Gaming Should Cloud like Tifa or Aeris?

[Guest Risike]

So who is it going to be?

[TheResplendent]

[b]Though i'm sure this could go into the Final Fantasy fan thread, in case it isn't moved i will post my thoughts.[/b]

The largest debate about this is what situation warrants the best reason for love?

Between Cloud and Aerith we have two star-crossed lovers who meet as a twist of fate when [spoiler]Cloud falls through the roof of her church and he takes the job of being her body guard and pretty much takes the role of the brave knight protecting the vulnerable damsel in distress.[/spoiler] It's very story-book but really comes to life with the tension and the conversations between the two throughout the game. We know that Cloud cares for her because of his promptness in [spoiler]rescuing her in the situations she gets into and because of his reaction to her death after Sephiroth kills her. The funeral is an incredibly emotional scene and you can feel the emptiness seeping into of Cloud. If it wasen't obvious in the game, we know from the movie that he blames himself for her death and is unable to come to terms with it fully still.[/spoiler].

On the other hand with Tifa. This goes back to their childhood, eventhough we know that [spoiler]at first they weren't friends, and Tifa being the popular girl had a ton of friends who all made fun of Cloud which made him feel uneasy about approaching her. They never really knew each other very well but a connection gradually began to grow once Cloud decided he would attempt to join SOLDIER.[/spoiler] In light of this it would seem like Cloud's conenction with Aerith was more pure and more about fated love, where as with tifa it was love that needed time to grow and mature into the actual emotion and it's recognizable form. Tifa was there for Cloud during more of his hardships including [spoiler]his being exposed to the lifestream in bulk amounts. She stayed with him no matter what and in a way felt like she was protecting him just by being there for him. Though during this time it would be impossible for Aerith to have done the same since shes dead. Granted she isn't presented with the oppurtunities Tifa has been.[/spoiler] But we know that there is tension and feelings between Cloud and Tifa as well, this is undeniable.

I remember always being in favor of Aerith because of how it happened, the story seemed to flow better that way and it added more emotion to the experience. She was the sweet, innocent girl who you can see involved in a deep love story. She tries hard to be stronger then she is for Cloud because she feels meek but offers so much more to him mentally. Then i began to think about why Cloud and Tifa would happen, if the reasons were good enough or better then Cloud and Aerith. Tifa was more like the sexy bartender who you can see involved in a more physical relationship, she had the looks, the body, and the attitude. The two girls were polar opposites from one another. To me the connection between Cloud and Tifa has deeper roots yet is more complex because their relationship constantly changed forms and took more time to formulate into the final stages. Where as Cloud and Aerith almost seemed to hit it off right away. Aerith came in a long time after Tifa but the chemistry seemed to be stronger.

It's hard for me to say what my preference would have been in Cloud's shoes. To me a girl like Aerith is the kind you always feel like you want to protect, and her personality is sweet, caring, and without a single corrupt bone in her body it seems. To me it's attractive for a girl to want to be protected sometimes and in these days it's very rare to find a girl as pure as Aerith was. It inspires feelings of obligation in you like it's your role to look after this girl and make sure she dosen't suffer from the harsh cruelties of the world, to preserve her nature. But at the same time it is also rare to find a girl like Tifa who is as attractive as she is, and at the same time displays personality traits that don't make her out to seem like her looks compensate for something else...like a foul or bitchy personality. She is also caring and compassionate and is more capable of looking after herself then Aerith is. She is more independant and probably more street smart. To me great looks together with a great personality is a diamond in the rough and that is a turn on to me as well.

For Cloud's sake, both girls seem to be in the position to help him out more then he can help them out since both are constantly shown trying to break him out of ruts and keep him stable. Both would be good for him mentally, he needs the better half of his life to be capable of regulating him when he begins to lose himself. To ultimatley answer the question, it's difficult for me to make a decision on who i think would be best...but based on true love alone being the glue that holds the relationship together i think Aerith would be the better choice.

Now that's the theoretical POV. Speaking based on spirituality and emotion if you create a scenario in which as the story stands now, Cloud could make a choice between the two. But if you want to think about more simply. [spoiler]As the story stands now, Aerith is dead and therefore Cloud has no choice unless he chooses to dwell on her memory which won't allow him to create a larger spiritual bond with Tifa because of his lingering love and guilt.[/spoiler].

[PaganAngel]

While I doubt I could compete with BKStyles's essay... er... response, I'll throw in my two cents anyway. I'm really a big fan of Cloud and Aeris, but I think the only reason I can find for it is that I'm not a huge supporter of the childhood-friend-romance theme. And I think that [spoiler]Aeris's death[/spoiler] just contributes to the tragedy of their romance. I think it'd be an insult to Aeris's memory and to a great number of fans if Cloud were to move on to Tifa. I think love is really something that should last forever, [spoiler]even through death.[/spoiler]

[AnimeHeroX]

Well i liked Tifa and her and cloud and were both childhood friends so it only logical.that those 2 should hook up but i guess that's really up to the people that make final fantasy.

[Shinmaru]

Unless Cloud is into [spoiler]necrophilia[/spoiler], then he shoud love Tifa.

[spoiler]The ultimate challenge would be getting them both at the same time, however...[/spoiler]

[BlueYoshi]

[color=darkred]It's up to the player, really. Remember, depending on how you treated either Tifa or Aeries throughout the course of disc one determined which of the two would approach Cloud to go out on a [spoiler]"date"[/spoiler] in the Gold Saucer. So, as long you're aware of the interactivity taking place, the ball is in your quarter.

And... that's as far as I've ever thought about the subject.[/color] :animesigh

[Hanabishi Recca]

Cloud shouldn't love any women in any Final Fantasy.
If Cloud loved a women, it would turn it into a Final Fantasy 8.
Cloud wouldn't be cool anymore. And Final Fantasy wouldn't be my favorite game anymore.
Cloud wouldn't be my favorite person in FF anymore. I think it was just a stupid idea for Squall to love someone. It made him scared to be alone. But, this is all my thoughts. I was typing as I was thinking. So, Cloud wouldn't be Cloud if he got a girl, he would be a clown.

[TheResplendent]

[QUOTE=Hanabishi Recca]Cloud shouldn't love any women in any Final Fantasy.
If Cloud loved a women, it would turn it into a Final Fantasy 8.
Cloud wouldn't be cool anymore. And Final Fantasy wouldn't be my favorite game anymore.
Cloud wouldn't be my favorite person in FF anymore. I think it was just a stupid idea for Squall to love someone. It made him scared to be alone. But, this is all my thoughts. I was typing as I was thinking. So, Cloud wouldn't be Cloud if he got a girl, he would be a clown.[/QUOTE]

Heh, honestly i'm a big fan of Squall's character and the progression he went through during the entire game. I thought the romance story was developed rather well as it pertains to many things including the timing of [spoiler]realization when Squall feared that Rinoa would die before he ever had the chance to puzzle the pieces of his feelings together in order to determine whether or not he should feel sad or not, but it seemed to all come together at the right time as he was breaking down OOC like at her bedside which was really a showcase of how he was beggining to open up and even mature emotionally. It shows the realities of the kinds of feelings not knowing what you have until it's gone can inspire in a human being no matter what his archetype or emotional status.[/spoiler]

Bah...but that's not what this thread is about is it :p. Well back slightly on track, i agree completely with paganangel's remark about [spoiler] Aerith's death contributing to the tragedy of their romance[/spoiler]. Needless to say when connecting the gamer in such an emotional way it hits all the right buttons to make you feel a certain way, if it was [spoiler]Tifa who died instead, i don't think it would have had such the dramatic or intense effect as Aerith's death.[/spoiler]

[Chie]

[COLOR=tan][FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=1]honestly, i do like matching up Cloud with Tifa. but then again i like Cloud with Aerith even MORE than i like Cloud&Tifa.

i can't really piece my reasons together in words (since it will take up a lot of words >___<"), but i have a very detailed and thought out reason that JUST that i like Cloud/Aerith more than Cloud/Tifa.

but i do agree that Cloud probably shouldn't fall in love either of them, since that would, in other gamer's words, would ruin the essence of the game. my opinion: i think it adds plot =] . but whatever. i think Square deliberatly made a very debated love triangle and limited romance within FFVII so that FFVIII can be more romance based, which would balance out each other.

correct me if i'm wrong, though. ^___^[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Erika]

[color=#990066][size=1]Y'know what? It can happen between Cloud and Tifa. I believe in lifelong trials and friendship. To me that's a foundation to a real relationship. I've seen that the truth isn't always obvious. Love is something that always has to develop over time and trying situations. Think about what Tifa went through WITH Cloud. I've had people do that to me, even just friends. I'd be the Tifa in their lives but they still overlooked me and walked away.

Plus Tifa is rather selfless. Whereas Aerith was all like, "Oh save me Cloud! Quit being stupid!" at least that's what it reminded me of especially

I get disappointed in all these RPGs who have the main character go after, sooner or later, the "innocent" and stupidly helpless damsel in distress that probably can't even tie her bootlaces without having her damn bodyguard nearby. I've seen the same crap being pulled off in Grandia II, Tales of Symphonia, Legend of Dragoon, Final Fantasy VIII.

The ones that aren't helpless and stupid, and obviously care about the hero, get pushed aside. I can relate to Tifa. At least she's not pushy[/size][/color]

[Tatsubei Yagyu]

[COLOR=Navy][FONT=Comic Sans MS][quote name='kimitrance][COLOR=DarkOrchid][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]in my opinion Cloud should like Aeris Ill take Tifa >_> she looks like a Les to me. [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR'] :animeshy:[/quote]

... *blink* :animenose

Uhhh...welll...Cloud's spend more time with Tifa, but it really did seem like he liked Aerith a lot more. Maybe because there was probably only one incident where your going to 'save' Tifa, and like several times were your going after Aerith does it seem that way to me.

Oh, and Bombu, the thing you mentioned about dating Aerith and Tifa, I remember reading somewhere that it's according to if you talk to Aerith during the whole game before the Saucer. You could only talk to her if you had to to move the story forward. And if you didn't talk to Tifa, you'd date Barrett.

I never did it for myself, though, so I can't say it's true or not. :p [/FONT][/COLOR]

[TheResplendent]

[quote name='kimitrance][COLOR=DarkOrchid][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]in my opinion Cloud should like Aeris Ill take Tifa >_> she looks like a Les to me. [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR'] :animeshy:[/quote]

I think it would be tragic if she was, but if shes bi then that's cool with me, heh.

And tatsubei, i've gotten dates with all 3 members. Theres 2 events for each person and if you trigger them in their favor thats what leads up to the date. I know off the top of my head a few of them, 1 is [spoiler]If you give the flower to marlene in stead of tifa, thats a point for barret, and if u give it to tifa its a point for her. Another is if you don't take the pheonix down treasure from the next in the coral mountains thats a point for tifa and if you do it's a point for barret, another is if you buy the flower at all from aeris thats automatically a point for her, and so on.[/spoiler] So at the point in gold saucer, whoever you have the most points with is cloud's date. You can choose to ignore one of the 1 the whole time in battles or even talking but if you have triggered the events based on choices you must make in their favor, they will still be your date.

When you get barret all he does is sleep anyways.

[Charles]

It's extremely simple and unarguable. Aeris didn't really know the real Cloud; she knew a facsimile of Zack. Tifa on the other hand, knew and cared for the true Cloud. Therefore, the answer is obvious: Tifa.