Aerith Gainsborough
Template:FFVII character
Aerith Gainsborough (Japanese: エアリス・ゲインズブール, Earisu Geinzubūru) (formerly Aeris Gainsborough and originally Aerith Gainsbourg), is a fictional character from the role playing game Final Fantasy VII, and one of the main playable characters. She fights with a metal quarterstaff; however, her physical attacks are relatively weak, and she is better utilized as a mage. Her Limit Breaks are used to heal or protect the party. In the original Japanese versions of Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, she is voiced by Maaya Sakamoto; in the English version of Kingdom Hearts, she is voiced by Mandy Moore.
Aerith is often referred to as "Aeris," due to the incorrect transliteration of her name in Sony's English translation of the game. The official Romanization was "Aerith" from the start (as can be seen in the Japanese instruction manual and other official printed materials). The problem may have originated due to the fact that the foreign sounds "s" (as a stand-alone consonant) and "th" are both represented in Japanese syllabery by "su" ス, or it may have been a deliberate aesthetic change on Sony's part. The correct spelling was subsequently used in the English translation of Kingdom Hearts, spoken by Leon (aka Squall Leonhart). "Aerith" may be based on the Hebrew name Erith, "flower", which makes sense considering her association with flowers; and also "Earth," due to her ability to commune with the Planet.
Biography
Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Before Crisis
Shin-Ra, in hopes of advancing methods to harvest the earth's energy (see "Lifestream"), seek out lore for "inspiration." These tales rumor the existance of an ancient race, the Cetra, who have the remarkable ability to communicate with the planet itself. Their search leads to Ifalna, the sole survivor (at the time). She is apprehended by Shin-Ra forces and subjected to many horrific experiments.
Ifalna, in captivity of Shin-Ra forces, becomes romantically involved with one of the more humane researchers, Professor Gast. Gast breaks her free and together, they escape to a remote mountain village and live (momentarily) in peace.
Following twenty days after the birth of their daughter, Aerith, Shin-Ra soldiers, led by Hojo, raid their home. Gast is slayed and Ifalna is again abducted along with baby Aerith for further torture in Shin-Ra's labs.
Seven long years pass. The two, mother and child, flee from Shin-Ra's cluthes to the munincipal Midgar. Ifalna, wounded in the attempt and on the verge of death, begs a woman to take care of Aerith. The kindly widow, Elmyra Gainsborough, accepts and raises Aerith as her own. With the death of her mother Ifalna, Aerith is now the last survivor of the ancient Cetra (or simply, Ancients).
In adopting the title, she is burdened with its cursed circumstances. As the sole Cetra, her role as an envoy to the planet's cries (see "Lifestream") impose a responsibility far too overwhelming for a child to bear. To make matters worse, she has become the key target of the empirical Shin-Ra which is based in central Midgar--their hold completely enshrouding the city in economic and social disparity. Shin-Ra, inching closer to the Ancient's location, dispatches the Turks to finally recapture her.
Final Fantasy VII
Aerith, now a florist, strives to lead a normal life with her new mother. She has managed to evade the Turks' numerous kidnapping attempts but with each "surprise visit" diminishes Aerith's hopes of living peacefully, away from all the bloodshed, away from all the pain her birthright has beckoned.
Aerith retreats daily to a local rundown church where she can be alone with her thoughts. The structure, though dilapidated, serves as an ideal hideaway from the insanity of the outside world. According to her, it the only locale where flowers seem to grow (possibly her symbol of Hope in the pandoric world that her existance is causing.)
Chronologically, the game's events begin here, ten years after her initial arrival in Midgar. While on a seemingly typical flower selling route, she bumps into a frantic Cloud who flees from the scene of Avalanche's successful bombing of a Mako Reactor.
The two would later remeet in Aerith's church, this time, under more tense circumstances. Faced with the possibility of being captured by Shin-Ra, Aerith convinces the mercanary to be her bodyguard against Reno of the Turks.
Aerith joins Cloud and company in their pursuit of the malevolent Sephiroth.
Aerith, although seemingly "innocent," is very spunky, outgoing, mischievous, and at times, downright flirtatious with Cloud. She remains optimistic throughout the journey though her shady actions leads others to believe she know more more than she lets on.
After a failed attempt to foil Sephiroth's stealing of a dangerous materia, Aerith sneaks off on her own into the City of Ancients, a recklessly foolish action in the eyes of her party. Cloud eventually catches up to her, only to witness one of the most horrificly dramatic scenes in video-game history--a praying Aerith is impaled by Sephiroth's blade and dies instantly.
The party learns that, through her White Materia (handed down from Ifalna), Aerith summoned the mysterious power of "Holy," the only force capable of repelling Sephiroth's cataclysmic materia. In order to initiate its effect, however, Sephiroth would have to be defeated. Inspired by Aerith's ultimate sacrifice, the party sets out on a final showdown.
Cloud succeeds in killing Sephiroth however the party is shocked to find Holy's power in not enough to combat the meteor. In a climactic FMV, the earth's Lifestream bands together and diffuses the massive structure. This magnificent showing is followed by the last appearance of Aeris--an indication of her final efforts to save the planet.
Maiden Who Travels The Planet
A novelization written by Benny Matsuyama that appears in the Ultimania Omega Guide for Final Fantasy VII. It is the story of Aerith during Final Fantasy VII while she is in the Lifestream, after her death at the hands of Sephiroth. It revealed that Cetra can exist in the lifestream without letting their conscious be scattered through sheer force of will. It showed Aerith's encounters with people who have died over the course of the game, which includes Biggs, Wedge and Jessie of AVALANCHE, Dyne, President Shinra, Zack and Hojo. Her true feelings for Cloud are also revealed in the story.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Aerith's appearance in Advent Children run few and far between, but her presence, as it always has been, profoundly motivates Cloud for the better.
Since Sephiroth's defeat, the party has had no time to rejoice. Though the planet has been saved by Aerith's actions, Holy has overcompensated in its effects and has begun to infect the population through a fatal illness known as Geostigma. Cloud, now secluse and infected, as well, seeks to find a cure alone. Though resolute, he is maddened by his failure to prevent his beloved Aerith's death.
Aerith makes several appearances throughout the course of the movie as his spiritual guide, urging Cloud to move on in life and to forgive himself for the tragedies now beyond his control. In the first warming reunion, Aerith speaks to Cloud in an open meadow, beautifully laden in flowers, a throwback to the church of their momentous meeting. She cheerfully pokes at his stubborn burdening of the past but acknowledges his suffering and offers kind words of reassurance.
After Cloud's triumph over the reincarnation of Sephiroth, it is through Aerith's church (namely, the dissipation of her flowers into rain, said to be her Limit Break, Great Gospel) a cure for Geostigma is discovered. In a final vision, Aerith, along with Zack, bids farewell to Cloud. Before vanishing, she smiles back, a reminder of her heroic actions, a reminder that she is forever a part of the planet and of Cloud's memories.
Aerith's face
Until the movie was released, Aerith's face, or at least the upper half of her face, had been kept "hidden" by Square Enix. This tactic left fans speculating on how she would look like in her Advent Children incarnation and many times, doctored images were sent by people claiming that was Aerith's face was revealed. Aerith's full face is shown at the end of Advent Children and also during the bonus ending.
Kingdom Hearts
Due to the bizarre nature of its continuity, Aerith also makes a notable appearance in the Kingdom Hearts series. She is a member of the organization dedicated to defeating the Heartless, which also includes Cid Highwind and Yuffie Kisaragi of Final Fantasy VII, and Squall Leonhart of Final Fantasy VIII (aka, Leon).
Aerith encounters Donald Duck and Goofy in the streets of Traverse Town and escorts them to the Traverse Town hotel. It is there that she suggests recovering the scattered pages of Ansem's Report to find a way to destroy the Heartless.
After the locking of the Hollow Bastion keyhole, Aerith returns to her home where she is reunited with Cloud in the Hollow Bastion library.
Square-Enix has disclosed that Aerith will indeed return in Kingdom Hearts II along with fellow Final Fantasy VII characters Cloud, Cid and Yuffie. She appears in a recent promotional trailer for the game wearing the white dress she donned in Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII.
Fandom
Aerith is one of the most beloved characters in the Final Fantasy series, and also Tetsuya Nomura's personal favourite. Her death was unexpected and shocking to most players when the game first came out; her demise has been lamented so widely that some even consider spoiler warnings completely unneeded when discussing it, as it has become such a widely known fact.
A persistent rumor maintains that Aerith either could be resurrected in some versions of the game or that she was meant to be resurrected but the feature either could not be completed or was dropped at a relatively late stage of development. The production staff have repeatedly stated that this is not the case. By their admission, Aerith's death was always intended to be a permanent and tragic event, a response to the dramatic clichés of heroic sacrifice and resurrection.
Even after years of extensive search, no in-game way of resurrecting Aerith has been discovered. Nothing in the actual game data seems to contain any substantial evidence of resurrection methods ever existing, and none of the game FMVs have any indication of inaccessible scenes or alternate endings. Various cheat programs can put Aerith back to the party, though, but there are very few specific lines or weapons for her afterwards, and this may make the game hang in various parts. Nevertheless, rumors of Aerith's resurrection are some of the most widely known rumors in the history of video games.
The Aerith Revival rumor has similarities to the urban legend of the older Squaresoft game Chrono Trigger in regard to a character named Schala. Ironically, this game also contains a scene where the player can resurrect a dead character.
Another source of debate is the "spirit" of Aerith. If the player backtracks to the church in the Midgar slums, a "spirit" of Aerith can be seen in the church tending to the flowers or standing in the aisle, and will vanish if approached. Whether this is an easter egg created by the developers or a glitch in the game remains subject of much debate. However, it would seem that it is an easter egg by the developers, as a an actual glitch in that part will allow the player to run up to Aerith, and if one talk to the children there, they will say something completely different from when Aerith's "ghost" is gone. Interestingly, a similar scene appears in the Advent Children movie.
One of the earliest and most notorious of these rumors was put out by Ben Lansing [1] who unsuccessfully tried to retract it later [2] after his "authoritative" article had snowballed into a big debate.
Aerith makes an appearance in both Final Fantasy Tactics (as Aeris) and the Kingdom Hearts series. While her name was changed in the US version of Final Fantasy VII to Aeris, her name was officially changed back to Aerith after her cameo in Kingdom Hearts. Aerith also makes an appearance in Itadaki Street Special.
External links
- FFVII: Advent Children Web Novel - On the Way to a Smile A fansite with translations of the Final Fantasy VII novels
- Ancient Memories An Aerith Gainsborough fanlisting