History Characters / FinalFantasyVIIRemakeRemakeMainCharacters

* ALadyRidesAside: Unlike her female teammates Tifa and Yuffie, Aerith rides her chocobo sidesaddle, befitting her role as the most traditionally feminine-looking of the three. It's also logical, because she wears a long skirt, which would make riding astride impractical.

* ALadyRidesAside: Unlike her female teammates Tifa and Yuffie, Aerith rides her chocobo sidesaddle, befitting her role as the most stereotypically feminine of the three.

* TheLeader: Deconstructed and ultimately subverted. Barret starts off the game as the one in charge, with Cloud begrudgingly following his orders. He not only possesses raw bravery and physical prowess, but also enough charisma to keep the other Avalanche members devoted to his cause through the power of his words alone. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that Barret isn't the most logical sort when it comes to leading his crew on the battlefield, often prone to letting his emotions and [[BloodKnight hunger to kill]] get the better of him, always to the detriment of the operation. It's for this reason that he eventually cedes leadership to Cloud, a man who's far more level-headed and tactically experienced than he is in the art of war. [[spoiler:That said, Barret is still effective as a leader when it counts, as he does take notice when Cloud begins to exhibit more and more signs of psychosis in the climax of ''Rebirth,'' and there are points that Barret tries to lead the team in a better direction when Cloud is losing it. Fittingly, he takes command of the rest of the team (sans Cloud) during the final battle against Sephiroth Reborn, as well as during the cutscene trek to the Forgotten Capital when Cloud is unconscious.]]

* BigDamnHug: Gives one to Cloud which he quickly returns [[spoiler: during the alternate timeline sequence after confessing her feelings, shortly before she returns him to the 'main' timeline and Sephiroth arrives to kill her. This also has many elements of a FinalFirstHug as it's the first time the two are seen on screen interacting in this way (though both can potentially embrace in-character if Aerith plays Rosa in the ''Loveless'' play)]], but the ending and optional scenes depending on the player's choices make this aspect a little more ambiguous.

** To Aerith. Both are very selfless and kind-hearted women, but while Tifa is somewhat more shy and quiet, Aerith is more of a playful GenkiGirl. Both have issues revealing their true feelings, but cover them up in different ways. Tifa pushes them aside and finds work arounds while Aerith covers them up with positivity and keeps up the facade. Best represented by their attempts to high five Cloud: Tifa doesn't broach the subject and celebrates without trying to engage Cloud again while Aerith doesn't hide her discomfort and keeps up the subject until Cloud reciprocates. Later in ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:Tifa's goal is to keep Cloud grounded while trying to find the truth of their memories, while Aerith opts to take Cloud to other worlds in order to build a better future and to help him directly against Sephiroth's more otherworldly attempts to overpower or influence him, even if it means also loosening his grip on reality in the meantime]]. Lastly, both of them carry scars from a DarkAndTroubledPast that they are trying to move forward from, but while Aerith is able to focus on the future and let the past rest, even if she has to be a StepfordSmiler to do so, Tifa remains shackled and weakened by hers, as explored throughout ''Rebirth'' and ''Traces of Two Pasts'', the latter of which even lampshades the dichotomy through the book's cover: Aerith is shown standing under white text and facing upwards with an expression that conveys clarity and hope, whereas Tifa is standing under black text with a downcast look that indicates a troubled mind wrestling with doubts and insecurity. This is also shown in how both have the same roots in their name, the Tiferet, but neither shares a syllable. Tifa has the first half to show how she represents Cloud's past.

* {{Foil}}: To Tifa. They are Cloud's main love interests and have different ways of keeping their feelings to themselves. Tifa bottles them up and finds other ways to liven the mood while Aerith is a StepfordSmiler who keeps up her smiling face in spite of how scared and lonely she really is. Both are very kind, compassionate and selfless young women, but while Aerith is more energetic and extroverted, Tifa is a little shy and quieter. Later in ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:Tifa's goal is to keep Cloud grounded while trying to find the truth of their memories, while Aerith opts to take Cloud to other worlds in order to build a better future and to help him directly against Sephiroth's more otherworldly attempts to overpower or influence him, even if it means also loosening his grip on reality in the meantime]]. Lastly, both of them carry scars from a DarkAndTroubledPast that they are trying to move forward from, but while Aerith is able to focus on the future and let the past rest, even if she has to be a StepfordSmiler to do so, Tifa remains shackled and weakened by hers, as explored throughout ''Rebirth'' and ''Traces of Two Pasts'', the latter of which even lampshades the dichotomy through the book's cover: Aerith is shown standing under white text and facing upwards with an expression that conveys clarity and hope, whereas Tifa is standing under black text with a downcast look that indicates a troubled mind wrestling with doubts and insecurity.This is also shown in how both have the same roots in their name, the Tiferet, but neither shares a syllable. Aerith has the second half to show how she is a new part of his life. This even translates to their synergy abilities with Cloud in ''Rebirth'', which provide access to all four different buffs to him.

* KungFuWizard: The Mythril Claw and Sonic Striker weapons highly favor magic and let Tifa make the most out of materia and her Chi-Trap ability.

* TheLeader: Deconstructed and ultimately subverted. Barret starts off the game as the one in charge, with Cloud begrudgingly following his orders. He not only possesses raw bravery and physical prowess, but also enough charisma to keep the other Avalanche members devoted to his cause through the power of his words alone. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that Barret isn't the most logical sort when it comes to leading his crew on the battlefield, often prone to letting his emotions and [[BloodKnight hunger to kill]] get the better of him, always to the detriment of the operation. It's for this reason that he eventually cedes leadership to Cloud, a man who's far more level-headed and tactically experienced than he is in the art of war.

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]]; the book ''[[Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts Trace of Two Pasts]]'' outlines that Sephiroth slashing her severed bone and flesh so severely during the Nibelheim Incident required some major emergency treatment, including medical wire to close the gaps in her wounds. Once all was said and done, overly-expensive skin transplants were then used, closing up what should've been massive scarring from ever occurring. This actually [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome landed her in severe debt for the costs]], not helped by her doctor marking up the debt intentionally to try to keep her under his thumb.

* BalanceBuff: In ''Remake'', the party composition of Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa is generally considered the go-to group for high level content due to the strong damage output, but Barret is far more effective in ''Rebirth''. However, unlike with Aerith who got several new abilities to migitate her weaknesses in combat, Barret's gameplay is mostly unchanged and his improved effectiveness instead comes from more general gameplay balancing and new mechanics. Most strategies in ''Remake'' would prioritise bursting hard enemies down quickly before they could overwhelm the group, whereas in ''Rebirth'' Barret's strong tanking and self-healing abilities mean that whittling away at superbosses is a much more viable tactic, and allow Barret's strengths to shine.

* LightningBruiser: Not ''physically'' as his movement and evasion is poor, but Barret's abilities allow him to build up ATB at an insane rate during battle, especially when stacking multiple buffs, allowing him to quickly take action after action at a level only [[GlassCannon Tifa]] can match.

* LetsJustBeFriends: Despite spending the early-to-mid parts of the game playfully teasing and flirting with Cloud, in her resolution scene in Chapter 14 if her RelationshipValues are highest, she tells that while she's beyond grateful for his friendship, he can't fall in love with her. [[spoiler:It's hinted this is because she knows she's fated to die and is trying to spare him the guilt and heartbreak when it happens.]]

[[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeMainCharacters Main Characters]] | '''Remake Main Characters''' ([[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeCloud Cloud Strife]]) | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeRebirthMainCharacters Rebirth Main Characters]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeShinraInc Shinra Inc.]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeAntagonistsAndBosses Antagonists and Bosses]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeSummons Summons]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeQueensBlood Queen's Blood]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeOtherCharacters Other Characters]]]] -]

[[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeCloud See here.]]

* UnwittingPawn: Yuffie believes that Glenn Lodbrok is an [[DefectorFromDecadence ex-Soldier who defected from Shinra]] because he sympathizes with the plight of her people and due she strongly disagrees with the ceasefire that her father and the other Wutai leaders made with Shinra to end the war, she fully supports the coup d'état that Glenn carried out in her country. However, [[spoiler:Glenn is actually a Robed Man and a thrall of Sephiroth who carries out the villain's plans, and he seeks for the war between Shinra and Wutai to be resumed so that the deaths of several people can occur to replenish the planet's Lifestream, not being concerned for the well-being of Wutai and its people as she mistakenly believes]]. There is enough evidence to suggest that Yuffie's assassination attempt on Rufus just as he is about to offer an EnemyMine to the Cloud and the party was orchestrated by Glenn. Meaning that Yuffie unknowingly had a direct hand in [[spoiler:helping Sephiroth keep [[LetsYouAndHimFight his greatest threats pitted against each other]]]].

* UnwittingPawn: Yuffie believes that Glenn Lodbrok is an [[DefectorFromDecadence ex-Soldier who defected from Shinra]] because he sympathizes with the plight of her people and due she strongly disagrees with the ceasefire that her father and the other Wutai leaders made with Shinra to end the war, she fully supports the coup d'état that Glenn carried out in her country. However, [[spoiler:Glenn is actually a Robed Man and a thrall of Sephiroth who carries out the villain's plans, and he seeks for the war between Shinra and Wutai to be resumed so that the deaths of several people can occur to replenish the planet's Lifestream, not being concerned for the well-being of Wutai and its people as she mistakenly believes]].

* AdaptationalCurves: While still very thin, Yuffie has a more athletic, gymnast physique compared to her rather skinny appearance in the original game.

* HypocriticalHumor: When Gilgamesh accuses Avalanche of being thieves, Yuffie--who is obsessed with getting as many materia as she can by any means necessary--gets indignant.

** The end of ''[=INTERmission=]'' shows Yuffie admitting to herself that she needs more comrades to rely on if she's to stand a chance against Shinra. Pointing at the sky, she then yells, "The amazing Yuffie wants ''you''! Join her team and the sky's the limit!" just as the camera pans in front of her face, thus directly addressing ''you'', the player.

* PervertRevengeMode: When Yuffie regains consciousness to find Cloud crouched over her with his hands above her chest--having been about to help Mayor Rhonda give her CPR--she assumes he was about to molest her and almost attacks him before Rhonda intercedes and explains what was going on.

* DivingKick: The aptly named ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Diving Kick]]'' has her jump and come down on enemies foot-first in this manner. If she is doing an animation that has her in the air already, she will perform it immediately, helping her attack time and DPS.

[[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeMainCharacters Main Characters]] | '''Remake Main Characters''' ([[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeCloud Cloud Strife]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeRebirthMainCharacters Rebirth Main Characters]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeShinraInc Shinra Inc.]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeAntagonistsAndBosses Antagonists and Bosses]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeSummons Summons]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeQueensBlood Queen's Blood]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeOtherCharacters Other Characters]]]] -]

[[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeMainCharacters Main Characters]] | '''Remake Main Characters''' | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeRebirthMainCharacters Rebirth Main Characters]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeShinraInc Shinra Inc.]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeAntagonistsAndBosses Antagonists and Bosses]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeSummons Summons]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeQueensBlood Queen's Blood]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeOtherCharacters Other Characters]]]] -]

!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/CodyChristian (English), Creator/TakahiroSakurai (Japanese)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VA=]s]] Tanguy Goasdoué (French), Felix Mayer (German)[[/labelnote]]\\
'''Young Cloud Voiced By:''' Creator/MajorDodson (English), Yukihiro Aizawa (Japanese)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VA=]s]] Gabriel Bismuth-Bienaimé (French)[[/labelnote]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chara_full.png]]

->''"I'd worry less about the Planet, and more about the next five seconds."''\\\

The main protagonist of ''Final Fantasy VII''. A former First Class member of SOLDIER, the Shinra Electric Power Company's elite task force.
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Now working as a mercenary, he accepts a job to help the anti-Shinra resistance, Avalanche, take down his former employers by sabotaging one of the mako reactors powering the city of Midgar. In battle, Cloud wields the Buster Sword, a massive broadsword nearly as big as his body.

* AbsurdlySharpBlade: Cloud's swords are capable of effortlessly slicing through steel and concrete without losing their edge.
* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: A story element that was not in the original game but added in ''Remake'' and expanded in ''Rebirth'' is that [=SOLDIERs=] eventually experience physical and mental degradation after the process that turns them into what they are. With this new element, Cloud spends a large part of ''Rebirth'' wondering if he is starting to experience this degradation, as he starts coming into conflict over the fact that he knows things he shouldn't know and doesn't know things he should know, experiences frequent headaches, and starts to be affected more and more by Sephiroth's influence, leading him to do and believe things he wouldn't in his sane mind.
* AdaptationalBadass: The original game had Cloud be relatively realistic with his capabilities despite his SOLDIER status. This game puts on his SuperSoldier traits in full force, displaying abilities more akin to his ''Advent Children'' tier of skill and power, such as great leaps, avoiding bullets, tangling in physical combat with ''and'' beating immense foes [[spoiler:and even holding his own against Sephiroth. Granted, he couldn't do much to Sephiroth in the end, but even that level of struggle would be out of his original self's league. Though that may have partially been due to them fighting in a realm where [[RealityIsOutToLunch the laws of reality were not quite in place]].]]
* AdaptationalJerkass: In the original ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', Cloud wasn't out to screw with things unless the others dragged him into it or Sephiroth was involved, and he barely cared all that much about Avalanche overall. But in ''Remake'', when [[ButtMonkey Johnny]] gets captured by Shinra security for questioning and [[LooseLips ratting out Jessie]], which could jeopardize the whole group, Cloud immediately jumps to wanting to kill Johnny - which horrifies Tifa and causes her to plead for him to back down. Notably, unlike in the original where Barret rehires Cloud for the next mission, Cloud's bad attitude leads Barret to choose not to rehire him for the Sector 5 mako reactor job, forcing the Arbiters of Fate to intercede, and the people who hire him for side-quests often berate him lacking altruism. In ''Rebirth'', he is [[spoiler:a lot less concerned over his increasingly worsening grip on reality and vulnerability to Sephiroth's power than he was at that same point in the original game. Where he was so concerned in the original that he wanted to stop and was completely transparent that Sephiroth could control him, here he only says to Tifa that he fears cellular degradation is hollowing him out and not that Sephiroth is able to communicate with his mind. Then he outright breaks a promise he made earlier that day to Tifa that he'd bring up any odd thoughts he was having when he hides the Black Materia he found in his belongings in the Buster Sword unbeknownst to the rest of the party, when before he did not trust himself to hold it and immediately gave it to someone else]].
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: He's a bit less abrasive in the early part of ''Remake'' than he was in the original. Instead of arguing with Barret over money, he agrees to help Tifa out with the filters in exchange for the rest of his payment for the Sector 7 job, and doesn't ask for more money than he'd originally been promised. ''Rebirth'' [[spoiler:removes a scene of him attacking Aerith in anger and confusion, but otherwise fully conscious of his actions, after giving the Black Materia to Sephiroth and instead changes it to him non-violently coercing her to hand over the Black Materia while under Sephiroth's thrall. The one time he does attack a friend, Tifa, it was under mako induced delirium]].
* AdaptationalUgliness: ''Heavily'' {{downplayed|Trope}}. While Cloud is still depicted as good-looking with a lean yet muscular physique, he now has very pale skin, lines, and slight discoloration under his eyes. It results in enough of a stressed, sleep-deprived appearance that his landlady, Marle, will ask more than once if he is getting enough rest.
* AfraidOfNeedles: Cloud isn't fond of needles. When Doctor Sheiran asks for a blood sample of his (to help him study the connection between [=SOLDIERs=] and the black-robed men, Cloud instantly shoots him down, despite knowing it's important. Sheiran notices it and doesn't push the matter.
* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Cloud tends to go out of the way to protect Tifa and Aerith whenever they're in danger, especially during cutscenes where he's often physically pulling them out of danger or dragging them to safety. It's even a recurring theme in his relationship with them since he made a DeclarationOfProtection with both women: The [[ThePromise promise to help Tifa when they were children]] and being "hired" as Aerith's bodyguard when they first met.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Both within and outside the party Cloud, is considered especially gifted in just about anything he puts his mind to, often beating those who had put in a lot of time, effort and persistence in their own fields. This is also PlayedForDrama, for the fact that Cloud is so much stronger than everyone [[spoiler:means that the times he succumbs to Sephiroth's will get much more frightening for the party, as they cannot actually do anything to stop him]].
* DemonicPossession: Unbeknownst even to himself, Cloud's will is vulnerable to being hijacked by Sephiroth thanks to the Jenova cells planted inside him. The otherworldly villain's hold over his psyche gradually becomes stronger, to the point where Cloud starts behaving a lot colder, more abrasive, and more bloodthirsty upon reaching the Temple of the Ancients.
* AmnesiacHero: By his own admission in ''Rebirth'', he has no memory of what happened between him and Sephiroth during their confrontation in the Mako Reactor, and when Tifa attempts to ask him what he has been doing in the 5 years since that happened, he admits he can't tell her.
* AnimalsHateHim: At first. Wedge's cats all hiss at the sight of him, and Betty's cat friends all run away when he draws near. [[spoiler:The surviving cat warms up to him after they save Wedge]].
* AnimeHair: His hair is as spiky and gravity-defying as ever, consisting of [[SpikyHair several spikes jutting into the air]] which never change no matter the situation.
* AntiHero: A stoic mercenary perfectly willing to resort to more [[MurderIsTheBestSolution unsavory measures]] if that's what it takes to keep his loved ones safe. He demonstrates his protectiveness early when he moves to kill Johnny to silence any potential information leaks that could hurt Tifa. His CharacterDevelopment sees him slowly begin to grow out of this and shift more into the genuine, noble hero his true personality is by the second half of the original game.
* TheArtifact: Despite certain ''Final Fantasy'' series (and other certain JRPG franchises) having switched to more realistic hairstyles for their protagonists (compare him to Noctis from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'', Yuri Lowell from ''Tales of Vesperia'', or Joker from ''Persona 5''), Cloud still retains his gravity-defying spikes because they're one of his many iconic traits (and will likely remain that way).
* AscendedFanboy: PlayedWith. He became a SOLDIER First Class so he could be just like Sephiroth, whom he idolized when he was a child back in Nibelheim, but he's about as far from a {{Fanboy}} of Sephiroth as he can get by now, with Sephiroth being a massive BrokenPedestal to Cloud due to the [[DoomedHometown Nibelheim Incident]].
* AttentionWhore: Downplayed; it isn't a prominent aspect of his character, but Cloud likes receiving praise and adoration from others, and part of the reason for his "cold, professional badass" attitude is to make people take him seriously and respect him. ''Rebirth'' calls attention to this with Biggs, who directly says he's trying to impress people acting this way. On other occasions when Cloud is the center of attention, such as leading the Seventh Infantry at Junon or fighting Dio at the Gold Saucer, he's caught off-guard when he gets praised for his performance, but once it sinks in what's happening he smiles and eagerly enjoys the moment.
* AttractiveBentGender: When Cloud is [[DisguisedInDrag forced to crossdress in order to get into Don Corneo's mansion]] everyone at Wall Market is in awe at how attractive he becomes. When Cloud makes his way through the streets, several [=NPCs=] talk about how hot Cloud is or openly flirt with him. Talking to Chadley when Cloud's in a dress reduces Chadley to a blushing, stammering mess. Even Cloud acknowledges he makes a hot girl, telling Tifa he 'nailed it'.
* AwesomeButImpractical:
** The size of Cloud's {{BFS}} becomes a problem at a few points. When Cloud first investigates the apartment next to him, he tries to draw his Buster Sword against an apparition of Sephiroth. Given that Cloud's standing in the doorway, his sword ends up hitting the door frame. Also, when Cloud rests, he has to either completely remove his sword or tilt it out of the way so he can sit down.
** Cloud's Nail Bat weapon gives fantastic increases to critical hits. Unfortunately, it has poor stats all-around and in [[StanceSystem Punisher Mode]], it's the only weapon not to have a combo. Instead, Cloud will do a single strike (though this can send an enemy flying back).
* BackFromTheDead: [[AmbiguousSituation Maybe]]. It's subtly implied by the presence of [[spoiler:Whispers of Fate as well as the content of his dream while falling from the reactor into the church that he actually died hitting the ground and had to be brought back to life much like Barret would later experience]].
* BadassBiker: He has inexplicably awesome bike-riding skills. He drives a bike twice in ''Remake'', and ends up destroying a bunch of Shinra bikes, a truck, and even duels Roche while both are riding their bikes. Some of Cloud's dialogue indicates that this is a standard for members of SOLDIER. In Chapters 17 and 18 of ''Remake'' he pulls some insane stunts with his motorcycle that go far beyond he did in the original game or even in ''Advent Children.''
* BashBrothers: In spite of their differences, Cloud and Barret work very well together in a fight. They even strike a BackToBackBadasses pose at one point. In ''Rebirth'', he's also this with [[spoiler:Zack when they team up against Sephiroth at the end of the game]].
* BatterUp: A weapon he can obtain from the kids at the Leaf House is a baseball bat covered in tape and nails. Fittingly, it alters the animations of his [[StanceSystem Punisher Mode]] attacks, winding up before delivering a powerful swing as though he were a baseball player.
* BeamSpam:
** ''Rebirth'' adds him the ability to attack enemies with several weak blade beams, to make air combat more manageable for him.
** His [[CombinationAttack Synergy ability with Aerith]], Firework Blade, involves Aerith casting magic on Cloud's {{BFS}} to turn it into a SpellBlade, which he then unleashes with several ranged blade slashes before they both finish off their enemies with a SwordBeam and [[{{Fireballs}} fireball]] combo.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: In Chapter 8 of ''Rebirth'', he gets ambushed and knocked out cold by being smacked in the face with a baseball bat covered with nails. When he wakes up, his face doesn't have a scratch on it.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Cloud becomes especially caring and protective towards Aerith throughout the games, not just because she goes out of her way to express how much she sincerely appreciates him for who he is, warts and all, even when others would rather shun him or want nothing else to do with him due to his standoffish attitude, but the fact that she very patiently guides him out of his shell and encourages him to experience the simple joys of life - from socializing with other people and gaining their friendships/respect, to earning new accomplishments and accolades for himself that increase his self-esteem - experiences that Cloud deeply craves, but would otherwise never take the first step to fulfill on his own. It's also implied that he is subconsciously aware that he's [[spoiler:destined to lose Aerith as decreed by fate, causing him to feel even more protective towards her, so strongly that he's able to break free of Sephiroth's seemingly impenetrable mind control, as well as the Black Whispers' attempt to hijack his body, through his own willpower the moment he sees Aerith in great danger]].
* TheBerserker: His [[StanceSystem Punisher Mode]] is much less choreographed than his Operator Mode but dishes out more damage per hit. He can even imbue the "[[DoubleEdgedBuff Berserk]]" status effect on himself naturally in Punisher mode by charging his attack, but it will only last a few seconds.
* {{BFS}}: As to be expected, Cloud's starting weapon is the iconic Buster Sword, which is nearly as large as he is. His other weapons are also swords that are just as large.
* BigDamnHeroes: After Cloud's fight against Rufus in ''Remake'', Tifa comes to his rescue at the last second when he's about to fall off Shinra Tower.
* BigNo: At the climax of ''Rebirth'', Cloud yells the word in defiant fury [[spoiler:as he breaks free of the Black Whispers and swings his sword to block Sephiroth's attack meant to kill Aerith]].
* BlackKnight: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. While he isn't a "knight" in the traditional sense, he shares a lot in common with the Dark Knights of previous ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games and can be considered an adjacent to them. Cloud doesn't particularly use dark magic, but he tends towards dark aesthetics and weaponry, formerly worked for an evil (corporate) empire, is brooding and introspective, and struggles with his sense of self -- all traits of Final Fantasy Dark Knights.
* BladeSpam: His Ascension LimitBreak involves him attacking at high speed sword strikes too fast for the human eye. Downplayed with Triple Slash, a rapid 3 hit combo that can flow into another Triple Slash for decent effect.
* BlueIsHeroic: He wears a blue outfit and is the main protagonist of the game. At the same time, it should be noted that the outfit he wears is a modified version of the evil Shinra's SOLDIER uniform.
* BrokenAce: Cloud excels at just about anything he puts his mind to. He's an elite SuperSoldier, can beat veteran bodybuilders in squatting competitions, is a BadassBiker, and performs some truly spectacular dance moves in Wall Market and at the Gold Saucer. ''Rebirth'' also adds the ability to play a piano, skill at both formation marching and drilling troops, a top chocobo jockey, and an expert Queen's Blood player. He's also dealing with a lot of repressed trauma from his DarkAndTroubledPast. Notably, he's quick to learn new skills on the fly, and grows stronger as both a swordsman and a warrior at an alarmingly fast rate, with even Sephiroth acknowledging near the end of ''Remake'' that Cloud has yet to reach his full potential. This growth, however, is compounded by Cloud's insecurities as a person, leaving him weak and vulnerable from a mental standpoint despite his many talents.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Just like in the original, Jenova cell experimentation has caused him to become [[spoiler:subject to Sephiroth's machinations, most notably when Sephiroth hijacks his mind and compels him to retrieve the Black Materia for him, with Cloud turning into a possessed madman until seeing Aerith in danger snaps him out of it]].
* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: The brooding, stoic, and troubled Cloud shares this dynamic with the gentle and compassionate Tifa and with the equally compassionate though more assertive Aerith.
* BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon: Cloud's massive Buster Sword displays his often blunt and confrontational thought processes on the outside. Lampshaded by Marle, who says he is all sword and no skill. ''Rebirth'' emphasizes this, giving him violent looking cross guards and jagged blades [[spoiler:at the nadir of his SanitySlippage as Sephiroth exerts his control over him]].
* CantDropTheHero: PlayedWith. As the main character of the game, the player can never voluntarily remove Cloud from the party, though there are story sections where he isn't the main controllable character. ''Rebirth'' does eventually allow the player to remove Cloud from the party, but only on NewGamePlus.
* CarFu: He's quite able to fight with his {{BFS}} while riding a motorbike and he employs the bike itself as a weapon when escaping the Shinra building, barely missing Heidegger with the bike's wheel.
* CharacterCatchphrase:
** "Not interested." Cloud's cool and aloof nature leads to him pushing people away when they try to get close to him. He says a lot of lines similar to "not interested" when they do, but that exact wording is the most consistent way he says it.
** "''Ex''-SOLDIER." Several people identify Cloud as a SOLDIER due to the mako infusion in his eyes. Cloud becomes a minor PhraseCatcher with "Are you in SOLDIER?" from a lot of people, though Cloud is [[InsistentTerminology quite quick to correct them]] that he quit. Even his default outfit is labelled at "Ex-SOLDIER: First Class" in the Costa del Sol changing booths. This gets deconstructed in ''Rebirth'' when Cloud meets Dr. Sheiran in North Corel, who tells him that being a SOLDIER isn't just a mere job, but also something that he'll carry with him for the rest of his life.
* CharacterDevelopment: Cloud starts off as aloof and cold, but through his interactions with Biggs, Wedge, Jessie, Barret, Tifa and Aerith he slowly defrosts and becomes more openly compassionate. However, it's gradually shown in ''Rebirth'' that while he's like that to Avalanche, he doesn't share the same level of consideration towards strangers and usually needs to be egged on by someone to accept a job.
* ChickMagnet: Even more so than the original game. Other than Tifa, Aerith, and Jessie, several female background characters are attracted to him, like his two fangirls at the Corneo Colosseum and the Honeybee girls. And [[AttractiveBentGender when he wears a dress]], he becomes a DudeMagnet. In ''Rebirth'', if Yuffie happens to be his companion on the first visit to the Gold Saucer, she lampshades the trope when she finds out Cloud knew Jessie, and says it's his destiny to be surrounded by "hot chicks".

* ChildhoodFriends: With Tifa. According to her recollection, they grew up in the same small town and used to play together before Thea Lockhart's death, of which afterwards they didn't hang out as much, shown in Cloud ignoring Tifa who calls out to him and keeps walking in a flashback. One of their biggest interactions was right before Cloud left to join SOLDIER when he asked her to meet him on the water tower that night.
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Cloud goes hard back into the unreasonable version when Tifa persuades him to start taking random jobs to build up his reputation, and the other members of Avalanche instead tell everyone that Cloud will do 'anything' - leading to him doing rat exterminations, hunting for cats, rounding up kids for school, talking to old people, playing music discs to cheer up depressed people, winning squat contests, and so on. In his case, it's less that he feels responsible for everything and more along the lines of the whole scenario where someone is forced to do underpaid work in the hope of building enough of a rep to start a proper business - he is rude to everyone asking him to help them and complains about the menial quality of the work almost the whole time.
* {{Chuunibyou}}: ''Remake'' focuses more on it being the consequence of his trauma, but has fun with it by having those around Cloud immediately clock his behavior as a childish affectation, comparing him to local children or outright calling him on his bullshit. He even spreads the syndrome to people around him, with young people in Sector 7 rushing out to buy "big-ass swords" and imitating his rude mannerisms, and the children of Sector 5 making homemade Buster Swords. By ''Rebirth'', the rest of the main characters have all seen through Cloud's exterior to know that he's a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, but let him keep up the act because he's TheAce of their group and because they know what a good person he is on the inside.
* CloseRangeCombatant: As a swordsman, Cloud's strength is to be in the thick of things up close and personal. This is mitigated by the long reach of the Buster Sword (or whatever he currently has equipped) and Cloud himself is capable of quick bursts of speed, via lunging or dashing, allowing him to close the distance. ''Rebirth'' loosens up on this and gives him the ability to throw sword beams at no cost, greatly increasing his long distance capabilities.
* ClosestThingWeGot: Why Cloud is designated TheLeader of the group from ''Rebirth'' onward. He clearly has memory problems and some unknown (to the others chracters) mental issues, but he ''was'' [[SuperSoldier SOLDIER]] and has worked for Shinra for years, which makes him the more experienced of the group compared to Tifa (who is a great martial artist, but very much not an actual military person), Barett (impulsive self-taught terrorist leader), Aerith (flower girl and WhiteMage) and Red XIII (escaped lab experiment).
* TheComicallySerious: Cloud's dour attitude is played for comedy by putting him in the most ridiculous situations imaginable in the Wall Market. ''Rebirth'' has him playing this role more often in side content, with his aloofness being contrasted by the wacky shenanigans, quirky [=NPCs=], and minigames he interacts with.
* CompanionCube: Cloud jokingly dips into this when he puts his sword away after finding a hotel at Costa del Del, telling it to hold down the fort while he's gone.
* CosmicPlaything: This time around, Cloud increasingly shows frustration with how he doesn't seem to have any control in his life, such as his monologue on the train. It makes him [[spoiler:an easy target for Sephiroth's manipulations since this Sephiroth makes sure to rub it in every single time Cloud fails. Despite hating Sephiroth for killing his mom, he briefly considers joining his enemy when Sephiroth offers to let Cloud make his own fate]].
--> [[spoiler: '''Sephiroth''']]: ''[after [[spoiler:Sector 7 is destroyed]]]'' You have failed again, I see.
* CounterAttack:
** In both ''Remake'' and ''Rebirth'', Cloud can do counterattack automatically by guarding in [[StanceSystem Punisher Mode]], and a fair number of opponents are most easily defeated by simply turtling up and letting them beat themselves up. It even triggers unique interactions during his DuelBoss with Rufus and Darkstar in ''Remake''.
** Cloud's ''Counterstance'' weapon ability in ''Remake'' and ''Rebirth'' has him pause and assume a defensive stance, and if attacked he'll absorb most of the damage and retaliate with a powerful sword slash that deals much more damage and stagger than the basic counter-attack move.
* CrazyJealousGuy: Unlike his main love interests who are usually more subtle when they're envious, Cloud being... ''[[NoSocialSkills Cloud]]'' shows his jealousy much more overtly.
** In ''Remake'', when Cloud and Aerith escape from the church, he gets noticeably pushy when asking how Aerith knows Reno and Aerith teasingly asks if he's mad when he gets annoyed by her dodging the question.
** In Junon, while Red (using his natural voice, represented in subtitles as ???) and Aerith are conversing privately in her room, he not only eavesdrops, but when his presence is noticed he outright asks Aerith immediately who she's with, and seems quietly relieved when he finds out it's Red.
** If Cloud is either by himself or with Tifa during the first Gold Saucer date sequence and speaks to Aerith, she makes a comment about [[OperationJealousy finding someone else to accompany her]]. This works ''spectacularly'', with Cloud immediately over-reacting, and then coming up with a weak excuse about Shinra spies to justify why she shouldn't. Aerith (and Tifa, if present) clearly doesn't buy it for a second.
** When Aerith brings up Zack in Gongaga, Cloud asks her if she still has feelings for him. Aerith is even caught off guard with how on the nose Cloud is. To make matters worse, he even goes as far as calling Zack a loser for leaving her in the dark for five years, then doubles down [[BrutalHonesty by saying Zack is probably dead]].
** During the second Golden Saucer date, if Cloud dates either Aerith or Tifa he gets jealous when Zack is brought up. On [[spoiler:Tifa's date, he notes that Aerith must still have feelings for Zack and seems displeased, and on Aerith's he noticeably relaxes far more after Aerith clarifies that despite the initial similarities she noticed between them she wants to be with Cloud for who he is]].
* CripplingOverspecialisation: Potentially. While Cloud is generally a JackOfAllStats, with the right builds he can focus entirely on physical or magical damage if you so choose, at the expense of ability with the other.

** Using the Nail Bat in ''Remake'' transforms Cloud into this as the weapon boosts its critical damage and hit rate ''without'' increasing its base damage of 30 to both physical and magical attack stats even after improving the weapon.
** The Crystal Sword in ''Rebirth'' gives Cloud boosts to his critical hit rate and damage, while being a powerful weapon in its own right. The tradeoff being that it doesn't have many materia slots, so Cloud becomes much more reliant on weapon abilities.
* CustomUniform: Cloud's customary SOLDIER uniform has been modified to remove one of the pauldrons and attach three bolts to the other.
* DashAttack: The ''Focused Thrust'' weapon ability in ''Remake'' and ''Rebirth'' has him lunge forward several yards in a single stab attack with his sword. This attack specializes in increasing the enemy's stagger bars.
* DeadpanSnarker: To a bigger extent than in the original game. Cloud is full of snappy remarks in the remake, most of them aimed at Barret (though not even allies and enemies are spared). And given how much he retorts, their relationship becomes straight-up SnarkToSnarkCombat.
* DeathGlare: After the Turks seemingly kill [[spoiler:Biggs and Jessie during their attack on Sector 7's pillar]], Cloud lunges at Reno with a furious glare. He also looks murderous when he overhears Hojo talk about [[spoiler:his plan to make Aerith reproduce.]]
* DeclarationOfProtection:
** As a child, he made [[ThePromise a promise]] to help out Tifa when she was in trouble, and despite it being a silly promise between children, both Cloud and Tifa put great value into it.
** He becomes Aerith's bodyguard after he happens upon her being accosted by Turks in the slums, which kickstarted their relationship and makes him protective of her even after his "job" is over.
* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype:
** As in the original game, of the [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Mercenary]] NinetiesAntiHero. He's strong, charismatic, [[ChickMagnet handsome, brooding]] and does lots of [[RuleOfCool cool stuff]] like riding motorcycles, doing backflips and spouting curt one-liners. It's all a part of his bravado, after all, and one that fools only a few characters. When he becomes Aerith's bodyguard, it quickly becomes clear [[SilkHidingSteel Aerith doesn't actually need his protection]] and she just plays along as an excuse to keep him around and flirt with him. Even Tifa easily sees through the tough guy persona he puts on as well. [[spoiler:''Rebirth'' further deconstructs this, as his need to be a badass is one of the ways Sephiroth manipulates him, causing him to attack Tifa because a part of him couldn't think he had been wrong about her surviving. Despite multiple people and his own memories making him remember Zack was a SOLDIER in the Nibelheim incident, Cloud's need to be the man in charge rationalizes Zack as the trooper who died rather than the actual SOLDIER and that Cloud was the trooper who lived. It also becomes more and more clear it literally is a façade; a false persona that Cloud himself doesn't know he has on]].
** As in the original game, the very notion of a player character. Cloud is aloof, anti-social, but nonetheless impresses all around him with his general badassery and history of being one of the most elite forces on the planet and has women hanging off of him left and right, sometimes literally. However, despite all he has going for him, Cloud is just as much a pawn of the forces around him as the player themselves, and whenever his air of badassery is not impressing those around him or is challenged he has a tendency to shut down and have a hard time of it, much like the player themselves over a part of a game where fighting isn't the answer. He also tends to [[spoiler:disregard the parts of his history that don't conform to being impressive, most crucially that his superhuman strength is not the result of being a SOLDIER but a similar experiment that made him more vulnerable, not less, to malevolent influence. Lastly, his worst moments are brought about by him thinking and doing things for himself, while a number of his most crucial accomplishments are due to finding strength in others, not just his own]].
* DefrostingIceKing: Cloud starts the game being aloof and making it clear he's a merc who's OnlyInItForTheMoney. Over the course of ''Remake'', he warms up to the people he hangs around with and teams up with for Avalanche as time goes on, defrosting more and more.
* {{Determinator}}: One of Cloud's most defining traits. No matter the odds, no matter the risks, and no matter how much others try to dissuade him from trying to accomplish something that seems impossible, he stubbornly refuses to bend and sets off to do exactly as he wants. In ''Remake'', he successfully pulls off a three-man rescue mission to save Aerith from Shinra's headquarters by storming the heavily guarded building itself. Throughout ''Rebirth'', even with [[spoiler:Sephiroth's control over his mind heavily weighting him down, Cloud is determined to push through and stop the villain's malevolent plans from coming to fruition. Upping the ante from his 1997 counterpart, ''this'' Cloud actually willpowers his way past the Whispers' stranglehold and stops Sephiroth from killing Aerith at the climatic moment. Even though timeline distortions causes Aerith's fate to rewind to its intended outcome, it's also implied through tell-tale signs that one version of her does survive in a newly created branched timeline as a direct result of Cloud's actions]]. On the unfortunate end, Cloud's determination is also deconstructed, because while [[spoiler:he is naturally self-driven, his actual confidence is often a product of being under the illusion that he's more of an accomplished badass than he actually is, and whenever this construct isn't directly propping him up, or it gets challenged, his resolve wavers until he or someone around him finds a way to either prop it up again or help him with it]]. While his single-minded focus, for the most part, is his own willpower, [[spoiler:he is also drawn by the will of Sephiroth egging him on to "join the reunion". It's heavily implied that saving Aerith was only half the reason he stormed Shinra headquarters, as immediately after she is safe he tries to get to Jenova and collapses. In ''Rebirth'', his determination to get the Black Materia gets so bad that the only way to get him back on track when he wants to slaughter the Turks is to convince him that there are better things to do]]. Worst of all, this means that he shrugs off most of his mental episodes in the simple belief that he can just power through them.
* DimensionTraveller: At the end of ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:Cloud may have become this as a result of being summoned to a different timeline by an alternate version of Aerith, which also likely involved merging his consciousness with that of his other self from that timeline. His actions are shown breaking reality apart into several possible branches, and he's able to perceive the golden breach in the sky that signifies a doomed world in the final cutscene. Whether he saved Aerith or not in one of these possible timelines is anybody's guess at the moment, but the reactions of the party strongly hint that she died in ''their'' version of reality]].
* DisappearedDad: According to ''[[Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts Trace of Two Pasts]]'', Cloud's father was a Wanderer, a man "Like the Wind" who never stayed in one place for long. He'd shown up in town one day and had a brief romance with Cloud's Mother, Claudia, but he was never well-liked by the rest of the community. After Cloud was born his Father became restless, and stared taking longer and longer forays into the Mountains. Then one day he never came back; all that was ever found of him was a few of his belongings.
* DisguisedInDrag: Disguises himself as a woman to infiltrate Don Corneo's mansion, just as in the original game. Progress in sidequests related to the gym can determine what he ends up wearing.
* DistractedByTheSexy: He tries to keep a straight face, but Cloud does stutter around other women if he's attracted to them.
** In ''Remake'', he stares in awe at the red dress Aerith wears to Don Corneo's place.
** In ''Rebirth'', Cloud tries not to stare at Tifa in her swimsuit or her chest, something Tifa seems to notice and teases him about his shyness.
** In "Rebirth", if the player gets the Aerith date, Cloud will stare in awe at her when she sings the title theme of the game.
* DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: PlayedForDrama, but Cloud doesn't seem fully aware of his enhanced SuperStrength and ends up hurting Tifa when he hugs her too hard during her optional scene in ''Remake'''s Chapter 14.
* DoubleEdgedBuff: In both ''Remake'' and ''Rebirth'', holding down the attack button in [[StanceSystem Punisher Mode]] will have Cloud unleash a SwordPlant attack that will grant him the berserk status effect for a few seconds, increasing his attack but lowering his defense.
* DressingAsTheEnemy: The fact he's dressed in a SOLDIER uniform makes several NPC in Shinra Tower simply assume he's still a loyal employee of the company. In ''Rebirth'', he dresses up as a Shinra Trooper in Upper Junon in order to sneak into the Shinra-8.
* DubNameChange: His ''Climhazzard'' Limit Break was renamed ''Ascension'' in the English localization, though the Japanese version keeps the original name.
* DullSurprise: Generally tries to keep [[TheStoic a cool appearance]] by rarely reacting much to anything around him, and it reflects in both English and Japanese voices. However, [[NotSoStoic read between the lines]] and it's clear he's just a tad bit incredulous in more crazy circumstances, or subtly panicked in others.
* EasilyForgiven: After attacking [[spoiler:Tifa thanks to Sephiroth's manipulations in the Lifestream, Cloud is horrified by what he did and stays by her side until she recovers. Once she wakes up, Cloud immediately tries to leave unable to look at her after what he did. Tifa, however, doesn't hold it against Cloud knowing he would ''never'' consciously do such a thing as the two reflect on a childhood incident where she nearly died climbing Mt. Nibel and Tifa remembering that Cloud was the only one who stayed to save her, contrary to her prior belief that the incident was his fault thanks to buying into the other village kids' lies. After apologizing for putting the blame on him when they were kids, she, in return, vows to do even better by him from now on]].
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: All members of SOLDIER are Mako enhanced, but those in the 1st Class division are further enhanced with Jenova cells which grants them far greater combat abilities. In Cloud's case, [[spoiler:he never made it into SOLDIER, but Hojo's experiments have granted the same effect.]]
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Following the example of the original, the first few minutes of gameplay with Cloud display his aloof, snarky and uncaring demeanor, but as the bombing mission goes on, he also does show concern for Jessie, seems to have a mysterious mental episode before planting the bomb, and demonstrates a little bit of a cocky smile when complimented on his super-human capabilities. All these traits work together to show a stoic out for his pay on the surface, and someone that has a young streak and potential issues beneath the cool facade.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: As Cloud is a [[SlidingScaleOfBeauty World-Class Beauty]], other characters frequently [[InformedAttractiveness remark on how good-looking he is]], including male characters like Chocobo Sam, Rude and the hoodlums who come to assassinate Barret. Andrea definitely takes an interest in him, inviting the ex-SOLDIER to the Honeybee Inn to do a live dance performance on stage with him. And after he puts Cloud in a dress, all the other men take an interest in him too. Cloud even ends up with an LGBT Fanbase at one point, getting his own fanclub, with the chairman being gay-coded enka singer AKILA, who sends him flowers.
* EveryoneLovesBlondes: He gets specifically called 'Blondie' a lot as a complement and tends to get attention from all types of people, such as the folks working in the Honeybee Inn who loved him when he performed.
* ExactWords: He has a tendency to use these and other vague declarations when pressed about his life in SOLDIER.
* ExperiencedProtagonist: Cloud was hired by Avalanche to be the team's muscle due to his experience with combat, and most of his dialogue during the tutorial mission consists of him giving combat advice to both Barret and the player. Shown in gameplay as well, as his starting level is six going on seven rather than one.
* FamedInStory: Becomes this, should he perform enough sidequests. The people of the slums, whom Cloud helps, start recognizing him as "that really powerful and helpful merc" after a time. Cloud also becomes famous in Wall Market after winning the Corneo Cup with Aerith, with a few people calling him "champ" for a while.
* FakeMemories: ''Rebirth'' makes it clearer much sooner that he's an UnreliableNarrator to the events of the Nibelheim Incident, with Tifa revealing to Aerith that she doesn't remember Cloud being there at all, and an entire subplot revolves around her trying to confront Cloud about his bizarre recollection of events.
* FashionableAsymmetry: His First Class uniform has a single pauldron on his left shoulder, extra armor on the left hand then on the right and he has a piercing on his left ear.
* FlashStep:
** Utilised by Triple Slash if the enemies are within a certain distance. In ''Rebirth'' this also extends to him flash stepping into enemies in the air.
** In the final battle in [[spoiler:''Remake'' he attempts to speed-blitz Sephiroth but is countered and disarmed]].
** ''Rebirth'' shows that he gets fast enough for this to be one of his regular attacks in punisher mode.
* AFatherToHisMen: In ''Rebirth'', Cloud proves to be one to the Midgar 7th Infantry during his time posing as a Shinra Trooper in Upper Junon, inspiring such loyalty in the soldiers under him that they insist on fighting alongside him and stick by him even after they figure out he's the enemy spy they've been ordered to capture and/or kill. When they part ways, the soldiers salute Cloud and say it has been an honor serving under him, and that they hope to see him again.
* GibberishOfLove: He has a tendency to become tongue-tied and begins to [[DramaticStutter stutter]] when he [[DistractedByTheSexy gets distracted]] by the girls.
** If Cloud sees Aerith in her fancy red dress at the Wall Market, he's left tongue-tied for a few moments.
--->'''Cloud:''' That's really... Y-yeah... 'Scuse me...
** When he first sees Tifa and Aerith in bikinis in Costa del Sol, his speech quickly deteriorates as he tries to play it cool.
--->'''Cloud:''' It's just hot... in the sun... Speaking of which, you guys should probably put on s-sunscreen.
* TheGift: The games make a good showing of how impressively multi-talented Cloud is at just about anything he puts his mind to when given enough drive to accomplish it; so good that nobody questions that he was an elite SOLDIER. In particular, his swordsmanship skills evolve at a frighteningly fast and efficient pace, going from a rough MightyGlacier in ''Remake'' to more of a LightningBruiser in ''Rebirth'', with even Sephiroth acknowledging that Cloud still has plenty of untapped potential.
* GlowingEyes: His eyes naturally glow due to his mako-enhancements, a trait that [[WhatBeautifulEyes several people notice and comment on]].
* GracefulLadiesLikePurple: Cloud's [[DisguisedInDrag best dress when disguising himself to infiltrate Don Corneo's mansion]] sees him donning a [[PimpedOutDress pimped out violet dress]]. Cloud's projected composed demeanor during that point in the game also adds to the demure appeal, which seems to be partly why Corneo picks Cloud as his "bride".
* HairContrastDuo: Cloud's short golden SpikyHair that reaches upwards contrasts him with his rival Sephiroth, who has long silver hair that flows down to his waist.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Cloud has blonde hair and is the main hero of the story. Despite being initially rude and aloof, he becomes nicer as the game goes on, and he also proceeds to display a sense of justice-- in spite of his initial selfishness and apathy towards the plight of the Planet.
* HairstyleInertia: {{Downplayed|Trope}}, while the Nibelheim {{flashback}} shows that he had that same SpikyHair as a child, he also used to have a ponytail.
* HarmfulToMinors: In this version, Sephiroth decided to slice up Cloud's mother Claudia while Cloud could do nothing but watch during [[DoomedHometown his rampage in the Nibelheim Incident]]. His illusion describing how it felt to kill her combined with a mockery of Claudia's last words sends Cloud into a murderous rage.
* HawaiianShirtedTourist: He can wear a Chocobo-themed Hawaiian shirt while in Costa del Sol in ''Rebirth''.
* HeroicBSOD: In ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:Cloud is manipulated by Sephiroth to attack Tifa, making him believe she isn't real. Once Cloud comes to, he is horrified by what he did and falls to his knees screaming her name in anguish, thinking he killed her. While the others try to rescue her from the Weapon, Barret tries to smack some sense into Cloud, but Cloud is so broken he barely responds, though he eventually regains his composure after she is saved and makes a full recovery]].
* HeroesPreferSwords: Cloud is TheHero of the story, and it just so happens a {{BFS}} is his weapon.
* HeroicSafeMode: One way to interpret what's happening to Cloud at the end of ''Rebirth'' is that [[spoiler:his mind has become overwhelmed by trauma, with Aerith's death being the last straw. His brain fills in her passing as a mere departure from the party, and he acts like things are normal to cope with his immense grief. However, given the implication that he's gained the ability to [[DimensionalTraveller peer between worlds]] and the vagueness about whether or not some version of Aerith [[AlternateSelf still lives in another reality]], it's not so simple as saying he's merely lost his mind]].
* HeroicWillpower: Cloud demonstrates this twice in ''Rebirth'' by [[spoiler:shaking off the influence of Sephiroth and the Black Whispers to save Aerith, first when she falls at the Temple of the Ancients, and later at the Forgotten Capital when the Whispers attempt to force his hand to strike her down]].
* HiddenDepths:
** Despite protesting that he doesn't dance, he's quite good at it -- as shown during his dance-off against Andrea at the Honeybee Inn in ''Remake''.
** ''Rebirth'' goes on to confirm that he's quite skilled at the piano, and knows some Shinra Sign Language due to it having been developed from Shinra military hand signals.
** He gets surprisingly rather into Queen's Blood as a card game, enough to be confident enough to egg other players into taking him on.
** He's shown to understand sign language, a skill he attributes to his time in the military.
* IcyBlueEyes: Cloud is aloof and cold at most times, as symbolized by his icy blue eyes -- which are said to glow as a result of his Mako enhancement.
* IconicOutfit: He wears a customized version of the blue[=/=]purple SOLDIER outfit with a [[FashionableAsymmetry single shoulder pauldron]] from the original game. Though he wears other outfits during other story sequences, that always remains his default one.
* IconicStarterEquipment: Cloud's [[{{BFS}} Buster Sword]] is his most iconic weapon, and the one pre-rendered cutscenes always show him using in both ''Remake'' and ''Rebirth''. ''Remake'' even gives it MagikarpPower properties so that it stays viable even after the acquisition of other swords, whereas in the original ''Final Fantasy VII'' you'll ditch it and never look back as soon as you get another sword. ''Rebirth'' has you starting with only the Buster Sword too, with all the previous weapons that could be acquired in ''Remake'' being [[BagOfSpilling inexplicably gone]] and ''Rebirth'' similarly has mechanics that allow it to be a viable weapon choice for the rest of the game.
* ImCryingButIDontKnowWhy: When Cloud meets with Aerith on the way to Sector 6, he is struck by one of his headaches as he watches Aerith walking ahead of him. Unlike times before, the vision he experiences is not shown, but heavily implied [[spoiler:to be related to Aerith's fated death.]] Cloud clutches his head, his breath hitches, and he suddenly sheds a SingleTear. He's left both surprised and bewildered, not understanding why he just cried.
* ImHavingSoulPains: Tends to happen when getting close to Jenova or Sephiroth:
** [[spoiler:In Hojo's lab, just after meeting Red XIII, getting too close to Jenova triggers something in Cloud, causing him to [[ControllableHelplessness stumble forward slowly]] towards the elevator before collapsing. During this time, Cloud is HearingVoices of Sephiroth, telling him that "they have come again."]]
--->'''Cloud:''' Je... No... Oh... Ah... Mo... ther... ''[collapses]''
** [[spoiler:When facing Sephiroth in front of Jenova's tank, Cloud has a similar reaction, stumbling towards Sephiroth while clutching his [[MythologyGag left arm.]] ]]
** [[spoiler:While exploring Shinra Manor, Cloud stumbles on a room where Hojo is keeping samples of "S" cells, almost certainly Sephiroth cells. Just entering the room causes another mental episode, [[ControllableHelplessness stumbling towards the containers]] while muttering that he's "nearly there." Tifa has to help him back out, and the migraine subsides as soon as he leaves the room.]]
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: As a little boy, Cloud despised being compared to the other boys in his village, seeing them as stupid and immature, and when many of them also left town to find work, he made sure to point out that he is "not like them" and had loftier goals in mind for himself. He also never misses a chance to point out that he wasn't ''just'' a SOLDIER; he was a First Class. In other words, he comes off as someone who desperately clings to the parts of his identity he's proud of, and isn't at all confident in himself otherwise, trying to use his title in place of his lack of social graces. Unfortunately for him, this is [[spoiler:one of the strings Sephiroth is most easily able to pull, as Cloud's need for validation is so strong that he will consider even the most outlandish words at least a little. In ''Rebirth'', Sephiroth is able to gaslight him into thinking Tifa is an imposter because a part of him could not believe he was wrong about her not surviving her wound, despite her showing him the scar she got from it and meeting the doctor that treated her]].
* InfinityMinusOneSword:
** The Twin Stinger in ''Remake'' is initially the best-balanced stat sword that Cloud has. It starts with 4 materia slots and pretty decent stats, and it's the final weapon Cloud unlocks normally. When you get it, it's a pretty good weapon for its base stats. But by the time you've gotten all of the skill tomes and maxed out your weapons, the Twin Stinger is inferior to the Buster Sword, Cloud's starting weapon, in every category except extra MP, and not by much.
** The Slipstream Saber in ''Rebirth'' has solid all-around stats, multiple materia slots no matter the weapon level and the useful Counterstance ability, allowing Cloud to keep up if the player didn't get a whole lot of levels or side quests. After maxing out manuscripts, it excels only in its counterattack power next to the rest of his weapons.
* InsistentTerminology: Whenever someone refers to him as a member of SOLDIER, Cloud immediately chimes in with "''Ex''-SOLDIER."
* IRejectYourReality: One way to interpret ''Rebirth's'' GainaxEnding is that [[spoiler:Aerith truly was killed, and Cloud does not take her death very well. He believes she was just unconscious after their fight against Sephiroth, and is just deluding himself that she later wakes up to see Cloud and the others off as they journey on to the Northern Crater while she stays behind to continue praying for Holy on safer grounds. What makes this situation ambiguous is the fact that no burial scene is shown, and the other party members' reactions are carefully left open to interpretation. Notably, only Cloud interacts with Aerith at the end while the others don't seem to acknowledge her presence, except for Red XIII and possibly Barret]].
* ISeeThemToo: At first, the Arbiters of Fate are only visible to Aerith, but when she touches Cloud, he also starts seeing them.
* ImproperlyParanoid: In ''Rebirth'', Cloud is constantly goaded by Sephiroth's apparitions into believing that Tifa is a Jenova impostor (due to Cloud's belief that she was fatally wounded by Sephiroth), eventually culminating in him [[spoiler:throwing her into a pool of mako at Gongaga]].
* InstantExpert: Cloud is inexplicably good at dancing after a single practice session with the Honey Bee Girls, and is able to keep up with a skilled dancer like Andrea with little issue.
* JackOfAllStats: Cloud is fast and strong but not as fast as Tifa who can pull off quick and powerful combos and has a much better maneuverability to avoid incoming attacks, yet he also hits harder per hit and outshines her when it comes to dealing raw damage against multiple enemies at once. He can take a decent amount of damage but not to the extent of Barret who has higher defense and HP to withstand a lot of punishment before going down. He can also deal a fair amount of magic damage but not as high as Aerith who possesses a very high Magic Attack. Despite all that, Cloud does have his StanceSystem which allows him to switch between ForceAndFinesse on the fly, thus enabling him to stay on the playing field. By using different weapons, Cloud can also focus on certain areas, allowing him to fill any role in the party. He won't be ''the best'' at many of these, but he's an extremely versatile party member.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: His [[NoSocialSkills lack of social graces]] and insistence that he's OnlyInItForTheMoney make him come off as particularly abrasive, but he'll always turn around to do the right thing, even if he has to make up an excuse for it. He also softens up noticeably from spending time with Tifa, Jessie, and Aerith. ''Rebirth'' allows the player to play up the "Heart of Gold" aspect depending on dialogue choices, especially around Aerith and Tifa, and to a lesser extent Barret and the other party members. Cloud being, well, ''[[SociallyAwkwardHero Cloud]]'', he can still easily put his foot in his mouth, but at other times he can be surprisingly tactful and encouraging, displaying a great deal of empathy. Even when unsuccessful, there are multiple occasions where his teammates appreciate the fact that he tries.
* LethalJokeWeapon: The Nail Bat has poor stats all-around, but its BatterUp unique heavy attack is very effective against enemy types that go into a pressured state after a certain damage threshold. Because it's the strongest single non-ability hit in the game, it can stun-lock them over and over until staggered. This can turn certain fights like Fat Chocobo into a complete joke.
* LightningBruiser: He's fast, strong, and can take quite a lot of punishment before going down. This is best showcased [[CutscenePowerToTheMax in the cutscenes]], particularly [[spoiler:the one before the final battle with Sephiroth in ''Remake'', where he acrobatically leaps through the collapsing ruins of a skyscraper and effortlessly cleaves through massive chunks of rubble a la ''Advent Children'']].
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: While he isn't quite aware of it, Cloud is one to Tifa. As the closest connection to their shared childhood, he is somebody she needs to keep going and to live for. This is best shown when Tifa [[spoiler:falls into the Lifestream in ''Rebirth'', where she is bombarded with memories of their lives together and she pleads to Cloud that she needs him, and that her greatest fear is losing him to Sephiroth]].
* LonersAreFreaks: As a child he was anti-social and constantly got into fights with Tifa's friends because of his AllOfTheOtherReindeer status and InferioritySuperiorityComplex, making him something of a pariah in Nibelheim.
* MagicKnight: Most of Cloud's swords allow him to fight with magic and swords with equal measure, while the Mythril Saber is the most effective at boosting his magic at the cost of physical strength. His sword beams specifically deal magic damage, making him one of the few characters in the party who can consistently deal both physical ''and'' magical damage.
* {{Manchild}}: While he tries to come across as a gruff SuperSoldier badass making it on his own, often his facade slips to show that he is really an insecure dolt with loneliness issues more akin to a moody teenager than a young man, which is [[spoiler:appropriate because he mentally is one]].
* ManlyTears: He's seen shedding these as he cradles [[spoiler:Aerith after she's seemingly killed by Sephiroth at the end of ''Rebirth'', though things [[AmbiguousSituation get a lot murkier]] in the following scenes]].

** The name "Cloud Strife" essentially describes this young man's conflicted outlook and his inner struggles, having lived a life full of uncertainties and turmoil. For all his bravado and physical prowess, he remains unsure of himself and doesn't have a clear path of his own, often looking to others for direction and the strength to keep moving forward.
** In gameplay terms, starting with ''Rebirth'', Cloud Strife is the foremost anti-air specialist of the close combatants, with the easiest time getting into the air as well as moves that work best while in the air, including one that only works in mid-air.
* MightyGlacier: His [[StanceSystem Punisher Mode]] makes him into this. Cloud attacks deal much more damage here than in Operator Mode, both in terms of raw damage and the number of hits per attack. In addition, guarding in Punisher Mode makes him [[CounterAttack counter enemy melee attacks]], he's harder to stagger, and he takes slightly less damage. As a trade-off, Cloud's speed plummets to a crawl, and he can't block long-range attacks anymore. A combat roll will also take him back to Operator Mode so that it can't be used as a movement option.
* MissingMom: Cloud's mother Claudia was killed by Sephiroth during his rampage through Nibelheim five years prior, which the villain uses to taunt and torment him.
* MistakenForFlirting: In ''Rebirth'', once the team arrives in in Costa del Sol and gets changed into swimsuits, Yuffie teasingly asks Cloud if he's "captivated by [her] bodacious beach bod". If Cloud sarcastically replies that's correct, Yuffie assumes he's actually hitting on her.
* MomentOfWeakness: While usually a badass, antisocial, Ex-Soldier ready to persevere through the harshest of trials, [[spoiler:nearly killing Tifa in the Gongaga reactor in a mako-induced gaslighting by Sephiroth causes him to crumble. Afterwards, he cannot bear to talk to her when she wakes up until she asks him to stay and for the first time opens up about his fears of losing himself to the degradation and his conflicting memories]].
* MommasBoy: He was raised as a single child by a single mother, so she means an awful lot to him. This is also shown in Cloud's personality where he has a lot of social issues from not having a strong male figure in his life such as his inferiority complex. It also makes him [[spoiler:spontaneously both susceptible and resistant to Sephiroth's manipulations. He quite easily can be manipulated to refer to Jenova as a "mother", but, unlike the other Sephiroth clones, he is always reminded of his actual mother when Sephiroth appears to him personally. Sephiroth has to resort to mocking Cloud about Claudia's death to manipulate him instead]].
* MrFanservice: Cloud is a well-built PrettyBoy with a TroubledButCute appeal. Even InUniverse several characters tend to pine or lust after him. In ''Rebirth'' one of his beachwear costume options is a pair of swimming trunks that leaves him [[ShirtlessScene shirtless]].
* MurderIsTheBestSolution:
** When Johnny rats out Jessie after being captured by Shinra security, Cloud is perfectly willing to kill him to stop Johnny from jeopardizing all of Avalanche. When Tifa objects, Cloud settles for just telling Johnny to leave Midgar and never come back.
** At the Temple of the Ancients, Cloud stops holding back and kills the wounded soldiers and tries to kill the Turks after their battle. It gets so bad Tifa has to give him a CooldownHug to spare them and get them back on track.
* MusclesAreMeaningless: {{DownplayedTrope}}. Cloud does have an athletic, muscular physique, but on the lean side of things, built around endurance and stamina instead of raw strength, which is how real-life soldiers are supposed to be. He technically lacks the size and bulk necessary to be able to swing around the Buster Sword the way he does, let alone heft it. {{Justified|Trope}} by the fact that he has gained SuperStrength from being subjected to advanced SuperSoldier experimentation.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: In ''Rebirth'', Cloud, being [[spoiler:manipulated by Sephiroth into believing Tifa is an imposter and not real, attacks her during a mako induced haze, causing her to drop into the Lifestream and be eaten by a Weapon. Once Cloud comes to, he's horrified by what he did and shouts her name in grief thinking he killed her. Once she's safely returned by the Weapon, he takes it upon himself to watch over her until she recovers and immediately wants to inform the others, implicitly because he doesn't want to be forgiven]].
* MysteriousPast: Cloud's past is one of the biggest mysteries in ''Remake'', and it stays that way for all of Part 1 due to Cloud's standoffish personality. All that the player is told for certain is that he grew up in the same town as Tifa, but he left at some point to join SOLDIER. Whatever happened in the years since then he refuses to elaborate on, but it's clear that ''something'' (or several ''somethings'') occurred that made him leave Shinra... and left a few scars on his psyche.
* NewMeat: In ''Remake'', he's a recent arrival in Midgar, and the other Avalanche members aren't too sure of what to make of his aloof persona, with Barret being the most frustrated by Cloud's aloof attitude and openly distrusting him during the entire first bombing mission. Cloud slowly manages to win them over through the course of the game.
* NeverBeHurtAgain: Cloud's childhood angst over being the odd kid in Nibelheim has caused him to become antisocial and withdrawn in an effort to avoid being hurt by his ties with others again. Unfortunately, this did nothing for him but create a vicious cycle of loneliness: lashing out and then experiencing even more rejection and hurt. These problems [[spoiler:got significantly worse when he tried to stop a naïve and heartbroken Tifa from scaling Mt. Nibel in a fruitless effort to find her deceased mother, failed, and got blamed for the disastrous outcome by Tifa's [[FairWeatherFriend fair-weather friends]]. It's heavily implied that Cloud subconsciously knows but represses the true memory of when he lost his best friend, Zack, and is scared of losing the new bonds he has made the same way]]. His new friends, Aerith in particular, take great strides in opening up his gates despite the pain he might feel because of them.
* NobleMaleRoguishMale: Noble to Barret's Roguish. Cloud is a formally trained ex-military whose every action is tempered with discipline. Barret is a self-taught rebel fighter who revels in being as reckless and in-your-face as possible, not caring much for any long-term consequences.
* NoSocialSkills: He is rather awkward around others. He tries to put up a cool and disinterested front to hide this, but most people see right through it. Aerith in particular has a lot of fun teasing him about it. That said, he is making a genuine effort to try to be more open with others as of ''Rebirth'' and feels bad over his lack of communication, particularly with his party members.
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: The words [[CharacterCatchphrase "not interested"]] are tied with him for a reason. Cloud makes it clear to Barret that he is only working with them for money and is not a full-blown supporter of Avalanche's cause. In fact, he is openly dismissive towards Barret's passionate speeches about the evils of Shinra and how the Planet is dying.
* NotSoAboveItAll:
** Gradually, Cloud's aloof attitude is chipped away, and he'll eventually become a bit more willing to engage with others even when it's something strange or something he doesn't outwardly express enjoyment or interest in.
** During the opening bombing mission, Cloud keeps any and all banter to a minimum with the other members of Avalanche. As time goes on, however, he begins to joke with them more and even smiles at their antics.
** While he is very much not interested in the shenanigans of Wall Market, he absolutely will kill it on the dance floor when required to. And he knows he pulled off that dress.
--->'''Cloud:''' Nailed it, I know. Thank you. Moving on.
** When he gets turned into a Moogle by the Moogle Merchant in ''Rebirth'', he actually has fun with it and even adds "Kupo" to the end of his sentence when asked if he enjoyed it.
** While he knows that Tifa and Aerith prefer to be seen as their own people and not for their attractiveness, their beauty often puts him in a state of DistractedByTheSexy. In ''Remake'', he is left dumbfounded for a while after seeing Aerith's red dress, and in ''Rebirth'', seeing Tifa and Aerith in bikinis leaves him stammering and staring and can barely pass it off. During Johnny's sidequest, Yuffie suggests cloning party members for extra hands, and Cloud immediately vetoes everyone else but cannot begin to form an answer when she suggests Tifa, and in fact never vetoes the idea in the end.
** If he's accompanied by Aerith during their first visit at the Gold Saucer, he plays along with her when she pretends to be a race caller at the Chocobo Square.
--->'''Aerith:''' This is some kinda race today, folks. In all my years in the booth, only seen couple this close! So, Cloud, which bird do you think is gonna take home the win?
--->'''Cloud:''' Well, Aerith, considering their plumage and breeding, I think the choice is clear.
* NotSoStoic: Cloud attempts to maintain an air of disinterest or aloofness as often as he can. He only truly loses his cool when Sephiroth shows up.
** Cloud encountering Sephiroth after the reactor bombing causes Cloud to [[ThisCannotBe deny what he's seeing is real]], especially since Cloud says that he killed Sephiroth with his own hands. When Sephiroth insults Cloud's mother and reminds Cloud that he killed her, Cloud screams "You bastard!" and goes for an overhead swing. When it's revealed to be all just an illusion, Cloud quickly pulls himself together.
** When he encounters Sephiroth in Hojo's laboratory, Cloud completely loses it, screams at the top his lungs, and charges Sephiroth in a blind panic.
** While he's normally brusque with Yuffie, it's shown with his interactions he can act like the aloof big brother who occasionally plays along with her childish antics. Their "date" at the Gold Saucer is a big example of this.
* ObliviousToLove: In ''Rebirth'', he often doesn't realize when girls are flirting with him, or if he does he brushes it off. Aerith particularly teases him very often and is forthright with her interest in him, but her flirtations typically go over his head.
** When helping models design beachwear, Aerith asks Cloud what kind of bikini he'd be interested in; Cloud responds with an explanation of how he'd want something non-absorbent and allowing for full range of motion, just in case you'd have to fight underwater in it.
** If Cloud is alone during the Gold Saucer date sequence in Chapter 8 and runs into Aerith, she blatantly hints that she'd like to explore the park with ''someone''. Ironically, in this instance it causes Cloud to get jealous, meaning he's unknowingly jealous ''of himself''.
** Aerith herself lampshades this if she is accompanying Cloud during the same sequence.
--->'''Aerith:''' You can be pretty dense when it comes to [this] kinda stuff. [...] You, young man... still have a ''lot'' to learn.
* OccultBlueEyes: In several cutscenes, as well as certain times in-game when the lighting is dim enough, Cloud's eyes have a noticeable, eerie glow due to his mako exposure, which is one of the physical traits of members of SOLDIER.
* OminousMessageFromTheFuture: After meeting Aerith in ''Remake'', Cloud has repeated visions of future events that have not yet occurred, [[spoiler:such as the Sector 7 plate collapse and Aerith's predestined death]].
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: If Cloud's being paid to do a job, he'll do it to the best of his ability, but that's as far as the relationship between him and anyone who hires him goes. Much like in the original game, he gradually grows out of this as Cloud finds reasons to fight other than money.
** As Cloud makes clear multiple times throughout the opening bombing mission, [[NotInThisForYourRevolution he's "not interested" in anything that Avalanche plans to do or why they're doing it]]. He's only there because he's been promised money for it. This attitude initially gets him cut from the Sector 5 bombing mission, forcing the Arbiters of Fate to intercede by injuring Jessie so that Cloud has to fill in for her.
** On completing a few sidequests, an NPC might casually ask him to do something else, only for Cloud to ask for more money to do it. Notably, after visiting a woman's grave to pay respects in her husband's stead, Cloud tells the old man to bring the graveyard's key back to the kid Cloud bought it from. The old man asks Cloud to do it for him, but Cloud says it'll cost five thousand Gil to do it. The old man immediately grumbles about how stingy Cloud is being.
** Even when a group of Leaf House orphans asks Cloud to defeat a "toad king" that's been kidnapping them, Cloud still charges the kids money to rescue the others. However, Cloud tells the kids he's "running a special on toad king jobs" when they ask this of him, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold and only charges the kids three gil]].
** Later on, he doesn't quibble too much about Aerith teasing that she'll pay him with 'one date' for helping her escape Reno and Shinra from the Turks. The number of sidequests both she and other characters rope Cloud into further cement his DefrostingIceKing persona.
** When [[spoiler: the plate collapse crushes Seventh Heaven, Barret and Tifa briefly discuss rebuilding it]]. When Tifa asks if Cloud will help, he quips 'for the right price', which comes off more like an in-joke at this point, since he and the group are becoming TrueCompanions at this point in the game.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** During the Nibelheim {{flashback}} in ''Rebirth'', Cloud is portrayed as remarkably chattier and peppier than usual, and treats Tifa with less familiarity, which is a hint that Cloud's version of events [[UnreliableNarrator are not entirely reliable]].
** Witnessing Roche's transformation into a Robed Man leaves Cloud visibly shaken and on the verge of another breakdown, not helped by Roche's ominous last words to him that there is no escape from the degradation. He only snaps out of it because Aerith reassures him with faithful confidence that he will never succumb to that situation.
** When going through the Temple of the Ancients, Cloud becomes noticeably [[spoiler:colder and obsessed with reaching the Black Materia. He cuts down a SOLDIER pleading for his life without any hesitation and almost does the same thing to the Turk's Elena, callously shrugs off an emotional pep talk from Aerith, and can be heard [[LaughingMad quietly chuckling]] during the fight with the Demon Walls. It's indicative that he's being influenced by Sephiroth's will and personality]].
* OneHandedZweihander: While he mostly wields his {{BFS}} with two hands, he's also shown to be more than capable of brandishing it with only one, and there are more than a few moves and combos that have him utilizing just his dominant right hand. There's also his iconic VictoryPose where he [[WeaponTwirling casually twirls his huge blade with one arm]]. When forced to engage combat while riding a motorcycle, he relies solely on [[BadassBiker one hand to fight while using the other to steer the bike]].
* OpenMouthInsertFoot:
** Cloud may be blunt and sarcastic, but other times when he tries to be genuine he can be incredibly tactless. His interactions with his party members showcase this throughout ''Remake'' and ''Rebirth'', because he's a socially awkward young man with zero experience in relationships with the occasionally charming responses, [[spoiler:and lost five formative years of development]], he has a lot of difficulty expressing his true feelings. Probably the best example of this is a disparaging comment he makes about Zack to Aerith while the team is in Gongaga, referring to him as a "loser" for not keeping in touch with Aerith or having the decency to end their relationship to allow her to move on [[note]]Aerith suspects Zack is dead but has no knowledge of what happened. Meanwhile, Cloud has severe memory issues and at this point doesn't remember Zack or the circumstances of his death[[/note]]; while ''meant'' well, it's an extremely tactless and inappropriate comment for the situation.
** Another example in Junon: while conversing with Tifa, she picks up on his lack of interest in the topic she's reminiscing about, and he admits he isn't. He quickly realises how this sounds and expresses a genuine willingness to listen anyway, but Tifa is naturally hurt and doesn't want to continue. Cloud's reaction as he lingers outside her door shows he knows how badly he screwed up.
* PinkGirlBlueBoy: He's a man who wears a blue SOLDIER uniform which contrasts with GirlyGirl Aerith who wears a pink dress.
* PlayingWithFire: Starts off with Fire materia - a contrast to how he had Thunder and Ice in the original, but in line with the original ''Dissidia'' duology.
* PleaseWakeUp: After driving off [[spoiler:Sephiroth in the Forgotten Capital, Cloud heads towards where Aerith is lying down and asks her to wake up. Unlike most examples of the trope, she opens her eyes and smiles, though it's left unclear whether or not this Aerith is a figment of Cloud's imagination or the one he ended up saving within a branched timeline]].
* PracticalTaunt: Pressing and holding down the attack button during his Punisher combo string causes him to interrupt his combo with an overhead SwordPlant which naturally doesn't do that much damage and looks more like he's showing off but doing so temporarily increases his physical damage. This attack also flinches foes that can be flinched by Cloud's Focused Thrust, making it an alternative if players don't have ATB for Focused Thrust or want to save ATB.
* PrettyBoy: Cloud is quite a beautiful man, having several effeminate features. This makes it easy for him to pass as a woman while crossdressing.
* ThePromise: Before he decided to leave Nibelheim to become a SOLDIER, Tifa had him promise that when he achieved his dream, he would come and save her if she was ever in a pickle. So far, he's kept that promise.
* TheProtagonist: Cloud is the main character of the story, being the character the player controls most often outside of battle and the one the story centers around.
* TheQuietOne: He rarely speaks without being spoken to, though he talks a bit more in combat. He [[DefrostingIceKing becomes more talkative as the story progresses]], and by ''Rebirth'' he even participates in banter and often talks to [=NPCs=].
* RedOniBlueOni: The stoic, introverted, (initially) aloof, and distant Blue to Barret's brash, loud, and hot-headed Red.
* RenaissanceMan: Cloud is a ridiculously multi-talented individual who frequently catches the interest of professionals in their respective fields due to his latent potential. Outside of being a first-class fighter, Cloud is also a skilled motorcyclist, dancer, pianist, [[CardBattleGame Queen's Blood]] player, gamer, and Chocobo jockey. Parodied in that, somehow, he can understand and translate Shani the Chocobo. Even the game itself calls it inexplicable.
* RightForTheWrongReasons: In ''Rebirth'', after [[spoiler:nearly killing Tifa [[BrainwashedAndCrazy by accident]] and her miraculous survival, Cloud does surmise correctly that it feels like there's multiple people inside of him and that he's not really sure who he is. But because he lacks the bigger context to Jenova's cells being in him or all SOLDIER, never mind ''why'' Sephiroth is able to mess with and control him, he thinks it's entirely because of SOLDIER cell degradation like with Broden, only a short distance from the truth.]]
* SanityHasAdvantages: The game often demonstrates that a mentally sound Cloud is at his best in both combat and leadership. This is essentially why Sephiroth prefers corroding his sanity with a combination of taunts, threats, and gaslighting. It comes to a head [[spoiler:at the end of ''Rebirth'' when Sephiroth's attempt to drive Cloud insane with rage by killing Aerith is ruined once the latter perceives her as alive instead]].
* SanitySlippage: In ''Remake'', it is shown several times he has a shaky relationship with the abject reality thanks to Sephiroth's manipulations, often slipping into a state where what he sees and what is real gets hard to tell. It steadily gets worse in ''Rebirth'', to the point where his friends cannot get though to him and he falls for Sephiroth's illusions despite them trying to help him. By the end, he is seeing and doing things on his own even when relatively lucid.
* SelfServingMemory: Upon entering the inn at the rebuilt Nibelheim, Cloud begins to [[spoiler:remember who Zack is and that they were both at Nibelheim 5 years ago. He remembers them both being [=SOLDIERs=] at Nibelheim, and then later when he and Tifa pass the spot where they fell into the river after the bridge collapsed years ago, his memory changes the soldier that was swept away to being Zack. As the game heavily hints, this is all Cloud's mind desperately filling in the blanks in his memories that still lets him continue to believe that he was ever a SOLDIER and not just one of the grunts that accompanied Sephiroth and Zack to Nibelheim]].
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend:
** In ''Remake'' he gets asked multiple times by people what his relationship with [[ChildhoodFriends Tifa]] is, and his response is usually a hasty "[[JustFriends we're just friends]]". When he's teamed up with Aerith, he sometimes has to point out they weren't a couple. It gets inverted when Tifa asks what his relationship with Aerith is, though he doesn't answer that time.
** ''Rebirth'' adds another instance of this, whereupon seeing Jessie's portrait on the Gold Saucer theatre wall in Chapter 8's date sequence, Aerith (if selected as Cloud's companion) will ask if Cloud was involved with her, which he denies. Aerith comments that it might not be as clear as Cloud makes out, since he "can be pretty dense about that sorta stuff". There is also an aversion in this same sequence; if Cloud is being accompanied by one of the girls and speaks to Madam M in Chocobo Square, she will tell Cloud to go and spend more time with his girlfriend. Since Cloud's response is a dismissive "Whatever" instead of denying it, it can also be read that by this point he's tired of correcting people.
* ShellShockedVeteran: Cloud has some signs of PTSD. Seeing a burning building acts as a trauma trigger and he flashes back to another burning town. He's also shown to be a very light sleeper, with even a small noise causing him to not only wake up but also become instantly alert and ready to fight.
* ShootTheDog: He comes ''very'' close to killing Johnny after the latter blabs about Jessie to the Shinra soldiers, knowing full well his loose lips will pose trouble for AVALANCHE. It's only on Tifa's insistence that Cloud spares him.
** He does this again when he attempts to kill a defeated and surrendering Reno in the church, but the Whispers intervene and save him.
** Becomes a recurring problem in ''Rebirth'' to indicate Sephiroth's influence is growing. At Gongaga, [[spoiler:Cloud adopts Sephiroth's sword stance before killing a group of mooks far more brutally than usual and begins repeating Sephiroth's favorite ominous phrase 'it's not death, it's a homecoming' before slaughtering someone]].
* SkywardScream: Has this in ''Rebirth'' when [[spoiler:Cloud attacks Tifa and nearly kills her at Gongaga due to Sephiroth manipulating his mind. When Cloud regains his composure, he screams her name at the top of his lungs in despair, thinking he killed her]].
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: As shown by the demo and the opening mission, Cloud gets this dynamic with Barret quite a bit. This is thanks to their TeethClenchedTeamwork, owing to Cloud being OnlyInItForTheMoney whereas Barret is doing it for the sake of the planet. He occasionally gets into this with Aerith, but he is always on the losing end.
* SociallyAwkwardHero: What Cloud truly is. Despite putting on the facade of a cold, distant mercenary, he's essentially someone who's not good at socializing. This is often demonstrated during ''Rebirth''.
* SpikyHair: Cloud naturally has the spiky hair that he's famous for, but not many characters bring attention to it in ''Remake''. ''Rebirth'' does have some characters commenting on how his hair resembles a Chocobo.
* StanceSystem: Cloud has two fighting styles in ''Remake'' to switch between in combat. The first is Operator Mode, which is more mobile and defensive, allowing him to block and dodge attacks. The second is Punisher Mode, which hits harder and allows him to [[CounterAttack counter melee attacks]] but [[MightyGlacier slows down his movement]] and prevents him from blocking ranged attacks. ''Rebirth'' gives him prime mode, an even harder hitting stance that requires ATB to enter.
* StartingANewLife: The reason Cloud came to Midgar in the first place was to start over as a mercenary. This is why Barret's small crew was able to afford his services, and why he spends a good chunk of the game doing odd jobs in the slums; he's trying to build up his credibility. If the player invests in the sidequests, then he builds up a good reputation as a trustworthy merc in Sectors 7 and 5.
* StillWearingTheOldColors: Cloud is still wearing a modified SOLDIER First Class outfit even though he's no longer working for Shinra.
* TheStoic: Cloud is very calm, collected and almost always keeps his emotions in check; it's even an elaborate part of his mercenary image that he tries to cultivate and becomes known for. Given how absurd some of the things that surround him can be, however, the facade can occasionally falter.
* StrongAndSkilled: He's a SuperSoldier imbued with mako enhancements that give him enough SuperStrength to casually wield a {{BFS}}. And he's noted for being a skilled and graceful swordsman despite the size of his weapon.
* StrongAsTheyNeedToBe:
** His [[{{BFS}} swords]]. One example is during an early cutscene where he fails to draw his sword when the blade gets blocked by a concrete doorway... yet much later, Cloud is seen cutting down giant rocks, train parts, and other heavily sturdy objects like they're made of paper. [[spoiler: Possibly justified, at least when he does that during the final confrontation with the Whisper Harbinger and Sephiroth. Said FinalBoss happens in a Singularity, where the laws of physics are distorted]].
** His physical capabilities also seem to change depending on the scene. During the raid on the reactor at the very beginning of the game, at one point the catwalk Cloud is on collapses and he's able to jump up about 6 feet to safety without any issue, but later on when a bridge collapses beneath him again, he isn't able to jump nearly as far and only avoids falling because Aerith sticks out her staff for him to grab onto.
** How much stronger Cloud is than the rest of the party changes from scene to scene. During fights with the Turks in particular he doesn't come across as any stronger than the other members of the cast, while some others like the Sephiroth Reborn fight make him out to be stronger than the rest combined.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: A {{flashback}} shows that he looks like a male clone of his mom, hair shape and all. His cross-dressing self in Wall Market could almost pass as a younger version of Claudia.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Cloud ''tries'' to cultivate the image of TheStoic, often coming across as rude, cold, and abrasive. He's also quite dismissive, and quickly shuts down most conversations unrelated to his work. However, [[DefrostingIceQueen cracks]] in his cool-headed persona show themselves more often than not. As the game progresses, Cloud shows his more heroic traits, as well as genuine emotion. He can even be quite gentle, such as when he holds Biggs' hand after the latter receives mortal injuries, and based on three optional scenes, either gets into a heart-to-heart talk with Barret (where they bury their past animosity), embraces Tifa when she cries, or comforts Aerith when she visits him in his dream.
* SuperBreedingProgram: Completing the trifecta of people Hojo considers viable candidates for superior offspring, [[spoiler:the Hojo AI informs him with his trophy that he has begun compartmentalizing his data for offspring creation. Worryingly, his choice in words implies he has already started to work on it...]].
* SuperSoldier: Cloud claims to be a former SOLDIER First Class, an elite task force of super-soldiers engineered by Professor Hojo, and these claims are backed up by his superhuman strength, durability, and agility. [[spoiler:However, Hojo reveals that Cloud was never in SOLDIER... before the Whispers whisk him away to prevent him from revealing Cloud's true past too early.]]
* SwordBeam: The ''Blade Burst'' attack, granted by the Mythril Saber, has Cloud slam his sword into the ground and send shockwaves of energy forward, based on his Blade Beam Limit in the original game. He can also fire arcs of RazorWind from his sword while riding a motorcycle.
* SwordPlant: In both ''Remake'' and ''Rebirth'', his charged attack in [[StanceSystem Punisher Mode]] has him planting his sword in the ground, dealing high damage while also giving him the [[DoubleEdgedBuff berserk status effect]] for a few seconds.
* TearfulSmile: Cloud cries while [[spoiler:cradling Aerith in his arms after she appears to be mortally wounded by Sephiroth in ''Rebirth''. She then opens her eyes and touches Cloud's cheek, telling him it is alright]]. Cloud responds by calling out her name with a relieved smile through his tears.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: In the opening mission, with Barret. Cloud holds Barret's mission and obsession with the planet in contempt, while Barret is openly suspicious of Cloud's skills and loyalty.
-->'''Cloud:''' Should've asked for more money.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: During ''Rebirth'', this is Cloud's default reaction to realizing he is going to deal with one of his headaches from Midgar, like Kyrie, Roche, and Johnny.
* ThreePointLanding: Often strikes this pose when landing, as his {{BFS}} means he has to distribute the weight to one side to compensate.
* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: Cloud suffers from frequent migraines, which are often accompanied by hallucinations of Sephiroth, flashbacks to his traumatic past, and visions of possible future events. One way to interpret his [[spoiler:continuing to see Aerith alive and well after a version of her dies in his arms is because he's fallen to madness, unable to accept her loss, though evidence suggests that there's a lot more going on due to the existence of branching timelines and the fact that Red XIII also acknowledges Aerith's presence, albeit in a subtle and ambiguous manner]].
* TooMuchAlike: A root problem in Cloud and Tifa's relationship is that the two of them are often too alike for their own good. Rather than their similar positive traits reinforcing each other, it's their negative traits that drive a lot of their conversations, causing them to stall on topics they don't want to talk about lest they hurt each other or their conflicting and false preconceptions of each other break the bonds they mistakenly created with them. A good amount of their bonding sessions revolve around them getting to admit that they aren't what the other was expecting, but that doesn't mean they don't have a good relationship and that they can make it better.
* TookALevelInCheerfulness: Downplayed. In ''Rebirth'', while Cloud is still grappling with Sephiroth's influence, his true self--being a shy and awkward guy--starts to emerge more around his friends. He even begins to tease back and comfort others. He also joins in on the fun with Queen's Blood card game, alongside Red, during the cruise.
* TraumaButton: Cloud's personality undergoes a radical shift anytime Sephiroth enters the picture; going from cold and aloof to alarmed, terrified, disbelieving, and wrathful. His first response is to attack Sephiroth the moment he appears before him, usually screaming at the top of his lungs (and [[LeeroyJenkins often to little effect]]).
-->'''Cloud:''' ''Sephiroth?! You bastard!!''
* TroubledButCute: Cloud's aloof and surly attitude doesn't stop women from swooning over him.
* TrueSight: One way to interpret what's going on with Cloud at the end of ''Rebirth'' is that he's been granted the ability to [[spoiler:see past the veil between realities thanks to being the only one to successfully breach Fate's constraints and create an AlternateTimeline where Aerith lives after successfully blocking Sephiroth's killing blow, shown by the tell-tale rainbow effects surrounding him as he cradles the living Aerith in his arms (the very same effects that occurred when Zack made the crucial choice to help either Biggs or Cloud), whereas the other party members remain "locked" in their world's constraints. This is further hinted at when Cloud looks up and sees a giant scar in the sky while recalling the words said to him by the version of Aerith he met at the start of Chapter 14, something the rest of his party members could not]].
* {{Tsundere}}: He's arrogant, rude, abrasive, and downright stubborn... but if you're a kind soul who needs aid, [[ChronicHeroSyndrome he'll help you with your problems]] despite his incessant complaints about money, and in the case of Avalanche or particularly Aerith and Tifa, show hints of a deeper kindness buried inside his crude exterior.
* UnableToCry: During especially traumatic events [[spoiler:like seeing Jessie die in ''Remake'']], Cloud can be seen trying to feel sadness and working up the tears to grieve, but is unable to. [[spoiler:It's heavily implied to be a defense mechanism, as being reminded of the last time he cried at Zack's death would undo his mental state and reduce him to the hollow state he was before]]. Sephiroth taunts him for it in ''Rebirth'', showing the destruction he went through in Midgar could not elicit a response other than hatred and asking Cloud why he cannot shed tears. At the end of ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:thanks to what appears to be a timeline distortion, Cloud sees one version of Aerith die, causing him to break down and shed tears of sorrow, while another distortion shows Aerith seemingly surviving her fate, eliciting a TearsOfJoy reaction from Cloud instead]].
* UnknownRival: Has this dynamic with Roche, who's [[BloodKnight utterly obsessed with fighting Cloud]] in both ''Remake'' and ''Rebirth'', while Cloud only sees him as an annoyance and just another opponent to defeat.
* UnreliableNarrator: He's this InUniverse when he recounts the Nibelheim Incident at the beginning of ''Rebirth''. While she doesn't correct him during his retelling, Tifa confides in Aerith afterwards that a few things in Cloud's retellings don't add up. Tifa does prod Cloud about it later, but Cloud is shown to have a SelfServingMemory about the incident. Upon entering the [[spoiler:inn at the rebuilt Nibelheim, Cloud begins to remember who Zack is and that they came to town together, but Cloud's mind fills in the blanks in such a way that his memories let Cloud continue to believe his own version of the events]].
* TheUnsmile: In ''Rebirth'' Chapter 10, Cloud can try giving Aerith a reassuring smile as she gives a speech in Cosmo Canyon. What actually appears on his face is an awkward grin that looks like a cross between a SlasherSmile and a lecherous smirk. Aerith is not won over.
* WeaponTwirling: His VictoryPose has him twirling his {{BFS}} over his head ([[OneHandedZweihander with one arm]]) before sheathing it across his back.
* WhatTheHellHero: Cloud gets annoyed and incredulous when Elmyra and the party suggest they shouldn't try and rescue Aerith from Shinra right away, given everyone is well aware of what Shinra is capable of at this point.
* WhatBeautifulEyes: When the [[GlowingEyes mako-induced glow in his eyes]] is not scaring people, he gets this reaction due to [[OccultBlueEyes their unusual color]].
* WhatYouAreInTheDark: An early scene in chapter 3 of ''Remake'' designed to endear players to the character faster than the original shows Cloud taking care of some of Don Corneo's men who go asking around about Avalanche, and he never mentions it to anybody else looking for credit or worship. This comes after spending a whole day being stand-offish and abrasive with the team, showing he cares more about them than he lets on. Eventually, everybody starts to see that the "tough guy" act is but a front, and that [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Cloud is a decent person on the inside]].
* WhenHeSmiles: Cloud rarely smiles throughout ''Remake'', though it's merely because he tries to maintain an aloof, cold persona. When he lets his mask slip, he's prone to cracking genuine, friendly smiles, and others will frequently take notice of it and encourage it.
* WhiteMaleLead: Cloud is the white caucasian handsome male protagonist in a noticeably diverse main cast, with a black man (Barret), an Asian woman (Yuffie), three women (Tifa, Aerith, Yuffie), and two non-humans (Red XIII and Cait Sith).
* WholesomeCrossdresser: There's no other way to say it: The man looks gorgeous in drag. Even funnier is his outright refusal to disguise his voice, and the subsequent times that everyone around him gets fooled despite it.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Badass former [[SuperSoldier SOLDIER]] Cloud admits "Ghosts aren't my thing" and displays reluctance to go into Train Graveyard, having to be encouraged by his female companions [[ALadyOnEachArm holding onto both of his arms]] and guiding him in.
* WouldHitAGirl: PlayedForDrama. In ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:Sephiroth mind controls Cloud into slaughtering Shinra's personnel at the Temple of the Ancients, and almost kills Elena in cold blood if not for Tifa stopping him. Later, once Sephiroth gets his hands on the Black Materia [[KickTheDog and gives it to Cloud to give it back to him]], Tifa tries to stop Cloud again, but this time, he coldly shoves her to the ground due to Sephiroth's hold over him getting stronger. Sephiroth then orders Cloud to strike down Aerith to get the Black Materia, though before he does, Aerith willingly relinquishes it and Cloud's HeroicWillpower kicks in and he regains control of himself before allowing Sephiroth to use him to hurt her further]].
* YouKilledMyFather: Sephiroth murdered his mother Claudia and even brags about it, fueling Cloud's hatred of him.
* YouWereTryingTooHard: Cloud is an introverted young man who often tries to compensate for his lack of social finesse by playing the part of a know-it-all badass, even if he's not consciously aware of it, in hopes that it would draw people towards him. While his impressive abilities and feats do help him stand out, his try-hard cocky attitude doesn't really do him any favors when it comes to building relationships, and it's only when he drops the act and displays his naturally awkward but sincere gestures of kindness that he starts to win people over.
* ZombieInfectee: In a manner of speaking. Like with many other [=SOLDIERs=], Cloud had been exposed to Jenova cells which contribute to his super human abilities. However, these cells also make him susceptible to [[spoiler:Sephiroth's control, and are slowly turning him into a Sephiroth Clone. What's worse is Cloud seems to be in denial over how the cellular degradation is effecting him, possibly as a result Sephiroth's influence. This is arguably best shown when Doctor Sheiran requested a blood sample from Cloud to compare it to the blood of the cloaked men, but Cloud adamantly refuses despite the potential of giving Sheiran a large clue to figuring what is wrong with the hooded figures]].

[[folder:Barret Wallace]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/JohnEricBentley (English); Masahiro Kobayashi [''Remake''], Masato Funaki [''Rebirth''] (Japanese)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VA=]s]] Frédéric Souterelle (French), Tobias Brecklinghaus (German)[[/labelnote]]
[[quoteright:420:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chara_full_1.png]]

-> ''"You gonna stand there and pretend you can't hear the Planet cryin' out in pain?! '''I know you can!'''"''\\\

The loud, boisterous leader of an extremist cell of Avalanche, an anti-Shinra organization. He believes that the only way to stop Shinra from destroying the Planet is by shutting down their mako reactors-- by force, if necessary. He lost his right hand sometime prior to the beginning of the game and had it replaced with a Gatling gun, which he wields in combat.

* AbnormalAmmo: His "Bonus Round" ability in ''Rebirth'' has him enhance his ArmCannon to fire unique bullets that deal extra damage to the stagger meter. Unlike his [[BottomlessMagazines regular bullets]], these ones do have limited ammo.
* AdaptationalAttractiveness: While not outright ugly per-se, Barret in the original game wasn't exactly a looker either, leaning pretty hard on the FaceOfAThug scale-o-meter. The remake significantly tones down his harsh facial features to the point where he's more or less become a {{Hunk}}, made particularly noticeable when [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_avalanche_crew_barret_the_hunk.jpg he's without sunglasses and not doing his usual frown]].
* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: Barret's second LimitBreak, ''Catastrophe''? That was his ''final'' Limit Break in the original game.
* AdaptationalIntelligence: In the original game, the tutorial for Materia equipping was an in-universe lecture to him and even after it he didn't quite understand. Here, he already has a lightning and cure materia equipped from the start, which are both more useful during the opening mission than Cloud's fire and isn't a part of the tutorial. He's also portrayed as more book-smart than the old Barret. He knows what an Ancient is by name (as he's read it in books on the Lifestream) and even quotes scripture.
* AdaptationalNiceGuy:
** While the original game's Barret did genuinely care for his fellow Avalanche members, he also tended to be harsh with them, calling them "screw-ups" after their ''successful'' reactor bombing mission, reacting with anger when Wedge asked about his pay, and sending Biggs flying during an impromptu sparring session back at their hideout. Here, he is far more pleasant and openly affectionate with them. He also intended for them to simply sabotage Reactor 7's Mako pump, rather than blow up the whole reactor like in the original.
** While Barret and Cloud's relationship also changes from hostile to friendly like in the original game, ''Rebirth'' expands on it by having Barret become more of a fatherly figure to Cloud over time, especially if he's taken as Cloud's "date" at the Gold Saucer.
* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent:
** Chapter 13 of ''Remake'' has Barret as the lead character after getting separated from Cloud and Tifa. Even when he meets up with Tifa, he's still the primarily controlled character. He even gets a unique traversal mechanic where he can shoot objects.
** Chapter 3 of ''Rebirth'' has him being the lead in the second half of the Mithril Mines, with Red XIII tagging along. Just like in ''Remake'', he can use his gun to shoot down objects in the environment.
* AntiHero: Barret's enmity towards Shinra puts him in this territory. While the other members of Avalanche react with horror at the destruction (they believe) their bombing Reactor 1 caused, Barret seems grimly resolved to the collateral damage. At different points in the game, both Cloud and Tifa have to stop him from picking fights with ordinary civilians simply for vocally supporting Shinra or repeating anti-Avalanche propaganda. And while it's a bit of an InformedFlaw, Avalanche HQ has disavowed Barret's cell for being too extreme.
* ArchEnemy: Barret has major beef with Shinra, to the extent that about the only thing he places higher than taking down Shinra is his family. One sequence inside Shinra HQ implies that it's personal for him, when he mentions in a regretful tone that once, he actually bought Shinra's propaganda. He's so resentful of Shinra, that instead of snarking at you if you're going the wrong direction like normal - if he realizes you're going to loot Shinra treasure (like stealing Airbuster's equipment or going for the materia in Reactor 5) he'll be happy to go along. Out of all executives, he does have a particular enmity with Scarlet due to her being the one involved in his DoomedHometown.
* ArmCannon: His weapon of choice is a gun grafted onto his right arm. It's actually deconstructed a bit in that his gun-arm is a very distinguishing physical feature which his enemies use to track him in Chapter 3 and a sidequest in Chapter 14.
* AttackAttackAttack: Barret's playstyle encourages constant offense. Appropriately he can use multiple ATB bars to boost a single attack, forgoing buffs or healing to deal more damage.
* BackFromTheDead: Towards the end of ''Remake'', Barret is impaled through the heart by Sephiroth. [[spoiler:Immediately afterwards, one of the Arbiters of Fate resurrects him due to -- as Red XIII put it -- it not being Barret's destiny to die there.]]
* BaritoneOfStrength: The physically imposing Barret also has the roughest voice in the party.
* BerserkButton: Any ''expression'' of support of Shinra in front of him will set him off very quickly, to the point where Cloud and Tifa have to prevent him from picking fights with ordinary civilians and jeopardizing Avalanche over it.
* TheBigGuy: Standing at 6'6" and over 300 lbs with muscles twice the size of the other physically fit party members, Barret is, far and away, the largest member of the team, serving as the team's resident tank. Impressively, he overpowers Rude in a PunchParry despite him blocking Cloud's strikes with his bare hands.
* BigGuyFatalitySyndrome: Subverted. He's [[spoiler:fatally impaled by Sephiroth, and he dies instantly, but only via demonstration to prove to the heroes that the Whispers of Fate will not let anyone die who wasn't fated to in the original timeline]].
* BlackAndWhiteInsanity: Barret's views are pretty simple: Shinra is bad and everything they do, are connected to, are associated with, or even are distantly connected to is also bad. This also means he often employs InsaneTrollLogic to justify why he thinks it's Shinra's fault. Someone works for Shinra to provide for their family? Clearly wrong and a brainless idiot. People think mako energy is useful? They should be more willing to give up their way of life despite mako energy having made it more convenient. Cloud even lampshades this by nearly name-dropping the trope. As a side effect, he doesn't really consider the after-effects of his actions since, by his own logic, his actions are all good, though [[spoiler:the Shinra platefall does make him falter for a moment]].
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Inverted. Winds up being the only surviving member of his AVALANCHE unit [[spoiler:until it becomes clear that both Biggs and Wedge survived, and Jessie is implied to have survived as well]]. Later subverted, [[spoiler:Sephiroth impales him near the end of the game, but he is immediately resurrected since he wasn't fated to die]].
* BoisterousBruiser: He's big, loud, and ''always'' excited to blow some Shinra shit up.
* BottomlessMagazines: Barret's gun-arms never run out of ammunition. They just need breaks in-between combos due to overheating.
* BrokenPedestal: Being a passionate studier of planetology himself, Barret is initially excited to meet the elders of Cosmo Canyon due to their reputed expertise in the field, hoping to gain and share valuable knowledge with them, only to end up disillusioned when they reveal themselves to be {{Know Nothing Know It All}}s who arrogantly dismiss anything that doesn't correlate with their outdated theories and worldviews.
-->'''Barret:''' These planetologists would rather study the world than live in it.
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: He's a foul-mouthed, HotBlooded man, but beneath it, he's a DotingParent to Marlene and AFatherToHisMen.
* BullyingADragon: Barret is a giant, intimidating mountain of muscle with a Gatling gun for an arm, yet he gets verbally chewed out twice on the trains by the same Shinra middle-management employee.
* CharacterTics: Whenever he gets emotional, he often puts on his sunglasses to try and hide it - noticeably when leaving Marlene in Elmyra's care and when [[spoiler:the party is standing by the lake in the Forgotten City after the Beagle timeline Aerith's probable [[AmbiguousSituation death]]]].
* CloseRangeCombatant: If equipped with a melee-type arm, he won't even be able to jump at flying opponents and his basic combos will be replaced with brutal close-ranged punching attacks. Interestingly though, he can still use his ranged abilities with his melee arms to gun down enemies.
* CombatMedic: He opens up with the basic Cure spell in his loadout, and he's a hulking bruiser with a Gatling gun for an arm. This role continues to suit him throughout ''Remake'' and ''Rebirth,'' thanks to his high HP and ATB buildup allowing him to pile on healing and buffs for the party.
* CombinationAttack: As a cutscene attack in the final battle he will combine his ''Fire in the Hole'' LimitBreak with Red XIII's ''Stardust Ray''.
* CommonalityConnection: While he and Yuffie get off on the wrong foot, they eventually bond over their similar personalities and struggles, as they both have a huge grudge against Shinra (and Scarlet in particular) due to their homes being devastated by the company, which gave both revolutionary tendencies and willingness to do morally questionable actions in order to bring their enemies down. At the end of the Corel arc in ''Rebirth'', they even make a promise to bring down Scarlet together one day.
* CooldownManipulation: He can reduce the cooldown of his ''Overcharge'' by rapidly tapping triangle.
* CoolShades: He often wears a pair of sunglasses in battle. His menu portraits even update themselves automatically depending on whether he's wearing them in the current chapter. He stops using them as much in ''Rebirth''.
* CutsceneIncompetence: In Hojo's lab, despite Barret holding him at gunpoint, the doctor still has the time to taunt them, free Specimen 0512 to fight them, and then flee. All without Barret ever firing a single shot. To be fair, shooting Hojo ''before'' he leads them to Aerith would have caused several complications in the rescue plan (like instant security calls).
* DamageReduction: His ''Steelskin'' ability reduces incoming damage.
* DashAttack: If he is equipped with a melee-type arm, ''Overcharge'' becomes ''Overrun'' which has Barret barrel over the enemy with a running punch then crushing them with a heavy pound.
* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler:Defied. Sephiroth stabs him right through the gut in President Shinra's office, but the [[TimePolice Arbiters of Fate]] revive him since it is not his fate to die there.]]
* DeathFromAbove: His second LimitBreak Catastrophe has him jump up in the air and bring down a giant laser from his ArmCannon.
* DeathOfAThousandCuts: His minigun arms do pitiful damage per shot, rarely ever breaking the single digits. But they're [[MoreDakka miniguns]], and there's dozens of shots per attack.
* DiegeticSoundtrackUsage: Barrett will sometimes yell out the original game's victory theme after finishing a battle. In ''Rebirth'', he'll hum the game-over theme if Cloud beats him during the Queen's Blood tournament.
* DontMakeMeDestroyYou: Barret makes it clear that he doesn't trust Cloud and warns him that he'll put a barrage of bullets in him at the slightest hint of betrayal.
* DotingParent: He absolutely adores Marlene and easily gives in to her wishes. He also has no problems gushing about her whenever she's brought up in conversation.
* EnergyBall:
** His "Focused Shot" ability has him gathering energy into a sphere and firing at enemies to deal stagger damage.
** His "Fire In The Hole" Limit Break has him gathering even more energy, this time firing a sphere that deals regular damage.
* EnhancedPunch: ''Charging Uppercut'' has Barret uppercutting enemies with his overheated fist with explosive force.
* EveryoneHasStandards:
** As much as he [[spoiler:hates President Shinra's guts, he actually expresses outrage when Sephiroth impales him. Though he had wanted revenge on him, Barret still wanted Shinra to answer for his crimes rather than just be killed]].
** Likewise, as much as he considers Shinra's armed forces corporate lapdogs ''he's at war with'', he's completely horrified [[spoiler:when a possessed Cloud starts executing surrendering [=SOLDIERs=] without mercy]].
* FastballSpecial: Barret's Synergy abilities with both Yuffie and Red XIII in ''Rebirth'' involve them jumping onto his normal hand at some point, making good use of his throwing strength to give them a momentum boost before launching at their enemies.
* FatalFlaw: His unrelenting hatred of Shinra, and his need to hurt them as much as possible. He is so blinded by his hate it causes him to make some major mistakes in his unending pursuit to expose them, making him extremely easy for them to manipulate and turn his attempts to discredit Shinra into propaganda pieces which do nothing but further bolster their power and damage Avalanche's public image.
* AFatherToHisMen: With the exception of Cloud for justified reasons (and even then he eventually warms up to him), Barret cares for all members of his Avalanche cell, doing his best to make sure they are safe and taken care of when they need it. Any time they do the job better than he expected, he acts almost like a big brother to them.
* FireBreathingWeapon: The aptly named ''Fire in the Hole'' LimitBreak has Barret creating a great ball of flame to blast his enemies with.
* FireForgedFriends: Barret starts off mistrustful of Cloud due to him being an ex-SOLDIER, [[spoiler:but by the end of the Sector 5 reactor mission admits he was wrong about him]].
* TheFirstCutIsTheDeepest: After Myrna died, he has since completely cut himself off from romance. When a vagrant in Corel harasses him over moving on to Tifa, she instantly knows how cutting it is to him and doesn't engage him as Barret apologizes to her.
* TheFriendsWhoNeverHang: With Aerith in ''Remake''. He only gets one battle together with her (the Arsenal) and never really has a direct conversation with her. This has changed as of the epilogue scenes in the [=INTERmission=] DLC, which shows the group where the main game left off traveling down the road and having a lighthearted chat about where they're going next. In ''Rebirth'' the two interact more often, even sharing a dungeon with Cait Sith in the Shinra Manor.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Unlike his usual BoisterousBruiser lines in battle, during his playable section in ''Rebirth'' where he has to fight [[spoiler:Dyne]], Barret's combat lines are much more somber and tragic, pleading with [[spoiler:his former friend]] to try and see reason.
* GatlingGood: A Gatling gun serves as his starting weapon, and is the one that shows up in cutscenes and promotional material.
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: In ''Rebirth'', after Cloud [[spoiler:is manipulated by Sephiroth into attacking Tifa and she falls into the Lifestream and gets eaten by Weapon. Cloud is horrified by what he did and shuts down, prompting Barret to try to get through to him. Once words don't work, Barret smacks him in the face, yelling at him to "get his shit together" and that Tifa needs him. It works and Cloud snaps out of it]].
* GoodOldFisticuffs: With a melee weapon equipped, Barret will instead brawl opponents hand-to-hand in a much more uncouth manner than the highly trained Tifa.
* GoodParents: Despite his questionable profession, he's undoubtedly an attentive and responsible father to Marlene.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: The AntiHero type. He has three faint scars over his right eye, which are easy to miss but still make him look tough and intimidating.
* GroundPunch: Barret's ''Smackdown'' ability has him slam the ground causing an eruption of electricity to send enemies flying.
* HandicappedBadass: He lacks a functioning right hand, which means he has to exert more effort than the average person when performing certain actions like climbing ladders (you can tell from his climb animation that he struggles to maintain balance). But Barret's raw strength and stubborn drive are usually more than enough to compensate for whatever deficiency he might have.
* HealerSignsOnEarly: Barret is the first party member that joins Cloud and comes with a cure materia for helpful healing. It's probably so that the player has a source of healing not dependent on the limited potions available for the first boss.
* HeartbrokenBadass: He is absolutely '''devastated''' when Shinra destroys Sector 7, and the deaths of Jessie, Biggs and Wedge (and his belief that Marlene was also killed in the collapse of the plate, though Cloud quickly informs him that she survived thanks to Aerith) only pour even more salt in the wound.
* HotBlooded: Barret is very openly passionate in his objective to topple Shinra, giving Cloud a hammy speech about their cause and even admits his heart is "pounding like a jackhammer" with excitement when they're about to bomb their first Mako Reactor.
* IconicStarterEquipment: Barret's Gattling Gun arm that he starts with is his most iconic weapon due to its connection to his past and the one that's always featured in promotional posters and pre-rendered cutscenes. ''Rebirth'' has him starting with it again, with all the previous weapons that could be acquired for him in ''Remake'' being [[BagOfSpilling inexplicably gone]].
* IllKillYou: Yells this verbatim to [[spoiler:Sephiroth upon seeing him standing nearby as Cloud cradles Aerith. Barret puts two and two together and becomes enraged]].
* InstantlyProvenWrong: It's not so instantaneous, but after Cloud tells him that his mother was the OpenMindedParent and let him leave Nibelheim when he was thirteen without protest, Barret says that he won't stop Marlene from leaving the nest when the time comes. Minutes later, after considering the scenario, he cries to the point where Cloud tells him to pull himself together, pointing out that Marlene has barely taken off her diapers and there's still a long time before that happens.
* IResembleThatRemark: Barret is incensed at the accusations of Avalanche being a terrorist group, but his method in combatting Shinra mainly consists of bombing reactors and violence towards Shinra personnel. A confrontation on the train shows him trying to intimidate Shinra employees into denouncing the company, which is him quite literally using terror to get his way.
* JerkassHasAPoint: While his hatred of Shinra is presented as less of a positive trait than in the original, coming off more as BlackAndWhiteInsanity due to him using it to justify Jessie's bomb seemingly doing more damage than intended and treating even low-ranking employees just trying to make a living with his [[ScaryBlackMan usual charm]], it can be hard to blame him whether you played the original and have seen all of their horrible actions both in and outside of Midgar or play this game and witness the case of AdaptationalVillainy their actions in just Midgar have been subjected to.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Barret is a very loud, aggressive man to those he doesn't like, and can be downright obnoxious at times. Still, he has a kind heart underneath it all. He's shown to be more pleasant and supportive of the AVALANCHE crew in the remake, has a clear soft spot for Tifa, and is very doting towards his daughter Marlene. Although he starts off with distinct antipathy towards Cloud, this evaporates over time. When Cloud enters the train leaving Sector 8, Barret even impulsively admits that he was worried, despite the bad blood that existed between them before this point. He is quick to comfort the AVALANCHE crew upon seeing the damage they've caused in the Mako Reactor 1 bombing. [[spoiler:Even in the aftermath of the Sector 7 plate collapse, having his home destroyed and believing Biggs, Wedge, Jessie and Marlene are dead, he is quick to support Tifa, insisting that what happened wasn't her fault.]] He also agrees to infiltrate Shinra HQ to save Aerith, a woman he doesn't know, just because she helped his daughter.
* TheJuggernaut: The ability ''Steelskin'' further improves his already high defense and poise, allowing him to easily shrug off hits that would knock down and interrupt the more fragile members of the team. This becomes more noticeable if he's equipped with a melee weapon as his attacks, while slow, ''hurt''.
* LagCancel: The quickest way to recharge his Overcharge is to fire his regular attack until the last bullet sends him reeling back, then quickly press the Charge button and Barret will have some charge on his Overcharge without the animation playing instead of having to press Triangle repeatedly until it's filled up.
* LargeAndInCharge: Barret is one of the tallest characters in the game, has a very imposing demeanor, and is the boisterous [[TheLeader leader]] of Avalanche.
* LargeHam: Even when he's not in battle, he's usually screaming at the top of his lungs with exaggerated movements. This puts him at a stark contrast to the stoic and collected Cloud.
* TheLeader: Deconstructed and ultimately subverted. Barret starts off the game as the one in charge, with Cloud begrudgingly following his orders. He not only possesses raw bravery and physical prowess, but also enough charisma to keep the other Avalanche members devoted to his cause through the power of his words alone. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that Barret isn't the most logical sort when it comes to leading his crew on the battlefield, often prone to letting his emotions and [[BloodKnight hunger to kill]] get the better of him, always to the detriment of the operation. It's for this reason that he eventually cedes leadership to Cloud, a man who's far more level-headed and tactically experienced than he is in the art of war.
* LeeroyJenkins: His favorite battle tactic to the annoyance of everyone else. Cloud and Tifa both berate him for it. It usually works because he's so damn dangerous, but he finally pays for his carelessness when [[spoiler:he charges Sephiroth-Marco alone in Shinra's office and gets a Masamune sized hole in his torso for it, setting off the storm of timeline errors at the Shinra building that the planet tries to correct resulting in Sephiroth's eventual victory.]]
* LightningBruiser: Not ''physically'' as his movement and evasion is poor, but Barret's abilities allow him to build up ATB at an insane rate during battle, especially when stacking multiple buffs, allowing him to quickly take action after action at a level only [[GlassCannon Tifa]] can match.
* LongRangeFighter: His gun can reach places that melee attacks can't, allowing him to attack from a distance.
* LoudSleeperGag: ''Rebirth'' shows Barret snoring so loud that Cloud can't sleep and immediately agrees to go with Tifa so they can talk in private.
* TheLostLenore: ''Rebirth'' reveals that Barret was married to a woman named Myrna, who died when [[spoiler:Shinra destroyed Corel to cover up the fact that one of their Mako Reactors exploded due to a design defect. He still greatly misses her, as he'll confess to Cloud in their Golden Saucer "date"]].
* MageMarksman: The Light Machine Gun and EKG Cannon in ''Remake'' let Barret become a more magic-oriented character.
* MagicallyIneptFighter: Barret has the lowest natural magic stat, the worst magical weapons and the smallest MP pool. While he can do decent magical damage, making it his focus takes a lot of work that won't pay the same dividends the other characters can get.
* ManlyFacialHair: He's a large, muscular man with a beard that further emphasizes his masculinity.
* ManlyMan: He's built like a bear, fights like a tank, and carries the gung-ho attitude of your standard 80s movie era tough guy.
* MeaningfulName: 'Barret' means "mighty bear", fitting his imposing stature and aggressive personality.
* MightyGlacier: He moves pretty slowly, but he makes up for it in ammo, high HP, and powerful shots, and he is the best tank in the party by far. This is also exemplified when wielding a melee arm where his basic attacks become brutally powerful and sluggish. In ''Rebirth'', he gets some moves and weapon upgrades that allow him to fill up ATB bars faster, but does nothing for his movement.
* MoralityPet: His adopted daughter, Marlene, is the only thing that kept him grounded after the destruction of North Corel, making him focused on fighting Shinra to save the planet rather than just for {{Revenge}}.
* MoreDakka: Barret's ''Maximum Fury'' ability will use his entire [=ATB=] and pepper the enemy unceasingly with his gun-arm, and if the enemy dies, he immediately targets another.
* MythologyGag:
** His ''Focused Shot'' ability is visually similar to his ''Mind Shot'' Limit from the original game, but it instead deals damage rather than draining the enemy's MP. However, this effectively makes it an adaptation of ''Big Shot'' as it was depicted in ''Anime/AdventChildren''.
** His ''Fire in the Hole'' Limit is visually identical to his ''Big Shot'' Limit in the original game, a big orange EnergyBall fired from his gun-arm.
** While making their way through the train railways, Barret poses with his gun-arm pointed at the camera almost 90 degrees from the front of his body. Much like a promotional render that could be found in the original manual.
** ''Maximum Fury'' is a re-imagining of ''Ungarmax'' (mistranslated from Angermax), a sustained bombardment of gunfire.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: After retrieving the [[spoiler:Black Materia from the Temple of the Ancients, Barret snatches it from Cloud out of frustration towards how he's been acting all crazy and tosses it away without paying attention to where he's throwing it, causing the Black Materia to land right at the feet of [[BigBad Sephiroth]], who then picks it up and leaves, essentially rendering everything the party just went through to try and prevent Sephiroth from getting his hands on the accursed object [[AllForNothing entirely pointless]]]].
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: As always, his looks, roughhouse attitude, and overall vibe are heavily based on characters played by 80s action movie star, Creator/MrT -- [[Series/TheATeam "B.A." Baracus]], in particular.
* NoRangeLikePointBlankRange: The aptly named ''Pointblank'' ability has a very small range but will launch enemies without fail when used.
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: Near the end of the game, President Shinra accuses him of being one in response to [[spoiler:his demand that he admit that Shinra, not Avalanche, was behind the destruction of Sector 7 in exchange for Barret saving his life, declaring it as proof that for all his claims of stopping Shinra and saving the planet, Barret is more interested in preserving Avalanche's reputation and his own image and is only out for himself; Barret doesn't actually deny it]].
* OverTheShoulderCarry: As he lacks a right arm to carry someone otherwise, this is how he takes people he has to move. In ''Remake'' [[spoiler:he takes Tifa this way out of Mako Reactor 5 as it explodes over her protests to leave Cloud, later he takes Wedge out of the Sector 7 ruins this way]]. In ''Rebirth'' [[spoiler:he carries Cloud when mako poisoning at the Gongaga reactor incapacitates him]].
* PapaWolf: If he gets any inclination of someone hurting Marlene in any way, he can get pretty angry and violent very quickly.
** When Cloud first meets Marlene, she hides in a corner and Barret pushes Cloud for scaring his daughter.
** After the [[spoiler:destruction of Sector 7, greater emphasis is put on how he's a mess because he's not sure where Marlene even is. He begs Cloud to just tell him she's certainly at Aerith's place, just because he needs a hope to hold on to]].
** PlayedForLaughs a few times in ''Rebirth''. While chasing Salmon and reminiscing over Marlene, Barret can't bring himself to imagine parting with Marlene when the time comes and cries then and there. If Cloud suggests making some of the vegetables Jessie wanted to use in a pizza, Barret gets indignant that Cloud wants to make love potion ingredients, oblivious to the fact Cloud has no idea what he is talking about.
* ParentsAsPeople: Barret clearly loves Marlene and generally is [[GoodParents a good parent]] towards her, but his commitment to his missions to destroy Shinra can cause him to unintentionally neglect her. While him entrusting Marlene in Tifa's care for most of Avalanche's day-to-day operations before he returns home every night is an understandable fatherly thing to do, it becomes a different matter when he still keeps Marlene in Seventh Heaven, unprotected and unsupervised, when things are getting seriously dangerous. His neglect had to be addressed by Tifa making the request for Aerith and Wedge to rescue Marlene while she goes to help Barret and Cloud, with Wedge escorting Aerith to Seventh Heaven and Aerith risking her life to save Marlene from the destruction while combining their efforts to guide as much of the other residents as they could to safety. Barret feels immense grief when he thinks Marlene also died in the collapse, having realized his mistake. During one sidequest in ''Rebirth'', he admits that he's worried that his DotingParent tendencies will result in him not allowing Marlene to eventually make it out on her own when she gets older.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: When he finds President Shinra hanging from the roof and begging to be saved, Barret catches the man as he begins to fall but after Shinra tries to bribe his way out, switches to suspending him over the drop by the collar of his suit, effectively strangling the tyrant. This act of torture only lasts for a few seconds, however, as Barret does come to his senses when Tifa and Aerith call for him to stop, throwing Shinra back onto the roof and following it up with a demand that Shinra clear Avalanche's name.
* PetTheDog: He warms up to Red XIII very quickly and repeatedly tries to engage with the stoic canine, mostly to no avail.
* PlatonicLifePartners: Despite having the closest relationship with Tifa in the cast as well as all but co-parenting Marlene together, there is absolutely no romantic tension between them.
* PowerFist: Certain arms will exchange Barret's normal long-ranged gunfire with melee attacks.
* RayGun: Barret's ''Focused Shot'' ability and both of his {{Limit Break}}s will launch lasers rather than bullets from his gun-arm.
* RebelLeader: He leads an Avalanche cell that's considered to be too extremist even by the organization at large, trying to stop Shinra by actively destroying their reactors, even knowing this will hurt innocent people.
* RedOniBlueOni: The brash, loud and hot-headed Red to Cloud's initially aloof and generally stoic and introverted Blue.
* SanitySlippage: PlayedForLaughs. If the player opts to use the emergency stairs to infiltrate Shinra HQ ([[OhCrap All 59 levels]]), Barret will get hit with "stairclimber's high" about halfway through, i.e. ''he nearly loses his damn mind.''
-->''"Think I've got, like, a stairclimber's high! [...] Hahhh... Hahhh... Hahhh... Then what're we waitin' for!? Let's ROLL! [...] Hahhh... We...we gotta keep movin'! [[LaughingMad Hahahaha!]] To keep movin'! Hahhh..."''\\
''"[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Worst. Route. Ever.]] Gimme a suicidal last stand any day! At least... At least... At least that'd have an end!"''\\
'' (After making it through very nearly 50 floors) "[[InsaneTrollLogic THIS SUCKS! I WANNA GO BACK!!!]]"''\\
''"♫ Another day, another struggle... Climbing stairs is so much trouble. ♫"''
* SaveTheVillain: Barret has a perfect chance to let President Shinra fall to his death, and is obviously tempted to drop the man himself, but instead he chooses to save him. Justified as Barret needs President Shinra alive to clear Avalanche's name by confessing to the public on TV about Shinra's crimes. [[spoiler:Sephiroth was counting on Barret to do this, which is why he left Shinra dangling off the roof instead of killing him immediately like the original timeline. This results in Barret going LeeroyJenkins into Sephiroth and getting fatally stabbed for it (even if the Arbiters Of Fate make sure that last part doesn't work)]].
* SavingTheWorld: Barret's other motivation for fighting. He really does see himself and Avalanche as the protectors of the world and it's why at the end of the game, he joins with the rest of the party in hunting planetary threat Sephiroth instead of returning to Marlene.
* ScaryBlackMan: He's a large and intimidating black man with an abrasive personality and a huge ArmCannon attached to his arm. People who don't know often tend to be scared of him.
* ScratchDamage: Compared to Cloud, Barret's gun deals less raw damage. Instead, Barret's hits are weak, but [[DeathOfAThousandCuts there's a ton of them]]. This makes him useful against bulky enemies since as long as he isn't being attacked, he can whittle it down while his allies take aggro.
* ShamelessSelfPromoter: Crossing with SoapBoxSadie. Barret will always take any excuse to expound on his idealogy about the planet to anyone who will listen and even to those who really don't want to listen. It's such a big part of his character that in ''Rebirth'', when someone that witnesses say had a gun for an arm shoots up Shinra soldiers and some innocent civilians in the process, Cloud's first proof that it couldn't be Barret is that whoever did it also shot the security camera, and if Barret had truly been the one to shoot all those people, he'd want the entire world to know why rather than do it in secrecy.
* ShearMenace: The Steel Pincer weapon exchanges his gun-arm for a gruesome pair of scissors.
* ShockAndAwe: Starts off with lightning magic.
* SirSwearsALot: Barret's foul mouth is back, and now fully voiced. While he doesn't use the ever-versatile f-bomb you'll still hear a consistent stream of profanity from him.
-->'''Barret:''' ''[unleashing Overcharge]'' Asshole!!
* SkewedPriorities: When holding President Shinra hostage, Barret demands that he publically declare Shinra's culpability in both the destruction inflicted on Midgar during the events of the game and the damage to the planet caused mako harvesting and that Avalanche are heroes trying to stop Shinra. President Shinra points out that he could have ordered an immediate shut down of all the mako reactors instead and accuses Barret of caring more about being seen as a hero than actually saving the planet.
* SkillGateCharacters: During regular gameplay in ''Remake'', his long range, great physical stats and ability to double his firepower by using two bars will get you through most enemies. On Hard mode and the later challenges, his low speed and low damage ceiling greatly outpace his durability advantages. On the other hand, his high HP and tanking abilities make him suitable for superbosses like Bahamut and Pride and Joy Prototype. In ''Rebirth'', his usefulness as a SupportPartyMember and ability to get bars up fast means that he remains useful in his own way by fighting and locking down foes with Synergy Abilities that can come in handy against some of the harder challenges, averting this.
* SleevesAreForWimps: He wears a brown vest with no sleeves, which better shows off his muscular arms and huge ArmCannon.
* SoapBoxSadie: He's constantly making speeches to anyone who will listen (and sometimes even to those who won't) about how the planet is alive and how Shinra is killing it with their mako harvesting. During the sector 5 bombing, upon learning that they are being streamed live on the news, he even takes a moment to clear his throat before launching into a big speech to what he assumes is the public of Midgar. Tifa asks him what the hell he's doing, and Cloud notes that even if there is footage of them being streamed, the audio no doubt is cut out.
* StoneWall: Barret has high defensive stats and can further reduce incoming damage with ''Steelskin'' as well as take damage in place of his allies with ''Lifesaver''.
* SunglassesAtNight: He begins ''Remake''' wearing [[https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Final-Fantasy-VII-Remake-Barret.jpg Terminator-esque shades]] and has a tendency to keep them on during missions, most of which take place at night or in a sections of the city under an iron plate that never sees the sun in the first place. By ''Rebirth'', he has dropped the habit.
* SuperArmor: Steelskin can increase Barret's resistance to flinching when attacked.
* SupportPartyMember: Barret doesn't have quite the damage potential of brawlers like Cloud and Tifa nor the versatility of Yuffie, but he's excellent at building enemies' Stagger meters from a safe distance, allowing his teammates to take advantage of their vulnerable state. Several of his unique skills let him tank hits for others, and his sky-high HP, defense, and ATB gain also potentially make him an excellent WhiteMage if he's built to compensate for his low MP and Magic stats.
* TakingTheBullet: His Lifesaver ability allows him to take damage for his allies.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: In the opening mission, with Cloud. Cloud holds Barret's mission and obsession with the planet in contempt, while Barret is openly suspicious of Cloud's skills and loyalty -- mockingly calling him "Stamp" in reference to [[ShowWithinAShow an in-universe children's cartoon]] about a loyal dog soldier serving as pro-Shinra propaganda.
* TemptingFate: [[spoiler:When infiltrating the main Shinra building by going through the rear entrance by being on top of a Shinra vehicle, after the inspection of the guards, he claims that so far everything is well until he falls over and lands on one of the guards, butt-first. The guard looks pretty pissed about having 300 pounds of terrorist sitting on his back.]]
* UnskilledButStrong: Barret's melee attacks lack any style or finesse, mostly consisting of large arm swings, wild kicks and shoulder charges, but each of them deals massive damage on hit.
* VitriolicBestBuds: Develops this dynamic with Cloud in the second half of ''Remake'' where they still snark and quip at one another, but eventually come to trust each other as true allies in the fight against Shinra and, eventually, [[BigBad Sephiroth.]] Barret even admits (quite warmly as a matter of fact) that Cloud is a good man.
* WarriorPoet: He's fond of making grand eloquent speeches whenever the mood strikes him, particularly when he wants to prove a point.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Barret is dedicated to protecting the planet from Shinra but his method is blowing up the Mako reactors to prevent Shinra from using up the planet's natural resources. It's telling that once his group sees the larger-than-expected collateral damage that came from blowing up Sector 8's reactor caused, Barret refuses to stop, arguing that the damage his group caused is a necessary evil and that they knew that it wasn't going to be pretty.
* WhatMeasureIsAMook: Inverted in how he treats the Sephiroth Clones. Barret is one of the few people known to view them as people, as seen when he stops some upset beachgoers from harassing one, and later trying to tell them to wait until they find a passage through the Corel Reactor.
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: Barret's preferred solution to problems is MoreDakka. Most of his offensive special attacks are just a barrage of gunfire, and when he temporarily becomes the party leader in Chapter 13, he destroys obstacles in his way by just shooting at them until they fall apart, be they concrete walls, spinning fans, or locked doors. In the same chapter, Tifa lampshades this.
-->'''Tifa''': I'm afraid to ask, but did you just shoot your way in here?\\
'''Barret''': Well, yeah. ''[{{beat}}]'' Worked, didn't it?
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Barret's got a fear of heights, most notably when traversing the Sector 4 underplate, which has been left in disrepair and leaving a lot of treacherous terrains dangling just over a drop hundreds of feet down. Related to this, he also dislikes ladders, not just because of the heights but the difficulty in climbing them with one arm.
-->'''Barret''': I see a console on top of that ladder. Um... a really ''tall'' ladder...
* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: If Cloud decides to climb 59 flights of stairs at Shinra HQ, Barret can only mutter a weak "You have got to be shittin' me."

[[folder:Tifa Lockhart]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/BrittBaron (English), Ayumi Ito (Japanese)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VA=]s]] Jessica Barrier (French), Shandra Schadt (German)[[/labelnote]]\\
'''Young Tifa Voiced By:''' Glory Curda (English), Ayaka Mitsumoto (Japanese)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VA=]s]] Jessica Barrier (French), Leonie Landa (German)[[/labelnote]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chara_full_2.png]]

-> ''"Can't say this is quite what I had in mind when I asked for your help, way back when."''\\\

Tifa and Cloud grew up together in their hometown of Nibelheim before he left to join the SOLDIER program. Now a member of Barret's Avalanche cell, she runs Seventh Heaven, a bar in the Sector 7 slums of Midgar which also serves as their hideout. Tifa was trained by Zangan, a legendary martial artist, and she blindsides opponents with a barrage of punches and kicks.

* ActionGirl: Tifa is a highly skilled martial artist and is the most hands-on fighter of the group.
* AdaptationDyeJob: It's subtle, but she was a brunette in the original game, while here it's pitch black.
* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade:
** The remake plays up her insecurities and ReluctantWarrior traits a number of times.
*** Tifa in the original game was largely dedicated to the cause of Avalanche with little issue on her side about being involved, though the lifestream event says she didn't want to be known as a violent person. In ''Remake'', she's unsure of herself and often wonders if the group's actions are justifiable.
*** In the original game, Barret and the others had no reason to question Tifa's resolve, but her reluctance to hurt innocents with Avalanche's bombing plan in the Remake causes Jessie to wonder whether Tifa is truly committed to their cause. During the trip to Mako Reactor 5, she also admits to being nervous, something she never truly expressed in the original game.
*** She's also alot more torn up about the destruction of her bar, alongside the rest of Sector 7. In the original she's sad about the loss of life but shows no real grief about losing her bar. Whereas in the remake losing her bar makes the entire situation all the more painful. Losing the bar reignites feelings of loss when she lost her family and hometown years ago, making her breakdown in Cloud's arms.
** While there was a divide between Cloud and Tifa in the original, the relationship is more strained in these games. Upon seeing Cloud nearly kill Johnny, she says that Cloud scares her and often has to reign in his more destructive impulses in check. in ''Rebirth'' a [[spoiler:subplot is that Sephiroth is gaslighting Cloud into thinking she is an imposter despite all the evidence she brings up, culminating in him attacking her into the Lifestream]].
* AdaptationalModesty: She wears a sports bra that compresses her large breasts, and black stockings that cover most of her legs. She also wears ModestyShorts, something, as revealed in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'', she [[PantyFighter lacked]]. On the other hand, her shirt covers less of her midriff than in the original, and her "mature" undercover dress is the most {{fanservice}}y outfit she's worn in any appearance. And even that is outdone by her revealling beachwear in ''Rebirth''.
* AlmostKiss: After Tifa recovers from the [[spoiler:events at the Gongaga reactor, she approaches Cloud for an intimate conversation and then leans over like she's about to kiss him before realizing that Yuffie and Cait Sith are peeping nearby]].
* AnimalMotif: Fitting for her WaterIsWomanly aesthetic, hers is a dolphin. She is intelligent, playful at times, kind and helps the lost find their way, but will still fight to protect others. Her second LimitBreak involves a projection of a dolphin, and she even styles her hair like a dolphin's bottle-nose. In ''Rebirth''. Red calls her like a dolphin when she asks his opinion on her more revealing beachwear. And parodied if she has a more conservative outfit, whose lined designs have him compare her to a breaching whale, a motif that is not without merit as whales are known for their ties to compassion, strength, community, music, spirituality and truth, all characteristics she possesses. Given her eventual [[spoiler:close encounter with the Whale Weapon, the comparison proves to be more on the nose than either expected]]. Notably, both her beachwear outfits change her hairstyle and sport visible panties, a fashion statement known as a whale tail.
* AttentionWhore: ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts'' expounds that she used to be one and did a lot for attention, even thinking that Midgar was her ''rival'' for affection. Later events largely snap her out of it, though she still has an attention streak as multiple conversation choices with Cloud get the best response when he's being flirtatious over factitious.
* BadassDriver: Drives the Shinra Hauler out of the city under attack by Shinra forces in ''Remake''. It's a beater so she can't outrun everything, but she makes it work despite the heavy resistance. Later in ''Rebirth'' she drives the dune buggy when the Turks and Palmer attack the party, even doing a flip with it to get Elena off the hood.
* BareFistedMonk: As in the original game, Tifa fights with her hands and her feet. Tifa shows herself capable of punching enemies up into the air with her attacks, and she punches a drone on a train so hard that it gets launched out of a window. In gameplay, she has a unique ability to charge up attacks for more effectiveness and different effects.
* BareMidriffsAreFeminine: Tifa is an athletic martial artist with a GirlyGirl personality, and her belly-exposing outfit accentuates her femininity.
* TheBartender: Tifa runs the Seventh Heaven bar, a popular spot in the Sector 7 slums that serves as Avalanche's secret headquarters. The combination of her cooking/drink mixing skills, [[FanserviceWithASmile good looks]], natural empathy, and being a good conversationalist make her an extremely popular bartender. Barret claims Seventh Heaven was much less popular before she took over. She even serves Cloud a drink while performing some impressive bartender tricks when he drops by. In ''Rebirth'', she makes a drink a couple times out of habit after having been a bartender for so long.
* BathingBeauty: Showering seems to be one of her favorite stress relievers. Two of her most frequent post-battle dialogues have her longing for a shower after working up a good sweat. ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts'' frequently mentions her showering to de-stress, including enjoying the luxurious modern showers of Midgar when she first had the chance to try one. This seems to be partly due to her [[HorribleHousing early housing conditions in Midgar being extremely poor and having no pumbling]], forcing her to take the [[BathOfPoverty badly-maintained community showers of the slums]], so she knows very well how showers can be a MundaneLuxury.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Tifa is an inside-out beauty with her not only being overtly attractive outside, but also possessing remarkable selflessness and compassion.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]]; the book ''[[Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts Trace of Two Pasts]]'' outlines that Sephiroth slashing her severed bone and flesh so severely during the Nibelheim Incident required some major emergency treatment, including medical wire to close the gaps in her wounds. Once all was said and done, overly-expensive skin transplants were then used, closing up what should've been massive scarring from ever occurring. This actually [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome landed her in severe debt for the costs]], not helped by her doctor marking up the debt intentionally to try to keep her under his thumb.
* BettyAndVeronica: PlayedWith when compared to Aerith in the love triangle with her and Cloud. She's more of a MsFanservice, look-wise, due to her overtly attractive figure, but she's the GirlNextDoor ChildhoodFriend to Cloud, and while both girls are exceptionally kind, she's more meek, shy and reserved, while Aerith is more extroverted, wild and mischievous.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: A ''very'' kind-hearted and patient girl through and through, who nevertheless shouldn't be messed with considering she's a master martial artist with CharlesAtlasSuperpower. Rakesh learned this the hard way on ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts'' after exploiting her as a slave laborer, as well as Al who tried to sexually harass her (which got LostInTranslation for NA version).
* BigDamnKiss: If Cloud takes [[spoiler:Tifa on the second Gold Saucer date and their RelationshipValues are high enough, the date will end with them sharing a kiss]].
* BigSisterInstinct: She's very protective of Marlene and is usually the one who looks after her when Barret is out.
* BirdsOfAFeather: While Tifa and Cloud do differ in temperment with Tifa being openly compassionate compared to Cloud who hides much of his compassion under a projection of a stoic mercenary, the two do have a lot in common. In addition to growing up in the same town and surviving the Nibelheim incident, both are physically strong fighters, and plagued by mental issues and doubts. Both are also shy introverts who struggle to express themselves and communicate with others, which causes considerable tension in their relationship during the events of ''Rebirth''.
* BrainyBrunette: Her room has a lot of books that she apparently reads in her spare time. One of the responses Cloud gives for her description is that she hits the books often. Tifa's intelligence is otherwise shown in her street smarts around the slums and her knowledge in maintaining and upkeeping Seventh Heaven.
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: The Nibelheim flashback shows that Tifa was a bit of one before, not afraid to stand up to her dad when going on a hiking trip up the mountain and willing to sass the Soldier taking point. The destruction of the village and five years living in the slums of Midgar have not done good things to her confidence since then.
* BreedingSlave: In a similar vein to Aerith, Hojo's considers Tifa a good candidate to breed for his experiments. In ''Rebirth'', when Hojo's Grasptropod captures Tifa, Hojo rhetorically asks Tifa if she would interested in "bringing a new hero to life" with the dark implication being [[spoiler:he plans to have the mutant Sephiroth Clone impregnate her]]. Thankfully, Tifa is saved by Cloud, Yuffie, and Johnny before anything could happen.
* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: The gentle and compassionate Tifa shares this dynamic with the brooding, stoic, and troubled Cloud.
* BuxomBeautyStandard: Her sizable bust is one of the reasons she's a DudeMagnet. This is all the more apparent in ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts'', as Tifa takes notice of how some men in Midgar (including her first boss) can't help but stare straight at Tifa's chest when talking to her. Said boss even attempted to give her a "street name" based on her boobs, but she firmly declined the idea. In ''Rebirth'' even Cloud has difficulty not staring at her chest when he sees her in a bikini, leading Tifa to [[MyEyesAreUpHere have to lower her head to meet his gaze]] and playfully tease him about it.
* CannotSpitItOut: In ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:Tifa simply can't bring herself to tell Cloud that his memories of Nibelheim are wrong, partially out of confusion -- from Tifa's perspective, Cloud was never even ''there'', much less the one who journeyed to the reactor with her and Sephiroth. It reaches a new level when they return to Nibelheim and Cloud begins to remember Zack, but his unwell mind rationalizes Zack's disappearance as him being swept away by the river they fell into. Tifa still doesn't correct Cloud on this point, choosing to comfort him instead, presumably thinking that Cloud would just completely shut down if she challenged his memories]].
* TheCaretaker: During the early parts of ''Remake'' she was one for Marco, one of the mako poisoned Robed men, keeping an eye on him to make sure he wasn't bothered and smoothening an incident between him and Cloud. [[spoiler:Keeping him safe turned out to be for the worse in the long run as Sephiroth manipulates him to attack President Shinra and Barret]]. Her experiences with the mentally ill becomes useful when Cloud himself suffers his bouts of mental degradation.
* CharacterTics: When Tifa is unsure of herself or the current plan, she has a tendency to hold one or both of her elbows.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Tifa's a normal human whose strength comes from training alone. This affords her enough strength to kick away pipes that fell from several stories high, smack around dangerous monsters, and boot Eligor through several shipping containers. Her strength [[spoiler:can even give Sephiroth pause]]. Impressively in ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts'' she says that after Nibelheim she was a hospital invalid when she came to, requiring days of bed rest before she can even shower. Tifa built up her strength over three years to be as strong as she is now from that.
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: If Cloud's RelationshipValues with Tifa is high enough in ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:they get a RelationshipUpgrade on the second Gold Saucer date where they share a BigDamnKiss, many years after they parted ways as kids]].
* ChildhoodFriends: With Cloud. They grew up in the same small town and used to play together before Thea's death, of which afterwards they didn't hang out as much, shown in Cloud ignoring Tifa who calls out to him and keeps walking in a flashback. One of their biggest interactions was right before Cloud left to join SOLDIER when he asked her to meet him on the water tower that night.
* CleavageWindow: Her Sporty outfit has a prominent hole to accentuate her cleavage. Notably, it doesn't show that much skin otherwise.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Downplayed, but she shows a bit of jealousy of Cloud's relationship with Aerith, especially the scene in the Train Graveyard where she gets upset when Aerith clings to Cloud's arm and quickly latches onto his other arm, then later when the three fall and Cloud asks Aerith specifically if she's all right. Downplayed but reoccurs in ''Rebirth'' when Aerith comments she and Cloud had a date at the clock tower.
* CloseRangeCombatant: Even more so than Cloud, as Tifa has a lower attack range and no long-range moves, so she needs to get point blank with her enemies to deal damage. Thankfully for her, Tifa can bridge the gap with her higher speed and distance crossing maneuvers.
* ColorMotif: She wears mostly black and white, just like her original design and her ''Advent Children'' outfit. The Remake adds blacker elements to her original design, as she now has a black sports bra under her white shirt and black stockings on her legs. There is elements of red as well, and have a tendency to be emphasized when she is particularly angry.
* {{Combo}}: One of the best parts of her gameplay is to string attacks into each other. All three of her triangle moves flow into each other and can go into a DivingKick and whatever else to finish the string.
* CoolDownHug: In ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:Tifa hugs Cloud from behind to stop him from murdering anymore and stop whatever is happening to his mind. It works, but everybody becomes worried over Cloud's mentality afterwards]].
* CosmicMotifs: Tifa has multiple motifs connecting her to cosmic phenomena. She runs a bar called ''Seventh Heaven'', has moves called Starshower, Meteor Strikes, and her signature scene with Cloud has them promise each other under a starlit night. All in all, it gives her the impression of being someone once as unreachable as the stars coming down to someone.
* CreatureOfHabit: In "Traces Of Two Pasts" Red XIII notes while hearing her story that she prefers stability and routine to adventure and drama. Unfortunately for her, drama has a habit of upending her life a lot.
* CrissCrossAttack: Tifa's Shooting Star will finish with her blazing past her enemy in this way with a generous hitbox for dealing [[AreaOfEffect AoE damage]].
* CriticalHitClass:
** Tifa's Purple Pain weapon in ''Remake'' turns her into this, boosting the damage of her critical hits and critical chance.
** In ''Rebirth'' several of her skill cores emphasize critical hit chances and damage. The Járngreipr doubles down and gives her the ability to increase her damage and percent chance on top of those.
* CripplingOverspecialization: Her great physical stats when equipped with her best physical weapons can make her a high damage machine to those enemies with average physical defense. Against sturdier enemies, you'll be better off using the mages to deal real damage. The ATK/MAG swap materia reverses this and makes her a great mage at the expense of her physical prowess.
* CryIntoChest: Her Resolution scene in chapter 14 has her having a break down over the Sector 7 plate collapse and she starts crying into Cloud's chest, mourning over having [[DoomedHometown lost her home yet again]].
* TheCutie: Despite her MsFanservice appearance, she's definitely an adorable sweetheart without a mean bone in her body.
* CutsceneIncompetence:
** If Cloud makes it to the end of the train before the timer runs out, Tifa is shown nervous and hesitating to jump, prompting Cloud to haul her off himself. Otherwise, she'll make the leap on her own.
** After the battle with the Turks on top of Sector 7's plate, she gets injured by the whispers and calls out to Cloud for help while he's in the middle of pursuing Rude, thus distracting Cloud and giving Rude just enough time to escape with the critically injured Reno. What makes this scene odd is that Tifa's already walking about with no signs of injury the moment the Turks have left the area.
* DamageIncreasingDebuff: One of the things she brings to the group, though it only applies when an enemy is staggered. She has her Unique Attacks and the True Strike ability to increase the damage percentage bonus of a staggered enemy. This is almost unique to her with only Aerith's Ray of Judgment and Cait Sith's Moogle Punch, both of whom need more time and bars to pull off, abilities being the other increasers.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: While it's only hinted at in the first game, ''Rebirth'' shows that she did not end up alone in Midgar in good circumstances as we see a {{flashback}} of her [[DiedInYourArmsTonight cradling her dead father]].
* DashAttack: Tifa's ''Focused Strike'' has her made an evasive movement and rush forward with a powerful punch.
* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Of the ChildhoodFriends love interest. While Cloud and Tifa developed feelings of attraction to each other during their childhood, as shown in their respective companion literature ''2,000 Gil to Becoming a Hero'' and ''Traces of Two Pasts'', their respective personality flaws, naivete, and poor perceptions ended up harming their potential bond rather than develop it, causing their current relationship to be fraught with tension over their perceived ideals clashing with their real personalities. Cloud's childhood confidence issues led him to avoid Tifa and her friends, even when they tried to draw his attention, while for her part Tifa thought his guise of being a loner was an admirable trait when in fact it just made him lonelier and worse off. In the games, both of their old views of each other are continually tested, and often their relationship is not the better for it. It takes actual communication between the two and testing their views on each other, both past and present, that allow them to forge a genuine and long term bond, however hurting or challenging it can be sometimes.
* {{Determinator}}: Deconstructed. When Tifa puts her mind to something, she doesn't give up on it, as pointed out in the novel ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts'' where she says that after Nibelheim she was practically an invalid after a month-long coma and lifesaving surgery that put her highly in debt. She put all expenses on hold to work it off while training her body. With her regular salary she would have done it in 7 years, but she found a way to do it in 5. However, she also tends to falter when it comes to high risk ordeals, and often needs to draw strength from those with the drive to push through their goals (such as Cloud and Barret) to get her own ball rolling. Though once she does decide to see things through, she won't give up even if she'll be the first to admit that something could be impossible. Best shown in the Temple of the Ancients, where she encourages Barret to keep running and believing that they'll make it out as the whole place collapses.
* DifficultButAwesome:
** When you don't know how to use her, she's a FragileSpeedster who's weaker than Cloud. If you do, however, she becomes an incredible GlassCannon that can stagger enemies left and right, and outdamage everyone.
** Precise timing on her uppercuts by guarding at the right times or using Lv 2 Unfettered Fury punches can allow the player to deal massive amounts of damage while generating bars at high speed.
** ''Rebirth'' gave Focused Strike a one-hit invincibility armor that allows her to strike past a blow for no damage to herself. Use it right and would be unavoidable attacks become easily stopped.
* DivingKick: The aptly named ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Diving Kick]]'' has her jump and come down on enemies foot-first in this manner. If she is doing an animation that has her in the air already, she will perform it immediately, helping her attack time and DPS.
* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: As told in ''Traces of Two Pasts'', Tifa developed a childhood infatuation towards Cloud upon getting the impression that he's a "cool, lone wolf" type who enjoyed living in isolation and independency, and from there, started idealizing his situation when the rest of the kids left and she had more time to herself. However, the book also leaves evidence suggesting that Cloud's solitary life wasn't out of preference, but due to experiencing ostracization from the rest of Nibelheim, much like how they treated his mother, Claudia. As adults, Tifa still carries this impression of Cloud throughout ''Remake'' and a good portion of ''Rebirth'', until Cloud himself makes it very clear that Tifa had him figured all wrong because he ''never'' wanted to be alone to begin with, prompting her to concede that they really don't know each other all that well.
* DudeMagnet: A lot of ambient dialogue in the slums are from guys talking about how attractive she is and their plans to get her to notice them. Johnny believes Tifa's in love with him, while Rude will avoid attacking her and stops Reno from shooting at her by saying it was a [[BlatantLies hand slip]]. Even when she was younger, she was usually surrounded by boys.
* ElementalPunch: Is able to dish out elemental strikes with her fists if Elemental Materia is equipped on her weapons. ''Rebirth'' adds to her repertoire with ''Reverse Gale'', a [[BlowYouAway wind infused]] beatdown.
* EnhancedPunch: Tifa's ''True Strike'' has her focus the energy into her fist to deliver a powerful blow. In ''Rebirth,'' her synergy ability with Aerith covers her fists in magical energy as she attacks and Avalalanche Two Step with Barret finishes the attack with an enhanced double punch.
* ExtremeDoormat: Tifa has a tendency to worry about what others think of her and always tries to act in a way that no one will dislike her. Although this makes her caring, on the other hand it prevents her from imposing herself and revealing her true feelings. She admits to Cloud that she needed everyone to like her all the time when she was a kid, and even now as an adult part of her still does, which is something Tifa kind of hates about herself.
* FamedInStory: The Seventh Heaven has a great reputation in the undercity, to the point Kalm's own bartender has heard of her and tries to emulate her drinks, which she is willing to help with. And the stories at Jules' gym of how she bested them in a pull up game gave them a new member that emulates her style.
* FamilyThemeNaming: Tifa's mother is named Thea Lockhart, which means the two of them have four-letter names with the first T and the last A.
* FashionableAsymmetry: Has one arm covered in more protective gear than the other, and her hair is parted to have a bang hanging over her forehead while the other side is exposing her ear and earring.
* FastballSpecial: One of Tifa's [[CombinationAttack Synergy abilities]] in ''Rebirth'', Soaring Flurry, has her be thrown by Cloud's sword or by Barret into the enemy. She also has a variant with Aerith, Yuffie, and Cait Sith, Heavenly Ascent, where they use magic to lift her into the air.
* FlashStep: A staple in many of Tifa's abilities. Her Synergy attack with Aerith in ''Rebirth'' sees Tifa bouncing around a magical dome with superhuman speed.
* {{Foil}}:
** To Cloud. As the only known survivors of the Nibelheim Incident, the two have made very different choices in moving forward and life in general. Both have attention and validation problems, but while Tifa tries to keep a lid on them, Cloud has a tendency to overextend his hand when dealt some. As confident as she looks, Tifa is actually plagued by self-doubt and can often be a co-dependent people pleaser, while Cloud tends to put an air of confidence even when it comes at the detriment of his relationships and has a hard time expressing his loneliness as a result. Hard a hand as she has been dealt, Tifa has never let it change her good natured ways while Cloud has become much more violent and often needs his militant views checked.
** To Barret. While both are loyal members of Avalanche, Barret is so consumed by his hatred for Shinra that he dismisses any collateral damage that his group might cause, while Tifa frequently expresses discomfort over the group's methods and results and also shows sympathy for some Shinra employees.
** To Aerith. Both are very selfless and kind-hearted women, but while Tifa is somewhat more shy and quiet, Aerith is more of a playful GenkiGirl. Both have issues revealing their true feelings, but cover them up in different ways. Tifa pushes them aside and finds work arounds while Aerith covers them up with positivity and keeps up the facade. Best represented by their attempts to high five Cloud: Tifa doesn't broach the subject and celebrates without trying to engage Cloud again while Aerith doesn't hide her discomfort and keeps up the subject until Cloud reciprocates. Later in ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:Tifa's goal is to keep Cloud grounded while trying to find the truth of their memories, while Aerith opts to take Cloud to other worlds in order to build a better future and to help him directly against Sephiroth's more otherworldly attempts to overpower or influence him, even if it means also loosening his grip on reality in the meantime]]. Lastly, both of them carry scars from a DarkAndTroubledPast that they are trying to move forward from, but while Aerith is able to focus on the future and let the past rest, even if she has to be a StepfordSmiler to do so, Tifa remains shackled and weakened by hers, as explored throughout ''Rebirth'' and ''Traces of Two Pasts'', the latter of which even lampshades the dichotomy through the book's cover: Aerith is shown standing under white text and facing upwards with an expression that conveys clarity and hope, whereas Tifa is standing under black text with a downcast look that indicates a troubled mind wrestling with doubts and insecurity. This is also shown in how both have the same roots in their name, the Tiferet, but neither shares a syllable. Tifa has the first half to show how she represents Cloud's past.
* ForgottenFallenFriend: Not the main Beagle timeline's Tifa, but the [[spoiler:Tifa of Zack's timeline is swiftly forgotten by him despite the rapport they built in the Nibelheim incident. Making it more noticeable, Tifa had tried making friends with him as shown in ''Crisis Core: Reunion'']].
* FragileSpeedster: Tifa is the zippiest attacker of the protagonists in ''Remake'' (besides being the naturally fastest, some of her weapons will uniquely increase Speed to the point where her animations move at double the speed or possibly more than the others and she can further increase this by using Unbridled Fury) but lags behind in health and defense compared to Barret and Cloud (although she does have better health and defense than Aerith). To help offset this, her default load includes the Chakra Materia to self-heal at will with no MP charge. ''Rebirth'' changes her spot on the team somewhat by making Red the fastest by default, matching her speed with Yuffie's who has moves with faster animations and crowd control, not giving her weapons additional speed but giving her better attack speed so that she can dodge or perfect block better and a better dodge that improves with chi level so that she can avoid damage altogether better than the other fighters.
* GamerChick: Downplayed, but she is very familiar with the Fort Condor game in Midgar. Apparently she plays Wedge regularly, the second best player in Sector 7. She is also very capable in just about any minigame she takes an interest in, with only Regina and Cloud besting her at the Shinra-8 tournament.
* TheGift: In ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts'' her mentor Zangan singles her talent for martial arts out as exceptional upon first meeting her. He is quick to make sure that Tifa doesn't get overconfident by saying her greatest opponent is herself.
* GirlNextDoor: While she might not [[MsFanservice look like one]], Tifa fits the trope by being typically friendly, laid-back, and supportive, Cloud's ChildhoodFriend, and also the person Cloud is most familiar with at the start of the game. She also counts as a literal example, since she personally sets Cloud up in the apartment next door to hers when he settles into the Sector 7 Slums.
* GirlyBruiser: She's a BareFistedMonk who's one of the physically strongest characters in the party, and capable of beating up enemies like giant robots and mutated monsters, yet has a very feminine, gentle and demure personality.
* GlassCannon: Along with having bar-none the fastest attack speed and the highest Speed stat of the playable characters in ''Remake'', her options give her overwhelming physical attack prowess, having the ability to deliver high DPS while weaving in ATB skills constantly due to her high charge speed. Once an enemy is downed, her ability to increase Stagger Damage the fastest among the playable cast allows her to rack up heavy burst damage against foes in very little time. With proper gear and execution, Tifa can be considered one of the most effective physical attack characters, gameplay-wise. Her lack of strong defensive options means that she'll be taking as much damage as she deals out. Of the close range fighters, she doesn't naturally have an ability to help her tank a hit, even though she does have super armor on a few moves to help push through the damage. Coupled with the fact that she racks up damage through consecutive hits rather than raw strength, she's both this as well as a FragileSpeedster. ''Rebirth'' increases her damage dealing capabilities and gives her both the highest natural strength stat and the hardest hitting weapon of the group, though her defense remains weak.
* GoodWithNumbers: Tifa is shown to be good with numbers and finances, and was even the one in charge of handling Avalanche's budget. Cloud can even describe her as being "good with the books" to Chocobo Sam. ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts'' shows this even more prominently, as Tifa personalizes the workout routine of the people in her Calisthenics group in Nibelheim, gets good at counting money to pay off her medical bills during her time at the slums and even figures out how to get more work done for her food stand so that she can raise the money years before she first figured.
* GrapplingHookPistol: In ''Rebirth'' her unique travel skill is to use a grappling hook to get to distant ledges.
* GreenEyedMonster: The ''Rebirth Ultimania'' confirms that Tifa is secretly envious of more assertive women like Aerith and Yuffie, who are able to stand up for their beliefs and see through to them regardless of what others may think, whereas she tends to fall in line with the crowd even if things go against her personal conscience and/or better judgment. She recognizes this personality flaw and admits that she wants to try to be better.
* GuiltComplex: Throughout ''Remake'', [[spoiler:''especially'' after Sector 7 is destroyed]], Tifa repeatedly tries to shoulder the blame for bad things that happen even when it couldn't possibly be her fault. Even when she's reassured it's not, it's easy to tell she doesn't completely believe it.
* HeadTurningBeauty: Being the most overtly attractive female of the game's cast, Tifa attracts attention wherever she goes. Several characters in-game comment on her beauty. It's even something of a plot point, since a love-struck Rude refuses to attack her the minute he first sees her. In the [=PS5=] expansion, one of Corneo's goons is seen excitedly running in upon discovering her, stating he's found 'the hottie of the century'.
* HeroicBSOD: When the Sector 7 plate is about to fall, she's so horrified she's stuck in staring helplessly down at her doomed home in a TwistedKneeCollapse and doesn't attempt to escape her own doom. Cloud has to physically grab her for her to come back to her senses.
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: Tifa often wonders if what she does is enough, or if she can accomplish something that seems impossible. This is a notable difference between her and Cloud, whose InferioritySuperiorityComplex, {{Determinator}}, HeroicWillpower, and general raw talents spur him to barrel into problems without thinking about what can or cannot be done, and often ends up accomplishing more because of it. In ''Rebirth'', she says this to Cloud, whose response is to never give up on what she can do.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: She and Aerith become very close friends throughout ''Remake'', ''Trace of Two Pasts'', and ''Rebirth'', enjoying each other's company greatly. Out of everyone in the party, she is the most devastated upon witnessing [[spoiler:Aerith's [[AmbiguousSituation supposed death]]]].
* HitAndRunTactics: One way to play to avoid the problem with her low health. She can attack faster and disengage better than Cloud allowing her to get hits in and avoid counterattacks. Her Focused Strike emphasizes this by dodging first then striking.
* HurricaneKick: If she has a chi level 3 while using Deadly Dodge her combo will have her perform a relatively realistic version that actually resembles Sakura's variant than Ryu's. Slowing down the animation of Dolphin Flurry shows that the SpinAttack she performs in the middle is actually one of these, done horizontally instead of vertically.
* AnIcePerson: Tifa starts ''Rebirth'' with the ice materia and can buff it almost immediately with icy impulse. This is in line with her appearances in ''Dissidia''. [[spoiler:During a cutscene fight with Jenova Lifeclinger, she freezes one of its liquid projectiles solid and slides on it to deliver several fierce punches on the creature's chest]].
* IconicStarterEquipment: While not quite as iconic as Cloud's famous Buster Sword or Barret's Gatling Gun, Tifa's Leather Gloves are synonymous with her. They are always in her prerendered cutscenes and some intimate moments change her model to using them for the cutscene. They have been redesigned to be both more functional in daily work and to look armored enough to use as weapons for fighting giant monsters and mechs.
* ImCryingButIDontKnowWhy: [[AmbiguousSituation Possibly]] the reason for Tifa's more extreme reaction to the end of ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:and why she has a reason to cry in the first place. Her unexplained flashes of seemingly Aerith's blood means that she senses that a version of her died at the altar, and while everyone believes her to be alive but needing to stay safe, Tifa still feels the pain of losing her but doesn't know the full cause]].
* ImpossibleHourglassFigure: Tifa has had this body type since the original game, and she has it again here. While still clearly muscular, her waist is much smaller than her chest, hips, and butt.[[note]]The ''Final Fantasy VII Remake Material Ultimania'' officially lists her measurements as B92-W60-H88, with a cup size of 32DDD.[[/note]] It even gets {{Lampshaded}} by one of Corneo's goons during ''[=INTERmission=]''.
-->'''Corneo goon:''' [[BuxomBeautyStandard Goods under the hood]], [[HartmanHips junk in the trunk]], and [[HoneyTrap down for a bumpy ride!]]
* IncompletelyTrained: ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts'' shows that her training in Zangan-style martial arts was never completed due to the Nibelheim Incident occurring before Zangan could teach her some of his final secrets. During her early years in Midgar where she trains her body back in shape, she notes that she started to naturally developed her own spin-off of Zangan's style due to this, with her moves and techniques becoming more hers than his. When Red XIII inquires her about it, she says she looks forward to meeting her master again something, to test her own new techniques on him.
-->'''Red XIII:''' Your long-overdue exam. Still eager to learn the deepest secrets of his art?\\
'''Tifa:''' Not really. The next time we spar, I'll be using my own style. I intend to teach him a thing or two about leaving me alone for so long.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Pours herself a shot and downs it immediately after Avalanche has their meeting over the Reactor 5 mission. She says they agreed to disagree over what to do as she got kicked out from the meeting. In ''Rebirth'', she takes in one of Costa del Sol's namesake drinks after the events with Hojo.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: She's one of the two most morally upstanding characters, alongside Aerith, in a series which has otherwise quite [[AntiHero morally grey heroes]]. An outright kind and selfless girl who doesn't have a mean bone in her body and is motherly and forgiving. No matter how many hardships she experienced and tragedies she has to endure, she'd always put others before herself, regardless of who they are, and goes out of her way to help them as best as she can even to her own detriment without asking for anything in return, not wanting anyone to suffer like she did. Even when she has a lot of rage and grief towards Shinra, it never fully consumes her, thus she doesn't let Avalanche's cause meant to take down Shinra blind her towards actual human tragedy around her, either caused by Shinra ''or'' Avalanche, even when it affects the Shinra employees.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: Her two first and closest friends in Midgar were Marle and Barret, both being much older than she was. Due to the fact the friends on her age in Nibelheim left the village for Midgar, she grew up interacting with folks much older than her much more often, especially since she was in a YoungerMentorOlderDisciple position when she was the calisthenics instructor for the older villagers.
* InvulnerableKnuckles: While Tifa usually uses armored gloves to hit with, she is just as capable using her bare fists to fight monsters and mechs without harming her hands.
* JigglePhysics: Not in her main outfit, which includes a sports bra, but her "Mature/Refined" dress in ''Remake'' and her "Shining Spirit" bikini in ''Rebirth'' provide a lot less support for her chest. Doing the sit up minigame in ''Rebirth'' will do some regardless of her outfit.
* KiManipulation: Used as Tifa's core gameplay mechanic. Unbridled Strength is her unique ability which temporarily bolsters her attack power by increasing the amount of Chi she uses. Several of her weapons also have cores that have a set probability of causing Tifa to automatically start a battle at a higher Chi level. And ''Chi-Trap'' is one of the final weapon skills she learns, which traps and immobilizes nearby enemies in a sphere of Chi.
* KickChick: While she uses her fists for most default attacks, her more powerful attacks use her feet, including her "Overpower" and "[[DivingKick Dive Kick]]" moves, along with her "Somersault" Limit Break. Seeing as it is her main Limit Break, it's what she uses when dealing heavy damage in cutscenes. [[spoiler:If she saves Cloud from Sephiroth's telekinesis boulder, she kicks the thing apart.]]
* KimonoFanservice: She can wear one of three different dresses during her infiltration to Don Corneo's place, one of which is an elegant kimono.
* KindheartedCatLover: ''Trace Of Two Pasts'' and ''Rebirth'' reveal that Tifa used to have a cat named Fluffy during her childhood in Nibelheim. She doesn't know what happened to her after the incident, [[spoiler:until a late-game side quest in ''Rebirth'' reunites the two and she helps Fluffy make a new home in the rebuilt Nibelheim with her kittens]].
* KungFuKid: Tifa became one of Zangan's best pupils while she was still in her early teens. In ''Rebirth'' she's even shown jumping and kicking away one of the flying monster attacking Cloud and Sephiroth. The Nibelheim Incident occurred [[IncompletelyTrained before Zangan could teach her the final lessons of his Zangan-style martial arts]], but she managed to keep training in Midgar and incorporate her own style and forms to complete her training.
* KungFuWizard: The Mythril Claw and Sonic Striker weapons highly favor magic and let Tifa make the most out of materia and her Chi-Trap ability.
** In ''Rebirth'', her Unfettering Fury doubles down and allows her to infuse her normal strikes with magic and leave magic mines to do continuous damage. Using her Crystal gloves and switching her great physical stat with her magical with the materia will allow her to deal stronger magical damage.
* LegFocus: Tifa's miniskirt and form-fitting stockings put a lot of emphasis on her long, shapely legs. Even more apparent in one of the alternate costumes in the Don Corneo segment which puts her legs in full display.
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Tifa is one to Cloud, as the biggest support pillar in his life Cloud has a pressing need to look after her and is often a mess when he thinks she is in danger he cannot help with. In ''Rebirth'' [[spoiler:Sephiroth capitalizes on this and increases the divide between the two by gaslighting Cloud into thinking she is an imposter and nearly killing her. Notably, he completely shuts down when he thinks she is dead at his hands]].
* LongHairIsFeminine: Her hair falls down below her waist and is tied at the tips to form a dolphin-tail. Despite appearances between her and Aerith, Tifa is the most feminine woman in the party.
* MadeASlave: ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts'' reveals this is her oldest fear after hearing tales of HumanTraffickers. Unfortunately for her, Tifa's life continuously puts her in danger of it once per game. Hearing that Gus was putting up a woman for sale in his arena ticks her off so much that after winning she kicks him right then and there and warns him that she will do worse if she hears him doing it again.
* MagicEnhancement: Tifa's key ability is "Unbridled Strength". Each time she uses it, it consumes a stack of ATB, but increases her basic attack damage, and swaps her unique attack for a more powerful one. It can be used multiple times. Each time Tifa uses her unique attack, she loses a level of unbridled strength. ''Rebirth'' adds with ''Unfettering Fury'', a move that enhances her normal strikes with stagger boosting effects and leaves magical mines in her wake, and it also changes her unique attacks to more powerful but less stagger % increasing blows.
* MagikarpPower: If improperly used, her weaknesses become very apparent. Her damage dealing at base is the weakest of the group and her frailty can quickly become a liability. Many players pass her up for Cloud's greater base damage and tanking or Barret and Aerith's long-distance prowess. Figure out her ins and outs and you have a high-speed machine that brings stagger down before the enemy can get a hit off and deals damage that no-one can match. ''Rebirth'' makes Focused Strike a default ability and improves her dodge so that picking her up off the gate is easier.
* MartialPacifist: While she has no issues with fighting monsters, she's more reluctant with killing people, even Shinra personnel, leaving the ones that were harassing Johnny alive but unconscious.
* MeaningfulName:
** Tifa is a derivative of Tiferet (the other being Aerith), the sixth sefira in the kabbalistic Tree of Life. This sefira is associated with light, beauty, love, and compassion whose effect is to balance kindness and strength. It is opposed to Belphegor, a demon that seduces with shortcuts to riches and is not connected to the Malkhut (an attribute not created by God but its creations). All of these are exemplified by Tifa's relationships within the party, Shinra and Sephiroth.
** With a last name of Lockhart she should think about opening up about her feelings more. There's always an air between her and Cloud that she wants to discuss their real feelings and memories, but she never does so. This extends to her other friends too, as she often buries her real feelings when talking to Avalanche when not in meetings.
* MinidressOfPower: She's an acrobatic fighter wearing a mini-skirt, and her Remake design has pleated segments to her skirt to make it easier for her to perform her martial arts. She's also wearing a pair of black ModestyShorts underneath them to preserve her modesty during combat.
* MissingMom: Her mother Thea died when she was eight years old, and she ended up being raised mostly by her father.
* MistakenForAnImposter: A subplot in ''Rebirth''. [[spoiler: During the Nibelheim Incident Cloud mentions finding Tifa lying on the ground, seemingly dead, after she attacked Sephiroth at the mako reactor. Sephiroth takes advantage of this by gaslighting Cloud into thinking the real Tifa is dead and that the Tifa traveling with the party is a [[DeadPersonImpersonation Jenova offshoot impersonating her]]. Tifa is indignant when first confronted about it in Kalm, leading to them having their first fight. This reaches its climax in the Gongaga reactor where Sephiroth successfully brainwashes Cloud into attacking Tifa, leading her to fall into the mako]].
* MoralityPet:
** To Cloud. She's the one who gets him involved in helping the community and reins in his more violent solutions to problems like Johnny being a talker. Eventually, she notes that Cloud's "[[DefrostingIceKing losing his edge]]". Late in ''Rebirth'' [[spoiler:that even she isn't able to stem the feelings that Sephiroth instills into Cloud is a good indicator of how bad his control over Cloud is]].
** Also to Barret, when Tifa's considerate nature helps moderate his more aggressive demeanor at times.
* MsFanservice: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. Tifa [[HeadTurningBeauty is a knockout]], no arguments about that. But the game developers deliberately avoided the more "gratuitous" tropes, as [[{{Flanderization}} had been happening in other games]] (like ''Dissidia''). Aside from having a more reasonable figure, her outfit is designed to avoid (quote) "Unnatural movement" and [[ModestyShorts preserve her modesty]], while also having a fighting style that looks more like martial arts and less like gymnastics. The overall effect is to, once again, putting the focus on the strong characterization that she displayed back in the original game. On the other hand, her mature dress during the Wall Market segment shows a lot more skin, trading the CleavageWindow in favor of an ImpossiblyLowNeckline and {{Sideboob}}. But even that's {{justified|Trope}}, given that [[HoneyTrap Tifa's trying to look seductive to lure Don Corneo into a trap]]. Once Tifa's cover is blown, she goes right back to her default, more modest outfit.
* MusclesAreMeaningless: Except for her barely visible abs, Tifa doesn't have the kind of muscular physique that's normally expected out of an athletic brawler/martial artist, instead looking no different than any other slender female in the game (e.g. Jessie, Scarlet, etc.), yet it doesn't stop her from Megaton-kicking big monsters like Eligor and displaying other feats of strength far above her appearance would suggest.
* MyEyesAreUpHere: While she doesn't say it, she seems to take note that Cloud is trying not to stare at her breasts while in her swimsuit and teases him for it. PlayedForDrama when she's forced to show him the scar on her chest Sephiroth gave her years ago.
* MythologyGag:
** The final blow of her ''Dolphin Flurry'' Limit is an uppercut as a dolphin appears alongside her, identical to the ''Dolphin Blow'' Limit in the first game that inspired the remake attack.
** ''Enhanced Strike'' is a single, powerful punch, just like her original ''Final Heaven'' Limit, minus the explosion on impact.
** Her "mature" dress is an updated version of the dress she wore in the original ''VII'', complete with matching high heels (which now possess ankle-straps).
** Her final pose during summoning is an exact recreation of her final magic pose from the original game.
* NearDeathExperience:
** As a child, she tried to cross to Mount Nibel and fell off hitting her head and knocking her unconscious. Had Cloud not decided to follow her after her so-called friends abandoned her, she likely would not have survived.
** Sephiroth slashing her during the Nibelheim Incident almost killed her and would have had Zangan not rescued her and brought her to Doctor Sheiran for medical treatment.
** In the Gongaga reactor, [[spoiler:Cloud is egged on by Sephiroth and convinced by him that she is an imposter, causing him to lash out and knock her into the mako. Then a Weapon eats her and carries her into the Lifestream, while there she sees the battle between the Whispers, Weapons and Sephiroth while memories of her past come rushing back. Visions of her friends give her the strength to survive while a vision of Cloud and Sephiroth taunts her over her powerless sway over Cloud's mind. In the end the Weapon returns her to the party, allowing them to realize the severity of Sephiroth's plans.]]
* NiceGirl: Tifa is a kind, altruistic, compassionate, laid-back woman with a prominent maternal streak and interacts with others in polite, understanding, and respectful way. She actively teaches Cloud life lessons and networking so that he can build better connections and form a reputation for his mercenary job, with Cloud viewing her as a patient teacher. She's also very dedicated to creating the most positive and communal environment possible within Sector Seven. She takes issues with Avalanche's more extreme methods to the point of getting kicked out of meetings, as well as being concerned for the well-being of even Shinra employees, such as recognizing them as [[PunchClockVillain just people who worked to support their loved ones]] and saving Shinra Middle Manager while saying that she doesn't want anyone to die. However, the games also deconstruct this and show what is nice and what is necessary aren't always the same thing, and that part of her niceness is a codependency streak she has a hard time without.
** In ''Remake'', she avoids keeping her actual feelings about the Mako Reactor job so not to dour everyone's mood, and as a result of their activity Shinra has all the evidence they need to drop a plate while putting the blame on Avalanche.
** ''Rebirth'' explores a more flawed side to her, namely her need to be liked by everyone that sometimes comes at the expense of her better judgment, and in the past, even led to her [[spoiler:throwing one person under the bus because it was the village's popular opinion to cast fault on that person for things they didn't actually do: Cloud himself, who saved Tifa's life when she tried to climb Mt. Nibel, fell, and got amnesia, and whom she never stood up for when her friends falsely accused him of putting her in danger in the first place, too afraid to go against the crowd and delve more into what really went down. Tifa is aware of this personality flaw, admits that she hates it about herself, and is determined to be better]]. She continuously looks out for Cloud and tries to get him to remember the truth of the Nibelhiem incident, but his fragile mental state means that she doesn't push the subject when their viewpoints differ [[spoiler:and keeps covering up to the others the times his mind isn't his own]].
* NotSoAboveItAll: While usually the one to try keeping tensions down in the party, when Yuffie questions her on what the ratio Barret has of ''jerkface'' to good person underneath, Tifa can't help but say 45-55 is close. Even Barret can't believe Tifa is siding with her on that one.
* NumberTwo: By ''Rebirth'' she takes this role next to Cloud, as he often makes sure that she has his back on his latest decision. If Cloud isn't in the party she often takes the role to Barret, making sure his decisions are gone through smoother heads.
* ObliviousToLove: Tifa invokes this to deal with her DudeMagnet status, shown in ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts''. She finds turning down men interested in her difficult as she knows it can hurt their feelings, thus she pretends to not pick up on their romantic cues, or dodging them with a vague reply if their intention is too obvious.
* OhCrap:
** She's usually the first to realize that Cloud is having a mental episode, and is especially wary of anything contextually involving [[DoomedHometown Nibelheim]]. This only goes further in [[spoiler:''Rebirth'' when Cloud not only clearly has some sort of lying or conflicting memories of the incident, but is gradually degrading more and more mentally over the course of the story. Once he starts acting like and quoting ''Sephiroth'' directly, Tifa is visibly panicking because she's well aware that Cloud's not the one in control in these cases but chose to cover for him the whole time instead of relaying what she knows to the others]].
** Tifa has a much quicker one [[spoiler:when a Weapon is about to eat her in the Gongaga reactor]].
* ParentalSubstitute: Despite her youth, she acts as a mother/big sister figure to Marlene, taking care of her when Barret is not around.
* PickyEater: Says she was one in her youth, but living in the slums meant she didn't have much choice but to grow out of it. She still doesn't like crab though, something she bonds with Cloud over.
* PleaseDontLeaveMe: In ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:when Tifa is in the Lifestream witnessing some of her memories of her loved ones, she sees Sephiroth taking Cloud with him due to his hold on him. She desperately begs him not to take Cloud away from her too, but Sephiroth mocks her that her voice can't reach him as Tifa then loses consciousness]].
* PowerFist: Tifa can equip different gloves and [[WolverineClaws claws]] as weapons.
* PrimalStance: Tifa adopts Red's attack pose alongside him during their Synergy ability and gets on all fours to pounce on the target with him.
* ThePromise: When they were children, she had Cloud promise that after he became a SOLDIER that he would save her if she were ever in a pinch. Cloud later invokes this motive as to why he agrees to fight for Avalanche after the first mission, as he wanted Tifa to feel safer.
* PunchedAcrossTheRoom: A common result of her hitting enemies in cutscenes. [[spoiler:Even Sephiroth can be knocked back by her blows.]]
* RapidFireFisticuffs: Many of Tifa's abilities include rapid volleys of punches.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: She's a brunette with long dark hair and pale skin, which also happens to complement her black and white ColorMotif.
* RedOniBlueOni: Blue to Aerith's Red. Where Tifa is more shy and meek, Aerith is more energetic and extroverted.
* ReluctantWarrior: While she's a loyal member of [[LaResistance Avalanche]], she is not convinced that bombing Mako Reactors is the solution to taking down Shinra and struggles to reconcile her cause with her conscience, refusing to dehumanize the Shinra employees but recognizing them as {{Punch Clock Villain}}s instead, including when Barret tells her to hold on her hatred after [[spoiler:the plate drop]], of which she's actually angry at herself and Avalanche due to feeling that [[spoiler:they pushed Shinra to drop the plate.]]
* RenaissanceMan: Like Cloud, even though she won't admit it, she has a wide variety of talents; she's a highly skilled martial artist, the resident cook for AVALANCHE, a respected bartender, a talented pianist (who hasn't even practiced since she was a child), a dancer, and a risk-taking driver.
* SaveTheVillain: Briefly, when the party sees President Shinra dangling at the rooftop, Tifa attempted to run over towards him, before being stopped by Barret who takes her place. Tifa along with Aerith also pleaded for Barret to stop senselessly torturing President Shinra.
* ScarsAreForever: In ''Rebirth'', she reveals to Cloud that she still has a scar on her chest from when Sephiroth slashed her during the Nibelheim incident. She even shows it to Cloud [[TakeOurWordForIt though the audience never sees it.]]
* SecretKeeper: Of all the party members she is the one who most knows how bad Cloud's mental state really is, [[spoiler:covering for him when she is knocked into the Lifestream in Gongaga and when he willingly gives the Black Materia to Sephiroth]].
* SheCleansUpNicely: She's dolled up pretty well when she goes undercover as a potential bridal candidate for Corneo. By default, she's bound to wear an updated version of the same purple dress she wore in the original ''VII'' (complete with matching heels, now with ankle-straps), but completing the side quests she lays out for you in Sector 7 can have her don instead either a black kimono or a silver UsefulNotes/{{qipao}}, complete with the respective hair decorations.
* SheFu: PlayedWith. A few of Tifa's specials make use of gratuitous acrobatics, such as flying kicks, heel kicks, doing a cartwheel in her summon animation and her signature ''Somersault'' ability from the original ''VII''. Downplayed/Subverted in other respects; she moves like a martial artist, not a gymnast or cheerleader, and will also throw elbows, knee, and even shoulder charges her opponents. {{Justified|Trope}} when it comes to the dodging, considering what she has to go up against. However, she'll just hop to the side instead of flipping or cartwheeling.
* {{Shoryuken}}:
** Her ''Whirling Uppercut'' ability is almost identical visually to the famous Shoryuken. Some dubs basically call it a Dragon Uppercut.
** The final blow of Dolphin Flurry, her second LimitBreak, is a water-based Uppercut.
* SicklyChildGrewUpStrong: ''Traces of Two Pasts'' and a flashback in ''Rebirth'' show that Tifa did not have the strongest constitution growing up, with her getting sick for several days after spraining her ankle, and [[spoiler:her flashback shows that she was barely able to stand by the time she got to the rope bridge over the Gunnthra river, while Cloud didn't look winded at all in comparison]]. Between constant training and advice from Zangan, the support of her father and her own efforts after the Nibelheim incident, Tifa was able to become far hardier and stronger by the time the game begins.
* SleevesAreForWimps: She's a BareFistedMonk who wears a sleeveless tank top that leaves her arms bare.
* SlideAttack: Her Parry dodge in ''Remake'' had her sliding at ground-level while kicking forward, dealing ScratchDamage. ''Rebirth'' makes the sliding kick her default dodge, but removes the ScratchDamage.
* SoBeautifulItsACurse: While always a part of her character in the original game, it is really emphasized here. In both the games and ''Trace of Two Pasts'' that everyone around Tifa considers her physical beauty first is an ongoing problem that she faces. When even Hojo is more impressed by her physical features than the LastOfHisKind Red XIII, you know she has a problem.
* SpinAttack: In the middle of Dolphin Flurry, she simply weaponizes spinning in place in midair.
* StanceSystem: ''Rebirth'' gives her a new move, Untettering Fury, where she charges her gloves with magical energy and changes her moveset with stagger increasing blows to match.
* StandardPowerupPose: Strikes this pose when powering up her chi-level to 3.
* StreetSmart: She's lived on her own in the slums for five years, and so has learned how to take care of herself. Most of Chapter 3 has her tutoring Cloud on how he can grow as a mercenary in the slum environment.
* SupermodelStrut: She sashays when she walks. Her pleated skirt draws attention to the swaying. The cutscenes actually take into consideration if she keeps up the sashaying or not depending on how serious the situation is, meaning she ''is'' doing it deliberately.
* SupremeChef: An InformedAbility, as several [=NPCs=] comment on the quality of the food in Seventh Heaven.
* SympathyForTheDevil: Her compassion for anyone that can be affected by their mission leads her to voice concern for Shinra employees, despite her hatred for the company, something her Avalanche colleagues don't concern themselves with. She feels guilty watching the scared employees in the Shinra building after deactivating the sun lamps in Sector 4, and is the one to point out that most of Shinra's workers are just average people trying to make a living for their families, and that Avalanche's actions cause them grief too.
* TeamMom: Tifa has motherly qualities, acting as a support for others and she acts as a mediator between the more unruly members of the party. Ironically she is the youngest character in the party in ''Remake''.
* TearsOfJoy: She does this after watching Jessie's performance in ''LOVELESS'' during her date with Cloud at the Golden Saucer.
* TechnicolorEyes: She has red eyes, which compliment her red boots and arm vambrace.
* TenderTears: Tifa is a gentle and kind-hearted woman who isn't afraid to cry around others in dire situations. In ''Remake'', she cries over Jessie's death and later in Cloud's arms as he hugs her over losing everything again thanks to Shinra. In ''Rebirth'', she weeps upon watching Jessie's performance in ''LOVELESS'' if accompanying Cloud as his date, and again [[spoiler:when she sees a version of Aerith killed by Sephiroth]].
* ThreePointLanding: Tifa seems to do it on reflex. She even does it multiple times in a single attack sometimes.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Plays with this trope somewhat in relation to Aerith. Tifa has a slightly tomboyish appearance, but her personality can be quite timid, and her interests are a mixture of tomboyish and girly interests. By contrast, Aerith has a girly appearance and girly interests, but a slightly tomboyish personality.
* TouchedByVorlons: Tifa's encounter [[spoiler:with a Weapon seems to have given her a larger connection to the Lifestream, making her the second known character that Sephiroth communicates with telepathically after Cloud. Notably, in the ending she seems to see Aerith's blood disappear.]]
* TrueSight: [[AmbiguousSituation Possibly]] in ''Rebirth's'' ending, where [[spoiler:she sees Aerith's blood disappear and reappear, and where Cloud sees Aerith she seems to see nothing. It's left vague which, if any, are the truth. The camera avoids showing the player her reaction to the scar in the sky Cloud sees on top of that]].
* TwiceShy: If your relationship with [[spoiler:Tifa is high enough, she and Cloud share a kiss during the Gold Saucer date. After they exit the ride, the two are very much flustered after the kiss and awkwardly try to lighten the mood as they return to their rooms]].
* TwistedKneeCollapse: Tifa drops this way in despair after the sector 7 pillar is destroyed.
* UnluckilyLucky: Tifa's life has a tendency to be both misfortunate and fortunate at the same time, and she has a rather high amount of NearDeathExperience to show for it. She [[spoiler:fell down a ravine with Cloud as a child but she was saved by hikers, her hometown is burned down and she is left critically injured by Sephiroth but was then nursed back to health by Zangan, Dr. Shieran and a Shinra helicopter of all things, tricked into severe medical bills but has the bills removed when evidence suggests their real price was far lower, forced to see Sector 7 be destroyed but saved by a ropeway connected to Sector 6, and in a bout of delirium Cloud knocks her into the Lifestream were a Weapon eats her, but is then informed of the battle between the Planet and Sephiroth and safely returned afterwards]]. In a bit of gameplay integration, she has one of the highest luck stats for a character not built around getting it higher.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler:Being nice to Marco turns out to have been exactly the wrong thing to do. He's one of the people in the cult of Sephiroth, and his presence helps make things worse. If nothing else, it gives Cloud one hell of a scare.]]
* WaterIsWomanly: Tifa is associated with water. She has a dolphin-themed hairstyle, uses water-themed attack with Dolphin Flurry as her LimitBreak, and is a bartender who pours drinks. In spite of her tomboyish appearance, she's a kind, giving woman who acts as the TeamMom and is devoted to Cloud. ''Rebirth'' adds a scene where she travels through the Lifestream with an aquatic whale-like Weapon, giving her an inside look at the workings of Sephiroth's plan [[spoiler:and possibly a connection to the Lifestream to see more of it later]]. Crossing with IceMagicIsWater, she starts ''Rebirth'' with the ice materia and can easily acquire a skill to use icy impulse for an ice attack without the materia and buff the materia on top.
* WhatTheHellHero: Gives a small one to Cloud after he suggests ''killing'' her friend Johnny for mouthing off Jessie's involvement with Avalanche to a few Shinra soldiers.
-->'''Tifa:''' Cloud... You're scaring me.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Tifa is noticeably frazzled in the Train Graveyard and the thoughts of ghosts terrify her. In ''Rebirth'', the thought of a ghost in the Shinra manor unnerves her so much she doesn't want anything to do with it.
* WorkoutFanservice: One of the minigames has her doing pull-ups at the gym against the gym members, and her grunts during this game sound like she's having an orgasm, particularly when she gets fatigued when going up against more skilled opponents like Jay and Jules. To get the level 59 keycard, she shuffles around and hangs off several light fixtures. The camera angles don't get too gratuitous, but the Fanservice is definitely there. The minigame returns in ''Rebirth'' and [[VideoGamePerversityPotential can now be done while she's wearing a bikini.]]
* YouKilledMyFather: She has a personal beef with Sephiroth because he was the one who murdered her father during the Nibelheim Incident. She attempted to get revenge on him then, but came nowhere close to achieving it and almost got killed by Sephiroth.

[[folder:Aerith Gainsborough]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Briana White (English), Creator/MaayaSakamoto (Japanese), Loren Allred (English and Japanese, singing voice)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VA=]s]] Céline Melloul (French), Manja Doering (German)[[/labelnote]]\\
'''Young Aerith Voiced By:''' Capri Oliver (English), Chihiro Tanaka (Japanese)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VA=]s]] Leslie Lipkins (French), Verena Dienst (German)[[/labelnote]]
[[quoteright:531:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chara_full_pc.png]]

-> ''"I just want to do everything in my power to help... all of you, and the Planet."''\\\

A flower peddler Cloud meets after his first mission with Avalanche. She is secretly the last survivor of the Cetra -- an ancient race with mysterious abilities and an intricate connection to the Planet -- and Shinra has been after her since she was a child, hoping to exploit her powers and find what they believe is the Cetra's "promised land". In battle, she wields a staff but primarily uses a variety of spells that don't require materia.

* ActionGirl: For a flower girl, Aerith is a pretty tough cookie; contrasting the brawler Tifa and ninjutsu fighter Yuffie, she prefers to blast her enemies away with magic. She even becomes momentarily physical kicking Scotch in the testicles and hitting another goon with a folding chair during her time at Don Corneo's mansion.
* AdaptationalBadass:
** In the original game her Limits were defensive and supportive, focused on healing and protecting the party. In ''Remake'' her unique abilities are a mix of defensive and offensive options that let her be more proactive in battle. Additionally, instead of just whacking enemies with her staff like in ''VII'', here she fires small orbs of magic from her staff as her basic attack.
** ''Rebirth'' gives her the opportunity to learn how to channel and manipulate the Lifestream in the Temple of the Ancients, something that was only possible for her to do at the end of the original game [[spoiler:right after her death]]. This ability not only enables her to reassemble parts of the temple's pathways, but also provides a number of buffs in proportion to the amount of Lifestream power accumulated.
* AdaptationalSuperpowerChange: In the original game, Aerith was powerful, but her abilities were focused entirely on standard ''Final Fantasy'' white magic used in conjunction with her attunement with the Lifestream. In this version of the story, [[spoiler:Aerith's "future" self who flees across time and space from Sephiroth is a DimensionTraveller, able to perceive, breach, and malleate the Planet's different possible futures. She's also implied to bequeath Cloud the same abilities, given his actions during ''Rebirth'''s climax and what he can see in the ending sequence.]]
* AlternateSelf: In the new timeline created at the end of ''Remake'', [[spoiler:Aerith is rescued by Red XIII--who sacrifices himself to crash the helicopter carrying them--and Zack Fair in the terrier-Stamp timeline, but is left in a coma. Zack brings her back to Elmyra's and helps look after her, which the beagle-Stamp's Aerith senses through the Lifestream. In the long-haired Chihuahua-Stamp timeline, an Aerith who never left Midgar magically pulls the "main" beagle-Stamp timeline Cloud to her world to spend more time with him, but when Sephiroth finds them she gives Cloud the White Materia and sends him back to the beagle-Stamp timeline with it]].
* AmbiguousSituation:
** ''Rebirth'' ends by deliberately leaving it unclear whether [[spoiler:Aerith dies or not as her presence continues to be seen by Cloud, leading to the question of whether she's a hallucination fantasized about by Cloud in denial, a spirit, or if she was indeed saved but entered into a "different" unknown state of being -- either as a result of timeline distortions, the powered up White Materia, or both. Notably, her burial scene from the original game isn't replicated in Rebirth, and while Tifa sees brief flashes of Aerith's death and empty air where he sees Aerith, it isn't made clear if what she's seeing is "real" or if it's actually Cloud's point of view that's real. The other party members' reactions are also kept deliberately ambiguous -- all of which amounts to an exercise in keeping the player guessing]].
** There are also several hints that [[spoiler:other versions of Aerith besides the one from the Chihuahua timeline are actively looking out for the party and the "main" Beagle timeline's Aerith. During Costa del Sol, Aerith tells Cloud that he is going to meet "her future self" one day, to which he says he will keep an eye out. When Tifa nearly dies in the Lifestream, she sees visions of her friends telling her to fight on, and most do calmly but the vision of Aerith yells her name and arrives like she ran, and in the montage of all of them only her face is visible, implying that she is more real than the others. At the Forgotten Capital, when Cloud approaches the praying Aerith at the altar, she can be heard "talking to herself" that she doesn't know the correct way to pray and is looking for guidance, the implication being she's not just monologuing, but actually having a conversation with a more knowledgeable Aerith from another plane of existence. The Aerith who shows up to help Cloud in the final battle doesn't actually say anything one way or another if she is indeed the same Aerith who has fought alongside him up to this point, though her dialogue subtly implies she ''isn't''. [[note]]"I saw what you did back there, Cloud. Thank you." is a ''very'' odd choice of words for something you were right there to witness, but makes a lot more sense as a different version of Aerith observing events from afar.[[/note]] That said, with Aerith's seemingly expanded powers, at this stage there may not even be a meaningful distinction, which adds even more ambiguity]].
* ApologeticAttacker: In battle, after an enemy is staggered, she may say "sorry, but we gotta do it!"
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: At the end of ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:she [[AmbiguousSituation appears]] to have undergone this transformation following the "death" of her "main" timeline self, with her now seemingly gaining control of the White Whispers and the ability to influence other timelines, but at the apparent cost of her corporeal form that leaves only Cloud being able to see her]].
* BadassAdorable: Aerith is a beautiful, outgoing young woman who employs powerful magic to defend her friends and against their foes.
* BadassBoast: Does this in front of [[spoiler:''[[TheDreaded Sephiroth]]'']] of all people in ''Remake''.
-->'''Cloud:''' He's tough.\\
'''Aerith:''' [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu Yeah, so what? Screw him]].
* BalanceBuff: She's far more effective in combat in ''Rebirth'' than in ''Remake''. Her unique command Tempest (which wasn't very useful) and Fleeting Familiar (one of her best abilities for the damage boost it provided her) are integrated into her base moveset as effects of her ChargedAttack. In place of Tempest she has Ward Shift, which teleports her to any active ward she has set up (fixing the issue of players having to stay within them for her to get the benefit), and if she has no active wards then she merely teleports a short distance away from enemies (a big improvement to her slow mobility). She later gets the ability Radiant Ward, which patches up her most glaring weaknesses; with it active her attacks deal more damage, build ATB faster, hit much faster and are harder to avoid, she's immune to damage while casting spells (though she can still be interrupted by sufficiently strong moves) and her dodge is improved to move her further so she can evade attacks easier. These changes all together make Aerith a much more mobile and active character who can build ATB gauge faster and toss out spells more safely.
* BarrierWarrior: Aerith's ''Lustrous Shield'' ability lets her create a magical shield that can block enemy projectiles and damage enemies that blunder into it.
* BatmanGambit: In order to become a more effective threat against [[spoiler:Sephiroth and Jenova, one version of Aerith from an AlternateTimeline--Stamp being a long-haired Chihuahua--made the choice to never leave Midgar, pretending to have "resigned" to fate's whims so to keep the Whispers off her back while she secretly devoted her time to safeguarding her White Materia from them, making sure that it wouldn't be sapped of its power. Knowing that Sephiroth and the Whispers would fail to notice what she's really up to until she makes her critical move, Aerith summons the "main" beagle-Stamp timeline Cloud to her realm at a precise moment to give him the now fully powered materia just before Sephiroth arrives to kill her, gambling her hopes onto Cloud successfully delivering this materia, in turn, to his timeline's Aerith to replace her non-functioning materia, which he does upon meeting the other Aerith in the Sleeping Forest. Though the exact details aren't revealed, this seems to give Aerith access to even greater power than she had before, allowing her to control or at least work alongside her own version of the Whispers (represented by their white coloring), which may or may not have played a role in her continuing to exist in some form, if not outright surviving, Sephiroth's blade when he comes to kill her again at the story's climax]].
* BeamSpam: While her "Radiant Ward" ability is active, her normal attacks change into her firing off a series of magical beams.
* BeautifulSingingVoice: ''Rebirth'' gives Aerith a chance to shine with her exceptional singing skills during the finale of ''Loveless'' in the Golden Saucer. It also helps that she has a budding talent in song-writing.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Aerith is a picturesque example of feminine, graceful beauty despite her mundane fashion choice, and also possesses incredible selflessness and compassion.
* BettyAndVeronica: PlayedWith when compared to Tifa in the love triangle with her and Cloud. Aerith is not the MsFanservice that Tifa is, but the latter is also the more meek and shy GirlNextDoor ChildhoodFriend to Cloud, where Aerith instead is more extroverted and wild, with a mischievous streak, despite the fact both are extremely kind souls.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Aerith is kind and cheerful, and puts up with Cloud's standoffishness with remarkable patience, but can't stand it when people make lascivious remarks towards her.
-->'''Aerith:''' ''[when one of Corneo's men says she seems a little homely but could clean up nicely]'' Requesting permission to kill.\\
'''Aerith:''' ''[to Cloud, after a spectator in the Colosseum makes a lewd joke about her pole and being a stripper]'' OK, now I'm ''mad''!
** This carries over into gameplay, especially in ''Rebirth,'' where her astronomically high Magic stat means that this sweet-natured WhiteMage will ''delete'' anything she hits with her spells. It's highly likely for Aerith to be the first party member to run up against the damage cap, as a third-tier elemental spell cast from her is almost a guaranteed 9999 damage. If given the break damage limit accessory, her spells can hit for so much damage that she's in a league of her own.
* BigDamnHeroes: In ''Rebirth'', while fighting the Turks on a raised platform at the Temple of the Ancients, Cloud gets knocked off by Rude and almost plummets to his doom, only for Aerith to use her powers to save him from falling. During the final battle, [[spoiler:Sephiroth tries to overwhelm Cloud with the power of his Black Whispers, only for the White Whispers to interfere and an empowered version of Aerith herself to join the battle, turning what might have been another defeat for Cloud into Sephiroth's biggest loss yet]].
* BigGood: She becomes this when the party begins to pursue Sephiroth in ''Remake'', being the one with the most knowledge of his plans and the power to alter them. ''Rebirth'' seemingly walks back on it at first, since the Whispers having taken her memories means she's reverted to being just as in the dark about Sephiroth's full plans as the rest of the party, but then it's [[spoiler:played straight again by the alternate Aerith who helps Cloud by giving him an empowered White Materia to then deliver to her other counterpart, causing that Aerith, in turn, to awaken to a higher power by gaining control of her own White Whispers to combat Sephiroth's black ones, along with the return of her omniscient memories, as she comes to Cloud's side when he needs her the most to directly challenge Sephiroth himself]].
* BigSisterInstinct: She's well-liked by the kids in the slums, and when she goes to Sector 7, she stops when she sees Betty wandering around lost and carries her to the evacuation point then goes to get Marlene. She's gentle and patient with the little girls, even offering to trade herself to the Turks in exchange for Marlene's safety.
* BraidsOfAction: She keeps her long hair in a braid during combat, which prevents it from spilling everywhere.
* BreedingSlave: This is Hojo's plan for her, anyway. Not for himself, but for [=SOLDIERs=] [[spoiler:and if he could control him, Sephiroth.]] Luckily, she is rescued by Cloud and the party before this can happen. [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil Even Shinra didn't like the implications either]].
* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: The assertive but kindly and compassionate Aerith shares this dynamic with the brooding, stoic, and troubled Cloud.
* ButThouMust:
** Do whatever Aerith says throughout her introduction chapter and the subsequent Wall Market chapter. If you try to leave at any point in either section, she won't allow it. That includes a minigame where Cloud has to sneak out of her house. If Aerith catches him, she forces him to go back to his room and, even if you make it outside, she ''[[FailureIsTheOnlyOption still]]'' catches him and makes him take her with him. Cloud lampshades it himself when he finally meets up with Tifa at Don Corneo's palace and she tries to talk Aerith out of confronting Corneo:
-->'''Cloud''': ''[to Tifa, in resignation]'' Don't even bother trying to talk her out of it.\\
'''Aerith''': ''[smugly]'' Aww! Cloud gets me! Took you long enough. ''[playfully smacks him on the arm]''
** In ''Rebirth'' there is no way to skip out the date she arranges for her and Cloud no matter what choice the player picks.
* ChairmanOfTheBrawl: Cheerfully brings a folding chair down on one of Don Corneo's lackeys.
* CharacterDeath: Happens at the [[spoiler:end of ''Rebirth'', but an ambiguous case this time, and not directly at the hands of Sephiroth as Cloud ''actually'' manages to prevent Sephiroth from directly impaling her. Rather, timeline distortions ''seemingly'' cause her fate to snap back to what it was. However, another time distortion occurs shortly afterward, seemingly undoing the previous one as she then wakes up and smiles at Cloud. Aerith continues to maintain a presence after this, though she's only seen interacting with Cloud, with Red XIII and Barret acknowledging her ambiguously, which leaves things unclear whether said presence is a spirit from the Lifestream, Cloud fantasizing about her survival as his mind further breaks down, or if she actually did survive but entered into a different kind of existence as a result of the distortions]].
* CharacterCheck: One of the most notable examples from the entire cast. In the original game, Aerith had a free-spirited, slightly tomboyish personality that showed she had a lot of attitude [[SilkHidingSteel despite what her appearance may imply]], but later works in the larger Compilation of ''FFVII'' made her a beacon of IncorruptiblePurePureness with none of her previous edge. As such, ''Remake'' brings back the mischief, feistiness and snark that Aerith had previously in full force (despite the fact that she still ''is'' an IncorruptiblePurePureness). Some of her traits being the result of being a SatelliteLoveInterest to Zack are also brought back in line with the original game - whereas ''Crisis Core'' had Zack gift her a pink ribbon, in ''Remake'' flashbacks show her as a child already wearing a bow. {{Downplayed}} as there are still nods to the compilation, such as her mentioning she used to sell flowers in the park (though in present day she uses a flower basket).
* CharacterExaggeration: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. Her playful snarkiness is noticeably dialed up in ''Remake''; she teases Cloud by pretending to lose her balance while walking across a pipe, and gently mocks him over his aloof attitude.
* ChargedAttack: Her Tempest ability places a remote-activated mine that can be charged up before it's placed, increasing the damage it deals once detonated.
* CityMouse: Aerith has lived virtually her entire life under the steel sky of Midgar and is often unaccustomed to life outside the city. This comes up a few times in ''Rebirth'', where she has trouble mountain climbing and doesn't know what a smoke signal is.
* ClingyJealousGirl: A very downplayed case, but Aerith does show some signs of jealousy on several occasions:
** Aerith is the only one of the girls who questions Cloud's relationship with Jessie if she is taken as Cloud's companion during the first visit to the Gold Saucer, and continues to probe Cloud even when he denies they were a couple.
** If Cloud accompanies Tifa during the first date sequence and they run into Aerith in Speed Square, she even admits to being "a teensy bit jealous". While she plays this off as it being due to her being by herself to explore the park which is "not much fun", it's strongly hinted that she would like to be exploring the park ''with Cloud''. She then makes a comment about finding someone else to go with her, which implies she herself is trying to make Cloud jealous. It's also worth noting that if Cloud accompanies Yuffie, while Aerith does query if it's a date showing a hint of jealousy, when Cloud asserts that it's "absolutely not" Aerith immediately drops the subject, and decidedly does not comment about finding anyone else to accompany her. If Cloud is by himself, Aerith uses a similar line to Tifa's sequence that hints that she'd like him to accompany her, but she is only envious of all the other couples in general terms, instead of jealous of Tifa specifically.
** When Cissnei comments that she knows Cloud (which Cloud doesn't remember), Aerith's reaction immediately prompts Cissnei to clarify that it's "not like that".
* ColorMotif: Aerith is primarily associated with the color pink. Besides her iconic dress and ribbon, a number of her unique magic spells have pink colored effects, like the flower-shaped Lustrous Shield. Fittingly, pink is known for symbolizing love, romance, femininity, calmness, spring, and even rebirth, all of which are strongly tied to Aerith's character.
* CombatMedic: Aerith is the go-to healer of the party who's also proficient in casting offensive magic.
* CombatPragmatist: [[BewareTheNiceOnes Yes, really.]] Aerith may not be a trained fighter like the rest of the cast, but she's been living in the Slums for most of her life and knows how to defend herself.
** When she and Tifa have to deal with Corneo's {{Mooks}}, rather than do anything flashy, she trips one of them by pulling a rug from under him before [[ChairmanOfTheBrawl bashing him over the head with a chair]].
** In gameplay, if she gets caught by an enemy and for some reason can't use her magic, she'll whack them with her staff instead, potentially causing them to flinch and give her the chance to get away (self-defense 101 right there).
* ComplimentBackfire: Corneo's goons actually did like what they saw when they met Aerith, but their compliments came off very backhanded.
-->'''Goon:''' ''[enthusiastically]'' She's kinda cute! Homely but cute!\\
'''Aerith:''' Excuse you.\\
'''2nd Goon:''' Yeah, I think she'll clean up nicely!\\
'''Aerith:''' Cloud, requesting permission to kill.
* TheConfidant:
** Early in ''Rebirth'', Tifa confides in Aerith [[spoiler:that by her account Cloud wasn't present during the Nibelheim Incident. It's implied their conversation includes that Zack was the second SOLDIER at Nibelheim as well, as they both later talk about Zack in Gongaga]].
** Until Cosmo Canyon, she's the only person [[spoiler:Nanaki shows his true personality to]].
* CoolShades: Whenever Aerith performs her Synergy ability with Barret in ''Rebirth'', they both put on sunglasses while striking cool poses--invoking this trope--right before unleashing a simultaneous barrage of magic blasts and gunfire with their respective weapons.
* CovertPervert: Aerith usually puts on an air of TheIngenue, but during the Honeybee Inn section, she has some... interesting reactions regarding Cloud's showguy dance, followed by piqued interest in his crossdressing. As the show reaches its climax, she even starts to sound like she's ''panting'' with excitement.
-->'''Aerith:''' Keep it up Cloud! Work it!
* CripplingOverspecialization: Aerith deals 100% magical damage, even with her basic attacks. While this isn't an issue most of the time, running into a magic resistant or immune enemy takes away her offensive capabilities, necessitating either a swap out or having her focus on healing/support.
* TheCutie: Aerith's sweet personality and enduring optimism makes her eligible for this trope.
* DamselInDistress: Happens to her once, and for justified reason. After Aerith saves Marlene, Tseng ambushes the two of them inside the Seventh Heaven bar with an offer to escort Marlene safety out of the collapsing Sector 7 slums via helicopter, in exchange for Aerith surrendering herself. With no time to left to spare, Aerith accepts this condition and is then taken away to Shinra.
* DanceBattler: Aerith's fighting style is sprinkled with graceful spins and twirls of her staff, while shooting beams of light at her enemies.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: She may not show it, but Aerith has endured a lot of hardships ever since she was a child. Captured by Shinra shortly after she was born, she spent her earliest childhood years living as a laboratory captive, forced to watch as her mother Ifalna suffered through the inhumane experiments conducted by Hojo. Both mother and child would later escape from their hellish environment, but by then Ifalna's injuries already proved too severe, and she soon died in front of Aerith's eyes. It was only good fortune that a kind passerby managed to find the young Aerith, who raised her in Ifalna's place. She had a lonely childhood even after escaping Hojo's lab.
* DeadpanSnarker: A lot of her dialogue with Cloud is her poking fun at him, especially when Cloud plays up his badass ex-SOLDIER persona, often flipping his words around on him. Aerith is also often very positive when Cloud partakes in various minigames and does well at them, but if he performs badly she is very prone to making snarky comments about Cloud's poor display of skills in response.
* DefiantCaptive: While held in Hojo's lab, she refuses to be cowed by him and spends the entire time he's in the midst of EvilGloating and [[spoiler:explaining how he dissected her mother's corpse]] glaring at him silently. It's only when Hojo turns away and leaves that she finally breaks.
* {{Determinator}}: Thanks to CharacterDevelopment, especially upon fully accepting her Cetra heritage and her duty to safeguard the planet, Aerith is resolved to do everything in her power to stop Shinra, Sephiroth and Jenova, even if it means undertaking great risks and putting herself in harm's way. This is made even more poignant with the knowledge that [[spoiler:Sephiroth is actively hunting down Aeriths of other timelines and killing them off so that they won't pose a threat to his plans. A lesser person would've fallen to despair ages ago and just quietly accepted their fate, yet one version of Aerith from the long-haired Chihuahua timeline still pulls off a successful BatmanGambit by giving her powered up White Materia to her counterpart from the Beagle timeline, further strengthening that Aerith and making her even more determined than ever to put an end to Sephiroth and Jenova]].
* {{Deuteragonist}}: While Cloud is the protagonist, Aerith plays a very crucial role throughout the games due to her scant knowledge of the original 1997 timeline along with her being the last of the Cetra and the most direct threat to Jenova and Sephiroth's plans. This is further demonstrated by the credits for ''Remake'' and ''Rebirth'' billing her voice actress second in the cast, right after Cloud's VA.
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: At the end of ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:one version of Aerith falls in Cloud's arms after a timeline distortion causes her fate to revert back to its intended outcome of dying at Sephiroth's hands, though it's left ambiguous if another version of her lives on thanks to Cloud successfully blocking the attack earlier, which created a branching timeline]].
* DifficultButAwesome: In ''Rebirth,'' Aerith has terrible defense, poor speed, and builds very little ATB with her default attack, making her a liability at the beginning of most fights. But with the correct combination of skills and wards, plus smart use of synergy abilities, she has some of the highest damage and evasive potential of anyone in the party, effortlessly warping around the battlefield while blasting enemies to pieces with enhanced magic.
* DimensionTraveller: It's heavily implied that [[spoiler:certain versions of Aerith are capable of doing this, along with possessing knowledge of all their other selves. One such Aerith confers similar abilities to Cloud by handing him her White Materia, as he is then able to perceive the overlapping folds of reality from then on unlike the rest of the party]].
* DisappearsIntoLight: At the end of ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:after Aerith helps Cloud chase Sephiroth away she stands back to back with him and holds his hand before disappearing into wisps of glowing green Lifestream]].
* DreamWalker: Aerith is able to converse with Cloud while he's dreaming in both ''Remake'' and while he is unconscious after the Temple of the Ancients sequence in ''Rebirth''. When her alternate self summons Cloud, she even refers to it as "my dream", though she's clearly simplifying for Cloud in this instance. Notably, Aerith's abilities also extend to some level of influence over the real world, as Cloud is able to pass Aerith her empowered White Materia while dreaming, and [[TakenFromADream physically takes possession of the empty one]], despite being unconscious the entire time.
* DumpStat: Very nearly, as her Strength stat has almost no use given that her basic attack runs on her sky-high Magic stat. However, in a [[DevelopersForesight well-planned]] case of GameplayAndStoryIntegration, if the enemy is stricken by her staff while she's casting a spell or she hits something while under Toad status, ''that'' damage, and only ''that'' damage, scales off of her Strength stat.
* DyingDeclarationOfLove: In ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:an alternate version of Aerith takes Cloud into another dimension to talk to him and give him her White Materia to counter the Black Materia and confesses that, while unsure whether it's love per se, she has strong feelings for Cloud and encourages him not to blame himself for whatever might happen next]].
* EarlyBirdCameo: In ''Remake'', she appears in two separate scenes in the early chapter (the game's opening scene in which she's actually the very first character seen, then after the bombing mission where Cloud runs into her on the upper plate of Sector 1) before her formal introduction in chapter 8 where she becomes a party member.
* EatingTheEyeCandy: Aerith's clearly enjoying Cloud's dance-off with Andrea at the Honey Bee Inn ''way'' too much.
* EnergyBall: She shoots motes of light at enemies for her basic attacks.
* EvenTheLovingHeroHasHatedOnes: In ''Rebirth'', during an intimate conversation with Cloud at Costa del Sol, Aerith admits that she hasn't forgotten all the horrible things that Hojo did to herself and her mom, and how she can't help but want to inflict cruelty upon him in return. Considering how forgiving and [[AllLovingHero all-loving]] she usually is, Aerith's hatred towards Hojo is a testament to how much of a HateSink scumbag that guy is.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: In ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:one version of Aerith from an alternate timeline summons Cloud to her reality in order to give him her White Materia, then gently pushes him back into his reality as soon as Sephiroth enters her church, knowing that he's about to kill her]].
* FairyCompanion: Aerith's ''Fleeting Familiar'' ability conjures up a small fairy {{Familiar}} that will attack enemies whenever she does, helping her rack up damage and ATB faster. In ''Rebirth'' this is no longer an ability but part of her regular moveset, as she can now summon her familiar by simply charging her regular attack.
* FlowerMotifs: Aerith is strongly associated with flowers, symbolic of her connection to the planet which allows her to grow life from land that is otherwise barren of natural growth. This extends to her attacks and abilities, with the rune of Arcane Ward being flower-shaped, her Tempest spreading flower petals, Lustrous Shield being shaped like a large flower blossom, and her synergy ability with Cloud creating a magic symbol in the shape of a forget-me-not flower every time it's performed. Flowers are also a recurring symbol of her power and presence across the worlds, as well as a way for her to communicate with others beyond mere words. Her signature first scene with Cloud in ''Remake'' involves her giving him a yellow flower that symbolizes reunion, and their second scene has Cloud falling down her church and landing on her flower bed, followed by an unlockable third scene where Aerith makes a cryptic comment about the importance of understanding the "language of flowers". During the final battle in ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:Zack finds himself in a doomed world that still has blooming flowers and is aided by a forcefield blossoming out of a magical flower implied to be Aerith's doing]].
* FlowersOfFemininity: She's one of the main heroines of the story, with a gentle and assertive femininity and a major {{Flower Motif|s}}.
* {{Foil}}: To Tifa. They are Cloud's main love interests and have different ways of keeping their feelings to themselves. Tifa bottles them up and finds other ways to liven the mood while Aerith is a StepfordSmiler who keeps up her smiling face in spite of how scared and lonely she really is. Both are very kind, compassionate and selfless young women, but while Aerith is more energetic and extroverted, Tifa is a little shy and quieter. Later in ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:Tifa's goal is to keep Cloud grounded while trying to find the truth of their memories, while Aerith opts to take Cloud to other worlds in order to build a better future and to help him directly against Sephiroth's more otherworldly attempts to overpower or influence him, even if it means also loosening his grip on reality in the meantime]]. Lastly, both of them carry scars from a DarkAndTroubledPast that they are trying to move forward from, but while Aerith is able to focus on the future and let the past rest, even if she has to be a StepfordSmiler to do so, Tifa remains shackled and weakened by hers, as explored throughout ''Rebirth'' and ''Traces of Two Pasts'', the latter of which even lampshades the dichotomy through the book's cover: Aerith is shown standing under white text and facing upwards with an expression that conveys clarity and hope, whereas Tifa is standing under black text with a downcast look that indicates a troubled mind wrestling with doubts and insecurity.This is also shown in how both have the same roots in their name, the Tiferet, but neither shares a syllable. Aerith has the second half to show how she is a new part of his life. This even translates to their synergy abilities with Cloud in ''Rebirth'', which provide access to all four different buffs to him.
* ForeseeingMyDeath: It's strongly implied in ''Remake'' that Aerith has [[spoiler:memories of the original 1997 timeline and knows she's fated to die, and may even know when and how, because in a dream-vision, she warns Cloud not to fall in love with her while [[CallForward clasping her hands in prayer as she did when Sephiroth killed her]] in the original ''Final Fantasy VII'']]. ''Rebirth'' confirms she did [[spoiler:possess memories of the original timeline, but lost them to the Whispers when she rebelled against them]].
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** When Reno arrives in the Sector 5 church, Aerith introduces Cloud as a SOLDIER and her bodyguard, and makes a comment about it not being too different from mercenary work. When Cloud pauses at this, she hastily claims she guessed he was a merc from his sword. While she may have figured he was a SOLDIER from the uniform, it's a stretch to assume Cloud is a mercenary just due to his weapon. This is the first clue that [[spoiler:Aerith already knows things about the original game's story that she shouldn't]], which becomes much more obvious in later chapters until it's all but directly spelled out.
** For the future games, [[spoiler:Aerith's actions and stated intentions frequently contradict each other. She claims that she wants to stop Sephiroth from messing with destiny yet becomes a key player that helps set his plan in motion, albeit for her own separate reasons. It can almost seem like Aerith is being tormented by the situation, caught between her preordained duty to preserve destiny as the planet dictates versus her own desire to live and seek out a better, alternate path]].
** In ''Rebirth'', during an intimate conversation with Cloud at Costa del Sol, Aerith makes a cryptic comment about the future, and that she will be "counting on you" when the time comes. Cloud thinks Aerith was talking to him, but she makes it clear that she was actually referring to a version of herself from the future... hinting that she does know more than she lets on.
* TheFriendsWhoNeverHang: With Barret. She only gets one battle together with him (the Arsenal) and never really has a direct conversation with him. This gets corrected by the release of ''Intergrade'', though.
* FriendToAllChildren: She's very well-liked by the children of the Sector 5 slums and [[spoiler:during the Sector 7 plate collapse she personally saves both Marlene and her friend Betty. This also extends to the ghostly children in the Train Graveyard, as she can sense their true feelings]].
* FriendlessBackground: In ''Remake'' she is shown a vision by the Eligor of a time when she was seemingly forgotten by the other kids while playing Hide-and-Seek. In ''Rebirth'' she notes several times that she would have loved to have had a friend growing up, and she is shown to carry some bitterness at the loneliness this has caused her.
* TheGadfly: Aerith shows herself to have a mischievous sense of humor, and practically ''salivates'' at the realization that Cloud needs to be DisguisedInDrag. She's quite fond of making people, especially Cloud, trip over their words, as well as pranking and confusing them.
-->''(during her Gold Saucer date sequence)''\\
'''Aerith:''' Just so happens the Skywheel's running a special for couples.\\
'''Cloud:''' For couples? As in...?\\
'''Aerith:''' I'll leave that up to your imagination. It's more fun that way.\\
\\
''(after pulling a joke on Cloud in a Costa del Sol side quest... which is'' also ''a date sequence)''\\
'''Cloud:''' You're... screwing with me, right?\\
'''Aerith:''' I guess we'll see, won't we?
* GemstoneAssault: A fully charged Tempest will generate a magic crystal on impact, one that Aerith can detonate for a large amount of damage.
* GenkiGirl: An extremely kind example, but she's still a very outgoing, cheerful and energetic young lady.
* GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak: She's overall elegant and graceful, but also energetic, playful and cheerful to the point of being slightly tomboyish at times.
* GirlyRun: Aerith walks and runs with a feminine stride, swaying her arms around with every step. Another point of contrast between Aerith and Tifa is that Aerith doesn't stop under any circumstance. Trailers for ''Rebirth'' do show she adopts a more sprinting run outside Midgar.
* GlassCannon: SquishyWizard though she may be, Aerith's magic stat eclipses any other characters by a fair amount, letting her rack up incredibly high hits with her spells especially when combined with Arcane Ward.
* GreenEyedMonster: While she tries to keep it to herself, Aerith is highly envious of the fact that Cloud and Tifa have childhood memories of each other, awkward and often unflattering as they are. This stems from her own lack of any friends growing up. In Nibelheim, she admits this to Cloud while sitting on the rebuilt water tower that she hates herself for this and doesn't want to take it out on them. Subtly, it is shown that Aerith has a streak of showing her history with Cloud and the others to make up for lost time.
* GroinAttack: Ends up kicking Scotch in his groin after he discovers that she was the one fighting at the underground coliseum.
* HairstyleInertia: During {{flashback}}s of her as a child, she is seen sporting the exact same hairstyle that she does as an adult.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Only her mother Ifalna was a Cetra while her father was a human, which makes Hojo consider her a "lesser" specimen compared to Ifalna.
* {{Hammerspace}}: Aerith's staff appears in her hands when fights begin and when they end it vanishes as she tucks it away. The animations imply the staves are collapsible for storage, but they're still far too big to just be hidden in a pocket or inside her jacket. Cutscenes tend to have her suddenly holding it when she needs it. This is compared to the other three whose weapons are always visible (though Barret and Tifa's weapons are strapped to their arms, so that is unavoidable).
* HappilyAdopted: She loves Elmyra as though she was her real mother, and by Elmyra's own words, it didn't take long for either of them to start feeling like they were family.
* HatesBeingAlone:
** She hides it behind a cheerful, positive demeanor, [[spoiler:but it's revealed in Chapter 11 of ''Remake'' that Aerith is secretly afraid of abandonment, which the monster Eligor tries to exploit by casting a hallucination spell that makes her relive a childhood memory of being left all alone during a game of hide-and-seek. Her loneliness is increased tenfold when knowing she's the last Cetra, as well. She's close to crying in relief when Cloud and Tifa manage to save her from Eligor]].
** ''Rebirth'' shows that her fear of loneliness stems from the death of her mother, when Aerith had to walk around the Sector 4 station asking for a doctor, only to be rebuffed by everyone save for Elmyra.
* HeadTurningBeauty: Normally avoided in-game since people tend to overlook her due to her mundane everyday outfit but should Cloud manage to get her most expensive dress for use during the Don Corneo mission, Aerith's true beauty is unleashed, attracting a large crowd of admirers as soon as she walks out into the streets while wearing it. Even [[TheStoic Cloud]] is utterly mesmerized the moment he lays eyes on her and becomes a stuttering mess for a bit.
* HealingWinds: She retains the ability to heal allies with her ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Healing Wind]]'' LimitBreak.
* HeritageDisconnect: Despite being the last of the Ancients, she has little knowledge of their culture and customs. This causes her some angst in that the one thing she is singled out for by so many is something she has little actual connection with. Throughout ''Rebirth'' both the Gi and the Temple's guardians regard her as little more than one by diluted blood.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Despite their mutual romantic interest toward Cloud, she's shown to be very close to Tifa as a friend and has been shown to stand up for her on at least one occasion.
* HiddenDepths:
** When sneaking into Junon while disguised as a Shinra trooper, Aerith is forced to perform a complex military drill alongside Cloud and Tifa. Despite having absolutely no experience with this sort of thing, she not only keeps up with Cloud but mirrors his movements perfectly.
** Aerith also turns out to be a surprisingly talented singer and composer, despite no known history of formal training. Her powerful vocals are shown in full glory when she performs her own self-written song, "No Promises to Keep", in front of a sold out crowd inside the Gold Saucer theater, to great acclaim.
* HollywoodHomely: InUniverse. Although Aerith is a very pretty girl, many doubt her potential to be Corneo's bride because of her dowdy clothes and lack of upfront sex appeal. This irritates her to no end.
* IAmNotPretty: If you get the low-tier dress for Aerith (the basic pink one), she'll think she looks awful in it and is even embarrassed to let Cloud see her. She's still a natural beauty, of course, but can't help but feel dispirited due to the unflatteringly bland dress, which actually represents a ''downgrade'' from her usual outfit.
* IChooseToStay: The ending of ''Rebirth'' has [[spoiler:Aerith, or at least some version of her in another timeline, stay behind in the Forgotten Capital to continue praying for Holy while Cloud and the others resume their pursuit of Sephiroth]].
* IJustWantToBeNormal: In ''Rebirth'', she admits to wanting a normal life while making a speech in front of the people of Cosmo Canyon.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: More specifically ''wanted'', past tense, and this is one reason why she so strongly values the party's companionship. When Cloud upsets Tifa during the opening chapter of ''Rebirth'', Aerith tells Cloud the following day that she would have given anything to have friends while growing up, and not to take Tifa for granted.
* ImpracticallyFancyClothes: Should Cloud be able to get Aerith the most expensive dress, he and all other onlookers are blown away by how good she looks in it as Johnny rolls out a red carpet for her, but appearances aside, Aerith complains about how difficult it is to walk around in and she'll actually be much happier and comfortable in her second-best dress, which is less fancy.
* ImprovisedWeapon: Brings a steel chair down on one of Don Corneo's employees.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Even with all the suffering and cruelty she has already experienced from an early age and having to spend most of her formative years in the slums, Aerith remains a beacon of hope, kindness and empathy who refuses to give in to the same cynical, harsh values that define a great number of slum dwellers. She puts others before herself, a trait that is particularly highlighted in the scene where Tseng and a few Shinra grunts corner her and Marlene minutes before the Sector 7 plate's collapse. Given limited options between resisting capture and potentially saving herself from a guaranteed FateWorseThanDeath versus willingly surrendering to secure Marlene's safety, she picks the latter choice without hesitation. Aerith's light-based powers and inherent goodness represent the polar opposite of Sephiroth, a being consumed by pure darkness and evil.
* InnocentFlowerGirl: {{Subverted|Trope}}. While Aerith is a special girl who can grown flowers even in a place as desolated as Midgar, she only has the appearance of an innocent girl, and subverts the stereotype by being flirty, witty, and spirited, [[ActionGirl and rather hands-on]] for a WhiteMagicianGirl.
* InstantRunes: She can conjure a rune on the ground that will benefit allies who stand in them.
** Arcane Ward will have any offensive spell cast inside them be cast twice for the price of one.
** ATB Ward will have allies actively drain Aerith's ATB for their own use, letting her fuel them like a battery.
** In ''Rebirth'', Radiant Ward enables Aerith to fire [[BeamSpam multiple lasers]] at the opponent and gain invulnerability while casting spells.
* IntertwinedFingers: If Cloud takes [[spoiler:Aerith on the second Gold Saucer date and their RelationshipValues are high enough, the date concludes with them intimately HoldingHands in this manner. They also do this at the end of ''Rebirth'', symbolizing their resolve to be together as the universe forces them to part]].
* InvincibilityPowerUp: Aerith's ''Planet's Protection'' LimitBreak will grant the party invulnerability to physical damage for its duration.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Depending on your [[spoiler:RelationshipValues with her, if high enough she will warn Cloud in a dream sequence not to fall in love with her. From the pained way she says this, it comes across as her wanting to spare Cloud the heartbreak of her fated death. In ''Rebirth'', an alternate timeline version of her tells Cloud not to blame himself for whatever happens to her]].
* KnowWhenToFoldThem: As much as she doesn't want Sephiroth to have the Black Materia, [[spoiler:she knows that forcing Cloud to physically take the Black Materia from her will only serve to break his already fragile mind further and willingly relinquishes it to him]].
* LadyInRed: Her most expensive dress for the Corneo mission is a cleavage-baring red number (a reimagined version of her original dress, at that), which emphasizes her sex appeal. The others are pinker are emphasize her cuteness instead.
* LastOfHerKind: Aerith is the last known surviving member of the Cetra, and it is for this reason that Shinra has a keen interest in capturing her to exploit her powers and find the Promised Land. It's also implied that her status as the last of her kind contributes to her fear of abandonment and [[HatesBeingAlone dislike of being alone]].
* LegFocus: Whilst they're hidden by her dress most of the time, the most extravagant dress Aerith can wear when infiltrating Don Corneo's mansion has a long slit that prominently shows off her legs (revealing that the red pumps she wore with it in the original, as the dress is a reimagined version of her original one, have been replaced with white sandals).
* LettingHerHairDown: She lets her hair down in a few scenes in ''Rebirth'', to emphasize her she's letting herself be more emotionally vulnerable.
* LetsJustBeFriends: Despite spending the early-to-mid parts of the game playfully teasing and flirting with Cloud, in her resolution scene in Chapter 14 if her RelationshipValues are highest, she tells that while she's beyond grateful for his friendship, he can't fall in love with her. [[spoiler:It's hinted this is because she knows she's fated to die and is trying to spare him the guilt and heartbreak when it happens.]]
** Falls away from this in ''Rebirth'', particularly if she has the highest affection rating with Cloud. She makes it clear that [[spoiler:she likes Cloud a lot even if he doesn't fully return her affection during their "date" in the offshoot reality (with Cloud either enthusiastically or off-handedly talking about a "next time" showing whether he's fully attracted to her or not)]]. This change is likely due to [[spoiler:the Whispers stripping Aerith's foresight away from her near the end of ''Remake'', presumably as punishment for trying to change Fate. Due to this, she no longer remembers her imminent death and thus has no reason to push Cloud away]].
* LivingLieDetector: When she asks Cloud about who he gave her flower to, he claims not to remember; she's very quick to catch him in the lie.
* LongHairIsFeminine: While she keeps it tied in ribbons, her hair is still very long, which serves to emphasize her femininity.
* LongRangeFighter: Like Barret, she specializes in doing damage from a distance, although she is much more reliant on spells.
* LovingAShadow: Subverted. Aerith admits during her date at the Gold Saucer that she was initially attracted to Cloud because the way he walked and presented himself reminded her of Zack. But upon spending more time with Cloud, she realized that the two were nothing alike, and makes it clear that she's not just searching for the real him, but also genuinely wants to be with him as his own person, not a Zack imitation.
* MagicIsFeminine: Aerith is the group's designated mage and even has some seemingly prophetic powers on top of her ability to communicate with the Lifestream because of her Cetra heritage. The only other known Cetra is her mother Ifalna.
* MagicStaff: Aerith's weapons are staves, and this time their use is purely magical by firing magical projectiles, and they can no longer be used as striking weapons.
* MagikarpPower: In ''Rebirth'', Aerith takes a while to pick up speed as a party member. While always a powerful mage, the fact she becomes playable before 2nd tier spells and support materia that was available around the time she was recruited in ''Remake'' that shored up her weaknesses means that she has a hard time setting up wards, and she only has Arcane Ward to begin with. Getting more powerful magic, materia to support atb bar speed and learning new wards allows her to rack up damage and stagger, dodge attacks by warping between wards, and throw out powerful attacks without using mp.
* ManaDrain: The aptly named ''Soul Drain'' ability leeches MP from enemies for Aerith to use.
* ManicPixieDreamGirl: A good, well-rounded example. Cloud thinks he's immune to Aerith's cheerful nature despite himself. He's really not -- it's her influence that starts to get him to defrost from the consummate and brooding mercenary he starts the game as. But Aerith also has struggles of her own and is deeply important to the story beyond serving as a positive influence on Cloud. It's also a deconstructed trope because while her manic and very enthusiastic acts do often lead to good bonding experiences with Cloud, they also leave him confused and guarded, whereas every time she sheds the act and behaves a lot truer to herself, their conversations end up being a lot more profound and lead to mutual understanding.
* MeaningfulName:
** Aerith is another derivative of Tiferet, also spelled Tifereth or Tiphereth (the other being Tifa), representing the sixth Sefira in the Tree of Life and its symbolic association with light, love, beauty, spirituality, miracles and compassion, acting as a balance between kindness and strength. Aerith personifies these traits so well through her deeds, abilities, and relationships with the other party members (particularly Cloud), as well as her opposition to Shinra and Sephiroth, even more so after she [[spoiler:awakens to a higher state of power at the end of ''Rebirth'', becoming a force of good that directly opposes Sephiroth, who represents Belphegor, a demon that seduces with shortcuts to riches and is not connected to the Malkhut (an attribute not created by God but its creations). Aerith's strong spiritual connection with Cloud enables him to keep mustering the strength to defy Sephiroth's will in his critical hour of need]].
** Her name was also created to resemble and sound like the English word Earth, referencing her strong connection to the planet as well as adding contrast to the sky-based name Cloud.
* MoralityPet: To Cloud. In ''Remake'', after soundly defeating Reno and leaving the Turk at his mercy, Cloud moves in to deliver the killing blow, but stops when Aerith begs for him to stay his hand. Throughout their adventures together in Sector 5, she also encourages him to see the value in helping others beyond monetary gain and embrace heroism more earnestly. In ''Rebirth'', even as Cloud's [[spoiler:mental state is being heavily corrupted by Sephiroth's will, it only takes seeing Aerith in great danger for him to fight off the brainwashing and remember what he really stands for]].
* MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: Depending on how one interprets ''Rebirth''[='=]s ending, [[spoiler:the death of one timeline's Aerith is just the first step in bringing an end to Sephiroth's delusions]].
* MysteriousWaif: Played up much more here than the original game. She has mystical powers and an awareness of the supernatural that no normal human possesses, and [[spoiler:she has knowledge of future events but it's unclear how or why]].
* NervesOfSteel:
** Aerith doesn't let much faze her, [[StepfordSmiler at least not to anyone's face]]. She doesn't give Hojo any sign that she is affected by his attempted BreakingSpeech about her dead mother, and her response to being told that [[spoiler:[[PhysicalGod Sephiroth]]]] is an extraordinarily difficult opponent?
--->'''Aerith:''' [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu Yeah, so what? Screw him]].
** When being pursued by Cloud at the end of the Temple of the Ancients sequence, despite being visibly terrified of both Cloud and Sephiroth she keeps her senses, and is one of the only party members to try preventing Cloud from handing over the Black Materia to Sephiroth. When Aerith is forced to hand the Black Materia back over to Cloud, she responds by telling him that she's there for him in a soothing tone, remaining calm despite her obvious and understandable fear.
* NiceGirl: Aerith is a total sweetheart who doesn't let the cynical, dangerous life in the Slums affect her cheery, idealistic disposition. Barring Tifa (who is also an IncorruptiblePurePureness), her sense of altruism is also unmatched among the main cast, readily giving aid to others without expecting recompense (unlike [[OnlyInItForTheMoney Cloud]]) and will brave even the worst danger for those she doesn't personally know. This exceptional selflessness is shown through the act of giving up her own freedom for the sake of an innocent child when Shinra comes for her in the collapsing Sector 7. Faced with the choice of resisting capture or ensuring Marlene's safety, Aerith opts to surrender without a fight in exchange for Shinra escorting Marlene out of the danger zone, despite knowing full well that only misery, prolonged suffering and death awaits her inside Hojo's lab. Her compassionate nature also helps her see quickly through Cloud's aloof exterior, recognizing the kind yet misunderstood outcast he is deep down and spends a lot of their time together in Sector 5/Wall Market getting him to feel appreciated and in good company even when others (including Elmyra) treat him rather coldly, as well as having empathy for the ghost children of the train graveyard.
* OhCrap: The Aerith who [[spoiler:dies on the altar widens her eyes in shock after Sephiroth impales her before closing her eyes and succumbing a few seconds later]].
* OneOfTheKids: The kids at the Leaf House adore her, and she acts friendly to all of them. She's one of the few adults that the kids let in their "secret hideout," even if it is an OpenSecret among the adults.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: As nice as she may be, even Aerith can have her moments. Upon returning to Gongaga and meeting Zack's parents, she admits she gave no thought as to how they would feel about having painful memories stirred up. When the party reach [[DoomedHometown Nibelheim]] and while chatting with Cloud, she makes comments about not having a hometown to return to; this being the same hometown of Cloud and Tifa's that was ''razed to the ground and their families and friends all murdered''. She is, however, extremely quick to realise when she's being insensitive, and will immediately acknowledge and apologise for it.
* OppositesAttract: A complex and ultimately subverted example. In a lot of ways, Cloud and Aerith's contrasting traits are able to complement each other. Cloud is physically strong and very driven, but mentally vulnerable, while Aerith is physically vulnerable but mentally possesses great willpower and spirituality, even if her self esteem is not the highest. They are able to overcome the worst of their enemies by relying on each other's respective strengths for support. Both grew up [[FriendlessBackground without friends]] and are struggling with loneliness underneath their layers, which manifest in very different ways; Aerith is [[IJustWantToHaveFriends overjoyed to have friends]] for the first time and values the party's [[TrueCompanions companionship]] immensely, whereas Cloud secretly craves attention and validation, and became obsessed with strength and a desire to prove himself in SOLDIER, not only to get these things but also to prove to himself that he didn't need friends at all. Personality-wise, Aerith's positive outlook often makes up for Cloud's flaws as she gently gives him opportunities to challenge his own misguided views about the value of friendships. She's an optimistic and compassionate extrovert, while he's a cynical introvert who struggles to socialize and often needs convincing to be altruistic, and through her encouragement, he's able to earn more respect, form new bonds, and build up self-esteem. All this said, Aerith's biggest attraction is to the 'real' Cloud who is an endearingly awkward yet compassionate individual at heart, rather than the differences between the two, and their strongest bonding moments occur when Aerith drops her peppy persona and admits her real feelings, in turn allowing Cloud's hidden heart of gold to shine through.
* PainfullySlowProjectile: An advantage Barret has over Aerith is that Barret's gun attacks are {{Hitscan}}, whereas the magic bolts Aerith shoots from her staff move at moderate speed and the projectiles sometimes come out in an awkward looping motion. Aerith also does an animation-intensive dance for each projectile in her combo, allowing fast-moving enemies to easily evade them (though this is mitigated by Aerith's projectiles having good seeking properties that will ''usually'' track the enemy successfully). Aerith's advantage over Barret is her attacks' much higher base damage per hit and can target up to three enemies at once, leading to her gaining ATB at an insane rate. Averted if using her Radiant Ward ability, which turns her attacks into much more powerful magical beams which travel very quickly.
* PenName: In ''Rebirth'', Aerith writes her song ''No Promises To Keep'' at the Gold Saucer under the PunnyName alias "Maycomb Blume" ("Make 'em bloom). It actually takes her a second to realize they are calling her on the intercom when they use that name instead of her real name.
* PetalPower: Aerith's unique ''Tempest'' ability causes an explosion that will erupt into pink flower petals.
* PinkGirlBlueBoy: She's a girl who loves dressing in pink which contrasts with the boyish Cloud and his navy blue SOLDIER uniform.
* PinkMeansFeminine: She's one of the heroines of the story and has pink as a ColorMotif that shows up in almost all of her outfits.
* PlainJane: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. While Aerith is considered beautiful by a lot of characters InUniverse, she comes across as "homely" in Wall Market due to the way she dresses, with Madam M explicitly referring to her as having a "plain-Jane makeup and hairdo" and needing her help for TheMakeover.
* PlayingWithFire: Whenever Aerith is fighting in a cutscene she is usually casting fire. Ironic, as she starts with Blizzard.
* PowerFloats: When Aerith does her most devastating ability, Ray of Judgment, she'll slowly float off the ground while doing it.
* PrecisionFStrike: While climbing a ladder, Aerith says that she's "not some princess that needs to be coddled". Then the ladder starts to break with her still on it, prompting Aerith to utter "Shit!". It should be noted the original Japanese dialogue does not have a matching equivalent.
* {{Precursor}}: Aerith is the last of the [[spoiler:Cetra, the precursor race to humanity. This gives her the power to hear the voice of the planet and a connection to TheLifestream ordinary humans lack]].
* PullingTheRugOut: Ends up pulling the rug underneath one of Don Corneo's lackeys.
* RaisedInALab: Aerith, along with her mother Ifalna, was one of [[MadScientist Professor Hojo's]] test subjects in the Shinra labs, where she spent a great part of her childhood until her mother masterminded an escape. The party even gets to visit the room where she lived when they go through Hojo's laboratory. The novel ''Literature/FinalFantasyVIIRemakeTraceOfTwoPasts'' goes into more detail on her life in the lab and her eventual escape.
* RedMage: Aerith's {{Limit Break}}s are healing and defensive but most of her abilities are oriented to boosting her damage output via magic.
* RedOniBlueOni: The Red to Tifa's Blue, with Aerith being more outgoing, wild and somewhat TheGadfly compared to her friend who is more meek and reserved.
* RenaissanceMan: Like Cloud, Aerith is a multi-talented person who easily picks up and excels at a number of fields she puts her mind into. Besides being quite possibly the most powerful mage in the world, she's a knowledgeable florist, an adept herbalist, a gifted singer/songwriter, a natural dancer, and even has an uncanny aptitude for military formation marches.
* RetractableWeapon: Aerith's staves are all made of retractable materials that shrink down before she tucks them away into her clothes.
* {{Seers}}: It's strongly implied in ''Remake''--and outright confirmed in ''Rebirth''--that Aerith knows of the future to some degree. [[spoiler:She knows Cloud is an ex-SOLDIER and mercenary before he tells her so, knows Tifa is about to ask her to rescue Marlene before she does so (which Tifa takes note of), isn't surprised when Cloud tells her Sephiroth might still be alive, and she has numerous lines about how one deals with fate and future events, including, possibly, her own impending death. However, in ''Rebirth'' it's revealed that the Whispers stripped this knowledge from her and Red XIII as punishment for defying them.]]
-->'''Aerith:''' The future isn't set in stone... at least that's what I tell myself.
* SexyBacklessOutfit: The [[LadyInRed glamorous red dress]] has an open back.
* SheCleansUpNicely: The dress she wears when infiltrating Don Corneo's mansion is proportionate to the amount of her sidequests completed. Completing all of them has her don a flowing long and red dress (reimagined from the one she wore for the same part of the original story), complete with a cutscene hammering home her beauty and Cloud's subsequent shock. One of Corneo's goons lampshades this when Aerith and Cloud first try to go in, leading to Aerith asking Cloud if she could kill them.
* SilkHidingSteel: She looks like a sweet, innocent flower girl, but Aerith is just as capable of holding her own in battle as Barret, Cloud, and Tifa; she just prefers to do so using magic instead of physical strength or a firearm. Having lived a hard life in the slums from such a young age has also made her more resourceful and street smart than the average woman her age, despite the traumatizing experiences she has been through. Lampshaded by Aerith herself when she and Cloud are escaping the church.
-->'''Aerith:''' I'm not some princess who needs to be coddled.\\
''[the ladder she's climbing snaps]''\\
'''Aerith:''' [[PrecisionFStrike Shit!]]
* SlowLaser: Ray of Judgment, the special ability granted by Aerith's Mythril Rod, fires an energy beam from her staff.
* SpiritAdvisor: A possible interpretation of Aerith's fate at the end of [[spoiler:''Rebirth'' is that she did die, but continues to watch over Cloud as a spirit and might play a larger role in that sense come Part 3]].
* SquishyWizard: Aerith has high Magic Attack, and many of her abilities like Soul Drain and Arcane Ward facilitate her ability to cast many spells by keeping her MP topped. In addition, she's a LongRangeFighter, casting magical bolts from her staff. At the same time, Aerith has the lowest max HP and Defense among the party, her Magic Defense is sub-par, and her attacks are relatively weak and slow. Her evasion is also poor, compared to Tifa who can't take a hit well either, but is very good at ''avoiding'' being hit. This makes Aerith vulnerable when enemies focus on her, especially when there's a swarm of them which means she can easily be stun-locked and overcome.
* StepfordSmiler:
** Aerith maintains a cheerful demeanor, patiently attempting to coax Cloud to open up towards her, quickly becoming good friends with Tifa, and even being on relatively good terms with some of the Turks. However, under that peppy shell is a lonely young woman troubled by her supernatural abilities, and she confesses to Cloud that the thought of leaving the security of Midgar terrifies her. She also doesn't have a very high opinion of herself at all, confessing to Cloud that she always gives up on everything. [[spoiler:Not to mention it's heavily implied she somehow knows how the events of the original game are supposed to go, up to and including her fated death at Sephiroth's hands.]] Pointedly, despite both Cloud and Tifa openly voicing their discomfort in the Train Graveyard, Eligor targets her instead to prey on the greater despair she has hidden away. It is also shown in her injured quotes that being on the brink of defeat causes her to crack a bit and admit that they might not be able to win.
--->'''Aerith:''' This might be it.
** In ''Rebirth'', at Cosmo Canyon, Aerith gives a speech about what it's been like to be an Ancient, that it's mostly been pain, everything bad that's happened to her has been because of her Cetra heritage to one degree or another, and she never gets a chance to have just a normal life. It's one of the few times she really starts opening up on just how much pain she's carried around all her life. Cloud can encourage her, which causes her to shift tones, focusing instead on all the good things that she has now.
** At Nibelheim, she can also confess to Cloud how bothered she is at not having the childhood experiences that others take for granted, to the point of asking Cloud to give her some time alone lest she inadvertently take her feelings out on him.
** The Temple of the Ancients sequence gives another example of her incredibly low self esteem, where she says she "screwed up" in a very defeated tone upon failing at her first attempt to calm the Lifestream storm, a new skill which she never had a chance to practice, and which ''literally no-one else in the world could do any better''.
* StreetSmart: Despite what her appearance might suggest, she's actually knowledgeable and resourceful when it comes to surviving the dangerous slums of Midgar, having been raised there since childhood. She's also well-versed at navigating the city's districts, and even guides Cloud to one of the alternate passageways that she uses to travel between Sector 6 and 7.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: She looks just like her mother did when she passed away.
* SupportPartyMember: While she does have a ton of offensive capabilities, much of her weapon abilities and all of her Limit Breaks are focused on buffing or healing the party. Her wards even apply to other party members as well and can even be summoned on top of them.
* TheTease: An exceptionally kind case but, despite her pureness of heart, she definitely likes to gently mock Cloud for his brooding and aloof attitude.
* {{Teleportation}}: ''Rebirth'' gives her a new ability that allows her to magically teleport herself to her wards.
* TokenReligiousTeammate: A downplayed example. While she is not shown to practice any religion other than a general devotion to the planet, she is the team member with the most religious ties to her character, such as being encountered in a church where she grows flowers, and is often seen praying, even during battles where some of her strongest magic are activated through prayers. That said, she admits she doesn't know that much about the religious beliefs of the Cetra, including how to pray correctly.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Plays with this trope somewhat in relation to Tifa. Aerith has a girly appearance and girly interests, but a slightly tomboyish personality. By contrast, Tifa has a slightly tomboyish appearance, but her personality is actually quite girly, and her interests are a mixture of tomboyish and girly interests.
* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: Aerith is one of the sweetest and most compassionate characters out there in spite of how horrible and dark the world is and all the terrible experiences she went through growing up. In ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:two versions of her are seemingly killed by Sephiroth. First is the one from the long-haired Chihuahua timeline who gives Cloud the empowered White Materia just before Sephiroth approaches her, and the second is the "main" timeline Aerith who dies the same way as her original 1997 counterpart did when Sephiroth distorts time to revert her fate to her intended outcome despite Cloud successfully blocking Sephiroth's blade from striking her. However, both cases are left without a clear outcome since the long-haired Chihuahua timeline's Aerith isn't actually seen getting killed, while the Beagle timeline's Aerith ends up being subjected to what appears to be a branching timeline effect that allows her to 'live' on in some form]].
* TrueSight: Aerith is frequently harassed by the Arbiters of Fate, dark spirits that initially only she can see, though when Cloud touches them he becomes able to see them too.
* TurnTheOtherCheek: As covered in the novel, ''Trace of Two Pasts'', Aerith experienced childhood bullying from a boy named Marcellus who claimed she "stole" his sister's name (Rona), simply because she initially went by the same name on pure coincidence to hide her Cetra identity, as per Elmyra's instructions. Despite this, she comes to Marcellus' aid when he really needs it, and never exacts revenge on him for all the torment he put her through.
* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: {{Inverted|Trope}}. Aerith is the only member of the main group who doesn't roll to dodge. She instead does a spinning hop. This can be bad as her travel range is shorter compared to Cloud's or Tifa's, but still slightly better than Barret's.
* VerbalBackspace: When trying to convince Cloud to be her bodyguard, she says that it isn't too different from mercenary work--before quickly realizing Cloud hadn't brought up that he was a merc yet. Her attempt to cover the slip by saying she guessed based on his sword comes off as an awkward lie, though how she knew he was a merc is left unexplained. As she is later revealed to have [[spoiler:some degree of foreknowledge of the original events of the story, this slip-up was [[{{Foreshadowing}} an early hint]] that something strange was going on]].
* WistfulAmnesia: Aerith knows the whispers have taken some knowledge from her, and when Red asks if those memories were precious, she says, "Yes. Extremely."
* YouWereTryingTooHard: A recurring theme with her relationship with Cloud is that trying to make him open up and be the real Cloud underneath his false persona oftentimes has him more puzzled about his feelings and not getting through to the real him, because she's playing the peppy ManicPixieDreamGirl role too hard instead of simply being herself and opening up about her own vulnerabilities. Cloud opens up the most when she's honest about her own feelings so he can be honest in turn, best seen in Chapter 14's dream sequence. At first, Aerith acts even peppier than usual, to the point where it comes across as ''very'' forced and unlike her, which Cloud even points out. She then tones down the peppiness and starts talking to Cloud a lot more honestly for the rest of their time together in the dream world, leading to a bittersweet but much more profound conversation between them. It actually goes both ways, for whenever Cloud tries to impress Aerith by acting like the know-it-all SOLDIER type, she simply rolls her eyes and teases him, while being his naturally awkward but kind and empathic self nets the most positive reactions from her.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Red XIII]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/MaxMittelman (English), Creator/KappeiYamaguchi (Japanese)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VA=]s]] Fabrice Fara (French), Peter Lehn (German)[[/labelnote]]
[[quoteright:937:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chara_full_3.png]]

-> ''"You asked what "it" is. Hmm... I am that which you see before you. Nothing more."''\\\

A creature resembling a feline/canine hybrid found in Hojo's lab, who has the ability to talk. "Red XIII" is the specimen designation he received while imprisoned and experimented on.
----
* EleventhHourRanger: Due to ''Remake'' only focusing on the Midgar portion of ''Final Fantasy VII'', you only get him at the very end of the game when there are only two or three hours of playtime left. He [[PromotedToPlayable becomes fully playable]] from the very start in ''Rebirth''.
* ThirteenIsUnlucky: The branding of "XIII" marked his capture by Shinra, where he was fated to suffer an awful fate in Hojo's hands, which was narrowly avoided when the party crossed paths with him and rescued him.
* AbsurdlySharpClaws: His claws can cut apart fiends and war machines just as well as Barret's bullets and Cloud's {{BFS}}.
* AccentRelapse: Before revealing his true voice to the party, Red slips his voice a few times, notably that Yuffie wants to take the Massive Materia in the Weapons chest for herself nearly makes him drop it entirely. He also uses his natural voice when discussing the Whispers with Aerith at the inn, a sign of their CommonalityConnection and that he trusts her. Afterwards he does the opposite, using his gravely voice for when he wants to intimidate those not in the know, or simply when he's being overly dramatic.
* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: ''Rebirth'' delves into the trauma sustained from his captivity in Hojo's lab.
* AdaptationalJerkass: Red XIII never adopted an adversarial attitude towards Barret in the original game[[note]]If anything, it was the other way around; at the beginning, Barret was often the one annoyed by Red[[/note]]. Here, he acts like a SitcomArchnemesis to the big guy for no apparent reason. This is heavily downplayed in ''Rebirth'', and given what we learn of him later, it may have just been an attempt to not seem weak to the most aggressive member of the team that saved him, with him being more chill after spending some time with all of them.
* AdaptationalWeaponSwap: Downplayed as in both the original and the remakes, his "weapons" weren't really weapons, but in the original he had different feathers he wore on his head while in the remakes, he has different collars. This was presumably to have something to attach materia to visually on the model. In the remakes, he only has the one set of feathers on his head.
* AllAnimalsAreDogs: Downplayed. He has features akin to both lions and wolves but doesn't like being treated like a dog. Despite this, he wags his tail and pants like a dog whenever he's excited and happy, such as when he gets to see Bugenhagen for the first time in a long while.
* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Despite being [[spoiler:stripped of his knowledge of the future by the Whispers, he recalls just enough to make Cloud promise to keep Aerith safe, if they spend the evening together in the Gold Saucer]].
* AlwaysSecondBest: PlayedForLaughs in a sidequest ''Rebirth''. When a rancher comes to the party for help, Red [[TheNoseKnows tries to get the scent of the problem]], but he takes too much time tracking it down, so the party uses Chocobos, which doesn't sit well with Red.
* BabyOfTheBunch: Played with. Tifa along with the rest of the party are shocked to find out that Red is ''48 years old'', making him the chronologically oldest member of the group by a significant margin (with the exception of the later recruited Vincent, who is pushing 60 but [[OlderThanTheyLook appears half his age at most]]). But by the standards of his species he's basically still just a teenager of Yuffie's age, perhaps even younger. When the party first meets him Aerith even says "this ''child's'' a friend".
* BadassInDistress: In Hojo's lab, Red gets separated from Cloud and Barret, surrounded by Hojo's experiments. Tifa and Aerith have to rush over to help Red before his HP runs out.
* BellyFlopCrushing: The final blow of his Wrath of the Land LimitBreak he will drop on enemies belly first, [[GroundShatteringLanding causing an eruption of earth]] in the process.
* BeneathTheMask: Throughout ''Remake'' and for the first half of ''Rebirth'', Red behaves like a grizzled and taciturn figure with a sage-like voice to match. But as soon as he and the party reach his hometown, Cosmo Canyon, his voice suddenly becomes higher pitched and his demeanor changes to that of an excitable teenager as he calls out to his friends and loved ones, shattering his prior image of being an aloof old man. It is then shortly revealed that his grizzled act is just a persona he carefully cultivates in order to be taken more seriously by those who don't know him, and as a way of self-protection to hide his inner vulnerabilities to the outside world. Prior to arriving at Cosmo Canyon, he only acts like himself when alone or with Aerith.
-->'''Red XIII:''' ''[deep voice]'' I appreciate all you've done for me. Thank you.\\
'''Aerith:''' ''[wistful]'' We're really gonna miss you, Red.\\
'''Red XIII:''' ''[natural voice]'' Aw, don't say that. You're only making this harder. I mean, I wish we had more time, but this is my duty.\\
'''Barret:''' I suppose it was your "duty" to act the old man?\\
'''Red:''' ''[deep voice]'' I wanted you to treat me as an equal. Not a dog.
* BerserkButton: He doesn't particularly like it when people treat him like a "pet" or refer to him as one. Red has made it clear that he wants to be seen as an equal among the party.
* BlindedByRage: When first met in Chapter 16 of ''Remake'' [[spoiler:he's in a feral state and almost attacks the party after failing to catch Hojo, but is restored to normal by Aerith]]. He also has this attitude towards Hojo, attempting to rush attack him twice as retribution for being captured and experimented on.
* CloseRangeCombatant: Red is the most extreme member in this regard. His strength, speed, durability and crowd control are countered by the fact that he has to get up close and personal with his enemy. He also notably lacks options to close gaps or attack midair foes easily.
* CombatParkour: Red XIII's Sidewinder LimitBreak will have him attack enemies with a backflip for its final blow.
* TheComicallySerious: When he's in his serious persona, a lot of the humor surrounding him is his ability to keep a straight face while he participates in some very cartoonish physical comedy.
* CounterAttack: Red XIII can unleash a Counterspin attack when he guards against enemy attacks and he also has the ATB ability Sentinel Stance which will block incoming attacks and return in kind.
* CripplingOverspecialization: Red XIII is terrible at midair combat, and struggles to deal with airborne foes without using materia and ATB abilities.
* TheCynic: He tends to be more on the dour side and expects the worst of whatever's ahead. He also warns the others not to be complacent. He completely drops this in ''Rebirth'' after his true personality is revealed.
* DeadpanSnarker: When Barret complains about the truck Avalanche stole being a "piece of shit", Red XIII fires back that Barret is a "300-pound sack of it."
* DemotedToExtra: In ''Remake'', Red XIII only joins as a GuestStarPartyMember whom the player has no control over. This is no longer the case as of ''Rebirth'', where he becomes fully playable and an active part of the story from the beginning.
* DevelopersForesight: He has two sets of recorded lines for every sidequest in the game that he takes part in pre-Cosmo Canyon depending on whether he's still using his grizzled deep-voiced persona or his true teenage self. It even goes as far as other party members referring to him as either "Red" or "Nanaki".
* DisappearedDad: Red believes that his father Seto abandoned Cosmo Canyon when the Gi Tribe attacked. In reality, [[spoiler:Seto died fighting the Gi who were entering through the Cave of the Gi until the cave could be sealed]].
* EndearinglyDorky: Despite the serious facade he displays outwardly, he can be rather goofy from time to time. The first major example being when, after getting extremely offended that he isn't allowed in the Queen's Blood tournament on the cruise ship due to not being human, he dresses up as a Shinra soldier to hide his identity and proceeds to make a surprise appearance at the end of the tournament as a mysterious challenger and dances like ''Music/MichaelJackson'' to "sell" the illusion of him being a human rather than a canine/feline thing. And once he [[spoiler:discards the gruff serious persona upon reaching Cosmo Canyon, he just straight up acts like a young teenager for the rest of the story]].
* ExpressiveEars: They are particularly notable during the ending of the Cave of the Gi sequence in Cosmo Canyon.
* FaceOfAThug: Exploited for all its benefits. Red is well aware that he has a grizzled and mean-looking mug, so he pretends to be a terse, no-nonsense badass to seem older and more intimidating than he actually is. His real personality is that of a fun-loving and excitable teenager, much like his real age.
* FieryLion: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. The tip of his tail is literally made of flame instead of a tuft of fur. Besides that, however, the rest of him is normal.
* FlamingHair: The tip of Red XIII's tail is constantly alight with a flame.
* FriendToAllChildren: Whenever the party separates when in town, he'll often be surrounded by children, whom he tolerates good naturedly.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In ''Rebirth'', despite the party exclusively referring to him with his real name, Nanaki, after the events at Cosmo Canyon as well as [[DevelopersForesight every sidequest featuring him having alternate dialogue to reflect said change]], he is still only ever referred to as Red XIII in subtitles and in-game menus for the entirety of the game.
* GatheringSteam: His playstyle evokes this a bit. He has his normal combat state, but can build up a gauge called "Vengeance" by blocking enemy attacks. After charging this gauge, he can activate it to enter Vengeance mode where all of his attacks are buffed in a variety of ways and he can regain health through his attacks.
* GuestStarPartyMember: He joins the party near the end of the story in ''Remake'', but can't be directly controlled. Instead, Red attacks and moves on his own, complete with his own fighting style, healing magic, and Limit Breaks. All of his actions are independent of the player's input. This doesn't apply as of ''Rebirth'', which makes him a fully functional party member.
* HandicappedBadass: He's missing an eye, but that doesn't seem to impede his depth perception, general movement, and combat prowess in any way.
* HatesBeingTouched: {{Downplayed}}. It's more accurate to say he's ''extremely careful'' of who he allows to touch and pet him, and even then he's tense and guarded. Touching his paw pads, on the other hand, is completely and utterly out of the question. No matter how much Aerith pokes, prods and begs to touch them, he refuses to budge on this. Even the offer of a foot massage from her doesn't work. Red's willingness to let Cloud pet him speaks volumes about how much Red trusts him should they ride the skywheel together.
* HeroicBuild: Animal example. He has very pronounced musculature, befitting his stern yet noble warrior outlook.
* HiddenDepths: Who would've thought that this quadrupedal fella happens to be very skilled at dancing on two legs? While disguised as a Shinra trooper, Red takes full advantage of the flamboyant nature of dance to maintain the illusion that he's bipedal as he struts, spins, and moonwalks his way through a crowd of spectators to challenge Cloud to a card battle. He also proves surprisingly adept at Queen's Blood by using his warrior training to memorize and counter the strategies of other players.
* HiddenHeartOfGold: At first, he puts up an aloof and wizened front that comes across as dour, cynical, and world-weary. But once he arrives home to Cosmo Canyon, Red drops the stoicism and acts like an outgoing, excitable teenager. He explains that he lowers his voice and acts aloof while trying to be taken seriously rather than being treated like a dog. His reluctance to part ways with them shows how attached he's become despite his previous attitude.
* IOweYouMyLife: In Kalm, he privately thanks Cloud for saving him from Hojo's laboratory and informs him he'll accompany and assist the party "until his debt is paid".
* ItIsDehumanizing: Discussed. When the heroes first meet him, they ask "What is it?" Red remarks that's an ''interesting'' question to ask.
* JackOfAllStats: This is Red his base state -- he's not as strong as Cloud, as swift as Tifa, as tough as Barret or as magically-inclined as Aerith, but has a decent spread in all four categories with the potential to become a full-out LightningBruiser when his Vengeance Mode is activated. His unique abilities also include a full spread of physical and magical attacks, plus buffs and healing. As a party member, his weaknesses have less to do with his stats and more with his lack of aerial options and his high ATB usage, plus the fact that he ''needs'' to take hits in order to release Vengeance Mode and fight to his full potential.
* KidHero: As much as he hides it, he's actually a fairly young teenager by his species' standards, and his normal voice shows it.
* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: Red XIII is the designation Hojo gave him. Tifa asks what his real name is, but the conversation is interrupted and never revisited in ''Remake''. His real name "Nanaki" is eventually revealed to the party in ''Rebirth'', and they will actually start to address him as such, [[DevelopersForesight even in sidequest content in previous regions]]. That said, he's still referred to as Red XIII in the game's menus post reveal.
* LikeBrotherAndSister: With Aerith in ''Rebirth''. Out of the rest of the party, he feels the most comfortable in confiding with and letting his guard down around her prior to reaching Cosmo Canyon, [[spoiler:and if Cloud goes on the Gold Saucer date with Red XIII, he will even ask Cloud to protect Aerith from danger]].
* LifeDrain: His Siphon Strike and Blood Fang abilities will drain life from in the enemy while doing damage.
* LightningBruiser: Red is the fastest among the party members and has the quickest dodge and actually gains more power through tanking through enemy attacks.
* {{Lunacy}}: Howling Moon will conjure an image of the moon which will shatter damaging enemies and enhance Red's SuperMode.
* MagicalAccessory: He equips collars rather than headdresses this time, but they don't really get used as a weapon either and function as a StatStick.
* TheMedic: When he is helping the party in ''Rebirth'', he can use Cure on allies with low health, and heals Cloud at various points during the motorcycle chase section.
* MissingMom: His mother perished while fighting the Gi Tribe.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Red XIII's species shares traits with both [[PantheraAwesome lions]] and [[NobleWolf wolves]].
* MrExposition:
** He is the one who explains to the party what the Whispers are, having been somehow imbued with cosmic knowledge when Aerith touched him. He also identifies Jenova as the Calamity from the Skies, at a point when Shinra still believe her to be a Cetra. [[spoiler:As Aerith had knowledge of the original Compilation at the time, and she herself recognises Jenova, whatever she did to calm Red also gave him some of that foreknowledge.]]
** He gives a lot of exposition about the old Republic of Junon during the early game in ''Rebirth''.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: PlayedForLaughs in Gongaga. One of his side-quests is to help a kindly chicken rancher grandmother get back her wayward chickens. The last of which is so scared by her close encounter with a fiend that she tells Red that she is going to appreciate her life at the ranch now that she has seen how scary the outside world is. Immediately after reporting their success, said chicken is grilled and fed to Cloud and Red, with Red musing that if not for him the chicken would have lived a longer life.
* MythologyGag: When Tifa notices his "XIII" tattoo and just before Red announces himself, [[https://i.imgur.com/zjFIGJL.png he pauses while posed]] identical to [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/1/1f/RedXIII-FFVIIArt.png his original concept art]].
* NaturalWeapon: Being a beast, he mostly attacks with his fangs and claws rather than his equipped "weapon" which is merely a StatStick.
* TheNoseKnows: He is noted for his keen sense of smell and a few different sidequests involve making use of this to track down objectives. He states that it is seven thousand times better than that of a human's and that a single sniff of a person's clothing is enough for him to locate them.
* NotSoAboveItAll:
** He likes to give the impression of an old, wise and knowledgeable man but also seems unable to resist snarking at others' expense, particularly Barret's. Makes sense, as he's actually a teenager by the standards of his species, and is merely ''sounding'' more mature than he really is.
** He tries to sign up for the Queen's Blood tournament aboard the Shinra-8, and is angry with the clerk when they reject him because only humans are permitted to play. Red then resorts to dressing up like a Shinra trooper and walking on his hind legs so he can pass as human and challenge Cloud, and he even spins and moonwalks to prove that pretending to be bipedal isn't so difficult. In the late game when the party pays their second visit to the Gold Saucer and split off to visit the attractions, Red can be found at the Queen's Blood arena in the Wonder Square ready to play Cloud again, this time without a disguise.
** He's noticeably flustered when Aerith and Tifa ask for his opinion on their beachwear, so much so that he momentarily slips into his natural voice. He then gives them very awkwardly worded PurpleProse compliments to try and recover, and when the girls are confused, he claims that [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial human standards of beauty are difficult for him to judge]].
** He's not above mooching food off of people like a pet would. He actually identifies his appetite as his FatalFlaw; he loses focus very easily if he notices food. He's also often seen to draw awe from children whenever the party visits a new town and splits up to see the sights, and while he claims to the party that it annoys him, it's more subtly implied that he likes the attention.
** When the group arrives at the Gold Saucer, they put to vote who wants to have fun in the park. Aerith, Tifa, and Yuffie are ecstatic to say yes, while Red hesitates before sheepishly saying yes as well. He wastes no time in joining them, however.
* OutOfFocus: In ''Remake'', he is only introduced in the last minutes of the third-to-last chapter and has no time to develop his motivations or personality beyond "escape Hojo's lab", "wrong place wrong time", and "picks on Barret". Fortunately, the finale of the game is expanded so that he at least has time to trust and bond with the team enough that he feels like a part of the crew by the time the game is over.
* ProfessionalVoiceDissonance: Red invokes a wise-sounding grizzled voice to match his grizzled appearance, until it's revealed in ''Rebirth'' that he's just putting on an act to seem older and dignified. His true, natural speaking voice sounds just like an average male human teenager's, because he ''is'' a teenager according to his species' lifespan. Barret has a DoubleTake over hearing Red switch into his natural voice upon entering Cosmo Canyon for the first time, more than likely echoing the player's reaction. Post-reveal, he still occasionally switches back to his "old man" voice whenever he tries to be more dramatic or threatening.
* PromotedToPlayable: As of ''Rebirth'', he is a fully playable member of the party from the start, complete with his own unique play style like the other heroes.
* RedIsHeroic: Has red fur, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is actually named Red]] and is one of the main heroes of the story.
* RollingAttack: His Sidewinder attack has him somersault flipping onto the enemy with a lash of his tail.
* {{Seers}}: Of a sort. [[spoiler:Aerith--who possessed knowledge of the future--accidentally imbued Red XIII with that knowledge as well while calming him down. However, in ''Rebirth'' it's revealed that the Whispers stripped this knowledge from Aerith and Red XIII as punishment for defying them.]]
* SitcomArchNemesis: He and Barret seem to have a downplayed, mostly one-sided version of this. Red usually responds to Barret's obnoxious behavior with annoyed sarcasm or deadpan insults, with Barret being unable to land a witty comeback.
* SituationalDamageAttack: Crescent Claw dramatically increases in range and power if executed while in Vengeance Mode, but it will consume the meter in the process.
* SpinAttack: In his playable form, Red incorporates spinning maneuvers as part of his combo attacks, rapidly hitting enemies with his flaming tail by spinning rear-first towards them.
* StarPower: He uses his ''Stardust Ray'' LimitBreak combined with Barret's ''Fire In the Hole'' to damage the [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever titanic]] penultimate boss. In ''Rebirth'', Stardust Ray is made into a command ability which will suction enemies in and deal heavy magical damage.
* StatStick: His collar "weapons" only exist for him to slot his materia into, because in actual combat, he uses his claws, fangs and magic as his weapons.
* SuperMode: Red's Unique Skill allows him to build up a Vengeance gauge by blocking attacks. Once activated, it increases his attack power and dodge speed and allows him to use Siphon Fang until the gauge is depleted.
* TeamPet: Played with. Being the four-legged TokenNonHuman member of the party has many people assuming that he's the group's pet. However, Red has made it very clear that he is nobody's "pet," and treating him as such is one of his biggest BerserkButton. He has made it clear multiple times that he wants to be seen as an equal among the party. Hilariously though, the story like to throw in a couple FurryReminder where he acts like a loyal dog, especially towards Cloud and Aerith.
* TailSlap: Many of his attacks are to tail whip enemies with his flaming tail, usually by spinning wildly.
* TalkingAnimal: Of the CivilizedAnimal type. He walks on all fours, but is perfectly capable of human speech. He's also quite eloquent and snarky when he wants to be, suggesting at least human-level intelligence.
* TokenNonHuman: He's the only other team member besides [[RobotBuddy Cait Sith]] who isn't some kind of humanoid, being a sentient four-legged animal instead.
* TheUnsmile: After your party breaks from the Shinra building, Barret is relieved that they're home free, but Red XIII tells him that he wouldn't celebrate just yet as Shinra is still on their tail. Barret suggests that Red might want to try smiling a little since he's always so dead serious. And so he does. The end result looks so unnerving that Barret immediately retracts the suggestion, concluding that Red's better off with his usual frown. Red is not amused.
* WallRun: Cloud can have Red run over chain-link walls to reach switches in Hojo's lab. Also, when attempting to confront Hojo, Red does a few {{Wall Jump}}s up a vertical shaft. This is his unique traversal skill in ''Rebirth'', allowing him to reach areas that cannot be gotten to by humans.
* WolverineClaws: Red's main method of attacking is the long sharp claws on his paws, but he is also amendable to body slams, tail whips and bites.
* YouAreNumberSix: Red XIII isn't his real name, it's just the label Hojo assigned to what the scientist regarded as another one of his specimens.
* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe:
** He is incredulous when, right after he just explained that the Weapons are essential to protecting the planet, Yuffie suggests catching one so she can pry its materia off.
** He gets shocked when Cissnei reveals that she can see the Whispers, too.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Between his grizzled appearance and his use of a gruff "old man" voice, none of the heroes guessed that Red is just a teenager by the standards of his species until Red lets his natural voice slip.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yuffie Kisaragi]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/SuzieYeung (English), Creator/YumiKakazu (Japanese)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VA=]s]] Creator/CarolineCombes (French), Eleni Möller-Architektonidou (German)[[/labelnote]]\\
'''Young Yuffie Voiced By:''' Brandilyn Cheah (English), Kino Sakai (Japanese)
[[quoteright:474:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chara_full_4_8.png]]
[[caption-width-right:255:[[labelnote:In Disguise]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuffie_kisaragi_ffviir_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->''"The Amazing Yuffie wants you! Join her team and the sky's the limit!"''\\\

A young ninja[=/=]materia hunter[=/=][[BlatantLies elite special forces operative]] from Wutai.
----

* TokenReligiousTeammate: A downplayed example. While she is not shown to practice any religion other than a general devotion to the planet, she is the team member with the most religious ties to her character, she is encountered in a church where she grows flowers, she is frequently seen praying, [[spoiler: which leads to the iconic moment is when Sephiroth kills her as she kneels in prayer]]. That said, she admits she doesn't know that much about the religious beliefs of the Cetra, not even how to pray correctly.

* FlowerMotifs: Aerith is strongly associated with flowers, symbolic of her connection to the planet which allows her to grow life from land that is otherwise barren of natural growth. This extends to her attacks and abilities, with the rune of Arcane Ward being flower-shaped, her Tempest spreading flower petals, Lustrous Shield being shaped like a large flower blossom, and her synergy ability with Cloud creates a magic symbol in the shape of a forget-me-not flower every time it's performed. Flowers are also a recurring symbol of her power and presence across the worlds, as well as a way for her to communicate with others beyond mere words. Her signature first scene with Cloud in ''Remake'' involves her giving him a yellow flower that symbolizes reunion, and their second scene has Cloud falling down her church and landing on her flower bed, followed by an unlockable third scene where Aerith makes a cryptic comment about the importance of understanding the "language of flowers". During the final battle in ''Rebirth'', [[spoiler:Zack finds himself in a doomed world that still has blooming flowers and is aided by a forcefield blossoming out of a magical flower implied to be Aerith's doing]].

* TooMuchAlike: A root problem in Cloud and Tifa's relationship is that the too of them are often too alike for their own good, and rather than their similar positive traits reinforce each other, their mutual negative traits cause them to stall on topics they don't want to talk about lest they hurt each other or their conflicting preconceptions of each other break the bonds they mistakenly created with them. A good amount of their bonding sessions revolve around them getting to admit that they weren't what each other was expecting, but that doesn't mean they don't have a good relationship and that they can make it better.