A Brief about the Character
Tifa Lockhart is a beloved Final Fantasy character known for her fierce combat skills and unwavering loyalty to her friends. As a playable character in both Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII Remake, Tifa plays a crucial role in the fight against the Shinra Electric Power Company as a member of the resistance group Avalanche. Her past connection to the protagonist Cloud Strife, her moral compass, and her motherly demeanour towards her comrades make her a fan-favourite and a vital part of the Final Fantasy universe.
Early Life
Tifa Lockhart had a happy childhood in Nibelheim, playing with friends Emilio, Lester, and Tyler, but lost her mother at eight, causing her to grow apart from her friends. Coping with her trauma, Tifa believed her mother had gone to Mt. Nibel and headed off to the mountain with friends. However, Tifa fell off a rickety bridge, causing her to go into a coma for seven days. Her father blamed Cloud for leading her to the mountain. As years passed, Tifa’s male friends began to see her as a potential partner, but Tifa became attached to a white cat named Mal instead. After Cloud joined SOLDIER, Tifa began taking martial arts lessons from Zangan, becoming his most prized student.
Appearance
Tifa has dark brown to black hair tied in a dolphin-tail split, red/brown eyes, and an athletic build with toned abs. She wears a sleeveless midriff top, a miniskirt, and a teardrop earring on her left ear. Her outfit varies in colour and style, but she often wears gloves and boots. In some appearances, she wears a cowgirl outfit or a leather suit with shorts and a vest. In one chapter of Final Fantasy VII Remake, she wears a violet mini dress, a black leopard-print cheongsam, or a short black kimono-style dress, depending on the player’s choice.
Personality
Tifa is an empathic and motherly character who is intuitive and reserved. She identifies the feelings of others and offers sanctuary and protection for her teammates. However, she rarely discusses her own feelings and prefers to consider all options and information before acting. Grief and loss define the life of Tife, manifesting her conflicted nature, reserving tendencies and low self-esteem. She protects her friends and depends on them while they depend on her. Tifa tries to build a new family with Cloud, Barret, Marlene, and Denzel after the defeat of Sephiroth.
Abilities
- Tifa is a skilled martial artist who learned from Zangan and possesses impressive strength despite her reserved demeanour.
- Her fighting style focuses on punches and kicks, using knuckles and claws to enhance her strikes.
- Tifa’s rigorous training with Zangan has given her tight muscles and remarkable physical abilities, enabling her to hold her own even without the advantages of her party members.
- Tifa can execute devastating limit breaks like Dolphin Blow and Meteor Strike in battle, which can lift and slam foes with a single arm.
- Tifa’s strength is further augmented by her ability to harness her chi, allowing her to summon a chi orb to damage her enemies.
- With her martial arts skills, strength, and chi abilities, Tifa is a formidable fighter who can stand up against even the toughest foes.
Reception
Tifa has been widely acclaimed by critics and fans, earning a place among the best characters in gaming. She has consistently been ranked among the top Final Fantasy characters and gaming heroines by various publications and has received high praise for her combat skills, strength, and chi abilities. In addition, Tifa has been recognised as one of the most popular characters in Final Fantasy VII Remake, with her resolution scene being viewed by most players. Hollywood actor Robert Pattinson also admired the character, saying that the love triangle between Tifa and Aerith represented how every guy figures out what love is.
Make sure to go through our other articles on female characters.