Aerith must die
One of the major themes of the OG Final fantasy 7 is loss. Every character in the game is defined by it. You look at that back story of every party member, and LOSS is a massive part if their past.
But then these characters find each other, and slowly start to heal. And then they lose Aerith. And so do YOU. You have been emotionally dragged into the very experience the game has been trying to hammer into your head. Theres no bringing her back, an important member of the party, someone you likely used a lot for her high magic stat, or just because you liked her character, is gone for good, and forbthe entire rest ofbthe game, there's an empty slot in the party menu where she used to be.
This moment isn't just the single most thematically powerful moment of the entire game, it's one of the most most important moments in gaming. Period.
To rewrite it so that she lives is like rewriting Romeo and Juliet so that the little idiots live happily ever after.
