In Defense of Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII

[insaneladybug]

I've been thinking for some time about the odd and often ludicrous arguments that come up when people dislike or even hate Cloud Strife. Today it suddenly occurred to me that I should write a little defense for him. This is for the original Final Fantasy VII Cloud, even though I also like his counterpart from Kingdom Hearts (who is a completely

Comments

[llivla]

I don't know; people sometimes don't make sense, and that's kind of why I wouldn't have been surprised either way. Plus during war and post war behavior is different. All of it stopped and yet it didn't, because he couldn't pin Geostigma and his social problems on Sephiroth literally, like he could be angry immediately after Aerith died because Jenovah/Sephiroth killed her. Again, post war behavior/guilt/dredged up crap just makes you tired, so either way Cloud was kind of normal to me. PLUS IF HE WASN'T EMO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DIFF FOR THE WRITERS IN THE MOVIE OKAY? lol.

Maybe some of the Tifa bashing would have stopped too, as you go from 13 where she seriously didn't know he existed, then she sees him for TWO seconds after her dad dies, then like...years after Cloud's happytime vacation with Hojo where he's competely fsked up, and then in AC she's all motherly/lovey-eyes/buddy-buddy IKNOWYOU. Smile at least explains where the kids are from, otherwise I know some literally thought they were Cloud's and Tifa's. *thud*

I found Denzel hard to empathize with
Lol:
Hi random sick kid

[bofoddity]

Well, my view of Cloud had time to settle in for years before AC ever came out, so AC-Cloud will probably never entirely work for me, but I think he makes sense as a character: I even wrote about how he makes sense to me. It's fanon I have more problems with in the end.

I'm not sure what you mean by the Tifa-bashing, but I guess some people would have liked her more if she had been straight-forward from the beginning, but since the game is supposed to keep you interested for days, I had no problems with her characterization. But just like with Cloud, her flaws are too much for some people. Because her existence should apparently be dedicated to Cloud. Or something. :P

[llivla]

No, that poor girl will be bashed no matter what because apparently she isn't Aerith, but if she had worshipped the ground he walked on, it might've been worse (see Sakura from Naruto) D; Oh the unfortunate fate of being a female and within two feet of the male eye candy.

*goes to read your thing*

[slayerofgod]

Maybe some of the Tifa bashing would have stopped too, as you go from 13 where she seriously didn't know he existed, then she sees him for TWO seconds after her dad dies, then like...years after Cloud's happytime vacation with Hojo where he's competely fsked up, and then in AC she's all motherly/lovey-eyes/buddy-buddy IKNOWYOU.

Um, you're leaving out a whole bunch of important stuff from game canon, like the well promise, and the lifestream seqeunce where she literally helped him piece his mind back together.

Unless I'm missing something.

[insaneladybug]

Yeaaah, I was thinking exactly the same thing. XD;;

[llivla]

No no, I haven't. ^^; She also completely put aside the rebellion to take care of him when he was unconscious in Mideel, as well as an incredibly cute/heart-warming/frustrating conversation before the final battle with Sephiroth. I was just typing flippantly they didn't know each other very well in their childhood, definitely not best friends, and in ff he spent most of his time rather busy dealing with the whole problem of his identity in addiction to UST. ;3