Did she know? (spoilers)

[MeriC]

Did anyone here think that Aeris knew that she was going to die? Or was it unexpected to her as well? She said she was 'going to come back when it's all over'.... did she mean after she was done praying to holy? Or after the whole saving the world bit?

I believe that Aeris didn't know she was going to be killed... but later on she accepted her death. Many fans think otherwise though, but I don't understand what the Planet gained from Aeris sacrificing herself. Sure she helped with the lifestream part in the end but if they knew THAT then why bother praying to Holy in the first place?

[Cloudane]

A difficult question... I think she probably new the risks but didn't have it down as part of the plan.

She did look shocked when she saw the sword sticking out of her just before she died...

In one of the AC magazine clippings, her spirit is shown 'sat' on the lake where her body is, quoting a translation similar to "Was the way I died.. a good way?" - Even that could mean anything. Is she questioning a previous plan where she knew she would die, or reflecting on an unexpected death?

[Big D]

Tifa and Cloud have a conversation later where Tifa talks about Aeris' optimism, her dreams for the future - like she never expected to die. She would've surely been aware of the dangers of the journey she was going on, and it's possible she had some kind of foresight or premonitions - but I don't think she knew her death was coming.

[The Man]

you like to think of someone like that as completely prepared for death. i think she was fairly prepared for it, but i don't think she EXPECTED it to happen, just knew that it was a risk in what she was doing.

but hell. if she did nothing she was gonna die anyway because of meteor. so i'm pretty sure she was prepared to do what she felt she had to do.

[BG-57]

I think she knew that it would happen. Although I admit my reasons are sentimental. It just feels wrong for her to die so meaninglessly unless she was allowing herself to be sarcificed.

[The Man]

it's not like she'd survive anyway if she just sat back and did nothing, since sephiroth was hell bent on killing everyone on the planet so he could become god or something. i blame jenova for making him go crazy, personally.

[Imperia]

I think she knew that she was putting her life on the line, but I don't think she felt she was going to die. Yet in the end, she accepted her fate.

[one_winged_angel]

I think she knew that she was going to die, but she still hoped she wouldn't. Even if people know their fate they will still make plans for the future, hoping that somehow there is a slight chance that it isn't true. The see you after or whatever it was, I think she was referring to when they go see her (in the end sequence Cloud and Tifa say they are going to see her in the promised land or wherever it is). Even if she knew she was going to die she would still have been surprised to see a sword prtruding from her bowels, what was she supposed to think? "Oh hello Sephiroth, you're late I've been waiting ages!". And the look of surprise/relief when she sees Cloud running up the steps towards her could be that she just generally thinks 'Oh yay Clouds here', or it could be naivety, as in 'Oh yay Clouds here, now maybe my unchangable fate will change'. Anything is open to everybody's interpretation this is just the way I see it. I'd like to think that she was smart enough to know that Sephiroth would find, and kill her. But still she was human enough to have hope, all be it futile.

[Bahamut2000X]

I think she knew she was going to die. I mean in the FMV as Sephiroth is coming down to kill her she doesn't seem scared or anything. Just sits there and takes it not seeming to even have a care that she's got a 6 foot long sword impaled through her spleen. She especially must of known that Sephiroth was going to kill her when she tried to summon holy, especially since she went off by herself to try and do it as opposed to having anyone help her. That in itself I say is reason enough to think she knew she would die soon.

[Kirobaito]

Throughout the game, she seemed so incredibly optimistic and stuff, but then after she goes through her "transformation", which is where she truly realized her importance, and her personality changed, she knew that she was going to die, one way or another. I don't think she expected to die that way. I don't think anyone could expect to die that way.

[Big D]

You're right... once she realised the importance of who and what she was, she also began to understand that she was fighting for something so important that she might be the one to be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice. Basically, once she knew what it meant to be 'the last Cetra', she figured that she might be the only one who could save the world, no matter what the cost might be.

That's why FFVII rules.

[one_winged_angel]

Big D that's disgraceful double-posting, call yourself a moderator?

I agree with Bahamut2000X, it would be natural to leave your friends behind if you are going to be killed, but if she didn't know here fate then surely she would have taken them with her. If I knew I would be bumping into Mr. Masamune I would hardly have my friends slaughtered aswell. But if I was going to do something like that without the risk of impalation I would want to have my friends with me.