character information
Series: Final Fantasy VII Compilation
Series' Medium: video game(s)
Character: Cloud Strife
Age: 21
Sex/Gender: male
Canon Role: main protagonist (FF7), friend/charge of the protagonist (Crisis Core)
"Real" Name: Alfred Stratus: The first name for the hero of the play he participates in at the Gold Saucer, and a type of cloud. (Though he should have something ridiculous like Nimbus Despair.)
Are you personally familiar with your character's canon?:
Basically. I know Crisis Core and the original game very well, and that's where most of his history will be coming from. I know just enough about Before Crisis to include a mention in his backstory. Last Order is a somewhat unnecessary retelling and the information really isn't needed. I know Advent Children, but I'll be taking him from before that. I haven't finished Dirge of Cerberus, and while there may be a small amount of retconning it shouldn't be necessary as far as Cloud's history goes. Any of the other games Cloud makes appearances in (notably Final Fantasy Tactics, Kingdom Hearts, and Dissidia) I consider separate universes and will have no inclusion in this application.
Please give us a personal history of your character's life and explain to us in detail how they grow and develop over the course of their canon:
(I can't believe I have to get this under 3k... As in most rpgs, the protagonist is often given choices in conversations meant to go with the sort of personality the player likes best. Cloud's choices don't affect the outcome of the story for the most part, but you can assume I generally picked the kinder responses. If specific things are brought up in the RP, I can mention an exact answer then, but they shouldn't come into play much.)
Backstory - Flashbacks/Before Crisis/Crisis Core
Cloud was born in Nibelheim, raised primarily by his mother as his father died when he was still very young. He considered himself more mature than most of the kids his age and didn't hang out with them, though he was fond of one neighbor - Tifa Lockhart. Her mother died when he was nine, and the two of them ventured into Mt. Nibel under Tifa's belief that she could see her mother there. There was an accident and Tifa was injured. Cloud was blamed for it, and he also blamed himself for being too weak to save her. At the age of 13, he decided to sign up for SOLDIER - an elite group of fighters under the Shinra corporation.
Despite his desires, Cloud only made Infantry status. In this position, however, he still managed to make good connections - notably with a SOLDIER by the name of Zack Fair who he met on an excursion to the small town of Modeoheim. Though he did his best to help during this mission, he ended up more beat up than anything - excusable, given the opponents. (Between this time and the next time he meets Zack, apparently, he was part of a mission to rescue one Professor Rayleigh from Avalanche. His actions proving too hasty, he ended up being saved by one of the Turks instead.) Aside from showing up once in Junon to be airsick, the two of them didn't meet up again until a mission to Nibelheim with Sephiroth, Shinra's top 1st Class SOLDIER.
Nibelheim is where everything fell apart. Too embarrassed to show his face to Tifa and the other townspeople since he didn't make SOLDIER, he revealed himself only to his mother. (In Crisis Core, Tifa asks Zack in emails a few times about any blond SOLDIER members.) Meanwhile, Sephiroth found out that Jenova, who he knew as his mother, was actually an ancient being held by Shinra for study. He's driven mad after further research, and considered himself an Ancient and the planet's rightful heir. In his madness, he burned down Nibelhiem and killed most of the residents. Zack and Tifa both chased him to the reactor but were taken out. Cloud, unexpected by Sephiroth, managed to get the drop on him. Driven by anger, Cloud was able to defeat Sephiroth but was gravely wounded in the process. Afterwards, he and Zack (as well as some surviving townspeople) were picked up by Hojo to be used for experimentation.
They spent four years in the lab under the Shinra mansion in Nibelheim even as the town above them was rebuilt and repopulated with people who knew nothing about the Sephiroth incident. Eventually, Zack was able to break both of them out. They had been given Jenova cells and were exposed to high amounts of mako during the experimentation. Zack handled it well due to the procedure he'd already been put through for SOLDIER, but Cloud was left in a vegetative state, suffering from mako addiction/poisoning and a poor reaction to the Jenova cells implanted in his body. Zack spent another year taking care of him while on the run from Shinra but was eventually killed just outside Midgar. With his final words he left a now conscious Cloud his sword and his dreams. Distraught, Cloud made his way into the city.
(Yes, I've left out everything with Genesis and Angeal. They're more a part of Zack's story than Cloud's, and I didn't think the extra information was necessary - especially as Cloud makes no mention of them in his own later retellings.)
Original Game
Despite a promise to Zack never to forget, Cloud collapses again after reaching Midgar. The Jenova cells play havoc on his memory in his poor state and he develops a new personality based on Zack and the attitude he believes a SOLDIER would have. He considers himself an ex-SOLDIER, in Zack's place as though the man never existed.
The original game starts off with Cloud as a mercenary helping the anti-Shinra organization "Avalanche." Shinra is, at least if you ask any of the terrorists, destroying the planet by sapping it of all its mako energy. The group is composed of Barret (the leader), three subordinates called Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie, and Tifa. Though he helps them destroy one of the reactors with plans to take out others, he tries to make it very clear that he doesn't care for them, their goals, or basically anyone. A reminder from Tifa about a promise made seven years ago before he left to try and join SOLDIER (to protect her if she was ever in trouble) casts some doubt on this. They have a bit more trouble with the second reactor than the first, and this time President Shinra himself shows up to stop them - leaving them with a large robot to fight. They defeat it, but it explodes. With that and the following explosion from the bomb they'd planted in the reactor, Cloud falls down into the slums below.
It's obvious at this point that there's something a little off about Cloud, as both times in the reactors he had flashes of memory - voices and images from the incident at Nibelheim. As he lies unconscious here, he is addressed by another voice in his subconscious which eventually turns into that of the flower girl, Aerith, who it was possible to buy a flower from in an earlier scene. Aerith is an odd character, often followed by Turks, someone who recognizes Cloud's glowing mako eyes as a mark of SOLDIER and apparently had a boyfriend in SOLDIER in the past. She takes an interest in Cloud from the start and is determined to see him back to Sector 7. Before they get there, however, they catch sight of Tifa in the back of a cart on the way to Wallmarket. She's trying to get information on Shinra from a man named Don Corneo. In order to help her out, Aerith and Cloud sneak in as well - Cloud as a girl.
Our main protagonist apparently loses half his backbone around women - or perhaps just these women. In any case, at this point the uncaring persona he'd adopted is already rapidly fading, save for a few conversation options. The information they gather from Don Corneo is that Shinra is about to bring the plate down on Sector 7 in the hopes of wiping out Avalanche and then blaming the catastrophe on them. The group is unable to stop this from happening. Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie die when it falls and Aerith is kidnapped by Shinra. In the brief time they've known each other, Cloud has already become attached to the woman (she seems to have that affect on everyone) and when he finds out she's apparently the last "Ancient" (a race that once ruled the planet and the same race that Sephiroth believed himself a part of) he has even more questions he wants to ask her. The random flashes of memory have continued up until now and will continue still.
In an attempt to break into Shinra HQ, they are all captured. Ironically, it's an attack on HQ by Sephiroth (as he claims body of Jenova) that lets them escape. In the process, President Shinra is killed, his son Rufus Shinra comes to power, and they pick up one of Hojo's test subjects - a talking lion-like creature by the name of Red XIII. Breaking out of the Shinra building and then Midgar spectacularly by motorcycle and truck, the group decides to go after Sephiroth - who Cloud deems the true danger to the planet.
They regroup in Kalm, and here Cloud gives his flashback as to how he knows Sephiroth. In this flashback, he's replaced Zack as the other SOLDIER there. It's obvious through the retelling that Tifa doesn't recall him being there and is confused by this. Not only that, but the flashback is broken up in places and he can't recall the actual fight with Sephiroth. This is one of the reasons he wants to find him again.
From here, it's a matter of chasing Sephiroth down. They get a chocobo and cross the marshes to the Mithril Mine (where they run into a few of the Turks). After this it's Junon Harbor. (Yuffie can be picked up as a party member on the way.) After saving a girl and her dolphin from a monster, they rest up. The same voice in Cloud's head from before (in the church) brings up the issue of why he didn't speak more to Tifa when he was in Nibelheim. When confronted about the issue, however, Tifa claims it was too long ago for her to remember correctly.
There is a celebration for Rufus Shinra going on in Junon, and they use that as a distraction to get aboard a ship bound for Costa del Sol. While on board, they have an encounter with Jenova coordinated by Sephiroth. This leaves them with even more questions as they reach their destination and come across Professor Hojo on vacation. He recognizes Cloud and seems to find something very funny, but speaks vaguely - asking him if he feels like he's being drawn somewhere.
Crossing the mountains, they eventually arrive in North Corel, Barret's hometown with a tragic story that ended in its ruin. They take a rail there to the Gold Saucer, an amusement park. Here they meet Cait Sith (a cat riding a stuffed moogle!) who forces his way into the party after giving some interesting (and truthful) fortunes. They run into some mishaps helping Barret deal with an old friend, but eventually manage to bum a car from the Gold Saucer's manager and head toward Gongaga - Zack's hometown. Aerith and Tifa take moments to think back on him (Zack was, in fact, the boyfriend from SOLDIER Aerith mentioned before), but Cloud's memory of him is still blank. After they leave, the car breaks down before reaching Cosmo Canyon, Red XIII's (who's real name is Nanaki) hometown.
Here, they learn about the lifestream and the cycle of life from Bugenhagen, an elder Red XIII claims to be his grandfather. The mako reactors really are sucking life from the planet. The group leaves Cosmo Canyon with new purpose and reach Nibelheim. Cloud and Tifa are surprised to see it completely rebuilt. (Cloud wasn't conscious when Zack brought him through it before.) There are cloaked figures everywhere muttering about some sort of "Reunion." Sephiroth mentions it too, after Cloud meets him again in the basement of the mansion, and tells him to come along. After this, the party can recruit Vincent, a mysterious man sleeping in a coffin in the basement.
They head on through the mountains to Rocket Town, where they help Cid, a member of Shinra's defunct space program, escape from Shinra by plane (though it's shot down and they end up using it as a boat). They return to the Gold Saucer in order to retrieve an item called the Keystone from the manager that they need for the Temple of the Ancients. At this point, however, Cait Sith is revealed to be a spy. He steals the Keystone and the others follow him to the Temple where the Turks have already been attacked by Sephiroth. While they'd believed him to be after the "Promised Land" like they were (a land rich in mako energy), he's apparently after something else - the black materia to summon Meteor. In times of great disaster, the planet gathers up its life energy to heal itself. He wants to steal all that energy for himself instead - becoming "one with the planet," a god. Due to Aerith's ability to speak with the spirits of the Ancients in the temple, they find out that the temple itself is the Black Materia. With a sacrifice by Cait Sith, they manage to collect it. However, Sephiroth is able to control Cloud through the Jenova cells in his body just enough to make him hand it over. (Here, for the first time, we see the image of Cloud's inner conscience - taking the form of himself as a child.) Realizing what he'd done, and being confused and angry, Cloud begins attacking Aerith. As others yell at him to stop, he eventually passes out.
In a dream, Aerith comes to him and tells him to let her deal with Sephiroth. When she runs off, Sephiroth appears. He wakes up, and realizes they must go after them to the City of the Ancients. When they find Aerith, she's praying. Sephiroth almost controls Cloud into killing her, and when that fails, he does it himself. He leaves them angry and in mourning, with Jenova's voice telling Cloud he's just a puppet. After Cloud lays her to rest in a pool of water, the group continues on to Icicle Inn and the Northern Crater.
In Icicle Inn, there are videos with information on Aerith's parents - the Ancient, Ifalna, and Professor Gast. They escape the Turks there again and head to the Northern Crater where they see more robed figures heading toward the Reunion. Apparently, this is where Sephiroth's real body is. (What they'd been following until now had been him controlling Jenova and/or illusions, according to official information.) Cloud and Tifa are confronted by Sephiroth again, and he shows them images of the Nibelheim incident as it had really been - with Zack instead of Cloud. Cloud insists all the images are illusions, but Tifa's increasing unease along with Sephiroth's words have an obvious affect on him. Sephiroth leads him even further astray than necessary, however, claiming that Hojo created him completely in the lab and that he wasn't even the original Cloud that Tifa knew. With Sephiroth's aid, he easily gets the black materia back from the teammate he'd handed it over to for safekeeping.
The Shinra higher ups are there to witness this in an airship. Hojo is more concerned with the success of his Jenova Reunion theory than with any of Rufus' plans, but is somewhat upset to find that the only successful one of his experiments to meet back up with Sephiroth was one deemed a failure and he refuses to give Cloud a number like the others. Apologizing to everyone, Cloud hands the black matera over Sephiroth's true body. Meteor is summoned, Weapon (a monstrous protector of the planet) awakens, and the rest of the group barely escapes in time aboard the Shinra airship.
Before the remaining members of the group can be executed by Shinra, Cait Sith helps them acquire the Highwind - the airship they'd been on earlier. With it, they eventually end up in Mideel, where Cloud has been for the past week... in a catatonic state much like the one he was in after Zack rescued him from the lab in Nibelheim. He must have reached Mideel through the lifestream, and was subjected to far too much mako. Tifa stays with him while the others go on to continue the effort to stop both Shinra and Sephiroth. They manage to obtain two of the three items Shinra had been after (huge materia) before returning to Mideel, whereupon they're attacked by Weapon. The ground is also shaking as the lifestream breaks through the surface there. Tifa tries to get Cloud out of the town, but doesn't manage in time. The two of them fall into the lifestream.
Here, Tifa finds herself faced with Cloud's subconscious. She helps him recall his true memories, relive the events of the past as they actually happened. His sense of self restored, Cloud and Tifa return to the surface and rejoin the others. Cloud divulges the whole truth to them as well, and they're still willing to remain by his side.
Together they go after the last of the huge materia in the deep waters around Junon, but fail to get it there. They follow Shinra to Rocket Town, where they plan to launch the rocket at the slowly descending Meteor. Cid is determined to see the rocket fly, so they end it up and use the escape pod before it hits (taking the huge materia with them). It barely has any impact on Meteor, however. With no other idea of what to do, the group goes back to Bugenhagen in Cosmo Canyon for advice and end up taking him to the City of the Ancients. He is able to help them learn that Aerith summoned Holy before she died - a power strong enough to counter Meteor. Sephiroth, however, is keeping it at bay.
Shinra, having moved the canon in Junon to Midgar, manage to blow through Weapon as well as the barrier Sephiroth has set around the northern crater, but the building Rufus is in is destroyed in the process. (Though in Advent Children it's revealed that he's not dead.) Hojo then takes over the controls, meaning to overload the canon and send Sephiroth energy. When the group returns to Midgar to confront him, it is also revealed here that he's Sephiroth's biological father. With Hojo defeated and Shinra in ruins, the only thing left is to confront Sephiroth and defeat him.
Cloud has everyone leave and contemplate their reasons for fighting before they go on. He wants to make sure they're all in this for the long haul and certain about their decision. When they're gone, he and Tifa have some touching moments together, realizing they're both basically alone in the world but have each other to turn to. They return to the ship to find that everyone has decided to stay. Now they're off to the final battle.
They confront Jenova as well Sephiroth in three powerful forms. At the end, Cloud realizes that Sephiroth's conscious is still in the lifestream and there is one final, purely mental confrontation. Cloud, now with a strong will to back him up, defeats Sephiroth again. Aerith, from within the lifestream, helps return his consciousness. He and the rest of the party fly away from the crater and watch as the lifestream rises up to meet Meteor as it descends upon Midgar. With some urging from Aerith's spirit, Holy is able to use its full power. In this final, climactic moment, the game ends.
What point in time are you taking your character from when he/she appears at Landel's and why?:
I'll be taking him from the end of the original game, reason being that I'm iffy about his character development in Advent Children. This Cloud has come to grips with who he really is and will be able to handle most situations with a rational mind. The appearance of Sephiroth and Zack, of course (especially given the points in time each would be from) would be particularly shocking. I think that goes for all three of them, though.
Please give us a detailed description of your character's personality:
The man we see at the beginning of the original game is rude, arrogant, and doesn't seem to care for much more than when he'll receive his next payment. Despite this, he is still obviously a good guy deep down (or maybe even not so deep down) as you can see not only from some of the choices that can be made when speaking with others, but in small actions he takes - such as helping Jessie when the first reactor is exploding, holding on to the flower he buys from Aerith (if he buys one - and who doesn't?), giving basic tutorial instructions, etc. In fact, the arrogant facade starts to fall away not too far into the plot. It's completely gone even before he remembers who he really is. Though he's still relying on altered memories, his real personality breaks through to the surface some.
Cloud's original persona appears as a younger, child version of himself in his subconscious. Somewhere deep down, he was still a lost child - emotionally stunted, perhaps. Another explanation is that this is the point in his life where he's truest to himself, before he starts blaming himself and considering himself weak. This part of him merges into his complete self when the shattered bits of his psyche are pulled together.
The real Cloud is a very caring individual. He worries for the safety of others and hates the idea of leaving anyone in a dangerous situation. Aerith actually comments on this several times: "Hey that's Cloud's line! '...It's too dangerous, I can't let you get involved...' blah, blah, blah..." He's a very emotional person and is hit very deeply when people die. He even goes so far as to tell Barret at one point that he's not allowed to die, because if he does he'll have nightmares. This is seen all throughout Cloud's past as well - especially in Nibelheim. A difference between his real self and the Zack!zelf is a loss of some of the bravado and any need to act cool around others.
It was Cloud's weak will that kept him from making SOLDIER and allowed Sephiroth to gain such control over him through the course of the game. By the end of it, however, he's able to destroy Sephiroth through his will alone. He's developed into a true leader, someone others look up to. He knows who he is and what he's capable of. His determination is something he's had from the very beginning. Perhaps it was the fact that he believed himself to have been in SOLDIER for a while that allowed him to develop this stronger will. He became a stronger person than he was by believing himself to be one. Barret has even handed over the position of leader to him not too far into the story, though it's clear many of the others counted him as leader even before that.
Because of all he's been through, Cloud seems to have developed a good sense of empathy with others. He's understanding and, unlike he was known to do when he was younger, he won't jump headfirst into situations without first assessing the situation. (For the most part. Particularly strong emotions could probably change this.) For example, he doesn't treat Yuffie like a pest at the end of the game when she's complaining about airsickness or when she asks him to sign over the materia to her after they finish the battle, instead giving her tips for dealing with the sickness and calmly turning down the second request.
People often forget that Cloud has a sense of humor. There are several times before he leaves Midgar, even, that he jokes and laughs with others, and we see it more in possible conversation choices throughout the game. ("You look like a bear wearing a marshmallow." "I'll make a big enough ruckus for everyone.") He's definitely not too stuffy to do things a more stoic character wouldn't be caught dead doing. Take for example the cross-dressing incident in Wallmarket. It's possible for Cloud to doll himself up enough to actually be picked as the girl Don Corneo takes to his room. He can walk into the Honeybee Inn and have one of the girls put makeup on him. Then you have the scene where he and another character participate in a play in the Gold Saucer. Aside from the one basic path, and depending on who comes with him, there are some pretty amusing endings. (Some which involve Cloud twirling off stage with the other actors.) He has more of a dry wit than anything, normally - not so upbeat that he jokes around all the time.
Cloud is in fact something of a pushover where his friends are concerned. He's easily dragged into situations he'd prefer not to be in. As long as it doesn't hurt anything in the long run, he won't put up much of a fuss aside from a "Hey! Wait!" An example of this is when he's designated as the one to perform CPR on the girl in Junon, then use the dolphin to get up to the harbor while being careful of the electrical current around the tower. He was basically volunteered for both without much say.
I tried to find what sort of exact dialect Cloud used in the original release of the game, but couldn't find anything. He speaks rather informally all through the game - likely because of his background as a "country boy" - dropping g's every so often and using "gonna" and "ain't."
As far as quirks go, Cloud seems to have an appreciation for fancy modes of transportation (such as motorcycles). This is ironic, given that he's prone to motion sickness. While he believed himself to be someone else, the motion sickness was forgotten. Unfortunately, when he got his memories back that returned as well. He's fine as long as he's controlling the vehicle or he's nervous (and he's definitely not as bad off as Yuffie even when he's not). Just don't ask him to read anything while he's on something moving.
Please give us a physical description of your character:
Cloud doesn't look like he'd be built to wield a sword the size of the one he uses, being slim of build and around 5'7"-5'8". His most distinguishing feature is his hair, which is bright blond and spikes up in all directions - most notably in a large spike in the middle. This will probably be tamer at Landel's, but I can't help but think that some of it is natural (especially because of the flashback scenes). His eyes are deep blue and glow faintly with mako energy.
What kinds of otherwordly abilities does your character have, if any?:
Cloud has been enhanced basically the same as a member of SOLDIER. (First class, even.) This means he generally has higher strength, agility, and stamina than most. (Though really, he's not that much more powerful than any of his comrades due to game mechanics. They're just all pretty powerful.) Even the lowest class of SOLDIER is far more powerful than a regular infantryman, and those in 1st Class are practically monsters, taking out legions of regular troopers. Of note, in the original game it was mentioned that all SOLDIERS were given Jenova cells. In Crisis Core, this was retconned so that only the strongest 1st class members had them, due to being parts of experiments. Zack didn't even have them until after Nibelheim. The SOLDIER creating procedure involved just mako enhancement.
He can use materia, as can all the characters. These are stones that focus the energy of the planet into magic and summoning spells with various effects. Like every playable character in the game, he has several "limit breaks" which he can use once he's taken enough damage or is sufficiently angry. (Here's a list: http://www.eternal-legend.com/ffvii/limits/cloud.shtml )
If present, how do you plan to tweak these powers to make your character appropriately hindered in the setting of Landel's?:
Obviously he won't be able to use materia here, so magic won't actually be an issue. I'd like him to be able to use some of his limit breaks - mostly just the purely physical ones. Blade Beam, Meteorrain and Finishing Touch won't be used, but I think he should be able to use tamer versions of Braver, Cross-slash, Climhazzard, and even Omnislash. But like I said, they'd be tamer - just a little bit stronger than his regular attacks (and I mean a little bit) and more to be flashy than anything. He wouldn't use them unless he'd been beaten up a bit or was reasonably angry - as in the game. He also won't be able to weather as much damage as his high-leveled end-game self would, nor perform super amazing physical feats (like leaping from several stories, perhaps). In other words, he'll feel like he just lost a whole load of levels. :|
Does your character have any non-otherworldy abilities/training that surpass the norm?:
Nothing that really surpasses the norm, no.