The Final Fantasy 7 Plot Hole That Was Never Explained

With the Final Fantasy 7 remake's release date coming soon, fans have been excited to see what gets changed and what stays the same. The updated graphics seen in the announcement trailer have already shown players a much darker grittier version of their favorite game. And while it's clear that this won't necessarily be a shot-for-shot remake of the original, many hope that the game still stays true to the source material.

Some things, however, would benefit from a change while the developers have the opportunity. Just like with any game, Final Fantasy 7 has some plot holes that are never explained. While some of these are minor details that can be attributed to the logic of video games or failings in the mechanics, there's one Final Fantasy 7 plot hole that was never explained, and it still keeps us up at night.

One of the most devastating deaths in video game history is the death of Aeris in Final Fantasy 7. Aeris' (or Aerith's, depending on who you ask) death seemed to come out of nowhere, and because the death was so unexpected, many players didn't notice a glaring inconsistency with the rest of the game where this particular event is concerned. Throughout the rest of the game, if a party member is downed, you're able to revive them through various means. And many of the characters you bring back to full health have much worse injuries than a single stab wound.

Why, then, aren't you able to save Aeris? If Phoenix Down works for everyone else in the game at every other point in time, what makes this one moment the exception? The obvious answer is simply that Aeris had to die to further the story, but a narrative choice isn't good cover for the game simply ignoring the rules of the universe when it's convenient. 

Maybe it's because no one actually wants to accept the fact that Aeris is dead, or maybe it's just fans being sticklers for consistency. Either way, this plot hole is one that we hope is explained in the remake of Final Fantasy 7.