Square Enix Revives Final Fantasy VII’s Original 1997 Tifa Design for New Official Model Kit
Image by James RichardsonSquare Enix has officially opened pre-orders for a new Final Fantasy VII model kit that recreates Tifa Lockhart as she appeared in the original 1997 RPG.
The “FINAL FANTASY VII STRUCTURE ARTS Tifa Lockhart” becomes the third character to join the game’s growing model kit lineup following earlier releases based on Cloud Strife and Sephiroth.
Tifa is one of Final Fantasy VII’s central party members, joining Cloud and the anti-Shinra organization AVALANCHE while fighting almost entirely through martial arts rather than the swords, guns and other weapons carried by many of her companions.
She is also Cloud’s childhood friend from Nibelheim and the owner of the Seventh Heaven bar in Midgar’s Sector 7 slums, with both relationships remaining central to her story throughout the original game and its modern remake trilogy.
Rather than using her redesigned appearance from Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth, the new STRUCTURE ARTS kit goes directly back to Tetsuya Nomura’s original 1997 character design.
Tifa is recreated wearing her white sleeveless top, black miniskirt, red boots and fighting gloves, with her long black hair and classic proportions also based on her appearance in the original PlayStation game.
Articulation throughout the body allows the completed figure to move beyond a straightforward standing pose, with Square Enix specifically demonstrating fighting stances, raised fists and a high kick that better suit Tifa’s close-range combat style.
Her long hair has also been sculpted with posing in mind, with the shape and positioning designed to retain Tifa’s familiar silhouette as the body moves through more dynamic martial arts poses.
Instead of giving Tifa a weapon accessory, the kit focuses on the parts needed to change her expression and hand positions, fitting a fighter whose attacks have traditionally revolved around punches, kicks and Limit Break combinations.
Alongside her standard expression, Square Enix includes an interchangeable open-mouth face intended for battle poses.
Multiple interchangeable hands provide further posing options, allowing the model to move between more forceful combat displays and relaxed poses without relying on a single fixed set of fists.
The finished Tifa figure measures approximately 11.7 cm tall, with PVC and ABS used for the kit.
STRUCTURE ARTS originally became established as Square Enix’s plastic model line through machines from games such as Front Mission and Xenogears, but the Final Fantasy VII collection has expanded the concept to fully articulated character kits.
Cloud became the first Final Fantasy VII character in the range, with his model recreating the original game’s spiky blond hair, single shoulder armor and Buster Sword while offering interchangeable faces and hands.
Sephiroth followed with another original-design kit, pairing his long black coat and silver hair with the Masamune and multiple expression and hand options, making Tifa the next major member of the 1997 cast to receive the same buildable treatment.
The timing also places the new kit immediately ahead of a major year for Final Fantasy VII, with the original game celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2027.
Square Enix will mark that anniversary with the release of Final Fantasy VII Revelation on April 8, 2027, bringing the modern remake trilogy to its conclusion several months after the new Tifa kit reaches collectors.
Tifa has already received several very different figures during 2026, including a new PLAY ARTS Shin release based on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth that introduced movable eyes, updated articulation, interchangeable expressions and real stretch fabric for her thigh-high socks.
Square Enix has also turned her “Shining Spirit” swimsuit from Final Fantasy VII Rebirth into a STATIC ARTS statue, recreating the alternate Costa del Sol outfit as a larger fixed-pose display piece.
Image by James RichardsonThe “FINAL FANTASY VII STRUCTURE ARTS Tifa Lockhart” is priced at ¥8,800 (approximately $56 / £42), with pre-orders now available through reputable hobby goods retailers such as HobbyLink Japan ahead of its scheduled January 2027 release in Japan.
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