Kazushige Nojima
Zack was not originally a part of "Final Fantasy VII"s story during development. However, scenario writer Kazushige Nojima wanted to bring a sense of mystery to the title, and created the character to help complicate Cloud's backstory. He was designed by Tetsuya Nomura, and his last name is derived from "fair weather," to contrast with Cloud's last name, Strife. With Zack's conceptual backstory in place for "Final Fantasy VII", the staff decided to use "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII" to expand upon his character. Zack is voiced by Kenichi Suzumura in Japanese and Rick Gomez in English. Suzumura was chosen specifically by Nomura for his voice, and was given the role without an audition. Western critics have praised Zack's character, commenting on his development since "Final Fantasy VII".