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Should Aeris have died? That's the guestion on every players lips - or most players. At the end of disk one, there are three characteristiscs that people can have: 1. They cry their eyes out. 2. They think "oh well, but the game goes on" and 3. They cheered Sephy on as he launched the I killer blow. So, which characteristic do you fall into? I fall into #2. Aeris was OK, but I never really found her any use in battle. I liked her as a charater, but I always have and always will prefere Tifa :-). In my first game, I liked Aeris at the start, but by the end of disk 1, I was cheering Sephy on. Now, sure, I don't use her in battle as much as i use Tifa, but I still like her character. Everyone likes or loves Aeris, even if it is only a little. But life, and FF7 goes on I went onto the Website: "FF8 Sucks" (address: www.ff8sucks.8k.com/), and entered this question into the message board: Should Aeris have died? So far, I have recieved a few answers: Dagger said: "I'm glad the bitch died! I was cheering on seph... Tifa & Cloud were ment to be together. And that Bitch was mettaling in there affairs!" The Brain Wizard said: "Actually, there's a reason why she died and it's this same reason why her resurrection could never take place in the game. ---------SPOILER ALERT--------- DON'T READ ON IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED FF7 Aeris dies becomes one with the life stream, which she uses to save the planet after Holy proves ineffective. In short, Aeris saved everyone in a way she couldn't have if she were alive. That's why the last thing you see before the end credits is her face." - I don't think he got the point... But it's still interesting to know. FF Fan said: "I think more people got pissed at the technical aspects when Aeris died rather than the sentimental. You spend all that time levelling her up and she dies. But I was smart, HAHAHA! I saw it coming" so I avoided using her. Yeah, my cousin ruined it for me before I even started playing. Trent Kattastrofik said: "Heh, after I beat FF7, I was ready to pulverize my friend for telling me about Aeris's death before I even started the game." Again - I don't think he got the point... Vincent_Valentine said: "I didn't like Aeris in the first place as a fighter. She was so weak physically that I didn't even decide to put her in my party the first time through. It was very sad when she died but, as you have already said, it had to happen if the storyline was to work out. There wouldn't be a "Sephiroth--hate" relationship had he not killed her, though I admit that it would have been a lot more enjoyable (yet even sadder) if Cloud hadn't gathered control of himself and had killed her... " Cheers Vincent. Edea said: I think a lot of people would agree with me when i say,I knew about aeris's death since the moment i bought the game,it had a picture of her funeral right at the back of the game cover which was a bit of a spoiler. I was still upset about aeris dieing even though i knew it was coming up. although one of my friends jumped up screaming with happiness when sephiroth cut through aeris's body,and when I asked him why,he replied that he had just always hated her character. I guess you can either love her or hate her. it was necessary for Aeris to die in order for the love triangle between her,cloud and tifa to be broken. Tifa was his childhood friend whome cloud shared history with and that meant that Aeris had to go. which is quite sad............................................... Arthur_Liquida said: I also already knew that she'd die when I got on that point of the game, so I really didn't care too much... :-( But I still liked her I it made me feel unhappy... Anonymous said: I found her a little annoying, and while I thought it was a sad moment when Sephiroth's sword impaled her, she's a character and therefore I can feel no real sympathy for her. If I did find her annoying enough, though, I WOULD act the way your friend did. Why? Because she's a character. I ain't gonna take her ALL that seriously. The next comments were by the good people at Shinra Online: Bcmadcloud said: One of my favorite scenes in the game. A dramatic tragedy!!! Enigmus said: What I really liked about that scene were Cloud's reactions to her death. A very real character, that was really when I noticed the change in Cloud's character. Should she have died? Hell, NO! I still haven't gotten the Great Gospel for her! grr...still, the game wouldn't have been as good if you were capable of ressurecting her. Running Sasha said: Quite emotionally provoking. I thought it fit perfectly with the plot, yet what truly angered me was the fact that Square released the game without giving the characters the ability to ressurect her. Caelum said: that part was actually ruined for me when my friend who was ahead of me in playing(due to a walkthrough) "accidentally" blurted it out...but i was very shocked when he told me...§elah Caelum Pegasus said: I loved it when Aeris died! I saved the game just before that part and watched it over and over and over..... She deserved to die, she got on my nerves so much. That FMV was also one of the best in the game, just coz Sephiroth looked so damn cool Galladoorn said: I loved it!!! It surprised the hell out of me. I had a slight idea it was going to happen cause in a mag it said a very sac thing happens at the end of disc 1. I cant remember which mag it was in though. In a way I felt sad, but I didnt like Aeris all that much anyway. The only thing that pissed me off, was I used her mostly all the was through till the end of disk one. Maxed her limit breaks out and everything. Then she dies. All that time I could have been using someone else!!! KnightsErrand said: She was character which you could love, or hate. I mean, she was a girl lookin' for a guy to love, but Cloud was too damn thick headed and cold hearted to do anything. He took it for grantide and only noticed his love for her when she was finally gone. I thought it was quite sad that she died, especially like that. She sees Cloud and smiles, and then dies...I always think, "God Damnit CLOUD, F*****G DO SOMETHING!!!!" That is what drove me to kill Sephiroth...I kinda grew attached I guess, I mean she was cute character, and her limits were pretty good, especially great gospel (Only got to see it once before she died though). However, Areis died for a reason, as a fail-safe against Meteor. Holy failed to stop it, and only Areis in the Lifestream could take over where Holy left off. If she didn't die, this couldn't have happened and the world would have been destroyed. I admit, Square did poorly showing the aftermath of Meteor, but if you watched the part with RedXIII 500 years later, you notice Midgar still standing, meaning Meteor never hit. It sucked that she died, but she died for a reason, and Bugenhagen mentioned that in the game. Note from Cloud Strife/FF7 Master - OI!!! No swearing OK!!!!! Lucrecia said: I cheered when she died. I absolutly hated her. She did nothing for me. I already knew she died before I played it so I also saved it before the FMV and watched it over and over again. I wouldn't like the game as much if that didn't happen. *does the running man* I actually just recieved a long, yet interesting theory from Kuja's Girl, of FF Insider Forums: WHY SHE SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T DIE: A THEORY ON THE DEATH OF AERIS By Kuja's Girl There are many theories on the death of Aeris. In fact, there are countless theories saying all of the reasons why she died, and there are others saying all of the things that hint of a possible way to revive her. This, of course, was removed from the game. Many say Aeris should be revived. Maybe they are right. Perhaps they are not. Many even say she died for a reason and very good cause, thus she should stay dead. I admire her bravery. She knew that her actions would lead to her demise. She also knew that if she didn't take action it would lead to the demise of the planet as we know it. Basically, to sum it all up simply, she was a sacrifice. Aeris sacrificed herself for the planet. If you think about it, in the big picture, it's more important to save many human lives rather than just saving one, and Aeris realized this. She died so that everyone else may live. This showed great courage. She went up there on that altar to pray for Holy knowing that she was going to die. Yet, it had to be done. A person might wonder though. How did she know that she was going to die? A gut feeling? No. The planet told her. It must have been the planet that told her what was going to happen. Think back to the Sleeping Forest dream that Cloud had about Aeris a short while before she died. She tells Cloud that she'll "Come back when it's all over." This hints that she knew that she would die, but it also hints at a resurrection, which Squaresoft never gave us. The real meaning behind this statement, however, lies in the ending itself. When "it's all over" was when Meteor fell to earth. We saw Holy move in to save the day. Yeah, a lot of good that did. Then we see the Lifestream move in, being brought forth by Aeris to save the planet. Then we even see Aeris, who really did "come back when it was all over." There was purpose behind her death. If Sephiroth hadn't killed her then she wouldn't have been able to send the Lifestream in the end. The planet would have been doomed without her death. This is the exact reason why she should stay dead. She died an honorable and meaningful death. It was her destiny to die on that altar that day. Perhaps her whole reason for being born was to die. Now, originally, there was supposed to be a way to revive her. Square delayed the release of Final Fantasy VII by an entire month in order to make the game perfect. Sadly, they can't delay their games forever. Square cannot put everything they want into a game. The time eventually comes when they must say that a game is finished, and they release it. Still, there are people among us who say, "No! The game is still not finished!" and they want Square to "fix" the game. Many say, "Give us the TRUE Final Fantasy VII!!" but this is out of pure greed to ask Square to retouch a finished piece of work at gamers' whims. These people should be ashamed of themselves. Square gives you the Venus de Milo and you send it back because it has no arms. The death of Aeris was inevitable. Her death was a tragedy, simply because she sacrificed herself for a greater cause. But now Square fans must move on to the next stage in this great ordeal: acceptance. Aeris Gainsborough gave her life so that the world could live. Now, you might find yourself asking, "Ok. You've covered why should die, but what about the "shouldn't" part?" Well, I'm getting to that. Since I'm a supporter of the "should" side, all I have for arguments for the "shouldn't" side are hints and clues that point to a possible way to revive her. I'm going to try my best to represent both sides equally. That's what I'm here to do, and that's what I'm going to do right now. Square has put so many hints and clues for a possible Aeris resurrection that it shows that it was originally planned in the game. I take these hints and clues as reasons why she shouldn't die. She dies early in the game, which leaves a lot of time for her to be revived. It's difficult to get her best limit break, and maybe that means she was supposed to come back and use it when she got stronger. Bugenhagen said that not everyone dies and returns to the planet. According to him there are exceptions. Perhaps Aeris is that exception. Aeris's ghost appears in the Midgar church. What's the reason for that? There's a reason for everything in the game. Aeris said that the church is the only place that she hears the voice of the planet. Maybe that means there's something special about the church. During the Gold Saucer date Aeris says she wants to meet the real Cloud. How can she do that if she dies before Cloud finds himself? In the cargo ship you promise to take Aeris on an Airship. How can you do that if you get the Highwind after she dies? Cait Sith predicts a great future between Cloud and Aeris. There can't be a future if Aeris is dead. Before the final battle there's an extra ledge that no one stands on. Who belongs on that ledge? Also, during the final battle you are asked to make three parties of three people. One party can only have two characters since there's now only eight playable characters. Perhaps Aeris was meant to still be in the party at this point. Now, next, I'm going to present my biggest piece of evidence. There's something very odd about the area around the altar Aeris was on. After going across the crystal staircase you go through a doorway. Underneath that doorway is another door which you can't enter. You can see steps under the altar, and they appear to be leading down, almost into the waters below. When Aeris is killed the White Materia falls into the water. So what's the connection here? Simple. The door leads to the stairs which leads to the water so you can get the White Materia. It is then used to revive Aeris. Her body wasn't mutilated or really damaged in any way. She was dropped into the clean water which would preserve the body. Perhaps to revive her later? You decide. After the earthquake a man in Mideel disappears into the Lifestream. His wife says he went to "another country." The Guidebook item is supposed to be a "map of another world." What's the point of the man disappearing? Is the Guidebook perhaps used to visit Aeris? As I've said before, during the dream that Cloud has of Aeris she says she'll come back when it's all over. This is obviously her saying she'll be revived. Maybe she said it to make Cloud feel better about her death. Who knows? Here is my last piece of evidence, which is my second strongest argument for the "shouldn't" side. It's a conversation between Cloud and Tifa on the Highwind. Tifa: "I wonder what Aeris feltwhen she was on that altar" Cloud: "I'm sure she wanted to give her life for the planet" Tifa: "Really? I wonder? I don't think that's it at all. I think she didn't think she would die at all, but that she planned on coming back all along. She always talked about 'Next time.' She always talked about the future more than any of us." These are all things that hint at a revival. Sadly, though, this is not possible, and there are reasons for that as I mentioned earlier in this essay. I believe she died for a reason, and should stay dead. Maybe that's what Square decided, and maybe that's the reason why her resurrection was cut from the game. All I know is that her death was a tragedy, but a necessary one. "she smiled in the end."Cloud Strife. May she rest in peace. E-mail your views at: PeteFF7@yahoo.co.uk |
Should Aeris have died? That's the guestion on every players lips - or most players. At the end of disk one, there are three characteristiscs that people can have: 1. They cry their eyes out. 2. They think "oh well, but the game goes on" and 3. They cheered Sephy on as he launched the I killer blow. So, which characteristic do you fall into? I fall into #2. Aeris was OK, but I never really found her any use in battle. I liked her as a charater, but I always have and always will prefere Tifa :-). In my first game, I liked Aeris at the start, but by the end of disk 1, I was cheering Sephy on. Now, sure, I don't use her in battle as much as i use Tifa, but I still like her character. Everyone likes or loves Aeris, even if it is only a little. But life, and FF7 goes on I went onto the Website: "FF8 Sucks" (address: www.ff8sucks.8k.com/), and entered this question into the message board: Should Aeris have died? So far, I have recieved a few answers: Dagger said: "I'm glad the bitch died! I was cheering on seph... Tifa & Cloud were ment to be together. And that Bitch was mettaling in there affairs!" The Brain Wizard said: "Actually, there's a reason why she died and it's this same reason why her resurrection could never take place in the game. ---------SPOILER ALERT--------- DON'T READ ON IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED FF7 Aeris dies becomes one with the life stream, which she uses to save the planet after Holy proves ineffective. In short, Aeris saved everyone in a way she couldn't have if she were alive. That's why the last thing you see before the end credits is her face." - I don't think he got the point... But it's still interesting to know. FF Fan said: "I think more people got pissed at the technical aspects when Aeris died rather than the sentimental. You spend all that time levelling her up and she dies. But I was smart, HAHAHA! I saw it coming" so I avoided using her. Yeah, my cousin ruined it for me before I even started playing. Trent Kattastrofik said: "Heh, after I beat FF7, I was ready to pulverize my friend for telling me about Aeris's death before I even started the game." Again - I don't think he got the point... Vincent_Valentine said: "I didn't like Aeris in the first place as a fighter. She was so weak physically that I didn't even decide to put her in my party the first time through. It was very sad when she died but, as you have already said, it had to happen if the storyline was to work out. There wouldn't be a "Sephiroth--hate" relationship had he not killed her, though I admit that it would have been a lot more enjoyable (yet even sadder) if Cloud hadn't gathered control of himself and had killed her... " Cheers Vincent. Edea said: I think a lot of people would agree with me when i say,I knew about aeris's death since the moment i bought the game,it had a picture of her funeral right at the back of the game cover which was a bit of a spoiler. I was still upset about aeris dieing even though i knew it was coming up. although one of my friends jumped up screaming with happiness when sephiroth cut through aeris's body,and when I asked him why,he replied that he had just always hated her character. I guess you can either love her or hate her. it was necessary for Aeris to die in order for the love triangle between her,cloud and tifa to be broken. Tifa was his childhood friend whome cloud shared history with and that meant that Aeris had to go. which is quite sad............................................... Arthur_Liquida said: I also already knew that she'd die when I got on that point of the game, so I really didn't care too much... :-( But I still liked her I it made me feel unhappy... Anonymous said: I found her a little annoying, and while I thought it was a sad moment when Sephiroth's sword impaled her, she's a character and therefore I can feel no real sympathy for her. If I did find her annoying enough, though, I WOULD act the way your friend did. Why? Because she's a character. I ain't gonna take her ALL that seriously. The next comments were by the good people at Shinra Online: Bcmadcloud said: One of my favorite scenes in the game. A dramatic tragedy!!! Enigmus said: What I really liked about that scene were Cloud's reactions to her death. A very real character, that was really when I noticed the change in Cloud's character. Should she have died? Hell, NO! I still haven't gotten the Great Gospel for her! grr...still, the game wouldn't have been as good if you were capable of ressurecting her. Running Sasha said: Quite emotionally provoking. I thought it fit perfectly with the plot, yet what truly angered me was the fact that Square released the game without giving the characters the ability to ressurect her. Caelum said: that part was actually ruined for me when my friend who was ahead of me in playing(due to a walkthrough) "accidentally" blurted it out...but i was very shocked when he told me...§elah Caelum Pegasus said: I loved it when Aeris died! I saved the game just before that part and watched it over and over and over..... She deserved to die, she got on my nerves so much. That FMV was also one of the best in the game, just coz Sephiroth looked so damn cool Galladoorn said: I loved it!!! It surprised the hell out of me. I had a slight idea it was going to happen cause in a mag it said a very sac thing happens at the end of disc 1. I cant remember which mag it was in though. In a way I felt sad, but I didnt like Aeris all that much anyway. The only thing that pissed me off, was I used her mostly all the was through till the end of disk one. Maxed her limit breaks out and everything. Then she dies. All that time I could have been using someone else!!! KnightsErrand said: She was character which you could love, or hate. I mean, she was a girl lookin' for a guy to love, but Cloud was too damn thick headed and cold hearted to do anything. He took it for grantide and only noticed his love for her when she was finally gone. I thought it was quite sad that she died, especially like that. She sees Cloud and smiles, and then dies...I always think, "God Damnit CLOUD, F*****G DO SOMETHING!!!!" That is what drove me to kill Sephiroth...I kinda grew attached I guess, I mean she was cute character, and her limits were pretty good, especially great gospel (Only got to see it once before she died though). However, Areis died for a reason, as a fail-safe against Meteor. Holy failed to stop it, and only Areis in the Lifestream could take over where Holy left off. If she didn't die, this couldn't have happened and the world would have been destroyed. I admit, Square did poorly showing the aftermath of Meteor, but if you watched the part with RedXIII 500 years later, you notice Midgar still standing, meaning Meteor never hit. It sucked that she died, but she died for a reason, and Bugenhagen mentioned that in the game. Note from Cloud Strife/FF7 Master - OI!!! No swearing OK!!!!! Lucrecia said: I cheered when she died. I absolutly hated her. She did nothing for me. I already knew she died before I played it so I also saved it before the FMV and watched it over and over again. I wouldn't like the game as much if that didn't happen. *does the running man* I actually just recieved a long, yet interesting theory from Kuja's Girl, of FF Insider Forums: WHY SHE SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T DIE: A THEORY ON THE DEATH OF AERIS By Kuja's Girl There are many theories on the death of Aeris. In fact, there are countless theories saying all of the reasons why she died, and there are others saying all of the things that hint of a possible way to revive her. This, of course, was removed from the game. Many say Aeris should be revived. Maybe they are right. Perhaps they are not. Many even say she died for a reason and very good cause, thus she should stay dead. I admire her bravery. She knew that her actions would lead to her demise. She also knew that if she didn't take action it would lead to the demise of the planet as we know it. Basically, to sum it all up simply, she was a sacrifice. Aeris sacrificed herself for the planet. If you think about it, in the big picture, it's more important to save many human lives rather than just saving one, and Aeris realized this. She died so that everyone else may live. This showed great courage. She went up there on that altar to pray for Holy knowing that she was going to die. Yet, it had to be done. A person might wonder though. How did she know that she was going to die? A gut feeling? No. The planet told her. It must have been the planet that told her what was going to happen. Think back to the Sleeping Forest dream that Cloud had about Aeris a short while before she died. She tells Cloud that she'll "Come back when it's all over." This hints that she knew that she would die, but it also hints at a resurrection, which Squaresoft never gave us. The real meaning behind this statement, however, lies in the ending itself. When "it's all over" was when Meteor fell to earth. We saw Holy move in to save the day. Yeah, a lot of good that did. Then we see the Lifestream move in, being brought forth by Aeris to save the planet. Then we even see Aeris, who really did "come back when it was all over." There was purpose behind her death. If Sephiroth hadn't killed her then she wouldn't have been able to send the Lifestream in the end. The planet would have been doomed without her death. This is the exact reason why she should stay dead. She died an honorable and meaningful death. It was her destiny to die on that altar that day. Perhaps her whole reason for being born was to die. Now, originally, there was supposed to be a way to revive her. Square delayed the release of Final Fantasy VII by an entire month in order to make the game perfect. Sadly, they can't delay their games forever. Square cannot put everything they want into a game. The time eventually comes when they must say that a game is finished, and they release it. Still, there are people among us who say, "No! The game is still not finished!" and they want Square to "fix" the game. Many say, "Give us the TRUE Final Fantasy VII!!" but this is out of pure greed to ask Square to retouch a finished piece of work at gamers' whims. These people should be ashamed of themselves. Square gives you the Venus de Milo and you send it back because it has no arms. The death of Aeris was inevitable. Her death was a tragedy, simply because she sacrificed herself for a greater cause. But now Square fans must move on to the next stage in this great ordeal: acceptance. Aeris Gainsborough gave her life so that the world could live. Now, you might find yourself asking, "Ok. You've covered why should die, but what about the "shouldn't" part?" Well, I'm getting to that. Since I'm a supporter of the "should" side, all I have for arguments for the "shouldn't" side are hints and clues that point to a possible way to revive her. I'm going to try my best to represent both sides equally. That's what I'm here to do, and that's what I'm going to do right now. Square has put so many hints and clues for a possible Aeris resurrection that it shows that it was originally planned in the game. I take these hints and clues as reasons why she shouldn't die. She dies early in the game, which leaves a lot of time for her to be revived. It's difficult to get her best limit break, and maybe that means she was supposed to come back and use it when she got stronger. Bugenhagen said that not everyone dies and returns to the planet. According to him there are exceptions. Perhaps Aeris is that exception. Aeris's ghost appears in the Midgar church. What's the reason for that? There's a reason for everything in the game. Aeris said that the church is the only place that she hears the voice of the planet. Maybe that means there's something special about the church. During the Gold Saucer date Aeris says she wants to meet the real Cloud. How can she do that if she dies before Cloud finds himself? In the cargo ship you promise to take Aeris on an Airship. How can you do that if you get the Highwind after she dies? Cait Sith predicts a great future between Cloud and Aeris. There can't be a future if Aeris is dead. Before the final battle there's an extra ledge that no one stands on. Who belongs on that ledge? Also, during the final battle you are asked to make three parties of three people. One party can only have two characters since there's now only eight playable characters. Perhaps Aeris was meant to still be in the party at this point. Now, next, I'm going to present my biggest piece of evidence. There's something very odd about the area around the altar Aeris was on. After going across the crystal staircase you go through a doorway. Underneath that doorway is another door which you can't enter. You can see steps under the altar, and they appear to be leading down, almost into the waters below. When Aeris is killed the White Materia falls into the water. So what's the connection here? Simple. The door leads to the stairs which leads to the water so you can get the White Materia. It is then used to revive Aeris. Her body wasn't mutilated or really damaged in any way. She was dropped into the clean water which would preserve the body. Perhaps to revive her later? You decide. After the earthquake a man in Mideel disappears into the Lifestream. His wife says he went to "another country." The Guidebook item is supposed to be a "map of another world." What's the point of the man disappearing? Is the Guidebook perhaps used to visit Aeris? As I've said before, during the dream that Cloud has of Aeris she says she'll come back when it's all over. This is obviously her saying she'll be revived. Maybe she said it to make Cloud feel better about her death. Who knows? Here is my last piece of evidence, which is my second strongest argument for the "shouldn't" side. It's a conversation between Cloud and Tifa on the Highwind. Tifa: "I wonder what Aeris feltwhen she was on that altar" Cloud: "I'm sure she wanted to give her life for the planet" Tifa: "Really? I wonder? I don't think that's it at all. I think she didn't think she would die at all, but that she planned on coming back all along. She always talked about 'Next time.' She always talked about the future more than any of us." These are all things that hint at a revival. Sadly, though, this is not possible, and there are reasons for that as I mentioned earlier in this essay. I believe she died for a reason, and should stay dead. Maybe that's what Square decided, and maybe that's the reason why her resurrection was cut from the game. All I know is that her death was a tragedy, but a necessary one. "she smiled in the end."Cloud Strife. May she rest in peace. E-mail your views at: PeteFF7@yahoo.co.uk |
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