Aerith's importance throughout the game
① Nojima: Aerith is the most important character in FF7R
—After playing, her lines left a deep impression.
【Nojima】: Because Aerith is the most important character in the FF7 Remake, I put great care into her lines, every one of her lines carries great significance for the future; they were written on that premise.
② The young Aerith scenes are one of the elements to be deepened and reinforced
Q: Aerith's flashback shows us her childhood, and we felt the fragility and vulnerability within her. Did you want to portray this aspect more in the game?
[Toriyama]: The episodes from Aerith's Cetra (girlhood) period were one of the elements we wanted to strengthen when delving deeper into the characters this time. But if we told too many episodes, there would be too many flashbacks and the story couldn't move forward, so to let fans who want to know more learn more, we created a novel version, Trace of Two Pasts, to further supplement the story and let them learn about Aerith's and Tifa's pasts.
In-game chapters and trophies
Chapter 18 trophies
Chapter 8 trophies
Chapter 8 "Flower of Reunion"
End-credits song branching display
Only Aerith's determination event
Dress branch: the red dress
One of Square Enix's best smiles
Whether she was selling flowers on the streets of Midgar or slamming a chair into a villain, Aerith always faced life with a positive attitude and a smile.
She lit up the screen of Final Fantasy VII Remake, forming a perfect complement to Cloud's cool and stern demeanor.
Aerith's complete disregard for the SOLDIER's nonsense also brought frequent laughs to the game. She eventually got Cloud to successfully complete a high-five with her, a victory as rare and thrilling as making it through the monster-infested underbelly of Midgar.
Of course, Aerith's life was not easy either; she had long been monitored and pursued by the evil Shinra corporation. Yet she never let these troubles get her down. Her positive mindset is one of the reasons she has won the love of so many fans.
Valentine's Day all-time song poll: the representative song of FFVII is Aerith's Theme
Do you remember that moment—the special someone who made your heart race? Finding the other half of your life is a magical feeling. Vote for the song that reminds you of that person.
In this all-time song poll, FFVII's representative music is Aerith's Theme
Hojo and Aerith
[Hojo]: Hmm, just like her mother.
[Aerith]: …
[Hojo]: What a shame. You didn't have to run away; if you had just told me, it would have been handled. A real shame. The last of the pure-blooded, after all.
[Aerith]: …
[Hojo]: By the way, don't you want to see your mother?
At those words, for the first time, Aerith couldn't keep control of her expression。
Hojo: Even so, it's through a microscope
Hojo stands up and presses his forehead against the glass. He observes as closely as possible how his own words would change Aerith's expression.
What the yellow flowers mean to Aerith
Q: What does Aerith mean when she says "the yellow flowers are guiding me"?
Toriyama: In Aerith's description, the "yellow flowers" symbolize the various events and feelings she saw and then lost after appearing in Sector 8. They could be the flowers trampled by the people of Midgar, the flowers she gave Cloud when they met, or the future of a planet in full bloom. In any case, what Aerith feels troubled by is that like a flower scattering in the wind, something inside her is being carried away and lost by the Whispers.
Aerith's lines are bold
Toriyama: Although strictly speaking it isn't a "date," we still wanted to make it something that lived up to the fans' expectations. That's why, when talking with Aerith, we made it so that you hear some very bold dialogue, making it hard to tell whether it's real or a dream.
Aerith's lines resonate with players
—In particular, Aerith's line to Cloud in the flower field in Chapter 14, "But don't fall in love with me. Even if your heart flutters, it's just an illusion," carries considerable weight for those who know the original.
Nojima: Actually, Aerith's line was objected to several times; some team members felt it "might come across as her being full of herself," so it could have been a problem. If you take it as a given that you know Aerith's later fate, this line can resonate with players. But from a different angle, the line would be interpreted in a completely different way. That difference is also interesting.
Variations on Aerith's Theme
①ーWelcome homeー
The original "Aerith's Theme" has a gentle, delicate, and slightly sorrowful atmosphere; players of the original feel a pang in their hearts just by listening to it. In this version's arrangement, the melody of "Aerith's Theme" appears in the latter half of the track, after an ambient (soft music blending into the environment) intro.
In the intro, I wanted to depict the scenery around Aerith's home, using the clear river water and the colorful flower fields, and the combination of these elements to create a mysterious atmosphere.
In the latter half of the track, I wanted to express Elmyra's presence—how she gently welcomes Aerith home, and how Aerith has a place she can truly feel is home—so I boldly made the song warmer than the original. Technically, I removed the minor chords as much as possible, replacing them with major chords.
The soundtrack has two phases: the intro, which is the "staging of Cloud and Aerith heading to the house," and the latter half, which is the "staging of the scene inside the house." The game has four phases in total, including the series of scenes of the two going out to pick flowers.
② Pioneers of the Planet
This track is used in the video introducing Shinra's business operations, which can be seen on the visual layer. The first part of the video (starting at 0:25 on the soundtrack) tells the history of the Cetra, so I wanted to establish a musical connection with the Cetra, and thus I quoted the chord progression of "Aerith's Theme." This may sound a bit technical, but the chord progression "D (I) → Am (Vm) → D (I)" is used symbolically at the beginning of "Aerith's Theme", and this back-and-forth movement between major and minor gives a very mysterious feeling. The scene of the Shinra Building's construction (starting at 1:47 on the soundtrack) also quotes the Shinra, Inc. theme.
② The credits track is Aerith's Theme + the FF7 main theme
I am Miyano, in charge of the credits arrangement. For this track, holding the idea of "what would it be like to express the 1997 synth-rendered "Aerith's Theme" and "FF7 main theme" with a real orchestra," I kept pursuing it and ultimately produced this arrangement.
Aerith's appearance and Sephiroth's theme
In the familiar latter half where Aerith appears, since there are slight presentation changes from the original, the unstable main motif of "One-Winged Angel" was added to accompany those changes.
Development Secrets, Chapters 7–11
① A Sense of Beauty and Fragility
When arranging "Flowers in the Church," the first thing I did was think: "What were players thinking when they heard this song back then?"
When you listen to the original PS soundtrack looping for a long time, "mifara, mifara…"—you sense not only the song's beauty but also its fragility, as if it could shatter at any moment. I think this may be the part of "Flowers in the Church" that left a deep impression on players back then, so I began the arrangement with the aim of bringing "beauty and fragility" to the players.
② Being Able to See Whispers After Touching Aerith
Q: At this point in the game, Cloud experiences a "flashback" that takes place later in the story of the original FFVII—what is the meaning of this flashback?
[Toriyama]: After touching Aerith on Sector 8, Cloud becomes able to see the Whispers as well. From this point on, the flow of time and fate become partially visible, partly due to the influence of noise in Cloud's memories. However, this vision lasts only an instant, and the details are not clear.
③ Aerith's Battle Design
Q: I think Aerith is the hardest playable character in FFVII Remake. Did she have a completely different battle style during development? And what are you most proud of about her combat style in battle?
A: Our initial idea was for Aerith to be a character with high magic power who could truly shine by using spells. But if she could fight at a high tempo with magic from the start, she would just be a boringly overpowered character, so we designed her as a character whose firepower and range of options increase explosively after some preparation and posturing at the start of battle.
This character is a bit harder than the others when it comes to keeping enemies at the right distance and building up ATB, so I think that's also where her difficulty lies.
④ Aerith's Childhood Is One of the Elements to Be Deeply Reinforced
Q: Aerith's flashback gives us a glimpse of her childhood, and we sense the fragility and brittleness within her. Did you want to depict this side of her more in the game?
[Toriyama]: Aerith's Cetra(girlhood) episodes were one of the elements we wanted to reinforce this time when digging deeper into the characters. But if we told too much of that story, there would be too many flashbacks and the story couldn't move forward, so to let fans who wanted to know more learn more, we made a novel version, Trace of Two Pasts, to further supplement the story of Aerith and Tifa's pasts.
Development Secrets, Chapters 17–18
① Aerith's Drawings
Q: What did Aerith draw on the walls of her room? Is there anything we should pay attention to?
A: When creating the game's backgrounds, the original background was a large-scale work Aerith painted from age four to seven. At first, she began drawing by imitating pictures of flowers and creatures from a picture book someone gave her, and gradually she began drawing the history of the Cetra, which her mother had told her like old tales. So although the parts were drawn as separate pictures, what's interesting is that by depicting the Lifestream, she unconsciously expressed the Cetra idea that all things are connected.
② The Whispers Took Aerith's Memories
Q: Why did the Whispers appear in Aerith's room? As far as we can see, she hasn't particularly tried to change her fate. Does Aerith know the future?
[Toriyama]: If Aerith told everyone what she knew and the truth, that act itself could change her future fate, so to prevent that, the Whispers protect her fate. Aerith may have known the future, but at this point the Whispers had already taken her memories of it.
Aerith's House, the Shinra Room, and the Church
The house where Aerith and Elmyra live. Though situated in the dilapidated slums, it remarkably retains much natural beauty, with a garden full of flowers that Aerith has carefully cultivated. Aerith's room and a guest room are on the second floor, and the rooftop terrace is lined with potted plants.
An old church located near the outskirts of the Sector 5 slums. The building is severely run-down, with a failed Shinra rocket still lodged inside. One of the few places where flowers grow naturally.
The kitchen is connected to the living room, which features a striking hexagonal rug.
Aerith and Elmyra have lived in this warmly decorated house for many years. The house is also adorned with various flowers.
The room where Aerith lived together with Elmyra. Even in this cold, mechanical-feeling room, you can sense the traces of their daily life.
Aerith's Room
The Sector 5 slums were originally a construction material storage site for building the streets above the plate. This setting comes from the designer of the non-official setting materials. That person said: because there were many worker casualties at the harsh construction site, the church was built to comfort and commemorate the workers. It left a deep impression on me.
Equipment with Aerith as the model
Emerald Tiara
Cetra Priestess
The Cetra outfit made its debut in this title, and its design shares elements in common with Aerith's outfit。
Aerith's line was added to the theme song Hollow
A rock-style version of Hollow arranged by Yosh, the vocalist of Hollow, was released along with the album cover and video.
The song uses a line Aerith says at the end of the Remake, "I miss it. The steel sky" (In the English version's older line, this line was later changed in an official update to match the Japanese version's "The sky, I don't like it.")
The BGM of the PS4 theme is Aerith's theme song
The BGM of the bonus PS4 theme for Final Fantasy VII Remake is Aerith's theme song
English and Japanese voice actor related
Q: What do you think is different between the Aerith you played in the previous titles and the Aerith in this game?
【Maaya Sakamoto】: I feel that this work has more lines than before expressing her innocent, carefree personality. There are also all kinds of playful scenes, and I recorded them while looking forward to them. In Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, I strongly felt Aerith's mysteriousness and maternal nature, while in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, an ordinary girl's love was depicted, which made her feel more relatable. This time, after overcoming so many hardships, she has become stronger, and in order not to be defeated by fate, I played her as cheerful and full of energy。
Q: Since you played Aerith in the original FF7, what was your plan for your performance?
【Maaya Sakamoto】: Aerith's words and behavior are a bit calculating from my perspective as a fellow woman, but I think that is exactly part of her charm, so I tried to walk a very delicate line between "noisily cute" — boisterous yet just the right amount of cute. No matter the situation, I was careful never to let her lose her elegance.
“あざとい”is translated into Chinese as scheming; in today's Japanese context it is a neutral word.
For example, the hugely popular Japanese variety show あざとくて何が悪いの (What's Wrong with Being a Bit Calculating?) tells how being calculating makes people popular
《これぞ「かわいい」の最上級！あざといポーズの猫写真10連発(This is the ultimate in "cuteness"! 10 calculated-pose cat photos in a row)》 includes adorable photos of cats
《あざとい女子の特徴！(Traits of calculatingly cute girls!) records the little endearing details girls show when spending time with them
English voice actress Briana White said in a livestream that Aerith will always be a part of her, and to commemorate it she got a lily flower tattoo on her ankle
At the start of Chapter 14, after recording the English voice acting for the scene of the conversation between Cloud and Aerith, the voice actress playing Aerith said to me: "I kept holding back my tears. The players will be moved." This was the greatest praise for the English team.
FF7R promotional commercials
FF7R Germany event
Final Fantasy VII Skytree collaboration
2019's E3 venue
SE cafe collaboration
ARTNIA
Tokyo
Osaka
Shanghai
Beijing
Perler beads at Artnia
Aerith's official cosplay costume
Animate store event
Aerith sitting plush description
Place him on the edge of your desk or by the window, look at him while working or studying, or pick him up while enjoying a cup of coffee for a quick refresh. You can appreciate them through different ways in the game, whether you are inspired by Cloud's cool blue eyes, or soothed by Aerith's gentle aura, you can enjoy them in a way different from the game.
PSN avatars
Social media related
Aerith's birthday
SE North America Remake release countdown day 3
No.1 in US April sales tweet
Official Christmas tweet in 2023
Intergrade Photo Mode Contest
Distant Worlds concert
Development secret story CP8 released
Champion and runner-up
Valentine's Day
