Final Fantasy 7 Remake was released earlier this year, fans were beyond ecstatic to be reunited with their favorite characters once again. Characters such as Cloud, Aerith, and Barret were extremely received in this remake, as Square Enix was able to not only render them in high definition, but the studio fleshed out the characters and their personalities even more.
That being said, one returning character quickly rose the ranks and became one of the fan favorites: Tifa, the headstrong member of Avalanche. According to the Japanese book Final Fantasy 7 Remake Material Ultimania, it appears that Square Enix was even willing to give her more screen time at some point during the game’s creation through a Tifa-centric chapter. However, the chapter was unfortunately scrapped.
According to the Japanese Final Fantasy 7 Remake book, which was translated by Twitter user @aitaikimochi, Square Enix initially included a chapter that was set after Cloud and Tifa got separated in Reactor 5. Based on that timeline, this deleted scene would have taken place somewhere in Chapters 7 and 8.
The scene was supposed to showcase the events that took place during the time when the pair was not together. For instance, the chapter supposedly showed Tifa preparing to go to Don Corneo’s house, which is where she eventually meets Cloud and Aerith.
According to aitaikimochi, Square Enix wanted to “show the beginnings of the tragedy that would unfold with the Sector 7 plate,” while at the same time showing “Tifa’s charm as she takes on the role of a heroine.”
The level concept was to show the beginnings of the tragedy that would unfold with the Sector 7 plate and also show Tifa's charm as she takes on the role of a heroine.
The scenario would start off with a rainy scene that would set the mood where you meet with Jessie.
— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) October 30, 2020
The second part of the scenario would show Tifa's charm, depicting her thoughts about her friends and Cloud, her strength as a Heroine, her bravery, kindness, and style too.
Characters involved would be Barret, Marlene, Jessie, and Marle.
— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) October 30, 2020
This Tifa-centric scenario was eventually cut, but it would have also shown how Tifa got either one of those three dresses available in the game.
The AVALANCHE hideout would also have been accessible here.
So uh…GIVE US THE TIFA DLC, SQUARE ENIX!!!#FF7RMUltimania
— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) October 30, 2020
The chapter reportedly begins with Tifa meeting up with Jessie who informs her about the plans concerning the Sector 7 plate. What’s more, Tifa would supposedly investigate some suspicious activity in the slum area that would make the players wonder about what’s going on.
The deleted scened would also showcase Tifa partnering up with other iconic characters in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, such as Barret, Biggs, and Wedge. In addition, players would have had insight into how Tifa was able to obtain one of the three dresses she can wear during the Don Corneo mission.
It’s truly unfortunate, especially for Tifa fans, that her side of the story wasn’t included in the end because it would have fleshed out her character even more. Besides, Tifa wasn’t able to shine as much as the others during the first entry of the Remake.
Fortunately for the other characters, they were able to receive similar scenarios to Tifa’s deleted chapter. For instance, Barrett and Cloud get separated at some point in the late-game chapters, and players are able to view this situation from Barrett’s perspective.
Not only that, but Aerith has numerous cinematic moments whenever Cloud is busy. At this point, all we can do is hope that the second part of Final Fantasy 7 Remake will give Tifa similar moments where the focus is on her.
After all, there are countless fans out there who would love to experience the game from Tifa’s perspective. In fact, many are hoping that Square Enix will just release the deleted scenario as some kind of DLC.
