FINAL FANTASY X

FINAL FANTASY X

The Zack Factor

CloTi nonsense: “Aerith only loved Cloud because of Zack”/“Aerith is still in love with Zack.”.

You can only believe something this absurd if you completely ignore the many times Aerith has said otherwise.

          a. In the game, Aerith clearly states that her relationship with Zack was in the past and that they were NOT serious. From FFVII (at the playground): Cloud: “You were…serious?” Aerith: “No. But I liked him for awhile.” Cloud: “I probably knew him. What was his name?” Aerith: “It doesn’t really matter.” That’s a pretty strange attitude for someone who is still supposedly so hung up over her ex-boyfriend, isn’t it? She clearly states that they weren’t serious and then follows up by saying she doesn’t really care if Cloud knows him. If Aerith were still hung up over Zack at this point, wouldn’t she be dying to know some news about him? But, from this conversation alone, we learn that, not only are Aerith’s feelings for Zack all in the past, she obviously considers her first love to have been a mere fleeting fancy and nothing more. This is confirmed in Maiden of the Planet when Zack is referred to as Aerith’s “light taste of first love” and is also confirmed to be “now a very dear friend” and nothing more. This becomes even more apparent in the FFVII prequel, Crisis Core, where the affection level between Aerith and Zack is completely optional, Zack has multiple girlfriends, and Aerith has moved on without him by the end of the game.           b. Aerith did not act all that concerned when she found out that Zack had been missing for 5 years and was possibly dead. From FFVII (Gongaga): Aerith: “What a shock…. I didn’t know Zack was from this town.” Cloud: “You know him?” Aerith: “Didn’t I tell you? He was my first love.” Cloud: “……” Aerith: “Zack…. SOLDIER First Class. Same as Cloud.” Cloud: “Strange, there aren’t that many who make First Class, but I’ve never heard of him.” Aerith: “That’s all right. It’s all in the past now. I was just worried because I heard he’s been missing.” Cloud: “Missing?” Aerith: “I think it was 5 years ago. He went out on a job, and never came back.” “He loved women, a real lady’s man. He probably found someone else.” For someone who is supposedly still pining over her ex-boyfriend, Aerith sure took that news well. All she did was shrug it off, say that their relationship was all in the past, and assume that he had probably run off with another woman. Aerith later follows up this conversation by saying that she doesn’t mind that she hasn’t heard from him. I’m sorry, but I don’t see any indication here of Aerith still being in love with Zack. Honestly, if she were, wouldn’t she be going insane over the news that he has been missing for the past 5 years and no one has heard a peep from him? Instead, she acted as though it really didn’t matter and you even have the in- game option of making Aerith tease Cloud for being jealous over Zack.        c. Aerith states, more than once, that she understands that Cloud and Zack are different and she loves Cloud more anyways.                   1. From FFVII (the date scene): Aerith: “First off, it bothered me how you looked exactly alike. Two completely different people, but look exactly the same. The way you walk, gesture… I think I must have seen him again, in you… But you’re different. Things are different…” First of all, please note that Aerith states that it bothered her that Cloud looked like Zack. She didn’t say she was happy about it or even excited. Bothered. Some definitions of bother: “to give trouble to; annoy; pester; worry” “to bewilder; confuse” So, Aerith was either worried about Cloud’s resemblance to Zack or confused by it. Neither of these suggest that she was particularly happy about it. I am sure the “Zack-ness” of Cloud was what initially drew Aerith to him. However, Aerith learned very quickly that Cloud was nothing like Zack, hence her words “But you’re different.”               2. From Final Fantasy VII Dismantled, an official book which has sections that focus on the thoughts of the FFVII characters, there is a section that speaks of Aerith’s feelings for Cloud. She states that she realizes that Cloud is nothing like Zack and that she loves Cloud more than Zack anyways: “At first when I met Cloud, I believed he was similar to Zack. Little actions, the way he spoke… his kindness. But Cloud is Cloud. I, now undoubtedly, love Cloud much more than Zack. But Cloud is clueless.” (FFVII Dismantled, Aerith’s monologue in Gongaga, p. 159) This statement alone is enough to completely trump Zack x Aerith. I mean, Aerith blatantly states that she loves Cloud more than she ever loved Zack, which means she is over Zack and has moved on with Cloud. And this is from an official source, people, not some made up delusion that CloTis like to pawn off as truth.              3. From the official novella Maiden of the Planet, Aerith tells Zack that his “bad point” was that he was nice to everyone (in other words, he’s a flirt). That and the fact that he wasn’t “simplistic and awkward like Cloud”. And so Aerith is stating she prefers Cloud’s simplistic, awkward behavior to Zack’s flirty, womanizing behavior. Aerith obviously prefers Cloud over Zack, and says so quite clearly. And… the ultimate nail in the coffin of this absurd theory: “She loved him [Cloud] much more than her first love.”  You can’t get much clearer than that! This is the second time that Aerith has confirmed in an official source that she loves Cloud far more than she ever loved Zack! RIP Zerith…. XD    d. Aerith completely rejects Zack in the Lifestream (Maiden of the Planet): Zack: “Man, you know Aerith. Out of all the girls I’ve gotten along with, you truly are the best. After that mission, we could’ve stayed the way we were and might have been able to continue to go out with each other after I returned home. I hate Sephiroth. And I hate Shinra who’s been hiding all the stuff they’ve been doing.” Aerith: “Someone who’s gotten along with so many girls can never become a lover.” Zack: “How mean. I’m nice to everyone.” Aerith: “And that’s your bad point. You’re not simplistic and awkward like Cloud.” And… Zack: “But whenever you feel lonely, call me Aerith.” Aerith: “Only if I get really lonely. Goodnight, Zack.” So, how anyone can believe that Aerith still harbors feelings for Zack is beyond me. She states multiple times that she loves Cloud more than Zack and that she completely understands he is different from Zack. Actually, Aerith seems to prefer Cloud’s type now that she is a mature woman, only being attracted to Zack when she was much younger and inexperienced. Throw in the fact that Aerith rejects Zack’s advances in the Lifestream, and the evidence becomes so rock-solid, I really don’t see why people continue to live in denial of the facts. And, as usual, I saved the best for last….       e. In Case of Lifestream: White, it is stated that Cloud is Aerith’s koibito. Case of Lifestream: White is a novella written by Kazushige Nojima. It takes place directly before and during AC/ACC and allows one to view the events taking place within the Lifestream. Case of Lifestream: White focuses on Aerith, while Case of Lifestream: Black focuses on Sephiroth. During the novella, Aerith is referred to as “the woman”. Below is the excerpt of interest: “Cloud was her friend, her beloved — a symbol of what was important to her, and someone to be protected.” Please note that the word translated as “beloved” is koibito in Japanese. Besides “beloved”, it can also be translated as “sweetheart”, “lover”, or “boyfriend/girlfriend”. There are no official translations for this novella as of yet. The important thing to note is that Cloud is, at the very least, considered Aerith’s “beloved”. Clearly, if Aerith considers Cloud her beloved, then she no longer harbors any feelings of a romantic nature for Zack. Zack, BTW, was glaringly absent in Aerith’s novella.

Happily married 💍💖

Full picture on Twitter and Pixiv 🔞🔥

🔥Kiba x Hinata🔥