The official X Japanese account of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake project has recently been posting background information about the trilogy’s carefully crafted character models. In a post from March 5, the developers gave some insights into the posing of Aerith on her official renders, including an explanation of her apparent “self-hugging” pose.
According to the post, Aerith’s posing in her standing full-body render was designed to reflect her inner self, which is “soft, but with a firm core.” This was expressed by giving her a straight posture with a firm center of gravity, but maintaining a feeling of gentle curves. Apparently, the posing of Aerith’s fingers, the angle of her elbow and her grip on her staff were all designed to convey a sense of delicacy.
On the other hand, on her bust render, Aerith appears to be lightly embracing herself, and the developers explain that this as “an unconscious action to protect herself in face of anxiety about the future.” Apart from the psychological aspect of self-soothing, the pose is also intended to convey that Aerith carries hope within herself and does not want to let it escape from her. “This gesture reflects the hidden thoughts of a girl who is always cheerful on the outside,” the developers explain.
As an aside, a previous post from February 18 confirmed that Sephiroth’s outstretched hand in his official bust render is meant to suggest him offering a handshake, “inviting someone to reunion,” which caused a good deal of excitement among fans.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is available for the PC and PS5.
