Final Fantasy VII Characters

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Tifa Lockheart

Vital Statistics

Age	20
Height	167cm
Occupation	Bar hostess and member of AVALANCHE
Weapon	Glove
Birthdate	3 May
Hometown	Nibelheim

Biography

Cheerful, kind, and optomistic, Tifa is the lovely and talented proprietor of the 7th Heaven bar in the Sector 7 Slum of Midgar. Her establishment doubles as AVALANCHE’s base of operations, and Tifa herself is a key member of the rebel organization.

Her bright outlook and friendly disposition always brighten the spirits of her companions, and her caring, selfless nature often makes her the heart of the group. But despite all her charm, Tifa is a surprisingly powerful warrior, perfectly capable of crushing foes with her impressive martial arts skills.

From the beginning it is clear that Tifa shares some history with Cloud, the mysterious ex-SOLDIER mercenary, and it is soon presupposed that they grew up together in the town of Nibelheim. However, the exact nature of their past relationship remains unclear for some time. One thing is certain, however; Tifa holds a deep affection for Cloud that transcends mere friendship, though she is often too shy to admit it, even to herself.

Additional Information

The past that Tifa shares with Cloud is clouded by a blur of altered perspectives, and at times it is difficult to discern the truth. Only through a complex series of flashbacks and revelations can the real sequence of events be obtained, a tale of drama and tragedy that shapes the lives of both.

The story begins in the town of Nibelheim, a close-knit community with a calm, inviting atmosphere. Tifa lived a happy childhood there, raised well by her two loving parents.
Tifa had always been a very popular girl, making friends with all of the other children in the village. She was so charming and kind that she got to know every single boy in town, except one: Cloud Strife. Quiet and aloof, Cloud was often ostracized by his peers, and Tifa’s friends all looked down on him. Despite this, she admired him from afar; and, unbeknownst to her, the feeling was silently mutual.

Unfortunately, Tifa’s idyllic lifestyle came to an end with the sudden death of her mother, a personal tragedy from which she never completely recovered. In an effort to cope with the loss, Tifa turned to a local myth to comfort her: according to the folklore of Nibelheim, when a person dies, his or her spirit passes through the mountains on the way to the afterlife.

Desperate to see her mother again, Tifa resolved to make the dangerous ascent up Mount Nibel, in hopes that she could catch the spirit of her dearly departed before it was too late. In spite of their loyalty, all of her friends abandoned her in her reckless quest. Only the sullen, antisocial Cloud cared enough to follow her from a distance until the end, which landed both of them in a terrible fall. When they were found, Tifa was in a coma, while Cloud had escaped with superficial injuries. Cloud was blamed for the entire incident, even though Tifa scarcely knew he had been following her.

Afterwards, the two of them became good friends, and Tifa soon grew to admire Cloud’s bravery and determination. When Cloud decided to leave Nibelheim to enlist in the illustrious SOLDIER ranks, he invited her to the well of the town to say his farewells. There they made a fateful promise: if Tifa was ever in trouble, Cloud, her “hero”, would come to save her.

Following Cloud’s departure, Tifa missed him more and more. She always thought of him, and searched constantly for news regarding his newfound fame. When SOLDIER came to Nibelheim to help curb the monster population, Tifa was sure that she’d see him there; she waited for him at the town gate, but he was nowhere to be found. Little did she know, SOLDIER’s presence would soon turn her peaceful life into a nightmare...

After the job was done, the Shinra troops thought it prudent to investigate the Mako Reactor in Mount Nibel. Tifa was selected to guide Sephiroth, Zack, and their MP subordinate to the reactor. She and the masked MP waited outside as the two SOLDIERs entered the building.

Deep in the Mako Reactor of Mount Nibel, Sephiroth and Zack uncovered evidence of Hojo’s bizarre experiments. Deeply disturbed by what he had seen, the eccentric Sephiroth vanished deep into Shinra Mansion. When at last Sephiroth discovered the real meaning of Hojo’s research, he went completely insane. Driven to madness by the terrible truth of his existence, Sephiroth burst out of the mansion and killed everyone in sight, slaughtering every last citizen of Nibelheim and setting it aflame in a blind rage. Everything that Tifa had known and loved perished in the fires.

Horrified by the hell her life had become, Tifa took it upon herself to confront Sephiroth for the deeds he had done. In her grief, she resolved to avenge the deaths of her loved ones. And as she approached the madman’s resting place, she witnessed the tattered corpse of her father — the final casualty of Sephiroth’s bloodlust. At last, Tifa had lost everything. Grabbing the legendary sword from her father’s body, she charged at the warrior with all of her might.

Her futile efforts were met with overwhelming strength. Sephiroth tossed her aside with disturbing ease, nearly killing her in the process. As she tumbled down the stairs, covered in blood, she began to lose consciousness. Her final memory was that of Cloud — who had been the masked MP all along — coming to move her out of harm’s way.

In the bleak aftermath, Tifa’s fallen body was found by Zangan, her old martial arts instructor. The two of them were the only survivors. Zangan soon realized that Tifa needed immediate medical attention. Without a second thought, he shouldered his wounded student and began the long, difficult journey to the city of Midgar. When they finally arrived, Zangan soon went to work nursing her back to health.

As soon as Tifa regained her strength, Zangan disappeared — and she was alone again. Faced with a new life in the harsh slums of Midgar, Tifa fought to find a way to make a living. Eventually she managed to open up the 7th Heaven Bar. Sometime along the line, she fell in with Barret and AVALANCHE, and 7th Heaven was soon transformed into the secret headquarters of the resistance.

Armed with new friends and a new cause, it seemed her life had finally started to take a turn for the better. But she never forgot the old scars of the past, and she still harbored a deep hatred for Shinra and Sephiroth for destroying her home. Deeper still was her memory of her hero, Cloud, and the hope that she might live to see him again...

It is interesting to note that during the first telling of the events surrounding the destruction of Nibelheim, Cloud relates the story largely through the perspective of Zack, whose memories were mixed in with his own. Though Tifa knew that she hadn’t seen Cloud at the time — and certainly not as an important member of SOLDIER — she didn’t want to cause trouble for Cloud, and kept quiet for the time being. It isn’t until much later that Cloud’s true role in the past is revealed.

More About Tifa Lockheart

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