| Welcome to the Cloti Forums. Please enjoy your stay. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. That means you can't see all the cool shit. Register! If you're already an existing member congrats on being awesome. Log yourself right in. |
| Aerith's Death | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: 3 Jun 2014 - 00:57 (42 Views) | |
| Enigma | 3 Jun 2014 - 00:57 Post #1 |
|
Elite Member
|
I hate when people miss the point of Aerith's death. Her death is NOT part of a love story, her death is not there for the sake of a love story, and it's not to be thought of as someone sacrificing themselves. Aerith's death is part of her development, it's part of the role she is suppose to play in the game. Not only that, it was argued about within the company until they finally decided to kill her off. The reason they did it was because I believe Kitase was the one who's mother had died, and they wanted to bring out a sense of loss. Not for CLOUD but for EVERYONE including the audience. The fact that people miss this point just infuriates me. Aerith is a plot device who later becomes a large part of the theme of FF7. She was not meant to be a permanent character but was to hold a role that went beyond even the main protagonist. The creator's wanted to bring out the same sense of loss that is associated with death. It's a shock, and it hits randomly. This is why it had to be Aerith. They thought if it was Barret it'd be too obvious AND they did it before. They also said they wanted to avoid the cliché of someone sacrificing themselves for their lover. Aerith's death was a turning point for her, and for many of the other characters. I get sick and tired of people, not all people, but certain people act as if her death was only important for Cloud and for romance. Any writer's resource will tell you not to kill off a character randomly. Aerith wasn't killed off randomly, her role was aaaaall planned out, and it was already decided what she was suppose to do. Here's a quick note on character deaths: affect another character’s arc in a significant way She plays a role in Cloud's psyche finally cracking (Her death showed Cloud that even though he's 3 feet away, he can take that person from Cloud easily) And she also played a role in helping him regain himself by helping Tifa. affect another character’s actions, thought process, or beliefs Her death affected all of AVALANCHE which we see after her death. They have even more of a resolve to beat Sephiroth because of Aerith's "sacrifice" and they all want to finish what she started. Also she is shown that being dead in the lifestream, she aids the spirits in pain there such as Dyne and even Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge. affect an important decision made by another character act as a catalyst for an important part of the plot Even though she lost her life, she was able to summon HOLY which affectively helped the world not get destroyed. Also she is able to help even from beyond the grave by summoning the lifestream act as a solution to an obstacle or other problem By losing her life she proved to be helpful by summoning the lifestream and healing the corrupted spirits in the lifestream because of Sephiroth/heal Geostigma/heal Cloud of his grief. inform another character’s understanding of a situation It was already important, but the first disc is full of silly, lighthearted moments. After Aerith's death things really take a downward spiral. It's like they all realize how easily anyone of them can die. Also, I believe that Tifa's speech about the stars watching them isn't just for the lives lost but I believe specifically she's referring to Aerith. Tifa also had large guilt and sadness towards her death, I think she wanted Aerith to see how hard she was trying to bring justice. There is also a quote that in exchange, Aerith had lost her life. serve as motivation for a character to do something important Need I say more? It was NOT just for Cloud. It was intended as a plot point, intended for many other characters including the ones already in the lifestream, and was intended to drive the theme of the story, it was also meant for the audience to understand the shock of death, AND out of respect for the creator who lost his mother (I need to double check if it was Kitase) |
![]() |
|
| Godoka | 3 Jun 2014 - 03:43 Post #2 |
|
Heavenly
|
Hm, I agree! I honestly felt no romantic plot device (?) when it came to Aerith's death. I thought it was just a tragic part of her character's story-line and a tragic part of the main story line. Her death was a huge loss to everyone, not just Cloud. Cloud was just starting to get to know her very well? They formed a really strong friendship and then it fell short... and since Cloud had told her he would protect her and be a body guard to her I felt it just impacted him the most because of that reason. I never really felt the romance that some shippers see during this scene. I understand where they are coming from but I really do not see how it is Cloud and Aerith focused. |
![]() |
|
| Enigma | 3 Jun 2014 - 12:06 Post #3 |
|
Elite Member
|
Yes that part specifically annoyed me when people see it as Cloud and Aerith oriented when it's not!! Her death was even part of her character development because after her death we see her change. She's still Aerith, but now she's in the role of a powerful guardian angel ally. She helped so much by being dead. <---- how many other characters in games/anime/shows can say that xD |
![]() |
|
| « Previous Topic · Essays · Next Topic » |






6:46 PM Jul 10