Major named characters have been dropping dead in Final Fantasy since Final Fantasy II on the Famicom. Both Final Fantasy IV and V notably featured party member deaths as well, but what is it about Final Fantasy VII and Aerith’s death that resonates it above other depictions of death not only in its own franchise, but in the video game medium?
Final Fantasy VII tells a powerful human story about life & death, and Aerith’s tragic demise stands out as one of the least “Hollywood” deaths in fiction. For a game as fantastical as Final Fantasy VII, the overall reaction to Aerith’s death rings morbidly true. It isn’t a grand motivator or martyrdom– it’s the death of an innocent woman.
8 Vincent Valentine
Despite their popularity, it’s worth pointing out that both Vincent Valentine and Yuffie Kisaragi were optional, secret characters in Final Fantasy VII. The dev team were fans of Yuffie, so she was ultimately given precedence over Vincent, which naturally resulted in Vincent coming off fairly flat and quiet among the cast.
All the same, being the silent type is Vincent’s character and Aerith’s death reflects that. Vincent walks up to Aerith’s dead body, looks at her, and then walks up to Cloud before walking away without saying a single word. Considering the developers have often referred to Vincent as who Cloud could become, it’s likely Vincent saw himself & Lucrecia in Cloud & Aerith.
7 Yuffie Kisaragi
Anyone who doesn’t actively use Yuffie in their party will more than likely find her insufferable. After all, both of her major side quests center on her motivation to rob the party blind of their Materia. That said, this only makes Yuffie’s optional scenes all the more important for fleshing her out. Aerith’s death puts into perspective just how much of a team player Yuffie really was.
Like Vincent, Yuffie walks up to Aerith and then Cloud, but instead of walking away, she breaks into tears in Cloud’s arms. Given she’s 16 years old and the youngest member of the party, her reaction both makes sense while showing that– even a brat– Yuffie genuinely cares about her fellow party members.
6 Cid Highwind
Following the main story, Cid will be the last party member who ends up joining the party. As a result, there’s not much time for him and Aerith to form a real connection. Of all the main party members, it’s perhaps Cid (other than Vincent) who Aerith has the least concrete bond with.
All the same, Cid’s an older man who’s able to recognize the weight of the situation. Although his reaction isn’t nearly as expressive as the other characters, simply looking up into the sky and walking away. There’s a profoundness to Cid’s reaction, as if he’s giving Aerith an even deeper level of respect.
5 Cait Sith
By far Final Fantasy VII’s most controversial party member, Cait Sith holds the notable distinction of kidnapping Marlene and holding her as a hostage to get the party to work with him. Over time, however, Cait Sith begins to mellow out and Reeve (his operator) makes it clear that he always had benevolent intentions– working alongside the party simply makes him act on them.
Witnessing Aerith’s death, Cait Sith’s instinct is to dance as a means to distract the party. Certainly very tactless, but he quickly stops, acknowledges Cloud, and sadly walks away. It’s as if Reeve himself is dropping the persona mid-act, simply being in the moment with the party as a show of solidarity.
4 Red XIII
Red XIII has one of the saddest and strongest arcs in Final Fantasy VII. Returning to his home, Red XIII is confronted with the truth about a father he deemed a coward. Recognizing that his father died protecting Cosmo Canyon, Red XIII howls at the moon mourning his loss. Come Aerith’s death, Red XIII does the exact same.
Howling as a means of mourning can also extend to the very end of the game. Red XIII brings his brood to overlook a Midgar overgrown by nature, and they howl as the game comes to an end– perhaps a mourning of humanity.
3 Barret Wallace
It’s easy to forget since the party becomes so large by the end of the game, but Barret’s been with Cloud since the very beginning of Final Fantasy VII. He sees almost as much of the story as Cloud does, and travels with Aerith nearly just as long. A father himself, Barret sadly shakes his head at Aerith’s body and tries to console Cloud.
Barret placing his hand on Cloud is a nice moment of solidarity between the two– especially since Barret’s feelings for Cloud’s are complex to the point where one might read them as not liking each other. When it comes down to it, though, Barret is there for Cloud and genuinely sees him as a good friend.
2 Tifa Lockheart
Since Final Fantasy VII puts Tifa and Aerith in the middle of a love triangle with Cloud, the two don’t interact too often in the original game outside of their moments with Cloud (and interactions in Midgar,) but it doesn’t take much to imagine that Tifa and Aerith would come to like each other, especially since they meet before Aerith even meets Barret.
Upon finding Aerith’s dead body, Tifa kneels down by her, cradles her face, and bursts into tears before running away. Not only is Tifa’s reaction incredibly heavy, her takeaway from this all is that Aerith, the one person in the party who always looked forward to the future, wouldn’t have wanted to die here.
1 Cloud Strife
“What is this pain? My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!” - Cloud Strife cradling Aerith’s lifeless body. Cloud, by far, has the most detailed and visceral reaction to Aerith’s death. He clutches her body, screams out in agony, lets her sink into the waves, and solemnly reflects on the companion he just lost.
Cloud “heroically” vows revenge, but this ends up being Cloud’s unraveling. Following Aerith’s death, Cloud’s psyche falls apart and it’s left to Tifa to put him back together. Aerith never gets to meet the man Cloud really was, but he does at least become that man again.