Cloud Strife / Dissidia Cloud Strife was one of the warriors fighting for the side of Chaos in " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " , but in the next cycle he switched sides and fought alongside the Warriors of Cosmos in " Dissidia Final Fantasy " . He also appears in the arcade version . Cloud is a swordsman who deals powerful attacks that send his foes flying . Though in the eyes of his comrades he is considered composed , Cloud often questions the reasons and methods for fighting , as well as the purposes it would serve , and struggles to understand them . During the war he is forced to battle his nemesis , Sephiroth , who manipulates him into fighting at every turn . Profile . " Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " . Cloud ' s costume is almost identical to his original " Final Fantasy VII " appearance . He wears an indigo outfit , a metal pauldron , a brown belt with the SOLDIER symbol , brown gloves and black boots . The only differences between his original artwork and his " Dissidia Final Fantasy " appearance are the redesigned SOLDIER logo on his belt , his right glove is fingerless , and his pauldron is dual - layered . His hair is spiky and blond and his eyes glow bright blue , the sign of a Mako - infused SOLDIER . Cloud ' s first alternate costume , " Cloudy Wolf " , is from " " . He wears a sleeveless zipped - down turtleneck sweater with black cloth covering his left arm and leg , and his boots and pauldron are different with the Fenrir emblem on his pauldron . His hair has more spikes , albeit shorter ones , and he wields the main blade of his Fusion Swords , the First Tsurugi . In his EX Mode , Cloud wields the fully assembled Fusion Swords , though for purposes of gameplay he never separates them as he does in the film . Cloud ' s second alternate outfit , " Steady Light " , is based on . He wears a different shirt and white boots , and a small white pack slung over his back . His belt bears the original SOLDIER symbol , his pauldron , gauntlets and belt have small blue and white details , and his belt has a string of beads . This outfit is Cloud ' s attire in " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " while serving as a Warrior of Chaos . Cloud ' s DLC costume , " Kingdom Hearts gear " , is based on in the " Kingdom Hearts " series , sans " Kingdom Hearts II " where his attire is based on Vincent Valentine ' s . Cloud wears a gauntlet with a golden claw , a torn red cape , and dark blue clothing underneath . A demonic black wing emerges from his left shoulder . The Buster Sword is wrapped in bandages . In Japan , the code to unlock this outfit is included with " " , while in the United States the code was acquired by pre - ordering " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " from GameStop . In Europe it can be purchased via PSN since June 8th , 2011 . Cloud ' s Crystal resembles a Materia from " Final Fantasy VII " , and may be an homage to Aerith Gainsborough ' s White Materia , which emits a green glow when active . Cloud ' s manikin version , Imaginary Soldier , is light blue . " Dissidia Final Fantasy ( 2015 ) " . Cloud ' s default attire in the arcade reboot is titled " Former SOLDIER 1st " but is now light black instead of dark purple . His two color variations , " Former SOLDIER 1st B " , colors his outfit dark black with a black and white shoulder pauldron , based on the 1st Class uniforms in " Crisis Core " , while " Former SOLDIER 1st C " gives him his vibrant purple attire from the original game . His attire from " Advent Children " returns as his first alternate costume , now titled " Cloudy Wolf & Fusion Swords " . As in previous games , he uniquely wields the " Fusion Swords " , but is now fully assembled due to EX Mode being reworked into EX Skill . His default weapon is the Buster Sword , using its original design from " Final Fantasy VII " . His first alternate weapon is the Hardedge , while his second alternate weapon is the Force Stealer , both of which are obtained early in his original game . Personality . Cloud , in the eyes of his friends , is a reserved young man , often making rational decisions , befitting himself a leader . In his story , however , he struggles to understand why he fights . He also has difficulty being confident in his accomplishments , and is very disaffected and blunt with almost everything , shown when he saves Terra after she loses control of her powers ; when Terra thanked him , he bluntly brushed off her thanks , because he was unsure if he could save her . Story . Treachery of the Gods . In the twelfth cycle of war , Cloud , along with Tidus and Terra , were aligned with Chaos . Unlike the other Warriors of Chaos , Cloud shows concern for the opposing side to the point of warning Lightning not to underestimate his allies as they had been holding back their full power at the time , but does nonetheless fight Lightning and the Warrior of Light alongside Golbez . Golbez suspected the reason Cloud had concern for the opposing side was because someone he knows was aligned with the Warriors of Cosmos . He later has a heart - to - heart talk with Kuja , as both have no real intent to fight due to their memories of life before being summoned by the gods . At one point , Cloud witnesses a fight between Sephiroth and Tifa . He intervenes to protect Tifa and drives off Sephiroth , beginning their rivalry that would continue in the next cycle of conflict . Cloud doesn ' t reveal his relation to Tifa who has no memories of him , but does tell her he is a Warrior of Chaos and warns her they will have to fight the next time they meet and he wouldn ' t go easy on her . Once she leaves to rejoin her group , Cloud thinks to himself he has to end the cycle of battle to save Tifa . Cloud confronts Chaos with intentions to kill the god and end the conflict before Tifa regains her memories of him , possibly losing her will to fight . After it seems Cloud has won , Chaos mocks him and asks him if that ' s the extent of his power . Chaos overpowers Cloud , and he begins to fade away into oblivion . As he fades , Cloud pleas to Cosmos to protect Tifa . Cosmos receives Cloud ' s message and , deeming his feelings sincere , chooses him to become one of her warriors when he is revived in the next cycle of battle , taking Tifa ' s place after she is eliminated . Light to All . After coming to , Cloud finds himself with Firion , Cecil and Tidus , who view him as a calm and collected figure . Cloud secretly questions his reasons for fighting and admits he feels anxious . Cloud later asks his allies why they fight ; Cecil does not know , Tidus fights to settle things with Jecht , while Firion takes time to think his answer over so he can explain it to Cloud properly . Cloud finds Firion alone and Firion produces a wild rose telling Cloud he dreams of a world where they can bloom freely . Cloud challenges him to a sparring match to see how strong that dream is , and though he prevails , Firion still has the will to fight him further . Cloud worries he may not have a dream at all and confides in Cecil . The group encourages Cloud to go find his own reason for fighting , and he promises to return to tell them when he finds it . Continuing alone , Cloud encounters Sephiroth . When Cloud refuses to fight him , Sephiroth reveals he holds Firion ' s rose , indicating he has attacked Cloud ' s comrades , and invites Cloud to pursue him . Cloud tracks Sephiroth to the Planet ' s Core where Sephiroth calls him a puppet who has no motivations of his own , which is why he readily accepts the influence of others on his decisions . Though Cloud insists he tracked Sephiroth of his own will , Sephiroth counters that Cloud followed him because he gave him a reason . The two battle and Cloud emerges victorious , reclaiming Firion ' s rose and revealing his Crystal . Sephiroth warns Cloud the Crystal will lead him to more battles he cannot comprehend , a fate Cloud accepts stoically . Sephiroth declares he will continue to manipulate Cloud , and it was only through his guidance Cloud was able to come as far as he has . Terra arrives at the Planet ' s Core and loses control of her esper powers . Even though she warns him to stay away , Cloud battles her not knowing what else to do . Cloud calms Terra down , and she realizes his intent was to provide her an outlet to vent some of her power , allowing Terra to regain control of herself . Cloud admits he battled her because he did not want to see her suffer , although he was not expecting Terra ' s formidable transformed state . Terra thanks Cloud and explains how she and the Onion Knight were separated after being ambushed by Kefka , and Cloud joins her to look for him , realizing he can still help despite his indecisiveness , and thanks her for helping him recognize that . Cloud reveals his hesitations about fighting , and shows Terra Firion ' s rose , explaining Firion ' s dream for a peaceful world . Though neither can figure out their reason for fighting , Terra suggests they share the same dream , along with the wild roses their own preferred flowers representing a bright future . The pair continues to Kefka ' s Tower and confronts Kefka , who tries to compel Terra to give in to her esper powers and cause senseless destruction , but she refuses . Kefka summons the Cloud of Darkness to attack them , and the Onion Knight reappears . He and Cloud fight the Cloud of Darkness together while Terra has her final showdown with Kefka . After Terra obtains her Crystal , the three rejoin the other warriors . Much to Firion ' s surprise , Cloud , who arrived after helping Terra , and Tidus , who had just defeated Jecht , join him at the last minute when he is attacked by the Emperor , declaring they all share a dream . The Emperor attempts to attack Firion but Cloud and Tidus deflect his blows , and the Emperor flees and invites Firion to his stronghold for a final battle . Firion decides to face the Emperor alone and Cloud returns the wild rose , expressing his desire to see more of Firion ' s dream . Afterward , Cloud travels with Tidus and Squall back to the Warrior of Light . With the Crystals the Warriors of Cosmos return to the Order ' s Sanctuary to restore the goddess ' s strength , only to have Chaos incinerate her . With the last of her strength Cosmos prevents the heroes from fading , giving them a final chance to strike back at Chaos and end the war . With Cosmos ' s strength dwindling , Cloud and the others confront Chaos ' s minions regarding how and why Cosmos disappeared , and along the way , he faces his nemesis Sephiroth . Though his enemy is strong , Cloud perseveres . After the battle , Sephiroth asks what drives Cloud to fight , and he answers it is his will . He declares he no longer has ties with Sephiroth , who counters that his shadow will forever be in Cloud ' s heart , and will always return as long as Cloud exists . Cloud admits he would rather prefer to never see him again , and that he wants to meet someone . After Chaos has been felled Cloud finds himself on an open field of flowers near Cornelia Castle , the flowers similar to those grown in the Sector 5 Church in " Final Fantasy VII " . Cloud smiles at Squall as he offers fighting together again , but claims not to be interested and walks off into the flower field , returning home with his Crystal in hand . Official Quests . In " Tidus ' Quest 012 : A Dream in Chaos " during the 12th cycle , Tidus speaks to Cloud of his desire to speak to Chaos about his faded memories . Cloud muses that Tidus cannot remember anything except the name " Jecht " and that without memories Tidus is without direction , but the lack of memories has benefits as well . In " Cloud ' s Quest 012 : You Should Have Disappeared " , Sephiroth challenges Cloud to battle , but the two are stopped by Garland who prohibits battle between comrades . Cloud pursues Garland when he leaves and challenges him , but Garland holds back as there is no point to the two of them killing each other . Garland warns Cloud his suspicious actions during the 12th cycle have not gone unnoticed . In " Squall ' s Quest 012 : The Shadow I Know I Saw " , Squall battles Cloud , Cloud alluding to he and Squall having met in a previous cycle that Squall cannot remember . Cloud appears in " Cecil ' s Quest 013 : Even I Don ' t Remember It " , where in the 13th cycle he travels with Terra , Tidus , Cecil and the Onion Knight after the five obtain their Crystals . When Kuja alerts the group Firion is on his way to confront the Emperor , Cloud and Tidus go assist him . Gameplay . " Dissidia Final Fantasy " and " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " . Cloud ' s fighting style is called Buster Basher . He specializes in slow , powerful melee attacks that do heavy damage and knock the opponent across arenas . Many of Cloud ' s attacks have the Wall Rush ability , letting him slam opponents into floors and walls to deal additional damage . His Limit Breaks from " Final Fantasy VII " are included as HP attacks , and his two chainable HP attacks do a great deal of additional Bravery damage . However , Cloud is a slow ground mover , his attacks are fairly easy to block or dodge , and he lacks ranged capabilities . His HP attacks require him to charge before attacking , leaving the opponent time to dodge and counterattack . He does , though , have range on his side , so if the player can space well , punish well and use the environment correctly , the opponent can be in trouble quickly . In the 2015 reboot , Cloud is classified as a Heavy - type character . His attacks mainly consists of charging attacks for extra damage and range . His HP attacks are Cross Slash , Meteorain , Omnislash and Cherry Blossom , his strongest Limit ability in " Final Fantasy Tactics " . Boss . In " Dissidia Final Fantasy " , Cloud is fought in Destiny Odyssey VI , Distant Glory , and Inward Chaos . In " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " , he is fought in The Chosen Path chapter of Story Mode . EX Mode . Cloud ' s EX Mode is Equipped Ultima Weapon , which transforms the Buster Sword into the Ultima Weapon from " Final Fantasy VII " . Cloud gains the abilities " Ultima Weapon ( ATK ) " and " Ultima Weapon ( CRUSH ) " . The first ability boosts Cloud ' s ATK according to the amount of HP he currently has in relation to his max HP , doubling his ATK at max HP and giving no bonus at 1 HP . The second ability gives all of Cloud ' s melee attacks Melee High priority , allowing them to crush normal guards and deflect lower - priority attacks . Other attacks with Melee High priority , and some high priority block abilities like Exdeath ' s Omni Block and Jecht ' s Jecht Block , will still block Cloud ' s blows . Cloud ' s EX Burst is Omnislash , his strongest Limit Break in " Final Fantasy VII " . The player must rapidly tap to fill Cloud ' s Limit Meter , and successfully filling it causes Cloud to slash his opponent fourteen times then finishes with a powerful over - the - head slash that hits six times before doing HP damage . Failing to fill the meter will have Cloud slash his opponent three times then finish with an upward slash . In his first alternate outfit , Cloud ' s EX Mode is The power of mako and he equips the completed Fusion Sword from " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " , but his EX Burst and his EX Mode bonuses remain the same . EX Skill . As EX Modes are replaced by EX Skills in the arcade version , Cloud ' s EX Skill being Limit Break , which greatly reduces the time for his attacks to charge and increases the range and power of the attack . While entering his Limit Break mode , Cloud glows orange , a reference to the light that emits from a character using a Limit Break in the original " Final Fantasy VII " . Equipment . Cloud can equip Swords , Greatswords , Shields , Bangles , Hats , Helms , Clothing , and Light Armor . In " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " , Cloud can also equip Katanas , Spears , Large Shields , and Chestplates . " Dissidia Final Fantasy ( 2015 ) " . Type : Heavy < br > Unique System : Charge