Anyway follow me for hot takes on 20 year old video games and bad takes on pro wrestling

Until then, we write the story.

Cloud isn't cloud without zack's death. The world ends without aerith's. These are essential facts. But choosing to go out gives them purpose, gives their deaths meaning, and gives a new read to the story - one that isn't as bleak and hopeless as the original. Destiny only matters until we die.

In AC we see her multiple times when cloud needs her, implying that she hangs around in the lifestream for a good while. In rb it seems like she's doing the same, and with sephiroth's attempted control she needs to be there to stop him. She needs to die. Just like in cc zack needs to die.

Her death may feel pointless initially - why defy destiny if you can't escape? - but we see with zack's story that defying destiny doesn't get you the results you want. You have to keep fighting. With her in the lifestream aerith is better able to fight, and unlike the OG i don't think she's gone

There's a world where she lives, and it's not a world where we win. The only way for us to succeed is for her to die, but she gets to do damage on the way. She gets to give us a fighting chance. She gets to say goodbye. The fact that she heals cloud when she finds him is, imo, not just a mechanic

So from that perspective I see why aerith's death in rebirth feels in direct conflict with the message of remake - you are not your destiny, your choice is your own. But aerith's death in rebirth IS her choice. The heavy implication that this isn't our aerith means that she chose us.

Moreover, he's killed someone who can stop him. After aerith's death the world feels hopeless. It's impossible to go on. But they have to, for the planet, for themselves, and for her. Her death isn't pointless, but it is bleak. It's painful. But we march on. That's a different kind of hope.

People have been denying aerith's death since 1997 to the point that they were modding the game to put her back in. But her death is central to the plot. It's the turning point. It's when sephiroth goes from a ghost haunting cloud to a real and true threat. He's killed someone we love.

Maybe I'm just hashtag hopepilled but the ideal of defying your destiny, wrestling back your agency, and realizing that no matter your choice your ending is death but dying under your own terms is the best possible way to handle their deaths. Zack and aerith have to die for the story to go on

But in cc he gets that hero's last stand. I'll post my thoughts about the end of cc later (it upset me so much i almost threw up and it was also perfect) but it gives his character agency. OG gives the characters such limited agency and cc, remake and rebirth give it back.

Zack's death in the OG is cruel, violent and pointless. He dies because shinra wants him dead. He's not a hero or a martyr or anything important. He's a cog in a machine and he's removed when he breaks. There's nothing noble in his death. There's no glory. He's just dead.

I watched one of my favorite streamers play it and he was pretty discontent with her death because remake was so focused on defying destiny, but i feel the same way about aerith's death that i do with the retcon of zack's last stand in crisis core (another Controversial Opinion)