Aeris the Ideal, Tifa the Human

by Marie Freed

I was thinking to myself, "I used to like Aeris more than Tifa. Now I like Tifa more that Aeris. So what is it about Tifa that makes me like her so much?" After some pondering I came to a thoughtful and true conclusion. I like Tifa for many reasons, but mostly because she's human.

Aeris symbolizes the ideal girl. Always smiling, always giggling, always saying exactly what's on her mind. Which is probably why so many people like her. Why not? Most people love the concept of an ideal girl. Of course Aeris was more than just that, but I'll get back to that later.

Tifa, on the other hand, symbolizes the human girl. She's insecure, lonely, and hides her true emotions. Which may be why some people don't like her. Some people are like Aeris, they can just go up to someone they like and tell them strait out, "How about if I go out with you once?" There are more people like Tifa. People who can't just express their true emotions like it was brushing their teeth.

Tifa is insecure. I've spent most of my life being insecure, mostly because of the people who have made fun of me in the past. So why should Tifa be insecure? She's pretty and kind. The conclusion I came to was that she was insecure for a few reasons. One, it's just part of her personality. Some people aren't naturally content with who they are. Another reason was the events from her past. She lost both her mother and father at a young age, so naturally she would want to try to avoid heartbreak, not to mention the confusion Cloud had caused her with his memory of Nibleheim. But probably the saddest and most real reason is that she has been a victim of a prejudice society. Some people on the internet think that Tifa's a slut, because of the way she dresses and the size of her chest. So why shouldn't there be people like that in the world of FFVII? Indeed, in Midgar especially, Tifa was probably the victim of stereotypes and perverse flirting. So naturally she would be insecure. She's Barret's best friend, and a good friend to the others, but at the same time she says, "I'm alone...I don't have anyone." It's sadly common for insecure people not to see what's right in front of them. I know.

Now that I've explained Tifa the symbol, I'll explain why I like Tifa the person. It's clear that Tifa is a very kind and caring sole. From the start it was apparent that she liked Cloud, but as the game progresses it becomes evident that Cloud was not a mere childhood crush, but a true love of hers. At the start of the game when she chooses to go with you, she later explains that it was because she wanted to be near Cloud. When Cloud goes into a coma, she stays by his side, staying awake for days just watching him, hoping he'll get well. Now that is loyalty, if I've ever seen it! Despite Tifa's own insecurities, she always stuck by Cloud in his times of need, such as in the lifestream. She always believed in Cloud, despite the confusion he gave her. Let's face it, Cloud is a load of work, and for Tifa to bring him back to his true self, she had to stir up many uncomfortable memories, including the deaths of her parents. That could not have been easy, but she did it for Cloud's sake. In addition, she held absolutely NO grudge, NO hostility towards Aeris for moving in on Cloud.

With all these points one could wonder, "Why did you like Aeris more in the first place?" That's simple enough. Aeris is the sweet, kind, caring, ideal girl. Don't get the wrong idea, I don't have anything against that, as a matter of fact, I like it! She seemed like the kind of friend I'd like to have, the kind of person I'd like to be. The first time through playing the game when I saw Cloud and Tifa I thought, "Oh, great, another Cecil and Rosa romance." In other words, a destined romance with no real romantic value to it. I felt this way because they seemed to have their destiny all set up for them. Then I saw Aeris. Beautiful, pure, and fun. A woman who spoke her mind and heart, who would dare to laugh, something Tifa wouldn't do. The first time through, I almost resented Tifa, seeing her as an obstacle that held Cloud and Aeris, the real couple, apart. Since Tifa was hiding her emotions throughout most of the game, we all got to know Aeris better. When I got to the part where Tifa stays by Cloud's side when he's in a coma, and helps him out in the lifestream, however, I got to see more of her, I got to see that she was more than just the typical girl I thought she was when I started playing the game.

Aeris the ideal, Tifa the human. We all have some of both of them in us. We all like the part of us that is Aeris more. And that is the reason I like the character Tifa more. She is kind and caring, but at the same time, she is reality.

(I would like to thank Logick for helping me see all of this and inspiring me to write this.)