Aerith has cemented herself in video game history as a beloved character in Final Fantasy VII, and not just for the moment she broke gamers' hearts the world over. Just to get it out there right away, this article will be full of spoilers that will reference both the original and remake of the game.
It’s not like characters never died in a Final Fantasy game, or in any game before this. But with the technological leap Final Fantasy 7 took in terms of graphical fidelity (at the time, of course), it was certainly more impactful to see Sephiroth’s blade go through her chest like that compared to seeing a pixel model simply vanish. The point is that Aerith is a treasure and an icon, so it's only natural that some hilarious and wholesome memes would spring up around her. Let's check out some of the best of them.
10 I Will Return To You
A lot of fans thought Aerith and Cloud should have ended up together. Then there are the fans that think Tifa should be his girl. While this may be debatable, it shouldn’t be because Aerith’s fascination with Cloud is because she misses Zack (who she may or may not have known died). Now that there are parallel universes in the remake, they might one day return to each other. Not even time can keep them apart.
9 Drop The S
For those that played the original Final Fantasy VII in 1997, it might be weird to see the Aeris' name rendered as Aerith. After all, Aeris was her name for years. It was ingrained in their brains and was changed (or more like corrected) with Kingdom Hearts in 2002. The name change is good, but it will take some time for the old-schoolers out there to forget the past.
8 Jagged Flowers
Another unforgettable aspect of the PS1 classic is how pointy the polygons were. Cloud had his giant Popeye arms and Aerith’s dress had some weird folds to it. Needless to say, the graphical upgrades to the remake are absolutely stunning. It will be interesting to see gamers look back twenty years after the remake’s remake for the same comparison. Her polygons could poke out an eye.
7 The Organization
Sephiroth's clones, or whatever one wants to call them, didn't really look like anything in the original game. Now that Kingdom Hearts is out, it's hard not to draw a comparison to Organization XIII. They want to return to their normal bodies as much as these clones want to have their Reunion. Plus Tetsuya Nomura is behind both games. Coincidence?
6 Die Hard
Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith are all fighters who can use magic and have defeated countless enemies. And yet they are afraid of some ghosts? It isn’t an unbelievable scenario. In reality ghosts probably are creepier than monsters, as monsters with corporeal bodies can seemingly be killed. What about ghosts? Their reactions, especially how the girls cling to Cloud, is funny in and of itself. It gets a tad better with the added context of the meme.
5 The Lady Of The Rings
This happens toward the end of the train graveyard wherein Aerith is swept away by the Whispers. Like Gandalf plummeting after the Balrog in the first The Lord of the Rings film, she isn’t scared.
She looks back at Cloud and Tifa as if to say “Run, I’ll be all right,” or in this case a well-known quote from LOTR. Turns out she was okay in the end. Aerith has some secrets the next game will hopefully answer. Is she a time traveler like Sephiroth?
4 No Cure For Tetanus
There are many status ailments presented in the Final Fantasy series. Spells like Poison and Confusion all have cures. What about natural diseases like cancer, or like this meme suggests, tetanus? Do those things exist in this universe? After sliding down that rusty pipe, maybe those two should get checked out.
3 In Your Arms
Tetanus jokes aside, there is a sweet part around that initial meet up wherein Cloud catches Aerith. The look on her face is as clear as day. She is beaming like so many other fangirls would be in a similar scenario.
Though honestly, who doesn’t want to be held by Cloud? Just looking into those eyes would be captivating enough.
2 The Whispers Of Earth
This is another example of how this world is weird in some aspects. Aerith talking to flowers shouldn’t be that odd though, what with magic and monsters around. And yet the look on Cloud’s face when he sees her do it is priceless. He is definitely thinking what this meme points out.
1 High Five?
Cloud being skeptical of the planet crying is just another way the game conveys his unwillingness to give in to society. He wants to be a loner and the game presents his journey from being an introvert to an extrovert. There are small moments where he lets loose like when he finally gives into high fiving Aerith.