Aerith Overrated?

[Jasmine You]

Well, as the game suggested it, when she was at the Capital she was still praying for Holy. I always thought it wasn't ready yet. I've always thought that the reason Sephiroth killed her was to try to prevent her from actually using Holy; which would make sense. You know, preventing anything before it spoils your plans and what not? Maybe Sephiroth him self didn't know it was too late or maybe he did and he just killed her out of spite.
In the end of the game it shows her image, I always thought that was a hint that said "Aerith came through and saved the Planet even beyond death." And because she is an Ancient maybe she had some extra power to gain control over Holy even from the Lifestream o.o;;

~Tifa~

 

[looneymoon]

I think it was Aeris taking control over the Lifestream beyond death. Something like that.

As for everything else: it's kinda impossible to fault people who draw different conclusions from the game itself, as alot of stuff isn't stated directly. If that were the case, we wouldn't even need to refer to Ultimanias and such. It's a little disappointing when you have a game like FF7, where the Ultimania are relatively easy to come across, but then there are the other FF games where hardly anyone has even bothered to translate them at all.

But... for anyone who still maybe interested, http://www.thelifestream.net is a website that contains various translations from the 10th Anniversary, and Crisis Core Ultimanias. They're far from complete, but they have quite a few. Unfortunately alot was lost when ACF went down.

 

[Jasmine You]

Yeah, taking control over the Lifestream! Something like that, see that makes sense to me v.v

~Tifa~

 

[Saints&Storms]

Do you think Aerith is overrated? If so, why?

I think not puddy cat ^^ Aerith overrated so not, she is actually not overated at all, Overrated is Paine blech! I'd explain why but I have to go quickly >,<

 

[AmethystRoses]

Aerith reminds me of a slightly more learned Chii (From the anime Chobits). THAT is why I love her, really. I mean, she is also the second half to the almost nescessary love story that is so common among Final Fantasy games.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Aerith reminds me of a slightly more learned Chii (From the anime Chobits). THAT is why I love her, really. I mean, she is also the second half to the almost nescessary love story that is so common among Final Fantasy games.

The 'almost necessary' thing is an expectation of the modern audience. There was no love story for the first three, or in five, and in four and six it was a side note, as it was in 7 (seriously, the entire point of the disc 1 stuff is just a red herring to distract you before the end of disc sucker punch). It wasn't til 8 that it became a focus, and as of 12 it's back to the sideline/ barely there where I personally think it belongs.
Also, she's not the second half, as there are three parties involved in the triangle. And that's without bringing in the Zack/ Tseng triangle added on.

 

[Serah]

We are NOT going to start discussing ANY of the love stories, any of the love triangles at all in this thread. There is a rule that the LTD is no longer going to be allowed to be discussed here. If people fail to follow this rule, their posts will be deleted and they will be infracted for not following rules.

 

[Ryushikaze]

We are NOT going to start discussing ANY of the love stories, any of the love triangles at all in this thread. There is a rule that the LTD is no longer going to be allowed to be discussed here. If people fail to follow this rule, their posts will be deleted and they will be infracted for not following rules.

I'm just saying there's a love polyhedral going on, as in Ranma 1/2.
As for forbidding the LTD, those are the rules, but I fear it's doomed to failure. It's an aspect of the story, and it'd be like forbidding Rinoamecia discussion.

 

[Jimmy]

Yes i think she is overrated for a character who dies in disk 1, well it's her popularity that troubles me the most, but i guess i understand some of the reasons that people choose to like her although i don't agree with them, Aerith dead was just a plot to keep the story going on and to mark Sephiroth as the true evil guy in the game.

I don't think she had anything of heroic, yes she wanted to settle things by herself but she did not plan to die or sacrifice for a good cause, she simply was a character who died along the story to keep it going and had a more emotional background in my view, like the death of so many others characters in other Final Fantasy titles, so in my view yes she is extremely overrated.

 

[Saints&Storms]

I'm just saying there's a love polyhedral going on, as in Ranma 1/2.
As for forbidding the LTD, those are the rules, but I fear it's doomed to failure. It's an aspect of the story, and it'd be like forbidding Rinoamecia discussion.

Its not that hard, just don't talk of the LTD ^o^

Yes i think she is overrated for a character who dies in disk 1, well it's her popularity that troubles me the most, but i guess i understand some of the reasons that people choose to like her although i don't agree with them, Aerith dead was just a plot to keep the story going on and to mark Sephiroth as the true evil guy in the game.

I don't think she had anything of heroic, yes she wanted to settle things by herself but she did not plan to die or sacrifice for a good cause, she simply was a character who died along the story to keep it going and had a more emotional background in my view, like the death of so many others characters in other Final Fantasy titles, so in my view yes she is extremely overrated.

No it wasn't and No she wasn't.

She died for a cause, and there is very explainable reason, but from the way your talking about it I would think you've never even stepped two inches close to the game Final Fantasy VII.

Whereas Tellah (From FFIV) died pointlessly. So please just Explain how Aerith dieing for the Planet and all those who inhabit it, is Overrated?

I don't think someone like that can be overrated, If thats so then assuming you've seen the movie Deep Impact, If i'm thinking of the right movie, That's like saying the people on that shuttle who crash into the meteor and kill themselves are, or possibly can be overrated?!? or Take Armageddon for the same example.

 

[Jasmine You]

Well...it is true that she never planned to die along the way, we can't say that she died for the Planet because she never planned that and it wasn't needed to start with. =/
Like Zack Fair, I consider him a hero because he died for something, he died protecting Cloud and trying his best to return to Aerith. He died fighting, I think that was heroic but...Aerith...she never planned to die. I mean in the end she did become a hero when the game suggests that she took over the Lifestream and what not to make the Meteor stop but before that she simply died out if plan.

~Tifa~

 

[Jimmy]

Its not that hard, just don't talk of the LTD ^o^



No it wasn't and No she wasn't.

She died for a cause, and there is very explainable reason, but from the way your talking about it I would think you've never even stepped two inches close to the game Final Fantasy VII.

Whereas Tellah (From FFIV) died pointlessly. So please just Explain how Aerith dieing for the Planet and all those who inhabit it, is Overrated?

I don't think someone like that can be overrated, If thats so then assuming you've seen the movie Deep Impact, If i'm thinking of the right movie, That's like saying the people on that shuttle who crash into the meteor and kill themselves are, or possibly can be overrated?!? or Take Armageddon for the same example.

Hmm i've played Final Fantasy VII a lot of time and have come close to it, which is why i know that Aerith never intended to die, she was a victim she was not a martir who died for a cause. So yeah there's nothing to explain because she did not intend to die.

The people who you're talking about in that movie did in fact sacrifice themselfes to protect others, that was not Aerith case because she did not intend to die from the begining so that's pretty much all i have to say.

Assuming that she died to protect the planet is wrong.

 

[looneymoon]

Well...it is true that she never planned to die along the way, we can't say that she died for the Planet because she never planned that and it wasn't needed to start with. =/
Like Zack Fair, I consider him a hero because he died for something, he died protecting Cloud and trying his best to return to Aerith. He died fighting, I think that was heroic but...Aerith...she never planned to die. I mean in the end she did become a hero when the game suggests that she took over the Lifestream and what not to make the Meteor stop but before that she simply died out if plan.

~Tifa~

To be fair, I doubt Zack planned to die either. They both died fighting, albeit in two different ways. Zack, for his freedom and Aeris for the planet. Both were tragedies in that both deaths were quite senseless, and both died doing something heroic.

 

[Demaris]

Well I love Aerith, but is she overrated? There certainly are a lot of misconceptions about her. She's not an angel, she's not a martyr, she didn't heroically go off to die and she's not some perfect Goddess. If she really was that character chances are I wouldn't like her. I didn't like Rinoa, I didn't like Garnet, I didn't like Yuna and I didn't like Ashe. I'm pretty harsh on FF females. Fact is, basically all of the FFVII characters get blown out of proportion. Why is Cloud always the best hero? Why is Sephiroth always the ultimate villain? Why do minor FFVII characters get their own games? Why is every person in FFVII suddenly so significant? I don't understand where this assumption that people only like her because she died comes from though. I very much prefer her when she was alive, for her vibrance and straightforward nature, something I missed in game and have never seen again in her other appearances. I won't argue her death was pivotal, but I'm not into the whole "omnipotent Mary-Sue" thing, it's her personality I like, not her status.

 

[Jasmine You]

To be fair, I doubt Zack planned to die either. They both died fighting, albeit in two different ways. Zack, for his freedom and Aeris for the planet. Both were tragedies in that both deaths were quite senseless, and both died doing something heroic.

True he didn't plan to die but when he saw the vast army coming towards him, he knew he wasn't going to make it. I think he really tried to believe he could.
But now that I give it some thought both deaths were just plain not needed really, he would still be a hero and Aerith would have saved the Planet either way. Alright then, in the end she's still a hero and Zack is also a hero.

`Tifa~

 

[Toxic Variations]

Well I love Aerith, but is she overrated? There certainly are a lot of misconceptions about her. She's not an angel, she's not a martyr, she didn't heroically go off to die and she's not some perfect Goddess. If she really was that character chances are I wouldn't like her. I didn't like Rinoa, I didn't like Garnet, I didn't like Yuna and I didn't like Ashe. I'm pretty harsh on FF females. Fact is, basically all of the FFVII characters get blown out of proportion. Why is Cloud always the best hero? Why is Sephiroth always the ultimate villain? Why do minor FFVII characters get their own games? Why is every person in FFVII suddenly so significant? I don't understand where this assumption that people only like her because she died comes from though. I very much prefer her when she was alive, for her vibrance and straightforward nature, something I missed in game and have never seen again in her other appearances. I won't argue her death was pivotal, but I'm not into the whole "omnipotent Mary-Sue" thing, it's her personality I like, not her status.

Good post there and one I completely agree with. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to, through the years, who thought she was some selfless, sacrificing sweet saint, who went off to die ( with complete knowledge of her impending death ) in order to save Cloud, her friends, and the entire planet. These are the type of people who think she is a perfect angel, with no flaws at all, and that she should be worshipped and such. Those are the people who overrate her ! Then you have people, such as myself, and others here, who love the character and understand her for what she was and is - flaws and all. The truth is, like many have already said here, is that she honestly thought she wouldn't die and that she'd come back to Cloud and the others. ' I'll come back when it's all over. ' That is what is so tragic about her death. Aerith knew there was a way to stop Sephiroth, at the Forgotten Capital, and she was merely going there to discover that way or as she put it: ' The secret's just up here.. At least it should be.. I feel it, it feels like I'm being lead by something. '

Quite honestly, though, I have to say that she isn't overrated as far as what she did in the story. Final Fantasy VII's theme of life, death, and rebirth are reflected in her journey: At the beginning we see her eyes in the vibrant glow of mako, in the middle of the story we see those eyes close and then once more, again in the vibrant glow of the lifestream, we see her eyes open again. Whether you like it or not - her life, death, and subsequent actions, in the Lifestream, play a major role in the story of VII. I think she deserves the love she receives from fans, as long as they understand her and know, without a doubt, she isn't perfect.

 

[Serah]

I'm just saying there's a love polyhedral going on, as in Ranma 1/2.
As for forbidding the LTD, those are the rules, but I fear it's doomed to failure. It's an aspect of the story, and it'd be like forbidding Rinoamecia discussion.

No, you're just relentless when it comes to the LTD because you love to show off and act like a know-it-all. Bottom line, don't discuss it. Posts will be deleted and that's that. Failure to continue following a rule will result in an infraction.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Aerith, I would appreciate it if you didn't invent a motivation for me that I do not have. It is quite irritating.

Clockwork, the 'immaculate no flaws' version of Aerith is something I like to refer to as Materia Jesus, and I agree, if she were as immaculate as those ardent fans would claim, she'd be far, far, less interesting a character than she actually is.

 

[Atma]

Here is the truth:

​

Aerith is not a burden, nor is she a mistake. Aerith had flaws like all other characters. Her act on humanity saved the world and probably deserves more recognition than what it has already. Aerith is not overrated in the slightest! In fact, she deserves to be known more than most other characters in FF7. Vincent gets his own game and even Zack, who was scarcely mentioned in the original game gets his own debut. That is all.

 

[Jimmy]

Aerith did not save the world, with or without her assistance victory would have been obtained the point of Cloud and his team beating Sephiroth was to release Holy but it was to late and that's when the lifestream came into play which apparently was guided by Aerith, but had Cloud and team not defeated Sephiroth in the first place that would have never even happened. And that was her great moment.

So saying her act of humanity is responsible for saving the world is pretty unfair to the other characters, she does not deserve to have a more important role then the other characters, Vincent and Cloud popularity is what gave them other titles. As for Zack his story filled us on what happened in the past so it was relevant indeed. Aerith is a secondary character like any other character who dies General Leo comes to mind.