Summary
- Final Fantasy 7 is full of loveable and iconic party members, but Tifa has to be one of the most popular.
- Although this is mostly due to how layered and well-written she is, she’s also very popular for other reasons.
- Tifa’s character designer, Tetsuya Nomura, noted that her appeal is more than just her “appearance” after she won a Best Character award.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth‘s iteration of Tifa just won an award for “Best Character” at the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards, prompting a message from designer Tetsuya Nomura who noted that she’s more than just her “appearance”.
The Final Fantasy series has made a name for itself over the years thanks to its loveable party members and playable characters, but there’s one game that rules the roost in that regard – Final Fantasy 7. As the remake trilogy has proven once again, Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Barret, and the rest are some of the most popular RPG characters in history.
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That’s in large part due to how complex most of the characters are, which is especially true of Cloud’s arguable main squeeze, Tifa, who is revealed to have quite a layered past as the original game goes on. Of course, that’s just one reason why Tifa has become so popular over the years, as many would suggest that her appearance is another driving force.
Tetsuya Nomura Responds To Tifa Winning A Best Character Award
For as long as Tifa has been around (and especially since she made the leap from polygons), she’s been one of the most popular female characters in gaming. While fans would argue that’s because of how well-written she is, there’s clearly a large audience out there who just think Tifa is hot – just go look at Google and you’ll know exactly what I mean.
Tifa’s character designer, Tetsuya Nomura, seems to be well aware of this fact, as he commented on it at the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards yesterday when Tifa ended up winning “Best Character” for her role in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. As pointed out by Twitter user Genki_JPN, Nomura thanked fans for voting for her and noted that it’s been 30 years since he originally designed her.
Nomura also takes the time to point out that Tifa’s appeal is about more than just her “appearance”, as he notes that her personality, expressions, voice, movements, and combat abilities all play into why she’s so beloved. Nomura says that the entire team worked together to create her “charm”, and that they’re all grateful for the recognition.
However, a character is not just about appearance, personality is also important. I believe Tifa’s good qualities are the combination of her character, expressions, voice, movements, combat abilities and all of her other charms. – Tetsuya Nomura
While Nomura is most likely referring to his role as a designer and pointing out that it’s not just his role in creating her looks that make her popular, there is also an underlying point considering how popular Tifa’s looks have made her over the years. However Nomura meant it, they’re wise words all the same.
