Deadliest Character: Lightning vs. Cloud. WHO IS DEADLIEST!?

The Final Fantasy series has had many character and warrior prove their worth in combat. However, they have never fought each other. What happens when we re-write gaming history? What happens when we pit famous men and women against each other? What happens when we see who is the best warrior?

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Lightning. Superhuman soldier-turned-freedom fighter, Lightning bravely led a group of outcasts called l'Cie to save the very people who outcasted her. Agile, cunning, and quick-thinking, Lightning mastered versatile fightning with the Blaze Edge gunblade and Paradigm system!

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Cloud Strife. Genetically-enhanced warrior who toppeled an evil corporate empire. With a shattered memory and unstable ego, Cloud fought control from an evil being to destory his rival and save an entire planet twice from extinction. Using his iconic Buster Sword and Materia system, Cloud combined brawn and brains in one unique package!

Who. Is. Deadliest?

Our scientist, doctor, tactician, and all-around Renaissance he-man, Laddy, will do the research it takes to see which of these warriors. He will determine each character's weapon, abilities, statistics, and fighting styles to see who is the deadliest character!

Check back daily(?) for updates on how the fight is going! After Laddy evaluates each of the areas and crowns who gets the edge, he will write a simulation of the battles and determine the victor!

Weapon: Blaze Edge vs. Buster Sword

Each warrior will be bringing in a unique and iconic weapon. Both are futuristic swords with completely different uses. Let's examine the blades.

Blaze Edge
The Blaze Edge is a sword-gun combo. It's light and easily storable, perfect for Lightning's acrobatic combat style. Not only is it a great sword, it's an effective rifle as well.
Pros: Fast, flexible, light, long-range, has two uses.
Cons: Smaller, could be argued its status as both as gun and sword harms its use, making both less effective.

Buster Sword
Cloud's iconic buster sword is a seven-foot marvel of a weapon, suprisingly easy to carry and has a devastating attack power and range, making it a great chopping weapon.
Pros: Devastatingly strong, fairly good range, gives good blocking ability.
Cons: Still slower, a mid-range weapon is still only one range, more awkward and clumsy to recover from if one should miss.

Edge: Blaze Edge. It's faster and it has two uses. Strength and power is excellent; but in a battle, options and speed gives you more to work with both physically and mentally.. Blaze Edge all the way.

In FF7:AC Cloud chopped some weapons in half that were eerily reminiscent of the blade edge. ;)

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Originally Posted by VeloZer0

In FF7:AC Cloud chopped some weapons in half that were eerily reminiscent of the blade edge. ;)

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I'm not counting AC as it's not a game. And besides, with the Blaze Edge you don't even have to get in his range. It's faster, it's lighter, and it's also a gun. The extra options lets you get as close as you want to, not as you need to.

Rooting for lightning on this one.

I can't read Cloud's stuff because of your stupid blue color choice, so I guess Lightning wins.

From what I heard Lightning can only have 1 summon in her game and Cloud can have as many as there are materia slots for his weapon and accessory. Cloud also has the power of fanbase and SE corporate backing.

Abilities: Paradigm vs. Materia

Both characters are armed with an interesting source of abilities. Lightning comes equipped with a job systemesque Paradigm system and Cloud has his item-based Materia system.

Paradigm System
FFXIII's Paradigm system allows her to swap between predetermined party sets. Lightning specializes in Commando ( a fighting role), Ravager (a spellcasting role), and Medic (a healing role). Her stats are unaffected by changing paradgims.
Pros: Can completely change roles on the fly with no detriment to skills, HP, and such. Her summon, Odin, is very powerful, capable of changing into a vehicle.
Cons: Has only one summon, limited offensive/defensive capabilities in certain paradigms.

Materia System
FFVII's Materia system is an item-based system in which various orbs known as Materia are junctioned into equipment to change stats, spells, summons, and abilities. Cloud can technically use any combination of them.
Pros: Gives an extreme degree of flexibility, can allow you multiple sources to draw from.
Cons: Weighting down too much Materia lowers the abilities of all of them as a whole, affect attributes, can't change them mid-battle.


Edge: Materia. A very close one. However, Materia is very powerful, and if Cloud can take advantage of his strengths and come prepared with a good selection of Materia, he can become quite powerful. Plus, he has limitless spells and summons available. As long as he plans well and packs modestly, he should be pretty tough.

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Originally Posted by Laddy

Plus, he has limitless spells and summons available. As long as he plans well and packs modestly, he should be pretty tough.

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Limited by his MP. And you can only use a summon as many times as you have stars (I think), so you can only use a summon 5 times at most in one battle.

Lightning summon's based on skill points, isn't it? So that's limited. But spells are on AP, so that's unlimited (Ravagers use spells, as do Medics, obviously). Lightning can also go into any role, so that includes Saboteur, Sentinel and Synergist.

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Originally Posted by champagne supernova

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Originally Posted by Laddy

Plus, he has limitless spells and summons available. As long as he plans well and packs modestly, he should be pretty tough.

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Limited by his MP. And you can only use a summon as many times as you have stars (I think), so you can only use a summon 5 times at most in one battle.

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It's not like it really matters that much. How many times will he really need to w-summon kotr before lightning dies anyway? Let's not even get into a final attack and phoenix combo.

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Originally Posted by champagne supernova

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Originally Posted by Laddy

Plus, he has limitless spells and summons available. As long as he plans well and packs modestly, he should be pretty tough.

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Limited by his MP. And you can only use a summon as many times as you have stars (I think), so you can only use a summon 5 times at most in one battle.

Lightning summon's based on skill points, isn't it? So that's limited. But spells are on AP, so that's unlimited (Ravagers use spells, as do Medics, obviously). Lightning can also go into any role, so that includes Saboteur, Sentinel and Synergist.

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I mean selection. And besides, Lightning has to change roles for her to do anything else.

Statistics: Lightning vs. Cloud.

Lightning
Lightning is a fantastic physical attacker and competent attack spellcaster. What makes her interesting is that she's also really, really damn fast.
Pros: Strong, Sturdy, Good Attack Spellcaster, Very Fast
Cons: Limited Healing, Not Quite as Physically Strong as Cloud.

Cloud
Like Lightning, Cloud is also physically strong and a solid mage. Some would argue he is slightly better in both areas. However, Cloud has the distinction of being one of the slowest characters in FFVII.
Pros: Even Stronger and Sturdier than Lightning. Better spellcaster and healer.
Cons: Not particularly notable difference otherwise. Much, much slower.

Edge: Lightning. Let's be real, the comparitive differences between Cloud and Lightning aren't very big at all. However, Lightning is clearly much, much, faster. Both in-game and during FMV's. Cloud's slightly tougher, but it doesn't mean much when Lightning strikes.

Ohhhhhh yeah~

Comabt Style: Guardian Corps vs. SOLDIER.

Guardian Corps
Lightning's fighting style is stealthy and quick, using a variety of jumps, flips, and rolls to evade and capture the target by suprise. She uses a good mix of close and long range, magic and combat. Essentially, she's a lot like a Ninja, getting in and out quickly and efficiently. Lightning attained the rank of seargant.
Pros: Very fast and agile. Uses a variety of acrobatics to make her fearsome. Can evade damage with her speed. Higher rank.
Cons: Lacking in brute strength, better at evading attacks than deflecting them.

SOLDIER
Cloud's SOLDIER style taught him the use of the rifle, with his knowledge of the Buster Sword being passed down to him by his buddy Zack. Essentially, this style makes his a physical powerhouse, cleaving through foes with amazing strength. Also, he's trained more as a soldier than an operative, so one can argue that's he's the better combatant. He reached Second Class.
Pros: Relies on brute force, making his hits more devastating. Taught as a straight-up warrior.
Cons: Lower rank than Lightning, his straight-up training gives him a lack of tricks.

Edge: Guardian Corps. This was a close one, but Lightning's superior rank makes her more versatile, more able to adapt, and faster. Although Cloud isn't far behind; his use of strength and more straight-up combat training makes him formidable as well.

So, there we have it. We've evaluated four areas. Weapons. Abilities. Statistics. Combat Style. Although, how does this factor in? In a battle of supersoldiers, will it be male or female out on top? Speed versus Strength? Substantial Style or Stylistic Substance? The battle is on its way!

Lightning vs. Cloud

Who. Is. Deadliest!?
(Yes, this is supposed to be pretty cheesy. The show Deadliest Warrior is awesomely so, so I'm following their example.)

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Originally Posted by Laddy

Cloud's SOLDIER style taught him the use of the rifle, with his knowledge of the Buster Sword being passed down to him by his buddy Zack. Essentially, this style makes his a physical powerhouse, cleaving through foes with amazing strength. Also, he's trained more as a soldier than an operative, so one can argue that's he's the better combatant. He reached Second Class.

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Sorry to keep doing this to you, but Cloud was never in SOLDIER. He was just a standard infantryman. That's why he became nuts when he was injected with Jenova cells, unlike SOLDIER recruits (although Sephiroth probably did lose it, he was less augmented and more created).