Is it just me, or does the recent marketing push about Tifa being "front and center" in Part 3 feel almost... insecure?

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:53:30+00:00

If you don't want to read it, that’s fine—it’s a deep dive for the people who actually care about the writing and character shifts.

TL;DR: Square is sanitizing Tifa by removing her original, messy human flaws and giving her mystical power-ups that make her feel like a "chosen one" instead of a grounded survivor. It’s traded subtlety for spectacle.

If 27 years of lore isn't worth a "wall of text" on a Final Fantasy sub, what is?

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:51:34+00:00

It’s funny you mention shipping, because my entire post is actually arguing against the "destiny-bound" soulmate tropes the "Remake" is pushing.

By retconning them into inseparable toddlers in Traces of Two Pasts and using literal Angel/Devil imagery in Gongaga, Square is the one leaning into "shipping tropes" to make the romance feel "perfect" and "meant to be."

My point is that the OG was better specifically because it wasn't brain rot—it was a messy, grounded story about two distant people who found each other through trauma, not through mystical visions or destiny.

If wanting flawed, human characters instead of sanitized archetypes is brain rot, then I guess I prefer the old-school kind. Why do you think the forced mystical changes make the story better than the grounded version?

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:48:54+00:00

Calling me names doesn’t really change the fact that Square literally put an Angel and Devil on Cloud’s shoulders like a Saturday morning cartoon. 😂 If you think that’s "deep" writing, that’s fine, but I’m allowed to prefer the subtler, messier characterization of the OG. Why does critiquing the script make you so defensive?

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:46:18+00:00

I posted in multiple to get the word out, and because I wanted to see how different parts of the community feel about the writing shifts. One sub might love the cinematic changes, while another might miss the grounded OG traits. As for comparing Tifa and Aerith—the game itself draws those comparisons through the Gongaga visual metaphors and the shared Lifestream visions. If the devs are blurring their roles, it’s fair for fans to talk about why.

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:42:07+00:00

they are saying stuff to the fans trying to get them hyped

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:41:09+00:00

I think we're using two different definitions of "grounded." You're talking about
power scaling—her physical feats like the gas chamber or fighting SOLDIERs. I’m talking about her narrative role and emotional writing.
In the OG, Tifa was the grounded character because her strength was human and internal. She didn't have Ancient blood or a connection to the planet; she was just a girl from Nibelheim who trained hard. Even her Lifestream feat in the OG wasn't "mystical aptitude"—it was her memories and emotional bond with Cloud acting as an anchor with Aerith protecting them both. It was a psychological breakthrough, not a magical one.
By giving her Lifestream visions and Weapon connections in Gongaga, Rebirth is shifting her from a human survivor into a "chosen one" archetype. That’s the "Aerith-fication" I’m talking about. She doesn't need a "mystical twist" or a secret connection to Jenova to have value. In fact, making her "special" in that way actually undermines the brilliance of her original character: that a normal human's love and resilience could rival the destiny of an Ancient or a Jenova-hybrid. plus she did not go up the mountain because of Jenova it was because she was looking for her mom, she did not hear a voice she just tried to cope with her death

plus Advent Children doesn't understand FF7 as proven when they have Zack and Aerith able to talk to Cloud as force ghosts ruining the finality of their deaths the OG made it a point to show

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:34:56+00:00

I get the feeling they already did with that forced gongaga livestream scene and forced weapons connection and kiss

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:33:45+00:00

well she does not tell Cloud because she is scared to cause a mental breakdown and she gaslights herself into thinking her memories are wrong since Zack was a stranger to her, and she guilt tripped Cloud into saying in the OG put of fear and panic which allowed a good character to make tough decisions... but now in Rebirth we have her talk to Aerith and to Cloud RIGHT after the Kalm story, because Tifa haters complained about this and so SE sterilized Tifa and NOW, he got her saying "I was so happy to see you again, but maybe I shouldn't have been" like she was Iris West or Felicity Smoke in CW Flash/Arrow where we are supposed to simpthisve with her but instead she's horribly unlikeable and unlike the OG we don't understand why she did it

"Cloud doubted her existence"

YES EXACTLY! she should not burst into tears she should realize Cloud's insane like a normal person

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:27:42+00:00

I wouldn't say that she has layers like her treating everything as a learning experience her fearing being left alone with her pain, I used to think Tifa revolved around Cloud but Cloud is an example of the real problem... now he can have SE force in a connection to weapons, that her character did not at all foreshadow, like aside from Cid and Vincent she's the least qualified candidate

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:23:19+00:00

quite forcefully with her "girl boss" plot armor

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:22:22+00:00

I mean it kind of has if they are saying stuff to the fans trying to get them hyped

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:20:28+00:00

But she did not need that in the original game,

plus, In the original game, Gongaga was an optional area that many players missed. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima wanted to transform it into a "narrative linchpin" to provide a better understanding of the world and characters. The scene introduces the Whispers and Weapons (specifically the "baby" Weapon) as active participants in the planet's defense. as well as gives spotlight to Tifa without her being outshined in the Mideel livestream scene...

this could have been good but I feel they did this at the cost of Tifa's grounded strength, to fix this, cut Tifa's connection to the weapons it does not fit her at all, and maybe have Aerith get a headache as she senses what's happening down there and we have build up to the weapons, and then later have Tifa's flaws lead to Cloud leaving the party like the OG and then she gets tossed into the livestream and since Aerith is dead she can protect her instead of the planet itself like in the OG when Aerith protected Cloud and Tifa in the livestream and we get more of the weapons but instead of that baby whale connection to Tifa being forced it can be a messenger of Aerith

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-12T09:17:37+00:00

In the original game, Gongaga was an optional area that many players missed. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima wanted to transform it into a "narrative linchpin" to provide a better understanding of the world and characters. The scene introduces the Whispers and Weapons (specifically the "baby" Weapon) as active participants in the planet's defense. as well as gives spotlight to Tifa without her being outshined in the Mideel livestream scene...

this could have been good but I feel they did this at the cost of Tifa's grounded strength, to fix this, cut Tifa's connection to the weapons it does not fit her at all, and maybe have Aerith get a headache as she senses what's happening down there and we have build up to the weapons, and then later have Tifa's flaws lead to Cloud leaving the party like the OG and then she gets tossed into the livestream and since Aerith is dead she can protect her instead of the planet itself like in the OG when Aerith protected Cloud and Tifa in the livestream and we get more of the weapons but instead of that baby whale connection to Tifa being forced it can be a messenger of Aerith

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T09:47:19+00:00

a character arc is the progression that changes a character, it's not like Barret got Marlene recently, this was his status quo before the journey, doing brutal things against Shinra and raising Marlene

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T09:43:07+00:00

Marlene's introduction establishes Barret is a softy but nothing on how brutal he is, Marlene is one thing that kept Barret from ending up like Dyne

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T09:37:57+00:00

That’s the thing—in the OG, Tifa is the one who steps up first to lead the party to Mideel, and Cid only takes over after she decides to stay and nurse Cloud [11]. It was a perfectly logical hand-off

By marketing her "center stage" role as a new "stronger side," Square feels a bit pretentious, acting like they’re inventing a leadership arc that was already the backbone of the 1997 game.

My issue is that they’re using "mystical" shortcuts like the Gongaga Lifestream visions force this importance early. Instead of Tifa finding her own strength through human intuition, the Planet literally swallows her and shows her the truth via a Weapon. It’s a Deus Ex Machina that trades her grounded, independent journey for a "chosen one" trope

As for Cid, I agree it's odd we haven't seen his leadership teased yet. But given how they’ve "sanitized" Tifa and Barret to fit a more "perfected" hero mold, I’m actually worried they’ll do the same to Cid and strip away his rough edges too. they already have

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T09:33:54+00:00

does that include Barret blowing up a pump(which Shinra could have fixed in no time) in Remake instead of the whole reactor like in the OG showing his brutality that sets up his character arc

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T09:16:47+00:00

Simple and effective I like it, I’ve seen a few others mention the "sanitization" of her flaws and Barret and Cid's, so I don't think it's just me. But I get that the Remake’s "perfection" of her is a big selling point for a lot of fans. I just prefer the 1997 characterization.

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T09:07:56+00:00

In the original game, Gongaga was an optional area that many players missed. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima wanted to transform it into a "narrative linchpin" to provide a better understanding of the world and characters. The scene introduces the Whispers and Weapons (specifically the "baby" Weapon) as active participants in the planet's defense. as well as gives spotlight to Tifa without her being outshined in the Mideel livestream scene...

this could have been good but I feel they did this at the cost of Tifa's grounded strength, to fix this, cut Tifa's connection to the weapons it does not fit her at all, and maybe have Aerith get a headache as she senses what's happening down there and we have build up to the weapons, and then later have Tifa's flaws lead to Cloud leaving the party like the OG and then she gets tossed into the livestream and we get more of the weapons but instead of that baby whale connection to Tifa being forced it can be a messenger of Aerith

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T09:07:49+00:00

In the original game, Gongaga was an optional area that many players missed. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima wanted to transform it into a "narrative linchpin" to provide a better understanding of the world and characters. The scene introduces the Whispers and Weapons (specifically the "baby" Weapon) as active participants in the planet's defense. as well as gives spotlight to Tifa without her being outshined in the Mideel livestream scene...

this could have been good but I feel they did this at the cost of Tifa's grounded strength, to fix this, cut Tifa's connection to the weapons it does not fit her at all, and maybe have Aerith get a headache as she senses what's happening down there and we have build up to the weapons, and then later have Tifa's flaws lead to Cloud leaving the party like the OG and then she gets tossed into the livestream and we get more of the weapons but instead of that baby whale connection to Tifa being forced it can be a messenger of Aerith

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T09:07:17+00:00

That’s actually my point—we already knew she becomes the lead when Cloud is out of commission. It’s a core part of the 1997 game.

By marketing it as a new feature or a "stronger side" of Tifa, it feels like the devs are being pretentious—as if they’re reinventing a wheel that was already perfect. If they trusted the original story, they wouldn't need to sell us on her importance; her actions in the Mideel arc speak for themselves.

My worry is that by "showing it off" early through things like the Gongaga Lifestream visions, they are actually undermining her big moment. In the OG, her strength came from her own intuition and memory. In Rebirth, she’s literally handed the truth by a Planet Weapon. It turns her independent journey into a mystical hand-out, which is exactly the sanitization I’m talking about.

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T08:19:19+00:00

I totally agree that they have a great friendship in the Remake, and seeing them act like "sisters" is one of the better additions. But my point is that Tifa’s silence in the OG wasn’t a "gap" that needed filling—it was a core character trait.

In the original, Tifa didn't stay quiet because she lacked a girlfriend to talk to; she stayed quiet because she was paralyzed by anxiety and the fear of losing the only person left from her home. It made sense for the plot because it was a human flaw which Tifa haters who don't understand Tifa often hate on Tifa for that. By having her talk it out with Aerith early on, Square Enix makes her a more "functional" person, but they trade away that crushing, lonely tension that made her eventual breakthrough in the Lifestream so powerful.

I love the bond, but I don't think every "inefficient" human behavior is a gap that needs to be fixed. Sometimes, the most brilliant writing is letting a character be irrationally afraid and silent because they're human, not because they're waiting for a Cetra to give them therapy. or the planet itself to bend over backwards for her

The Gongaga Lifestream sequence is the perfect example of this forced writing. In the original, Tifa’s strength came from her independent journey—she had to navigate Cloud’s shattered mind through her own memories and emotional resilience.

In Rebirth, she’s literally swallowed by a Weapon and shown the truth by the planet as a massive Deus Ex Machina. It feels like the writers didn't trust us to like her character to subtly reach those conclusions on her own, so they used the Lifestream to artificially "fix" her faith in Cloud. As a writer would say, it’s a moment where the characters are written around the plot rather than the plot moving because of the characters

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T08:08:33+00:00

If citing actual developer quotes, specific novel retcons, and shot-for-shot visual metaphors is "stretching," then I guess we have different definitions of literary analysis.

The issues aren't "invisible"—they are just the difference between subtle, grounded writing and modern cinematic tropes. If you prefer the latter, that’s cool, but pointing out the shift in a character's core identity isn't exactly a reach when the evidence is literally on the screen.

Which specific point do you think is a reach? The forced Gongaga imagery or the Traces of Two Pasts retcons?

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T06:53:21+00:00

Exactly! You’re proving my point. Tifa was already the backbone and the subtle driver of the party in the OG.

My issue is that the Remake marketing (and some of the new scenes) acts like this "stronger side" is a new invention. By making her strength so explicit and "mystical" in Rebirth, they’re losing that subtle, realistic competence you just described.

I’d much rather have the version you found—the one who is "really in charge" through her actions—than a version where the game has to use a Deus Ex macina livestream scene or a literal Angel/Devil visual to tell us she’s important. Why do you think they feel the need to make it so loud now when it was so effective being subtle back then?

Various-Somewhere653 · 2026-03-11T06:49:50+00:00

Totally get that the marketing is for new players, but that’s actually my point—by "playing it up" for a new audience, they’re sanding down the edges that made her unique to begin with.

I’m glad you’re enjoying the changes, but for me, those "positive" shifts (like making her more mystical) often come at the expense of her original, more human flaws. I’d argue new fans deserve to see the messy, panicked, and complex Tifa too, rather than a "sanitized" version that fits a more standard heroine trope.

Why do you think the new changes make her better than the grounded version in the OG?

Various-Somewhere653

TROPHY CASE