Is Cloud in Disc 1 just “Zack”?

Who exactly Cloud is has confused Final Fantasy VII fans since the late 90’s. His identity crisis is a major plot point and a penultimate crisis in the game before the final showdown with Shinra and Sephiroth. Players are haunted by a JENOVA taunting Cloud as a “puppet” and the image of a SOLDIER named Zack overwriting what we thought we knew of Cloud’s past. About three-quarters through the game, Cloud falls into the Lifestream with Tifa Lockhart, and the two unravel the truth of Cloud’s past. After that point, Cloud is said to now be living his “true self” – but does that mean everything before that point was fake?

1. Pre-Lifestream Cloud Strife vs. Zack Fair
2. Cloud’s True Self Revealed in the Lifestream
3. Cloud’s Pre-Lifestream Character Development Matters
4. Final thoughts

Pre-Lifestream Cloud Strife vs. Zack Fair

After the events of Nibelheim, Cloud and Zack – both heavily wounded – are rescued/captured by Hojo. Hojo injects both with JENOVA cells (or, according to Crisis Core, Sephiroth’s own cells) and keeps them in test tubes for five years. During this time, Cloud was only minimally conscious. Zack orchestrated their escape, dragging a half-comatose Cloud alongside him all the way to the outskirts of Midgar, at which point they are attacked by Shinra – who kill Zack and leave Cloud for dead. Cloud rouses, takes Zack’s Buster Sword, and his role as a First Class SOLDIER before carrying on to the opening scenes of Final Fantasy VII.

Cloud, riddled with complexes, trauma, a feeble mental health and now alien cells, seems to truly believe that he was a SOLDIER who was friends with Sephiroth and was sent to Nibelheim five years ago to investigate a failing reactor. While in reality he did go to Nibelheim, he was only an ordinary Shinra grunt, having failed at making the elite military unit SOLDIER that he always dreamed of joining. He erases Zack’s presence from the Nibelheim story, recasting Zack’s role as himself.

However, Cloud is not Zack – not in any capacity.

Cloud’s personality can be described as introverted, smarmy, and stand-offish on his bad days. As he becomes closer to his friends, he is more thoughtful and caring, but in his own, sometimes quiet and indirect way. Around girls, he is at his most awkward – especially Aeris and Jessie, who flirt with him outright and tease him, causing him to try to act even more cool, but frequently fumbling.

Meanwhile, Zack is characterized as a friendly, extroverted young man who flirts with most girls he meets and wears his heart on his sleeve. Whereas Cloud asks what’s in it for him when others approach him for help, Zack loves to play the hero. Whereas Zack only had a handful of lines in the original game, even then he was distinct from Cloud. With the release of Crisis Core and other media featuring Zack, it’s more obvious than ever that their personalities are polar opposites.

To underscore that this isn’t simply my interpretation, here’s a handful of short, official bios for Zack and for Cloud.

To be clear, even while creating a new persona based on Zack, Cloud’s personality is distinct. Cloud remains cool and distant, described as “blunt,” “haughty,” and “detached.” Conversely, Zack is described as “upbeat” and “brimming with kindness.”

For instance, Cloud’s signature line, “Not interested,” is pure 100% Cloud.

The Origin of “Not Interested”

“I used to think the people around me were stupid,” a young Cloud explains to Tifa his mentality 12 years ago while ducking his head in an exasperated pose. Considering this, the part of him that is cool, keeps his distance from others, and says “I’m not interested” is probably part of Cloud’s true personality, unrelated to the influence of JENOVA cells.

↑ Even after constructing a character based on the memories of Zack, who had a cheerful personality, Cloud’s cool side remained.

Ultimania Omega, page 180

Cloud is stated to use some of Zack’s mannerisms as a basis for his false persona, so let’s acknowledge that here.

First love: Zack

Aeris’s first love was Zack, the man who formed the basis of Cloud’s “former SOLDIER” personality. He bought a flower from her, and they apparently became close. It could be thought that Cloud resembling Zack in words and deeds is a big reason why Aeris harbored feelings for him.

↑It appears that she’s over Zack now, but it seems that the sadness she felt when he disappeared was considerable.

Utlimania Omega, page 29

Aeris’s own date dialogue says this:

Japanese	English
AERITH	{Aeris}
「……はじめはね	“……first off,
そっくりだったから	it bothered me how you
気になった」	looked exactly alike.”
AERITH	{Aeris}
「全然別人なんだけど、そっくり」	“Two completely different people,
AERITH	{Aeris}
「歩きかた、手の動かしかた……」	“The way you walk, gesture…”
AERITH	{Aeris}
「あなたの中に彼を見ていた……」	“I think I must have seen him again, in you…”
AERITH	{Aeris}
「でも、ちがうの」	“But you’re different.”
AERITH	{Aeris}
「いまは、ちがう……」	“Things are different…”
AERITH	{Aeris}
「ね、CLOUD」	“{Cloud}…”
AERITH	{Aeris}
「わたし、あなたをさがしてる」	“I’m searching for you.”
CLOUD	{Cloud}
「……………？」	“…?”
AERITH	{Aeris}
「あなたに会いたい」	“I want to meet you.”
CLOUD	{Cloud}
「俺はここにいる」	“But I’m right here.”
AERITH	{Aeris}
（うんうん、わかってる……でも）	I know, I know…what I mean is…
AERITH	{Aeris}
「あなたに……会いたい」	“I want to meet…you.”

Aeris suggests that she is reminded of Zack when interacting with Cloud because he resembles him in appearance (perhaps his outfit and the Buster Sword, which belonged to Zack) and mannerisms (the way Cloud walks and gestures. However, she confirms that she is well-aware that Cloud and Zack are different people. The mimicking Cloud does of Zack seems superficial at best, since Aeris suggests it’s a matter of body language and basic presentation.

Furthermore, if Cloud truly identified as “Zack” – then it begs the question why he still calls himself “Cloud,” still has his own memories of his time before SOLDIER (such as with his mother, his home village, and – albeit choppy and unreliable – his general recognition of Tifa.) If Cloud absorbed Zack’s personality and memories, he ought to know who Aeris is, who Zack’s parents are, feel familiar in the village of Gongaga, and even call himself “Zack.”

After Cloud recovers his “true self” in the Lifestream, he explains to his comrades – and the player – what was really happening with him and Zack.

Japanese	English
「みんな……すまなかった。	“Everyone…I’m sorry.
なんて言ったらいいのか……」}	I don’t know what to say…”
RED XIII	{Red XIII}
「もういいよ、CLOUD。	“Don’t say anything, {Cloud}.
あやまってばかりだからね」	All you’ve been doing is apologizing.”
CLOUD	{Cloud}
「俺は元ソルジャーなんかじゃない」	“I never was in SOLDIER.”
「みんなに話した５年前の出来事や	“I made up the story about what happened
ソルジャーとしての話は	five years ago and my
俺自身が創り出した幻想だったんだ」	being in SOLDIER.”
「大見栄きって村を出たのに	“I left my village looking for glory,
ソルジャーになれなかった俺……」	but never made it into SOLDIER…”
「それをはじた弱い俺は	“I was so ashamed of being so weak.
親友だったザックスから聞いた話……」	Then I heard this story from my friend Zack…”
「さらに自分で見たことをまぜあわせて	“And I created an illusion of myself
幻想の自分を創り出した……」	made up of what I had seen in my life…”
「そしてその自分を	“And I continued to play the
演じ続けていたんだ」	charade as if it were true.”
BARRET	{Barret}
「幻想かよ……	“Illusion, huh?
そのわりには強かったじゃねえか」	Pretty damn strong for an illusion.”
CLOUD	{Cloud}
「身体はソルジャーと	“Physically, I’m built like
ほとんど同じなんだ」	someone in SOLDIER.”
「宝条のセフィロス・コピー計画というのは	“Hojo’s plan to clone Sephiroth
何のことはない、ソルジャーを創るのと	wasn’t that difficult.”
同じやり方でしかなかったんだ」	“It was just the same procedure they use
CLOUD	{Cloud}
「ソルジャーは魔晄をあびるだけじゃない」	“You see, someone in SOLDIER
「実は、体内にジェノバ細胞を	“Their bodies are actually
うめこまれた人間なんだ……」	injected with Jenova cells…”
CLOUD	{Cloud}
「良くも悪くも心が強い人間はソルジャーになる。	“For better or worse,
ジェノバのリユニオンも関係ない」	only the strong can enter SOLDIER.”
「でも、弱い人間は……俺のように	“But weak people…like me,
簡単に自分を見失ってしまう」	get lost in the whole thing.”
CLOUD	{Cloud}
「ジェノバ細胞とセフィロスの強い意志。	“The combination of Jenova cells,
そして俺の弱い心が生み出した人間」	Sephiroth’s strong will,
「それがみんなが知っていた	“Everyone knew that.
俺………CLOUDだ」	I’m…{Cloud}.”
CLOUD	{Cloud}
「……俺は幻想の世界の住人だった」	“…the master of my own illusionary world.”
「でも、もう幻想はいらない……	“But I can’t remain trapped
俺は俺の現実を生きる」	in an illusion anymore…”

Cloud’s dialogue here addresses exactly what was going on prior to the Lifestream scene: he did not make SOLDIER and was ashamed of his weakness, and created fantasies based on stories from Zack. Then, when he was captured, Hojo injected him with JENOVA cells and showered him with mako, making him physically similar to a SOLDIER – however, he was mentally too weak to withstand the process. Combined with Sephiroth’s will, Cloud’s fantasies became his reality. He came to believe his own daydreams about being the cool, strong guy who made SOLDIER.

This is stated clearly as well in the Ultimania Omega:

In front of his comrades, Cloud announces that until this point, he was just acting out his ideal self. From now on, he will cast away his fantasy-self and live out his true self.

Ultimania Omega, page 181

Again, to be clear: Cloud is not “Zack” – he is the version of himself from his own fantasies that incorporates Zack’s memories and/or role during the Nibelheim incident, as well as Zack’s mannerisms as a basis for how a cool SOLDIER would act.

Cloud’s True Self Revealed in the Lifestream

When Tifa stumbles into Cloud’s fractured mind in the Lifestream, she is met by a vision of a younger, child-like Cloud. Together, they try to ascertain whether or not Cloud’s memories are real, and eventually explore a traumatic event for Cloud: the day Tifa’s mother died and he followed her up Mt. Nibel, only to be blamed by the community when Tifa fell off a bridge and was injured. In this scene, we get to know about the kid Cloud actually was.

Japanese	English
「TIFAはね、いつでも	“{Tifa} always used
この仲良し３人組といっしょだった」	to have her own group.”
TIFA	{Tifa}
「……そうだったね」	“…That’s right.”
「俺は……	“I thought they were all…stupid.”
みんなバカだと思っていた」
TIFA	{Tifa}
「えっ！？」	“What!?”
「いつもどうでもいいようなことで	“You were all childish, laughing at
ケラケラ笑っててさ、子供っぽかった」	every little stupid thing.”
TIFA	{Tifa}
「だって、子供だったんだもん」	“But we were children then.”
「……わかってる。	“…I know.
バカだったのは俺なんだ」	I was the stupid one.”
「本当はみんなといっしょに遊びたいのに	“I really wanted to play with everyone,
どうしても、仲間に入れてって言えなかった」	but you never let me in the group.”
「そのうちさ……	“Then later…I started
俺はみんなとちがうんだ……」	thinking I was different…”
「あんな子供っぽいヤツらとはちがうんだって	“That I was different from
思うようになったんだ」	those immature kids.”
「でも……もしかしたら」	“That then…maybe…”
『もしかしたら	“Just maybe,
声をかけてもらえるかもしれない』	they would invite me in.”
『そう考えてみんなのまわりを	“I thought that might happen,
うろついていた……』	so I hung around…”
「どうしようもなくひねくれてた。	“I was so prejudiced.
そして……弱かった」	…And weak.”

Cloud was sullen and lonely, and felt alienated from his peers. He desperately wanted to be accepted by the group – especially their popular ringleader, Tifa – but all he could do was stalk in the outskirts hoping for an invitation that he himself never was brave enough to instigate. He ended up justifying his loneliness by coming to think of his peers as stupid, and convinced himself that he was special.

On the day Tifa’s mother died, he is blamed – unfairly – for her falling in the mountains.

Japanese	English
『TIFAが足をふみ外して	“{Tifa} missed her step.
俺はあわててかけ寄って	I ran to her…but didn’t make it in time.”
でも間に合わなかった』
『ふたりとも……ガケから落ちたんだ』	“We both fell off the cliff.”
『この時はヒザすりむいただけで	“Back then, I only scarred my knees
すんだけど……』	but…”
TIFAパパ
「CLOUD！	“{Cloud}!
どうしてこんなところへ	Why’d you bring {Tifa}
TIFAを連れだしたりしたんだ！」	to a place like this!”
「まったく！	“What the hell’s the matter with you!?”
おまえが何を考えてるのか
ぜんぜんわからん！」
TIFAパパ
「TIFAにもしものことがあったら	“What if she dies!?”
どうするつもりだったんだ！！」
『TIFAは７日間	“{Tifa} was in a coma
意識不明だった』	for seven days.”
『死んでしまうかと思った』	“We all thought she wouldn’t make it.”
『俺がちゃんと助けていれば……』	“If only I could’ve saved her…”
『悔しかったんだ……	“I was so angry…
何もできなかった	at myself for my weakness.”
自分の弱さに腹が立った』
『それからはTIFAが	“Ever since then,
いつも俺を責めているような	I felt {Tifa} blamed me…”
気がしてさ』
『俺は荒れていった……	“I went out of control…
誰かれかまわず	I’d get into fights
ケンカをしかけて……』	with anyone.”
『そんな時だ。	“That was the first time
セフィロスのことを知ったのは』	I heard about Sephiroth.”
『セフィロスのように強くなりたい。	“I thought if I were strong
強くなれば、みんな俺のことを……』}	like Sephiroth, then…”

This is the basis for Cloud’s failure-complex. When Tifa’s father blames him for Tifa’s coma, Cloud also blames himself. Cloud becomes even more isolated and violent with other kids. He dreams of being like Sephiroth, a cool war hero who is strong enough to save others, and win the admiration of his peers.

Someone who wants to be cool and strong, is distant from others, easily starts fights – all of this this sounds more like Cloud in disc 1 than it does Zack Fair.

What “real Cloud” really is, isn’t a new character. It’s a Cloud that acknowledges his own shortcomings and embraces a past that mortifies him.

Cloud’s Pre-Lifestream Character Development Matters

Finally, on a narrative level, let’s ask what kind of story Final Fantasy VII would even be if Cloud wasn’t truly Cloud for three-quarters of the game. If Cloud’s pre-Lifestream self was nothing but a lie, unrelated to the protagonist, what has been the point of the story up until that point?

Cloud experiences the bulk of his character development in disc 1 – perhaps even more character development than he does after the Lifestream sequence. In Midgar, Cloud opens the game as a money-driven asshole who doesn’t care for others and can’t be bothered with the future of the Planet. With “Not interested” as his mantra, he smart-talks and trolls through the slums.

Barret: Little by little the reactors’ll drain out all the life. Then that’ll be that.
Cloud: It’s not my problem.
Barret: The planet’s dyin’, Cloud!
Cloud: The only thing I care about is finishin’ this job before security and the Roboguards come.

Final Fantasy VII, Mako Reactor 1

But his interactions with Tifa, Barret, and especially Aeris, gradually draw out his kind, heroic qualities. When Aeris is captured by Shinra, Cloud experiences a sharp shift in motivation: he wants to save her, unconditionally, without reward or even, most importantly, a desire to look cool.

Cloud: Get Aeris outta the building!
Barret: What?
Cloud: I’ll explain later! Barret! This is the real crisis for the Planet!
Barret: The hell’s that supposed to mean?
Cloud: I’ll explain later! Just take my word for now! I’ll go after I take care of him!

Final Fantasy VII, Shinra Building

Compare the two above scenes, looking at Cloud’s treatment of others, how much he seems to regard teammates and his concern for the Planet. This new quality is something Barret himself notes:

So there are times when even you fight for other people. I am impressed.

Barret Wallace, Final Fantasy VII

Cloud becomes more friendly and caring toward his teammates in Midgar alone. An excellent example of this is in Final Fantasy VII: Remake. In the first chapter, while fighting with Barret, his battle dialogue :

• Cloud: All done.
  Barret: Huh. Cocky little bastard, ain’t ya?
• Cloud: No time to celebrate.
  Barret: Huh. Sure there is!
• Cloud: That was easy.
  Barret: Mmm-hmm. Sure it was…

Then, in later chapters, these lines are added:

• Cloud: Good job, man.
  Barret: Whatever, man. Let’s go.
• Barret: Keep it coming, I’m ready!
  Cloud: One step at a time, okay?
• Cloud: Keep it up, man.
  Barret: Yeah, you too.
• Cloud: We make a decent team
  Barret: Heheheh. Who’d have thought, huh?

Now, that’s without even Aeris’s influence, who is stated to have the following effect on Cloud:

Gradually, Aerith’s warm cheer begins to melt Cloud’s frosty exterior.

Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary “Farewell” Exhibition

With Cloud’s icy surface melted, he can show real tenderness and concern for those he cares about. Look at the following line:

Aeris: I’m… alone… I’m all alone now…
Cloud: But I’m… we’re here for you, right?
Aeris: I know, I know, but … I am the only.. Cetra.

Final Fantasy VII, Cosmo Canyon

For Cloud to go from being a smarmy asshole to offering heartfelt reassurance toward those he cares about is beautiful character development.

But nothing, of course, compares to the raw, burning pain of losing Aeris to Sephiroth’s hands at the end of disc 1.

Cloud: …Aeris.
This can’t be real!

Sephiroth: Do not worry. Soon the girl will become part of the Planet’s energy.
All that is left is to go North. The ‘Promised Land’ waits for me over the snowy fields.
There, I will become a new being by uniting with the planet. As will this girl……

Cloud: …Shut up.
The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don’t mean a thing.
Aeris is gone.
Aeris will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry…… or get angry……
What about us…… what are WE supposed to do?
What about my pain?
My fingers are tingling.
My mouth is dry.
My eyes are burning!

Sephiroth: What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me you have feelings too?

Cloud: Of course! Who do you think I am!?

Sephiroth: Ha, ha, ha…… Stop acting as if you were sad.
There’s no need to act as though you’re angry either.
Because, Cloud. You are…

Jenova: Because, you are…… a puppet.

Cloud: I’m……. a puppet?

To deny Cloud’s personhood in this scene is a gross and naive mischaracterization of what is intended to be the most traumatic and emotional scene of the game. Cloud’s grief is real, his shocked words aren’t filtered by any false persona. Sephiroth/Jenova disregard these feelings by calling him a puppet. Ironically, those who claim Cloud isn’t “real” or is simply role-playing Zack here are doing the same.

Final thoughts

Cloud does change after the Lifesteam sequence: he becomes less interested in appearing cool, ostensibly more humble, and perhaps iconic lines like “Let’s mosey” show a bit of a dorky side free from the unnecessary flourish of calculated outward appearances. But to call this a new character is not only an overstatement, it disregards both what the narrative tells us was actually going on with Cloud’s “false persona” and throws away his real feelings, agency, and character growth throughout the bulk of the game.

Cloud is a character with extraordinary layers. Even the outermost shell is an important part of his being. Rather than dismiss him as a “Zack clone” like Sephiroth tried to do, Cloud is far more interesting if we accept that who he is in disc 1 is still him – it’s only the lens that he personally assesses himself with that is different.