The Cloud Strife theory: By Sirayne

Warning: SPOILERS!
Cloud is a confusing character to many gamers (especially those who haven't played it 10 times through). Thats why im here to help those in need.

The first hint that Cloud isn't fully Cloud is when he tells Aeris that he was a SOLDIER 1st class. Later in Kalm when Cloud confronts Sephiroth you know theres no way in hell he can win. On disc 2 you find out that Cloud was never in SOLDIER. In Kalm Cloud said he was in the picture with Tifa and Sephiroth but in the Crater, Sephiroth shows Cloud that Zack was in the picture. Mistaken identity? I think not. In the secret cinema when you find out that Cloud was one of the MPs in Nibelheim 5 years ago and Zack was injured by Sephiroth, Zack gave Cloud the Buster Sword to confront Sephiroth with. Zack dies and Cloud somehow lives on, but he has his memories confused with Zack's. Why? When you find out the truth in Mideel, you see Cloud in the Shinra Mansion basement with Hojo monitoring him, Cloud is in a Mako tank, hence the Mako eyes even though he never in SOLDIER. So to finish this off, my theory about Cloud is that after the confrontation in Nibelheim, Clouds body remained well enough to live, but parts of his mind were broken, so Hojo replaced those parts that were broken with parts of Zack's mind, which means that Zack is a much more important character than appearances he makes in the game.


Try reading that without taking a breath lol

Edit by Kishi: Don't double-post.

Zack didn't die in Nibelheim; after Cloud tossed Sephiroth into the Lifestream beneath the reactor, Hojo and company showed up and took the incapacitated two of them to the laboratory beneath the Shin-Ra Mansion, where he experimented on them for a few years. They eventually escaped and made their way to Midgar, during which time Cloud was seriously out of it. When they finally got near Midgar, Shin-Ra soldiers caught up with them and shot Zack to death. Cloud freaked out even more, took Zack's Buster Sword and SOLDIER uniform, and reached Midgar by himself; by the time he met Tifa at the Sector 7 train station, he was gaining coherence but had unconsciously replaced some of his key memories with those of Zack. Things like having been in SOLDIER and wanting to be a mercenary were things Cloud either saw Zack do or heard Zack talk about.

Yeah but it has been awhile since I've watched the secret cinema, thanks for pointing that out.

I cant quite remember but isnt cloud a clone of sephiroth?

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Originally Posted by boys from the dwarf

I cant quite remember but isnt cloud a clone of sephiroth?

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That doesn't mean he's a genetic duplicate grown in a tube. "Sephiroth Clone" means someone that has been injected with JENOVA's Cells and infused with Mako. Blame Sony of Japan for the terrible translation in regard to context.

What I don't get is that Tifa knew cloud was remembering Zack's memories and not his own so why didnt she tell him? instead of letting him live a lie .. ok ok it makes for more interesting drama etc. But shes still mean for going it!

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Originally Posted by Ravenmorghane

What I don't get is that Tifa knew cloud was remembering Zack's memories and not his own so why didnt she tell him? instead of letting him live a lie .. ok ok it makes for more interesting drama etc. But shes still mean for going it!

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She knew he was remembering himself as having been there in Zack's place, yes, but she didn't tell hime because he was obviously not in his right state of mind and she was afraid if she told him something bad would happen, such as maybe he wouldn't be able to handle it. She tells him that in the Lifestream.

I found Clouds character and story easy to understand myself
Well, I did after the 3rd run through