In FFVII Rebirth, Cloud is no longer able to rifle through Tifa’s underwear drawer 

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was only released on PS5 yesterday, but some eagle-eyed fans may have noticed that one infamous item from the original Final Fantasy VII can no longer be found. Instead, it has been replaced by comments from your party members, which allude to its notoriety among fans of the 1997 game. 

Of course, the item in question is Tifa’s underwear, which could be obtained by Cloud when searching her room in their hometown of Nibelheim on Disc 1. In the Japanese version, this item can be roughly translated as “wannabe adult panties” (Chotto senobi pantsu). As they are found in Tifa’s childhood bedroom it is implied that Tifa wore this underwear when she was a teenager trying to look more grown-up. Pocketing the underwear of your close childhood friend and party member really makes Cloud look like quite the pervert, and Tifa scolds him for it. 

It was known before Rebirth’s release that Tifa’s underwear would not be included in the game, however a recent report from Japanese site Inside Games shows exactly how the item’s absence is handled in the Japanese language version of the remake. In FF7R, you can go into Tifa’s old room as Cloud and the game will ask if you want to open her wardrobe. If you choose “yes”, Cloud will open the doors but comment that he can’t open the drawers inside. At this point, both Aerith and Tifa react with surprised disgust at him for trying. Barret then chimes in with “The times have changed, Cloud!” 

As an amusing side note, this infamous item has caused puzzlement among English-speaking FFVII fans for years. It was translated as “Orthopedic Underwear” in Final Fantasy VII’s original English release back in 1997. Orthopedic underwear sounds like a rather unsexy name for lingerie belonging to one of the game’s attractive young main characters- hence the confusion among players. The name also gave the impression that the item was a bra, and considering Tifa’s acrobatic fighting skills, she certainly needs a supportive bra to keep her big boobs in place. Therefore, the item has also been interpreted as a joke that Tifa’s chest is so big that she requires orthopedic back support. 

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is out now on PS5.