Final Fantasy: 25 Greatest Heroes

You have to wonder how differently Final Fantasy VII would’ve panned out had Tifa immediately quashed Cloud’s false recollections about the Nibelheim incident. The relationship between the two of them is an unorthodox yet sweet one, beginning with Cloud’s childhood desire to impress her, born from a complex developed through his ostracism at the hands of her parents and peers, that led to him seeking to join SOLDIER in the first place.

She excels as Cloud’s constant following their reunion, unquestionably supporting him despite the various mental manipulations that Sephiroth subjects him to. Though her own connections to Sephiroth, who killed her father and burned down her hometown before she was rescued from the fate suffered by Cloud, Zack and the Sephiroth ‘clones’ in black capes, aren’t really explored, the emotional burden that she bears cannot be understated.

Her selfless, empathic and protective instincts extend to Aeris and Marlene and her renegade nature is epitomised when she threatens to rip the testicles from the lecherous Don Corneo’s body, but nothing can compare to her commitment to Cloud. This extends to piecing together his fractured memories in the Lifestream to restore his broken mind and staying by his side in his final one-on-one encounter with Sephiroth in the game’s finale.

Her arc in Remake has been fairly consistent with the original game so far, but given the usefulness of her rapid attacks and chi charges, she’ll be ever welcome in subsequent episodes as her story plays out once more.