Final Fantasy VII is easily one of the most recognized and celebrated games of all time, and one need only look at the illustrious history of this title to understand why this is the case. From its rampant success on the original PlayStation to the various side games and re-releases that this title has experienced over time, there's no denying the fact that Square Enix definitely considers Final Fantasy VII to be one of its most iconic — and bankable — titles.
A big part of why Final Fantasy VII is such a popular game is due to its wide cast of notable characters, with Tifa, in particular, being a fan-favorite that fans simply can't get enough of. Keeping this in mind, here are ten rather underground facts about Tifa that most people had absolutely no idea about.
10 Her Last Name Is Meant To Reflect The Character's Reserved Nature When It Comes To Her Feelings
While this might not be all that surprising for some, there's no denying the fact that Tifa's last name is meant to have some meaning when it comes to the character's persona itself.
The name "Lockhart" is a not-so-subtle allegory to the feelings that Tifa keeps bottled within her at all times that she finds incredibly hard to convey to anyone.
9 Her Attire Is Supposed To Promote Flexibility In Movement
While most people consider Tifa's clothing to be tailored solely for the purposes of fanservice, there's actually a ton of thought that went into the character design of this beloved character.
Given the fact that Tifa pretty much personified the Monk class and would use her brawling style throughout the game, the developers wanted to convey the fact that she was extremely fluid in her movements — something that was achieved by giving her clothing that wouldn't impede the flow of her movements.
8 She Could've Worn Pants Instead Of Her Iconic Miniskirt
That being said, there's no denying the fact that Tetsuya Nomura still had a ton of options when it came to Tifa's attire, with one particular hang-up being whether she should wear pants or a miniskirt as a part of her final design.
In order to make a decision, he actually circulated designs featuring both pieces of attire on Tifa and asked the staff to vote. The miniskirt won, and one of the most iconic character designs of all time was finalized, as a result.
7 Her Hair Was Shortened In Advent Children Due To Animation Issues
Advent Children is an interesting addition to the lore of Final Fantasy VII, although most people are definitely split in the middle when it comes to the overall quality of the film itself.
That being said, one can't deny that seeing the characters in a new light was entertaining regardless, with Tifa being an obvious standout. However, her hair had to be shortened due to animation issues, which is somewhat of a bummer.
6 She Was Supposed To Have A Large Scar On Her Back, Courtesy Of Cloud Himself
The initial draft of Tifa's character design included a large scar on her back that would've been inflicted by an addled Cloud as well.
This was removed from the final draft since integrating this part of the character into the overarching story would've been too much work.
5 She Would Also Suffer From The Same Amnesia That Plagued Cloud As Well
The scar that Cloud inflicted upon Tifa would also lead to a situation where she would also suffer from amnesia as a result of this incident.
This was ultimately taken out from the final draft, which is a boon since it made the reveal of Cloud's mental state all the more impactful, as a result.
4 A Sub-Scenario In The Game Including Tifa Was Cut Due To Time Constraints In The Remake
Final Fantasy VII Remake might have its fair share of issues due to the myriad of problems stemming from the useless filler content in the game, but there's one particular omission in this regard that could've actually improved the plot somewhat.
Players who had no idea as to how Tifa managed to procure the dress and obtain the means to break into Don Corneo's mansion would've received some much-needed context in the form of a sub-story that would detail out this particular plot point, with Tifa taking Marle's help to obtain a dress and finding the means to reach Don Corneo as well.
3 The Highwind Scene Between Cloud And Tifa Was Meant To Be Way More On-The-Nose
There's a particularly touching moment before heading to the Northern Cave when Tifa and Cloud would exchange a heart-to-heart before spending some quality time with each other, pretty much cementing their romance in the process. However, an earlier draft was way less subtle about this.
This scene was originally meant to end with a scene where Cloud would walk out of the airship's Chocobo Stable, followed by a wary Tifa who checked around for any witnesses before following suit.
Yoshinori Kitase found this scene to be a tad too extreme, and it was ultimately removed from the final product.
2 Tifa Was Initially Supposed To Be The Person Who Would Die In The Game
When Tifa's character concept was created for the first time, it was just when the developers were thinking of offing a main character in the middle of the game.
However, this role was delegated to Aerith instead, and Tifa ended up having her relationships fleshed out with the main cast by a considerable margin instead.
1 She Ended Up Being A Character Who Would Compete With Aerith For Cloud's Affection
Ultimately, Tifa ended up being a character who would rival Aerith for Cloud's affections, which felt like a rather interesting dynamic as per Yoshinori Kitase.
This was decided upon after Aerith's death had been finalized by the developers once and for all, allowing for an interesting dynamic that would've surely distracted the player from even thinking that a permanent death would be in the books for one of the major characters.