Cloud and Aerith are not like brother and sister, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s director speaks out about misinterpretation of his statement 

With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth making its PC debut today, AUTOMATON Japan recently sat down with the game’s director Naoki Hamaguchi. In this extended interview, Hamaguchi discussed recent misunderstandings surrounding Cloud and Aerith’s relationship, emphasizing that the creators say everything they want to say about the relationships through the games they make and other official content. So, why are some fans and media outlets insisting that Aerith and Cloud’s relationship has an older sister/younger brother dynamic and is not romantic? Read on to find out how this misinterpretation occurred, and what Hamaguchi thinks. 

In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, there is a relationship mechanic whereby Cloud’s actions impact how much the other characters in the party like him. Since Final Fantasy VII came out in 1997, fans have long argued whether Aerith or Tifa is the best romantic partner for Cloud. The original game seemed to position Cloud, Tifa and Aerith in a kind of love triangle. While some fans think Clerith (Cloud x Aerith) is the ideal couple, others believe that Cloti (Cloud x Tifa) is superior. In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, however, there are couplings of all kinds, and it is possible to get Cloud to pair up with your favorite member of the main party. 

Post Rebirth’s PS5 release, one particular interpretation of the Cloud x Aerith relationship in an overseas media article sent shockwaves through the fan community. This interpretation proposed that the love between Cloud and Aerith is not romantic, rather it is the familial love of an older sister towards her younger brother. This article extrapolated that “Hamaguchi said Cloud and Aerith’s love is familial, not romantic,” based on statement by Hamaguchi in another interview.  

Let’s take a deeper look at where this came from. In the game, there is a scene in which Cloud’s mother Claudia says in the Japanese language version that she thinks the kind of girl who “will pull him along like a sister” would be a good type of girlfriend for Cloud (in the English version, the line is “An older, more mature girl who could keep you on the straight and narrow (…) That’s the perfect type for you, I’d say.”). In the abovementioned interview, Hamaguchi was asked about Aerith and Cloud’s relationship, confirming that “Aerith has always been this sort of sisterly character pulling Cloud along and encouraging him.” 

This comment thus led to Cloud and Aerith’s relationship being interpreted as familial love, and the discourse spread. 

Users who saw this bombarded Hamaguchi’s social media accounts with messages about it. In the recent interview with AUTOMATON, Hamaguchi commented that these articles were based on a misunderstanding, stating that “As creators, we don’t talk about characters’ romantic relationships unless it’s through the content.” In other words, everything you need to know about the characters’ interpersonal relationships is told in the games and other official works in the franchise. 

Hamaguchi adds that “As creators, we will continue to convey (the relationships between our characters etc.) through our content. For example, no-one will make any official statements about who Cloud likes, who Aerith likes, and so on.”  

Hamaguchi also pointed out that these misunderstandings could have resulted from subtle language differences. In the Japanese version, the aforementioned line from Claudia contains the nuance that “For Cloud, an older sister-type wife would be perfect,” but in the English-language version, this line is expressed differently (as quoted above). This might be because the figurative concept of a “wife who is like an older sister” is not so commonplace in North America as it is in Japan. If the concept of “sisterly love” is interpreted literally, it is understandable that Cloud and Aerith’s relationship would get misinterpreted as familial. 

However, with Claudia’s idea that an “older sister-like wife would suit Cloud,” she is thinking of the type of girlfriend whom she can entrust with providing reassurance to Cloud. It does not refer to actual brother-sister love. This is ultimately Claudia’s ideal, and does not seem to be a deciding factor in Cloud and Aerith’s relationship. 

Basically, the misconception that “Cloud and Aerith’s love is familial, not romantic” seems to have been spread through a combination of language differences and quotes losing context as they got requoted. 

 Hamaguchi concluded this topic by saying “Again, I would like to convey to the fans that the characters’ relationships are portrayed through content.” The relationships between all characters in the Final Fantasy VII universe, such as Cloud and Aerith’s relationship, are conveyed through content, which includes the games. When considering the relationships between your favorite FF characters, it seems it would be best to enjoy delving into the interpretations given in the games, rather than seeking explicit clarification from the creators. 

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has been available on PS5 since last year. The PC version is out today (Epic Games Store/Steam). The PC version features enhanced lighting, character models and textures, allowing players to see Cloud, Aerith, Tifa and the rest of the party in a whole new level of lifelike detail. 

Written by Verity Townsend based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2025-01-23 13:00 JST)