Tifa expressing mutual feelings in a variable scene =/= romantic relationship.

Although this is a reasonable assumption, it is *NOT* always the case that expressing mutual feelings means a romantic relationship begins. Reading Case of Tifa and watching Advent Children makes it clear Cloud and Tifa were never in a romantic relationship. I mean, do people actually call that a relationship? I understand all couples fight, but all couples have at least a few moments of romance, too. Where was their honeymoon phase?

23. “The place where he awakens. That is Cloud’s Promised Land……” ~Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania; Square Enix

Cloud awakes in Aerith’s Church where he shares a spiritual connection with her. The *PLACE* Cloud awakes (Aerith’s Church) is his Promised Land — his supreme happiness.

According to Aerith, ones Promised Land is a *FEELING* one gets:

“You search and travel, until you feel it. Like you just know, …this is the Promised Land.” ~Aerith; Maiden Who Travels the Planet; Square Enix

When Cloud saw Aerith reaching down to him at the end of Final Fantasy VII, Cloud *FELT* his Promised Land. He says so: “An answer from the Planet… the Promised Land… I think I can meet her… there.”

Then, in Advent Children, Cloud can also find Aerith in her Church. Her Church is another place where Cloud has *FELT* his Promised Land. In other words, Cloud *FELT* his Promised Land in two places — the lifestream and Aerith’s Church. Why? Because he can find Aerith in both places. Aerith brings him his feeling of “supreme happiness” — the feeling required to find one’s Promised Land.

To determine what causes Cloud to *FEEL* his Promised Land, his statement at the end of FFVII and Square Enix’s statement about Cloud’s Promised Land being in Aerith’s Church can’t contradict each other. What is the one similarity between Cloud’s statement at the end of Final Fantasy VII and SE’s statement about Cloud’s Promised Land in Advent Children? Finding Aerith.

Whether it’s Aerith’s Church or the lifestream, it is wherever Cloud can find Aerith that is stated to be Cloud’s Promised Land. Both Cloud and Square Enix say this.

Cloud’s Promised Land obviously can’t be his friends and family because Cloud has already stated he has a Promised Land in the lifestream with Aerith. Once Cloud is done living with his friends and family, and is finally meant to join the lifestream, he will return the Promised Land Aerith speaks of in MoT and Cloud speaks of at the end of Final Fantasy VII. In other words, both times Cloud got the feeling that is required for a Promised Land have been in Aerith’s presence. SHE is the common denominator. SHE is the only way both statements regarding Cloud’s Promised Land don’t contradict each other.

24. ”Both of them share feelings for Cloud. Tifa was close to Aerith, who can also be called a love rival. With that point in mind, they were also good friends. Nevertheless, it is not hard to imagine that she carries complex feelings as a woman toward Aerith, who had built up a special bond with Cloud that was different from Tifa’s. Tifa’s complicated feelings continue even in Advent Children, two years after Aerith had departed the world.“ ~Tifa’s profile; Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania; pg. 42-47; Square Enix

25. “I never blamed you. Not once. You came for me. That’s all that matters.” ~Aerith Gainsborough; Advent Children

26. “A story of a love that could never be…” ~Official Square Enix commercial referring to Cloud x Aerith

27. Aerith loves Cloud more than Zack:

"I, now undoubtedly, love Cloud much more than Zack.” ~Aerith’s monologue in Gongaga; Final Fantasy VII Dismantled; Square Enix

28. 1. Cloud thinks Aerith’s eyes are "impressive” 2. Cloud thinks Aerith’s smile is a “good purchase” 3. Cloud leaves his initial meeting with Aerith with a ”mysterious feeling” 4. Cloud agrees to be Aerith’s bodyguard for the price of one date 5. Cloud has a flashback about romantic relationships in Aerith’s house 6. Cloud and Aerith share an intimate date in the Sector 5 park where Aerith brings up her previous boyfriend, thus bringing romantic relationships to the forefront of the story 7. Cloud tells Marlene he hopes Aerith likes him 8. Barret observes that Aerith is the first person Cloud cares for besides himself 9. Tifa gets jealous when she hears Cloud and Aerith flirting and developing their “own world” and “special bond” in the Shinra jail cell

Given all that occurred prior to Cosmo Canyon, especially Cloud telling Marlene he hopes Aerith likes him, makes it undeniable that Cloud’s slip-up (saying that he will always be there for Aerith), is inherently romantic in nature. Not only is Cloud’s Cosmo Canyon slip-up a common literary device to show one characters attraction to another, but the context is undeniably romantic.

Cloud also says, “I remember Aerith a lot” while visiting Cosmo Canyon during disc 2. This line occurs after Cloud shares a promised date with Aerith in Golden Saucer, a wedding prediction by Cait Sith, and Aerith’s sudden death by the hands of Sephiroth. It’s clear Cloud and Aerith truly did develop a “special bond” in a short amount of time. All of this is exactly why Square Enix says:

“Cloud was her (Aerith) friend, her *koibito* (lover in Japanese) – a symbol of what was important to her, and someone to be protected.” ~Case of Lifestream: White; Square Enix

29. Aerith loves Cloud for who he is, not for who he reminded her of quote #1:

“Although in the beginning Aerith felt close to Cloud is because he behaves like Zack, her interest in Cloud himself grows and she is attracted to him.” ~page 31; Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega; Square Enix

30. Aerith loves Cloud for who he is, not for who he reminded her of quote #2:

“First off, it bothered me how you looked exactly alike. Two completely different people, but look exactly the same. The way you walk, gesture… I think I must have seen him again, in you… But you’re different. Things are different…” ~Aerith; Final Fantasy VII

31. Cloud agrees to be Aerith’s bodyguard for the price of a romantic date.

This is the typical beginning of a love story: love at first sight, and the hero protecting his heroine (for the price of a romantic date, nonetheless!).

32. Cloud visits Aerith’s Church frequently after her death (even before being diagnosed with Geostigma).

When Tifa discovers Cloud continues to long for Aerith she says, "Which is it? A memory or us?”

Remember:

“The thing which she is unable to hide in her irritation towards Cloud is the fact that he isn’t merely dragging the past around, but because that reason might perhaps be related to Aerith.

Advent Children: Upon knowing that Cloud had been residing in Aerith’s church after leaving the place they had been living in together, her expression becomes complex.“

~Tifa’s character profile; 10th Anniversary Ultimania; Square Enix

Tifa’s jealously over Cloud and Aerith’s "special bond” continues in Advent Children.

33. In Advent Children, when Sephiroth asks Cloud what he cherishes the most, the first person that comes to his mind is Aerith.

34. Cloud and Aerith share their first of two dates at Green Park in the Sector 6 Slum:

“Date in the Park: In Scene 04-10, Zack and Aerith have a date in Green Park in the sector 6 slum. An identical situation is seen in “FFVII” as well, which features a scene of Cloud and Aerith on a date in the same park.” ~Crisis Core Ultimania; Square Enix

35. “After the explosion of First Reactor, Cloud met Aerith while running away alone. Cloud left the place, remembering the mysterious feeling he had for Aerith from the small conversation. He then reunited with AVALANCHE safely, and left for their base…” ~Final Fantasy VII Story Playback; Page 111; Square Enix

36. Cloud x Aerith have numerous official pieces of Square Enix artwork together, depicting them similarly to other canon Final Fantasy couples.

37. “It was the sound of Cloud’s heart cracking. It was the cry of his heart that could never be healed of the grief he had towards Aerith’s death, the blame towards himself and the hatred he had for Sephiroth…There was nothing she could do about Cloud’s suffering and the pain ached in her heart.” ~Maiden of the Planet, Square Enix

Cloud’s heart broke when Aerith died.

37. According to Square Enix’s *relationship charts* found in Square Enix’s FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania, Cloud and Tifa are childhood friends *only* in both the Final Fantasy VII relationship chart and the Advent Children relationship chart. In addition, Cloud and Tifa never have mutual favor arrows, either. The FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania provides two relationship charts: One for FFVII and one for AC. By including two charts it is meant to compare and contrast relationships in FFVII to relationships in AC. Essentially, having two charts helps highlight the *changes* the relationships have gone through between FFVII and AC. However, Cloud and Tifa’s relationship does not go through any *changes* because they are referred to as “childhood friends” in both charts. However, that is not the case for Cloud and Aerith. The FFVII chart states Cloud is Aerith’s “bodyguard.” Then, for the AC chart, it states Cloud feels a, “sense of guilt” towards Aerith. That’s because Cloud failed to protect Aerith — meaning he failed as her bodyguard. The difference between Cloud and Aerith’s two charts was the perfect way for SE to show us how their relationship changed between FFVII and AC — Cloud failed as her “bodyguard” in FFVII, so he feels a sense of “guilt” towards her in AC. Why did SE not show any changes between Cloud and Tifa’s relationship? Answer: because Cloud and Tifa’s relationship did not change between FFVII and AC, and are only childhood friends during both time periods.

38. Final Fantasy VII Advent Children: During the ending credits, Cloud is shown riding his motorcycle through numerous flower fields. Although Cloud is a delivery boy, these flower fields he is shown riding through have a much deeper significance:

Nomura said in the Reunion Files that:

“…we filmed the video for the ending credits in Hawaii. There are fields of flowers on both sides of the road, and the colors - yellow and white - are the same as the flowers in Aerith’s church.”

In addition, Nomura states:

“With Aerith, ‘flowers’ have been her image throughout the series.”

39. Final Fantasy Dissidia:

At the end of Dissidia, Cloud is seen entering a flower field. This flower field is eerily similar to the flower fields Aerith has appeared in, and the flower field shown during the ending credits of Advent Children. Cloud is also holding Aerith’s Holy materia. Before this takes place, it is stated by Zidane that each character is, “…returning to where we’re supposed to be.” Cloud is supposed to be with Aerith, which is why he returns to a flower field. Interestingly, Squall of Final Fantasy VIII is seen leaving when a white feather falls from the sky. This feather represents Rinoa. The parallels between Cloud x Aerith and Squall x Rinoa are obvious. During the game Cloud also says, “The one I really want to meet is…” And although he doesn’t finish his sentence, given the ending scene of Dissidia and the ending of Final Fantasy VII, it is clear who Cloud has a desire to meet in the Promised Land – Aerith Gainsborough.

40. Final Fantasy IX:

The Flower Girl calls Knight VII “cute” and Knight VII calls the Flower Girl “beautiful”. Their entire conversation is very flirtatious and romantic.

41. Aerith loves Cloud more than Zack:

“At first when I met Cloud, I believed he was similar to Zack. Little actions, the way he spoke… his kindness. But Cloud is Cloud. I, now undoubtedly, love Cloud much more than Zack.” ~Aerith’s monologue in Gongaga; Final Fantasy VII Dismantled; Square Enix

42: Final Fantasy Tactics:

Cloud meets a Flower Girl in Final Fantasy Tactics. Cloud essentially has the same conversation with this Flower Girl as he did with Aerith during the beginning of Final Fantasy VII.

Please read these similar quotes between FFT and FFVII:

Final Fantasy Tactics: Cloud: “My fingers are tingling… My eyes…they’re burning.” Final Fantasy VII: Cloud: “My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!”

Final Fantasy Tactics: Cloud: “I lost…a very important thing…” Final Fantasy VII: Cloud lost Aerith in Final Fantasy VII.

Final Fantasy Tactics: Cloud: “Ever since, I’ve been lost. Who am I? What should I do? What about this pain…” Final Fantasy VII: Cloud:“What about US… what are WE supposed to do?” Cloud “What about my pain?”

Final Fantasy Tactics: Cloud “Must go…to the Promised Land.” Final Fantasy VII: Cloud: “The Promised Land…I think I can meet her… there.”

43. The hand reach scene between Cloud and Aerith in Advent Children is referred to as a “homage” by Square Enix, which highlights the romantic relationship between Cloud and Aerith that has continued into the spiritual world.

“The ending scene of the battle with Bahamut, the scene where Aerith reaches out her hand, is homage to the last scene from a previous production. It was Tetsuya (Nomura)’s idea….” ~Nojima; Reunion Files; Square Enix

Advent Children took Final Fantasy VII’s hand reach to the next level — Cloud and Aerith were finally able to lock hands, something they were so close to doing in Final Fantasy VII. Despite Tifa’s presence in both scenes, she is not the primary focus. The primary focus has always been about Cloud and Aerith reuniting.

Advent Children’s homage makes it crystal clear: the girl Cloud wished was reaching for him was Aerith, the very girl he was finally able to lock hands with in Advent Children.

44. Cloud and Tifa living together in Advent Children does not mean a romantic relationship exists. Remember Cid and Shera in Final Fantasy VII? Also, remember that Cloud has a separate bed in his private room and that the family formed was formed with Marlene and Barret. This is a “family of friends” and has zero romantic connotations.

45. Cloud Strife broke down when Aerith Gainsborough died, showing he harbors a love for her that is both indescribable and incomprehensible:

Cloud Strife: “The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don’t mean a thing. Aerith is gone. Aerith will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry…… or get angry…… What about us…… what are WE supposed to do? What about my pain?”

46. Highwind Scene Variability Quote #1:

“After stopping Hojo from going amuck, the conversation with Tifa before they rush into the Northern Crater diverges into two conditions, according to Tifa’s affection rating with Cloud. When it gets low, the conversation in the scene that they spend the night will be apathetic and ends short. Next morning in the cockpit, Tifa says “Were you listening?” and stamps on tiptoe. On the other hand, when degree gets higher, the conversation of the scene that they spend the night will have strong emotions. Next morning in the cockpit, Tifa will say “Were you watching?” and feels terribly shy” ~page 198; Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega

47. Highwind Scene Variability Quote #2:

“Deviation – Two versions of the conversation before the final battle. Prior to the final battle, the contents of the conversation between Cloud and Tifa can change depending on the degree of Tifa’s affection. If the degree of affection is high, the contents of the two’s conversation will involve deep subject matter and strong feelings for each other. As well, the sight of the two seen by their companions the next morning will lead to an embarrassing scene for Tifa, and she blushes greatly.” ~page 232; Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania

48. Highwind Scene Variability Quote #3:

“Another event is when the party was dismissed and after everyone left for their own places separately, Cloud and Tifa spent the night together. At that moment, according to Tifa’s affection rating with Cloud, the event of “dialogues exchanged between them from dusk to dawn” and “Tifa’s reaction and lines when she found out that everyone might see (or hear) that circumstance” will be different.” ~Final Fantasy VII Dismantled; page 201

49. “And having two heroines, Aerith and Tifa, and having the hero waver between them, at the time that was something new.” ~Interview with the creators; pg. 8-13; 10th Anniversary Ultimania; Square Enix

50. Square Enix officially named Cloud and Aerith the Emperor and Empress in Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade. I guess Cait Sith’s “wedding prediction” came true after-all.

Cloud x Aerith: A Love Story

Dispelling the myth Cloud and Tifa are in a relationship post-FFVII

Common Criticisms of Cloud x Aerith debunked

Aerith Gainsborough: The Ultimate Heroine

Aerith’s Blessing?

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