Final Fantasy 7’s Aerith Gainsborough and Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s Ichiban Kasuga are two peas in a JRPG pod. One is a kind-hearted young woman who hails from an ancient civilization, while the other is a washed-up Yakuza trying to adapt to the modern world after nearly two decades in prison.

On the surface, they couldn’t be more different, but the duo possess a level of charm, camaraderie, and willingness to do anything for the greater good that I think they’d be inseperable if they existed in the same universe. Two best friends forever who’d be eating together in a fancy coffee shop one minute and putting the beatdown on some fools the next. There’s no chance we’ll ever see them together in the same game, but a girl can dream.

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Aerith is a far superior character in Final Fantasy 7 Remake compared to the 1997 original, possessing an aura of infectious positivity and playful optimism. She brings life to Avalanche, encouraging Cloud, Tifa, and company to not only defeat the Shinra Electric Power Company, but to become better people in the process. In the original, the circumstances surrounding her fate by Sephiroth’s hand are undeniably tragic, but leave behind a message of hope that bleeds right into the narrative climax.

Yakuza Ichiban

While he isn’t shanked by an evil dude with silver hair and a giant sword, Ichiban’s unstoppable charisma for living life to the fullest, despite spending much of his young existence behind bars, urges his party of middle-aged losers onto something great. Apart, Aerith and Ichiban are the brightest beams of light in their respective games, and I think bringing them together would result in shenanigans of the highest order.

To envision such banter, I’m going to transplant each character into the other’s respective universe, and imagine exactly what they’d get up to when the world didn’t require saving, or retirement homes didn’t need breaking into in search of secret documents. Aerith would be a legend on the streets of Kamurocho. As a chaotic bisexual, she would peruse the hostess clubs with Ichiban before retiring to the karaoke parlour to belt out a stunning rendition of ‘Baka Mitai’ to reflect on how much she misses Tifa. Yes, that is my headcanon, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Sorry Cloud and Zach.

But Aerith wouldn’t just be there for a night on the town. As Final Fantasy 7 has shown us, she might be young, but is a character with serious conviction and determination to put herself in harm’s way to protect those she loves. Knowing this, she would tag along with Ichiban on his latest quest, even if his fellow party members complain about having a millennial in their ranks.

Ichiban in Midgar would be another matter entirely, but given his love for Dragon Quest, I feel the fuzzy-haired boomer would fit in surprisingly well. He’s familiar with slaying virtual monsters, so why not apply his physical strength attained through countless street fights to do the same in reality. He’d even see himself level up. I reckon it’s best if we keep materia away from him, though - I wouldn’t trust Ichiban with the ability to summon gods. Lobsters are enough power.

Aerith FF7 Remake

Putting these dimension-hopping adventures aside, I feel Ichiban and Aerith are in possession of personalities that are mischievous at first glance, but beyond this initial layer of oafishness sits a core of compassion and friendship that only the closest of friends really have. They're a bit like Shrek and Donkey when you break things down, but with fewer onions and more nuance.

We are set to see more of Aerith in Final Fantasy 7 Remake 2, and also with the arrival of Intergrade on PS5 in the coming months. As for Ichiban, his future in the Yakuza franchise seems cloudy, but given the popularity of his debut outing, I hope Sega gives the lovable goofball yet another chance to shine. These are two of my favourite characters in gaming history, and knowing they might have further opportunities to grow in the coming years fills me with delight, even if we’ll never see them cross paths outside of our collective imagination. Unless...

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