Quote Originally Posted by Forsaken Lover View Post
But it's a mistake to say Aerith only liked Cloud because he reminded her of Zack. That's how it started off but soon she wanted to see the "real" Cloud. It's important to remember, and this is a thing a lot of people legitimately forget it seems, that Cloud is NOT a 1:1 copy of Zack. He has some of Zack's memories but his "fake personality" is nothing like Zack's. It's something he made up, probably trying to emulate his hero Sephiroth or the ideal SOLDIER.

Cloud had, at most, superficial similarities to Zack and Aerith spotted those. But she was perceptive enough, and there was enough "real Cloud" in the "fake Cloud" that she was attracted to something more than those superficial details.
^ Everything about this.

Aerith desired to know the real Cloud and was highly admired by the idea of becoming his future wife when Cait Sith made his prediction about Cloud/ Aerith's future in the Temple of the Ancients. She didn't want Zack 2.0 she wanted Cloud Strife. She saw some of the real Cloud within him and wanted more.

Cloud and Zack look alike but they are more like the Final Fantasy version of Ken & Ryu- they look alike, but they are completely different in personality and FF VII OG ! Cloud doesn't act really like Zack at all, just acts like what he thinks/ believes how a Solider would act- smug, heartless and confident. Zack is a womanizer, playful and outgoing.