Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth showcased a moment 26 years in the making

The only thing more evil than Sephiroth is pitting Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough against each other.

Since the original Final Fantasy 7 Released in 1997, fans have debated which character Cloud should date. There’s Tifa, the childhood friend with a warm smile, or Aerith, a bright vision of hope for a dying world. The first game established a classic love triangle, and now – 26 years later – Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has reignited the debate by showing an unprecedented romantic side to its spiky-haired hero.

The original Final Fantasy 7 did little to foster genuine love between Cloud and his love interests. Although there are various moments in which he may express interest in either girl, choosing one girl over the other often sparked jealousy or hurt feelings from the rejected party. The original setting created some sort of competition between Tifa and Aerith, and it didn’t exactly age well. Luckily for those of us who love both, the developers left these parts out Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and the young women can share a loving and supportive friendship.

Rebirth continues this general approach and further develops the bonds between Tifa and Aerith. Still, even these two characters can’t escape the tendencies of the larger fan base. When Square Enix released RebirthFans flooded social media with posts discussing which pairing they support and why they feel this way given the new developments Rebirth. The game reignited the classic “Clerith” vs. “Cloti” discourse, and all because of one major scene. If you’re interested in the characters and romance in the game, it’s a monumental event that took fans by surprise.

[Ed. note: The post contains spoilers for the intimate Gold Saucer date in Chapter 12 of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.]

Graphics: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Square Enix

Now that we’ve gotten through the non-spoiler portion of this post, I can just move on to the big thing that happened: Cloud and Tifa kissing… gasp!

To see the kiss, you have to watch the “intimate” version of the second date with Tifa. In it, Cloud hugs her and then the two kiss. It’s a breathtaking moment in the game. Glittering fireworks light up the sky through the windows of a decorated Ferris wheel carriage. By this point, both have been through a lot of suffering, and seeing them together provides a fleeting sense of relief in a shattered world.

Given the way the developers previously handled the game’s romance elements Rebirth, Cloud’s big romantic gesture shocked fans. The bumbling hero has never kissed another character before, and Tifa’s date is here Rebirth is the only one that ends with a kiss from Cloud. For many, the smooch is a clear sign that Cloud and Tifa have a special bond that only exists between the two of them – but even then, there are still some ambiguities.

This isn’t just because people have different interpretations of events or characters’ intentions. This is also because people may play through slightly different stories. In Rebirth, players nurture their relationships with specific characters and eventually Cloud dates the character who has the closest bond with him. Fans of Aerith might go on a date with her and pay attention to the sweet moments that ensue, while Tifa stans might do the same. Players will see different cutscenes depending on who has the strongest bond with Cloud, and of course it would make sense to favor one or the other in a given playthrough.

So while we finally got to see the big kiss that has captivated fans for 26 years, at least fans of Aerith also get to experience a ton of sweet moments. All’s well that ends well, and either way I’m just interested in any opportunity to make Tifa smile. So if you’re like me and want to choose who to date based on this information, Polygon has a guide for you.