Cloud Strife...

[SPOILERS EVERYWHERE IN THIS POST.]
[SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS]





I'd like to hear comments about this particular character who I find very interesting.

When he was young, he was very shy and hesitant to hang around with other kids. He adored Tifa and wanted to be noticed by her, which is hard knowin the people she hangs around with are against him. When Tifa went to Mt. Nibel, he ended getting blamed for Tifa's accident when his only intention was to make sure she would be alright. He didn't get mad at the misunderstanding of him being responsible, but he blamed himself as well. Then he wanted to join SOLDIER to mainly get Tifa's attention.

His body rejected Jenova cells/Mako because he was in a weak state of mind (probably because he was very discouraged due to his very anxious childhood). With that, he didn't get into SOLDIER. I would not be surprised if his physical capabilities were equal+ to members of SOLDIER. Its was the rejection of the Jenova cells/Mako that was a sure reason he didn't get into SOLDIER.
So basically he was ashamed of who he was. When Sephiroth burned his home and almost killed Tifa, Cloud
just couldn't take it anymore. He went for Sephiroth (very suicidal in my opinion. Extremely strong man who is in rage= AAHHHH) and somehow... Overcame him. Then he was taken in as an experiment...

Cloud has gone through so much. He's been through hell worse than that most people have in their whole lifetime... He kept going for the goal that he would someday be able to get close to Tifa. That was unlikely to happen with him being so hesitant. He wanted to get into SOLDIER, which was probably the only thing he really wanted to go for. That opprtunity was taken from him. Then he loses his whole hometown and the only person he really cared about. :eep:

When he eventually ended up in Midgar, it was seeing Tifa that finally brought him to conciousness. He was being a person that wasn't really him, and couldn't understand many things about himself. (being a science experiment for 5 years can do that). When he got lost with himself, he did not know how to handle the situation... What did Sephiroth do? He used this to his advantage and got himself the Black Materia.

Generally Cloud's whole life is, in my opinion, very unfortunate. Even after interpreting his life as meaningless, he continued to search for himself...

After discovering himself, he still kept going on in the journey to prevent Sephiroth/Jenova from achieving their goal of destroying the planet. His past is full of regret, but he still keeps going. Through the rest of the game, he hardley shows any sign of depression over everything that has befallen him. He doesn't know what will happen, but he still keeps going. In my opinion, he is one of the most inspiring characters that show that it is not surprising to not want to get up after constantly falling down, but if you want to get up, you can.

Okay I think that's enough... I think Cloud is one of the best examples for someone who has taken a bunch of crap but still keeps living his life. Yeah....

I've also found him quite amazing as well. He's extremely strong-willed and terribly vulnerable at the same time. I think that overall, Cloud was far too hard on himself. He set unbelievable high standards, and cut himself down whenever he failed. I don't think that only Tifa was to blame for setting these heights, but Sephiroth as well. He also wanted to become famous (but who doesn't, right?). I think that Cloud was still a child at heart. He was incubated for 5 years, so technically he was actually in a 16-year-old mindset at the beginning of the game. I think it was amazing how much more mature he became in that short amount of time from being hired as a mercenary to saving the planet from an enormous meteor. Overall, I see Cloud as the main character in a Greek tragedy.....only, in the end, he succeeds.

Ironically, it's Cloud's 'weaknesses' that make him such a strong character. His sense of justice, his desire to pursue what's right - that's what drives him, even after all he's been through. He can give an outward appearance of calm self-assuredness, even when he has doubts in his heart. This makes him a great leader for his friends. Friends... to whom he is completely loyal and true. He's always ready to sacrifice all for those he cares about, even to the extent that he was prepared to go to the North Cave alone when he thought that his comrades weren't going to return to the Highwind. He may not value himself that much, but he doesn't let that get in the way of his compassion. Instead of giving up because he's 'not good enough', Cloud'll gladly fling himself into the path of danger if there's even a chance, a hope of success.

Quite an admirable character, in my opinion.

Exactly what I wanted to say, Big D. And yet you said it so much better than I ever could have. That's probably why I'm not an English major.

Well I have to say Cloud Strife was a great character, but like all character they all have a weakness, and big d has said it!

yes,i agree

The great thing about Cloud is, at the start of the game, he's a hard man, ice cool and a bad ass to boot. Then we see his fits, but this is downplayed a bit. Next, Sephiroth controls him. How is he able to do this? And then the real events of Nibelheim with Zack being there certainly had me puzzled, so I daren't think what Cloud must have thought. The first time round, I thought that Cloud knew full well what happened at Nibelheim, and he was lying about it. After replaying the game several times again, I began to realise what had really happened - aided by the flashback of his and Zack's escape. Cloud had confused himself with Zack, and this is what Sepiroth used to control him.
Yet when Cloud discovers the truth, it doesn't destroy him. Yes, he has a bit of Soul Searching, but the massive illusion that he had believed in so strongly suddenly shattered in front of his eyes, coupled with the fact that Aeris had so recently been snatched away from him, Cloud must have felt his world falling to pieces. Yet still, he picks himself up, and marches on to face Sephiroth - he knows he is the only one to do it.

Cloud = great.

(spoiler)

it was said the cloud never made it to soldier, right. so when he took zacks sword and attacked sephiroth, what was he? he was dressed as a solder but it said he wasnt.

p.s please dont say anything about the ending thats the only thing i havent done in the main story.

There's a difference between being in SOLDIER and being a soldier. SOLDIER is Shinra's elite, the best of the best. Like Zack and Sephiroth. Cloud never made it into SOLDIER, but he became a soldier in Shinra's regular army.:)

ooooooooooh, that explans it all

I guess you could compare the difference between SOLDIERs and soldiers to the difference between officers and enlisted/NCO's in RL militaries...

SOLDIER is an elite fighting force, and Shinra Soldiers are just well... cannon fodder.

SOLDIER is like the navy seals
soldier is like the army

Quote:

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Originally posted by muchacho marc
SOLDIER is like the navy seals
soldier is like the army

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:cool: Cloud is the coolest charachter in all of final fantasy so what if he is cold he has a cool hairstyle, he gets to dress up as a woman, a soldier and gets to ride Chocobos, buggy's airships etc he even falls into the lifestream he is amazing how many other final fantasy charachters can say they have fallen into a liquid of dead people and lived?