A Deep Dive Into Every Gold Saucer Date

The Gold Saucer is a major location in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and one you’ll visit a couple of times throughout the main story, but can frequent whenever you like to grind for points or pour hours into several different arcade games. It’s a fully-fledged theme park, and one that builds on the original game in incredible ways. It also famously allows you to go on a date with members of your party, the first of which will be decided by who you have grown the closest to over the course of the game via the affinity system.

Spoiler warning for all the Gold Saucer dates in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Obviously.

How Does Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Choose Your Gold Saucer Date?

Rebirth will have you build relationships with Tifa, Aerith, Barrett, Yuffie, and Red XIII through the use of synergy attacks, side quests, dialogue choices, and a handful of other things. How close you are to someone is represented by an emoticon/gauge above their heads that appears in certain situations. Unfortunately, it can’t be seen inside menus until after you’ve beaten the game, presumably so you can’t game the system. Goshdarn you, Square Enix.

Whoever you are closest to will end up accompanying you to the Gold Saucer in Chapter 8 and Chapter 12, and it seems one of the deciding factors is who you decide to help during a boss battle in Costa del Sol. You can pretty much grind quests and side activities to make up most of the difference though. Because I am one for hunky men, I ended up with Barret on a date during my review playthrough. Definitely on purpose and not because I was in a rush.

Each date has narrative significance to both the characters involved and events to come, so it’s been fascinating to revisit them after hitting credits and seeing exactly what I missed, and if any revelations passed me by due to no fault of mine. As far as I can tell, unless you are keeping a laundry list of save files at the ready, there is no way to see every date in a single playthrough. Square Enix wants your decisions to mean something, and knows you deserve freedom once the credits have rolled and there’s nothing left to hide. So, it’s time to run through each and every date at the Gold Saucer to see exactly what happens.

What Happens On Aerith’s Gold Saucer Date?

Aerith is likely the date companion most players will stumble across, and aside from Tifa, is one of the most heartfelt. Her and Cloud’s relationship is complicated, stuck between a sad yet beautiful mixture of friendship and romance that never quite jumps off the deep end.

She evidently still harbours feelings for Zack Fair, and tries to recapture that relationship in the eyes of Cloud, even if it’s for the wrong reasons. But she is trying to leave her grief behind and see Cloud for the person he really is, because even if they both wish to deny it, there are still sparks between them. Like all the Gold Saucer dates, your partner will knock at your door and invite you out to see Loveless and ride the Skywheel.

Aerith is a little different, however, as she takes on an alter ego – Maycomb Blume – to sing the show’s crowning number. Even on her date, she leaves Cloud’s side after he puts on his VR glasses and begins to watch a showing of Loveless, returning to him for the unfolding play and everything that follows.

Once the play finishes, you accompany Aerith to the Skywheel to the tune of her own musical theme, which has been subtly altered to fit the occasion in an utterly adorable fashion.

Upon arriving at the Skywheel, Aerith excitedly pulls Cloud into their carriage, inviting him to sit beside her with a tap of her hand. To her dismay, it’s an invitation he sadly rejects, looking off to the side out of embarrassment. Not to be deterred, Aerith begins turning a circular wheel at the centre of the cabin which rotates the carriage. The faster you turn it, the faster the carriage will end up moving, often with hilarious consequences depending on your partner.

A squadron of digital spaceships cause the carriage to rock, sending Aerith and Cloud into one another’s arms, their lips inches apart as they pull away from each other. It’s flirtatious, but you can tell neither of them want to cross a line, or potentially ruin what they have.

So they sit back down, falling back into a natural conversation as rainbow-coloured chocobos begin doing the rounds outside. They’re both having fun, casual banter leading into a softer, more intimate chat about past regrets and future aspirations, like the fireworks outside help to stir up the honesty inside them.

Aerith confides in Cloud, explaining how he reminds her of Zack, and how all the similarities extend far beyond the uniform he wears and the spiky hair on his head. But Aerith isn’t a fool, and knows that no matter how much she wants to recapture the past, it’s fully unfair to project those expectations onto Cloud. So she accepts their differences, and has learned to celebrate them.

“But you’re not him, and that’s okay. Because right now, I want to be with you. And I’m trying so hard to find you”

There is something faintly distant and melancholic about their exchange, like Aerith is trying to mourn a future that is yet to materialise, savouring every single moment with Cloud with a fear it might be taken away.

Aerith then takes Cloud’s arm, wrapping around it “just until the ride is over” as she slowly rests her head against his shoulder. Cloud eventually gathers some confidence and pulls Aerith’s hand away, only to intertwine with his own with a silent glance, both their grips tightening as they stare through the fireworks towards an uncertain future.

What Happens On Tifa’s Gold Saucer Date?

Tifa’s Gold Saucer date is probably the one I’d define as canon, at least in terms of who is Cloud’s most fitting and narratively relevant romantic partner. He and Aerith are ultimately better off as friends considering her past with Zack – who is still alive in another universe – while Tifa is the ultimate girl-next-door childhood crush that Cloud has been pining over for most of his life. The Gold Saucer is a chance for them to revisit the past and think about whether they can be more than friends despite the challenges that await them.

I’m going to skip over attending the theatre and Loveless preamble because aside from a few unique scenes and lines of dialogue, the majority of dates follow a similar pattern before the Skywheel, which is where the
real juicy stuff
happens.

Upon arriving at the Skywheel, Tifa and Cloud leave hopping onto their carriage a little too late, so they must jump aboard and accidentally tumble into one another’s arms. How cute.

Just like Aerith, they begin sat opposite one another, unsure where to look or what to do with themselves. Tifa points out the wheel in the middle, spinning the carriage around and getting both of them into a steady yet loving conversation, the lights outside acting as arbiters to an unfolding blanket of intimacy. Tifa slowly but surely moves closer to Cloud, pointing out neon flocks of racing chocobos before fireworks begin to engulf the night sky. Tifa is taken aback, and somewhat more vocal than Aerith was at this exact moment. The beauty outside soon draws their eyes on each other, and yet another bout of brief yet awkward silence.

Tifa begins to recall the past, and how, after years apart, the two are finally together again, them against the world on a pilgrimage where everything is on the line, and all they have is friends by their side.

“Ever since we left Midgar on this crazy journey. Ever since we were kids, even… I can’t remember a time like this. A time when we were this close.”

After pouring her heart out, Tifa then begins to doubt herself, like what she’s saying is little more than nonsense Cloud is bound to reject. Until he doesn’t, pulling her into an embrace that soon evolves into an enveloping kiss, the camera zooming out as they finally admit how they feel about each other.

This is the only Gold Saucer date that ends in an outright confession, let alone a kiss, and it is easily my personal favourite because of how far it is willing to go. God I’m such a hopeless romantic.

What Happens On Red XIII’s Gold Saucer Date?

Red XIII is a teenage dog/cat hybrid thingy, so obviously your Gold Saucer date isn’t one of the romantic persuasion. Instead, he spends most of his time rushing around the carriage in excitement looking at all the bright lights with a wagging tail and bated breath. He’s a very good boy, that much is for certain.

Once you reach the Skywheel, he also confides in Cloud more than I expected him too, and shines a light on past events from Remake and precisely how the friendship between Aerith and him came to be. Turns out that, during the events of Remake, both characters were able to glimpse into the future thanks to the Whispers, a power that was taken away after beating the Arbiters of Fate. It’s reasonable to assume they knew about Aerith’s coming death, which Red also alludes to throughout his monologue on the carriage.

“You have to keep Aerith safe. I mean it, Cloud. I don’t remember what’s supposed to happen, but I do know she’s in danger.”

Shortly after Red jumps onto the seat and demands Cloud shake on what they just talked about, swearing it never leaves the ride as he holds out a paw. Cloud reaches out before doing exactly that, noting that, as Aerith observed earlier in the game, that his paw pads are indeed incredibly soft. It’s adorable, and shows that Red isn’t a fierce warrior, but a teenager way in over his head willing to do whatever it takes to protect his loved ones.

What Happens On Barret’s Gold Saucer Date?

Played as a joke in the original, Barret’s date in Rebirth is more mature and introspective than I could have expected. He sheds a tear during Jessie’s virtual performance in Loveless, demanding Cloud “clap for the both of them” given he only has one working hand.

While on the Skywheel date, his words are considered and mature, recalling past tribulations with Cloud and offering sound advice for the future. The two are awkward at first, because they’d both rather be taking girls on dates than each other, but this soon fades away into an emotional night of male friendship. Just guys being dudes. What’s better than that?

“I mean it though. If you do have feelings for someone, tell ‘em straight out. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”

Barret tries to coax Cloud’s crush out of him while looking back on his own romantic history and other past regrets, proclaiming that it’s always worth putting your feelings out there, as you’ll only ever hate yourself for missing a potential chance at happiness. Barret isn’t loads older than Cloud, but it’s undeniably heartwarming to see him treated like an older brother, where going on a late night excursion isn’t used as an excuse for crass jokes, but a stellar slice of character development.

What Happens On Yuffie’s Gold Saucer Date?

Yuffie is brash, unsubtle, and has the energy of a devious little sister who would push you down a hill for a cheap laugh. But she also has a good heart, and feelings she struggles to control at the best of times.

Her Gold Saucer date is surprisingly deep, and she delves into the anime trope of treating her time out with Cloud as “practice” for the real thing while she talks about a boy from her past she had a massive crush on, yet was in over her head and treated like a kid when she wanted to be something more. Cloud feels her sympathy, and there’s a wonderful moment as the fireworks begin to erupt where Yuffie clutches her chest and looks away, as if starting to nurse an increasing heartbreak. Like she’s nervous.

“I swore to myself that one day I’d blast that jerk for real. Did some hardcore training, so I could give him a beatdown.”

They talk about past loves, struggling with their feelings, and practice what it means to be on a real date even in fits of laughter and embarrassment. Yuffie’s body language does most of the talking here, and I love how Cloud responds to her fake jabs and taunts by keeling over in his seat to calm his friend’s anxiety. It’s heartwarming, and once again turns what could have been played off as a joke into a beautiful piece of character development.

What Happens On Cait Sith, Vincent, and Cid’s Gold Saucer Date?

This is the only Gold Saucer date in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth that is 100 percent played for laughs, like the game wanted to throw all the rejects into a single scenario who’re either not romantic interests, or won’t be fleshed out properly until the third game. The play is the usual business, while the Skywheel Date follows Cait Sith trying his best to get his buddies excited, even as Vincent falls asleep and Cid does his best impression of a grumpy boomer.

It’s also the shortest, coming in at only 3 minutes when there isn’t a heart-to-heart chat to be had between the brooding trio. Cid complains about the lack of controls to play with, Vincent doesn’t say a word, and Cait Sith hops around adorably, fawning over the scenery of his old workplace like he’s trying to recruit you. His fanged smile as he looks around for a tiny bit of approval almost makes me feel sorry for him.

“
To hell with ya, ye wee scunners! Barbarians! I prepare entertainment in spades and all I get is crickets!”

Considering the Skywheel Date takes place mere moments from Cait Sith’s brief betrayal of the party prior to the Temple of the Ancients, perhaps he’s trying to save face and make his friends happy before screwing them over. He’s the game’s comic relief, so to see him blown off so effortlessly does bring a smile to my face.