Cloud Strife Cloud Strife is the main protagonist in " Final Fantasy VII " and " " , and also appears in the spin - off games of the " Compilation of Final Fantasy VII " , including " Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII - " and " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " , as a supporting character . He is to be the main character again for " Final Fantasy VII Remake " . An arrogant and proud swordsman at first , Cloud introduces himself as a former member of an elite warrior unit called SOLDIER who has turned mercenary , and uninterested in anything beyond his hired task at hand . He later discovers the truth about his past and , with the help of his friends , learns there is more to being a hero than possessing physical strength and fame , developing compassion for the world and people he fights to protect . Profile . Appearance . Cloud is a man with light skin and is slightly below average height , with a lean and toned build . He has spiky blond hair that in " Final Fantasy VII " features one particularly long spike . Cloud ' s hair has become one of the trademarks of his appearance , although in later appearances the spikes have been toned down . Cloud has blue eyes , which glow due to him having being exposed to Mako . Because " Mako eyes " are iconic to members of SOLDIER , Cloud is often mistaken as one . His weapon is the Buster Sword , a massive sword several feet long which he wields in most of his appearances . Cloud ' s other trademark weapon is a set of Fusion Swords , which he uses in " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " . The set consists of six individual interconnecting swords that form a larger sword similar in shape and size to the Buster Sword . Cloud ' s outfit in " Final Fantasy VII " is the standard uniform for 1st Class SOLDIER : indigo pants with a sleeveless shirt , and a belt . Cloud wears brown boots , gauntlets with a pauldron over his left shoulder and a SOLDIER band in his left wrist . This is the uniform he wears for most of his other appearances , with slight variations . He has a silver earring in his left ear . In " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " , Cloud wears the blue uniform of a Shinra Electric Power Company infantryman with several belts and straps and a green - gray piece of cloth around the collar . He wears his helmet to conceal his identity at times . After he gains the SOLDIER 1st class uniform his appearance is the same as in " Final Fantasy VII " , albeit with both shoulder pauldrons in - tact and the SOLDIER logo as it is in " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " . In " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " , Cloud ' s clothing design was made with fighting in mind , and the concept began with a black robe and was restructured into the final version . Cloud ' s hair was changed both to show the passage of time since " Final Fantasy VII " , and to be more realistic . He wears a high collar sleeveless indigo shirt , black pants and boots , and black cloth covering his left leg and arm . Cloud gains a new pauldron , and his chest is covered by two straps , held in place by a badge representing Fenrir , a wolf that has come to be associated with him . Like the rest of the party , he wears a pink ribbon around his left arm , though it stays hidden for most of the movie . In " Kingdom Hearts " , Cloud ' s costume was designed to resemble that of Vincent Valentine . He wears a tattered red cloak with dark blue pants and a shirt and brown boots . The costume features many crossing belts and gloves , the left of which has golden trimmings , almost like a claw . Cloud ' s most distinctive trait in this appearance is a demonic black wing protruding from his left shoulder , symbolizing both his connection to Sephiroth , and the dark powers he is using . The costume can be obtained as DLC in " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " . In " Kingdom Hearts II " , Cloud is identical to his appearance in " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " , save that his new sword is loosely bound as the Buster Sword was in " Kingdom Hearts " . Personality . In " Final Fantasy VII " , Cloud unknowingly holds a fake persona of a cocky and selfish SOLDIER 1st Class . Cloud simultaneously denies his true self , yet longs for an identity . When his reality shatters due to Sephiroth ' s revelations , he even goes so far as to accept the identity of a Sephiroth Clone and begs for Professor Hojo to number him . After restoring his true personality , Cloud shows genuine concern for the Planet ' s fate , a sharp contrast to his persona at the start where he claimed he did not care and only agreed to help AVALANCHE for the right price . The true Cloud is open - minded and cares about the bonds he has forged with his friends . In " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " and many related appearances , Cloud is a somber character , tormented by guilt over what he perceives as his past failings to save those he cares about . The final straw was contracting the terminal Geostigma plague , adding to his feelings of helplessness . Distancing from his friends and living alone , Cloud tries to keep his affliction secret . Cloud faces his past both metaphorically and literally , and with the shows of loyalty from the friends he tried to let go he comes to forgive himself and moves on . It is unclear what this ultimately means in terms of his personality and lifestyle . In " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " , Cloud is a shy , but more upbeat person who idolizes Zack and Sephiroth , but after being betrayed by his idol he does not hesitate to avenge . Cloud remains steadfastly loyal and true to those he cares about and is driven to protect them , going as far as to hide his pain and emotions so he would not worry them . His selfless and kind nature lets him overcome Sephiroth time and again . Cloud has a lighter side , crossdressing as a woman to save Tifa from Don Corneo ' s mansion . When the party arrives at Costa del Sol , Tifa asks Cloud what he thought about Barret dressed as a sailor ; one option is to reply " He looked like a bear wearing a marshmallow , " much to Barret ' s annoyance . He has a dry , ironic wit in " Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII - " and overall , while Cloud has a moody demeanor , his personality is not as brooding as that of Vincent Valentine . Cloud suffers from motion sickness that is seemingly cured during the period he upholds a fake SOLDIER persona , but returns when his true self is restored , although him riding the Fenrir on delivery business suggests his motion sickness has since improved . Story . Early life . Cloud was born in the mountain village of Nibelheim , and was a neighbor of a girl a year younger than him , Tifa Lockhart . His father died when he was young and he was raised by his mother . Cloud had no close friends and perhaps as a coping mechanism , convinced himself he was superior to the other village children and so didn ' t care for their company . He had a crush on Tifa , but hated her friends , calling them immature . Although the two consider each other ( and are considered by others ) to be childhood friends , by Tifa ' s own account they were not close growing up , despite him having been her neighbor . When Cloud was nine , Tifa ' s mother died , and Tifa insisted she could meet her by crossing Mt . Nibel . Cloud followed her and when she took a misstep , he tried to catch her but they both fell . He escaped unharmed but Tifa ' s life was in grave danger . The townsfolk believed the expedition up the mountain to have been Cloud ' s idea , and Tifa ' s father forbade Cloud from approaching her . Cloud blamed himself for failing to save her and developed an anger problem , getting into fights for little to no reason . At the age of fourteen Cloud learned of Sephiroth and his exploits . Resolving to become a hero like him , Cloud decided to set out and join SOLDIER . He called Tifa out to the water tower to tell her about his departure , hoping to impress her , and upon her request promised to save her if she ever found herself in trouble . The following spring , he left for Midgar , the metropolis that is Shinra ' s seat of power . Shinra militant . Cloud ' s dreams were cut short ; despite his bravado he never made it into SOLDIER and instead became a mere Shinra infantryman . On June 28th , 0001 , Cloud is among those ordered to protect Professor Rayleigh in Midgar from the insurgency organization AVALANCHE , as depicted in " Before Crisis - Final Fantasy VII - " . Though he is unsuccessful , their lives are saved by the Player Turk . During the incident Cloud displays impressive sword skills for a regular infantryman . In autumn , while working for Shinra during " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " , at the age of fifteen , he meets a first - class SOLDIER named Zack Fair on their way to Modeoheim and the two befriend after learning they are both " backwater experts " . When he and Zack infiltrate a Mako Excavation Facility , they encounter Genesis Rhapsodos and Dr . Hollander , former Shinra employees who have turned against the company . When Hollander attempts to escape , Cloud briefly captures him . Hollander breaks free and Cloud gives pursuit , but both he and Tseng — the leader of the Turks , Shinra ' s intelligence agency — are taken down by the rogue SOLDIER 1st Class Angeal Hewley . At the age of sixteen , Zack and Cloud meet again on September 0002 while protecting the city of Junon from Genesis ' s attack . On September 22nd , 0002 , Cloud returns to Nibelheim along with Zack and Sephiroth to investigate a damaged Mako Reactor on Mt . Nibel , and Tifa is to act as their guide . Embarrassed of his failure to join SOLDIER , Cloud hides his identity from the townspeople , and especially Tifa , by always wearing his helmet , although he does visit his mother who asks about his new life with Shinra . When the expedition reaches the reactor Sephiroth discovers Professor Hojo ' s experiments with humans mutated into monsters dubbed makonoid s and Jenova , whom Sephiroth mistakenly believes to be his mother . Cloud is knocked out by Genesis and is helped back into town by Tifa . When Cloud regains consciousness , he is angry at not being strong enough . Sephiroth locks himself in the Shinra Manor ' s basement for several sleepless days , immersing in Professor Gast Faremis ' s writings , and discovers his dark past , as well the secrets regarding the Cetra and the Promised Land . On October 1st Sephiroth destroys the village on a rampage , fueled by his newfound hate for the " traitors " of the Ancients , the humans . Cloud witnesses his mother ' s death in the ensuing fire and rushes to the reactor to confront Sephiroth where he finds both a gravely wounded Tifa and a barely conscious Zack . Cloud picks up Zack ' s Buster Sword , catches Sephiroth off guard in the reactor core , and impales him . When Cloud returns to attend to Tifa , a wounded Sephiroth emerges from the reactor core , but when Cloud attacks again , Sephiroth stabs him with his Masamune . Cloud summons previously unknown strength and uses the katana as a lever to hurl Sephiroth into the Mako pit below before collapsing . Cloud and Zack , as well as other survivors in the town ( with the exception of Tifa who was rescued by Zangan before Shinra arrived ) , become Professor Hojo ' s test subjects . Injecting them with Jenova ' s cells and exposing them to Mako , Hojo attempts to test his Jenova Reunion Theory and turns them into Sephiroth Clone s , people whose wills can be over - ridden by Sephiroth ' s . Since Zack had gone through a similar process in SOLDIER , his body resists the experiments , but Cloud develops a severe Mako poisoning . Hojo labels the two failures , places them in a cryogenic sleeping state and leaves them in their pods in the Shinra Manor basement . Four years later ( December 19th , 0006 ) Zack breaks out of his confinement and helps a vegetative Cloud escape , giving him a SOLDIER uniform to wear as his old clothes are soaked with Mako . Due to the experiments Cloud is weak and delirious , but during their journey Zack tells the unresponsive Cloud about his life and his plans for both of them to become mercenaries in Midgar . Though Cloud is unable to partake in the events , he is present when Zack defeats Genesis . After almost a year of running , the pair arrives outside Midgar in September 0007 . The Shinra forces catch up and Zack fights to defend both Cloud and himself against overwhelming numbers . Zack is gunned down , but the soldiers ignore the vegetative Cloud . He regains some awareness and crawls over to Zack who entrusts the Buster Sword to him , telling his legacy will live on inside Cloud , before dying . Buster Sword in hand , Cloud trudges off towards Midgar . Cloud undergoes a transformation due to the combined trauma caused by the Nibelheim incident , his Mako poisoning , and witnessing Zack ' s death . Cloud impresses Zack ' s memories and fighting abilities into his own , along with Tifa ' s memories of him and his own ideal image of himself as a SOLDIER , creating a new set of memories with an accompanying persona . What emerges in Cloud ' s mind is a reality in which he joined SOLDIER and was Sephiroth ' s partner — Zack did not exist — and in most of Cloud ' s twisted memories he takes Zack ' s place . Cloud presents himself in Midgar as a former 1st Class SOLDIER , now a mercenary for hire . Mercenary days and AVALANCHE . Tifa ran into Cloud at the Sector 7 Slums train station , finding him mumbling deliriously and being attended by a confused station worker . Though he became lucid upon recognizing her , his inconsistent memories , bouts of blackouts and head pains concern her , especially since once he recovers from these bouts he has no idea they ' d happened . Now a member of the anti - Shinra terrorist group AVALANCHE , Tifa requested Cloud join the group so she can secretly keep an eye on his condition . Cloud helps AVALANCHE attack the Sector 1 Reactor on December 9th . Claiming he does not care about the Planet and is only working for money , Cloud attempts to walk out after returning to AVALANCHE hideout in Tifa ' s 7th Heaven bar , but she reminds him of the promise he made to her after deciding to join SOLDIER . Though Cloud puts up an indifferent front , he is more troubled than he lets on . A mysterious voice arises from within him every now and then , reminding him of something that happened in the past , but Cloud braves to ignore and suppress it . After blowing up the Sector 5 Reactor , Cloud is separated from the others when he falls into the Sector 5 Church where he meets Aeris Gainsborough and agrees to become her bodyguard in exchange for a date . Cloud ignores the voice in his head that tries to talk to him while he was unconscious on the church flowerbed , and again when he spends the night at Aeris ' s house . Tifa enters a " dating service " with the prize being a night with a local crimelord , Don Corneo , to extract information out of him . Cloud and Aeris , after disguising Cloud as a woman , attempt to rescue her , and meet the Don who admits Shinra has discovered AVALANCHE ' s base of operations . To destroy AVALANCHE , Shinra drops the Sector 7 Plate of Midgar crushing the Sector 7 Slums . AVALANCHE members Jessie , Biggs and Wedge are killed trying to stop them , and Aeris is captured while taking Barret ' s daughter , Marlene , to safety . Cloud leads an attack on Shinra Headquarters to rescue her , where he meets Red XIII , and sees Jenova ' s headless remains stored in Hojo ' s lab , triggering another spout of hearing voices in his head . The group is captured and imprisoned , and during the night Cloud awakens to find the prison doors open and the guards slaughtered . He , Aeris , Barret , Tifa , and Red XIII follow a blood trail to the top floor and find President Shinra impaled on Sephiroth ' s katana . Cloud battles the new head of Shinra , Rufus , and escapes Midgar on a Hardy - Daytona motorcycle , the others riding alongside in a pickup . Pursuit of Sephiroth . The group stays at an inn outside Midgar in Kalm where Cloud tells his version of what happened on the day Nibelheim was burned , with himself in Zack ' s place and Zack no longer present . Although Tifa knows the story is not true , she remains silent . The next day the group sets out to track Sephiroth down , going through the Mythril Mine where the Turks reveal Sephiroth is headed for Junon . Cloud and the group sneak into Junon , and , after saving a girl called Priscilla from a monster , are allowed to sleep over . In his sleep a voice tells Cloud to ask Tifa about the time he returned to Nibelheim as a SOLDIER , but when he does Tifa evades his question . After a welcoming parade for Rufus ' s honor , Cloud and the party stow away on a cargo ship bound for Costa del Sol . The journey to find Sephiroth leads them through North Corel and the Gold Saucer , where the manager Dio gives Cloud and his friends a buggy to assist them in their travels , and the cat - robot Cait Sith joins their cause . The buggy breaks down , forcing the group to stay at Red XIII ' s hometown Cosmo Canyon , where the Elder Bugenhagen reveals critical information about the Planet and the Lifestream , and how Shinra ' s drilling for Mako affects them . When the group reaches Nibelheim they find the town rebuilt and inhabited by imposter villagers hired by Shinra who claim to have no recollection of either Cloud or Tifa , or the town ever having been burned down . In the Shinra Mansion basement , Sephiroth appears and alludes to a " reunion " he feels Cloud should attend . Cloud and the group cross Mt . Nibel and visit Rocket Town where they escape on Cid Highwind ' s plane , only to have it shot down by Shinra soldiers . Adding Cid to their roster of allies , the group returns to Gold Saucer and claims the Keystone from Dio . Cloud and the group stay the night when the trolley to the park breaks down , and Cloud goes out with a party member . Cait Sith , who turns out to be a Shinra spy , steals the Keystone and turns it over to Tseng of the Turks . Traveling to the Temple of the Ancients , Tseng is found gravely wounded after a struggle with Sephiroth , and he returns the Keystone . In the heart of the temple Cloud finds Sephiroth who reveals his plan to call the Ultimate Black Magic , Meteor , to deal a critical wound to the Planet . His plan is to have the Lifestream emerge to heal it so he can absorb its energy , becoming a god . Sephiroth leaves as Cloud discovers the temple itself is the Black Materia needed to summon Meteor . Cait Sith sacrifices himself to get the Black Materia , but Sephiroth returns , and because Cloud had been injected with Jenova cells during his four - year - long captivity in Shinra Manor , Sephiroth has control over Cloud , who hands over the Black Materia . Cloud goes berserk and attacks Aeris , but his friends — including a new version of Cait Sith — knock him out . While unconscious , Aeris appears to Cloud in a dream , claiming only she can stop Sephiroth . When Cloud regains consciousness Barret and Tifa tell him Aeris has left , and Cloud resolves to follow her . Cloud and company pursue Aeris through the Sleeping Forest to the Forgotten Capital where he finds her praying on an altar in the center of the city ' s underground complex . Cloud takes up the Buster Sword and attempts to attack her , his mind under Sephiroth ' s control . Stopping himself in the nick of time when his allies shout at him to stop , Sephiroth descends from above the altar and kills Aeris , impaling her with his Masamune . The party mourns Aeris ' s passing as Cloud rests her body in the lake . Cloud laments to the party his having been under Sephiroth ' s control , despairing that he is unable to anticipate when he may become controlled again , but his allies persuade him to continue despite this . Meteorfall . Arriving at the North Crater , the party regains the Black Materia and Cloud gives it to a party member as he does not trust himself . Sephiroth appears and shows Cloud a partial vision of what really happened at Nibelheim , revealing Zack ' s presence in his stead but not Cloud ' s true part in the events . Shinra arrives and Professor Hojo reveals his Jenova Reunion Theory that Cloud is a part of . Cloud comes to believe he was created by Hojo and even his name and memories of being Tifa ' s childhood friend belong to someone else . The shock of his fabricated past shatters Cloud ' s mind and destroys his morale . Using an illusion to trick the party member with the Black Materia into coming to Cloud ' s aid , Sephiroth has Cloud take it back and he hands it to Sephiroth ' s true body stored at the crater — the " Sephiroth " they had pursued before was but Jenova ' s body morphed into his image — who uses it to summon Meteor . After Cloud apologizes to Tifa for " not being the real Cloud " , the crater shakes and Cloud falls into the Lifestream . Surfacing at Mideel a week later , Cloud has been subjected to intense Mako poisoning within the Lifestream leaving him paralyzed and incoherent , in a state similar to when Zack rescued him from Shinra Manor a year before . Tifa stays to care for him while the rest of the party fights Shinra , who is risking an attempt to stop the Meteor now approaching the Planet . Ultimate Weapon , one of the Weapons created by the Planet to protect it , attacks Mideel , and Tifa and Cloud fall into the Lifestream and into Cloud ' s Subconscious where Tifa meets the " true Cloud " . The " true Cloud " is the part of himself Cloud had tried to deny and the one who remembers his past not as a SOLDIER member , but as a regular footsoldier . This Cloud appears as a young version of him , and is the origin of the voices in Cloud ' s head who had tried to remind him of his true self . Tifa helps Cloud piece together the memories of his childhood by comparing their memories to find which are true , and encourages Cloud to believe in his existence . Restored to his true self , Cloud resumes command of the party and is no longer plagued by an inner voice , finally accepting the truth about who he is . Shinra ' s attempt to destroy the Meteor with Huge Materia fails , but Cloud ' s party is trapped in the Shinra No . 26 rocket when it takes off . While in the escape pod on their way back to the Planet , the party marvels how small the Planet is in the vastness of space , reaffirming their conviction to protect it . With Bugenhagen ' s guidance they discover Aeris had summoned the ultimate white magic spell Holy before Sephiroth killed her . It could stop Meteor , but Sephiroth is holding it back . After Diamond Weapon attacks Midgar and Cloud and the party stop Hojo from relaunching the Sister Ray Mako Cannon to give Sephiroth a boost of energy , the group lands in the North Crater . Cloud asks everyone to find a reason to fight , and while the others depart he and Tifa spend the night under the stars . The next day the party descends through the Northern Cave to the depths of the Planet to confront Sephiroth . After Sephiroth ' s new god - like form is defeated , his mind is sent back into the Lifestream . Cloud , sensing Sephiroth is not dead , follows him mentally into the Lifestream and defeats Sephiroth in a final duel of will . He returns to his body with help from Aeris . Cloud and the party escape the crater on the " Highwind " moments before Holy emerges to destroy Meteor . The Meteor ' s proximity causes Holy to hold back its full power , but Aeris commands the Lifestream to push Meteor back so Holy may destroy it and save the Planet . Post - crisis . In " On the Way to a Smile : Case of Tifa " , Cloud and Tifa build a new life together in the new city on Midgar ' s outskirts , called Edge . Cloud sets up a delivery business , the Strife Delivery Service . One day while visiting Aerith ' s old church an orphan boy , Denzel , whose family was killed when the Sector 7 plate fell , finds Cloud ' s cellphone on his motorcycle . After Denzel attempts to call his home in Sector 7 and receives an error message , he calls 7th Heaven which he finds in Cloud ' s recent call log . Tifa picks up and asks Denzel why he has Cloud ' s cellphone . Denzel begins to cry and collapses from Geostigma . Cloud takes him home to live with him , Barret ' s daughter Marlene , and Tifa . Although their new life as a family is happy , Cloud becomes insular . He admits to Tifa his problems are because " you can ' t reclaim lost lives " , referring to his perceived guilt in the deaths of Aerith and Zack . He leaves , secretly moving out into the Sector 5 Church . In " Case of the Lifestream " , Cloud is mentioned as being the core of Sephiroth ' s being . By focusing on his hatred of Cloud , Sephiroth avoids dissolution in the Lifestream , and believes Cloud ' s memories of him allow him to survive and be revived . Aerith thinks of Cloud during her attempts to battle Sephiroth ' s influence , resolving to contact him and help him fight Sephiroth ' s infection on the Lifestream at the source — the plague Geostigma . In " Final Fantasy VII Lateral Biography Turks - The Kids Are Alright - " , needing fuel for his truck , Evan calls Strife Delivery Service from the phone in Dr . Drake ' s office and talks briefly with Denzel to arrange a meeting with Cloud . While waiting , Dr . Drake discusses a book he ' s reading , which details the experiments conducted on Jenova by the Shinra Science Department . When Cloud arrives , he informs Evan that if he wants to buy fuel there are three sources : the remnants of the Shinra Company , the World Regenesis Organization , and Don Corneo . Evan explains he ' s going to travel to Nibelheim to find a missing SOLDIER , and Cloud tells him to ask about the village at 7th Heaven , Tifa ' s new bar in Edge . Geostigma crisis . In 0009 , two years after the events of " Final Fantasy VII " during " " , Cloud has left to look for a cure for Denzel ' s Geostigma and is infected himself due to his Jenova cells . Cloud has fallen into a cycle of guilt and depression , and so avoids calls from his friends . Cloud receives a call from Tifa that the Turk Reno has a job for him , and he is attacked by a mysterious trio of young men , three manifestations of Sephiroth ' s consciousness . In Healen Lodge Cloud is surprised to find Rufus Shinra alive , having survived Diamond Weapon ' s attack on Midgar , and suffering from Geostigma . Rufus offers Cloud to join them to fight the trio , led by Kadaj . Cloud rejects the offer after Reno brings up the idea of rebuilding Shinra . Cloud arrives at Aerith ' s church to find an unconscious Tifa on the flower bed , having been beaten by Loz — one of the remnants of Sephiroth — when she went looking for him . Marlene , Barret ' s adopted daughter , has been kidnapped and Cloud ' s Materia stash stolen . Cloud passes out from a Geostigma attack and he and Tifa are discovered by the Turks Reno and Rude who bring them to 7th Heaven to recover . The three remnants kidnap children with Geostigma , among them Denzel , intending to have the children lead them to Jenova ' s remains . Although unsure if he should fight , Cloud goes to the Forgotten Capital after encouragement from Tifa and the Turks . On the way he is visited by an apparition of Aerith , and declares he is searching for forgiveness . Upon seeing Denzel and the other children under Kadaj ' s control , Cloud confronts the trio but is outmatched and rescued by Vincent Valentine who explains the true nature of Geostigma to him — a plague caused by Jenova ' s cells . Marlene runs into Cloud ' s arms worried about Denzel but refusing to go home when Cloud asks Vincent to take her . Cloud resolves to take Marlene home and confront Kadaj . Back in Edge , Kadaj threatens Rufus and summons Bahamut SIN to attack the city . After Cloud drops Marlene off at the bar where she tells him not to give up , he finds the strength to take up arms again . After rescuing Tifa and Denzel he defeats Bahamut SIN with help from his old allies . He takes on Loz and Yazoo while chasing Kadaj through the Midgar Highway , and slices their weapons ( and Loz ' s bike ) in half . Loz and Yazoo are seemingly killed in the explosion set by Reno and Rude during the chase . Confronting Kadaj the battle takes Cloud back to Aerith ' s church where the Lifestream - infused water sprouting from the destroyed flowerbed cures him of Geostigma . Cloud battles Kadaj once more but the remnant absorbs Jenova ' s remains he had obtained from Rufus earlier , and Sephiroth is reborn . The ensuing battle at the ruins of the Shinra Building nearly kills Cloud , but 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 . Defeated , Sephiroth dissipates , leaving a dying Kadaj in his place . Loz and Yazoo return and set off a kamikaze explosion that apparently kills all three of them , but Cloud is healed by Aerith ' s intervention , reawakening in the pool that now occupies the church . After helping Denzel into the pool ' s Lifestream - infused water to cure him of Geostigma , Cloud spots apparitions of Aerith and Zack near the doorway . Before they leave , Aerith ' s final words ensure Cloud will be all right . He silently replies that he will , because he knows he is not alone anymore . After everything is over , the newly polished Buster Sword is moved to Aerith ' s church from the hill Zack died on that has a grove of yellow flowers . Denzel asks if the place is a grave , to which Cloud responds it is not : it is the place where a hero began his journey . Reminiscence . In a DVD extra , Cloud is making deliveries while taking calls from his friends . One call is from Vincent Valentine who has recently purchased a cellphone , asking Cloud to tell Yuffie she has no right to call him . Cloud makes a run to Barret ' s place and receives three packages : one for Marlene , one for Denzel , and a " Closed for Business " sign from Yuffie who has been trying to get a hold of him . The last call is to Tifa , asking her to close the bar the next day . Deepground conflict . One year later ( 0010 ) during " Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII - " , Cloud is not seen during the attack on Edge ( assumed to have spirited away Denzel and Marlene ) . He assists the World Regenesis Organization and Vincent Valentine against the threat of Omega and Deepground and leads the ground assault on Midgar , facing Rosso the Crimson , and he and the others aid Vincent in defeating Omega . Gameplay . In " Final Fantasy VII " Cloud is the main playable party member , who serves as the party leader throughout the majority of the game . He wields large broadswords in battle , with the most powerful Limit Breaks . Cloud has the most balanced stats and is the most powerful character , making him effective both at dealing damage with attacks and at casting Magic . His ultimate weapon is the Ultima Weapon , which deals more damage based on how full his HP is . As the party leader , Cloud participates in all minigame s , and is present in field gameplay and on the world map . Due to his position as leader , he cannot be removed from the party . There is also a hidden gameplay attribute that determine which party member will date him in Gold Saucer . In " Before Crisis - Final Fantasy VII - " Cloud is fought as a boss in the Training Mode . In " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " , though Cloud is not playable himself , Zack gets Cloud ' s portrait to the Digital Mind Wave . When Cloud ' s portraits line up during modulating phase , Zack performs Meteor Shots , his versions of Cloud ' s Meteorain Limit Break . Cloud is added to Zack ' s DMW after Zack meets him partway through chapter 6 . Creation and development . " Final Fantasy VII " . Cloud was one of the first three characters designed for " Final Fantasy VII " by Tetsuya Nomura with influences from producer Yoshinori Kitase , scenario writer Kazushige Nojima and director Hironobu Sakaguchi . Originally conceptualized by Sakaguchi as one of only three playable characters ( the others being Barret Wallace and Aerith Gainsborough ) Nomura was called upon to supervise Cloud ' s various lines and personality traits while Kitase and Nojima were in charge of developing Cloud ' s background and his relationship with Sephiroth . Nojima thought of the relationship between the player and the protagonist when writing for " Final Fantasy VII " . In an interview in " Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania " Nojima makes a comparison to " Dragon Quest " where the main character doesn ' t have a set personality and the player is free to " become " the hero . In a case of an RPG protagonist whose name and past have already been decided , Nojima tries to come up with ways to get the player to empathize with the character . The characters living in a game ' s universe know their world well , but it ' s a new place to the player , and so Cloud ' s foggy memories were created as a way to introduce the player to the world . In early drafts Cloud was meant to be more directly controlled by Sephiroth . As Sephiroth fell to his death in the Nibelheim Mako Reactor , his strong will to live would have manifested itself in Cloud as he needed a body that could move freely to bring him the Black Materia . It would be told that Cloud ' s memories are a phantom created by Sephiroth himself out of his emotions when he was " killed " in the Nibelheim Reactor . Cloud would later have discovered that due to the SOLDIER process , Sephiroth was directly trying to take control of him , and that Cloud ' s own complexes combined with Sephiroth ' s willpower , created his alternate persona that obscured who Cloud really was . This version was altered after the introduction of Jenova and the fleshing out of Zack ' s story . The game ' s directors only had a vague image of Cloud ' s identity , mainly that it was intended as mysterious , but the actual unfolding of events was left in Nojima ' s hands . Event planner Motomu Toriyama had made the " Cloud showing off " pose , which was made to be be used in the scene where Cloud first appears . This little animation impressed Nojima , and lead to him determining Cloud ' s false persona based on that pose . After figuring out Cloud ' s identity issues the rest of the scenario came together . Nojima made not only the scenario but the event scenes as well , and the parts where the mysteries are made clear . The team ended up doing the test play with no idea how it was going to end , and that ' s how they first found out the true course of events . Zack was a character Nojima brought in while building up the mystery , so the others had no clue he would be such a pivotal character . Cloud was the first person created for the game by Tetsuya Nomura . Cloud ' s original character design called for slicked - back , black hair with no spikes . This depiction was to serve as a contrast to the long , flowing silver hair of Sephiroth , and also because Nomura thought it would be better not to use too many polygons . However , to make Cloud stand out more and emphasize his role in the game as the lead protagonist , Nomura altered Cloud ' s design to give him spiky blond hair instead . Aspects of Cloud ' s original design were later used in designing Angeal Hewley for " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " . The image of Cloud and Sephiroth was based on and , famous Japanese warriors whose duel became legendary and the swordsmen have appeared in many forms in pop culture in Japan . Originally listed as a " Mystic Knight ( Berserker ) " , Cloud ' s weapon , the Buster Sword , was smaller , its size increasing as Nomura redesigned Cloud . Nomura nicknamed it " the Giant Kitchen Knife " due to how he originally envisioned it . The sword was meant to be held on his back via magnets and have a small chain . Pre - release material reveals what is possibly an early character model for Cloud . In the 1996 demo version Cloud ' s menu portrait is the young Cloud portrait seen during the Kalm flashback to the Nibelheim Incident in the final game , and his character model is different and shorter than his finalized model . This " Demo Cloud " makes appearances in other pre - release shots published in magazines before the game was out . Cloud ' s battle model also , wielding a different version of the Buster Sword that had only one slot as opposed to two seen in the final game . " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " . Cloud ' s design is an accumulation of eight designs the staff made , ranging from deformed to realistic . In " The Reunion Files " for " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " , Tetsuya Nomura explained that while Cloud was depicted as a more upbeat character at the end of " Final Fantasy VII " , he chose to have Cloud be a character fans would find more familiar , and the script was written to explain why Cloud had returned to such a frame of mind . Nomura said a great deal of care was taken to animate Cloud ' s face and expressions , and over thirty different models of his face were made . His face was modeled to keep " a stiff upper lip " , with his emotions and thoughts being expressed through his eyes . Numerous scenes featuring close - ups of Cloud ' s face were redone with adjusted facial expressions and lighting to convey the intended emotions . On explaining Cloud ' s situation in the film , Nomura said that " Cloud tried to lead his life positively after the end of FF7 but he cracked . . . The sin which Cloud thinks he owns is not anyone ' s fault in particular . It is something Cloud has to overcome by himself . " Cloud , in choosing to fight Sephiroth once again , is finally " given healing and forgiveness " . Nomura admits that in the film , " Cloud seems to be a weak guy . Generally , heroes are strong , cool and don ' t have any weaknesses . . . Although Cloud is a jerk sometimes , he is really human - like . It ' s through redemption from his friends and having children to protect that he becomes stronger . " Cloud ' s new weaponry was created based on jokes by fans who commented that , since Cloud ' s weapon in the original game was enormous , in a sequel he should go with sheer numbers . Although it does not have an official name , the staff named them the " Fusion Swords " during the film ' s development . The concept was to have Cloud hold a total of six swords he would carry on his back , but it was changed to six interlocking swords forming a single weapon . Although the film ' s staff originally thought doing sequences with the Fusion Swords was impossible , they decided to make it as they found it made an interesting twist to the battles . Voice . Cloud ' s English voice actor , " Kingdom Hearts " included , is Steve Burton . In the Japanese versions of " " he was voiced by Kenyu Horiuchi ( Arcade version ) and Nozomu Sasaki ( PS version ) , but for rest of his appearances he has been voiced by Takahiro Sakurai . Cloud shares his " Compilation of Final Fantasy VII " Japanese voice actor with Kurasame Susaya from " Final Fantasy Type - 0 " . Musical themes . Though it is not his official theme , in " Final Fantasy VII " Cloud ' s theme is often considered to be the " Main Theme of Final Fantasy VII " . It plays on the world map in " Final Fantasy VII " before the party acquires the " Highwind " . His theme is called " Cloud Smiles " in " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " . It is played in the ending when Cloud awakens in Aerith ' s church . " FINAL FANTASY VII Symphony in Three Movements " is a symphony arranged and orchestrated by Jonne Valtonen for the Final Symphony concert series . The second movement deals with the themes of love , loss and uncertainty as Cloud is undecided in his feelings towards Aerith and Tifa . The movement begins with " Words Drowned by Fireworks " , a scene in which Cloud goes on a date that ends abruptly . The music moves forward representing the themes of Tifa , Cloud and Aerith — the three themes that are always present , each one featured up front as a main theme at certain phase of the movement . Other appearances . Cloud Strife has appeared in the following games throughout the " Final Fantasy " series : Non - " Final Fantasy " guest appearances . Cloud has made key guest appearances in the following non - " Final Fantasy " games : Other media . Games . Cloud makes many minor cameos , but not guest appearances , in other games in the series : Additionally , Cloud has been referenced in many games outside of " Final Fantasy " : Fandom . Cloud makes a brief cameo in two strips in the fan - made webcomic " 8 - Bit Theater " as a potential Light Warrior . His attempts to prove his skills to Fighter are to use an overly - long and flashy summon sequence to summon a chocobo , and showing off the Buster Sword , which he is unable to hold due to its weight . Fighter falls asleep during the summon sequence , and rejects him as a Light Warrior when the Buster Sword falls on him . Cloud appears in ' s DEATH BATTLE series against from the " Legend of Zelda " series . During the battle , Cloud uses the Firaga and Thundaga Materia , as well as many of his Limit Breaks . Cloud ultimately lost due to Link ' s focus on adaptability and strategy against Cloud ' s emphasis on strength and overpowering his enemies . Cloud makes a guest appearance in Monty Oum ' s " Dead Fantasy " series in his " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " attire , wielding the main blade of his Fusion Swords and riding the Fenrir motorcycle . His debut appearance is " Dead Fantasy IV " and he demonstrates using one of his Limit Break , Blade Beam , to knock most of the Kasumi Alpha clones flying away to save Yuna . As Cloud and Yuna are ready to strike the clones , Kasumi , Yuna ' s main rival , tells them that she can deal her antagonist clones and teleports away . Cloud later drives his motorcycle along with Yuna . In " Dead Fantasy V " , Cloud is seen in Tifa ' s flashback after the former was incapacitated by Tenjin Mon Sect ninjas led by Hayate . He stopped Tifa from falling into the cliff , but failed , as a white feather appears to float away which leads him to find Tifa in a luxurious city . Cloud is last seen with Yuna watching the helicopter that Helena and Hitomi ride along with an injured Tifa . In the upcoming " Dead Fantasy IX " , Cloud ' s main rival was to be Helena Douglas as he and Yuna would infiltrate DOATEC to save Tifa . Since Monty ' s death , the series ended up in a permanent hiatus . Before the release the preview of " Dead Fantasy VIII " , Cloud was seen talking to Cissnei during Namine ' s first introduction clip then both are seen walking away separately until Rikku and one of Hayate ' s shinobi followed suit . In one of the previews , Cloud was seen talking to Denzel , voiced by his current Japanese voice actor , Takahiro Sakurai . Television . In the TV show " Coconut Fred ' s Fruit Salad Island " , Fred parodies Cloud in the episode " Sir Nutalot " . It is said Fred is taking the role of the hero . A Sephiroth parody also appears in the episode . In the Adult Swim show " Robot Chicken " ( Season 2 , episode " Rodiggiti " ) , Cloud , Tifa , Yuffie , Barret , Aerith and Sephiroth appear as employees at a burger chain . Cloud Strife is the fry cook , Barret is a burger chef , Aeris is working the register , while Tifa and Yuffie have unclear roles , and Sephiroth is the manager . " One - Winged Angel " plays humorously during Sephiroth ' s entrance with lyrics consisting only of HAM - BUH - GAH ! said over and over . In the Cartoon Network show " Steven Universe " ( season 1 , episode 16 " Steven the Sword Fighter " ) , the main character , Steven , plays with action figures of video game characters , among them . The character Holo - Pearl the Cloud ' s figure in the same manner Sephiroth did during the Nibelheim incident . Merchandise . Cloud has appeared in numerous action figures , cold cast statues and other merchandise . Etymology . The names " Cloud " and " Strife " are English words referring to weather and difficulty respectively . Tetsuya Nomura has stated Cloud ' s name contrasts with Zack Fair ' s and the idea of " fair weather " , in that Zack lead a peaceful and happy life while Cloud ' s has been full of turmoil . In the French translation of " Final Fantasy VII " , Cloud ' s name is rendered as " Clad " to be more faithful to French pronunciation ( " Cloud " in French would be pronounced as " clood " , rhyming with " mood " ) . His name is rendered as " Cloud Strife " in all other " Compilation of Final Fantasy VII " entries .