Aerith and Tifa's roles as FF7's dual heroines are reflected in the choices they make at the story's most important crossroads.
After the Temple of the Ancients, Aerith chooses to leave Cloud behind and go to the City of the Ancients to pray for Holy, putting the Planet's survival above her personal desires. That decision ultimately leads to Holy and the lifestream stopping Meteor, thus preventing the destruction of the world.
In Mideel, Tifa is faced with a different choice. She can join the others in gathering the Huge Materia or remain with the near-comatose Cloud. She chooses Cloud. That decision ultimately leads to the Lifestream Sequence, where she helps him reconstruct his true identity and return to the fight, enabling him to defeat Sephiroth.
Nobody else could cast Holy except Aerith; she's the last Cetra.
Nobody else could help Cloud piece himself back together except Tifa; only she knew the real Cloud well enough to navigate his memories.
Neither one is more important than the other. Their contributions are different, but both are indispensable.
One heroine protects the Planet. The other heroine restores the hero.
FF7 needs both.
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