Summary

• The possibility of avoiding Aerith's death in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been long-discussed by fans.
• The alternative events set in motion by FF7 Remake offer new possibilities that alter the original story.
• Aerith's fate plays an important part in the narrative of the original 1997 game.

The prospect of the death of Aerith in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been the cause of much discussion, especially after the conclusion of the previous title, Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The new trilogy for the classic game is taking on an alternative approach to the very concept of remake and bringing forth new interpretations of events and how they are perceived by many of the characters from the game. Because of how the first title ended, some speculation arose, which considered the possibility of Aerith surviving certain events that she would not make it through under normal circumstances.

This article contains massive SPOILERS for events of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, FF7 Remake, and the original 1997 game.

In the original FF7, Aerith is killed by Sephiroth, an event that is deemed one of the most impactful in all of video game history. The moment the deuteragonist dies at the hand of the villain leaves a mark on the party as they continue to pursue the antagonist, now without their trusted ally and friend. Not only that, but Aerith was key to understanding the planet of Gaia. With the end of FF7 Remake hinting at different timelines, the possibility of her surviving was considered. Now, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, players have an official answer considering Aerith’s fate.

Aerith Dies In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

After having concluded the game, Screen Rant can confirm that Aerith does die in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Much like in the original game, the character rushes off, alone, into the City of the Ancients, also known as the Forgotten Capital. Aerith goes there with the intention of summoning Holy and countering Sephiroth’s usage of the Black Materia to invoke Meteor, which would destroy Gaia. Alone on the altar, she prays, and as soon as Cloud, who had gone searching for Aerith, starts approaching her, Sephiroth descends from the sky and impales Aerith with Masamune, his sword.

Aerith is not explicitly seen using the White Materia to conjure Holy.

Aerith’s Fate In Final Fantasy 7 Games Is Uncertain

Aerith does die when she is dealt the final blow, but something more interesting happens at this moment. When she is struck during the iconic scene, the timelines split, showing two different occasions. One of them, of course, shows her dead body collapsed after being impaled, while the other highlights Cloud reaching her just in time to deflect Sephiroth’s attack.

This is why Aerith’s fate in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is so blurry. After this scene, the party is put to fight against a boss, much like in the original game. After Aerith is killed, her friends are seen mourning. While the heroes of the story are impacted by her ing and gather in the City of the Ancients, Cloud holds her and tells her to wake up. Surprisingly, she does. This is an event that only Cloud sees.

The rest of the party still perceives Aerith as dead, while Cloud can still interact with her in some manner. While left to interpretation and not openly confirmed, it seems like the timeline portrayed in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is one where Aerith is dead, but Cloud can apparently peer into others, which allows him to see one where Aerith survives.

After the impactful events that take place in the City of the Ancients, the party gets ready to leave. During this moment, Cloud has a brief chat with Aerith, who explains she will remain at the temple in the Forgotten Capital.

The two say their goodbyes to one another, while the rest of the party leaves not knowing that Aerith, or at least some part of her, is still alive and well nearby. With these developments, it is impossible to determine whether Aerith’s death in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be sticking for the third entry in the remake series.

Will Aerith Return After Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?

In the original game, Aerith’s death was instant and permanent. In fact, having her removed from the story as quickly as she was, following any emotional attachment created to her character, is exactly what caused such an impact at the time.

Of course, with her return to Gaia’s Lifestream, she does somehow reappear in the game. In the remake series, however, it seems like Aerith still has a larger role to play, even if she does so from an alternative timeline in which she survives, making her death canon in the one that players follow in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

This may also mean that Aerith does not return to the Lifestream. The implications and consequences of Aerith’s death in the new remake title seem to be very different from those of the classic 1997 game. At the moment, it is difficult to determine exactly where the third installment in the remake series is going and what role Aerith will play in the game. There is a chance that Sephiroth’s plan for Reunion, which means mixing the different timelines, works.

This could bring Aerith back to life after Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for the rest of the party to see.

Alternatively, Cloud and his allies could stop the villain, thus, saving the world, but making Aerith’s death in their own timeline a permanent and irreversible event. The character’s demise in the original game plays an important part in the narrative.

It illustrates loss and mourning in a very practical way but still evokes a sense of positivity with the fact that she returns to the Lifestream. In some ways, it keeps her alive in the story, even if not through an effective member of the party. This is one of the most likely scenarios for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s sequel.

Exactly how Square Enix will deal with Aerith’s death in the third and final part of the remake series, however, remains to be seen. The period leading up to the game’s launch is likely to be fueled by fan theories, speculating how Aerith plays a larger part in the Lifestream, how all of that is connected to the war between rivaling Whisper factions at the core of Gaia, and much more. Although there are still many unanswered questions in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, it seems like the biggest of them all has been revealed: Aerith does die in the game.