This piece contains major spoilers for the original Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
hey do not read unless you’ve finished Rebirth.
It’s hard to overstate how iconic Aerith’s death was in the originalFinal Fantasy 7.
Its ripples continue inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the recently released second part of the remake trilogy.
But why was her death so memorable?
It’s a shocking moment, simply told.
It’s quietly dramatic and the image of Sephiroth’s almost comically long sword piercing her chest is unmissable.
Then, moments later, we’re snowboarding down a mountain, as is the FF7 way.
A remake of this moment poses a conundrum.
How do you recreate it to the same level of shock value?
It’s impossible, andSquare Enixknows it.
Lightning doesn’t strike twice.
If we know it’s coming, Aerith’s death is already devoid of impact.
Rebirth is, on one level then, a gameaboutgames - a self-referential experience about its own existence.
Yet in doing so, Square Enix has risked alienating new and old fans alike.
This meta-narrative commentary running throughout Rebirth only fully works with prior knowledge of the original.
So it’s laughable, really, for Square Enix to repeatedly insist theremake trilogy is welcome for newcomers.
FF7 is already a tangled web of storylines across multiple spin-offs that competes withKingdom Heartsin the wtf stakes.
Maybe a step too far.
This idea ultimately falls flat as the core plot of Rebirth barely deviates from the original.
The real sticking point, though, is Aerith’s death.
WhenThe Big Momentfinally does arrive, we see Aerith killed but also saved; dead but also alive.
Forget Sephiroth, ambiguity is the real killer in Rebirth.
I can understand the desire to keep players guessing.
I know I’m guilty of that.
Perhaps she’ll even receive a proper death in some sort of sacrificial final moment.
The game is an ensemble piece, but it all hinges on her fate.
Aerith’s death in the original has clear story implications: it’s necessary to prove Sephiroth’s malice.
In Rebirth it’s less clear and seems to occur here only because ithasto to mirror the original.
Here Aerith’s death is only significant in its relation to the original game.
Adding ambiguity to that feels more like a business decision than a narrative one.
I honestly love Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, asI explained in detail in my review.
I love its playfulness, its warmth and tenderness, its deep characterisation, its stupendous card game.
As a remake of a beloved classic, it offers fans a chance to experience the familiar anew.
By leaning too far into convolution, Rebirth ultimately leaves us with question marks instead of tears.
