28 years after Final Fantasy 7 introduced a generation to the concept of waifus, Tetsuya Nomura says Tifa’s popularity is “not just about appearance”

Over a year after the launch of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Tifa Lockhart has been awarded the title of “best character” at the fan-voted Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards for 2024. While Tifa has become one of the go-to video game crushes for multiple generations of players, Tetsuya Nomura – who served as character designer on the original Final Fantasy 7 and now directs the remake series – says her appeal is about far more than her looks.

“Thank you for voting for Tifa,” Nomura says in a statement for the award show (translated by Genki on Twitter). “It has already been about 30 years since I designed the original Tifa. Her getting such support, even now, after 30 years, is a great honor as a designer. However, a character is not just about appearance, personality is also important. I believe Tifa’s good qualities are the combination of her character, expressions, voice, movements, combat abilities, and all of her other charms. The entire team worked together to create her charm, and we are truly grateful for the recognition that it has received.”