Square Enix recently explained why Aerith’s Japanese voice briefly takes a scary turn inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. Fans had been waiting decades for a re-imagined version of the belovedFinal Fantasy 7by the time Square Enix announced one in 2015, andFinal Fantasy 7 Remakewas a critical and commercial hit when it finally launched on the PlayStation 4 five years later. Instead of being a simple retelling ofFinal Fantasy 7with modern graphics,Remakeexpanded on the original game’s opening hours, which introduce Cloud Strife and his allies in the gritty cyberpunk city of Midgar.This includes Cloud’s first meeting with Aerith Gainsborough, a seemingly unassuming flower merchant who holds a powerful secret that could change the course of the world - and makes her a target forFinal Fantasy 7’s Shinra Electric Power Company. At one point, Cloud is trying to sneak out of Aerith’s house to reunite with his friends in Avalanche, a small band of rebels hoping to expose Shinra’s corruption. However, should Cloud wake Aerith up by bumping into an obstacle, she will come out of her room and insist that he rest and wait until morning, which results in players having to try again once she goes back to bed.RELATED:Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Dev Wants Combat to Surpass FF12Many fans have noticed that in the Japanese dub ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, Aerith’s voice briefly takes on a deeper and somewhat more threatening toneduring this memorableFF7moment, and Square Enix says that this was intentional. As reported by Siliconera, the voice director had actress Maaya Sakamoto speak in a voice more fitting for a horror film or game when she pops out at Cloud, in contrast to the softer and kinder tone she uses for the rest ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. Sure enough, she quickly returns to her usual cheery self as she leads Cloud back to his room and even cleans up the hallway a bit for Cloud’s next escape attempt.
This isn’t the first time that Square Enix has shared somefun trivia regardingFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. For example, the publisher once explained why only certain characters like Cloud and Aerith can see the Whispers, specter-like entities that want to ensure thatFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’s timeline proceeds as it did in the original game. Other, more minor tidbits include Rude’s large amount of fashion accessories, Reno’s retractable rod weapon, and the creative process behind Weiss the Immaculate’s reworked theme music.
WhileFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’s Aerith Gainsboroughis a sweet and gentle soul most of the time, she can be tough and feisty when a situation calls for it - as shown when she famously bashes one of Don Corneo’s goons with a steel chair at the Honey Bee Inn. Her horror-style approach to catching Cloud as he’s trying to sneak out is another fine example of how Aerith shouldn’t be underestimated, and players could even see more of this side of her whenFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthlaunches later this year.
Final Fantasy 7 Remakeis available on PC, PS4, and PS5.
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