What happened to Aerith at the end of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? 

We don't know the answer, of course... but my personal theory is that the 'death' sequence caused yet another split in universes... or, perhaps more accurately, Cloud to 'universe jump.' Ether way, it's my belief that the Aerith who died was the original Aerith - the character from the first game - and that Cloud is now either in her (the OG) universe, or is in a close copy of it. I say this for three reasons: First, it would be narrative bullshit to permakill Aerith yet again. Not only does this death lack all of the shock value of the OG (remember: it was originally planned to kill Barret back in 1997, but the team decided that that didn't have enough impact. Aerith's death really was done primarily to stun players), but it robs players of all the agency that Remake introduced and Rebirth expanded (like, for example, putting in all the time to romance characters; what was the point if we're going to get stuck in a reality where Cloud is forced to end up with Tifa again? What about the people who shipped Cloud x Yuffie? Yuffie isn't going to die. Are all those moments just BS?). Second, because we know what happens when people in FFVII Remake die: they melt into lifestream, many of them *immediately.* You see it every time Shinra soldiers are killed. And no, this isn't just a 'body sweep' mechanic - the game makes it very clear that these people are dissolving into thin air (recall: Cloud saw the same thing happen on a massive scale when he speaks to 'dream' Aerith in Remake the night after the Sector 7 plate falls. It's a mass-casualty event, and there's a haze of lifesteam over the ruined area during the conversation). I'm not personally of the belief that dead Aerith is going to be able to avert that fate - she's not Sephiroth; she's not so strong-of-will as to avoid merging with the planet. So the very fact that her consciousness is *clearly* hanging around and talking to Cloud would imply that she is in some way not dead. Finally, Nomura has said that he wants a 'happy ending' this time - and, let's be honest: Midgar as a wasteland and Aerith dead made the original ending pretty damned melancholy (to say the least). Frankly, for Clerith shippers like myself, it really isn't a happy ending unless she's alive and with Cloud. He's been 'chasing' this girl for almost 30 years now (remember the cameos in Final Fantasy Tactics [where Cloud is looking for AERITH, and not Tifa?] and Kingdom Hearts?) - it's time for those of us who made the choice to romance her to get our payoff (and for those who want Tifa, then give them the alternate ending with Tifa [or Yuffie for Cluffies]). This series is now *about* these alternate realities - there should be a 'happy ending' reality for all parties concerned. So, yeah... I think some Aerith is dead, but I don't believe it's ours, and I am going to try to have faith that we'll see her alive again in three years. (Also, Zack is a freaking third wheel. The more Zack we get, the more it erodes Cloud's impact as a character. Remember: Zack's only reason for existing in the OG was to serve as a template for Cloud to model his fake persona on - that's it. We've now taken that bit-part character and exploded it into Cloud 2.0... and I don't *want* more Cloud 2.0).

The fact is that there are still at least two Aeriths (and, for all we know, infinite, given that this is a multiverse) out there. Is the third game really going to kill them, too? Is this going to turn into the 'great Aerith cull'...? Aerith death-fest '27? At some point, you're talking less Final Fantasy than Final Farce. Already, I get the sense that a lot of people think this thing has crossed that line (I don't, but just look at the reactions to this ending). Murdering the girl in more timelines - in all timelines - would be... really a mistake of epic proportions, I think. At that point, you are taking the most impactful death in video game history and turning it into a twisted joke. As long as an Aerith is alive somewhere, she can be shifted back into the story - that's been set up, as you pointed out.

​@@princessofthecape2078Its very easy. Aerith was saved in one timeline by cloud. Sephiroth merges the worlds in the reunion and back she is

@@ErenDenizMert Which I think the game telegraphed fairly strongly given that other worlds' Aeriths seem to share the same experiences/memories as the one in Remake/Rebirth. For some reason, Aerith - and Aerith alone - appears to exist 'beyond space and time.' She's like some kind of anime, multiverse Quantum Leap chick.

They already did the chess thing in kingdom hearts. I don’t think they’ll copy the same story.

So... We could have a part 3 (while the party is on its way to the northen crater) where Cloud hops from 2 different timelines from time to time (one where aerith is alive and the one where she died). Then we would have a party that trusts and is more chilled with Cloud vs a party that would be completely wary of his schizophrenia. And would Aerith go with the party and continue the journey or she would still stay at the forgotten capital?

@@The_Mammal_Man They aren't going to want to shift a popular character like Aerith out of the story in that way now that they've tossed her a narrative life-preserver. Brie's streams here on RU-vid playing Rebirth are evidence of how a huge crowd wants more and not less of the flower girl. I personally believe that part 3 is going to be completely off the rails when it comes to plot - there will be some like-moments to check the necessary memberberry boxes (going to Wutai to deal with Corneo, snowboarding in Icicle Inn, and Tifa 'fixing' Cloud), but it seems pretty obvious that a ton of other threads could be present as well (an open war between Shinra and Wutai; the weapons destroying much more than they did in the OG; Rufus not 'dying,' etc.).

True. Still in the OG FF7 something similar happens with "Tifa" (in this point 5:07 ) , when Barret/Red are no longer there to see or ear Sephiroth talking. Then again it was obvious for us viewers that wasn't the real Tifa. But with this Aerith at the end of Rebirth, that's not the case. I can only say that the devs did a very good job at not making anything obvious. Which means we have no clear answer

@@The_Mammal_Man Actually discussed this ending with a good friend of mine and in particular that last line of Aerith's. I actually got to thinking that while the Aerith we see is Jenova messing with Cloud, maybe that final goodbye is the real Aerith. Friend did give me a few points that refute it a little, like if you listen to the JP version the 'Sayonara' isn't nearly as emotionally heartbreaking sad so friend said maybe that "Goodbye" was Brianna White's last recorded line for Aerith and knowing the ending maybe she got emotional knowing she might not be back for the 3rd game. Also, in reply to thing about Aerith saying goodbye when Cloud is leaving, there are other moments where Aerith 'talks' to Cloud when he isn't nearby or in a state to hear like in Advent Children when she 'talks' to his dropped in water cell phone and all his voicemails are playing

Yeah, that's what I have always been thinking is why would Jenova say good by like that, she wouldn't. The Aerith by the waterpool seems a bit off, though. Could one be an imposter and the other one be the real Aerith. The one in the Bronko part seems very much like Aerith. But the one with Cloud at the water pool seems off.

So you're saying this is the Aerith from the other timeline, that Cloud is talking to right? Then based on this, I would assume that what Cloud saw in the last cutscene was Aerith just walking around in the other timeline.

@@The_Mammal_Manassuming this is a multiple realities scenario, idky but he’s the only one that can see both realities, it’s trippy, like putting two pictures over each other that are the same but slightly different so when mashed together you see the differences.

She seems to be acting out of character for aerith. She’s talking about stopping a meteor that hasn’t been summoned yet. Also, she says she wants cloud to stop sephiroth when earlier she told him not to go after sephiroth and to let her handle it and take care of himself. Very unlike her to do that.

@@pipsqueaksgaming7029 That was the original plan, though - going back to the OG, Aerith went to Shell Village to summon holy, and that was supposed to 'take care' of the problem (remember also in the OG that she tells Cloud to 'leave Sephiroth to me' before leaving the party). It didn't work, but Aerith didn't know that (and she wouldn't know it in any split reality in these games, either). Holy was intended to obliterate meteor and destroy Sephiroth's means for achieving his goals. Aerith at this point in the plot - all plots - would consider it a sure thing (after all - she just gave up her damned life to cast the spell). Yes, later the lifestream had to intervene to truly pull off the trick, but Aerith would have no idea at this juncture that such a thing was possible or pending. So, actually, it is totally in line with her character and thinking to discourage Cloud from pursuing Sephiroth - she doesn't want him to get hurt, and she thinks the war is already essentially won.

@@Eduardo-ll7eg plus Cloud's already doing this every time he sleeps. He doesn't do this in two places while awake (presumably, if that's what he's indeed doing) until after he goes into the multiverse floor hole. It's like the ability to see whispers in Remake - couldn't do that until Aerith touched him. It's not just Aerith but the rip in the sky too.

To me this game appears to be way more than your run of the mill RPG where bad stuff happens and you kind of watch from a factual third person perspective how protagonists respond to that. Yes, you get that with Tifa and Barret, Dyne, Yuffie and also with Aerith. I like how they all have different ways of dealing with their trauma rounded out by their charackter design. Tiffa has a more hesitant contemplative approach, Aerith seems to handle it by being proactively positive, playfull and impulsive, but underneath she has complete grasp of what her trauma encompaces. Barret adopts a hands on approach and directs his rage in outright battling that what hurt him, whereas Dyne is the flip side of the same coin as he takes out his anger on innocent bystanders. One is driven by accountability, the other by irresponsibility. Yuffie is an interesting one, since she is clearly working through things from a simplified absolute idealistic childs perspective that is also very materialistic and protection driven: If I had all the materia in the world, I could protect myself and my loved ones from being hurt ever again. Of course that is nonsense, but something very fitting for a teenage mind to cling on to. I also find it endearing that she still seems to struggle whith the idealistic concept of fareness (Aerith dying "is not fair"). What these have in common is that they are all offferd through third person observations. Cloud his trauma response is way different in that it is offerd through an unreliable first person perspective. Cloud thinks himself to be the tough one and doesn't even realise or outright blocks out that he suffers from Trauma. In remake he is introduced as being haughty and uncaring: he is Ex-Soldier and only cares about the money. That what doesn't affect you can not hurt you. Tifa finds this to be unsetlling, because this is not the Cloud she has known, so she takes him along and he becomes her ´project´. Cloud starts noticing that things ar not right, confesses that to Tifa, but still keeps denying it at the same time. He doesn’t know what he experiences in this dissociative split mind of his. Even in the forrest with Aerith after all that has happened he still keeps up that he is fine. This, along with his trial in the temple is just the introduction. all the while the flashbacks he has start to tell a different story, that all is not well behind that huge emotional wall of his. He knew Zack, indeed how could he forget that? These realisations frighten him, so he kind of blocks them out. As Aerith dies he kind of breaks and along with him the player falls in and out of reality. The world he sees has a great rift and while it might be really there in some level of reality, I rather accept it as something symbolic for Clouds mental state. The dissociative world in himself is ripped up. Before his date with Aerith she warns him to "not look up, because he would not like what he would see". I gather she would be warning for the comet that must be there approaching somewhere also, but he only sees the rift that that splits his dissociative mind. After her death he alone sees the same rift and warns the others to "not look at it, because it is just an illusion". All the while a broken Cloud is a dangerous Cloud, because off balance he can be easily manipulated by Sephiroth. In that respect the scene in the void is also very important. Sephiroth places himself in front of the specific portal Cloud will fall through, because he knows that Cloud will strike him. Thus he gives him "his blessing." He guides him back into this world to be reunited with his body. and indeed in what way did Cloud get the "real black materia counterpart" from the void? only time will tell.

He quite literally created a new timeline by saving her from seph lol it’s probably all up to the players interpretation atm tho until part 3 comes out

I don't think the party would stay with Cloud if he killed her. These are good people. Hallucinations are one thing - murdering your companion is something else.

@@princessofthecape2078 look at the scene where he killed the black robed man. The camera is showing the party over his sholder everyone looking judgemental. Now looknat thebshot where he lays down aerith before fighting Jenova. Over his sholder and the party looking at him the same way... almost identical shot but without Aerith

@@user-vj6ul5ly7z You don't think they'd so much as scream? Attempt to restrain him? Earnestly pause the adventure afterwards to get him immediate help? If your companion has *murdered* a party member, you can't just continue with them - holding out some kind of baseless hope that you're not next. There's having faith, and then there's being ridiculously stupid. Aside from Tifa, the best these characters have known Cloud for is a month (and some a lot less). Barret and Red XIII might regard him as a friend; Yuffie potentially a lover... but to the degree that they would be willing to bet their lives; bet the fate of the planet, on him not murdering them? Moreover, why would Squarenix want to 'Luke Skywalker' their most valuable asset in the worst possible way? Cloud is their most beloved character - you want to eternally taint that individual by making him a killer? A killer, no less, of an innocent and defenseless girl in the midst of prayer? No. Sorry. I'm going to need more than some disappointed expressions to go on.

@@user-vj6ul5ly7z i don't think they'd go that dark over the simple fact that it'd make cloud an irredeemable character (even if he was being controlled, it would still be too dark especially considering how cloud is SE's poster child) plus i also think if cloud were to learn that he was the one that actually killed aerith i don't think he'd never be able to recover from that, like ever lmao. don't forget that aerith is not some random NPC, she's one of the main characters, she's someone important to cloud and the party as well as a possible love interest for him. the dude was ridden with guilt and depressed in AC due to zack and aerith's deaths and also due the fact that he was not capable of saving aerith, do you really think he would recover from learning he was the the one that actually killed her? do i think there's a chance that in pt3 the party starts doubting cloud and wonder if he was the one that did it, especially since they were not there to see it happening? that's possible for sure. however i think that's as far as they'll go, doubt him for a moment... i don' think there's any chance for him to be the one that actually killed aerith unless they are planning on making cloud go on a very dark path and possibly kill him by the end (which there is no chance of that happening because like i said he's SE's poster child and a beloved main character)

How funny. I was thinking the same thing

Would not make any sense. They obviously wanna keep it a secret till the 3rd game

Yes, this dlc (if it's planned) would be after the 3rd game. Since the devs already confirmed there wouldn't be one for Rebirth.

they already have that, it's called Crisis Core

Yes. Yes it is.

Indeed she will (Unless the devs, for some reason, decide to change that part of the story of course)

@@The_Mammal_Man you do know that if they change it then they ruined it

@@RyanOstrowski-eh6ft How would it ruin it? They've already stated that they're going down the multiverse route so the ending most likely won't be the same as the original which gives us endless possibilities. The fact that Aerith MIGHT still be alive makes me believe it wont be Tifa that saves him and something else entirely which could be 100x cooler.

@@BinnThereDoneThatwell then no one else is going to buy part 3 then because no one else likes multiverse games anyway

@@RyanOstrowski-eh6ft well that's just not true 💀, the whole Final Fantasy franchise is based in different eras and timelines. This is nothing new to us

But Zack is still alive? Stop trolling.

The important reason is sales. Think about it, they couldn't outright kill her or save her; and couldn't have ended Rebirth on any other story point.

@@dalegleneagles5072 They outright saved her in a way trolls can't admit. It's so funny watching you all in denial, while the truth is literally inches from your BS.

@@robertjones3489 I haven't looked for a while, but one translation of the Ultimania had Nomura saying Cloud saved her. Another translated it differently, but not sure if this made it to debate. I think she'll show up in the terrier timeline (flowers coming back to life, etc). Might not be right away in the next game. But my point is they can't keep her obviously alive until the trolls buy the next game (plus the control over surprise element).