When it came to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, did Square Enix unintentionally confirm Aerith's fate?

It's possible that Square unintentionally revealed Aerith's demise during the most recent Final Fantasy VII Rebirth presentation in State of Play. Maybe you should quit reading if you don't understand what I'm talking about.

We're going to go into great depth on the Remake trilogy and the original Final Fantasy VII. There will be significant spoilers in this conversation. Think of this as a warning.

Square Enix May Have Verified Aerith's Death in Final Fantasy XV: Rebirth

If you pay great attention to the teaser, there's a particular sequence when every member of the party—aside from the last Ancient, Aerith Gainsborough—is fighting Sephiroth. This fits with the original climactic Fantasy VII storyline by clearly hinting that Aerith may not be there for the game's climactic fight.

Even if this is the case, however, I doubt Square Enix would for things to transpire precisely as they have. For many devoted fans, letting Aerith survive might end up ruining both the game and the trilogy. However, if nothing changes, the moment could become less thrilling.

Having said that, Square Enix has a track record of giving away too much in their trailers, and this might have happened once again. Not only is Aerith missing from the battle with Sephiroth, but we also see Cloud stabbing Sephiroth with the Buster Sword before being tenderly hugged by him, as if he had expected this to happen. This is the section of the trailer that really piques my interest.

We know that Cloud's mental state was so affected by Sephiroth and Jenova that in the first game, Cloud even assaulted Aerith. It is quite evident that Sephiroth meant for Cloud to stab him in that particular scenario. I suppose there's a good probability that Cloud, mistaking the last Cetra for Sephiroth, will stab him. This would explain Sephiroth's tender hug after the stabbing, as it was truly Aerith's tender embrace. She wouldn't want Cloud to carry this guilt since she would realize that he wasn't in control.

It's not shocking that since the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, the first game in the trilogy, Square Enix has made references to Aerith Gainsborough's death. In several instances during the game, Cloud witnesses glimpses of the scene when Sephiroth ruthlessly takes down everyone's beloved Cetra. Despite the fact that it may have scarred a generation, fans often consider that scenario to be the most significant one in Final Fantasy VII. Only after that trauma does Cloud discover who he really is, and Meteor is halted because Aerith is in the Lifestream. Is the past repeating itself, then?

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. On February 29, 2024, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will only be available on the PS5.