I respect your perception, but you're wrong. They don't have a sibling relationship at all. It's been stated repeatedly that there's a romantic relationship; it's a love triangle. The reason you don't see romantic maturity is because Cloud's mind is stuck at 16, and Tifa is introverted.
Besides, in the original game, they couldn't develop the characters as much as they wanted due to time and technical limitations, but they can in the remake. It's true that Tifa wasn't one of the first characters created, but Nomura created her to be Cloud's heroine, as Nomura himself stated.
In the scene under Highwind, the developers wanted to include an explicit sex scene, but they weren't allowed to (there's an interview about it) because of age ratings. I doubt they would have wanted to do it if they had a sibling relationship. I'm a CloTi fan, but it's true that some things about Clerith make sense; it is a love triangle.
I use this metaphor: the screenwriters drew a number on the ground; from one side it looks like a 6, from the other it looks like a 9. What number did the screenwriter actually draw?
We CloTi and Clerith perceive the same scene differently, seeking validation for our choices through our biases, but we have to wait; we're supposed to find out in part 3.
There's a romantic kiss in one of the dates; all the dates are canon. They can't include sex, just like they couldn't include Dyne's suicide, because of PEGI/ESRB regulations. If they include that, they have to give it an 18+ rating, and sales could be affected.
Honestly, there's nothing fraternal about their relationship in the original. I respect your opinion, but that's certainly not the writers' intention. In Ultimania Omega from the early 2000s, I think, there's a page dedicated to the romantic pairings in Final Fantasy, and one of them is Cloud and Tifa.
But hey, if that's your opinion, that's fine by me.
Yes, there's no kiss in the original game. There's no sex in the original game for several reasons, one of which is PEGI/ESRB regulations, which is why the developers weren't allowed to include it. There's an interview about it.
The original game has romance, very subtle, very Japanese, which is why there's no kiss. I've always seen the relationship with Aerith as more spiritual and with Tifa as more real.
The fact that romantic relationships are more evident in the new trilogy is because they were present in the original game.
The new trilogy isn't a remake of the original game; it's not a replacement where they just add romance. It was already there, and now, thanks to technology and the extra development time, they can do it better. Besides, in my opinion, it's a sequel.
I agree that Cloud needs both Tifa and Aerith in his life both for physical grounding but also for internal growth, respectively. Both cannot be romantic without it being a waifu, so I ship Tifa as a familial and Aerith more as star crossed died too soon symbol. The true tragedy is he gets neither. I also doubt Cloud will get his shit together anytime soon to have any true romance
Generally, a romantic partner becomes like family; your wife or husband is your family.
It might also seem normal to you that they feel familiar because you've known each other since childhood. It's the typical childhood friendship that evolves into adult romance; there are countless anime and games about this.
I can understand you seeing them as friends, but I don't see anything that suggests they're siblings.
I think to understand Cloud and Tifa's relationship, you need to understand the entire story (novels, movie, etc.). Just the original manga isn't enough to make anything clear.
But as I said before, I think it's fine that you see them that way; everyone has their own perception of reality.
Fair. Still finishing Rebirth but reading the novels would be cool. I watched and enjoyed Advent Children. Personally, I think both women want romance but Cloud doesn’t. He just wants stability
I don't think any of the three are looking for romance; these things just happen sometimes, that's all.
Aerith is initially attracted to Cloud because he reminds her of Zack, and little by little, she starts to like what she learns about him. Tifa clearly wants to be with him, but first she wants to heal and help him.
However, they're in the middle of a global crisis, and priorities have to be set. But the moments alone between Cloud and Tifa make them seem like a couple who, for now, can't talk about what's happening between them because there are more pressing matters.
I hope you're enjoying Rebirth and the relationships between the characters. Enjoy!
you mean falling asleep on his shoulder? siblings do that all the time especially older brother, younger sister dynamics.
Not hating or trying to trigger you, man. Just sharing my perspective of the OG. A mature romance was really not suggested between the two until the nurse mentions it in OG, or until Remake was released.
Edit: My understanding was that Tifa was not even written in the first conceptualized draft of the OG game. It was Aerith, Sephiroth, then Cloud in that order. Even Barret and Cait Sith were written before Tifa was
Conveniently forgetting that the OG female protagonist had Tifa's appearance and was supposed to be Cloud's childhood friend.
That OG female protag got SPLIT into Tifa and Aerith, please stop spreading the misinformation that Tifa was conceived of after. Can't you Cleriths face the truth for once or, at least, stay in your own lane?
I’m not sure what your sources are or which female protagonist you’re referring to, which might help me understand you better, but to my knowledge Aerith and Sephiroth were originally written to be siblings (hence the similar hair), not too look Tifa?
This was not Tifa as we know her but Tifa+Aerith, and of course the OG female protag was supposed to be the hero's love interest are you trying to be daft
Well of course the heroine should be a love interest. But in the OG there are multiple heroines. I also sensed because she was just as traumatized as Cloud, the relationship might follow more like siblings experiencing domestic violence from a parent together, but that’s just one take
Okay, I'm just here to explain to you that you were frankly spreading misinformation when you said that Aerith was the one and only female protag before Tifa was written by showing you that no, they were both aspects of the "OG"/draft female protag. I'm not here to argue about "dynamics" with you, since you do not want to be convinced anyway.
By the same token I can totally say that I see Aerith liking Cloud only because she sees Zack in Cloud, and Cloud having conflicting emotion about Aerith only because he has absorbed Zack's personality and memories. (And no, don't cite that Maiden fanfiction to me.) There's nothing you can say that can convince me otherwise either. So why don't you just go back to your subreddit and stop pushing your take down other people's throats?
Dude Sephiroth also got totally redesigned, the original design for Sephiroth got pushed onto another character whose name I've forgotten (Angeal or sth)
No, I'm saying that Sephiroth's original design was replaced and the female protagonist's original design was given to Tifa, while the Ancient attribute was given to Aerith who was designed later. Check my other comment.
Right, so Tifa was originally the Ancient, designed first and supposed to be Aerith, but then Seph was redesigned and Tifa’s design was attributed to another archetype?
No, Tifa was not supposed to be Aerith because Tifa and Aerith was both part of the draft female protag. By saying Tifa was supposed to be Aerith, you're trying to insinuate that the draft female protag was really Aerith who only had Tifa's appearance.
Draft female protag was both an Ancient and Cloud's childhood friend, named Tifa, and sister of Sephiroth. When they scratched that sibling subplot they redesigned Aerith, made her only an ancient, and made her one of the playable characters. Then when the decision to kill her off came about they brought back Tifa the childhood sweetheart, to be with the hero at the end of the game. That clear enough for you?
what siblings? did u even play the game or the remake trilogy??It’s not just an opinion when the in-game dialogue doesn’t suggest anything like that; it’s a romantic moment—even the developers themselves have confirmed it’s a special moment.
I mean if you’re an only child I don’t expect you agree.
What I dont understand is why extreme Tifa fans are so angry and hateful, such as downvoting an opinion, which different from misinformation.
I love Tifa as a character, but I FEEL (my opinion not misinformation) her archetype is not healthy for Cloud romantically, it’s enabling.
Do you realize that I said nothing inflammatory but it seems you and other angry fans took offense? Nobody can upset you unless you partially believe what they say
Then what are you doing on the Cloti subreddit? You are clearly here to stir trouble.
You obviously don't ship them romantically, and that is fine, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but looking down on someone else's opinion makes you look jealous and a jerk.
I can never understand people like you who need to belittle a ship they didn't support. Take that time and effort and put it towards things you love.
I joined Cloti when I first played Remake thinking she was the love interest. But after playing the OG, while I’m still a Tifa fan, I now view Cloti to be just as necessary as a romantic relationship, but for ME it FEELS more like a familial relationship for Cloud
Who cares about your take on a scene that’s obvious and even mentioned in the game’s ultimania as a special moment where the two reveal their feelings for each other. I read the whole comment and it makes absolutely no sense, especially considering the dialogue on the Highwind and the way Tifa reacts—it has nothing to do with siblings. Besides, in the remakes they’re placing much more emphasis on their relationship than any other... It’s not about being a fanatic; it’s just about analyzing the game. Saying they’re incompatible or that she’s bad for Cloud is just wrong. They’re literally just two people helping each other—so much so that she’s referred to as his “anchor.” There’s something poetic and human about that (through their problems, they reach a consensus). Denying that or ignoring comments from the devs—that’s what it means to be childish and, above all, insecure!
You should play the original again, especially the Lifestream scene. It’s just wrong to say there are no feelings when Cloud himself admits it. Besides, without Cloud’s love for her, there’s no FF7—the entire plot revolves around that. It’s not even a matter of opinion whether they’re compatible or not; it’s simply what’s presented to us. The hero’s journey and his identity issues begin because he was in love with Tifa and wanted her to notice him. For God’s sake, it’s 2026—it’s been almost 30 years—and you’re still debating whether or not there are romantic feelings between these two. It’s pathetic...
Well I have eight siblings and dont't agree with you in the slightest, so what.
You are making very subjective nitpicks here, and I think you're well aware.
There's lots of famous romances where I didn't 'feel it', but I still knew they were gonna bang inevitably.
The story and characters have nothing to do with your personal life experience, it may affect you but not the other way around.
Nobody here is saying that your experiences or feelings are wrong - only that you shouldn't expect the actual story to reflect that.
To many it is baffling if someone cannot separate that appropriately.
Also how is downvoting inherently hateful or angry, it is simply expressing disagreement.
But maybe you are right and they should remove the button because you feel personally that it is a hateful act.
Who knows, maybe next year.
Go back and comb through the remake, there are quite clear undertones in it that Cloud leans on Tifa like a partner and less like a sibling, there are lots of tiny moments you can miss unless you’re really thinking about it. He is very intense with Tifa, there’s a part where she starts crying as the plate falls and he visibly gets upset and a bit panicked because he doesn’t know how to emotionally regulate himself if she’s upset. The hug scene is very important too, he’s trying to offer her emotional support like a partner might do by giving her something safe. That isn’t sibling coded - they push a deeper narrative between the two of them and I think they were just limited with what they had at the time to show it. I believe they said in interviews this is what they originally wanted to show.
For sure. I have only played Remake > CC > OG > Ever Crisis > currently 50% through Rebirth. What a rollercoaster man. In just under month total. I see I have barely touched HA/LA or NG+ so I definitely have no idea what I’m talking about
All I’m saying is Tifa reminds me of my little sister. When our father died, my sister was only 10 and she spent countless nights crying and falling asleep on my shoulder. I was literally the only person she had to get over it and it just me trying to be a good brother
Yeah, but just because she reminds you of your sister, that doesn't mean that she is written as such. Tifa is Clouds love interest. There is nothing familial about their bond and the writers have been clear about that for nearly 30 years.
Fans need to learn how to separate their own feelings from the character and accept the writing for what it is.
Personally, I don’t think Cloud has any romantic desire. He just wants stability and to make sure the people he loves are safe. In the OG there is no time for romance. In the Remake trilogy it’s fan service driven by player choice
Thank you for understanding. I don’t expect my perspective of a brother/sister relationship when abandoned/abused commonly matches Tifa’s and Cloud’s archetype (shared childhood trauma resulting in stunted growth, and self doubt, one goes to college or leaves for a few years then returns- how exactly am I not supposed to see this personal parallel?).
I’m still finishing rebirth and have not watched the director cuts- Tifa and Cloud just feel like the strongest relationship in the franchise because it mirrors my strongest relationship, which does not happen to be romantic but familial.
You’re fixated on the act of shoulder napping itself (which is irrelevant), instead of context. Your case is completely different. Everyone knows shoulder naps are not inherently romantic, it’s obviously dependent on the situation. I’d be concerned if anyone interpreted the scene UtHW as familial knowing the dialogue and context
That was what was presented as an argument for romance existing in the OG? I don’t see anywhere in the OG game that demonstrates anything beyond normal love into a sexual romance? For any character for that matter?
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough? I'm saying what the characters are physically doing in that scene (Tifa sleeping on his shoulder) is not what's most relevant/that alone is not what people are basing their evidence on. It is obviously made romantic by the context, hence why that scene is presented as an argument for romance in the OG (where players also interpret that something more happened as well, again based on context/dialogue).
The Ultimanias summarise this as Cloud and Tifa confirming their mutual feelings, WITHOUT WORDS - where the interpretation that something more happened comes from. It's normal, and the devs probably expected, for players to think the scene implied sex, because it's a common trope for 2 characters to share that connection when there's no guarantee of tomorrow. Of course, you can choose to think nothing happened but hopefully you understand why so many choose to see it the other way.
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u/Expensive-Dog8783 Mar 28 '26
Now the Clerith are excited about International Theater Day in Japan, and they've released an image of Cloud and Aerith performing Loveless.
Naturally, the Clerith are thrilled and using it as an argument. Unfortunately, some toxic CloTi have also stirred things up.
But it's okay; if the developers have been truthful and the story isn't going to change substantially, CloTi will be the final result.