Cloud Strife - Concept and Creation

Concept and Creation

There wasn't really much controversy or criticism about having him as the hero from within Square, but he is definitely a mysterious character. That's one of the game's main themes, the fact that the protagonist has all these secrets to unravel. He isn't a straightforward hero like Superman; rather, he has many mysteries, self-doubts, and a real dark side. Mr. Nomura was also very good at designing a character like that.

Cloud was one of the first two characters designed for Final Fantasy VII by Tetsuya Nomura, with influences from Yoshinori Kitase, Kazushige Nojima and Hironobu Sakaguchi. Conceptualized by Sakaguchi as one of only three playable characters in early planning stages for the game, Cloud's character saw greater input by Nomura than with other characters in previous Final Fantasy projects, when he was called upon to supervise Cloud's personality traits. Kitase and Nojima, meanwhile, were in charge of developing Cloud's background and his relationship with the character of Sephiroth. When Nojima was appointed to write the scenario, Cloud's false persona was already determined, with Nojima inspired by the character's first appearance. As the story continued, Nojima focused on making Cloud more mature, hoping it would be noticed by the players. He incorporated the character of Zack Fair into the game so as to expand upon the mysteries in Cloud's backstory, which were still undecided at the time. In expanding Cloud's individuality, the staff wanted him to be interesting to players, and focused on working in all his mannerisms and his phrase "Not interested," which is repeated various times in the game. When first reading Nojima's scenario, Kitase was surprised by Cloud's persona as he was not simple-minded, but instead felt fresh. The love triangle between Cloud, Tifa and Aerith was also an aspect which the staff found to be new in the series. Nojima conceived this aspect based on the "high school romance comedy" concept.

In early drafts, Cloud was meant to act as an alter ego for Sephiroth, and is influenced to believe he is not the real Cloud, but a creation born from Sephiroth's will. As in the finished game, Cloud would later realize he is the real Cloud, and the reason Sephiroth could control his mind and body was because of Shinra's experiments and a weakening of his own will. Additionally, he was meant to have scarred Tifa prior to the game's events, although the reasons for as to why were unknown. Another scene, implying Cloud and Tifa having sex, was proposed by Masato Kato, one of the event planners, but was replaced with a toned down version by Kitase in which a risqué line is followed by a fade to black. In an interview, Nojima stated none of the staff thought it would become an important issue at the time.

Nomura has said the original parameters of Cloud's character design called for slicked-back, black hair with no spikes. This depiction was to serve as a contrast to the long, flowing silver hair of the game's lead antagonist, Sephiroth. However, to make Cloud stand out more and emphasize his role in the game as the lead protagonist, Nomura altered Cloud's design to give him spiky, bright, blonde hair. Cloud's appearance is also marked in Final Fantasy VII by his dark blue SOLDIER outfit and his blue eyes. He stands 5 feet 8 inches (173 cms). Cloud's weapon, the Buster Sword, was originally smaller than its final form, but its height increased as Nomura redesigned Cloud. Nomura nicknamed it "the Giant Kitchen Knife" because that was how he originally envisioned it. The sword was meant to be held on Cloud's back with the use of magnets, and have a small chain.

Nojima has explained that the dynamic of the relationship between the player and the main character in a Final Fantasy title is something he always puts thought into, and with Final Fantasy VII, Cloud's subdued nature led him to write scenes with the character in such a way that the players would be placed in the position of deciding for themselves what the character was thinking. Nomura believes the reason Cloud has become so popular with gamers is due to the impact his personality made in Nojima's scenario.