Final Fantasy VII was a landmark in video game storytelling, defining and redefining how several JRPG storytelling tropes tend to be used to this day...for better or for worse. A big part of Cloud's character development hinges on his relationships with Aerith Gainsborough and Tifa Lockhart, with the former being a "manic pixie dream girl" and the latter being a patient childhood friend-type love interest -- two character archetypes that are common in games and anime to this day. Aerith's death in disk 2 pulls her out of the love triangle, leaving Tifa as the only option left, but while it's clear by the end that Tifa's motivations are based on her feelings for Cloud, Cloud's feelings about it are left ambiguous. This puts Tifa in the unfortunate position of "satellite love interest" - a character whose main role is to be in love with the hero, with any other traits being secondary.
Source：https://www.cbr.com/final-fantasy-vii-tifa-lockhart-best-satellite-love-interest/
