History TearJerker / FinalFantasyVII

*** Cait Sith is most likely operating on his own here, Reeve would be unable to control Cait Sith directly because of his own grief and the astronomical bombshell he has to give to the people under his protection, Elmyra and Marlene, both of whom were very close to Aerith.

* Before going to the Temple of the Ancients (which is just before the City of the Ancients), after Aerith and Cloud ride the gondola at Gold Saucer, she says "I had fun tonight. Let's go together again." and "Next time let's take our time and go on more rides." Anyone who's either played before or [[ItWasHisSled already heard/saw what happens later]] will know there won't be a next time.

!!Meta
* The fact that after years of waiting (as there's been demand since pretty much Advent Children), years of begging, and years of teasing on Square Enix's part, ''finally'' a remake of [=FF7=] has been announced. Those that didn't shout their joy were too busy crying in happiness.
** When Gametrailers Live was viewing the UsefulNotes/{{E3}} 2015 trailer, they considered it what they could say was the greatest E3 they'd ever see. A few months later, everyone there was out of a job, as Gametrailers closed down. They survived only just long enough to be there for one of the greatest moments in Final Fantasy history.

* To a number of people, the death of Aerith pales in comparison to the scene where Tifa finds Cloud after he falls into the Lifestream. ''Great!'', we all think, ''He's in this town! ... In a hospital... Wheelchair bound... Nodding his head in a comatose state... completely unresponsive''. It’s so despairingly similar to finding someone you know and deeply care about in a doddering or vegetative state: You know they’re 'alive', but you just can’t meaningfully communicate with them. Tifa is so devastated by it that she leaves the party to watch over him, and Cid has to step up as party leader. And considering this sequence comes fairly soon after Aerith's death, a new player may well assume that Cloud's not gonna get better.[[note]]And in ''Advent Children, he didn't really get better, and mentally cracked, thus leading to his change in personality.[[/note]] The moment Cloud rejoins the party may have you crying for two reasons: Either tears of joy because Cloud's back, or tears of sadness because we've just witnessed his traumatic origins.

## The game makes you, the player, nearly execute Aerith as Cloud. Imagine one's horror when they walk up to her and press the controller, and instead of a text box, Cloud pulls his sword out...

* Cloud's "true" backstory. To recap, 1) he was raised only by his mother, since his father died before his birth; 2) as child, he wanted to befriend his peers, especially Tifa, only to be rejected and treated as an outcast by them multiple time, until he finally gave up and became arrogant to cope with his loneliness; 3) when he was 9, he was blamed by everyone in his town for an accident involving Tifa that mostly wasn't his fault, but he never told his side of the story to anyone out of guilt; 4) as a teen, he left his hometown to become a Soldier, only to fail and become an infantryman, due to his mental issues; 5) after returning to Nibelheim for a mission, his own village was destroyed and his mother killed by Sephiroth who went crazy; 6) after defeating his idol, he was subjected to inhuman experiments for 5 years, which left him comatose from Mako poisoning, once he was freed by his mentor and best friend, Zack Fair; 7) he woke up too late to stop Zack from committing an HeroicSacrifice, and watched him die. Is any wonders he became an EmptyShell of himself filled with FakeMemories?

-->--'''Aerith's''' parting words

!The Original Game

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aerithdeath.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''Damn you'', Sephiroth.]]

Starting with the "iconic scene" on the right, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' may very well be the embodiment of FromBadToWorse when it comes to {{Tear Jerker}}s in video games. You'd best equip tissues instead of swords, really.

!Aerith's Death

![[Literature/FinalFantasyVIIOnTheWayToASmile On the Way to a Smile]]

!Meta

->''"I'll be going now. [[RewatchBonus I'll come back when it's all over."]]''

* ''TearJerker/DirgeOfCerberus''
* ''TearJerker/CrisisCore''

* The game might be getting re-made for the new generation, but this scene has become so iconic and very important to the core story that there's just ''no way'' Square could ever remove it. Which means they probably will not create extra content to canonically prevent her death. ''Not even a remake can save Aerith.''
** It never could: ''Advent Children'' made it crystal clear that she's gone forever. Unless Square Enix decides to render the entire ''Compilation'' non-canon. On the lighter side, however, she doesn't seem to mind her existence in the Lifestream, and she's finally [[TogetherInDeath reunited with Zack]].
** The remake has officially veered off in a new timeline, and the destinies of the characters are no longer set... which just feels like a major ticking time bomb of a HopeSpot...

** Your mileage may vary, but this troper always found the death of Jessie particularly sad. Wedge is the plucky comic relief and Biggs is kind of a generic rebel guy. But Jessie in particular gets quite a lot of character development in the first few levels of the game. She's intelligent, very personable to Cloud, loves her dorky puns, and spends a lot of time flirting with him. She can even say, as her final words to him, that she always liked him despite his gruff demeanour. Out of all the AVALANCHE members, she is also the first to show real remorse that AVALANCHE itself took innocent lives - she even rationalises her own death as karma for this. Which somehow makes it all the sadder, considering that [[BigBad Shinra]] are a lot [[BlackAndGrayMorality more evil]].

!Aerith's Death
* The death of Aerith had many gamers literally bawling into their controllers. Japanese players allegedly sent a futile petition to Squaresoft begging for Aerith's revival.
* Aerith's fate was inspired by the death of a real person: Sakaguchi's mother, who died early in the production of ''Final Fantasy VII''. This made Sakaguchi, the man behind the entire series, include a realistic death in the game as opposed to the Hollywood-style deaths in earlier ''Final Fantasy'' games.
* WordOfGod says that Cait Sith's sacrifice was intentionally played up, only to be deflated in mere seconds, to desensitize players and make them believe that this is a world in which nobody dies. The next scene is Aerith announcing that she's going to go face Sephiroth alone. Well played, Squaresoft. You pricks.
* What really seems to get people, at a time where [[ItWasHisSled everyone in the known world with an internet connection knows it's going to happen]], is that it's so [[HopeSpot dragged out and emphasized.]] Cloud manages to overpower his programming and prevent himself from killing Aerith and she looks at him with a smile...and then the camera tilts up to reveal Sephiroth[=/=]Jenova-LIFE falling from the sky sword-first. The shots linger long enough that a player might expect someone, '''anyone''', to save Aerith from her fate, but no-one notices Sephiroth until it's too late.
* Anybody familiar with [=JRPGs=] has seen the clip of Aerith getting stabbed, but what the billions of clickbait videos and countdowns fail to mention is:
##Cloud has to fight against his own programming to stop [[SwordOverHead himself from executing Aerith]]. That's when Jenova/Sephiroth steps in and finishes the job.

* The game might be getting re-made for the new generation, but this scene has become so iconic and very important to the core story that there's just ''no way'' Square could ever remove it. Which means they probably will not create extra content to canonically prevent her death. ''Not even a remake can save Aerith.''

** Cloud catches Aerith as she falls, and cradles her broken body to him, murmuring to himself that '''this can't be real'''. Sephiroth, ignorant to the depth of Cloud's pain, tells him that Aerith will soon be part of the Lifestream before going on about his own plans for the future. Still grieving, Cloud cuts his speech off and tells him to "'''shut up'''", and that the cycle of nature and Sephiroth's stupid plan don't mean a damn thing because Aerith is gone. The way his shoulders move and his speech on how his eyes are burning heavily imply that he's crying. Even more heart wrenching is when he says "'''What about my pain?'''", because it makes it clear that at that point, Cloud cannot focus on anything -- not the impending doom of the planet, not even the fact that his archenemy is standing '''right there''' -- but his grief over Aeris/Aerith's death.
--->'''Cloud:''' Aerith is gone.\\
'''Cloud:''' Aerith will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry... or get angry...\\

** Even though they both had romantic interest in Cloud, Aerith had become Tifa's closest friend along the journey. So when she's dead, Tifa pays her respects by kneeling in front of the dead Aerith and caressing her face gently. Then she starts to sob, and then just stands up and runs out of the area sobbing her eyes out. Bear in mind that it takes a lot to make Tifa cry.
** Barret walks up to Aerith's body, looks for a second, and then simply places his hand on Cloud's shoulder. Having lost the woman he loved, as well, Barret's empathy was very appropriate for that scene. Remember too that Barret owes a lot to Aerith for her having saved Marlene.

*** Cait Sith is most likely operating on his own here, Reeve would be unable to control Cait Sith directly because of his own grief and the astronomical bombshell he has to give to the people under his protection, Elmyra and Marlene, both of whom were very close to Aerith.
** But for many fans, '''Yuffie''' of all people has the most unexpected reaction. Here we have a selfish little thief who tags along with your party for little reason other than greed... but when faced with Aerith's death you can see her struggling to maintain control of herself. Then she completely loses it and '''flings herself at Cloud crying'''. And Cloud just hangs onto her and lets her cry. And even when she leaves, her sprite is shaking to show she's still crying. It makes the scene afterward, when she basically bitch-slaps Cloud and tells him he's not going after Sephiroth solo (because ''of course'' they're all coming along) more impactful. It was this moment [[AdoptTheDog which convinced her doubters that Yuffie actually had a heart after all]].
** Vincent basically just silently glared at Cloud emotionlessly, though you can argue that he was disturbed by Aerith's death, but because of his own traumatic past and zombiefication, he's unable to express any emotions to convey it. And as you discover his past, this becomes even sadder: Vincent was there to witness his lover Lucrecia die and unable to do anything about it and he, along with Cloud, let a similar tragedy befall Aerith.
** Cid is unable to show his face to anyone, not even Aerith's. All he does is just stare upwards at the sky, as if silently asking the gods '''why''' they would do something like this, and then walks away without even looking at Cloud. Probably because he can't bear to let Cloud see his sad face.
* Even the interface gets in on it. When the player visits a shop, it shows all party members, arranged nicely in a square after you get all nine, so you can see how new equipment will affect them. Likewise, changing party members with the PHS also shows the six backup party members nicely arranged in two rows of three. After Aerith dies, her spot in the left column is simply left empty instead of rearranging the party members who joined after her, and the second row of inactive party members now has a conspicuous blank space. For the rest of the game, you are forced to stare at that empty spot, as if the party will never be whole again.
* Somehow it's worse knowing the NES Fan translation also has Aerith's death in it... it's just as heartwrenching as the real thing.
* There's a bit of meta manipulation at play here as well. Gamers are used to receiving rewards after working through long, complex levels, such as the Forgotten City. The game has you spending possibly hours going back and forth, solving puzzles and fighting monsters all for the purpose of finding Aerith and bringing her back to the fold. You finally reach your objective and there she is, everything's going to be alright. Then you have to watch as she's cut down before your eyes. You did all that work and ''it wasn't enough''!

* Aerith's whole life is one long Tearjerker. Born the daughter of [[ASharedSuffering the sole remainder of an ancient race]] and her scientist lover, her only family was tortured and eventually killed at the hands of the Shinra Power Company, and she was left alone in the slums of Sector 7 before being adopted by Elmyra. She grew up on those mean streets and was endlessly stalked and watched by Shinra Inc. under the directions of Dr. Hojo, the man responsible for all her suffering. Even when she managed to meet her eventual first Love, Zack Fair, he eventually lost his life due to Shinra Inc. and she only discovered this years after his death despite hope he was still alive. She would eventually meet a new love in Cloud and have new friends, before being abused and captured to be experimented on by Dr. Hojo, who admitted he could have done so at anytime and simply waited for her to mature first. All of this before her infamous death in a bid to save the Planet from destruction. How she managed to keep a positive attitude in spite of all that horror is nothing short of miraculous.
* Cait Sith's faux HeroicSacrifice was still very touching... particularly when the moogle tripped and Cait Sith fell on the floor, then turned to the camera and made that adorably cute shrug. "Even I can save the world!" Some people, even the ones who are ambivalent about Aerith, started crying at this point even if they know the circumstances. The music [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfelCeKaaIE "Words Drowned by Fireworks']] and the moment when he swings his arms cheerfully, then stops and slumps over for a second... Jeez, that was AlasPoorScrappy at its finest, and could be considered RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap. You find yourself agreeing with what he said: Another Cait Sith body may (and does) come along, but there's only one of ''this'' Cait Sith... and you're going to miss him.
* Then there’s the part when Cait Sith tells Aerith that she and Cloud are perfect for each other. It's made even worse if you have Tifa in the party: When Cait Sith mentions that he doesn't want to tell their fortune in front of Tifa, who is clearly distressed, '''Aerith''' encourages him to, replying, "Oh don't worry, ''I'' don't mind!"
* To a number of people, the death of Aerith pales in comparison to the scene where Tifa finds Cloud after he falls into the Lifestream. ''Great!'', we all think, ''He's in this town! ... In a hospital... Wheelchair bound... Nodding his head in a comatose state... completely unresponsive''. It’s so despairingly similar to finding someone you know and deeply care about in a doddering or vegetative state: You know they’re 'alive', but you just can’t meaningfully communicate with them. Tifa is so devastated by it that she leaves the party to watch over him, and Cid has to step up as party leader. And considering this sequence comes fairly soon after Aerith's death, a new player may well assume that Cloud's not gonna get better.[[note]]And in ''Advent Children, he didn't really get better, and mentally cracked, thus leading to his change in personality.[[/note]] The moment Cloud rejoins the party may have you crying for two reasons: Either tears of joy because Cloud's back, or tears of sadness because we've just witnessed his traumatic origins.
** Cloud's HeroicBSOD at the Northern Crater. At this point, he's pretty much hit rock bottom. He's a puppet. He doesn't have a real past. All of his drives and motivations were just programmed into him (or so Sephiroth claims). He failed to save the Planet. He failed to save Aerith. He actually washed out of the SOLDIER program. Now he's begging to at least be numbered, to be recognized as '''anything''', and he begs Hojo to give him a number... and Hojo tells him he's a failure even as a puppet. Ouch!

** Like with Aerith's death, the piano reprise of the Cosmo Canyon theme really hits it home. The same music plays again... when you have Red XIII visit Bugenhagen on his death bed.

* Shortly afterwards, the party is gathered around the Cosmo Candle, and Aerith comes out from speaking with the elders, having learned much about the Cetra...and in the process learning that she's alone. She's in a melancholy mood for the rest of the evening, and brushes off Cloud's attempts at comfort. Every time you try to speak to her, she just looks away.

* Elmyra waiting for her husband to return, and finally finding out from Aerith that he died on the way back from the war. Later, Cait Sith mentions that he (as Reeve) told her of Aerith's death, and that Elmyra, along with Marlene, didn't take it well.

* The aftermath of the Ancient Temple, where after going through the effort of retrieving the Black Materia, Sephiroth manages to control Cloud, forcing him to hand over the Black Materia, and then forces him to beat up Aerith! Imagine Aerith, her face bruised, possibly bleeding, her eyes full of pain, shock and betrayal. This is how Cloud last saw her in person until they find her at the altar where she dies.

* ''Case of Tifa'' provides an in-depth look at Cloud and Tifa's relationship as they struggle to adapt to a normal life in the newly-founded city of Edge. Needless to say, there are many heartwarming moments, but also some very strong tearjerkers, as the two of them try and often fail to communicate their feelings to each other effectively. This is only exacerbated by Cloud's dwindling emotional state as a result of his having failed to save the lives of Aerith and Zack, thus further straining his relationship with Tifa.

* Though she manages it better than Cloud, Tifa herself struggles with her own bout with Survivor's Guilt at the start of the novella between Aerith, Sector 7, and the overall state of Midgar post Meteorfall.

-->--'''Aerith's''' parting words

** Cloud catches Aerith as she falls, and cradles her broken body to him, murmuring to himself that '''this can't be real'''. Sephiroth, ignorant to the depth of Cloud's pain, tells him that Aerith will soon be part of the Lifestream before going on about his own plans for the future. Still grieving, Cloud cuts his speech off and tells him to "'''shut up'''", and that the cycle of nature and Sephiroth's stupid plan don't mean a damb thing because Aerith is gone. The way his shoulders move and his speech on how his eyes are burning heavily imply that he's crying. Even more heart wrenching is when he says "'''What about my pain?'''", because it makes it clear that at that point, Cloud cannot focus on anything -- not the impending doom of the planet, not even the fact that his archenemy is standing '''right there''' -- but his grief over Aeris/Aerith's death.

** Given that the remake has made clear that the "Destinies" of the characters are no longer fixed, we may or may not have been thrown the cruelest HopeSpot ever. The anxiety of the unknown future alone can get to you.

** Barret walks up to Aerith's body, looks for a second, and then simply places his hand on Cloud's shoulder. Having lost the woman he loved, as well, Barret's empathy was very appropriate for that scene.