FINAL FANTASY VII fever has struck through the internet’s heart like an abnormally long sword with the release of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE in April 2020 and FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH in February this year. Fans of the game have been waiting patiently for the next and final installment of the saga, which is currently in development.

In anticipation for the next FINAL FANTASY VII game, we got a fortunate chance to conduct a brief interview with Briana White, the voice actor of Aerith as she told us about her portrayal of the character.

Bright Waters Run Deep

Aerith has always been a fan favorite dating all the way back to the original FINAL FANTASY VII, best known for her charm and innocent demeanor, while at the same time hinting at her deeper wisdom. With all these seemingly contradictory traits, we asked Briana how she managed to pull off the character so well.

“I make an effort to tell Aerith’s story with each line I perform,” she answered. “Aerith has had a very difficult life. She knows through tragedy and hardship that every moment is a gift and it’s important to make the most of it. I think this is why even her smallest interactions are filled with kindness and playfulness.”

“This also causes her to embrace moments of tension or fear with wisdom and calm. She knows that there’s always hope for a better day because her life is proof of that. I try to bring all of that into my performance.”

Favorite Scene

As one of the main cast, Aerith undoubtedly gets a lot of screentime, which translates to a lot of lines and scenes for Briana to record. Given the variety of these scenes which focus on her character, we wondered if she had a personal favorite.

“I think my favorite Aerith scene changes every time I’m asked which one it is, because she has so many amazing ones. Right now my favorite Aerith scene is when she gives a speech in Cosmo Canyon. That speech really speaks to the essence of her character, and it also reminds us, the players, how to find the light through the darkness of our own pasts. It’s such a beautiful moment.”

Through Clouded Eyes (or not)

For our final question, we pondered about the nature of Aerith’s relationship with Cloud, especially since it can be influenced by the player’s options throughout the game to the point of romance. We asked Briana if the potential of player influence affected her recordings of their interactions.

She denied the notion, stating, “I personally didn’t think too much about player choices when recording, because ultimately this is a story about a group of characters who find the strength to fight a great evil through their bonds with one another. Aerith cares for Cloud very deeply, and I did my best to portray that throughout all their interactions. It’s then up to the player to interpret that with their lens.”

Here concludes the interview. We would like to thank Briana White for taking the time to answer all of our questions. If you wish to see (and hear) more from her, you can visit her X and Instagram