Cloud Strife

"Originally a member of SOLDIER, he is now a mercenary who will take any job..."

Cloud Strife is the main protagonist in both Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. He also appears in the spin-off game Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus. In addition, he makes an appearance in Final Fantasy Tactics as a playable character earned through completing a series of sidequests.

Appearance
Cloud is most identifiable by his large, spiky blond hair and medium stature. He has blue eyes that glow, which is the mark of SOLDIER (or rather, a mark of being submerged in Mako). He wears a navy blue outfit with a metal pauldron on his left shoulder and wields a gigantic Buster Sword.

Story


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, though it is implied that he longed for the friendship of the others. 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, hoping to prove to others (and most of all to himself) that he could be as strong as the legendary Sephiroth. At this point he made a promise to Tifa, vowing that he'd protect her when she's in need. However, he was unable to make it into SOLDIER and became an ordinary Shin-ra guard. In this role he was to return to Nibelheim, along with first-class SOLDIERs Sephiroth and Zack Fair. Ashamed of his failure, he kept his identity from the townspeople. They were to investigate a problem at the Mako Reactor on Mt. Nibel, and Tifa was to act as their guide. When they 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 Professor 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 ensuing fire and rushed to the reactor to confront Sephiroth. There he found both Tifa and Zack unconscious - both had tried to fight Sephiroth, but to no avail. A grief-stricken Cloud picked up Zack's Buster Sword, catching Sephiroth off guard, and stabbed him through the stomach. Sephiroth managed to impale Cloud with his own sword, the fight ended with Cloud forces Sephiroth off him using the sword lodged in him and Sephiroth plunging with Jenova's head into the Lifestream below. 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 to Midgar by her trainer). There, Shin-Ra experimented on Zack and Cloud, infusing them with Mako and injecting them with Jenova cells.

Five years later, Zack broke out of his confinement, helped a comatose Cloud escape, and decided to become a mercenary. Unfortunately, Zack was killed by Shin-Ra troops, who left Cloud for dead. Cloud, under the influence of the Jenova cells inside him, began to believe that the memories of Zack 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-Shin-Ra terrorist group AVALANCHE. On Tifa's recommendation, Barret hired Cloud. After blowing up a Mako reactor Cloud became separated from the others, and met Aerith Gainsborough and also had feelings for her.

To crush AVALANCHE, Shin-ra destroyed sector 7 of Midgar, killing Biggs, Wedge and Jessie. Cloud then led an attack Shin-ra headquarters, to rescue Aerith who had been kidnapped by Shin-ra. There he met with Red XIII, and saw the headless remains of Jenova. However, the group was captured and imprisoned. During the night, Cloud awoke to find his guards slaughtered and the doors open. He, Barret, Tifa, Red XIII and Aerith followed a trail of blood to the top floor, only to find President Shinra impaled on Sephiroth's sword. Cloud fought briefly with the new head of Shin-ra, Rufus Shinra and then escaped from Midgar on a motorcycle. The group stayed at an inn located outside Midgar in Kalm. 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 met Vincent Valentine in the Shin-ra mansion. They visited the Golden Saucer, joined by Cait Sith and later by Cid Highwind at Rocket Town. 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. Aerith left the group in a attempt to stop Sephiroth by going to the Forgotten City, a abandoned Cetra city. There, Aerith was killed by Sephiroth before Cloud's eyes as he finally found her. In search of Sephiroth to avenge Aerith, Cloud went to the Northern Cave where Sephiroth broke Cloud's will and had the man give him the Black Materia so he can summon Meteor. Cloud fell into the Life Stream during the eruption caused by Meteor's invoking.

Cloud reemerged some time later in a small southern village. He was completely immobilized and talked nonsense. The group discovered Cloud, who that attempted to protect from Ultima Weapon as the villiage was destoryed and Clouud and Tifa fell into the Life Stream. It was there, Tifa helped Cloud uncover the truth about his past in a series of flashbacks and dreams. Cloud and the now full group returned to the Northern Cave 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. Cloud was able to fight his way through the Northern Cave, defeat Sephiroth with the party in two consecutive battles, and then ultimately kill Sephiroth using his final limit break, thus enabling Holy and the Lifestream to destroy Meteor and save the world.

Though Cloud regains his sense of self, but due to the abrupt nature of the conclusion, Cloud was still plauged by own demons and severe grief, in which he cannot forgive himself for failing to both Zack and Aerith those he cared about. During the two years following the conclusion of the game, Cloud lived with Tifa and Barret in the newly built city of Edge, and following Barret's return to his hometown of Corel, he helped Tifa raise Marlene and Denzel, an orphan with the disease, Geostigma. Cloud's new occupation is that of a delivery boy for the "Strife Delivery Service" that Tifa set up in her new tavern. Over time, Cloud began suffering symptoms of Geostigma as well, keeping his left arm cloaked to hide the disfiguration it caused. Cloud's personal problems reached their zenith when moved out of the tavern and took refuge in the old church in which Aerith once raised flowers, which still exist and bloom in the setting, even though Aerith no longer tends to them.

When Advent Children opens, Cloud receives a call from Tifa that Reno has a job for him, he is attacked by a mysterious trio of young men: Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo; remnants of Sephiroth left behind before Sephiroth himself could diffuse into the Lifestream completely. The three begin luring and kidnapping children that possess Geostigma, intending to have the children lead them to Jenova's lost head. Upon confronting them for a second time, Cloud finds himself outmatched by the trio and is rescued by Vincent.

Confronting Kadaj once more, the battle eventually takes him back to Aerith's church, where the Lifestream-influenced water cures him of his Geostigma. However, his skills are put to the ultimate test when Kadaj manages to merge with the last remaining traces of Jenova, and Sephiroth is reborn. The ensuing battle at the ruins of Shinra INC. prove firece and almost killled Cloud. However, Sephiroth makes the mistake of asking what is most important to Cloud and how he can take that away from him. Inspired by thoughts of his friends, living and dead, Cloud regains his strength and overwhelms Sephiroth with "Omnislash Version 5". When Sephiroth is once again defeated, he dissipates, leaving a dying Kadaj in his place. Hearing Aerith's voice, whom he believes to be the "mother" he had been longing for, Kadaj is diffused into the Lifestream. At this point Loz and Yazoo appear and set off a kamikaze explosion that apparently kills all three of them. However, Cloud's spirit is stopped from entering the Lifestream by Aerith and Zack and is resurrected, reappearing in Aerith's church. As he helped the Geostigma victims into the Lifestream-infused water in the old church, Cloud saw Aerith near the doorway with Zack waiting for her. Before she leaves, Aerith's final words assured Cloud that everything's allright, as he is not alone.

Limit Breaks

 * See videos of the various Breaks here

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Cloud uses some of his Limit Breaks during the Advent Children, such as Blade Beam (against Loz in the Forgotten Capital), Braver and Climhazzard (against Bahamut SIN), Finishing Touch (against Kadaj in their final combat) and the new Omnislash Version 5 (against Sephiroth as the attack used to defeat him.)

Final Fantasy Tactics
Cloud can be recruited by Ramza Beoulve's party in Final Fantasy Tactics. To do this, Ramza must first defeat Velius and enter chapter 4 (he must have retained Mustadio Bunanza as a party member). At this point, he must return to Goug Machine City, where Mustadio's father Besrodio will have found Worker-8, but will be unable to power it up. Ramza must recruit Beowulf Kadmas from Lesalia Imperial Capital and take him to the coal mine in Goland Coal City. After they save Reis Dular, Ramza will obtain the Zodiac Stone necessary to activate Worker-8.

After Ramza has defeated Zalmo Rusnada for the second time, Besrodio will come up with a dimensional portal device, but again he cannot activate it. A rumor will subsequently circulate about Zeltennia Castle. After hearing it, Ramza can journey to Nelveska Temple and defeat Worker-7-New. Reis will revert to human form (and must be accepted again by Ramza), and Ramza will gain another Zodiac Stone. Taking it to Besrodio will cause Cloud to be summoned, but at this point, he will just run off.

On the way to Limberry Castle, Ramza must buy a flower from a flower girl in Zarghidas Trade City. He must then defeat Zalera and Adramelk and then return to Zarghidas, where Cloud will attempt to save the flower girl, who is revealed to be called Aeris, from a group of thugs. Ramza must then help Cloud defeat the thugs. Cloud will then join the party, but will be unable to use his Limit Break skills without the Materia Blade, which is at the top of the tall pillar in Bervenia Volcano. In Final Fantasy Tactics Cloud has an additional limit, Cherry Blossom.

Curiously, while Final Fantasy VII lists Cloud's birthdate as August 19th (making him a Leo), his zodiac sign in Final Fantasy Tactics is Aquarius.

As an in-game joke reference to the time in Final Fantasy VII, where Cloud had to crossdress, he is the only male character in Final Fantasy Tactics able to equip a Ribbon, which is otherwise only equippable by female characters. However, this ability is no longer unique on the PSP version, as the Onion Knight can also equip female-exclusive equipment.

Kingdom Hearts Series
Kingdom Hearts: Cloud is a fighter hired by Hades in the Olympus Coliseum world to kill Hercules and Sora. He appears to be searching for 'his light', but is also after Sephiroth, whom Hades promised to take Cloud to. But Cloud is nearly killed by Cerberus when he refuses to kill Sora and his friends. Hercules comes onto the scene and saves Cloud just in time. After beating Cerberus, Sora will learn 'Sonic Blade' from Cloud, who ceases to serve Hades. Cloud will also appear in other tournaments to come, as well as the ending sequence where he meets up with Aeris in Hollow Bastion. In the Final Mix version of the game, Cloud and Sephiroth duel in a scene called the Showdown of Fate. Cloud's appearance is different from his Appearance in Final Fantasy VII. His sword is wrapped in bandages, he wears an outfit similar to Vincent Valentine's, and a demon-like wing appears on his left shoulder when Cloud performs Omnislash.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories: Cloud again appears in Olympus Coliseum, but this time the coliseum, Cloud, and the other inhabitants there are figments of Sora's memories. He is in the employment of Hades once again and goes through the same routine as he did in Kingdom Hearts, however rather than searching for his light, Cloud claims to be searching for his memories. After beating Cloud, Sora will obtain him as a summon card.

Kingdom Hearts II: Cloud is still searching for Sephiroth in the Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden world. He now seems to have a deeper connection with Aerith, Leon and Tifa. His relationship with Sephiroth also seems to differ, with Sephiroth often being referred to as a part of him. Sephiroth is apparently a product of the darkness in Cloud's heart. After Sora defeats Sephiroth, the player will be able to see a cinematic battle between Cloud and Sephiroth. Afterwards, Sora will obtain Fenrir (A reference to the name of Cloud's motorcycle in Advent Children), the most powerful Keyblade in the game. Cloud appears as an ally in the battle for Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden. Cloud wears his costume from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children with his First Tsurugi wrapped in bandages like the Buster Sword in the first game.