As painful as I know these memories are for all of you.. but remember when Sephiroth inhumanly stabbed Aerith though the abdomen? I'm sure you all know that there was no blood.. not anywhere. Not on Aerith's dress, not on Sephiorth's sword, not on the altar where Aerith fell into Cloud's arms, not on Cloud.

I always believed that the reason for the lack of blood was because SquareSoft decided that blood would ruin the emotional impact, and it might up the rating on the game. But that's when I remembered the blood smeared all over the walls of the Shinra Headquarters after Sephiroth escaped with Jenova.

So then I thought, why wouldn't Aerith bleed... She's human isn't she?

...No, she isn't.

Aerith is a Cetra. But, maybe Cetra don't have blood running through their veins. Since they have healing ablities, like the lifestream, and they have a connection with the Planet, there has to be something connecting them.

If the Planet has the lifestream running though it like blood and keeping it alive, and if the lifestream is a Cetra itself. (MotP) Then maybe the Cetra are direct children of the lifestream, and their 'blood' hasn't yet been tainted by time, like humans.

So I'm thinking that Aerith has lifestream running though her veins, instead of the tainted liquid humans have. That would explain why she didn't bleed when she was stabbed, we only saw a light revolving around her wound.. kind of like how the planet was trying to heal itself at the Northern Crater, it would explain her connection with the Planet, and her healing abilites.

...what do you think?

There's actually another reason.

Look up the legend of the Masamune. It's supposed to be a sword that draws no blood. Of course, Advent Children proved that legend couldn't possibly be it, because the sword is certainly bloody when he's done running Cloud's shoulder through with it.

That's actually a pretty interesting theory... you put quite a lot of thought into it, haven't you? ^_^ But what about her being half-Cetra? That's half of a human's tainted blood.

Though I'm sorry to say that Square probably didn't put the blood because it would really up the rating. .___. In the ShinRa headquarters, you didn't really see the people being massacred and you didn't see any profusely bleeding bodies (please correct me if I'm wrong).

There is the end of the game after Cloud's done Omnislashing Sephiroth's hiney-- the red blood flowing down his face was quite obvious. I'm not sure if you count that, but I think that scene is proof that Squaresoft wasn't afraid of throwing around a little blood (and after labourously creating a cinematic of Sephiroth stabbing Aerith through the stomach, I don't think blood would've mattered).

It's an interesting observation, especially about the 'light' part being similar to the Planet's.

I'm not sure to what extent we can draw a difference between humans and the Lifestream, though. Basically, everything on the Planet is created from the Lifestream. I see it as using cotton to make cloth (materia, Mako and the trails of Lifestream we see are the cotton, and humans/trees/birds/etc. as the cloth).

One thing is that we don't know how 'different' the Cetras were in the past, so it may be possible for them to have been more Lifestreamy in the past. But we know that humans come from the Cetras (they're essentially the same race but with different abilities), so why should a Cetra have Lifestream in their veins and a human have blood?

Personally, I subscribed to the theory of the Masamune legend being given a nod by Square in this part, and I think the AC team forgot about that when they were doing the Cloud/Sephiroth battle-- but that's, of course, nothing more than mere speculation. :P

Waaaah! I forgot that part! :sweat:

But it does count. I didn't think of that latter part with Aerith, but that works too. After all, I believe I was talking about the rating not being upped. ^_^

I am not exactly sure, but wasn't the human race's ancestors those Cetra who ran away instead of fighting/sealing Jenova? They could've possibly lost their Cetra abilities and that special connection they all had with the Lifestream that way. This is why they have the "tainted blood" that Artec mentioned.

EDIT:
:lmao: I've lost my way! Was I defending the theory or disproving it? ::bops head::

I saw the scene for the first time about a week ago. It was so sad! I think she's not bloody because it would be too much for Cloud. I know Aerith's special, but I couldn't imagine her bleeding into the water.

I think the answer to this is alot more simple... I think some of it was already answered... "blood would ruin the emotional impact". Of course imo, I think blood would have made it more emotional.. It would have made it more "real", and less video game.

And also... Remember VII is rated Teen. If they were to have a "movie" with any sort of blood spurting or spraying out of someone's body, they would HAVE to rate the game Mature... This is the reason why you don't see blood during stabs or slashes. This is why Aeris had no blood when she died and why Cloud had no blood when he was stabbed.

It also explains why the FMV switched to the floor when Squall was hit in the face.

Mm, that's a good point Mista. Personally I subscribe to the masamune legend theory myself

I'm pretty partial towards the bit about SE not wanting to mess up its ratings.... but I just wanted to point out one observation - in the scene when Sephy staaaabs Aerith, the place where the blade runs through her body actually....glows. It's all bathed in white light and stuff. I suppose it could be SE's way of substituting blood, but it's still an interesting observation.

So, I guess your theory wouldn't be impossible...and the Masamune theory makes sense too. :P

Well, i always thought she didn't bleed is because the graphics weren't good, and they couldn't fit that in... I always did wonder why she didn't bleed though... :sweat:

but, in the last battle with Sephiroth, when you destroy him, he has blood running down his head... and i thought he was a Centra... (sorry, i havnt played the game in months) :sweat:

But, if the remake is remade, i hope they put blood in her death... it would just add more emmotion and feeling to the scene... and it would look more real too.
I just want people who havn't play FF to feel really bad for her death, and understand she made a great sacrifice for the planet.

I agree with the Masumane theory, the it suits the game and the theme most. Adding blood would seriously harm the romance of Aerith's death and her burial. I wouldn't partically like to see a "scar" or "hole" in her body when she's sinking to the bottum of the lake :P

To show Aerith's pink dress soaked in that thick crimson liquid sure would've been some interesting juxtaposition... but at the wrong time. For her to be bloody would impugn the romantic aspect of the scene, that being Cloud has to watch the one he loves die right in front of him and then let her go in the water.

Blood is violent, and it is associated with many negative things, hate included. Aerith's death wasn't meant to be violent, IMO. It was meant to be tender and heartbreaking. Sephiroth is shown with streaks of blood streaming done his face because the focus of is on Cloud having defeated the almighty Sephiroth whom he hated. The lack of blood in Aerith's death places the focus on her being gone and not on the fact that she was stabbed viciously from above; it allows the death to be a pure, romantic, and poignant moment.

That's how I see it anyways.

well my opinion on this is that the blood part would of been a little bit too much i think when it cames to marketing the game. The target is young teenagers and seeing this, things do get label as graphic or violent and when a parent sees this he or she might just stop from buying the game for their kid.


also that the graphics werent that great and putting blood on it might of look kinda weird in that scene.

Or it could that they just didnt bother with it. I wonder when the remake comes out will they show blood on this very scene. In the story of Aeris "Maiden That Travels the Planet" she tells about not thinking about the blood gushing through her throat because she was thinking about the well being of Cloud.

http://www.ff7citadel.com/secrets/s_errors.shtml

http://www.ff7citadel.com/secrets/s_masamune.shtml

Try those links I think you'll get your answers.

Consider what the scene would look like if FF7 had cleaved to realism through the entire scene. It'd look something like this. Realistically.

Sephiroth descends as normal, but his shadow descends on Aerith before he does.

His sword pierces her, blood comes out of her back and her front. Blood also probably comes out of her mouth, too.

Sephiroth kicks her off the sword bluntly.

Cloud catches her body. The still bleeding body stains his hands and his clothes with her blood.

The materia still bounces away as normal, though in theory Cloud can hold his breath long enough to get it easily.

Cloud's words won't change, but he'll become a grizzly bloodstained figure as he argues with Sephiroth. But with voice acting, it'd probably be a lot more apparent that he's crying. FF7's graphics show that poorly.

The descent into the water would wash Cloud's clothes clean, most likely...and the water would be slightly tinged red. Cloud's shadow would be over Aerith as she descends into the lake, and blood would continue to seep out of her body. The camera would pan back up to show bloody water surrounding Cloud, but slowly dissipating. Eventually she'd hit the bottom of the lake...which is only 3 feet deep, considering how Cloud's standing in the water...possibly seeing Cloud's feet in the camera angle.

Now compare that to what Square actually did.

I've known about the second one. While it certianly is an interesting theory, I'm not sure that's the main/only reason why Square decided not to include blood in her death.

I agree with this statement. As the players, Square wanted us to grow emotionally attached to Aerith. Hence why she plays such a big (and I believe non-optional) role in the Temple of the Ancients which occurs just before her demise. In terms of Clerith, a lot of the pinkish moments of the game happen just prior to her death. The Goldsaucer date-- I mention this because the Aerith date is pretty default-- the dream in the Sleeping Forest, and Cait Sith telling them that they're perfect for each other all happen relatively right before she passes on. The creators were trying to get us attached to her as well as demonstrate to us the growing romantic bond between her and Cloud (the latter is just my opinion).

I'm mentioning this because it helps to explain why there was no blood. Her death was tragic. It was emotionally moving. Violence and blood are gruesome. The lack of blood helps the players connect more to the tragedy and angst of the scene that Cloud experiences instead of grossing us out by seeing Aerith's guts spill out all over the floor of the altar.

I think the lack of blood was from well...the bad graphics. Plus, it may come off a little more gorey than intended if blood were involved. (They kinda mess up the legend of Masamune thing though because in Sephiroth's character art there is blood on his sword)

To be honest, Aerith and "blood" is a bad match. Aerith is so full of innocence and "hikariness", and like what you all said, putting blood on that scene would be ugly, the romance is fading while violence ruling over. There are lots of games excluding the "blood", like Kingdom Hearts. If you put a bloody in one of the heartless that Sora just slashed, the theme "hikari" or "light" will be dull for me. I just like the way SE does it. :whistle:

Actually, the quote you got that from wasn't about the "no blood" thing... It was about Aeris sinking into the lake.

Here's thier quote about the no blood thing.

I noticed the no blood thing too. That's was really weird.

Yeah, I know that. I was applying the idea of her death being romantic (which was mentioned in the quote I picked) to the fact that there was no blood in her death.

The death of Aries is really no big deal. I'm glad Square decided to let Sephiroth kill her. She was annoying to me.

I think they just didn't show the blood because nobody wants to see blood from an angel, which Aerith surely is.

*Sighs*

Silly Jenova...she caused so much trouble and pain for everyone. I really do pity Sephiroth.

-Lady :aeris:

No big deal? It had been such a BIG deal for Cloud, include Tifa there. Yet, it is such a big deal Cloud kept on fighting for her, her death was much of the biggest sacrifice she did, she gave her life. I don't see why it's not important, it had been the roots of Cloud's loneliness and isolation.

I noticed it too but I personally wouldn't have wanted to see blood come from Aeris it'd be horrible and we'll it would have ruined the whole romantic/sadness thingo going on.

Honestly...I don't think I'd want to see the realistic version of it...I mean it'd be great! the graphic would be excellent but no...too sad :sad: