Tifa is a fan-favorite character in Final Fantasy 7—and its ongoing remake trilogy—and part of the endless shipping war that debates whether Cloud should be romantically paired with her or Aerith. However, Tifa is an incredible character that doesn’t need to be tied to another character romantically, even if her story with Cloud is rather sweet. What’s interesting is that her character, like many others in FF7, went through quite a few changes during development. Additionally, there are some small details that reveal the depth of her bonds with her allies, particularly Aerith, who might be a romantic rival, but is also a dear friend.
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Tifa is Cloud’s childhood friend and acts as the Monk of the party. She holds a grudge against Shinra following the Nibelheim incident, which leads to her joining AVALANCHE. While Tifa has a rather gentle personality and genuinely cares for her friends, she can also pack a punch harder than anybody else in the party, making her a fearsome opponent.
1. Tifa was Supposed to Lose her Memory
During development, Tifa was supposed to be severely injured by Cloud while he was under Sephiroth’s influence, leading to her also losing her memories and having scars on her back. The idea would’ve made her interactions with Cloud rather interesting, but it would’ve been a lot to have a party of main characters include two characters with memory issues. In the end, it’s for the best that the developers didn’t go through with this idea, as Tifa remembering and questioning if she’s right or influenced by the trauma of Nibelheim and doubting herself, is much more emotional, giving her character realistic depth.
2. Tifa Is Protected from Mako Poisoning
When Tifa ends up in the Lifestream during the events of the original game, she should end up with Mako poisoning, which impacts the mind of the afflicted, as you see with Cloud’s unclear memories after he suffered from Mako poisoning as a result of Hojo’s experiments after the Nibelheim incident. Since Mako is energy extracted from the Lifestream, Tifa’s time in the Lifestream should be enough to leave her with Mako poisoning, but she’s able to come out of the event with her mind intact.
It turns out that Aerith, who died prior to this event, used her influence in the Lifestream to protect Tifa, showing that she still cared about and watched over her friends after her death. Additionally, Aerith’s protection might’ve been long-lasting for Tifa, as she’s later immune to Geostigma in Advent Children despite coming in contact with the disease directly.
3. Tifa was Created After Aerith’s Death was Decided
During development, the team started with three characters and made the decision that one of them should die, and Aerith’s fate was sealed. Then, Tifa ended up being created basically as a replacement for Aerith, ending up as Cloud’s romantic partner after Aerith’s death. With how well-rounded and fleshed out Tifa is as a character, it’s surprising that she wasn’t part of the party from the beginning. However, it’s great that she ended up making it into the game, as Final Fantasy 7 and its remake trilogy would simply not be the same without her.
As a franchise, Final Fantasy’s games aren’t only memorable for one element. A big part of their draw comes from the characters they feature, the journeys they go on, and the epic music that plays in the background. Like the rest of the cast, Tifa Lockhart has her own history, personality, and goals, and it makes her fit right in with the rest of the cast as a character you want to root for and enjoy seeing on the screen.
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