Zerith

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Zack – “Okay, I'll come visit. This is a promise.”

Aerith – “I'll be waiting”

— Zack & Aerith's last conversation

Zerith is the het ship between Zack Fair and Aerith Gainsborough from the Final Fantasy fandom.

Canon

Both characters debuted in Final Fantasy VII. In the game, Aerith was a major character and a party member. Zack was a minor character and hidden within the game. His story has since been expanded on in sequels and prequels to FFVII.

Zack Fair was born in September, 1984, and grew up in a backwater town called Gongaga. At age 14, he became enamored with SOLDIER, a military program hosted by the Shinra Electric Power Company. He traveled to the city of Midgar to apply and there he is accepted as a SOLDIER.

Aerith was born on February 7, 1985 in Icicle Inn. She was the daughter of Ifalna, the last full-blooded Cetra, and Professor Gast Faremis, head of the Shinra science department. However, 20 days later, Gast was killed by Professor Hojo who then captured Ifalna and Aerith. Aerith grew up in Shinra headquarters where she and her mother were subjected to constant experimentation. Eventually, Ifalna and Aerith escaped to the Midgar slums, but Iflana was mortally wounded. They were found by Elmyra Gainsborough and Ifalna entrusted Aerith's life to her as she later succumbed to her injuries. Now living in Midgar, Aerith has taken a liking to a local church and spends time growing flowers there.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

In April 0001, while on a mission for Shinra, Zack falls off the upper plate of the city and crashes through the roof of the Sector 5 slum church, landing on Aerith's flower bed. Aerith awakens the dazed Zack and he asks if she is an angel, to which she replies that her name is Aerith and tells him he fell out of the sky right onto her flower bed. Nonetheless, Zack thanks her for waking him up and offers her a date; Aerith agrees to go on the date with Zack. They walk around the slums market where Zack buys her a pink hair ribbon. After that, they go to the Sector 6 park where Aerith tells him that even though SOLDIER members scare her, Zack doesn’t at all. She then tells Zack that his blue eyes are beautiful as they are infused with mako; making them stare at each other to the point they almost kiss, but Aerith gets embarrassed and backs away. Unfortunately their date is interrupted as Zack gets a call to return to headquarters. Aerith asks if she would see him again and Zack assures her positively that they will. She also hopes that Zack's friend (Angeal), whom he talked about in his sleep when he crashed down, is okay.

Aerith comforts Zack.

The two go on dates periodically thereafter and become intimate with each other as lovers. Many people know about their relationship, including: The Turks (who guard Aerith on behalf of Shinra), Kunsel (Zack's best friend), Angeal Hewley (Zack's mentor), some SOLDIERs, the members of his fan club, and surprisingly also Sephiroth. One day in autumn of the same year, Zack seeks comfort from Aerith after the death of Angeal, in which Aerith embraces him. Some time after, Zack changed his hair style to resemble that of his dead mentor Angeal. He shows Aerith his new hair style and she laughs at it, teasing him.

In the early summer 0002, Zack is forced by the company to go on vacation in Costa del Sol with The Turks: Tseng and Cissnei, although he believes Shinra is using him as bait to lure out Genesis. Wearing a bikini, Cissnei offers to rub suntan lotion on him which he refuses. He asks her to go somewhere else as he wants to call Aerith privately. Cissnei teases him because she already knows about their relationship and tells him that Aerith is under the Turks' watch because she is the last living Cetra. Zack says that Aerith didn't tell him anything about that and calls her one of a kind. His vacation is cut short because he then has to protect Junon city from a horde of Genesis copies. After beating the copies, Sephiroth tells him that Genesis copies are also being spotted in Midgar and permits Zack to leave. Zack then rushes to the Sector 5 church to protect Aerith. There he finds a winged metal canine trying to protect her from a rouge Shinra robot.

Aerith gives Zack a note of her 23 wishes.

The two spend time together again and Zack helps her build a flower wagon to sell flowers. However, Aerith isn't satisfied with just the wagon so she hands him a note of her 23 tiny wishes written on it. Each wish sharing the same goal; to spend more time with him. The couple sell flowers together later on at the playground in the Sector 6 slums and relish in the happiness of being together despite the short time they have because he has to prepare to depart for his next mission. Zack asks Aerith to wear a pink dress for their next meeting when he comes back. He also asks Tseng to continue looking after her. But just a few days after Zack departs to Nibelheim, the wheel of Aerith’s flower wagon broke. Kunsel, checking on Aerith during Zack's absence, offers to fix it himself but she only wants Zack to do it. So Aerith continues to sell flowers with a basket, waiting for Zack's return.

On September 22 0002, Zack arrives at Nibelheim with Sephiroth to investigate the town's Mako reactor. While patrolling the town, he gets a phone call from Aerith and is happy to hear her voice. But since he's busy, he tells her that he would call her later. As Aerith says he doesn’t have to, Zack promises to come visit her after this mission and Aerith replies that she’ll be waiting. It's during this mission where Sephiroth goes insane and on October 01 0002, he massacres the entire town, setting it aflame. Zack fights Sephiroth but he is severely wounded. Later, he and Cloud Strife are found by Professor Hojo and Shinra scientists who capture and experiment on them at Shinra manor. Shinra, in an attempt to cover up the incident declare Sephiroth and Zack as killed during action. Aerith is unaware of this and writes letters to Zack in hopes of reaching him through Tseng. After writing 88 letters in four years without any reply, she loses hope of ever seeing Zack again. She writes the 89th letter as the final one and delivers it through the same winged metal canine that protected her against the rouge Shinra robot, which is revealed to be the manifestation of Angeal’s will to protect those close to Zack.

Unknown to her, on December 19 0006, Zack awakened and broke out of his cell; he also busts Cloud out of his cell, but Cloud was unable to withstand the mako injected into his body during the experiments and went into a mako-induced coma. Now fugitives of Shinra who they once served, Zack and Cloud, still in a comatose state, spend months on the run with the hope of reaching Midgar since Zack wants to fulfill Aerith’s 23 wishes. When he finishes defeating both Genesis and Professor Hollander in Banora, he receives her 89th letter and the winged metal canine dies due to cellular degradation. He screams out into the sky in frustration and in realization that four years have passed and the mention that it’s her final letter; now he's determined to return to her despite the risks. A few days later, Zack and Cloud finally reach the outskirts of Midgar, but they are surrounded by a battalion of Shinra troops. After hiding Cloud, Zack faces the troops alone in the fight for his freedom. He successfully fights off most of the army, but he is gunned down by three soldiers left. His last thought is Aerith's face and her voice in their last phone call saying that she'll be waiting for their next meeting.

Aerith senses Zack's life fading away.

At the same moment, Aerith was tending her flowers in the church and due to her Cetra blood, she suddenly sensed that Zack was dying. She prays for him but moments later, she looks to the sky, shocked, as the Planet tells her that his life is beyond saving. It also turns out despite her final letter, she’s dressed in pink for the promise of their next meeting.

Ultimately, Zack takes his last breath after passing his Buster Sword onto Cloud. From the sky, his spirit asks a traumatized Cloud to take care of Aerith if he were to meet her.

Final Fantasy VII

On December 9, 0007, Aerith meets Cloud as she is selling flowers in Sector 8. Cloud later falls into the church as Zack did, and Aerith asks Cloud to be her bodyguard with a date as payment, just as Zack did to her. She takes Cloud to the same park she went on her first date with Zack, where she then asks Cloud if he knew Zack, who she refers to as her first love, as they both are the same rank in SOLDIER. Cloud has no idea who Zack is because in the immediate aftermath of Zack’s death, Cloud suffered a complete psyche break where he lost his sense of self and believed himself to be Zack.

Aerith leaves Midgar with Cloud and the others, set on a journey to pursue and stop Sephiroth. They pass across Gongaga and unintentionally meet Zack’s parents. The parents ask the group if they knew where Zack had been since the last news they heard about him is from the letter he sent to them 6-7 years ago, during the time that Aerith and Zack were dating. Outside the house, Aerith tells Cloud that Zack is the name of her first love. Though, Cloud still has no idea who Zack is.

In the Gold Saucer amusement park, Aerith goes on a date with Cloud. Riding the gondola, she confesses that he reminds her of Zack; that's why she felt so strongly captivated by Cloud. But she also learns that she wants to meet the real Cloud, not the Cloud pretending to be Zack. Later into the game Tifa helps Cloud gain his psyche back and his memories of Zack, as well as the memory of his death.

Unfortunately, Aerith is killed by Sephiroth days later in the Forgotten City while trying to summon Holy. Her death occurs in late December 0007, just three months apart from Zack's.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Two years after Zack and Aerith's deaths, Cloud is still struggling to cope with the losses of them. On top of that, he is also suffering from a terminal plague, Geostigma; making him distance himself from Tifa and their foster children. He spends his days in the Sector 5 church to ask for forgiveness. At this time, three remnants of Sephiroth: Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo, are luring children from Edge, including Cloud's foster son, Denzel to the Forgotten City.

Aerith and Zack departing.

During Cloud's journey to defeat the remnants, Aerith and Zack’s spirits occasionally appear through visions to aid him in fighting his enemies. After Cloud is narrowly killed by Loz and Yazoo, divine intervention from Aerith and Zack allows him to him survive. They send Cloud’s spirit back to the living world, joking that he’s too big to be adopted, meaning it isn’t his time to die yet. After waking up in the church surrounded by his family and friends, Cloud sees Aerith and Zack at the church entrance; they smile at him before they depart.

At some point the following year, yellow flowers are blooming on the spot where Zack died. The rusted Buster Sword, previously Zack’s grave marker, is polished and moved to the Sector 5 church, where it's surrounded by flowers, and seems to serve as a monument to both Zack and Aerith.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

The story of this game follows the events of Final Fantasy VII that take place only in Midgar with some differences, especially with the existence of the Arbiter of Fate. Major changes happens in the last chapter.

In the Midgar expressway where the party confronts Sephiroth, Aerith gets a vision of Zack's final battle against the Shinra battalion. Sephiroth opens a portal and invites the party to follow and Aerith refers to Zack’s line about freedom and that entering the portal would change many things. The party enters the portal and as the party defeats the Arbiter of Fate, Zack doesn't die in his last stand and continues to drag Cloud to Midgar, implying that his fate has changed. However, it is it also implied that this is a separate timeline happening at the same time.

Zack walks past Aerith from a different reality.

When the party reaches the outskirts of Midgar as they leave to pursue and stop Sephiroth, Aerith and Cloud walk past Zack, most likely from another timeline. Cloud isn't aware but Aerith stops walking for a while and gazes at the cloudy sky; muttering that she hates it because it took Zack, whom she loves, and her mother away.

As Cloud's party arrives at Kalm, Zack (in the other timeline) arrives at the church. He opens the door expecting to find Aerith, only to see that people have taken up shelter inside instead. He has no idea of what has happened and utters Aerith's name worryingly.

Trace of Two Pasts

During the voyage from Junon to Costa del Sol as the party infiltrate Shinra ships and disguise themselves as infantrymen, Aerith shares stories with Tifa about her past. She tells Tifa about her time spent in the Shinra building with her mom and them escaping, continued with stories of her living with Elmyra Gainsborough in the Sector 5 slums. When Aerith reaches the part of her having a first love and is about to tell Tifa, Cloud interrupts them. Aerith tells Tifa that she would tell her about the story of her first love next time.

Moments

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

• Aerith takes interest in a pink ribbon at the market, so Zack buys her the ribbon then wraps it on top of her braid.
• On their first date, they stare at each other's eyes closely and almost kiss before Aerith backs off embarrassed.
• Zack offers to help Aerith tend the flowers but she refuses, teasing him that the flowers only want her to take care of them.
• Aerith embraces and comforts Zack who comes to her church in sadness because of his mentor's death.
• Zack shows Aerith his new hairstyle but she laughed at it, teasing him.
• Zack rushed to the slum church because he’s worried about Aerith.
• Aerith gives Zack her note of 23 wishes.
• Aerith and Zack are selling flowers together.
• Zack receives a phone call from Aerith under the water tower in Nibelheim, he promises to come visit her.
• Zack receives Aerith's final letter and feels desperate to come back.
• His dying last thoughts are full of memories of Aerith.
• Aerith senses Zack's dying and prays.

Final Fantasy VII: Remake

• Aerith talks with Cloud about Zack with a sad expression.
• Aerith senses Zack's last stand on the highway and references his line about freedom to the party.
• Aerith walks past Zack in the ending, her expression is sad while Zack is smiling.
• Zack nervously tries to greet Aerith in the church only to be confused at seeing refugees, with him only being able to say her name.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

• Aerith and Zack joked about adopting Cloud.
• Aerith and Zack walk to the light together.
• Yellow flowers bloom naturally on Zack's grave in the outskirts.
• Zack's sword is placed in the church altar, as if it serves to be a monument of them.

Quotes

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Zack – “Heaven?”

Aerith – “Not quite. Church in the slums.”

Zack – “An angel?”

Aerith – “No. I'm Aerith. You fell from the sky. Scared me.”

— Zack and Aerith's first meeting

“I have 23 tiny wishes, but you probably won't remember them all. So, I put them all together into one: I'd like to spend more time with you.”

— Aerith to Zack

Zack – “Hey Aerith. From now on, why don't we make a promise every time we meet?”

Aerith – “A promise? For when to meet next time?”

Zack – “No. More of a 'general' promise about meeting. For example, when we meet, you always have to dress pink.”

Aerith – “Heh! Don't be silly.”

— Zack and Aerith's last meeting, before Zack leaves to Nibelheim (Digital Mind Wave)

“We continued running the fan club after Zack's untimely death, but we have to disband due to financial reasons. We would like to share one last quote from a woman who had a close relationship with Zack:

"My wagon broke, so I'm going to use a basket to sell the flowers. I hope you can join me when you're back from your tour."

She must not have heard what happened—making her comments all the more poignant.
Our thanks go out to all 109,348 members out there.
May Zack always live within our hearts.”

— Email from the Zack Fan Club

“Are you doing well? Where are you? It’s been four years.
This will be the 89th letter I’ve written, but I don't know where to send it anymore. I hope that this final letter gets to you.
Zack, the flowers are selling very well. It makes everyone happy. Thanks to you.”

— Aerith's 89th letter to Zack

“Four years? What do you mean final?! Aerith, wait for me...”

— Zack screaming out after reading Aerith's final letter

Final Fantasy VII

“Dear Dad and Mom,
How are you guys? Sorry for leaving town so suddenly. I just really wanted to become a SOLDIER. I bet you're worried now that I've told you... But now I'm fulfilling my lifelong dream, and I'll do my best in SOLDIER.
P.S. I have a girlfriend.”

— Zack's letter to his parents

Final Fantasy VII: Remake

“Do you know I used to sell flowers here? Weird, you were in the same rank as the first guy I ever loved.”

— Aerith to Cloud about Zack, Chapter 9

“It's been a while, huh?
Long time no see.
How you've been?
Listen.... (EN) / Sorry... (JP)
I'm back! (EN) / I'm home! (JP)”

— Zack being nervous to meet Aerith again after 5 years

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Aerith – “Again? Why is everyone calling me their 'Mother' lately?”

Zack – “I guess they must be fond of you.”

Aerith – “This one's a little too big to adopt.”

Zack – “Tough luck, friend. Seems you have don't have a place here.”

— Aerith and Zack joking about adopting Cloud

Traces of Two Pasts

Tifa – “You can talk to me about everything, okay?”

Aerith – “Well then, next up is a big one!”

Tifa – “You gotta be kidding me. There’s something bigger than whatever you said?”

Aerith – “For that, you’re right. It’s about my first love.”

Tifa – “Oh, that’s definitely something big!”

Aerith – “I’ll tell you next time. About the story of my first love,”

— Aerith and Tifa talks during voyage from Junon to Costa del Sol

Development

Final Fantasy VII

The scenario writer of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (prequel), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (sequel), and Final Fantasy VII Remake Project (a trilogy); Kazushige Nojima, revealed that before he joined in the middle of development of Final Fantasy VII, the concept of Aerith having first love was already set. There were a variation of explanation for who the person might be, one of which actually Cloud himself then Sephiroth, whose role was changed from Aerith's brother to become her first love whom she saw again in Cloud.

“She is, in fact, a ‘late bloomer’ and hasn’t ever dated a man. There are some rather naive parts to her. Aerith had an unrequited love once. Because he always bought flowers from her, she soon found herself taking a liking to him. Aerith speaks about these many memories. Cloud tries comparing her memories with Sephiroth’s actions, and starts to feel certain that Aerith’s unrequited love is Sephiroth. On their journey when situations occur that look like Aerith will realize that Sephiroth was that man, Cloud tries to keep from spoiling her image of him, as he ends up hiding it or trying to follow up afterwards.

● At Green Park

Cloud: “Want to rest a bit?”
Aerith: “Yeah.”
Cloud: “So why are you being so nice to me, anyway?”
Aerith: “You bought a flower, didn’t you? I’ve been selling flowers for a long time now… but they’re not exactly in demand. I guess people just don’t have the time to enjoy flowers in this world.”
Cloud: “That’s it?”
Aerith: “I like men who buy flowers from me. That’s how I met the first man I fell in love with.”
Cloud: “Your first love…?”
Aerith: “No, nothing like that. But I adored him. He always used to buy a flower every time he saw me. When you bought one, it just sort of reminded me of that. Ah, but forget about it. That’s all in the past now. Come on, let’s go.””

— FFVII Ultimania Omega, Early Material File Character Files (page 519-520)

Nojima said that he was curious about Aerith's first love and it became necessary to introduce a real SOLDIER in order to depict Cloud's true identity, thus, he created Zack.

According to Final Fantasy VII composer, Nobuo Uematsu, “Aerith’s Theme” is originally composed of “a poor girl waiting for someone who doesn’t come that every single day, she waits and waits” in mind. Perhaps, there was an early script in Final Fantasy VII of Aerith waiting for her first love (whether it was Cloud, Sephiroth, or has turned Zack) at the train station given to Uematsu for him taking inspiration the song from; but it was replaced with her foster mother, Elmyra, waiting for her husband as final development since the track is still played there.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy

The first trailer released in 2005 show a recorded dialogue of Zack & Aerith talking about their promise under the blue sky. But it isn't used in the actual game.

The animation of Aerith offering Cloud "one date payment" in FFVII: Remake (right) identically resembles Zack offering Aerith the same in Crisis Core: FFVII (left).

In Final Fantasy VII development, Nojima was in charge of the scene in the church when Aerith helped Cloud after he's fallen down then the part of Zack falling to church from above to meet Aerith in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, how it was repeated when meeting Cloud, was decided from the very beginning.

“Even though I call it romantic love, both of them are still young and I couldn’t spend too much time in-game depicting “how they came to like each other”, so I made it seem like they suddenly met and fell in love. Personally, the greatest joy for me was being able to get the “one date” line that Aerith says to Cloud in FFVII as Zack’s line in the scenario. In FFVII, I thought it was just a casual line, but because of that, people said that “Aerith is frivolous”, so I was a little concerned about it. I feel like I was able to defend Aerith by shaping Zack’s words into something that she [later] adopted.”

— Kazushige Nojima in Interviews Section, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania pg. 579

Other than "1 date" line, Nojima said he meant to entwine Aerith’s traits in Final Fantasy VII to Zack as much as he can which are selling flowers, her pink ribbon, and her pink dress.

Character Designer, Tetsuya Nomura, who is also Creative Producer of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (2007) and Creative Director of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ~Reunion~ (2022) gave Aerith a new look with white dress and said that her color dress is matched up with Zack and Aerith's first meeting ("An angel?" "No, I'm Aerith.") and be happy about that. Despite the few onscreen moments between Zack & Aerith in the game, Nomura said that it's safe to say they spent a lot of time together since Zack met Aerith when his hairstyle was still in 2nd Class and that Zack goes to the church whenever something is up as if looking for healing. To him, since Crisis Core is a brutal story so Zack and Aerith’s conversations are somewhat heart-warming and offer a bit of respite that he hoped people will look forward to watching their scenes together.

Nomura, along with the Director of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Hajime Tabata, said that the beach scene between Zack and Cissnei was made to allude to a scene in Final Fantasy VII where Aerith says something about Zack having other girlfriend. But Nojima confirmed that he didn't intend to portray Zack waver between Aerith and Cissnei. In the game itself, the scenario on the beach shows Zack reject Cissnei's offer to rub suntan lotion on him and ask her to go doing something because he wants to call Aerith. Later, player will receive email from Zack Fan Club that Black Suit, presumably Cissnei's alias, informs that Zack is not flirtatious player despite having the vitality.

Nomura actually planned to have the canine Angeal Copy in the church carry all the 89 letters of Aerith to Zack, but then he thought it'd be too much work for a dog with dozens of letters since it was already deteriorating so Aerith only entrusted the last letter. The importance of the unsent letters is featured later in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ~Reunion~ Collector's Edition. Nojima writes the content of the letter and Sakamoto Maaya, Aerith's Japanese voice actress, handwrites it on the paper. Indirectly, Aerith tells Zack that she has someone she loves; which can be easily assumed it's none other than Zack. The envelope is decorated with white lily and forget-me-not. In language of flowers, white lily means purity (or innocence and virginity), commitment, faith, rebirth and heaven; while forget-me-not means remembrance, devotion, and eternal love.

In Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ~Reunion~, only Aerith's image of the DMW's slot in Zack's last thought is changed, perhaps to fit the image of her smiling at him in his last memory. According to Nomura, that very scene was worth the effort required to implement the whole DMW system. In the after credit scene that continues to Final Fantasy VII, Aerith's scene uses the footage of Final Fantasy VII: Remake where she holds the flowers in her chest and gazes to the night sky in sad expression.

Some staffs also pick Zack and Aerith's interaction as their favorite scene with the implementation of voice full support in the remaster version that is only text in the original version. Mariko Sato, the producer said, "I didn't realize Zack spoke with such emotion. His interactions with Aerith are so much more divine." Okagatsu, Game Designer (Event Director), personally prefers the scene where Zack bought a ribbon for Aerith. Kenjiro Kato, Project Manager from TOSE (as the game is co-developed between Square Enix and TOSE), picked the first meeting with Aerith as one of his memorable scene although it's voiced in the original as well, but the remaster version made it a powerful moment to him.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

The scene where the children jumps into the water and where Aerith and Zack appears are the scene that Nomura, the director, wanted to show the most.

Nomura revised Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and replaced it with Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, released as Director Cut DVD in 2009. More Zack's scenes are added, and according to Nomura, it's to portray Cloud's guilt of Zack's death being equal to Aerith's death. The vestige of Aerith watching Cloud riding motorbike in the original Advent Children is also removed in the the Complete version's credit roll and two new scenes that might symbolize Zack and Aerith being together in death are added post-credit.

Final Fantasy VII: Remake

This scene doesn't exist in original Final Fantasy VII when Cloud and Aerith take a break in Midori Park.

There are some changes in Final Fantasy VII: Remake that some scenes in the original Final Fantasy VII don't exist, are removed or added following how Zack and Aerith's relationship is portrayed in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, let alone the game is half-remade to Reunion version during development time of Final Fantasy VII: Remake in order to reintroduce Zack's character since he'll have important role in Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. The changes are, in examples:

• In Midori Park, Aerith told Cloud that she's used to sell flowers there.
• Cloud and Aerith's dialogue that mentions she and Zack weren't serious (EN translation) or weren't dating (JP) in original Final Fantasy VII is removed. It's replaced with Aerith mentioning Zack's name despite in a deep breath and wanting to stare at Cloud's mako eyes that remind her of Zack's eyes when she and Zack were going on first date.
• Aerith's fear of the sky is incorporated to her character in Final Fantasy VII: Remake.
• Tseng's slap on Aerith also doesn't exist in Remake version, this is perhaps due to Zack, despite not liking Tseng being around watching Aerith, personally asked him to protect Aerith until he come back from Nibelheim mission.

According to the Level Design Supervisor, Masatoshi Oichi, in an early scenario, Cloud was supposed to make a bouquet at Aerith’s house in Chapter 8, from which she would carry flowers in a wagon. The quest name would’ve been named “Crisis Core” to pay homage for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII but he couldn’t touch things about Zack yet in this stage so it didn’t happen.

In the ending, Aerith said "The sky, I hate it." (EN localization: "I miss it, the steel sky"). The phrase is similar to one of her lines in her farewell monologue in FF 30th Anniversary Exhibition with the full sentence is "I hate the sky because it carries away everyone I love" written by Nojima. As Director of Final Fantasy VII: Remake, Nomura explained that, one of three reason why she hates it, refers to the man she loves, Zack, and her mother, Ifalna, who are taken away by the sky (plausibly as a metaphor of people die and go to heaven). This matches Crisis Core ending, as Zack's spirit is showed being picked up to the sky by Angeal, his deceased mentor. This emphasizes even more that Aerith sensed and knew that Zack had died since she was a Cetra.

Fanon

Zerith is a popular ship in the Final Fantasy fandom. However, the number of the fans wasn't big until 10 years later with the release of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, the prequel game that tells the story of their relationship.

Zerith fans feel Zack and Aerith's personalities complement each other. Some are drawn to the tragedy of the ship and them being together in death. Both Zack and Aerith's deaths separately are considered to be among the saddest moments in the Final Fantasy franchise. Their tragic fate is contrasted with the perky energy of pair exhibits. The two are optimists in a world of cynics and are brutally murdered. Having similar sequence of tragedy, Zerith star'd crossed story can be considered a foil of the infamous Romeo and Juliet's who consciously committed suicide.

Zerith were portrayed differently in Final Fantasy VII official guidebooks that were published before Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was released in 2007. Those are "The Diary Entries" or "Mind" section in FFVII True Script Dissection The Complete (published in 1997) and The Maiden Who Travel The Planet novella inserted in FFVII Ultimania Omega (published in 2005). The two materials are telling that Aerith met Zack when she's selling flowers, that they aren't intimate, no devotion like 89 letters for four years, and that she has no clue at all of his death; thus comes to love Cloud much more than Zack. The novella also portrays Zack being flirtatious player as he said Aerith was the best girl among the rest he has; making her reject him, telling him that her feelings has changed in the five years apart, and at ending, she's treating him coldly. Both materials are written by Benny Matsuyama from Studio Benstuff who also writes several Diary Entries and novellas for other Final Fantasy franchises despite never being involved in the development team. Except for his novella Final Fantasy XIII Side Story: A Dreaming Cocoon Falls into the Dawn which him being officially credited on Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII; all of his Final Fantasy novellas have been consistently omitted from a part of the franchise media.

Clerith fans rival the Zerith pairing as most of them continue to prefer Benny Matsuyama's version to this day and reject Crisis Core despite canon. On the contrary, many Zerith fans can accept the idea of Aerith developing genuine feelings for Cloud because she knows Zack has passed away, thus, trying to move on and ended up being in love with Cloud in the process (regardless of his feelings for her). Canonically, Aerith's struggle to move on from Zack's death is detailed briefly in her farewell monologue displayed on Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Event in 2018. It expresses her sadness because the sky took Zack away, that her feelings never change just as the flowers in the church keep blooming regardless the season, that she searches him in Cloud's eyes, and that she feels heartache if having a new love would make her forget the old one. Meanwhile, Aerith's love for Cloud is mentioned in On The Way To A Smile novel (2009) by a line "Cloud is her friend--more than a friend, for she had loved". Those two materials are written by Kazushige Nojima, who is really still the top authority relating to the story despite no longer with Square Enix. By this, Zerith fans believe the canon story doesn't negate Aerith's love for Zack even after his death, nor making it less than the second guy she comes to love in a brief time.

Out of the ship's own fans, Zerith has supporters from the extremely popular Cloti fans since the pairings do not conflict with each other. However, due to lack of canon material that explicitly confirms how Aerith reunites with Zack right when she returns to Planet although Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children shows their spirit walking to the light together, different information spread by the ongoing ship war confuses some Final Fantasy fans about Zack and Aerith's endgame status despite official couple in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. This probably come out clear after Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.

Zack and Aerith have appeared in the Kingdom Hearts series but never canonically encounter each other. However, some fans of the ship do have their KH counterparts meet one another, ship Zerith beside the KH version of Cloti or feature them in their KH/FF MMD fanwork, by using their KH, CCFFVII, or Dissidia Final Fantasy model renders for it, along with using the child renders of Sora, Riku, and Kairi to create child renders of Zack and Aerith.

Fans also draw and portray Kadaj as Zack and Aerith's adopted 'grown' son because he calls Aerith with "mother" in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children which Zack teased about. Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia show his bond with Zack and Aerith as they look after him which other characters also notice.

On AO3, Zerith is the second most written ship for Zack and the first most written ship for Aerith. It is also the sixth most written ship in the Final Fantasy VII tag.

Zerith currently has 2468 fics on AO3.

Fandom

FAN FICTION

Zack/Aerith tag on AO3

Zack/Aerith tag on FanFiction.net

Zack/Aerith (KH) tag on FanFiction.net

FAN ART

Aerith-x-Zack-Club fanclub on DeviantArt

TUMBLR

Zack x Aerith posts on Tumblr

Zerith posts on Tumblr

tumblr@soldierhero-and-flowergirl

Trivia

Spin-off Games

• Zack and Aerith's wedding is featured twice in Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade June Bride event in 2017 and 2019. The event in 2017 also features Cloti, Squinoa, and Tiduna.
• Zack's FR weapon and Aerith's BT weapon is released at the same chapter of Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia, both become trending in Japan. The timing of release is intentional to promote Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ~Reunion~.
• In Final Fantasy Brave Exvius x Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ~Reunion~ collab, they release Zack -Neo Vision- unit featuring Aerith on his CG Limit Break. Aerith is shown as his Crisis Core final DMW, also with her picking flowers in the church, already in FF7 Remake dress. His vision card is the scene when Zack bought the pink ribbon for Aerith.
• In Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis, Zack and Aerith have matching outfit of their limit break weapon similar to royal couple (Prince and Princess), to some people, the costumes resembles Noctluna's royal wedding outfit.

Voice Actors

• On the Crisis Core: Final fantasy VII live broadcast in 2007, Zack's Japanese voice actor, Suzumura Kenichi, announced that he was dating someone and Cloud's Japanese voice actor, Takahiro Sakurai, said he could guess who the woman Suzumura is dating. It's revealed that he was dating Aerith's Japanese voice actor, Sakamoto Maaya, when the two announced their marriage on August 8. 2011. Actually, they had been dating since 2004 after a radio show presenting them as voice actors of Shinn Asuka and Lunamaria (Shinnluna), the official couple of Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny. This means Suzumura and Sakamoto have always been voicing Zack and Aerith since FFVII Advent Children (2005) to FFVII Remake Project (2020-...) as a real couple.
• In FFVII 15th Anniversary Stage Event (held around 2012) , Takahiro Sakurai along with Cait Sith's Japanese voice actor, Hideo Ishikawa, teased Suzumura Kenichi that Zack and Aerith are eventually bound together, referencing Advent Children ending.
• In the radio interview in 2021, the broadcaster said that Suzumura and Sakamoto were co-casting in his favorite series without mentioning what it is. However, Suzumura replied that it's Final Fantasy.
• Aerith's letter featured the Collector's Edition of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ~Reunion~ is handwritten by Sakamoto Maaya and delivered to Suzumura Kenichi on the game's live broadcast held on December 12, 2022. Suzumura said he saw his wife writing it at home, but Maaya didnt tell him the detail. He also said that the players who would feel what Zack feels, would be happy to receive the letter as Maaya wrote it with her whole heart.
• When Sakamoto Maaya is asked about her impression on Zack, she answers that for Aerith, the first person she truly fell in love with was very important to her. She also said that both Zack and Aerith are similar that behind their bright personality, lies a loneliness they both carry; something that perhaps resonates in Aerith.
• Sakamoto Maaya says she personally had a hard time identifying herself to any character she plays, but when Final Fantasy fans congratulated her marriage with Suzumura Kenichi as if it's Zack and Aerith getting married, it still makes her so happy.
• In her streaming of playing Final Fantasy VII: Remake Intergrade, Briana White, Aerith's English voice actress of Final Fantasy VII: Remake project including Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ~Reunion, is sobbing over Zack's scene nervously trying to greet Aerith after 5 years. She also says that, by the virtue of her loving the character she plays (Aerith), she loves Zack.
• In Streamily live, Caleb Pierce, Zack's english voice actor of Final Fantasy VII: Remake project including Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ~Reunion, says that him and Briana played love interest in the game. He also signs autograph together with her on Zerith fanart (livestreaming held on March 05, 2023) and they say Zack and Aerith bring out the best in each other; which Caleb points it that Aerith is kind of Zack's constant like when she comfort him and Briana adds that Zack gave Aerith permission to be not normal, goofy, sassy, silly and through loving him, she comes to embraced that part of her own personality we see her in FFVII Remake.

Others

• Zerith is listed on Square Enix website as one of Great Final Fantasy Love Stories along with other canon couples which are Noctluna, Tiduna, and Squinoa .
• Aerith's letter to Zack became trending in Japan when the Collector's Edition of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ~Reunion~ is announced for pre-order since it includes a cosmetic box in the shape of the letter box Tseng use to keep Aerith's 88 letters. One letter that Zack never received is specially written and inserted inside.
• ザクエア (Zerith pairing name in Japan) became trending in Japan the day Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII ~Reunion~ was released.
• Zack and Aerith were mistranslated as "Zax" and "Aeris" in early material due to the direct romanization of their Japanese name in katakana "Zakkusu" and "Earisu".

Gallery

Main article: Zerith/Gallery