This is not a bash thread about Tifa. Instead, it's about how Tifa is truly portrayed in the game. Although Tifa is initially portrayed in the Seventh Heaven as someone who is considered bright and optimistic by the others, the portrayal of her character soon becomes that of a tragic character surrounded by images of loss, unhappiness, and despair.  

Many instances of unhappiness and loss are obvious in the portrayal of Tifa, such as the death of her father at the hands of Sephiroth, the death of her mother when she was a child, the burning of Nibelheim by Sephiroth, and the destruction of Sector 7. Although the collapse of Sector 7 is a loss shared by Barret, it is an example of unhappiness and loss for Tifa as well, since the Seventh Heaven is lost along with her friends Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. So what is Tifa's character really like during the game, and how is she characterized?

I've always seen Tifa as being very pessimistic rather than happy and optimistic. What I see is that she is very insecure and uncertain about what to do. She frequently complains, worries, and whines rather than being supportive. I see her as fearful of events and quite dependent rather than being strong willed and determined. Here's some quotes to illustrate what I mean:

After Don Corneo drops them into the sewer:
Tifa "Man! This is terrible."
Aerith "Well, the worst is over..."
(They hear a loud rumbling. Cloud looks around...)
Aerith "Maybe not..."
(Boss battle with Aps)
Tifa "It's too late... Marlene... Barret... the people of the slums."  

At Elmyra’s house after Sector 7 is destroyed:
Tifa "It's my fault... I was the one who got Aerith involved in this."
Elmyra "Don't say that. Aerith doesn't think that."  

At the Ghost Hotel in the Gold Saucer:
Tifa "Be strong."
Red XIII "But, I..."
Tifa "Stop it, Red XIII! Be strong!"
Cloud "Tifa?"
Tifa "You're not the only one who's worried!" 

In the Northern Crater with Sephiroth:
Tifa "Cloud... Don't listen to him... Close your ears! Close your eyes!"
Cloud "What's wrong, Tifa? I'm not affected by it. ...I wasn't paying attention to him."  

After the Reunion:
Barret "You'll be better soon. You've been asleep a long time."
Tifa "I'm hungry..."
Barret "Hey, why don't you ask?"
Barret "About him."
(The scene fades to show Tifa lying on something resembling an operating table in an auxiliary room in Junon. Slowly, she sits up and looks at Barret.)
Tifa "...Because I'm scared." 

Aboard the Highwind after Barret rescues her in Junon:
Tifa "Meteor is coming, and Weapon is on the rampage..."
Tifa "At a time like this, I don't know what I'm supposed to do..."

In the Mideel hospital after finding Cloud:
(They all leave Tifa alone with Cloud. Tifa leans forward, crying.)
Tifa "Why...? What do you want me to do? Please, Cloud... Talk to me..."
Tifa "Tell me you see me, that you can hear me... Tell me, please..."
(Cloud just bobs his head.)  

I see all these quotes as being very typical of Tifa, and they do not show her to be bright and optimistic at all. She's usually quite worried, pessimistic, and fearful. She's very insecure and never knows what to do. I see her characterization in AC as being the same as this. It's one of the reasons I think Cloud and Tifa would make a terrible couple, and one of the reasons I do not enjoy her as a character. Am I the only one who sees her character this way?

Ooh, I am positively surprised to see you start such a positive thread about Tifa. ^_^

Let's see, Tifa, that pretty young woman that unfortunately is often remembered for the wrong reasons. But after reading those Tifa quotes you posted I am starting to see Tifa as in a different light than before. To me it appears that she is like a little child that seems to be lost. She doesn't show it often but when she is burdened by too many things that little child inside of her is more than obvious. She often blames herself and doesn't want to confront the reality as it is.
It is almost as if she thinks that if she just closes her eyes and covers her ears all the bad things will go away and all will be well again. Very childlike behaviour.

But perhaps that is why I like her so much, the way she acts is sometimes awfully cute. ^_^

Unfortuantely I believe that they have changed her in AC more or less. Even though we have no proof of that at this time I think that will be the case. They want to portray her as a strong young woman who the children can depend on. Nothing bad about that, but if they change her too much she loses some of her charm.

Ah, but Andine... so far, we've seen nothing but angst in her AC character. She is very sad. She sighs that Cloud's not there, she tells Marlene that she doesn't think Cloud will fight, she complains to Cloud about his wanting to die, she whines that he should rely on his friends instead of giving up, etc. It's the same old story. I don't see her acting any differently in AC.

Ah and oh, it takes more than few screenshots and vague trailers before I believe that. ^_^
So what if I'm stubborn! Just call it a hunch. :rolleyes:

Or perhaps I do not believe that she has changed maybe I just want that. Might be...I'm not always sure of my own feelings. While I might think Aerith is perfect for Cloud I like Tifa very much so it might be possible that I just want her to develope.
I loved her the way she was in FFVII but I wouldn't mind her developing just like everyone else has. Don't you think it would be somewhat sad if everyone else changes as time goes on but Tifa remains the same.

Hmm, now that I think about that it might actually very nice and would only make her character appear sadder than ever, you would almost feel sorry for her. Aww, poor Tifa, she's going to be more stuck in the past than anyone else.

Ehm, right right, now I'm having a conversation with myself. :lol:

And how has everyone else developed over the last two years? I haven't seen any indication that any of the characters have developed, except perhaps Marlene. The characters seem much the same in AC as they were in FFVII, even Cloud. He was always a character full of angst, so seeing him acting the way he is in AC is no surprise to me whatsoever. He was always that way.

For example, one review of the AC premier in Venice said that "Tifa seems much sadder now". To me, she was always sad. I don't see that as being anything different.

Maybe I just see things differently than you, very differently. It might be that I assume and predict too much, you can just call it one of my many flaws.

I can't completely agree with that. Cloud was like that in the beginning but the closer we got to the ending the more open Cloud got. Iny my eyes he was far more social in the end of FFVII than he is now in AC. Maybe it's the Geostigma that has turned him into such a loner in AC or maybe some old memories have surfaced.

Well that's just one opinion among many. You can not expect everyone to see things the way you see. You can very easily see beyond the surface and read between the lines but many others only see what they want us to see.

And that's why I created this thread, my dear... I was curious to see whether other people saw her character as being as downtrodden and morose as I did during the game. I seriously never saw her as being bright and optimistic anywhere in the game. In my opinion, she was always complaining and sorrowful rather than bright and optimistic. I'm quite surprised that anyone could perceive her that way, in fact, because I see no evidence of it.

Go through the FFVII script and see whether you can find 10 lines of Tifa's that are bright and optimistic. I did. ;)

This is not intended to dump on her, but to examine how her character is actually portrayed in the game and in AC. I see her as a tragic character who is insecure, unhappy, uncertain, dependent, and complaining for a majority of the game. No one should be hated for such qualities, and I'm not saying that she should be hated for it. However, I do think that's what her character truly is, and that it's often overlooked by her fans who make her out to be something that she is not.

Ah, but before I would do that I would need to know what do you consider to be bright and optimistic? I view this world and life itself from a very different angle than most I know. You would understand what I mean if you would know me. ^_^

But even though, I can not understand how you see FFVII Tifa as sad and sorrowful as you do. Sure, she is far from Yuffie and nothing like Aerith but she is what I would call normal. She gets worried easily and in many cases is not sure what to do. She's emotional and lonely, that's what I would call her. But don't get me wrong, sweetie, I am not claiming to be right or wrong, I just see what I see the way I see.

And when someone says that Tifa appears to be much sadder in AC it might be true, at least from some point of view. Why shouldn't she be? Now that she has time in her hands again she has time to think. Aerith is gone, Cloud is infected with the virus and has become a loner and doesn't like to spend his time with her, Barret is somewhere looking for new energy source and it looks to me that the only people who she can spend her time with are sick children and the patrons of her bar. So Tifa is lonely, sad and worried and there is no one to comfort her. Of course that might not be the case but it certainly would appear to be so.

Things haven't really gotten much better since FFVII. There is no metero anymore but more problems keep appearing.

Okay, another example:

Tifa "It's too late..... Marlene... Barret... the people of the slums."
Aerith "Don't give up, never give up hope. It's not easy to destroy the pillar, right?"

To me, Aerith is showing optimism in that scene, whereas Tifa is showing pessimism.

On top of the Shinra tower before the blow up:
Tifa "We have to disarm it! Cloud! Barret! Please!"
...
Tifa "Cloud! I don't know how to stop this! Try it!"
...
Tifa "Please, stop it!"
...
Aerith "Tifa, don't worry! She's all right!"
(Tseng slaps her back into the helicopter. Hard.)
Tifa "Aerith!"
(She leans back out.)
Aerith "Hurry and get out!"

To me, Tifa's just being hysterical here while Aerith is thinking about the welfare of others even in an emergency situation while she herself is in danger. Sure, others would be terrified in the same situation... but look at the comparison in terms of the strength of character displayed by Aerith as compared to Tifa.

Well I never claimed that Tifa didn't have her moments of sadness, and those scenes you pointed out perfectly point out that Tifa is very normal. While Aerith is ever calm and intelligent Tifa acts in most situations like we all would. You can call it sorrowfull and hysterical, but that's only natural. She is after all, just a young, confused woman from Nibelheim, that's all.

It's not fair to compare Tifa and the way she acts in most situations to Aerith. Aerith is an ancient, so that gives her somewhat of an unfair advantage over poor little Tifa who just tries to understand and cope with everything that happens. ^_^

I saw her as very depressed in FFVII as well. And I haven't seen anything of her in AC that shows that she is any happier... :blink: She is just a very sad character to me. And I could relate to her.

I didn't think of Tifa as a really tragic depressed character, she had her happy moments, although she seemed very weak emotionally, which is one of the big reasons I can't see her with Cloud. She needs someone to latch onto for support, and Cloud isn't the kind of person to give a lot of support, which is very obvious from his cold attitude in every single one of the Highwind Scenes. He doesn't do a great job of comforting her, and he doesn't try most of the time either. That's why he should be with Aeris, a lively lady who can open him up and make him happy, not insecure, unsure little Tifa who needs someone to take care of her and be rescued. Aeris could be sad too, but she didn't make it plain and obvious, for everyone to see. Like at Cosmo Canyon, when she was talking to Cloud about how she feels alone, and Cloud comforted her there. He didn't want her to feel so bummed, when she's always so happy and full of energy.
Tifa never really seemed ecstatic, although I never really had her in my party, so that could be why I can't remember any specific moments. She didn't seem depressed all of the time, but I never saw her truly happy. We only see instance of sadness, of worrying (when the plate fell, about Cloud's condition, about Aeris's safety, about life in general), and jealousy (when Aeris flirted with Cloud, and when Aeris and Cloud were having fun together, when Cloud thought of Aeris, or when Cloud and Aeris were just talking even). Even if you pick Tifa for the Gold Saucer date, she's nervous the entire time, not happy. I never really realized until now, but I can never remember Tifa being really happy. I can remember her being spunky sometimes, but not happy.
And as for Advent Children, she really doesn't seem happy there either, although maybe it's too soon to tell. She was smiling in the "family photo," but that's it.

That's all I have to say for now...

I don't think that Tifa was necessarily "downtrodden and morose" as Anastar put it, but I definitely did view her as a tragic character who couldn't quite come to terms with her own feelings... perhaps because she couldn't come to terms with her past? Of course, in reality, everybody in FF7 was a tragic character one way or another, but it did seem to be particularly emphasized with Tifa. She did seem to be dependent and insecure, but every character in the game had their flaws, which was part of what I found so engrossing about the game. However, it is true that personalitywise, she and Cloud wouldn't be a good match.

:lol: Okay, "downtrodden and morose" may be a bit strong... yet I hear many of her fans claiming that she was bright and optimistic, that she was supportive to the rest of the group, that she cheered the others up, etc. If anyone did that, Aerith did... not Tifa. I think that's a big misperception of Tifa's character.

That's the way I saw her character, too, and from what we've seen in AC, her character still reflects those tendencies.

I think I'm done arguing for now. *giggle* :lol:

I'll wait until I've seen the movie, and after that if things are the way you say they are I will apologise for being bit silly. :D

You're not being silly... you're expressing an opinion just like the rest of us are. ;)

Who knows what Square will pull in the movie, though? We all have to wait and see what happens. :rolleyes:

Perhaps so, but whenever I go against you (so to speak) I can't help but to feel silly. No matter what you say you always sound like you're correct and I am wrong! *sigh* :lol:
I really need to learn to be more like you in that way, you could propably sell me my own shoes if you would want to. *giggle* :P

Wah! But I hate waiting! First you wait for years, then it's all over in about 60 minutes. How depressing is that? :rolleyes:

i forgot what I'm going to write. I'm so frustrated... because on my first post... IT CONKED OUT!!!!!

But anyway, I'll put here what I can think of right now:

Tifa is one of the most misunderstood characters in the game both by gamers and the characters themselves in the game...
I have judged her by her zodiac sign (Taurus), the way she acts, and the way she interacts with the other character... and the way I can relate to her... and the way I feel for her sufferings and pain... Oh you know, the Cloud Strife thing? I've got a similar incident such as that... but this isn't the right thread to talk about it. XD Just refer to Tifa's story with Cloud and you'll understand what happened to mine. <_<

Anyway, I admire her portrayed optimism and cheerfulness. She's my inspiration for becoming optimistic and happy, putting a smile on her face and maybe even faking smiles just to prove to everyone that she's alright despite the pain and suffering and depression and frustrations and her angst in life.

In my view, she tries hard to please everyone and sometimes, it could be put in a wrong way or another, causing several to misjudge her. And sometimes, she can get too clingy and attached; I can understand that because she must've been tired of having too many losses in her life from childhood. Just imagine her trauma based on what Sephiroth has done to her, and a lot more stuff (like her mommy and daddy dying... the burning of Nibelheim, etc...)

Gah.
Might add to this later on again... =_='

Well, I used to really hate her for some reason, and then I decided to try to like her for Aeris' sake(yes I'm a fangirl, shut up). And it was very easy. Tifa may be emotionally weak, she may worry, she may be pessimistic, but she's very sacrificing. She gives up her own happiness for Cloud twice.
It frustrates me to see pictures of Tifa looking confidant, and battle ready. She was shy, quiet and pessimistic. It's just because she's a physical fighter that she's portrayed this way, and that's silly and shallow. I like seeing Tifa look happy, and she is strong, but she doesn't pose like that. I dunno, it's just a peeve of mine. *shrugs*
And, she looks to be very much the same in AC. She's physically strong, but emotionally weak, and very very sad. *sniff* Poor Teef

I never have hated Tifa, just preferred Aeris. Then I realized, that Tifa is more like a normal human being. I wish everyone were like Aeris, happy, pure, cheerful, but that's not the way it is. Tifa has some dents and scratches. I think she is optimistic FOR what she's been through, but I wouldn't refer to her as an optimist. I think her intentions are well, but because of her shy, hidden personality, they turn for the worst. For example, when she kept Cloud's past from him, she just didn't want to see him get hurt, but it lead Cloud to his downfall, because Tifa was somewhat selfish.

She didn't want Cloud to realize his pat, BECAUSE she didn't want him to be mad at her! If she had just realized what was best for Cloud, it wouldn't have happened, but she only thought for herself. She also over reacts. Like when Cloud finds her at Corneo's Mansion, and is explaing to Tifa how he ended up there, Tifa makes comments like, "Oh, Aeris did... Oh, you were with Aeris..." Also at the Shinra Building, when they get put into prison sells, and when Aeris brings up Cloud's and her date, Tifa goes "Oh... I get it!"

My overall description of Tifa: Kind hearted, shy, selfish, over reactive.

Well said. :D If Tifa didn't have a go at optimism, she's probably the prototype for... Lulu, maybe? Or probably even worse, because the guy that Tifa lost is still alive. O_o

Anyway, she's just lost so much in her 20 years of living (her mom, her dad, her hometown, her chance for emotional and economical stability, etc) that she's bound to be selfish. When she had the chance to try to keep Cloud with her, she took it, even if it meant lying to him, but of course it didn't exactly work, did it?

Oh, I'll just add to this later, because I might be late for my next class. Yikes! :blink:

Out of curiosity, where do you see Tifa being optimistic and cheerful? I ask because I've looked through the script and watched for signs of optimism and cheerfulness in Tifa while playing the game, and I see no more than maybe five or six lines that could be interpreted that way. I've always seen her character as being quite pessimistic and sad, so I'm curious where you see her acting in an optimistic and happy manner.

She's being "optimistic" for her own sake, not for the sake of the other people in her group wherein she would tell them, "C'mon guys! Cheer up! Be happy! Heeheeheehee! Everything's going to be okay!"
B)

Well, that's better because I've heard many people claim that she was supportive to the group and cheered everyone up, which I think was actually done by Aerith rather than Tifa.

But where do you see her being optimistic for her own sake in the game? I'm just curious because - for the life of me - I don't see optimism in her character at all and I can't understand where people see it.

It's hard to point it out using the events... because I just observed it from her behaviour while playing the game... :(
Anyway, I'll try to explain it as best as I could: take for instance her "Cloud dilemma" (as I refer to it sometimes)... she's still get a little hope for herself that she could still snag him for herself, while looking at the big picture, it's such a fat chance.
...
It's like she's trying to look into the bright side for herself so that she wouldn't feel bad about herself and others and start loathing them...

Remember the time when they first met Rufus on the 70th floor balcony? When they got down, Aerith was about to say something about Cloud (in my speculation, I think she was the one who wants to remain with Cloud and wait for him to come down from the 70th floor after battling with Rufus) but Tifa cut her off by saying something like, "I'll wait for him! You go ahead!". It's like a defense mechanism for herself (I think... I don't know how else to refer to it...)... being "optimistic" for herself... uhm... I don't know if you got my point. :unsure:

:blink:

There are still others that I have observed... but I'll just leave it here for now. ^_^'

Ahhh, okay.... see, I don't consider those "optimistic" circumstances. If anything, I see those as being "opportunistic", more like she's using a situation to her own advantage. Other people in this thread have called it selfish. It comes across to me as someone manipulating events in an attempt to get her way.

In fact, in the AC previews, I see the same kind of behavior happening when she says, "Why do we have to lose out to a memory?" If she's referring to Aerith with that statement, then she may be trying to talk Cloud into letting go of Aerith's memory and starting a relationship with her. I see that as being very presumptous and manipulative.

I guess it's all in how you perceive the reasons behind her actions. :rolleyes:

That's how I always saw Tifa, as an opportunist (a Darva Conger if you will). I've always felt that she knew all along about their joint past, but it wasn't convient for her to tell him, out of fear that he wouldn't stay with her as she wanted. I don't think it was her memory being selective or having a lapse of thought as she often makes it sound.

Yes! And maybe that's because for most of her life that's exactly how it was. She was accostumed to having someone protect her (her father) and being the center of attention (in her trio). She never cared that someone else might be suffering (Cloud), only how to meet her own selfish self-interests.

I definately agree, Tifa was the more human of the two, in the sense that most people aren't as considerate as Aeris was. And not to continue the comparsion, but both girls suffer just about the same in their pasts, and yet Aeris was able to handle it better and be the stronger emotionally. When Tifa tells Red XIII to be strong, she's partically commanding/forcing him, but when Aeris tells Cait Sith, it's so natural that he's overjoyed that she said it. The exact same line, just with a different connotation and delivery.

As far as optimistic, she really wasn't. I don't hate Tifa by any means, but she is a manipulative, jealous, querulous opportunist, and maybe that's why I like her.

Hmm...There are flaws to her. But I don't hate her nor like her...so, I guess I'm just stuck in the middle. <_< At times, Tifa really made me frown...and frown more...than rage....and frown even deeper. I think Tifa is a good-hearted person, but its just the things she did that I didn't agree with. ;) I believe Tifa was a good-hearted person but just disagree with the things she did.

Wow.
Well, considering the state Cloud was in when Tifa found it, it's hard to gage what his reaction would have been if she had interrupted him and revealed that he was never in soldier right then and there. One thing for sure, if he had run away after hearing that, there would have been no FFVII. So, I'm not sure if Tifa not telling the truth right away was some scheme to keep Cloud by her side because she wanted him for herself. There was probably some genuine concern the state he was in and the desire to watch over him. Saying that she manipulated the situation? I'm not sure if I would call it that. I don't think she tried to keep Cloud around because she had a romantic interest in him. She never acted on them and also, did she not say they were childhood friends and nothing more?
To use the word manipulate implies that she was in control of the situationa and I don't think she ever had that level of control. The truth frightened her as much as she knew it would frighten Cloud and she often felt so insecure that I'm not sure she had it in her to set Cloud up.

I never saw Tifa as manipulative, really. I think her problem lies in the fact that she can't speak her mind as easily as Aerith can. She couldn't tell Cloud that his account of the Nibelheim event was false because she was afraid. She needed someone to lean on, someone who would tell her that things would be alright, and Cloud was acting like the type of person she needed at that time. Also, he was the only other person she knew from her childhood, so it makes sense that she would want to keep him by her side. Yes, her childhood was full of bad memories, her mother dying, her accident, the burning of Nibelheim, but she also must have had her share of good times too. I think that seeing a person from her childhood would be comforting to Tifa, and during the time he was away, she had time to 'put him on a pedestal' so to speak, and imagine him as her romantic hero. I also think that Cloud needed Tifa to respect him, and Tifa needed a reason to be in awe of Cloud, to heap attention on him, to make up for how she ignored him as a child. This is why I don't think their relationship would work, because they're both a little co-dependent. I do think Tifa is a really interesting and beautiful character either way though. I wouldn't be on the fanlisting if I didn't like her! :rolleyes:

Tifa kept quiet about Cloud's past, when she could've just told Cloud - possibly after he recovered. However, Squaer crafted her personality to be somewhat "held-back". After all, if she had not kept the secret, Cloud wouldn't give Sephiroth the Black Materia... and would Aeris die? :blink:

Tifa has a good personality - she has flaws, making her human. She wasn't manipulative, she was just acting the way she thought was rational. If she told Cloud, would he have a mental breakdown? She never knew how dangerous that secret could be.

Sometimes it's hard to say things like "Tifa should have told Cloud everything at the train station," because the story wouldn't be the same. It's like people saying "Lucrecia should have gone with that sexeh thang Vincent!! NOT HOJO!!!11" because then Seph would not have been who he was. No story. Everything was set out for a reason, whether we like it or not. Although perhaps they could have crafted the story more to our liking, how was Square supposed to know the opinions of every fan in the world? There needs to be conflict and things we disagree with.

Take Inuyasha (really, take him!! lol...) for example. Kagome shattered the Jewel in the beggining, and we were all thinking, "Aw crud!! STUPID!! That should so not have happened!!" But would there be a story if it didn't?

I always find myself thinking things should have been different here or there but the story just wouldn't be the same. It's so perplexing, I swear if my brain was a person I would beat the crap out of him/her. <_<

I guess if it's in Tifa's personality, she couldn't have done it differently, so we shouldn't blame her for not being emotionally strong enough to tell him his past early on. But we can use it as another example of why she is such an unsatifactory match for Cloud. ;)

As I said before, would most people REALLY have told him? I mean, what would you SAY? "Mm! Sorry! Your view of the past is wrong! That was really another person!" I don't blame Tifa for not telling him, I blame Square*throws Cheetos at them*

And Seii's right, we'd lost ALOT of story if she had, and a really cool facet of Cloud's character.

Tifa's withholding of the truth added to character development and was a plot device in a professional point of view. It's already been said we wouldn't have half the story we do now if Tifa told him the truth at first. If you remember, even she was shady over her own memories. She didn't have enough confidence in those memories to tell Cloud with confidence that he was wrong in what he remembered. How can you tell someone the 'truth' when you don't believe in the truth whole heartedly yourself? I don't see her decision to not tell him as 'selfish', maybe a little because few acts in this world are completely unselfish. In the long run, it was meant to help him.

Tifa is misunderstood, one of the most misunderstood characters' in final fantasy VII. I think maybe that's why she's getting so much screentime, maybe to set the record straight even though we want to see Aeris so bad (~happily waves Aeris flag~). She was optimistic in a sense. Optimistic in a sense of trying to keep spirits up in the face of others while she bares most of the insecurities and the pessimism internally. At some point she has a hard time doing it anymore, even Barret takes the time to point it out on the Highwind after they escape a certain gas chamber. I think that's why she asked Cloud to tell her it was going to be okay, so she could hold up that mask to the others. Everyone needs a sense of security, and Cloud was it. Unfortunately, when Cloud was lost to the group, he couldn't hold up that strong front. However, Tifa did stand up and take the lead in his absense while she could have wasted away without him. Even when Mideel was crumbling beneath their feet, she took the initiative to get them out of there and not panic like she could have.

I don't see her as a whiny, complainy, hysterical character. Her past was tragic, but she's kept a strong face through it all. She's a realist with a sense of optimism.

I see Tifa as a tragic character as well. I see her as being lost in a sense, she didn't have a mother, and then she lost her father as well, so I think that after that point, she was looking for a hero. Because she didn't have a mother to protect her and give her the love she needed growing up, she needed to feel loved and protected by a man, and when Cloud seemed as though he could fit that role, she put him in role of hero, and I think that's also part of why she never told him the truth. For him to be as damaged as her meant he couldn't protect her and make up for the void in her life. She was human, and a damaged one who needed someone to save her. I'm sure not being able to save her father made her feel even weaker, so she kept trying to build her strength physically. I believe that Barret encouraged her to stand up to Shinra because he realized they were in similar positions and he encouraged her to take back her life from them, rather than depending on someone else. But when Cloud came back into the picture, tifa found herself craving that love that she hoped for, but was afraid to go after it, for fear he would be taken away from her like everyone else she loved. Ok, that's plenty of opinion for now, lol.

Hmm, I had a thought about Tifa's character last night, and felt like bumping this thread.
Many have called Tifa weak emotionally, or weak willed, but I wondered "Just what constitues a weak will?" to me it means giving up, letting your sadness rule your life. But did Tifa ever do that? No. Even when Cloud was lost and believed dead, she took the lead and kept her head above the water.
When she nearly lost hope about the plate falling, Aeris' words lifted her. If Tifa were truly emotionally weak not even that could have saved her.
Now, I'm not saying that Tifa's some perfect goddess, but I am saying that she doesn't deserve to be called emotionally weak. She's quiet and shy, and tends to stay in the background, but when worse comes to worse and there's nobody else who can get the job done Tifa really DOES come through

I was having some thought on Tifa too, and was thinking that the Clotis, have turned her character to a "damsel in distress", when she's a srong character. Also many ones say that she's a tragic character, and I don't know why people say this, when she's a character that's always moving on.

Also, she's not shy, she always showed her feelings to Cloud, but that Cloud didn't shared them, or that he only saw her as a friend, that's other thing. I think that when she steped back on showing her feelings, was when Cloud was with Aerith, since I'm sure that somehow she realized Cloud's feelings towards Aerith. Maybe when Aerith died, she decided to get more closer to Cloud, but at the end, when Cloud said that he wanted to meet Aerith in the Promised Land, she realized that the battle for Cloud's love was a lost one, since Cloud loved Aerith, and all what she could say was "Yes, lets go and meet her", showing that she understood and respected Cloud's feelings, showing she's a strong character.

I think that she kept her head during those times even though she was an emotional wreck inside. I'm not sure that doesn't make her emotionally weak, though. Don't they say that the reason why boys are more emotionally weak than girls is because they tend to keep their emotions bottled up inside and/or disguise them? Tifa seems to be exhibiting 'boy' behavior here.
Then in the most dire of situations, Tifa acts on her emotions instead of logic. I think much of her involvement with Avalanche has to do with her anger at what the Shinra had done to her life earlier. And she stayed with Cloud instead of doing the 'right' thing and continuing the mission.
I don't know if Tifa is emotionally weak but she's definitely emotionally unstable.

I didn't get the impression that Tifa took the lead OR kept her head above the water after Cloud was lost. All I saw her doing was moan over the loss of Cloud, wonder where he is, say how much she missed him, wonder if they would ever find him again, etc. She tells Barret when she wakes up in Junon that she doesn't ask about Cloud because she's scared. She gets back to the airship, and says:

Tifa "Meteor is coming, and Weapon is on the rampage......" "At a time like this, I don't know what I'm supposed to do......"
Tifa "No idea at all......"
Barret "Get a hold of yourself Tifa! C'mon, let's think about this!" "No way we can get offa this train we're on!"
Tifa "......If only Cloud was here, everything would be fine." "Cloud would......" "Stand that cocky little way he did, and tell us what to do."
Tifa "He'd say, 'Everything's under control, Tifa.'"
Barret "Tifa! When'd you become such a wimp!"
Tifa "I'm sorry Barret." "I'm kind of shocked myself. I'm so depressed."

That's taking control? :unsure: Even Barret realizes that she needs to get ahold of herself because she's falling apart. She keeps it up, too. When they get to Mideel, she kneels down by that dog and says to it:

Tifa "What's the matter? Are you all alone?"
Tifa "You got lost didn't you? Separated from someone you love......? Silly thing..."

Then they find Cloud in the Mideel hospital, and she starts crying over his knees, saying she doesn't know what to do, begging him to talk to her, and all that. I don't see her taking control at all. She's just wallowing in self-pity.

If she were emotionally strong, I don't think she would have needed Aerith's words to uplift her. It's because she needed the reassurance that I see her as emotionally weak, especially when compared to Aerith.

Where does Tifa come through when things get bad? In my opinion, Tifa's the first one to fret and worry and fall apart when things get bad rather than show any leadership. This isn't to say she's a horrible person... being upset over situations is no reason to hate anyone. We're all guilty of that at times. However, I don't think that Tifa is a strong character emotionally because she falls apart way too easily and lets her emotions take over.

I really don't think that Tifa is as strong as the Clotis claim, but neither as weak as others say, i think she acts the way she does because she's HUMAN. Yes, she's not perfect, but she's not only a bunch of flaws either.

Why she's strong:
* She joined AVALANCHE by herself, she didn't knew Cloud was going to, so Cloud is not a reason for her to join. She joined AVALANCHE because she decided to.

* After AVALANCHE's mission was "changed" (it became of chasing Sephiroth, than taking down ShinRa), she decided to go, when she could have just retired.

Why she's weak:
* She never told Cloud about his real past, because she thought he was getting "too far away from her".

* Instead of stepping forward, when Cloud disappeared, she just decided to moan, and to stay there until Cloud "returned".

Why she's a good person
* Even if she liked Cloud, and knew that Aerith liked him too, she never treated her bad, instead she became good friends with her. Also she seemed to respect Cloud's feelings for Aerith, even if she (Tifa) got jealous.

Why she can be a b*tch sometimes
* When Cloud dissapeared, all she did was to moan, moan and moan, but now that Cloud is feeling depressed and lamenting he couldn't save Aerith, all she does is to yell at him. Didn't she felt how it was to be "Separated from someone you love......?" If that's so: Why can't she just have a little empathy on Cloud? Instead it seems like she never felt how was to feel like that. She can be pretty selfish.

I'm not a fan of Tifa, but, I don't hate her either. I just think that she's, how she is because, as I said earlier, she's just HUMAN.