How to romance Aerith in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Oh, Aerith. Even after all this time, the kind-hearted flower merchant we first met in Midgar's Sector 5 slums still has my heart. And though Cloud's completely oblivious himbo personality is pretty charming, he can't be trusted to always say the right thing, so I'm here to play the role of matchmaker with an FF7 Rebirth Aerith romance guide.

In Rebirth, Cloud has two opportunities to spend some time with Aerith at the Gold Saucer as long as you've worked hard enough on the relationship. There's one date in Chapter 8, with the second later on in Chapter 12. It's not too difficult to win her heart, but there's quite a bit to track after making it to Chapter 2.

Below, you'll find details on the sidequests, conversations, story beats, and skills you'll need to romance Aerith in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. If you're looking for Cloud's childhood friend, we've also got a guide for Tifa's romance.

Romancing Aerith: Basic tips

How to romance Aerith in FF7 Rebirth

There's a section on the ins and outs of relationships and romance in FF7 Rebirth at the bottom of this guide, but let's go ahead and establish a few ground rules for Cloud and Aerith's relationship:

• Dialogue, Odd Jobs, Synergy Skills, and story events impact Aerith's romance
• "Romance" in FF7 Rebirth mostly refers to Gold Saucer dates
• Aerith's affinity with Cloud must be the highest in the party—don't let others creep ahead
• There are two dates, one in Chapter 8 and another in Chapter 12
  • Aerith accompanies you on both if your bond is leveled enough

Aerith doesn't need Cloud to do everything perfectly for a Gold Saucer date, but be careful about excessively skipping the optional dialogue and neglecting her main story preferences. A poor choice here and there can add up fast. If you mess it all up, you can revisit this way of the heart in New Game+.

Cloud and Aerith Synergy Skills and Abilities

Cloud and Aerith Synergy Skills and Abilities

As someone always eager to help, Aerith appreciates when Cloud calls upon her. You can improve relationships with all of your party members using Synergy Skills and Abilities, but make use of those allying with Aerith to get in her good graces. It doesn't seem to add very much, but it's a helpful bump in keeping Aerith's affinity a step ahead of the rest.

• Aerith Synergy Skills with Cloud
  • Bodyguard
  • Combat Savior
• Aerith Synergy Abilities with Cloud
  • United Refocus
• Cloud Synergy Skills with Aerith
  • Melee Blade (becomes Spell Blade with Aerith)
  • Counterfire
• Cloud Synergy Abilities with Aerith
  • Firework Blade

Romancing Aerith: Best dialogue options

Best Aerith romance dialogue options

Relationships in FF7 Rebirth won't take a hit if Cloud flubs a conversation or misses a line of dialogue. Say the wrong thing or neglect the moment, and Aerith's opinion of Cloud won't be worse for wear. But these are missed opportunities: It's possible to gain so little that Aerith's relationship with Cloud never levels enough for a Gold Saucer date in Chapters 8 or 12. And picking the best dialogue option in some scenes will have a bigger effect.

When using New Game+ saves, you can test and see how all three responses impact Cloud's relationship with Aerith or another party member. There are one, two, and three-star answers. You're going for the three-star choice, so select the following options in each chapter:

Chapter 2 - Kalm

⭐⭐⭐ Choice:

Look for Aerith just outside of Maghnata Books and respond to her invitation with, "Sure. Let's."

Chapter 4 - Junon

⭐⭐⭐ Choice:

Aerith's room is among the first you'll encounter on the lower level when visting Junon's inn. When she asks about meeting Cloud, answer, "You shoved a flower at me."

Chapter 6 - Costa del Sol

⭐⭐⭐ Choice:

Find Aerith standing along the beachfront and reassure her, "They're just thoughts," when prompted.

Chapter 9 - Gongaga

⭐⭐⭐ Choice:

Cross the easternmost bridge from where Tifa hangs out in the village and follow Aerith into the nearby house. Tell her, "They didn't seem to mind," when she needs a bit of comfort.

This section is in progress, but we're almost done! We'll add additional information for choices after Chapter 9 soon.

Romancing Aerith: Odd Jobs

Odd Jobs to complete for Aerith's romance

As you make your way through Rebirth chapter by chapter, the RPG introduces new regions packed with additional side quests and places to explore. Not all of the extra chores are particularly important, but some party members will like Cloud a little more if you complete the optional Odd Jobs.

There are seven quests associated with Aerith, and each one levels her relationship with Cloud a little more—bonus points if you perfect them.

• Flowers from the Hill (Chapter 2)
• Stuck in a Rut (Chapter 4)
• Rendezvous in Costa del Sol (Chapter 6)
• The Spice of Life (Chapter 9)
• Absence of a Sign (Chapter 10)
• Beneath Still Waters (Chapter 12)
• Woodland Vigil (Chapter 12)

Romancing Aerith: Quest and event choices

Aerith romance quest choices and events

Relationships and romance don't impact much of FF7 Rebirth's main story, but there are a few decisions to make that'll say to Aerith you really care. She shares most of these events with Tifa, so make sure you're paying extra attention to the flower merchant to keep her affinity on top. Aerith's important story choices include five key moments:

• Inauguration Parade (Chapter 4)
• Same Taste in Beachwear (Chapter 6)
• Costa del Sol Beach Fight Partner (Chapter 6)
• Loveless (Chapter 12)
• Skywheel Date (Chapter 12)

Inauguration Parade (Chapter 4)

Cloud can't just scrap by during his performance in the Junon Parade. To win Aerith's affection, complete the rhythm game with a high enough score to impress her. It's not the easiest of the minigames Rebirth throws at you, but you'll have the chance to retry before continuing the story, so don't worry if you don't do your best initially.

Same Taste in Beachwear (Chapter 6)

Yes, your swimsuit choice in Costa del Sol does matter when it comes to leveling up bonds in Rebirth. Improve Aerith's relationship with Cloud by putting them in matching beachwear. If you're worried about Tifa's relationship outpacing Aerith's, then make sure Cloud and Tifa don't match. Aerith's matching beachwear options include:

• Pink Mermaid (Aerith) and Wild Surf (Cloud)
• Floral Delight (Aerith) and Ocean Chocobo (Cloud)

Costa del Sol beach fight partner (Chapter 6)

After the party changes into their swimsuits, you'll wind up in a beachfront fight and forced to pick a side to help. When prompted, select Aerith and Barrett on the left.

Loveless and the Skywheel Date (Chapter 12)

This section is in progress, but we're almost done! We'll add additional information for choices after Chapter 4 soon.

Leveling romance and relationships in FF7 Rebirth

How do relationships in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth work?

Cloud can go on a date with Tifa, Aerith, Barret, Red XIII, or Yuffie in FF7 Rebirth—each with two different events at the Gold Saucer. Missable conversations throughout the game, Odd Jobs, Synergy Skills, and a few main story events impact your relationship with all of them.

Unlike the original PlayStation game from the '90s, Rebirth is pretty open about where Cloud stands with his party members. How another character feels about him is indicated through their emoji-like smiley face icons, just like in real life. While adventuring with your party, use H on mouse and keyboard to display their affinity icons, or L1 on controller.

There's a Play Log accessible from the System menu after you've beaten Rebirth. It makes exploring other relationships and choices way easier and displays how conversations, Odd Jobs, Synergies, and story choices impacted Cloud's relationships.