Cloud Strife



Cloud Strife is the protagonist in both Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. He is one of the most popular characters in any Final Fantasy game.

Appearence
Cloud is most identifiable by his large, spikey blond hair. He wears a blue suit with metallic shoulder pads and wields a gigantic Buster Sword.

Story
Spoilers following

Cloud was born in the sleepy mountain village of Nibelheim, along with Tifa Lockhart. He grew up isolated from the rest of the village children, feeling himself somehow better than them. However, when Tifa and the others attempted to climb Mt. Nibel Cloud followed them, Tifa fell from a bridge and her father blamed Cloud.

He resolved to join Shin-ra's elite SOLDIER force and left his home town. However, he was unable to make it into SOLDIER and became an ordinary Shin-ra guard. At this point he promised to protect Tifa.

In this role he was to return to Nibelheim, along with Sephiroth and Zack. Ashamed of his failure, he kept his identity from the towns people. They were to investigate a problem at the Mako Reactor on Mt. Nibel. Tifa Lockhart was to act as their guide. When the reached the reactor, Sephiroth discovered Hojo's failed experiments with Mako soldiers and his own mother, Jenova.

Falling into madness, Sephiroth immersed himself in the writings of Dr. Gast and discovered his own dark past. He then came out from the basement of the Shin-ra Mansion and set about destroying the village. Cloud witnessed his mother's death in the ensueing fire and rushed the the reactor to confront Sephiroth. There he found both Tifa and Zack unconscious, both had tried to fight Sephiroth. Sephiroth stabbed Cloud, but Cloud managed to grab the sword and throw Sephiroth and Jenova into the Mako Reactor.

Shin-ra, in an effort to cover-up the incident replaced the townspeople with Shin-ra employees and imprisoned both Zack and Cloud in the Shin-ra Mansion (Tifa had been rescued and brought the Midgar by her trainer). There, Shin-ra experimented on Zack and Cloud, infusing them with Mako to try and create another Sephiroth.

However, Zack helped Cloud escape and the two decided to become mercanaries. Unfortunately, Zack was killed by Shin-ra troops, who left Cloud for dead. Cloud, in his fragile mental state (he had not coped with the experiments as well as Zack) began to believe that the memories Zack had told him were his own. He constructed a past by mixing Zack's life and his own, took his sword, his clothes and went to Midgar to become a mercenary.

There, claiming to be an Ex-SOLDIER, Cloud met Tifa, Barret Wallace and anti-Shinra terrorist group AVALANCHE. On Tifa's recommendation, Barret hired Cloud. After blowing up a Mako reactor Cloud became seperated from the others and met Aerith (Aeris). Unbeknownst to Cloud, Aerith had once dated Zack, perhaps because of this, Cloud also had feelings for Aerith.

To crush AVALANCHE, Shin-ra destroyed sector 3 of Midgar. Killing much Wedge, Biggs and Jesse. Cloud then led an attack on Shin-ra headquarters, to resque Aerith who had been kidnapped by Shin-ra. There he met with Red XIII and saw the remains of Jenova. However the group was captured and imprisoned.

During the night, Cloud awoke to find his guard's sluaghtered and the doors opened. He, Barret, Tifa, Red XIII and Aerith preceeded to the top floor, following a trail of blood, to find President Shin-ra impaled on Sephiroth's sword. Cloud fought briefly with the new head of Shin-ra, Rufus and then escaped from Midgar on a motercycle.

The group stayed at an inn outside of Midgar. There Cloud told his own memories of what happened on the day Nibelheim was burnt. Tifa, also confused, did not say anything.

From there, Cloud and the group headed for Junon and crossed the ocean. Meeting Yuffie on the way. They visited Nibelheim, finding no trace of what happened, and meet Vincent in the Shin-ra mansion. They visited the Golden Saucer and met Cait-Sith and met Cid in a small town.

In search of Sephiroth, Cloud went to the north crater and the ruined Cetra city. There, Aerith was killed by Sephiroth. Cloud, following Sephiroth fell into the Life Stream.

Cloud reemerged come time later (some theories hold that in his time in the lifestream, he visited Ivalice and the world of Final Fantasy Tactics) in a small southern village. He was completely immobilised and talked nonsense. The group discovered Cloud, who recovered and helped them to defeat Ultima Weapon.

Cloud, with Tifa, managed to uncover the truth about his past in a series of flashbacks and dreams.

Cloud and the now full group returned to the north crater and met with Bugenhagen - who told them they needed to find the Keystone - which they found under the ocean, after stealing a submarine from the Junon reactor.

The keystone was stolen and given to Shin-ra by Cait Sith - who turned out to be a spy. They went to the Temple of the Ancients in an attempt to reclaim it, and to get the Black materia. Cloud, because of Cait Sith's sacrifice suceeded in obtaining the Black materia but was manipulated into handing it over to Sephiroth.

Using the Black Materia, Sephiroth summoned Meteor. However Cloud was able to fight his way through the north crater, kill Sephiroth and enable Holy to destroy Meteor and heal the world.