As a hardcore video gamer, I think it is safe to speak for all of us when I say there are a few video game hotties we have crushed on over the years. Whether it is Samus from the Metroid franchise; Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, or even Johnny Cage from Mortal Kombat, one thing is certain: someone, somewhere, is currently crushing hard on video game characters. So hard, in fact, they may be tempted to hit up their favourite adult website and do a couple of searches. This much is evident thanks to the latest Pornhub Insights, which reveals how Final Fantasy VII porn searches have reached new heights thanks to the remake.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is both a critical and commercial success. Square Enix’s huge gamble to reinvent the 1997 classic has paid off. This success will undoubtedly inspire developers and writers for decades to come (like the original did before it). However, it is also influencing an entirely different industry: video game porn.
It is no secret that video game porn has been a popular search topic for years. With every annual Pornhub Insight update, numerous video game characters and franchises find their way into the most-search for lists. Never, however, have the searches skyrocketed as much as they have in April 2020. All thanks to “Final Fantasy VII Porn“.
For as long as I can remember, Tifa Lockhart has been a hot topic among adult sites. The beloved character was once officially dubbed as the “original cyber pin-up girl” in a 1998 New York Times article and “hottest gaming babe of 1997” by Electronic Gaming Monthly. Her sex appeal has been unprecedented in video gaming ever since. Now it appears as if her ‘remade character model’ is getting a whole new generation of love. According to Pornhub’s Final Fantasy Insights, the platform has seen over one-million Final Fantasy Remake searches since the game released on 10 April 2020. However, the Final Fantasy VII porn searches increased by a whopping 7631% on 13 April, which I presume is when the majority of gamers finally received copies of the game.
According to Pornhub Insights, the top-ranking Final Fantasy related search remains “Final Fantasy 7” while the top-searched individual character is Tifa, followed closely by Aerith. The rest of the list includes Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII, Yuna and Lulu, both of whom featured in Final Fantasy X. Jesse from Final Fantasy VII and its remaster follows them on the list, with Final Fantasy XV’s Cindy, VII’s Cloud, and X’s Riku after that. I am sad to see Quistis (Final Fantasy VIII) is not a part of the Final Fantasy VII porn list!
Pornhub also offers insights into the demographics of these searches. While not 100% accurate (due to VPNs and privacy-conscious users), stats indicate that men are 58% more likely to search “Final Fantasy” than women. Furthermore, PlayStation owners seem to be 189% more likely to search for the topic than Xbox owners – a huge discrepancy that likely boils down to the franchise’s exclusive nature before the current console generation. In terms of generations, Pornhub Insights also show that these topics are 47% more popular among people aged 18 to 24, and 28% more popular among those aged 25 to 34 – when compared to other ages.
I will come right out and say that I have contributed to similar insights like these in the past. There is no arguing how video game characters can look great in all of their digital glory! Granted, characters are oftentimes designed to attract attention in this manner. Lara Croft, for instance, was an instant sex icon the moment the first game released in 1996, and only become more popular when Angelina Jolie portrayed the character in two franchise feature films. I guess the point of it all is that video game designers have blessed us all with content that really can bring joy to our lives.
Sources: Electronic Gaming Monthly, Pornhub Insights (official site)
Junior Editor at Vamers. From Superman to Ironman; Bill Rizer to Sam Fisher and everything in-between, Edward loves it all. He is a Bachelor of Arts student and English Major specialising in Language and Literature. He is an avid writer and casual social networker with a flare for all things tech related.