And please, anyone who has links to this page, take them down!

Who is Tifa Lockhart? To many, she's just a video game character, a controllable collection of pixels. But if she means more than that to you, then you've come to the right place.

I think that Tifa is not only the best character in FFVII, she's also the best video game character ever created. Why? For one, she has something lacking from 99% of game characters, a deep and complex personality. Ever since she was a child she had feelings for Cloud, but she was always too shy to tell him. Most girls in her situation would have been bitter and jealous when Aeris came into Cloud's life, practically throwing herself at him like a... well, we won't go into that. But not once, contrary to what her detractors might say, did she attempt to split Cloud and Aeris up, hurt their feelings, or even tell Cloud that she loved him. Instead, she just stood by him silently, keeping her emotions locked inside, no matter how much it hurt or how bad things got. Even after everything she'd been through, not only did she manage to keep herself strong, she was strong for everyone else, too. And for those who say that Tifa never did anything for Cloud - when Aeris died, who was there for him? When he was in a coma, who was by his side for days on end? When he lost his mind in the Lifestream, who pulled him back together? Exactly. Tifa did.

When Tifa was fifteen she lost everything. Her home, her family, her friends, everything she'd ever known was destroyed. She ended up in a filthy slum in Midgar. She could have committed suicide, or turned to drugs, but she didn't. Instead, she opened a bar, and she made it thrive. Some people say that Tifa is weak and useless, but if she was, she would have just curled up in a corner under some garbage and died (which is probably what they'd have done.)

For me, Tifa was the most realistic character in the game, someone you could identify with. Aeris was always the "fairytale princess" of the story, with her flowers and flowing pink dresses and mysterious background. She's a stereotyped ideal, the selfless heroine who falls in love with the hero and then dies saving the Planet. Tifa isn't like that. She's just an ordinary person trying to make the best of a bad life. In my opinion Aeris is rather one-dimensional; there's nothing complex about her personality, no hidden emotions. Even her love for Cloud is blatantly expressed. Tifa has a deeper and more human personality; on the outside she appears bubbly and outgoing, like Aeris, but inside she is lonely and even tormented by her past, and at times it shows through the cheerful front she puts on. Yet in spite of this, she swallows her emotions and keeps the party going when others would have given up hope.

And I haven't even mentioned the reason I fell in love with Tifa in the first place: she is stunningly beautiful. But not in a superficial, idealistic way like Aeris; her beauty is natural, childlike, something that can only come from within. She's a kind and loving person, and in turn, this makes her lovable too. Aeris may be pretty on the outside, but she seems somewhat detached from the rest of the characters, like some sort of perfect being. There's a feeling of warmth and friendliness about Tifa, something you don't feel with Aeris, and yet another thing that makes her seem so realistic and close to the player.

I could go on and on forever, but I think I've touched on the main reasons I consider Tifa to be so special. Tifa Lovers Unite is basically a fan club for anyone who feels the same way, and a way for Tifa obsessives to come together and share their love for this incredible girl. And before you jump to the conclusion that we're all testosterone-charged adolescent males who spend all their time discussing the, um, more intimate parts of Tifa's anatomy, I'd like to make it clear that quite a few of our members are girls who worship Tifa as an idol and heroine, and nothing more. So whatever the reasons behind your fandom, if you consider yourself a Tifa lover, why not unite with others who share your obsession? All you have to do to join is send your screen name, e-mail address, website address if you have one, and a few lines (or as many as you like) about why you love Tifa to akaCloudStrife@hotmail.com. (Actually, no, don't. This club is through I tell you! I-'m l-o-s-i-n-g t-h-e w-i-l-l t-o l-i-v-e........ *hack*... *choke*............)

Other Tifa fan clubs: Project: T.I.F.A. (http://www.eternalsoldier.net/tifa/project.html)
   I wouldn't have started Tifa Lovers Unite if it wasn't for this place! It's also linked to a cool Tifa shrine with possibly everything (clean) you'll ever need to know about her.

Note: As Project T.I.F.A.-ites will know, I've well and truly learnt my lesson when it comes to flaming anti-Tifa sites. It only brings us down to their level by making us look puerile and pathetic, and that's an image I'm sure no Tifa fan would want to associate with our goddess. So anyone who wants to start some kind of vigilante hacker group will have to look elsewhere.

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