Marle

Marle is a minor supporting character in Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Remake Trace of Two Pasts. She is a resident of the Sector 7 slums in Midgar, and the owner of an apartment complex, Stargazer Heights. Marle uses her experience from living in the slums to assist fellow citizens, and is good friends with Tifa Lockhart, whom she has taken under her wing. Marle is a no-nonsense street smart elderly woman who is an apparent close friend to Avalanche. She owns a dog.
== History ==
=== Before Final Fantasy VII ===
At fifteen years old, Marle had several adventures around the slums, and later worked in Wall Market during her "glamour days". Marle was also a prominent figure in the Sector 7 neighborhood watch. Marle had once managed a number of apartment buildings in Sector 7, which she was forced to give up when the Shinra Electric Power Company rezoned the land underneath. Search for new property to manage led her to the perimeter wall, causing her to suffer a monster attack on May 0003 (the Wednesday of the week after Tifa's sixteenth birthday).
Marle came to Dr. Dhamini Oranye's clinic after the attack, but initially resisted the procedure offered, and was repulsed when Dhamini showed Marle photos of Tifa undergoing the procedure. Marle had a conversation with Tifa that convinced her to go ahead, and befriended her, Marle giving her advice on how to stand up for herself and to avoid Wall Market even though she could earn good money there as she would be extorted. The two continued to talk over the following three months when Tifa visiteed Marle in the clinic, but when Marle was discharged from the clinic asked the doctor's son, Rakesh Oranye, to pass on her address to Tifa, but Rakesh intentionally failed to pass it on.
Sometime after, Marle became the landlady of Stargazer Heights. Tifa's boss, Mr. Manson, pointed Tifa in the direction of the complex when Tifa asked around about her friends Jessie Rasberry, Biggs, and Wedge, believing the building's landlady could help. When Tifa arrived to find that Marle was the landlady, the two caught up and Marle revealed that she knew Biggs and Wedge, but not where they were. Marle then introduced Tifa to Seventh Heaven and to its owner, Monty, whose business was struggling at the time after a bartender began dating a Shinra employee and quit. Marle then offered that the two work at Seventh Heaven to try and rebuild the business.
Tifa and Marle helped Seventh Heaven's business, with Tifa's arrival allowing the bar to reopen on evenings. The business was turning around until Monty fell ill and two new regulars, Barret and Marlene Wallace, began to scare away customers. After Tifa scolded Barret for rough sleeping with Marlene, Marle arranged for Monty to allow Barret to sleep in the basement, and had him working for the bar. Following Monty's passing, the three were unable to pay the 200,000 gil payment due on the property and considered giving up on Seventh Heaven, but Tifa told them she had the money saved.
When Tifa went to meet up with Jessie, Marle forced Barret to follow, believing things were not right. Later, when Tifa became the proprietor of the bar and Barret became a leader in Avalanche, Tifa convinced Marle to step away from the bar for her own safety, so as to avoid being tied to the group.
=== Final Fantasy VII Remake ===
Marle owned an apartment building at the Stargazer Heights in the Sector 7 undercity. She helped Tifa when she arrived in Midgar and came to view her as a granddaughter.
During "Home Sweet Slum", Marle introduced herself to Cloud Strife and asked if he liked his room and if he was from the plate. She told him that he could speak to her about anything, even Tifa, which prompted him to defensively question what Tifa meant to her. Marle remarked that Tifa was the "granddaughter she never had" and threatened him should any harm come to her. She then encouraged Cloud to head for Seventh Heaven.
Cloud and Tifa later delivered water filters to Marle. She was happy to see Tifa, but asked why Cloud was there. She told him to take care of Tifa and harshly criticized him for his lack of charm, wit, and skill. Marle asked if he was getting enough sleep, paid Tifa, and told her not to do anything she wouldn't. Once Cloud and Tifa finished their work, they returned to the apartment and were again greeted by Marle surprised to see them back so early. Marle asked if they could swap their filters. Cloud prepared to go upstairs, but she stopped to tell him that Tifa needed a "real friend". Cloud affirmed the statement, but she asked if he truly listened to her, thought of her and her feelings, or was just "going through the motions". Shortly afterward, Marle told the two of them to take care, commented on Tifa's chipper appearance, and spoke some kind words to Cloud. 
Some time later during "Wutai's Finest" as part of The Happy Turtle Ad Campaign, Marle caught Yuffie attempting to take down a Happy Turtle poster at her apartment and suspected she was one of the people hassling the Happy Turtle. Yuffie denied this and Marle asked if Yuffie was there to peek and admire Cloud. Yuffie again denied, saying she did not know who he was, and was just asking for directions.
During "Fight for Survival", Shinra attacked the Sector 7 pillar and intended to drop the plate. Aerith, on her way to rescue Marlene, told the residents of the Sector 7 slums to evacuate. Marle was among the crowd and asked Aerith what was happening, who answered that their was "still time", and thus she deduced that the plate was going to fall. Marle calmed a pair of angry neighborhood watch members and declared that they needed to help with evacuations. Marle asked if Aerith was Avalanche, told her to tell Tifa to lay low, and that they'd take care of things. Aerith rescued Betty and brought her to Marle. She attempted to warn Aerith about heading toward Seventh Heaven, but was ignored.
During "A Broken World", Marle led a rescue party into the ruins of the Sector 7 Undercity. She was relieved to see Tifa had survived, encouraged her to return to Seventh Heaven, and warned her about maneuvering the ruins. During "In Search of Hope", Marle stayed at Evergreen Park in Sector 6 with the other Sector 7 survivors. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret secured money from the "Angel of the Slums" intended to be used to rebuild Sector 7, and gave it to Marle. She was extremely grateful and assured the group that the money would be put to good use.
After Cloud's party defeated the Whispers, Marle helped with the Sector 7 clean-up effort.
==Characteristics==
===Appearance===
Marle is an older woman with a slender physique, fair skin, blue eyes and long light gray hair tied in a large spiky bunch behind her head. She wears a long green sweater, a long sleeved dark dress, a slim black leather belt, black tights, and black sandals. She wears a blue and gold necklace and a pair of hoop earrings.
Marle bragged that in her younger years, when she worked on Wall Market, men would swoon over her due to her looks.
===Personality===
Marle is close with Tifa and helped her when she first settled in Midgar. She considers her the granddaughter she never had and is always looking out for her. When she meets Cloud, she criticizes his glum appearance, skills, and lack of charm and wit. She threatens him should any harm come to Tifa, tells him she needs a real friend, and also says he can "bend her ear" anytime, even if they talk about Tifa. Marle cares deeply for the people of the slums. She helps young girls find a home in the city, assists the neighborhood watch, helps to evacuate the townsfolk when Shinra attacks the Sector 7 pillar, and later helps to clean up the Sector 7 Undercity in the aftermath of the plate collapse.
Though Marle was aware of Avalanche, she kept her distance from them. Marle was also not a believer in planetology, believing that death is the end and that the philosophy was "nonsense".
==Behind the scenes==
Marle's design is by Roberto Ferrari.
One sub scenario that was planned as part of development, but which did not make it to the final game, was Marle helping Tifa pick a dress for her Don Corneo infiltration mission, and how Tifa prepared for the mission before getting on Sam's chocobo carriage. The scenario was in the game until the latter half of development, but was cut due to time constraints.
==Gallery==
Marles dog from FFVII Remake.jpg|Marle and her dog outside Stargazer Heights.
Aerith brings Betty to her dad from FFVII Remake.jpg|Marle during the slums' evacuation.
Marle in the ruins of Sector 7 Undercity from FFVII Remake.png|Marle helps move rubble in the Sector 7 Undercity.
Marle gives Corneos Secret Stash quest reward from FFVII Remake.jpg|Marle at the end of Corneo's Secret Stash.
==Citations==
ru:Марль
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy VII Remake
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy VII Remake Trace of Two Pasts