Tifa Lockhart

Tifa is empathic, motherly, intuitive, and reserved, both out of being observant and for being emotionally shy. Tifa identifies the feelings of others, offering sanctuary and protection for her teammates.[note 6][note 7][note 8] While looking out for others, she rarely discusses her own feelings: when asked, she will either express surprise,[115] or quickly change the subject.[116] Tifa considers all options and takes in all information before acting, (best seen when she does not speak up about Cloud's confused past until she is certain of her own recollection of events[11]), and encourages others to practice this same restraint and think things through first.[note 9][note 8] Tifa can and does fight to defend herself, often preferring to so as not to get others involved.[note 10] While normally reserved, Tifa still shows aggression at times, seen when beating up Rakesh,[37] interrogating Don Corneo,[85] standing up to Scarlet after being provoked.[57] Tifa has a stubborn pride that comes from her Nibelheim upbringing,[118] but has low self-confidence and is overly self-critical of her faults, always pushing herself to do better.[119]\n\nTifa is defined by her grief and loss throughout her life, manifesting in her conflicted nature, low self-esteem, and her reserved tendencies. As a child, she was more outgoing, chipper, and extroverted, but the trauma of losing her mother at eight years old made her withdrawn at the time, and introverted later in life.[11] As a teenager she lost her father and hometown in the Nibelheim incident,[11] and as an adult experienced the fall of the Sector 7 plate. As a result, Tifa feels grief and anger towards both Shinra and Sephiroth, driving her desire for revenge. This, as well as her coping mechanism for pain being to withstand it rather than run from it,[note 11] leads her to join Avalanche to get back at Shinra. While she acknowledges they have to be bold to make a change, she is ill at ease about the use of methods such as the reactor bombings and feels trapped,[52] expressing guilt at many of their actions.[note 12] Her conflicted nature allows her to resolve a tense argument between Cait Sith and Barret, able to understand both sides.[71] Ultimately, when alone with Cloud to talk about her feelings of loss, she is overwhelmed and simply bursts into tears, showing her fragile emotional state which she tries to conceal.\n\nAs a supportive but troubled figure, Tifa shares mutual dependence with her friends. In her friendship with Barret, he depends on her as his moral compass, grounding him to do the right thing,[121][122][122] whereas she depends on him to push her forward when she is indecisive.[123][94] Tifa is protective of Aerith, while depending on her to remain optimistic and upbeat.[note 7] The clearest example of her nature is with Cloud. Tifa depends on him as the only remnant of their hometown of Nibelheim following its destruction, and thus of her old identity. She is therefore protective of him, though this is mutual.[note 13] Later, the two realize they were there for one another in times of need, but never knew it.[11] Tifa has suggested romantic feelings for Cloud, showing slight jealousy when seeing him grow close to Aerith[63][127] (though it does not harm their friendship). Aside from Cloud, Tifa shows little romantic interest in others, ignoring the advances of her three childhood friends,[13] Johnny,[97] Rude,[65] and an Avalanche member who attempted to win her over with flowers.