Cloud Strife

Cloud Strife is a central character in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII titles, being the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VII and its remake, and the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, also appearing in a relevant way in other titles of the compilation.

In combat, Cloud uses large swords such as his signature weapon, the Mortal Sword, giving him access to the most powerful weapons in the game. His Limit Skills are the strongest, though also the slowest to learn.

Also called: Ex SOLDIER Japanese name: クウド・ストイフ Rōmaji: Kuraudo Sutoraifu Weapon: Swords Hometown: Nibelheim Age: 14 (Before Crisis) 17 (Crisis Core) 21 (Final Fantasy VII) 23 (Advent Children) 24 (Dirge of Cerberus)

Stature: 1'73 cm Blood group: A

He is blond, with spiky hair and a cold personality, but with a great sense of justice and loyalty. His eyes have a special blue-green glow due to having been exposed to Mako energy. This is the mark that identifies him as an Ex-SOLDIER.

As an Ex-SOLDIER, he is good at close-range physical combat and the use of Materias (spheres that allow the use of summons, magic or learning new skills). He has a special relationship with Aeris Gainsborough, the flower girl, as she is the only one who manages to make him feel good throughout the game.

At the same time, he feels a strong affection for Tifa Lockhart, his childhood friend.

(Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII) First Contact.

During Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Cloud is a rookie member of Shin-Ra's security squad. Cloud at that time is an innocent young man who yearns to be a special forces soldier SOLDIER whose mission is the peace of Shin-Ra but due to his lack of skills he does not achieve it, luckily in a mission that Zack carries out with Tseng in a factory he bonds a lot with Zack, who becomes his only and best friend. In Final Fantasy VII, Cloud mentions that he had a person so close that he could consider him as his brother although he does not mention who. It can be assumed that he was referring to Zack. Zack protects Cloud from that moment on, and even Cloud helps Zack in the battle that he has with Sephiroth in the Mako factory to the point of managing to defeat Sephiroth but with the help of Zack.

After that, Cloud and Zack were exposed to Mako energy enhanced by Professor Hojo and were taken as experiments to test if Jenova's cell energy could be fused with advanced human cells. Cloud is injected with the last of Jenova's original cells, creating an addiction to the Mako, which causes his memory to gradually fade while Zack cannot stand the cells and his body begins to rapidly deteriorate. As a result of this, Shin-Ra's civilian army decides to go it alone and attempts to destroy both Zack and Cloud.

Eventually Zack is killed by Shin-Ra's civilian army while trying to defend Cloud. Cloud wakes up from his condition and finds Zack about to die. Cloud tries to help him, but he was too weak to carry him. Zack leaves his memories, his strength, his powers and the famous Mortal Sword to Cloud. Due to Mako addiction, Cloud loses his memories, forgetting Zack completely but keeping all of his memories, since he believed that he was a first class SOLDIER.

Final Fantasy VII Joining AVALANCHE

Cloud is an ex-SOLDIER who became a mercenary. After a while, Barret Wallace, leader of the revolutionary group AVALANCHE, hires him for a mission.

This mission consists of detonating explosives in one of the eight Mako Energy reactors in the city of Midgar, since these reactors are consuming the planet's vital energy and weakening it.

During the mission, Tifa, Barret and Cloud are stopped by soldiers from Shin-Ra, the organization that rules Midgar. Even their president makes an appearance, ordering the launch of a new Robot to finish them off. The three fight and defeat this enemy, but with the explosion when it is destroyed, Cloud is left suspended in the air clinging to the edge of the destroyed walkway. Tifa and Barret can do nothing to prevent his fall to the lower level of the city, they can only pray that he will be safe. And they have to continue on without news of their partner.

Meeting Aeris: After the fall, Cloud wakes up in a suburban church on a pile of flowers, surprised because they no longer grow in Midgar, and strange to see a girl watching him. The girl is a flower seller that Cloud had seen before, but he had barely noticed her. It is Aeris Gainsborough. At that moment, a man dressed in black appears: he is a Turk. The Turks are members of a secret organization that is in charge of the "dirty" jobs of the Shin-Ra company. He came for Aeris, but she proposes to Cloud that he be her bodyguard, fleeing from that place, heading for his house. Once safe, Cloud intends to return to AVALANCHE's base of operations, which is in another suburb, specifically in the Seventh Heaven bar, owned by Tifa. But he does not know how to get there, but Aeris does, accompanying Cloud to the entrance of the suburb. Upon arriving, Aeris asks Cloud if he has anyone in his life, something that Cloud answers that he does not. Aeris laughs and tells him that she had a love some time ago. But suddenly, a cart pulled by chocobos comes out of the entrance heading towards Wall Market. Tifa is in it. Cloud sees it and follows it.

Shinra's Counterattack: Tifa has been chosen by a gangster from Muro Market, Don Corneo, who is looking for a new "girlfriend." Cloud and Aeris decide to break into the Mansion, although Cloud must disguise himself as a woman to do so. Inside, he meets Tifa. Tifa tells them, although surprised to see Cloud dressed as a woman, that she is here to extract information from Don Corneo about what Shinra is planning. To do so, he chooses between three women who will be his "girlfriend." Although he chooses one of them (it could be any of the three), in the end the three of them end up in Don Corneo's room, threatening him if he doesn't talk.

Don Corneo sings, telling him that Shinra plans to bring down Sector 7 by crushing the slum below (where Seventh Heaven is located) and blame AVALANCHE for the attack. Knowing this, Don Corneo activates a trap, sending them into the sewers, delaying their return to the slum. Upon arriving, he finds that the entire AVALANCHE group is fighting on the pillar to prevent the collapse. In this situation, Tifa sends Aeris to find Marlene, Barret's daughter, and get her to safety. The AVALANCHE members are dying, leaving only Barret. Cloud and Tifa go to help him, but the Turks are present. Their boss, Tseng, has kidnapped Aeris. Aeris tells Tifa that "she is safe." In this situation, the only thing she can do is run away and save herself; letting the whole slum collapse and crush it.

Rescue Aeris: Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Marlene, who Aeris had taken to her adoptive mother's house, are the only survivors of the collapse. The group decides to act and go to the Shinra building to save Aeris. The group arrives, after fighting the security, to the 66th floor, a laboratory, where Aeris is located. In a chamber was the body of Jenova. Aeris was being used as an experimental subject by Professor Hojo, who said she was the last Cetra or Ancient One. The moment Cloud and the group arrive, a dog-like being is placed next to Aeris in the chamber. Barret cannot resist and opens the cell by shooting at it. Hojo laments, thinking that both of his specimens have died. However, the dog pounces on him, and Aeris is freed. The dog is a specimen that has the ability to speak. Its name is Red XIII and it is the last of its kind, like Aeris. Red XIII joins the group in order to escape the building. To do so, they decide to take the elevator. While descending, they are captured when they fall into an ambush.

While they are locked in their cells and asleep, Cloud wakes up to find the cell door open. Upon exiting, the hallways are littered with blood and corpses. The group, now free, decides to follow the trail of blood that leads to the top floor. Before arriving, in Hojo's lab, they discover that Jenova's body has disappeared. On the top floor lay the body of the President of Shin-Ra, dead, with Sephiroth's sword through him. At that very moment, Rufus bursts onto the scene. He was the Vice President, but with the death of his father, he was automatically promoted as heir to President. Cloud decides to fight him alone and give the others time to escape. He manages to defeat Rufus, however, and Rufus manages to escape in a helicopter. Cloud reunites with the others and flees down the highway, he on a motorcycle and the rest in a van. Out of danger, the group decides to leave Midgar and travel the world, following Sephiroth's trail.

Cloud's murky past: Cloud and company decide to go to the neighboring town of Kalm to figure out what to do. Upon arrival, they stay at the town's inn. In the room, everyone knows who Sephiroth is, but why should we chase him? That's the question everyone asks. Cloud has the answer. A few years ago, Cloud went on a few missions with the best SOLDIER there was, Sephiroth. One of these missions took him to Nibelheim, his and Tifa's hometown. The mission was to examine a Mako reactor, which Zack was also on. Sephiroth, after realizing that it was an experiment, teams up with Jenova and burns down the entire town. He also hurts Tifa, Cloud's great friend from all his life.

The road to Junon: Once the group has heard Cloud's story, they set off for the Mithril Mine, surrounded by a swamp that is home to a gigantic snake monster called Midgar Zolom. After calling for help at a nearby chocobo farm, Cloud and the others capture one of them and reach the mine by avoiding the enormous snake. Just before entering, they spot one of them impaled by Sephiroth. Once inside, they meet the Turks Ruda, Tseng, and their new addition, Elena, who recklessly reveals the Turks' mission: to follow Sephiroth who is heading to Junon. Once the Turks leave, Cloud's group leaves the mine and heads for the port city. In the nearby woods, they encounter a brazen 16-year-old girl who attacks them to steal their materia. After defeating her, she reveals herself to be Yuffie Kisaragi, who, after hearing Cloud's reasons, decides to join his group.

Junon and the New Continent: The group reaches Junon at their base, which is an impoverished and polluted fishing village. There on the beach, a young girl is playing with a dolphin when she is attacked by a large sea monster called Bottomswell. After defeating it and reviving the girl named Priscilla, she gives them the Shiva Materia and allows Cloud to reach the city of Junon with his dolphin, high above. Cloud reaches the city while his companions infiltrate on their own and participates in Rufus' welcoming parade, even doing his training for him before he embarks with Heidegger. Cloud finally embarks after his enemies and reunites with his friends, who have also entered as stowaways.

On the ship, everyone remains incognito. Barret is about to attack Rufus and Heidegger, but before the alarm goes off, Sephiroth is on board. The Ex-SOLDIER has killed most of the crew. Cloud and his companions discover him in the hold, but he flees, leaving one of JENOVA's arms to fight.

After a hard battle, the group falls defeated and with great doubts. The group disembarks on the Costa del Sol, where after taking a short rest, they continue their journey towards the mountains.

After a long journey across mountain ranges and train tracks, Cloud and the others reach the impoverished town of Corel, where Barret is greeted as a traitor responsible for the town's fall from grace. After learning that Barret had favored the construction of the Reactor that brought his town to ruin, they set off for the Gold Saucer on the nearby tram.

Gold Saucer: In Gold Saucer, a distraught Barret becomes enraged by Aeris's words and leaves the group. Meanwhile, Cloud and the others explore the amusement park. In the Wonder Zone, a strange cat riding a stuffed animal named Cait Sith predicts that they will achieve their goals at the expense of a loved one. To find out where this prediction leads, the strange being decides to accompany them despite Cloud's reservations. In Battle Square, the Ex-SOLDIER and his companions discover several shot corpses of park personnel. Owner Dio blames them and takes them to the Desert Prison.

There the group meets up with Barret again, who explains that not only does he possess a gun arm, but that his best friend and Marlene's true father, Dyne, suffered similar injuries to his in the attack on Corel by Shinra and led by Scarlet. Searching for the prison chief in order to get out of there, the group finds Dyne, who turns out to be the person they are looking for. Barret's former partner has gone mad and is ready to kill them all, however Barret faces him alone and manages to defeat him; in a final moment of lucidity, Dyne gives Barret his wife's pendant and asks him to take care of his daughter, after which he commits suicide by jumping into the void while his friend screams bitterly.

With the prison leader defeated, the group can compete for freedom in a chocobo race in which Cloud participates and wins first place with a chocobo owned by a renowned young manager named Ester.

Gongaga: Once they are free and the Dyne matter is cleared up, Dio apologizes and gives them a Buggy to continue their journey. The group stops in a thick forest surrounding a huge wrecked reactor, when they enter it they are attacked by the Turks Reno and Ruda, who were waiting for them, after defeating them and making them flee Cloud begins to doubt his friends. The forest leads to a devastated town that refuses to use Mako since the reactor exploded ending the lives of many people, two old men question Cloud upon learning that he belonged to SOLDIER about a first class named Zack, his son, Cloud does not recognize anyone like that despite the name being familiar to him. While exploring Gongaga, they reach the wrecked reactor, but must hide as Tseng and Scarlet appear looking for Huge Materials with which to create the ultimate weapon, however their search is in vain and they leave. Cloud and his people become increasingly worried, but they can only continue following in Sephiroth's footsteps.

Cosmo Canyon: As they cruise through a barren, rocky area at dusk, their Buggy breaks down and they seek refuge in the mountains, finding the famous observatory town Cosmo Canyon, a place where anyone who wishes can study the workings of the Earth and the hometown of Red XIII, whose real name turns out to be Nanaki, thanks to her mediation the entire group is able to stay in Cosmo Canyon. Red XIII tells them the story of his heroic mother, who defended the city to the death while his cowardly father fled.

Nanaki visits his grandfather Bugenhagen with Cloud, who explains to them through his holographic machine how Mako energy is actually the energy formed by the souls of living beings once they die and that the plundering of these resources will cause the Earth to die because the organisms would not be renewed.

After learning that Nanaki is unable to forgive his father, Bugenhagen leads him and Cloud and his people to a sealed cave through which they were attacked by the Gi tribe, there they are attacked by a huge being formed by the accumulation of their spirits called Gi Nattack, after defeating it Nanaki learns the truth: his father Seto defended that part of the Canyon even when his body was petrified. Red XIII feels proud to be the son of such a brave warrior and howls at his father's tears. When Cloud and the others decide to continue their journey without Red XIII, he joins the group again of his own free will encouraged by Bugenhagen, who considers the work of Cloud and his people to be good in stopping Shinra and Sephiroth, the true crisis of the planet.

Nibelheim and the mountain pass After fixing the Buggy, the group arrives in Nibelheim, Cloud and Tifa's hometown. There, despite Cloud's account of the incident with Sephiroth, they find the town in perfect condition, but when they try to ask the locals, they discover strange attitudes that seem to indicate a cover-up. In addition, countless men in black cloaks populate the town, clamoring for a "Union." The group reaches the Shinra Mansion, where they find Sephiroth in the basement, recalling memories. After Sephiroth flees, the group also frees Vincent Valentine, a former member of the Turks in love with a scientist, Lucretia, who Hojo experimented on and kept asleep for 30 years. Upon learning that Cloud and his people are after Sephiroth, he decides to join the group, who heads to the mountains of Nibel.

There, after a long walk, they manage to defeat a powerful monster created with the energy of the mako reactor and leave Nibelheim behind for good, heading across the plains towards a distant city.

Rocket City: Cloud and the others reach Rocket City, a town with a huge, rusted, burned-out rocket at its center. After speaking to the locals, they discover that it was originally intended to be the site of Shinra's first space mission, but it was ruined by Shera, one of the technicians. After this failed, the people in charge of the project founded the city when they were unemployed. The group then meets Cid Highwind, the former pilot of the rocket and owner of the Foaly, a small, fast plane that Cloud and the others plan to use to find Sephiroth. However, Rufus Shinra plans to use it for the same purposes and falsely fuels Cid's hopes of obtaining it. The former project manager, Palmer, sets out to steal the plane, meeting opposition from Cloud and company. After defeating Palmer, the Foaly powers itself up and forces an escape from the city, which Cid forcibly joins. The Foaly manages to get away but is damaged and must be used as a boat. Cid comments that Rufus planned to find Sephiroth at the Temple of the Elders, Cloud decides to search for information on the mainland.

Wutai: On a large island, the group disembarks to find some clue when they are attacked by Shinra troops. In the middle of the fight, Yuffie appears and steals all of the group's Materia and flees immediately. Once the Shinra are defeated and using Nanaki's instincts, Cloud and the others head north following her until they reach the city of Wutai, an ancient and powerful nation that became a tourist spot after being defeated in the war with Shinra. Yuffie turns out to be the daughter of the ruler Godo who tries to obtain as much Materia as possible to make Wutai a military power again. The Turks Reno, Ruda and Elena also appear on vacation. After chasing Yuffie, she turns out to be kidnapped along with Elena by Don Corneo and Cloud's group has to work cooperatively with the Turks. Finally, after defeating one of Corneo's pets, the Turks save the women and leave, causing Corneo to end up falling off a cliff. After this, Yuffie returns the stolen materia and joins the group to stop Sephiroth.

The Cornerstone: Back on the mainland, Cloud and the others find a lonely house where the tenant sells strange objects, including the Keystone, the key to the Temple of the Ancients. However, he reveals that he sold it to Dio, the owner of Gold Saucer, where the group travels through Corel. There Dio agrees to lend them the stone if Cloud fights in his Battle Square, and after the former SOLDIER member does well, the key is his. Despite this, the cable car breaks down and they must spend the night in the hotel courtesy of Cait Sith. Aeris and Cloud enjoy a date at the cable car theater for the night... but they realize that Cait Sith has given the Keystone to the Turks, he was the spy who reported their activities to Shinra holding Marlene and Elmyra, Aeris's mother, hostage.

Despite this, they cannot get rid of the spy and must leave the next day for the Temple of the Elders with the Colt.

Temple of the Elders: Aeris arrives at the temple and a strange feeling invades her, urging her to enter. After a labyrinthine journey they manage to reach the main entrance, where they find Tseng seriously wounded by Sephiroth. The Turk gives them the Keystone to stop the former Shinra hero, upon reaching the main chamber and after defeating a Great Dragon they observe that what the Temple contains is the Black Materia, capable of invoking Meteorite, the magic of total destruction. To evade the security mechanism, Cait Sith sacrifices herself in the destruction of the temple as a machine to give it to Cloud after appearing as version 2. At that moment Sephiroth appears and Cloud, losing control of himself, gives him the Black Materia before fainting.

The Forgotten City: Cloud sees Aeris in a forest, she intends to stop Sephiroth alone because she has the secret that the Elders bequeathed to stop Meteorite, Cloud is alarmed but at that moment he wakes up, Tifa and Barret took him to Gongaga after having lost consciousness. Cloud doubts his abilities and himself but decides to do everything possible to help his friend. With the Foal, the group heads to the Forgotten Forest, on the southernmost continent.

There, thanks to some excavators, they manage to cross the Sleeping Forest with a hidden artifact and reach the Forgotten City, home of the Elders. Underground they reach the core of the city and Aeris, when they approach her Cloud loses control again and is about to kill her with his sword, but manages to react in time and stop. Sephiroth however falls from the sky, impaling Aeris and ending her life instantly. Cloud becomes enraged and cries while Sephiroth flees and the group faces another limb of Jenova. After winning, a heartbroken Cloud deposits Aeris in the lake, where her body sinks and disappears.

The snowy continent and Iciclos: After the enormous loss, Cloud appeals to his companions to stop him if Sephiroth takes control of his body again and resolves to stop him at all costs. Leaving the Forgotten City behind, the group heads across the cliff and snowy plains to the north, where they reach the remote Icyclos Village. There they learn about Professor Gast and the Elders' past from Ifalna, Aeris' mother, who disappeared under the trick of an alien being, Jenova. After making the necessary preparations and learning that Sephiroth plans to climb Gaea Cliff, Cloud and his group set out on snowboards in search of him.

Mako Crater: After advancing through the snowy plains for a long time, Cloud and the others reach the Climber's Hut, where they rest and receive precise instructions to climb the great wall that is the cliff of Gaea. Soon the ascent begins, slow and hard, where the elements put them to the test, finally reaching the highest area where they are attacked by Schizo, a powerful two-headed dragon. Once the monster is defeated the group finally reaches the Mako Crater, where millennia ago the calamity of the sky caused a deep wound in the planet that was still trying to be healed. The Shinra then appear in the middle of the crater with Rufus at the head and find what was called the Promised Land, a huge place of crystallized and abundant Mako. Cloud and the others defeat another fragment of Jenova and manage to get hold of the Black Materia again. Cloud gives it to Barret and together with Tifa continues his way, leaving the rest of the group in the rearguard.

Cloud's Past: As a child, Cloud didn't hang out with other kids his age. He was always alone and when he tried to go with the kids, they rejected him. When Tifa was little, she went to Mount Nibel, and Cloud was the only one who accompanied her to the end, although when they fell off the bridge, he was the one who was blamed for what happened to Tifa.

From that moment on, Tifa felt admiration for him. Shortly after that, Cloud called her at the village well to tell her that he would be leaving for Midgar to enter SOLDIER and become someone like Sephiroth. At that moment, they made a promise that if anything happened to Tifa, Cloud would appear to save her.

When he arrived in Midgar, Cloud managed to get into ShinRa SA's security corps. However, he befriended a first-class SOLDIER member named Zack, who always accompanied Sephiroth. This is how the two met. Forming a group with Sephiroth as their leader, Zack, Cloud and another soldier were assigned to investigate the reactor in Mount Nibel, Cloud's hometown. Cloud did everything he could to prevent Tifa, his guide on the mission, from discovering him.

When Sephiroth found out that he himself was an experiment, he destroyed Nibelheim and headed towards Mount Nibel. Tifa went after him and tried to attack him in vain.

After Tifa was badly injured, Zack fought Sephiroth. When Cloud arrived at the reactor, he pulled Tifa to safety and watched as his friend Zack was defeated by Sephiroth. Cloud grabbed Zack's sword and attacked Sephiroth while he was distracted. Believing Sephiroth to be dead, Cloud left the room to help Tifa. At that moment, Sephiroth appeared behind him with Jenova's head and stabbed him with his sword, leaving him suspended in the air. Cloud reacted and managed to throw Sephiroth into the lifestream, while holding the sword that Sephiroth had stabbed him with his body.

At that time, Zack and Cloud, badly injured, were taken to the Shinra mansion, where they were put in glass tubes to be experimented on by injecting them with Jenova cells while being exposed to Mako energy. The Jenova cells have no effect on Zack, but they do on Cloud, so later his physical abilities improve considerably. Nibelheim was rebuilt and repopulated by Shinra workers, since the real inhabitants had died in the fire. Tifa survived and left for Midgar, where she joined AVALANCHE. Four years later, in a lapse of attention by the scientists, Zack managed to escape from the tube. He got Cloud out of there and, after managing to escape from the soldiers who were pursuing them, they fled on a motorcycle. However, Cloud is barely able to stand due to the Mako poisoning during the escape. During the trip, Zack comments to Cloud that the best thing they could do was to become mercenaries. Theoretically, this is the reason why Cloud joins AVALANCHE. As they approached Midgar, they were attacked by soldiers. Zack, trying to protect his friend, dies from bullet wounds, but before he dies, Zack makes him swear to live for the both of them. Due to Cloud's pitiful state, they decided to abandon him thinking he was too weak to survive. When Cloud regained some consciousness and mobility, he approached Zack's body and at that moment made him promise to live for the both of them, (Zack to Cloud) then he grabbed Zack's sword (Mortal Swords) screaming in grief and helplessness for the death of his friend.

He decided to live on for the sake of the two of them. He left for Midgar where Tifa found him at the station, on the ground and unconscious. When he regained his senses, he had forgotten everything that had happened; however, he decided to join AVALANCHE. (This can all be seen once Cloud regains all his memories in Mideel, Disc 2 and in Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core)

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children:

Cloud also stars in the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, with a new look and a new weapon, in which he tries to find answers, finding that he cannot forget his past but rather accept it.

His enormous remorse caused by not being able to avoid the death of Aeris and Zack did not help to improve his self-esteem, and for more than two years (until the film) he was torturing himself with that thought like the rest of the members of AVALANCHE. Finally, he managed to overcome it thanks to the words that the spirit of Aeris told him in the church in the suburbs of Midgar where he used to take care of his flowers: Now, everything will be fine, Cloud answering this: I know... not anymore I'm alone., and showing for the first time a smile (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children). Some say that his main problem was his enormous arrogance, but in reality he just wanted to be like the others and have friends, although he didn't manage to recognize it until much later, when he manages to defeat Sephiroth at the end of the game. This is made clear in the following dialogue that Cloud had with Tifa Lockhart:

Cloud: 'I used to think... everyone was stupid.'

Tifa: "What?"

Cloud: "Everyone had a very childish attitude, laughing at any stupid thing."

Tifa: "But we were kids then."

Cloud: "...I know. I'm the only one who was stupid. The truth is that I wanted to play with all of you, but I was never allowed to join the group. Later on I began to think that I was different, that "was different from those immature children."

Let's not forget the importance of the chaos latent in the mind and memories of the protagonist throughout the game, and also the film. This individual is quite interesting from a psychological point of view.

In his battle against Sephiroth in the movie he was almost killed, but he finally managed to save himself thanks to the fact that all his strength was in proving Sephiroth wrong when he asks him he says:

Sephiroth: What is most important to you? Would you give me the pleasure of taking it from you...? Cloud: I feel sorry for you, don't you understand anything...? There's nothing that isn't important!

After that, Cloud chases Sephiroth through the air and launches his new Limit Break known as "Omniwhip Level 5" a new version of the Omniwhip used earlier in the endgame, as a last resort.

'You heard it, there's no place for you here!' Zack told him from the Promised Land, meaning to Cloud that his time had not yet come. Before joining the terrorist group AVALANCHE, he belonged to SOLDIER, an armed defense group for the energy company Shin-Ra, Inc. After leaving SOLDIER at the age of 21, he began working as a mercenary, but after the final battle, he retired from the war and began working as a messenger until two years later, when he was no longer heard from... for now.

Cloud had already been saved from death once before, five years prior to the game, in the Nibelheim Incident, when Zack escaped and carried him to Midgar. This part can be seen in-game by returning to the Shinra mansion in Nibelheim after Cloud tells the whole story in Disc 2 or by watching the Last Order OVA. Although the OVA is much more complete.

It is also worth noting that Cloud is the failed result of the Jenova Project #2, which was intended to create a definitive soldier by injecting certain cells into the body. The first project had been successful with the warrior "G" and "Angeal", the first owner of the sword that Cloud wields in the game.

He then abandons her, as a memory to her second owner and master: Zack.

Cloud Strife's Weapons

1. Buster Sword:

• His iconic weapon, a massive sword that he uses in most of his fights.

2. Ultima Weapon:

• One of the most powerful weapons in the game, it deals high damage and has a special attack.

3. Apocalypse:

• A weapon that grants increased experience and skill levels.

4. Ragnarok:

• It is also a powerful weapon that has the ability to use mid-level magic.

5. Murasame:

• A katana that offers high attack power and can recover health.

6. KOTR (Knights of the Round):

• Although it is not a weapon, it is a summon that uses materia, which Cloud can use in combat and is extremely powerful.

Powers and Techniques

1. Limit Breaks:

• Braver: Jumps forward and delivers a powerful blow with his sword.
• Cross-Slash: An attack that cuts the enemy in multiple directions.
• Blade Beam: Launches a cutting wave towards the enemy.
• Climhazzard: An attack that deals significant damage to a single enemy.
• Omnislash: His most powerful Limit Break, where he performs a rapid series of attacks against an opponent.

2. Spells:

• Fire, Fira, Firaga: Fire spells of various levels.
• Ice, Icinga, Blizzaga: Ice spells in various strengths.
• Thunder, Thundara, Thundaga: Electric spells.
• Cure, Cura, Curaga: Healing spells.
• Heal, Regen: Spells that provide continuous healing.
• Mist/Fog: Used to weaken enemies.

3. Subject Skills:

• Summoning Materia: Cloud can use materia that allow him to summon powerful beings such as Ifrit, Shiva, Ramuh, etc.
• Support Materia: Enhances your spell and skill abilities (such as Enemy Skill and Counter).

4. Fusion Powers (in Final Fantasy VII Remake and other contexts):

• Cloud can combine different materials and techniques to customize his combat style.

5. Physical Attributes:

• Strength, endurance, agility and skill in hand-to-hand and ranged combat.
• High evasion and defense capacity.

Other Relevant Details

• Combat Techniques: Cloud is an expert in combat techniques that combine fast and powerful attacks, in addition to his versatility with the sword.
• Resistance and Adaptability: Throughout the story, Cloud demonstrates a remarkable ability to adapt to different combat situations, thanks to his training and experience as a SOLDIER.