Gamers who never played Final Fantasy VII when it first came out may struggle to understand what the fuss was all about. The game looks like garbage compared to the other two Final Fantasy titles on the system and the story is filled with clichés and predictable twists.
Final Fantasy VII represented the beginning of a new era in gaming when it was first released, with Cloud Strife being the figurehead of the changes that were coming to the industry.
Cloud was the cool anime hero who gamers had been craving, and he came with a game that had characters and a story that was far deeper than anything else that had come before it.
The reason why Final Fantasy VII may look dated now is due too how influential it was, as it inspired changes within gaming and numerous copycats that slowly wore away everything that was unique about the game.
Cloud became a victim of his own fame, as the spiky-haired anime hero with a huge sword soon became a cliché unto itself.
There is still a strong appeal to Cloud Strife, which is why he has gained so many fans after all of these years. Cloud keeps appearing in new video games and his presence is always lauded by the people who still remember the time when he was the coolest character in gaming.
Cloud is kind of like the best friend from your awkward teenage years who you are still happy to see and the old times you spent together is something that you deep down still long to return to.
We are here today to learn the secrets of the protagonist of Final Fantasy VII -- from the endless changes that needed to be made for his latest appearance to the cut line of dialogue that may have revealed his true identity too early.
Here are the 20 Strange Details About Cloud Strife’s Body!
20 He Will Have A New Design In The Final Fantasy VII Remake
It's safe to say that the Final Fantasy VII Remake is one of the most highly-anticipated games of this console generation, though we may not be seeing it until the PlayStation 5 era at the current speed of its development.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake was officially announced at E3 2015 and we have only seen a few brief clips and screenshots since it was revealed.
In February 2018, there was an art exhibition held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Final Fantasy.
The fans who attended the event claimed that Cloud's design has been changed since the announcement trailer.
This change was made to make him more closely resemble his appearance in the original Final Fantasy VII and all of the creative team is supposed to be on board with the new look.
19 He Was Once A Boss Monster
There is one game in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII that has never been released outside of Japan.
This game was called Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII- and it followed the adventures of a group of Turks, who were involved with a lot of the sketchy behind-the-scenes dealings of the Shinra Corporation.
Cloud Strife is encountered several times throughout the story of Before Crisis, as the Turks witness him battling the original version of AVALANCHE and fighting Sephiroth within the Nibelheim Reactor.
It's possible to fight Cloud as a boss monster in the training mode of Before Crisis, which is one of the few instances in the series where he acts as an antagonist, even if it's in a non-canon way.
18 He Can't Lose His Final Battle With Sephiroth
As the player descends into the Lifestream at the end of Final Fantasy VII, they face creatures with increasingly bizarre designs, with Sephiroth's corrupted and twisted body being the strangest of them all.
The player is left wondering if these battles actually happened or whether they were taking place in the minds of the character.
When Safer-Sephiroth is defeated, we are taken into a battle that we know for sure is happening inside of Cloud's brain.
Cloud has one final duel with Sephiroth inside of his mind, which results in Cloud finally being freed from Sephiroth's control.
You can't actually lose the final battle with Sephiroth. Any move that you use (including non-damaging ones, like Steal) will instantly defeat Sephiroth.
He cannot drop your hit points to zero and any attempt to hit you will result in a counter-attack that will automatically win the fight.
17 His Final Limit Break Can Be Stronger Than Knights Of The Round
The people at Squaresoft were so impressed with the new 3D technology of the PlayStation that they decided to use overblown action set-pieces for all of the summon monster spells in the game.
Nowhere was this more obnoxious than with the Knights of the Round summon, which takes almost a minute and a half to sit through.
Knights of the Round is worth the wait, though, as it will hit the enemy thirteen times, with each hit potentially dealing 9999 points of damage. This makes Knights of the Round one of the most useful assets when taking on Emerald and Ruby Weapon.
Cloud's final Limit Break can actually be more powerful than Knights of the Round, as it hits fifteen times, with each hit potentially dealing 9999 points of damage.
Knights of the Round is a more useful move, as you can cast it several times in succession once it has been leveled up, but Omnislash can be more powerful on its own.
16 He Is Tied With Bayonetta As The Current Most Overpowered Character In Super Smash Bros.
Cloud Strife was one of the DLC characters for Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U. It quickly became apparent that Cloud was one of the best characters in the game, thanks to his high power and speed, coupled with a wide range of moves that make deadly on any part of the stage.
Cloud's reign as the king of Super Smash Bros. was short-lived, however, as Bayonetta was released after him as a DLC character.
Bayonetta is considered by many to be the best character in the game, thanks to her incredible combo potential and her ability to take a stock off a player with a single chain of moves.
There has been a lot of discussion over who is the better character between Cloud and Bayonetta in Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U, but the tournament results tend to lean in Bayonetta's favor.
From what we have seen of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it seems that both Cloud and Bayonetta have been nerfed, so their reign may soon be over.
15 A Hint Concerning Cloud's True Identity Was Cut From Final Fantasy VII
One of the plot twists in Final Fantasy VII is that Cloud Strife isn't who he says he is. Cloud had taken on elements of Zack's memories and personality, which was caused by a severe case of Mako poisoning and witnessing Zack's demise at the hands of Shinra soldiers.
It is revealed that Cloud was one of the nameless Shinra grunts during the Nibelheim flashback, which is a twist you aren't likely to work out on your own.
There was a cut piece of dialogue that would have acted as an early clue as to Cloud's true identity.
The real Cloud is laying injured on the ground when Sephiroth goes on his rampage in Nibelheim, as you are controlling Zack during this sequence.
The real Cloud was originally going to be calling out for his mother, but the line was cut.
The fact that the scene takes place near Cloud's mother's home was meant to act as an early clue towards his true identity during the scene, but it was cut for unknown reasons.
14 The Creators Of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Had To Remake His Face A Hundred Times
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is the disappointing team-based fighting game that features characters from all across the Final Fantasy series.
The first two Dissidia games were on the PlayStation Portable, so graphical fidelity wasn't a huge concern for the developers.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT appears on the PlayStation 4, so a lot more attention has been paid to the aesthetics of each character.
The developers of the original arcade version of Dissidia NT were forced to remake Cloud's face almost a hundred times, due to a constant stream of negative feedback from fans.
It seems that a lot of people felt that Cloud's face in Dissidia didn't look enough like him, which prompted numerous changes in order for his character model to reach a satisfactory level of quality.
13 He Has More Limit Breaks Than The Other Final Fantasy VII Characters
The average playable character in Final Fantasy VII has access to seven Limit Breaks, with the exception of Vincent (who can only learn four) and Cait Sith (who can only ever learn two).
The final Limit Breaks usually required the player to find a special item before they could be unlocked.
Cloud Strife has two additional Limit Breaks, but they only appear in different pieces of Final Fantasy media.
In Final Fantasy Tactics, Cloud can learn a new ultimate Limit Break, known as Cherry Blossom. This move was forgotten about for years until it recently showed up as part of Cloud's arsenal in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT.
In Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Cloud would use an improved version of Omnislash during his final battle with Sephiroth.
This move was called Omnislash Version 5, as it involved his sword breaking into five different weapons and him wielding them all in turn as part of his attack.
12 There Are Inconsistencies Regarding His Birthday
The details of Cloud Strife's backstory are unclear, which is partly due to the fact that his memories were affected when he suffered from Mako poisoning.
Cloud's memories became mixed with Zack's, so even he may not be sure what exactly happened in his past before the events of Final Fantasy VII.
The Final Fantasy VII Ultimania guide lists Cloud's birthday as being August 19th, but this contradicts Final Fantasy Tactics, where Cloud's birthday is 11th.
The game also gives him the wrong star sign, as he is listed as an Aquarius in Final Fantasy Tactics, while either being born on the 11th or 19th of August would make him a Leo.
11 The Scene Where He Performs CPR Was Meant To Have A Payoff
Final Fantasy VII is full of minigames that appear out of nowhere and are only used once, such as when you need to keep your temperature up when traveling the North Continent or trying to fit in with the other soldiers during the march in Junon.
One of the minigames in Final Fantasy VII involves Cloud Strife performing CPR on a girl after she has been attacked by a monster.
It's impossible to lose this minigame, so you can just keep trying until it works.
The CPR minigame was supposed to have a payoff later in the story, but it was cut during development. Tifa was originally supposed to revive Cloud using CPR after the events in Mideel, which would mirror the scene where Cloud saves the little girl.
It's unknown why this scene was cut, or why the CPR scene was left in if it didn't have a payoff later on.
10 He Was Originally Going To Attach His Sword To A Giant Magnet Strapped To His Back
The Buster Sword has become one of the most iconic weapons in video game history, to the point where it received its own backstory in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-.
Those of you want to cosplay as Cloud Strife should stick to cardboard or foam when making a Buster Sword, as the people at the Man At Arms YouTube channel made a real version of the Buster Sword and it took two people to lift it off the ground.
The reason why Cloud Strife can use the Buster Sword is due to his superior strength, which is a change from his original design.
He was once planned to have a magnet strapped to his back so that he could clip the Buster Sword to it at any time.
9 His Japanese Voice Actor Didn't Know Who He Was Portraying
The Japanese voice actor for Cloud Strife is Takahiro Sakurai, who has been voicing him since the first Kingdom Hearts game. Sakurai is also known for being the Japanese dub voice for Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies.
Takahiro Sakurai was a big gamer as a kid and became a huge fan of Final Fantasy VII when it was first released in Japan.
You would think that Takahiro Sakurai would consider it a huge honor to be the voice of Cloud, but he didn't even know he was playing Cloud until the first day of recording the dialogue for Kingdom Hearts.
Takahiro Sakurai had come up with a voice for a person named Cloud and went to the first day of recording without any idea that he was voicing one of the most famous characters in gaming.
8 He Has The Most Romantic Chemistry With Yuffie
Fans of Final Fantasy VII have been arguing about the romantic lives of Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa since the game was first released.
There are those who argue that Cloud ended up with Tifa in Advent Children, which is meant to be a clear intent on the part of the creators, while others have argued that Aerith was Cloud's true love and that their relationship never had the chance to develop due to her untimely demise.
The person in Final Fantasy VII who is the most intimate with Cloud is actually Yuffie.
It's possible (though very difficult) to go on the date at the Gold Saucer with Yuffie.
At the end of the date, Yuffie will kiss Cloud on the face and become embarrassed.
7 He Is One Of The Only Men In Ivalice Who Can Wear A Ribbon
The Ribbon is one of the most useful items in the Final Fantasy series. If a character equips a Ribbon, then they become immune to all status effects, which makes it essential when fighting creatures like Malboros.
The Ribbon isn't quite as useful in Final Fantasy Tactics, as it can only be equipped by female characters.
The only male character who could equip a Ribbon in Final Fantasy Tactics was Cloud Strife, which was likely a nod to the scene in Final Fantasy VII where he dresses up as a woman.
The introduction of the Onion Knight job in The War of the Lions port of Final Fantasy Tactics meant that Cloud was no longer the only character in the game who could equip a Ribbon, as male Onion Knights can equip any item in the game.
6 The Young Cloud Portrait Was Almost His Default Look
Cloud Strife has two different menu portraits in Final Fantasy VII.
Cloud has a portrait of his present-day self that is seen throughout most of the game, but if you check the menu during the Nibelheim Incident, you will see a different menu portrait of Cloud that depicts him when he was younger.
It seems that the menu portrait of the younger version of Cloud was once planned to be the default picture, as it is the one seen in the original demo of Final Fantasy VII.
This is often referred to as the "Aeris Demo" by fans. The Aeris Demo contains several inconsistencies with the final game, most notably in its localization, which calls Mako Reactors "Makoro Plants."
Aerith's menu portrait is also different in the Aeris Demo, as she has a much sterner expression on her face.
5 There Are Inconsistencies Regarding Him Being Infused With Mako
The reason why the members of SOLDIER were so powerful was due to the fact that they were infused with Mako, which is a liquidized version of the Lifestream contained within the planet.
This process gives the member of SOLDIER glowing eyes, which means that they can be instantly recognized as having been infused with Mako.
Cloud Strife never officially joined SOLDIER, but he was infused by Mako by Hojo after the events of the Nibelheim Incident, which gave him the appearance of a SOLDIER member.
The OVA called Last Order -Final Fantasy VII- shows a unique take on the events of the Nibelheim Incident, which includes Cloud possessing the glowing Mako eyes during his final battle with Sephiroth in the Nibelheim Reactor.
This is generally considered to be an error on the part of the filmmakers, as Cloud was never infused with Mako until after the Nibelheim event.
4 A 2D Sprite Of Him Was Planned To Appear In Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII was originally planned to be a 2D game that would appear on a Nintendo system.
The fact that Nintendo was sticking with cartridges with the Nintendo 64 led to Squaresoft jumping to the PlayStation so that they could use the extra memory of the CD-ROM format.
We have seen 2D renditions of post-Final Fantasy VI characters in many modern Final Fantasy titles, so we have a clear idea of what those characters would have looked like if they had appeared on the Super Nintendo.
Squaresoft had planned for 2D versions of the Final Fantasy VII cast to appear in the game itself.
There is beta footage of Final Fantasy VII from the stage of the game when there were only three playable characters (Aerith, Barrett, and Cloud) that show 2D sprites for the characters appearing on the experience points screen.
3 He Was Planned To Have A Different Look In Final Fantasy Tactics
The people in the world of Ivalice in Final Fantasy Tactics have an almost doll-like quality to their bodies, which was likely due to the restrictions of the PlayStation hardware.
However, it also fits the theme of the game very well, as you have these child-like figures performing Game of Thrones levels of backstabbing and treachery.
Cloud Strife is an outsider to the world of Ivalice, as he is brought to the land at the point where he was trapped in the Lifestream of his own planet.
Cloud's design is close to that of how he looks in Final Fantasy VII, except that he now resembles a human from Ivalice.
Yasumi Matsuno revealed the concept artwork for Final Fantasy Tactics during a live stream to promote the "Return to Ivalice" event in Final Fantasy XIV.
He revealed that Cloud originally had a different hairstyle in the game that was shorter and had less of the trademark spikes that Cloud has in Final Fantasy VII.
2 Young Cloud Has The Same Stats As Cait Sith
The player is given the chance to control a younger version of Cloud during the Nibelheim Incident flashback, where he fights alongside Sephiroth.
You aren't given much to do during these battles, as Sephiroth is so overwhelmingly powerful that he will crush any enemy that you meet in seconds.
The version of Cloud that you play during the flashback sequence does have his own stat progression and could theoretically work as a party member if it were possible to add him into the group as a full character.
The young version of Cloud has the same stat growth as Cait Sith, except that it takes him twice as long to level up before he reaches level fifty.
Because of this, he levels up at a much faster rate than the other characters in the game.
1 Fans Can Smell Like Cloud
Cloud Strife is easily the most popular character in the Final Fantasy series, which is why he was chosen to represent the game in Super Smash Bros. and is why he has appeared in so many other titles over the years.
The fact that Cloud is so famous means that he has appeared on a lot of different merchandise over the years.
The most bizarre piece of Cloud-themed merchandise has to be the Cloud Strife -Final Fantasy VII- eau de toilette, which is a bottle of perfume that presumably makes you smell like Cloud Strife.
The only time Cloud Strife is ever mentioned wearing any kind of cologne or perfume was during the section of Final Fantasy VII where he dresses as a women.
Here, though, the perfume is given to you by a random NPC who you meet in the bathroom of a bar.
Cloud wasn't the only Final Fantasy character to receive his own scent, however, as Sephiroth, Lightning, and Noctis would also receive their own fragrances.
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Can you think of any other interesting facts about Cloud Strife's body from Final Fantasy? Let us know in the comments!
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