Could Aerith have prevented [SPOILERS INSIDE]

[Solid Link]

Basically, from what I've gathered from the game, Aerith allowed herself to be killed by Sephiroth. She sacrificed herself for the greater good, so that she could become even more powerful. (kinda like Obi-Wan in Episode 4, we all know FF games were inspired by Star Wars.)

But do you believe this to be true, or do you think that it was fate and she was meant to die? Do you think she could have evaded Sephiroths attack? It seemed to me like she knew he was dropping down above her about to stab her, but she took it on anyway, as if to sacrifice herself, to become closer to Holy.

Did Aerith know what she was doing from the begenning, or was this just a cruel act of fate?

 

[HighwindPilot]

I think the prayer to summon Holy left her in deep focus and therefore vulnerable (after all, she didn't even acknowledge Cloud), and that Sephiroth took advantage of this. It would make sense, considering the degree of magic they were both dealing with.

I don't believe it was some sort of "greater sacrifice" thing, because I doubt that Holy actually required her death. Additionally, she didn't seem to be able to keep Holy from being prevented by Sephiroth either, so it doesn't look like it gave her some type of profound strength.

It looks to have made a difference in the long run (come AC), but her death did not seem a necessity in VII.

 

[Fusionist]

I think if Cloud hadn't given the Black Materia to Sephiroth/Jenova (I'm still trying to figure out that part ) at the Temple of the Ancients back in Disc 1, Sephiroth/Jenova wouldn't be able to summon Meteor and Aerith would likely (I think) have felt no reason to pray for Holy and thus lead to her demise >.<

It kind of sucks that a lot of character deaths could have been prevented one way or another

 

[King Sean]

I think she had a premonition that she might die while trying to finish the prayer for Holy. But then it all comes back to Cloud. If he hadn't been under Sephiroth's control and given over the black materia, she may not have had to pray for Holy. Well....enivitably she might have. I guess she was fated to die to make the compilation the way it was after she did.

 

[KirstyIX]

I don't see it as she was fated to die, I just see it that she was vulnerable at the time of the death. If meteor wasn't called then she wouldn't have needed to call out Holy and she wouldn't have died and would've carried on fighting with the others... I think the people that made the game left this upto interpretation like that.
But I don't see it as fated.

 

[The Witch]

Actually, I think Aerith did know that something bad was going to happen. I don't think she knew in the beginning(hence why she spoke about the future so much)but after Cloud gave the Black Materia to Sephiroth, I think it suddenly became very clear what she was going to have to do.

Even if she didn't know she was going to die parse, she still went to the City of the Ancients to stop Sephiroth BY HERSELF. She must have known that it could have been dangerous for her and she still went. She faced danger for the planet. So I think she did know.

 

[Bambi]

It looks to have made a difference in the long run (come AC), but her death did not seem a necessity in VII.

If she hadn't died then the planet would have died in the end anyway, as Red stated right at the end 'Holy was having the opposite effect' it was the lifestream that saved the day at the end of it all, and im pretty sure this is directly down to Aerith being in the lifestream herself

As for her sacrificing herself, she probably knew there was a good chance she might die, which is probably why she went off alone...

 

[HighwindPilot]

It's nice to think that, but I don't see what would make her different from any of the other Cetra in the Lifestream. The stream itself was a very big element of the game, so I can see why it would act as the planet's savior in the end.

In the chance that she was the reason behind it, I doubt she did it all knowingly as some "fateful" thing, because she wouldn't have bothered with Holy ithen.

 

[Serah]

Have you ever read the Aerith novels at all? One of them in particular speaks about Aerith summoning everybody's strength within the lifestream to bring it out of the earth and send it into Meteor. It was Aerith's influence on everybody in the lifestream, especially the Cetra, that saved the planet in the end.

Honestly, it was fated for Aerith to die, otherwise -as Kelly said- Meteor would've killed the entire planet anyway. We also see Aerith in the sky at the very end of the game surrounded by lifestream if I'm not mistaken. It's pretty obvious that it was her that saved the world by sending the lifestream into Meteor.

 

[Sora_lion_heart]

What got me is that in the begining Aeris said she didn't know what the materia was for and she also said something like it was useless and doesn't do anything. How did she learn so fast at what it did and how to use it?

She could have prevented her death in my opinion. I just wished they gave another character to you with all her limits. That would be sweet and make her death a little less of a "oh no she was one of my best players" moment.

 

[Bambi]

She could still speak to her mother I think, Im sure thats mentioned somewhere, so I imagine, that's how she's learned that the materia has some use, Im sure she says she still speaks to her somewhere..... she can certainly speak to the planet, as the Temnple of the Ancients proves when she's talking to it

And I don't think she did it knowingly (@ Huighwind Pilot) I just think she knew there was a risk from Spehiroth in summoning Holy, and that was a risk she was willing to take. It's also mentioned that Holy works in the best interst of teh planet (Bugenhagen says it I think) so that could mean that humans would be wiped out as well, it all depends on what theplanet thinks is best for its survival... or summat.. I know what I mean in my head, I remember it in the game..butits not maingmuch sense to me when Im typing it out

Basuically, Im saying she took a risk, a risk thatmay have not worked (which, it didn't as we see Holy having the opposite effect at the end) but it was theonly option available and it's better to try than to just sit back and think, fuck it, we're screwed anyway...

 

[Ilyena]

What got me is that in the begining Aeris said she didn't know what the materia was for and she also said something like it was useless and doesn't do anything. How did she learn so fast at what it did and how to use it?

She could have prevented her death in my opinion. I just wished they gave another character to you with all her limits. That would be sweet and make her death a little less of a "oh no she was one of my best players" moment.

Tales of Symphonia did that.

I think she said something like "I know how to use it, it just doesn't do anything." I took that to mean, she knew how materia worked but the white materia didn't do what other materia did (magic, etc).

About her learning what to do with it, I think she learned a lot about her ancestors at Cosmo Canyon and the Temple of the Ancients. If I remember correctly (it has been a long time), she said she could hear her ancestors talking to her at the Temple of the Ancients. I'm guessing this is pretty much how she learned what needed to be done to save the planet.

 

[HighwindPilot]

And I don't think she did it knowingly (@ Huighwind Pilot) I just think she knew there was a risk from Spehiroth in summoning Holy...It's also mentioned that Holy works in the best interst of teh planet (Bugenhagen says it I think) so that could mean that humans would be wiped out as well, it all depends on what theplanet thinks is best for its survival...I know what I mean in my head, I remember it in the game..butits not maingmuch sense to me when Im typing it out

No no~ No worries. It all makes sense. =]

I know what you mean, in that she knew there was a risk involved in what she was to do, but that she had to take it for the sake of the planet.
And that, in Holy's case, the best interest of the planet was to wipe out its inhabitants - much like the case of The Weapons, which were also supposed to be planet protectors at any cost.

But it's that same variable that leads me to believe it wasn't a "fate" thing, even if her death worked out in their favor. I haven't read the novela (@ Kikyo), and from what's been described, she was definitely responsible for saving everyone. But that doesn't necessarily mean it was fate, because she initially thought Holy would do it, right?

Maybe I'm looking at fate wrong.

What got me is that in the begining Aeris said she didn't know what the materia was for and she also said something like it was useless and doesn't do anything. How did she learn so fast at what it did and how to use it?

Remember when she went to The Temple of The Ancients? She, and the others, learned a lot about the history of the Cetra, the powerful magic of Meteor, etc... Aeris no doubt learned more than the others, given that she can communicate with the souls of the Lifestream, her Cetra ancestors, and thus, her mother.

Things likely became very clear to her at that time, and she then knew what she had to do, which is why she took off. Anything else was probably learned while in the Forgotten City, as she was surrounded by wisdom of the Cetra.

 

[Serah]

I haven't read the novela (@ Kikyo), and from what's been described, she was definitely responsible for saving everyone. But that doesn't necessarily mean it was fate, because she initially thought Holy would do it, right?

Maybe we're looking at "fate" differently.

Remember when she went to The Temple of The Ancients? She, and the others, learned a lot about the history of the Cetra, the powerful magic of Meteor, etc... Aeris no doubt learned more than the others, given that she can communicate with the souls of the Lifestream, her Cetra ancestors, and thus, her mother.

Things likely became very clear to her at that time, and she then knew what she had to do, which is why she took off. Anything else was probably learned while in the Forgotten City, as she was surrounded by wisdom of the Cetra.

Oh aye, I think we probably are looking at 'fate' a little differently. The way I'm looking at it is...I dunno, more of a scifi-esque type of fate, perhaps? Like, it was fated for Aerith to die in order to save the planet, because the only way the planet could be saved was by her influencing the lifestream to destroy Meteor and protect the planet from Meteor. I think that's how I'm looking at anyway... I'm exhausted today so you'll have to forgive me.

 

[HighwindPilot]

Oh aye, I think we probably are looking at 'fate' a little differently. The way I'm looking at it is...I dunno, more of a scifi-esque type of fate, perhaps? Like, it was fated for Aerith to die in order to save the planet, because the only way the planet could be saved was by her influencing the lifestream to destroy Meteor and protect the planet from Meteor. I think that's how I'm looking at anyway... I'm exhausted today so you'll have to forgive me.

=D Okay, that makes sense. I think I confused that with the idea that was proposed at the beginning of the topic, which was that it was a self-sacrificial thing on her part. I agree with you then with the fate thing, I just didn't think she died specifically so that she could do all that, because (from my understanding) she initially thought Holy would save the planet.

 

[Serah]

Nah, I don't really look at Aerith as a martyr (I think that's the right word). I mean I think any human being with common sense would know that trying to put a stop to Sephiroth all on their own would put them in great danger. I'm sure Aerith was aware of that, but I don't think she really was sacrificing herself, more that she had spoken to the Cetra, her mother, and she had learned what she needed to do. I'm sure Aerith knew the dangers behind it, but I don't think she expected to die trying to protect the planet. I don't feel it was necessary at all for Aerith to die to be quite honest. That's how I feel on the whole subject.

 

[VanillaDreams]

This is one of those times where I wish the Phoenix Down actually had some relevance to the storyline. Even those it was hinted in the game, a possible resurrection of Aerith. Of course, it didn't happen. Which was stupid, cuz' I actually like her healing limit break.

As it's been said before, I think Aerith knew what she was getting into by going alone. No doubt she knew Sephiroth was going after her. He was trying to stop her from saving the world for the meteor. Hence the reason why she went alone, Cloud wasn't in his right mind when he was around Sephiroth, and because he gave the Black materia to Sephiroth. Which ment the detruction of the world, that only she could stop.

Ahg... My head hurts. Sorry if that didn't make much sense.

 

[Six]

I definitely don't think it was 'all just Aerith' in the end. I mean the whole team worked together as a 'team' to get what they were fighting for.

I don't think any of them could have done it alone.

However, I think she was destined to die. The first time I played the game, and she ran off by herself I facepalmed. I mean... =/ Seriously.

Either way though... I don't think it could've gone different. She was a cetra, the team did what they could on the planet, while she did her job in the Lifestream. That's how I view it anyway.

 

[GBJoker]

Well, duh, with a Phoenix Down, obviously.

But seriously, and remember, I haven't played the game in years... It was my impression that at that time, it was made clear that Sephiroth could have ripped off the heads of the entire party. Therefore, there was no point in trying to prevent it. Besides, it made the rest of the story more worthwhile, because again, as far as I can remember, up to that point I felt I was just fighting Sephiroth because he was killing random people and being an ass... After that point, it was personal. I had to kill him.