Quote Originally Posted by Kawaii Ryűkishi View Post
Cloud was only a failure in terms of getting into SOLDIER and serving as a satisfactory subject for Hojo's experimentation. The latter is something anyone would hope to fail (the alternative meaning being reduced to a muttering zombie wrapped in a black shroud), and the former was negated by the revelation near the end of the game that he was stronger than anyone else ever dreamed anyway.
I believe his lack of moving on from his guilt and not accepting his past makes him a failure, in the category of being hero. A hero is not someone who is just strong and powerful, but also can put hope in people and make them feel that it is worth pushing on even when it is impossible. Cloud still acting his same gloomy way after saving the world comes off almost as if it wasn't worth it. Atleast to me it does.