When Final Fantasy 7 Remake landed earlier this year, many fans couldn't get enough of its returning characters. Cloud, Aerith, and Barret all made a great impression in their high-definition debuts, with Square Enix taking the time to better flesh out their quirky personalities and the fun dynamics between them.
Few of these characters stood out quite like Tifa, however, with the strong-willed Avalanche member quickly becoming a firm favorite among fans. Interestingly, It seems Square Enix was considering giving even more screentime to the beloved party member at one point, with the Japanese book Final Fantasy 7 Remake Material Ultimania revealing a supposed axed chapter where Tifa starred in the leading role.
Translated on Twitter by user aitaikimochi, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake book unveils an axed scenario that took place after Tifa and Cloud get separated at Reactor 5, beginning somewhere around Chapter 7 and 8. It would look to fill in the time between the pair being separated and reunited, showing Tifa making the preparations to go to Don Corneo's house where she later meets Cloud and Aerith. According to aitaikimochi's translation, the idea was to "show the beginnings of the tragedy that would unfold with the Sector 7 plate," while also giving Tifa time to shine in the lead role of a unique scenario.
It would allegedly begin with Tifa meeting Jessie, learning about the plans for Sector 7's plate, and investigating some suspicious activity in the slums. It seems the scenario went on to show Tifa teaming up with some of the game's most notable heroes, including Barret, Biggs, and Wedge.
It would have also apparently featured a segment revealing how Tifa got one of the three dresses she can wear in the Don Corneo infiltration mission, fleshing out her side of the story even more. It's a shame the chapter never saw the light of day, with Tifa not getting to take center stage much throughout the first entry in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
Of course, other characters in the game did get similar segments to this proposed Tifa chapter. Barret gets separated from Cloud during one of the late-game scenarios, with players seeing the ordeal from his perspective, while Aerith has a number of cinematic sections that occur while Cloud's busy. Hopefully, Final Fantasy Remake Part 2 gives Tifa a similar section, allowing players the opportunity to experience some significant story moments from her perspective. Until then, it's fun to imagine what could've been had Square Enix not cut Tifa's moment in the spotlight.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is out now on PlayStation 4.
