WOW I DID *NOT* expect this reaction from me *MAJOR spoiler*

[Skyblade]

aeris sux.

Aeris added the emotional and upbrining side to Cloud that kept him going. She plays a gret importance to Cloud in the game over any other character. Some people often think that she was pretty useless as far as the gameplay goes but what made Final Fantasy VII awesome was the breakthroughs at the time as an RPG with solid game play and story line.

Advent Children enhances this relationship between Aeris and Cloud a lot.

Actually, Tifa did just as much or more to keep Cloud going as Aeris did. The single greatest thing Aeris did to keep Cloud going was to die. Then Cloud kept on to avenge her. Tifa was the one who nursed him to health when she found him in Midgar, who is always their to support him, who is always the most worried about him (including when he freaks out), and who is always the most relieved when she finds out he's safe.

Personally, a lot of scenes seemed more emotional to me than Aeris' death. The death of Ifalna and Elmyra's husband, the events in Mideel when Cloud goes insane (and Tifa quits everything in order to stay with him and do whatever she can to protect him. Granted: Aeris was dead by that point, but I still don't think she'd have done what Tifa did), and the discussion between Cloud and Tifa when most of the team goes home right before you assault the Crater all felt more emotional to me than Aeris' death. Aeris' death was just Aeris doing what she felt had to be done. She's just "going back to the Planet" anyway. Almost everything she did was to try to save the world, while Tifa was the one who did what she did because she cared for Cloud.