Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth showed off a scene that fans have been craving for 26 years

The only thing more evil than Sephiroth is Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough going head to head.

Since the original Final fantasy 7 came out in 1997, fans have debated which character Cloud should date. There is Tifa, the childhood friend with a warm smile, or Aerith, a bright vision of hope for a dying world. The first game created a classic love triangle, and now – 26 years later – Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has reignited the debate by showing a never-before-seen romantic side to its spiky-haired hero.

The original Final fantasy 7 did little to spark real love between Cloud and his love interests. Although he has several moments where he may show interest in either girl, choosing one over the other often resulted in jealousy or hurt feelings for the rejected party. The original framing created a bit of competition between Tifa and Aerith, and it didn’t exactly turn out well. Luckily for those of us who like both, the developers left these parts out Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and the young women can share a loving and supportive friendship.

Rebirth continues this overall approach and further develops the ties between Tifa and Aerith. Yet even these two characters cannot escape the tendencies of the larger fandom. When Square Enix came out Rebirthfans flooded social media with posts discussing which combination they support and why they feel that way given the new developments in Rebirth. The game has revived the classic ‘Clerith’ versus ‘Cloti’ discourse, all thanks to one big scene. If you like the characters and romance in the game, it’s a monumental event that took fans by surprise.

(Ed. remark: The post contains spoilers for the intimate Gold Saucer date in Chapter 12 of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.)

Now that we’ve gotten through the non-spoiler part of this post, I can move on to the big thing that happened: Cloud and Tifa’s kiss… gasping for breath!

To see the kiss, you need the “intimate” version of the second date with Tifa. In it, Cloud will pull her in for a hug, and then the two kiss. It’s a beautiful moment in the game. Glistening fireworks light up the sky through the windows of a decorated Ferris wheel carriage. They have both experienced many hardships at the time, and seeing them together provides a fleeting sense of relief in a shattered world.

Considering how the developers previously handled the romantic elements of the game Rebirth, Cloud’s grand romantic gesture shocked fans. The clumsy hero has never kissed another character before, and Tifa’s date has arrived Rebirth is the only one that ends with a kiss from Cloud. For many, the hug is a clear sign that Cloud and Tifa have a special bond that’s exclusive to both of them – but even then, there are still some unknowns.

This isn’t just because people have different interpretations of events or the characters’ intentions. It’s also because people might play slightly different stories. In Rebirth, players nurture their relationships with specific characters, and eventually Cloud goes on a date with the character closest to him. Fans of Aerith could go on dates with her and pay attention to the beautiful moments that occur, while Tifa stans could do the same. Players will see different cutscenes depending on who has the strongest bond with Cloud, and it would naturally make sense to favor one or the other in a specific playthrough of the game.

So while we finally got to see the big kiss that fans have been thinking about for 26 years, at least Aerith fans can get their fair share of sweet moments as well. All’s well that ends well, and anyway, I’m just interested in any opportunity to make Tifa laugh. So if you’re like me and want to choose who to date based on this information, Polygon has a guide for you.