For those who are still wondering how on earth Cloud merges his swords......

[Twilight Edge]

That is sweet. Where did you find it?

Good ol' www.photobucket.com.;)

[Big D]

yeah ive noticed the small energy burst when they merge so that probly has something to do with it. i bet its a combinaiton of magic and mechanics.

It seems like the blades lock together within the crossguard of the main weapon, but the magic/materia element is what fuses the blades into a single piece. There's virtually no visible seam between the joined blades, and even their colours match better when they're joined. Pretty cool.

But like you say, it'd be good to know where their strength comes from - Cloud's superhumanly strong thanks to his Jenova cells, which explains how he can lift the dang thing, but there's got to be something pretty sturdy preventing his blade from simply snapping off at the handle.

Still, it's a fantasy world with all kinds of products and substances we lack.

[boys from the dwarf]

hang on. in that picture i only count 4 swords. 1. the starting sword for the model. 2. the sword with teeth. 3. the sword thats handle folds and 4. and the one where its just a blade with a slot to hold it with.

ive noticed that the swords have numbers and where some are called 1 or 2, the others are called 3,4 or 5,6. is this because they are two swords in one? are there any more pictures of the sword split up into six peices which shows each individual sword? im sure there are 6 because when he uses the limit break and the swords fall down around him, ive counted 5 swords + the one he catches. any good pics that answer this?

[Distain]

Awsome. I'v been wondering about how that worked. Haha every time I watched AC I tried to count all the swords that were brought out and how they went together. Thanx for clearing that up.

[Big D]

ive noticed that the swords have numbers and where some are called 1 or 2, the others are called 3,4 or 5,6. is this because they are two swords in one?

There are six swords in total. The sword labelled [3, 4] is called that because there are two swords of the same design. Same with swords five and six. Basically, there are two swordss with the toothed pattern on the false edge. These teeth lock into the ridges on the Battle Mode version of the basic sword. There are two of the smaller swords, the cleaver-bladed weapon with the folding handle. One of these attaches to each side of the main weapon. Finally, there's that single sword where the handle is integrated into the blade. Six swords in total, but only four different designs of blade.

[Ishin Ookami]

meh, the only thing original about that is the number of swords combined, it sounds cool but it is in no way functional in a realistic basis. To make the sword, while all of them are combined, useable in a real fight (meaning not so heavy that the fighter could wield it), the metel would have to be either so light it would dent or chip easily, and eventually break in a real fight. To make the metal useable in the sense it could withstand blows, would mean the sword, when combined, would be impossible to weild effectively due to it's heaviness. Also SIX swords? Clouds either mastered the martial art of swordsmanship juggling, or he's pulled a Dr Octopus and had four more arms grafted onto him.

Just another example of Nomura attempting to grandstand again, without involving much real thought. Though I will give him credit for actually thinkng how the six blades would combine.

[Big D]

He never carries all six at once, except when they're combined into one. The weight would be ridiculous, of course, assuming the swords are steel - which they quite possibly aren't. There's plenty of fictional material in fantasy worlds. After all, FFVII itself included Mythril and Materia.

The complete six-part sword isn't that much bigger than the original Buster Sword. Even before he got his Jenova enhancements, Cloud was able to wield that one - albeit clumsily - and wound Sephiroth with it, at the Nibel Reactor. It seems fairly clear that those utterly colossal swords are only meant to be used by warriors with truly superhuman strength.

[Aralith]

Hey Big D, I think you're onto something there with that mythril idea. I hadn't thought of that before. Though in the game there is only one of Cloud's swords that are mythril (that I can think of), but it is quite possible that that's what the First Tsurugi is made out of.

[Vaincast]

Wow, Tetsuya Nomoru put alot of thought into his sword and it's impressive I can actually the swords altogether

[Big D]

If Mythril is anything like Tolkien's Mithril - the metal it so blatantly rips off - then it'd be both very strong and very light. 'Twould explain quite a bit. There are only a few Mythril items in the original game, both weapons and armour, but the metal's valuable to warrant its own mine, so it's gotta be good for something.

[Ryushikaze]

Actually, Cloud could wield the buster sword, and well, long before his Jenova injection. At one point in before Crisis, he picks up a buster sword off a fallen SOLDIER, kicks some serious butt, and apparently has no memory of it after.
Yeah. He's a beast.

[boys from the dwarf]

didnt cloud have the jenova cells ever since he was alive? the jenova cells probly had something to do with him being able to carry the 6 in one sword but the buster sword is almost definetly lighter so even if he didnt have the jenova cells in that scene, he was still proibly strong enough to carry the buster sword. im quite sure that the jenova cells are the cause of his unnatural strength and control over that huge sword. and it could have something to do with materia and spirit energy. seems as its FF there are bound to be strong metals and materials that we dont know about. im doubt its anything to do with mithril. and if it is i dont think that mithril is perticularly light in this.

[Ryushikaze]

No, Cloud was a normal- if freakishly strong and durable- child. No Jenova in his system til Hojo got his mitts on him.

In fact, I'm not sure that Jenova actually gives any other superpower other than an amazingly capacity for knowledge absorption.

[boys from the dwarf]

its not too clear what jenova cells do. its not explained very much and if at one point it says that it give an enchancement that isnt strength, that still doesnt prove that jenova cells dont make people stronger.

[Ryushikaze]

No, but there's no real evidence to support the idea that it does, either. Burden of proof on positive claim means you, who says it does grant superstrength, must find evidence for this position.