Cloud's strength and Jenova cells (unmarked FFVII and AC spoilers)

[Russielloyd]

Maybe your not suppost to get the proper reason till youve played and watched all the games and the movies.

As you see in Last Order Zack and Cloud are being followed while in the Mako Reactor in Nibelhiem and Traveling to Midgar. Meaning something must of deffinately happened before the visit to Nibelheim.

You'll have Crisis Core which is set 5 years before the events that take place in Final Fantasy 7, that will be last game of the compilation to be released (i think), so all your theorys and guesses might be given then.

[?????]

That's actually a good theory. It explains why Cloud would be able to perform feats of incredible physical strength.

Cloud's psyche was already beginning to erode by the time he decided to become a SOLDIER. Perhaps this is why he reacted adversely to the Mako.

[Masamune·1600]

If one is postulating that Cloud has some kind of special affinity for Mako that makes him stronger than normal humans even without actually being infused with Mako, one must also postulate where this special strength is derived from. One must also question, if this is the case, why he didn't make SOLDIER. If you can explain those, I'll accept your analysis.

It's derivative of the Lifestream, as all life on Gaia is based on Spirit Energy. Cloud, in other words, may simply have more powerful Spirit Energy/a closer link to the Planet/however one wants to say it than others do. What I suggested when I made the point about the Lifestream was that Cloud's ability to survive could potentially be used to argue such a point.

As to why Cloud failed to make SOLDIER, there are two main lines of thought, and a third which links the two. One would be, assuming Cloud was infused with Mako and given JENOVA cells prior to Hojo's experiments, an early reaction to the JENOVA cells. Alternatively, Cloud's crippling self-doubt and weakened will might have in some way prevented entry. The combination of these ideas would suggest that JENOVA magnified Cloud's self-doubt to a point where it would be impossible for him to enter SOLDIER. It seems extremely unlikely that his failure had anything to do with his physical abilities.

I've not seen this prologue that you refer to. I'd be appreciative if someone could provide a link.

The AC Prologue, as seen on Amazon

If you apply that to the injection of Mako/Jenova Cells, it's probably assumed that Cloud was rejected from SOLDIER through a similar method - a small controlled application of Mako causing a minor adverse reaction.

With the exception of one notable inaccuracy, this is basically the same idea as I've always held. However, Mako had nothing to do with Cloud's problems; they were entirely due to the JENOVA cells.

The Escapee Report in the mansion basement makes this clear.

Escapee report no. 2
Description at the time of capture.
A - Former member of SOLDIER/Number ( )
No effect could be detected from either Mako Radiation Therapy or Jenova on him
B - Regular/Number ( )
Reaction to Jenova detected.

Specimen B, Cloud, reacts to the presence of JENOVA's cells, but not to Mako. Zack (specimen A), who had successfully entered SOLDIER, obviously exhibited no adverse or unusual reaction to either Mako infusion or JENOVA therapy.

[?????]

That makes sense; some people do seem to have a stronger affinity for the Lifestream than others. This seems, to a degree, to be based on their state of mind. Cloud's mental shielding had already begun to be put up at the time he left Nibelheim to enlist; it's possible that this enabled him to withstand and profit from the test Mako infusion that they probably do when you apply to enter SOLDIER. Jenova did mess him up real good, though. When I talked about him reacting adversely to the Mako earlier, I was referring to the Mideel incident. His mental walls had been broken down by Sephiroth, which would make him far more susceptible to Mako.

Oh, and I can't read Japanese.

[Cipher]

With the exception of one notable inaccuracy, this is basically the same idea as I've always held. However, Mako had nothing to do with Cloud's problems; they were entirely due to the JENOVA cells.

That may be true, but remember what Cloud says - members of SOLDIER aren't simply infused with Mako. They're also injected with Jenova cells too. So that scratch-theory could still apply. And even if the Mako didn't affect him, the Jenova did.

So I think we're generally on the same page, ne?

[?????]

With the exception of one notable inaccuracy, this is basically the same idea as I've always held. However, Mako had nothing to do with Cloud's problems; they were entirely due to the JENOVA cells.

That may be true, but remember what Cloud says - members of SOLDIER aren't simply infused with Mako. They're also injected with Jenova cells too. So that scratch-theory could still apply. And even if the Mako didn't affect him, the Jenova did.

So I think we're generally on the same page, ne?

Exactly. Hey, I think we fixed it.

[Russielloyd]

I think i know really why Cloud is still so strong after he loses the Jenova cells.

Well all through out the movie, you saw fenrir the wolf right? and was always watching over cloud.

Nobody posted this, its from a site.

When he was still a pup they had nothing to fear, but when the gods saw one day how he had grown, they decided to render him harmless. However, none of the gods had enough courage to face the gigantic wolf. Instead, they tried to trick him. They said the wolf was weak and could never break free when he was chained. Fenrir accepted the challenge and let the gods chain him. Unfortunately, he was so immensely strong that he managed to break the strongest fetters as if they were cobwebs.

Link for full story here

I think with Fenrir watching over Cloud, this is why i think Cloud is so powerfull and strong. The logic is all there.

[Rubix]

Jenova was destroyed and dissipated into the Lifestream at the end of FFVII, and the cells were distributed amongst the newborns. 2 years seems like a short time though, but that's what I made of it.

Cloud goes pretty nuts in AC, but we can presume the other characters would have done just the same. They just got cameos while Cloud was the central character, so you think he's stronger.

All things considered, AC is nothing more than a fan service, so I wouldn't take the storyline too seriously. I definitely didn't pay attention at all to the story, and just caught minor details thrown in for FFVII freaks and watched the ridiculously animé-like fight sequences.

The way I see it is that members of soldier who die had the Jenova cells in their body and when they died that cell was carried into the lifestream. When the lifestream came to fight at the end people around midgar got infected.

Cloud already had Jenova cells in his body.

[?????]

Well, even though Cloud had lost the Jenova cells, he still had a crapton of Mako in him, boosting his already incredible spiritual and physical strength. Basically, he was a warrior fighting for and empowered by the planet.