This article contains spoilers for the original Final Fantasy 7 and the remake trilogy. The meeting between Cloud Strife and Aerith Gainsborough in Final Fantasy 7 is a pivotal point, not just for the story, but for how players engage with the game’s emotional core. Their encounter in the Sector 5 Church creates ripples throughout the narrative, from personal character arcs to the fate of the Planet itself. But what if that moment never happened? What if Cloud never fell into the flowers?
This speculative scenario forces a reexamination of everything: from Cloud's growth to the trajectory of Avalanche, and even the influence of the Ancients. While the original Final Fantasy 7 kept its universe relatively grounded, the remake trilogy has introduced multiverse themes that make this “what if” question both more complicated and more narratively plausible.
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Cloud and Tifa’s Final Fantasy 7 Story Evolves
Without Aerith, Cloud’s early journey would become more entwined with Tifa and the Avalanche crew. The two already share a buried, trauma-laden history, and without Aerith’s emotional insight to draw Cloud out of his mental fog, Tifa would shoulder the burden of grounding him. This could create a more intense and possibly volatile dynamic within Avalanche, especially as Cloud’s false persona begins to crack without the presence of someone as spiritually aware as Aerith to challenge it.
In this scenario, Barret and Tifa might lean harder into their eco-terrorist missions. Cloud, lacking Aerith’s influence and gentle pushback, could become a more efficient but emotionally detached mercenary. Aerith's lightness balances Cloud's darker tendencies, and without that balance, his descent into identity crisis may be steeper and less recoverable.
In Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Aerith often foreshadows future events with cryptic insight. This narrative trait implies she has knowledge beyond her own timeline, a mechanic that would be lost if she were sidelined or operating in the background.
Aerith’s Parallel Path in Final Fantasy 7 Remake
In the remake trilogy’s multiverse approach, it’s not unreasonable to imagine Aerith still existing but following a parallel track. Without meeting Cloud, she might act from the shadows, nudging events to align with what she senses must happen. Perhaps she forms a separate alliance with Zack, who has been alive in alternate timelines. Zack and Aerith’s bond, seen in Crisis Core and fleshed out in the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy, could take center stage.
The story might lean into Aerith's role as the last Ancient more directly. Shinra would still pursue her, but without Avalanche’s involvement, her arc might be one of constant escape and subtle intervention. This could add a quieter, more mystical layer to the story, where Aerith's actions affect outcomes without the main party fully realizing it.
A meeting between Aerith and Red XIII or Bugenhagen could occur earlier in this timeline, allowing her to explore the Forgotten Capital and the history of the Ancients independently. The knowledge she gains from this exploration could eventually intersect with Cloud’s journey, but only later and with very different consequences.
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake emphasizes Aerith’s unique role in the metaphysical structure of the universe. Her awareness of fate, and willingness to challenge it, becomes more significant with each installment—suggesting that her connection to Cloud isn’t just personal but cosmically necessary.
The Fate of the Planet Without Aerith’s Influence
Aerith’s presence is essential to the Planet’s defense. Her summoning of Holy (and her sacrifice in so doing) is arguably the most critical turning point in Final Fantasy 7. Without meeting Cloud, it's questionable whether events would lead to that same sacrificial climax. Sephiroth may still reach the Northern Crater, and Meteor may still descend, but Holy may never be cast in time without Aerith.
If Aerith is not there at all, perhaps another Ancient exists. Yet Final Fantasy 7 stresses that Aerith is the last of her kind. So, the world might face destruction without intervention—or the task of planetary salvation might fall to someone ill-equipped to handle it. Cloud might attempt to fill that void, but without Aerith’s guidance, he may lack the clarity or spiritual strength to do so.
In the original Final Fantasy 7, fate feels like a straight arrow. Aerith dies, Holy is cast, and the Planet is saved. But in the remake, fate feels more like a web. The game seems to suggest that Aerith and Cloud’s meeting is not only pivotal, it is ordained. It is quite literally woven into the structure of reality. Their connection, and its emotional resonance, may be the one fixed point around which every universe turns.
Some Final Fantasy 7 Moments Are Too Central to Break
Ultimately, Final Fantasy 7 is a story about connection, memory, and fate. Removing the meeting between Cloud and Aerith unravels more than just a subplot. It collapses the emotional scaffolding of the entire experience. Their brief, beautiful bond influences not just how Cloud sees himself, but how players interpret the game's world. It is a core piece of the narrative puzzle.
The remake trilogy seems keenly aware of this. It places more emphasis on their relationship than ever before, layering it with themes of time, memory, and inevitability. In many ways, the story argues that this meeting is necessary for the world to heal—not just from Meteor, but from its deeper spiritual wounds. Without it, the world might still turn, but it would be colder, more broken, and far less alive.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
- Released
- January 31, 1997
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Cross-Platform Play
- ps, pc
- Cross Save
- Players who have already started their adventure on iOS or Android can take advantage of cross-save capabilities
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG
