Just days before the official release date for Final Fantasy VII Remake, Square Enix has released a short video and biography for one of the game’s most iconic characters; Aerith, the flower girl from the slums.
“A flower peddler living in the Sector 5 Slums, Aerith has been under Shinra surveillance all her life because of her unique background,” Square said in its official tweet. “Capable of sensing the planet’s life force, she offers magical support to her comrades.”
Aerith is indeed one of the most important and iconic characters in the original Final Fantasy VII. She is one of the central love interests for Cloud, the main character of the game.
But Aerith’s importance to the game is evident to anyone who has ever played the original Final Fantasy VII.
Spoilers for the original release of Final Fantasy VII follow from here on out.
In the 1997 Playstation 1 classic, Aerith is first encountered outside of the Sector 1 Reactor, where she is selling flowers. She doesn’t join the party until Cloud meets up with her later in a church that’s in the slums of Midgar.
Aerith is the last remaining member of the Ancient race, also known as the Cetra. Because of this, she has unique magical powers and can actually hear the voice of the planet. Aerith’s people were driven to near extinction by a creature called Jenova, which is at the heart of the Final Fantasy VII story.
It was said that the Ancients would one day find the Promised Land, a land of boundless energy. Because of that, the Shinra company wants Aerith so that she can lead them to the Promised Land and they can use their technology to continue draining life from the planet for electric power.
In this new game, Aerith’s overall role seems to be mostly unchanged. Her combat abilities however have seen a significant upgrade. In the original game, Aerith attacked physically with her staff and could only use whatever magic you’ve equipped her with through the Materia system.
Now, it seems as though Aerith’s basic attack is magic based, sending beams of energy at her foes from the head of her staff. Of course, Aerith’s forte as a party member is healing. In the original, her limit breaks were mostly centered around healing the party and restoring their status.
In essence, she is the white mage of Final Fantasy VII.
Final Fantasy VII Remake releases worldwide on April 10, 2020. However, certain players in Europe and Asia have already received copies of the game thanks to an early shipment from Square Enix.
