Cloud Strife

Cloud Strife

Main Continuity

Dissidia

Kingdom Hearts

Smash Bros.

“	I’m... Cloud. The master of my own illusionary world. But I can’t remain trapped in an illusion anymore... I’m going to live my life without pretending.	„
	~ Cloud Strife

“	Hey, Freyra. Keep doing your best, for the sake of us soldiers.	„
	~ Cloud Strife to Freyra

“	I pity you. You just don't get it at all. There's not a thing I don't cherish!	„
	~ Cloud Strife to Sephiroth

“	Don’t go getting yourself killed, now.	„
	~ Cloud Strife to Vincent Valentine

“	I'm... your living... legacy.	„
	~ Cloud Strife to Zack Fair

“	Damn it, I'm surrounded.	„
	~ Cloud Strife surrounded by Shinra Troops

“	Survival can be a matter of luck of skill. And you can't rely on luck.	„
	~ Cloud Strife to Jessie Raspberry

Background

Cloud Strife is the main predominant protagonist of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, starring as the main player character of Final Fantasy VII and the lead of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. He also appears as a supporting protagonist in Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Although at first claiming himself to be a 1st Class member of SOLDIER, Cloud's fight against Sephiroth pushes him towards realizations of who he really is.

This dropdown contains the synopsis of Cloud’s story. Read at your own risk as you may be spoiled otherwise!

Cloud Strife was a young boy who was born and raised in the backwater town of Nibelheim, by his mother Claudia Strife. Cloud was a shy boy who strayed away from making many friends, although he had an intense attraction for a girl named Tifa Lockhart. Wanting to not only impress her, but improve himself, Cloud decided he would leave for Midgar and become a SOLDIER, like his role model, Sephiroth. Cloud’s life would not be favorable to him, however, as he reached the Shinra Building in Midgar and would be quickly shuffled into the Shinra Infantry, a step below SOLDIER. No matter how hard he tried to stand out or for how long he served, he was never once made a SOLDIER candidate. A few years passed and Cloud would be sent out on a mission to track down the rogue SOLDIER, Genesis Rhapsodos. Leading the campaign was the SOLDIER 1st Class, Zack Fair, who bonded with Cloud over their backwater-origins, and formed a friendship. Cloud and Zack would quickly grow to be good friends over the next few years, although Cloud’s dream of being enlisted for SOLDIER never came true, despite how much Zack motivated him. The day came when Cloud would be sent out on a mission back in his hometown of Nibelheim, which greatly scared him. Cloud, terrified and embarrassed that he was returning to his hometown without having become a SOLDIER, hid himself behind his helmet the entire trip; especially when he ran into Tifa. Unfortunately, this campaign would be the very same one that saw Sephiroth learn of his origins, and be driven insane. Sephiroth massacred the entirety of Nibelheim, including Cloud’s mother, before heading to the Mako Reactor. Zack, Tifa, and Cloud each made haste towards the Mako Reactor to intercept Sephiroth. Unfortunately, Tifa was taken out, and Cloud was forced to comfort her while Zack went ahead. Zack, too, lost after a fierce battle, leaving it up to Cloud. Cloud took up the Buster Sword and surprised Sephiroth, stabbing him through the abdomen. After a short scuffle, Cloud overpowered the severely weakened Sephiroth, and threw him into the Lifestream, presumably killing him. After the fight, Cloud passed out alongside Zack and both were found by Professor Hojo, who retrieved their bodies and experimented on them for four years. Cloud was bathed in Mako for those four years, and even when he was rescued by Zack Fair, he still suffered the consequences. Cloud was not inflicted with Mako poisoning, which greatly affected his mind and made him vegetative. After Zack passed away trying to escape the Shinra army and make it to Midgar, he entrusted the symbol of his honour, the Buster Sword, to Cloud. Cloud also unintentionally adopted Zack’s identity as a SOLDIER. Cloud would go on to believe himself to be a former SOLDIER and now mercenary, which led him into the organization called Avalanche, which was hell-bent on saving the planet from things like Shinra, and soon the return of Sephiroth. Cloud formed an entire party alongside him that he would soon consider his family, as he travelled the entire planet on his journey to take down Sephiroth and recover his memories. He lost people along the way, but was able to fully recover his sense of self and grow comfortable with who he is. Finally, Cloud confronted Sephiroth once and for all, with the entire sake of the planet on the line. Using his Omnislash, Cloud was able to take Sephiroth out and send him back into the Lifestream. The next few years would be tough for Cloud, however, and the survivor’s guilt over Zack and Aerith’s deaths began to settle in. Furthermore, Sephiroth’s return began to grow apparent to Cloud, as he was inflicted in his left arm by a horrible plague known as Geostigma. His worst fears were realized, when three Remnants of Sephiroth appeared searching for the remains of Jenova. Cloud opposed them along with the rest of his party, but was unable to stop Sephiroth’s return. Finally visited by Zack and Aerith, who assured him that they never blamed him for their death, which gave Cloud the strength he needed to face Sephiroth once again. After striking him down once and for all, Cloud finally found true peace; watching Aerith and Zack return together into the Lifestream.

Statistics

Key: Before Crisis/Crisis Core | Final Fantasy VII | Advent Children/Dirge of Cerberus

Tier: Likely 4-A | 3-B | 3-B, likely far higher

Name: Cloud Strife

Origin: Final Fantasy VII

Sex: Male

Age: 15 - 21 years old | 21 years old | 24 - 25 years old

Classification: Ex-SOLDIER 1st Class, Mercenary, Shinra Infantryman (formerly)

Dimensionality: 3-D

Attack Potency: Likely Multi Solar System level (He was able to overpower a weakened Sephiroth. His power was considered very noteworthy to Freyra, who herself could just barely defeat Zirconiade; as the “Ultimate Summon”, Zirconiade should be above Bahamut Fury, who created its own realm containing several stars) | Multi-Galaxy level (Cloud was able to fully defeat Sephiroth, who knew Super Nova during their fight; Super Nova has Sephiroth create a dimension, containing one galaxy with room for countless more) | Multi-Galaxy level, likely far higher (Cloud was able to defeat a Sephiroth who was so much more powerful than before, that he could casually deflect the move that killed him previously)

Durability: Likely Multi Solar System level | Multi-Galaxy level | Multi-Galaxy level, likely far higher

Striking Strength: Likely Multi Solar System Class | Multi-Galactic Class | Multi-Galactic Class, likely far higher

Lifting Strength: Athletic Human

Travel Speed: Athletic Human (Should be just as fast as his older self) | Athletic Human (He can run at similar speeds to a Chocobo; Chocobo are said in the Dissidia Final Fantasy Museum to run at 20 mph) | Athletic Human, Superhuman with Fenrir (The average motorcycle can reach speeds between 80 and 165 mph)

Combat Speed: At least Massively Hypersonic+ | FTL+ | FTL+, likely far higher

Reaction Speed: At least Massively Hypersonic+ (Should be similar to his early-game older self, who could dodge the lasers from Shinra security system) | FTL+ (Could keep up with and defeat Sephiroth; Sephiroth knew Super Nova at the time of their fight, meaning he could react to the comet of his Super Nova) | At least FTL+, likely far higher (Should be much faster than before. Could outpace Sephiroth’s reactions, who was able to react to the move he died to previously)

Stamina: Superhuman (Even when riddled with Mako poisoning, Cloud was able to walk all the way into Midgar from several miles away. Cloud went on his journey to defeat Sephiroth for countless days on end, with very few breaks in between, and never seemed naturally fatigued a single time)

Range: Standard Melee, Extended Melee with Buster Sword and Fusion Sword, far higher with Materia

Intelligence: Genius (Although he spent several years of his life as a simple infantryman, it only took a bit of mental trickery for Cloud to become a convincing SOLDIER 1st Class. He was even able to outskill Sephiroth two separate times, who was a legitimate SOLDIER that had years upon years of experience on him)

Key: Pre-Destiny's Crossroads | Post-Destiny's Crossroads

Tier: 4-A | 2-C

Name: Cloud Strife

Origin: Final Fantasy VII Remake

Sex: Male

Age: 21 years old

Classification: Ex-SOLDIER 1st Class, Mercenary, Shinra Infantryman (formerly)

Dimensionality: 3-D

Attack Potency: Multi-Solar System level (Stronger than his younger self, who was able to overpower a weakened Sephiroth. His power was considered very noteworthy to Freyra, who herself could just barely defeat Zirconiade; as the “Ultimate Summon”, Zirconiade should be above Bahamut Fury, who created its own realm containing several stars) | Complex Universe level (Cloud could completely destroy the Whisper Harbinger, which is connected to all of time and space, and the destruction of which was seen across all of time. Was later able to contend with Sephiroth far earlier than he originally could, with Sephiroth being stronger than ever before after absorbing the Whispers)

Durability: Multi-Solar System level | Complex Universe level

Striking Strength: Multi-Solar System Class | Complex Universal Class

Lifting Strength: Athletic Human | Athletic Human

Travel Speed: Athletic Human | Athletic Human

Combat Speed: At least Massively Hypersonic+ | Extra-Temporal

Reaction Speed: At least Massively Hypersonic+ (Could dodge the lasers from Shinra security system) | Extra-Temporal (Could keep up with the Whisper Harbinger and Sephiroth after he absorbed the Whispers, who are connected to all of time and space)

Stamina: Superhuman

Range: Standard Melee, Extended Melee with Buster Sword, far higher with Materia

Intelligence: Genius

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Powers and Abilities

Spirit Energy Physiology, which includes: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Blessed (Everyone born into the world is blessed with Spirit Energy), Sheer Will (Willpower alone can be enough to fight off Mako poisoning, and the will of Jenova. Those with a strong enough will can retain their sense of self after dying and returning to the Lifestream), Memory Manipulation, Energy Manipulation, Rage Power, & Aura (Limit Breaks are born of memories, are comprised of Spirit Energy, and are unleashed when the user's anger is pushed to the limit. They give off an aura when used), Non-Physical Interaction (Characters can interact with the souls of the Gi Tribe), Regeneration Negation (Mid-High; Jenova can regenerate itself fully so long as its cells remain, as Cloud Strife participates in Jenova's Reunion despite only containing her cells. Despite this, pieces of Jenova defeated by the heroes were unable to enact the Reunion), Immortality Negation (Type 3; Can completely kill pieces of Jenova, preventing them from regenerating), Accelerated Development (When Sephiroth fought the party far earlier than he was supposed to, the main characters could still contend with him, even after Sephiroth absorbed the Whispers and became stronger than he had ever been)

Human Achievements (Cloud made it into the Shinra infantry. He soon became a proficient mercenary), Weapon Mastery (Cloud is skilled with guns, and the Buster Sword), Vehicular Mastery (Cloud is skilled with his motorcycle, Fenrir), Energy Projection and Homing Attack (Cloud can shoot energy with Blade Beam, which can home-in on enemies), Death Manipulation (Finishing Touch inflicts Instant Death on foes), Air Manipulation (Finishing Touch sends a gust of wind that blasts enemies into the air), Paralysis Inducement (Cross-Slash inflicts paralysis), Non-Physical Interaction (Cloud can destroy the souls of the Gi Tribe), Afterimage Creation (Cloud can create afterimages with Omnislash Version 5), Limited Earth Manipulation and Creation (Cloud can create and launch boulders with Meteorain)

Spirit Energy Physiology, which grants Resistance to: Mind Manipulation & Soul Manipulation (Those with high willpower can resist succumbing to Jenova's will, which passively takes over one's mind and eats away at the soul, and can prevent their mind from shattering), Poison Manipulation (High willpower can prevent the toxicosis that comes with the exposure to Jenova Cells), Power Mimicry & Power Absorption (Limit Breaks cannot be copied by others. Only Zack Fair can copy Limit Breaks, though he is noted to be the only exception to this), Corruption (Types 1 & 2; Several main characters have been exposed to high amounts of Mako energy, and never became Makonoid monsters), Biological Deconstruction & Soul Manipulation (Main characters have fallen into the Lifestream and returned unscathed, without being forcefully diffused or dissolved into it, or having their spirit be eroded and dissipated), Heat Manipulation & Radiation Manipulation (Can withstand Super Nova without any negative effects of heat or radiation), Limited Disease Manipulation (Those with a will to live are unaffected by Geostigma, which infects those with a weak will)

Forcefield Creation (Creates a barrier with different effects), Damage Reduction (Barrier reduces the damage of physical attacks. MBarrier reduces the damage of magic. Wall does both at once), Attack Reflection (Reflect has magic spells be reflected back on the opponent)

Earth Manipulation & Fire Manipulation (Comet and Comet2 launch a flaming rock at the opponent)

Possible Ice Manipulation (Has a chance of attacking with ice using Freeze), possible Earth Manipulation (Has a chance of attacking with earth using Break), possible Air Manipulation (Has a chance of attacking with wind using Tornado), possible Fire Manipulation (Has a chance of attacking with fire using Flare)

Forcefield Negation (Removes Barriers and MBarriers)

Earth Manipulation (Casts Quake)

Fire Manipulation (Casts Fire)

Gravity Manipulation (Casts Demi)

Poison Negation (Poisona negates poison effects), Status Effect Negation (Esuna negates all status effects)

Ice Manipulation (Casts Ice)

Electricity Manipulation (Casts Bolt)

Status Effect Inducement (Confu has a 60% chance of confusing an enemy. Berserk has an 80% chance of inflicting berserk on an enemy)

Poison Manipulation (Casts Bio)

Healing (Restores health with Cure, Cure2, and Cure3), Regeneration (Low; Grants Regen, which slowly restores HP)

Resurrection (Life and Life2 revive an ally)

Sleep Manipulation (Sleepel puts an enemy to sleep), Magic Negation (Silence prevents an opponent from casting magic spells)

Resistance to Physical Attacks & Elemental Magic (Shield provides immunity to physical attacks and elemental magic spells)

Statistics Amplification (Casts Haste, which increases the speed of one's ATB gauge, thereby allowing for them to attack faster), Statistics Reduction (Casts Slow, which decreases the speed of a foe's ATB gauge, thereby making them attack slower), Time Stop (Stop completely freezes a target in time)

Size Manipulation & Statistics Reduction (Mini turns a target tiny in size, and reduces their damage output to 1), Transmutation (Toad transforms the opponent into a toad)

Magic & Attack Reflection Negation (Ultima is a powerful magic spell that ignores all reflection)

Berserk Mode (Paired with Mystify Materia it inflicts Berserk), Resistance to Petrification & Time Stop (Paired with Contain Materia, grants resistance to Petrify and Stop), Resistance to Death Manipulation (Paired with Destruct and Odin Materia, grants resistance to Instant Death), Resistance to Magic Negation & Sleep Manipulation (Paired with Seal Materia, grants resistance to Silence and Sleep), Resistance to Size Manipulation & Transmutation (Paired with Transform Materia, grants resistance to Small and Frog)

Enhanced Magic (All allows for magical spells to be multi-targeted to all allies or enemies)

Resistance to Elemental Manipulation (Elemental Materia grants resistance to elemental magic when paired with a Magic Materia of that element)

Healing (HP Absorb restores health when the Magic Materia it is paired with is used)

Healing (MP Absorb restores magic power when the Magic Materia it is paired with is used)

Damage Boost (MP Turbo increases the damage of the Magic Materia it is paired with)

Damage Boost (Grants access to D.Blow, which attacks with a critical hit when it lands)

Power Mimicry (Enemy Skill allows for the user to copy and use the abilities of opponents for themselves)

Body Puppetry (Manipulate takes control of an enemy and allows for the user to control their every move)

Power Mimicry (Mime has the user perfectly replicate the most recently-performed attack of either an ally or enemy)

Transmutation (Morph transforms an enemy into an item)

Information Analysis (Sense allows for the user to see the opponent's HP, MP, level, and weaknesses)

Statistics Reduction (Enemy Away reduces the chances of running into a random enemy encounter)

Statistics Amplification (Enemy Lure increases the chances of running into a random enemy encounter)

Statistics Amplification & Accelerated Development (Experience Plus increases the amount of experience gained after battle)

Statistics Amplification (Gil Plus increases the amount of Gil earned after battles)

Large Size (Type 1), Immortality (Type 1), Flight, Energy Projection (Via Mega Flare), Magical Durability Negation (Mega Flare ignores magical defenses), Attack Reflection Negation (Bahamut's attacks cannot be reflected)

Large Size (Type 1), Immortality (Type 1), Flight, Energy Projection (Via Giga Flare), Magical Durability Negation (Giga Flare ignores magical defenses), Attack Reflection Negation (Neo Bahamut's attacks cannot be reflected)

Large Size (Type 1), Immortality (Type 1), Flight, Energy Projection (Via Tera Flare), Magical Durability Negation (Tera Flare ignores magical defenses), Attack Reflection Negation (Bahamut ZERO's attacks cannot be reflected)

Time Stop (Has a chance to inflict Stop)

Large Size (Type 0), Immortality (Type 1), Levitation, Ice Manipulation (Shiva is an Ice elemental and attacks with ice magic), Attack Reflection Negation (Shiva's attacks cannot be reflected), Resistance to Ice Manipulation & Cold Manipulation

Large Size (Type 0), Immortality (Type 1), Levitation, Fire Manipulation (Ifrit is a Fire elemental and attacks with fire magic), Attack Reflection Negation (Ifrit's attacks cannot be reflected), Resistance to Fire Manipulation & Heat Manipulation

Large Size (Type 0), Immortality (Type 1), Electricity Manipulation (Ramuh is a Lightning elemental and attacks with lightning magic), Attack Reflection Negation (Ramuh's attacks cannot be reflected)

Large Size (Type 0), Immortality (Type 1), Earth Manipulation (Titan is an Earth elemental and attacks with earth magic), Attack Reflection Negation (Titan's attacks cannot be reflected)

Large Size (Type 0), Immortality (Type 1), Vehicular Mastery (Rides atop a horse), Weapon Usage (wields a lance and a sword), Teleportation (Can appear from nowhere out of a cloud of black smoke), Death Manipulation (Odin inflicts Instant Death)

Large Size (Type 1), Immortality (Type 1), Aquatic Breathing, Flight, Water Manipulation (Leviathan is a Water elemental and attacks with water magic), Attack Reflection Negation (Leviathan's attacks cannot be reflected)

Large Size (Type 0), Immortality (Type 1), Fire Manipulation, Electricity Manipulation, & Ice Manipulation (Kujata attacks with Fire, Lightning, and Ice magic), Vibration Manipulation (It's final attacks sends ripples across the earth)

Large Size (Type 1), Immortality (Type 1), Inorganic Physiology, Holy Manipulation (Attacks with Holy-type damage), Damage Boost (Alexander's attacks do more damage to undead enemies)

Large Size (Type 1), Immortality (Type 1), Flight, Fire Manipulation (Phoenix is a Fire elemental and attacks with fire magic), Resurrection (Pheonix resurrects all party members back to full HP)

Large Size (Type 0), Immortality (Type 1 & 7), Levitation, Inorganic Physiology, Status Effect Inducement (Hades inflicts Sleep, Silence, Poison, Confusion, Small, Frog, Slow, and Paralyzed to all enemies)

Large Size (Type 0), Immortality (Type 1), Air Manipulation (Typhon is a Wind elemental), Fire Manipulation, Ice Manipulation, Electricity Manipulation, & Earth Manipulation (Typhon attacks with Fire, Ice, Lightning, and Earth magic), Magical Durability Negation (Disintegration ignores magical defenses), Attack Reflection Negation (Typhon's attacks cannot be reflected)

Large Size (Type 0), Immortality (Type 1), Weapon Usage (Each knight wields a blade), Durability Negation (Ultimate End ignores magical defenses), Attack Reflection Negation (The Knights of the Round's attacks cannot be reflected)

Healing (Potions, Hi-Potions, and X-Potions all restore Cloud’s health. Ethers and Turbo Ethers restore magic power), Resurrection (Phoenix Down fully restores fallen party members when they are defeated), Resistance to Status Effect Inducement (Remedy, Elixir, and Megalixir prevents negative status effects)

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Standard Equipment

Weapons

• Buster Sword: The six foot long sword, paid for and created by the father of Angeal Hewley as a gift to his son. Zack Fair would inherit this blade, and then go on to pass it to Cloud after his death.
• Ultima Weapon: The most powerful weapon Cloud can obtain during his first adventure, this sword deals more damage the more health Cloud has.
• Fusion Sword: This is the blade that Cloud wielded after laying the Buster Sword to rest. It is shaped much like the Buster Sword, but can split into six separate, smaller blades that he uses proficiently.

Items

• Potion: Restores some of Cloud's health.
• Hi-Potion: Restores a little of Cloud's health.
• X-Potion: Restores a lot of Cloud's health.
• Ether: Restores some of Cloud's magic power.
• Turbo Ether: Restores a lot of Cloud's magic power.
• Elixir: Restores Cloud’s health, magic power, and cures her of status ailments.
• Megalixir: Restores Cloud’s health, magic power, and cures her of all status ailments.
• Phoenix Down: Fully resurrects Cloud when she is defeated.

*Summon Materia: Small red orbs of crystalized Mako energy that Cloud can use to call upon legendary, gargantuan beasts from the distant past, to fight alongside him. This includes giant flaming behemoths like Ifrit, to huge dragons like Bahamut.

Magic Materia: Small green orbs of crystalized Mako energy that Cloud can use to enable the use of magic spells, oftentimes being elemental in nature, such as Fire/Fira/Firaga which attacks with flames.

Command Materia: Small yellow orbs of crystalized Mako energy that Cloud can use to empower herself with techniques he couldn’t previously use; including ones that can inflict status effects, like poison and paralysis.

Support Materia: Small blue orbs of crystalized Mako energy that have the primary purpose of being linked to other Materia, in order to enhance their effects.

Independent Materia: Small purple orbs of crystalized Mako energy that increase the stats of the users.

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Notable Techniques

• Braver: Cloud’s first Limit Break, which has him jump high into the air before slamming his blade down onto his enemies.
• Cross-Slash: Cloud runs up to his enemy and slashes them multiple times, inflicting them with temporary paralysis.
• Climhazzard: Cloud stabs his blade into a foe, before leaping high into the air for a powerful upwards strike.
• Meteorain: Cloud leaps high into the air, launching large meteors from his blade.
• Finishing Touch: Cloud spins around and shoots a large swirl of wind at his foes, which blasts them into the sky and inflicts instant death upon them.
• Omnislash: Cloud’s signature Limit Break, which has him brutally strike his foe a total of fifteen times without letting up, before jumping high into the air and slashing them on his way down.
• Omnislash Version 5: The advanced version of Cloud’s Omnislash, which is performed with the Fusion Sword. The Fusion Sword splits apart and each individual piece surrounds the foe, as Cloud jumps between each blade with blinding speed and delivers powerful strikes; finishing with a slash into the ground.

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Other

Weaknesses: Cloud started off with a lot of self-esteem issues, being too embarrassed to even come to his hometown when he couldn’t become a SOLDIER. This shyness and embarrassment would be amplified into horrible memory and identity crises. Even after he got over those, Cloud suffered from horrible survivor’s guilt that made him give up on living for a while.

Battle Records

None

None

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Discussions (Link For Mobile Users):

Discussion threads involving Cloud Strife