Cloud Strife
 

 
 
      cloud-ehrgeiz-artwork.png (431155 bytes)
 

BIO:

In Final Fantasy VII, Cloud is the main protagonist of the game. He is introduced as a mercenary and former member of SOLDIER. During a mission in which he worked with the anti-Shinra organization AVALANCHE, he encounters a young woman by the name of Aerith Gainsborough, who is wanted by the Turks. 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. 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 ShinRa's elite SOLDIER force, hoping to prove to the others that he could be as strong as the well-known SOLDIER 1st Class Sephiroth.

Early in the game, however, Cloud's past is a mystery. He claimed that he was in the village of Nibelheim when Sephiroth went berserk and massacred the local population. After finding Tifa wounded, Cloud confronts Sephiroth. Yet, when examined closely, Cloud's memories of these events and others are filled with empty plot-holes that prevent them from making sense. It all comes together later in the game. As it turns out, Cloud suffers from a mixture of amnesia and mind control. Although he had been in Nibelheim during Sephiroth's rampage, he was not there as a top ranking member of SOLDIER, but a regular ShinRa arm guard under the command of both Sephiroth and another man named Zack Fair. Following the incident, Cloud and Zack were captured by ShinRa and experimented on with Jenova cells for several years. The two escaped but were chased down. Zack was killed after trying to protect Cloud from the many Shinra foot soldiers, Cloud crawls to Zack a few minutes before he dies. Zack barely states "On my behalf---You will---Continue living. You are proof that I existed. My dreams and pride, I give it all to you." to Cloud who answers " I am proof that you existed. " showing the two's relationship. Cloud leaves in a stupor, then is again seen on a train (just like Zack in the beginning of Crisis Core) where he says, "I'm Cloud Strife. SOLDIER 1st Class.", this is where they leave off for Final Fantasy VII to begin.

Cloud was also featured in the Square + Disney crossover, Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2, in which his design was somewhat re-invented. He is also the star of the motion picture, Final Fantasy: Advent Children. Tifa, Vincent, and Yuffie are a few of his comrades.

cloud-dissidia.jpg (124199 bytes)  cloud-d12.jpg (87984 bytes)  cloud-d12-2.jpg (64671 bytes)   

cloud-dissidia012.jpg (73186 bytes)
       

 

FIGHTING GAME ORIGIN:
Ehrgeiz: God Bless The Ring

        cloud-dissidia012-2.jpg (87205 bytes)

       

OTHER APPEARANCES:
---

cloud-last4.jpg (136359 bytes)  cloud-last5.jpg (124278 bytes)  cloud-last.jpg (83912 bytes)  cloud-last3.jpg (106111 bytes)  cloud-last2.jpg (114140 bytes)  

      cloud-strife-ff7-motorcycle-concept.png (178751 bytes)  cloudstrife-ff7-conceptart2.png (142037 bytes)  cloudstrife-ff7-conceptart.png (237867 bytes)

Updated: December 3rd, 2012

First off, FF VII is one of my all time favorite games... such a moody, gritty, beautiful, and fun RPG. Thus, I was ecstatic to see the main character of Final Fantasy 7 appear in a fighting game, even as obscure as Ehrgeiz was in 1998. Cloud is naturally cool in any game that he appears in, and his fighting game debut wasn't bad. He retained his cool style, personality, and even a few of his badass sword techniques.

I thought his later "Kingdom Hearts" designs were also pretty cool, but not quite as good as his original design if you ask me. Finally, his badass new look and starring role in Final Fantasy: Advent Children took his design further than ever. On a side note, I've been waiting years for the day when Namco brings Cloud to the Soul Calibur series... I'd love to see him (and Sephiroth) as guest characters.

Fighting  Style  /  Moveset
Personality  /  Charisma
Outfit(s)  /  Appearance
Effectiveness  in  series
Overall Score

cloud-advent-emo.jpg (71230 bytes)  cloud-advent-bust.jpg (97033 bytes)    cloud-cam.jpg (100350 bytes)    cloud-shades.jpg (95131 bytes)

cloud-ff7ac2.jpg (56194 bytes)    cloud-ff7ac.jpg (92653 bytes)