Editing Cloud

{{game|KH1|FM1|COM|REC|KH2|FM2|KHC|RCO}}
{{InfoCharacter
|name     = Cloud
|image    = [[File:Cloud KHII.png|x400px]]
|kana     = クラウド
|romaji   = ''Kuraudo''
|world    = [[Radiant Garden]]
|world2   = [[Olympus Coliseum]]{{KH}}{{KHCoM}}{{KHc}}
|role     = Ally, Summon, Optional Boss, Party Member
|first    = ''[[finalfantasy:Final Fantasy VII|Final Fantasy VII]]''
|engvoice = [[wikipedia:Steve Burton (actor)|Steve Burton]]
|japvoice = [[wikipedia:Takahiro Sakurai|Takahiro Sakurai]]
}}
{{Q|Not interested.|Cloud}}
'''Cloud''' is a character in the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' series, originating from the ''Final Fantasy'' universe. He is the main character in ''Final Fantasy VII'' and a supporting character in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series. Cloud is twenty-two years old at the beginning of ''[[Kingdom Hearts (game)|Kingdom Hearts]]'' and ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories]]'' and twenty-three during the events of ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''.

==Journal entries==
===''Kingdom Hearts''===
''A fighter hired by Hades to compete in the Coliseum. Despite his association with Hades, his heart remains untouched by the Heartless. Cloud keeps very much to himself, which makes him something of an enigma. What is he seeking?''

''"Final Fantasy VII"''

===''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories''===
''A swordsman hired by Hades to take out Hercules. Cloud seeks the true memories he has lost.''

''Were they memories of someone dear to him, or memories of his hazy past?''

===''Kingdom Hearts II''===
''Final Fantasy VII''

''A "SOLDIER" who effortlessly wields a hefty sword. He once fought against Sora and his friends under contract with Hades.''

''Cloud hates letting other people see what he's thinking, so he can be an enigma to other people.''

''He searches for Sephiroth, hoping to settle things once and for all with his inner darkness.''

===''Kingdom Hearts Re:coded''===
''A buster sword-wielding soldier whose past failures continue to weigh on him.''

''Believing himself weak, Cloud sought out the secrets of a hero's strength, as well as the secrets darkness might hold. Hades tried to use these desires against him, but once Cloud realized he was being manipulated, he wisely joined forces with Sora and Hercules.''

==Story==
===''Kingdom Hearts''===
{{q|I’m looking for someone. Hades promised to help. I tried to exploit the power of darkness, but it backfired. I fell into darkness, and I couldn’t find the light.|Cloud}}
[[File:CloudSoraOC.png|thumb|Cloud's encounter with Sora.]]
Cloud first makes his appearance in the [[Olympus Coliseum]], striking a deal with [[Hades]]: if Cloud eliminates [[Hercules]] in battle, Hades will lead him to his nemesis [[Sephiroth]]. However, Cloud also has to fight [[Sora]], so that he may move on to Hercules in the preliminaries rankings. After their battle, Cloud is either defeated, or comes out victorious, but refrains from killing Sora. The outcome of the fight does not affect the storyline, and the only reward for winning are the 80 experience points rewarded. However, as Cloud does not kill Sora, the results are not favorable for Hades; forcing him to summon [[Cerberus]]. The three-headed beast and guardian of the [[Underworld]] catches Cloud off-guard, pinning him to the ground.

At this point, Hercules comes to the rescue, defending the unconscious Cloud. Sora then moves in to finish the battle, giving Hercules the chance to take Cloud to safety.

Afterwards, Cloud waits at the entrance to the Coliseum, deep in thought. Sora asks him why Cloud worked for someone as shady as Hades, and Cloud replies that he was looking for someone, and tried to use the darkness to his advantage, but failed. He admits that he fell into darkness, and couldn't find the light. But Sora comforts him, saying that he too is searching for his light. Cloud then grants Sora the [[Sonic Blade]] ability, and walks off, but not before Sora offers a re-match. Cloud confidently says he'll pass, but later in the game, he can be fought in certain cups at the Olympus Coliseum. &nbsp;

Cloud eventually manages to find Sephiroth in ''[[Kingdom Hearts Final Mix]]''. Cloud manages to locate Sephiroth in the Coliseum, and both express that they have been searching for each other. Cloud also feels that in order to awaken from his nightmare, he has to defeat his darkness; namely, Sephiroth. Sephiroth tries to convince him to turn to that darkness, but Cloud refuses, and the two battle. The outcome of the battle is unknown.

During the end credits, Cloud is led by [[Cid]] to [[Hollow Bastion]], and reunites with [[Leon]], [[Aerith]], and [[Yuffie]] in the Library.
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===''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories''===
{{q|I'm not here for the Cup. Just Hercules. Today he loses more than the competition.|Cloud}}
Cloud plays a much more important role in ''Chain of Memories''. It is his plot that runs the course of him being an anti-hero. 
Cloud once again appears in the Coliseum, constructed from Sora's memories. Again, he serves as a mercenary for Hades. However, Cloud is working for Hades to regain his lost memories, not to find Sephiroth. Hades promises to help him, but only if Cloud competes in the games and kills Hercules.

Completely ignoring Sora, Cloud confronts Hercules. However, Cloud only manages to wear Hercules down. Hades, no longer having any use for Cloud, fires him and knocks him out. Hades then attempts to kill Hercules on his own now that he is exhausted. However, Sora interferes and defeats the God of the Underworld.

After the battle, Cloud wakes up. He apologizes for his actions. Sora again comforts him, saying that the important memories are never truly gone. Sora also says that even the tiniest thing can help a person remember things they thought they had forgotten. Cloud shows his gratitude for Sora's help by granting him the [[Summon Cards|Cloud card]]. However, he declines Sora's offer of joining them.

===''Kingdom Hearts II''===
{{q|Sorry to keep you, Sephiroth!|Cloud}}
Cloud appears once again in Hollow Bastion, garbed in his Advent Children attire and replacing the [[finalfantasy:Buster Sword|Buster Sword]] with the [[finalfantasy:Fusion Swords|First Tsurugi]] from ''Final Fantasy VII Advent Children''. He reveals to Sora that he is seeking to defeat his darkness, which is embodied by Sephiroth. He asks Sora to help him, but also warns him that Sephiroth will try and turn Sora to the darkness. During their meeting, Aerith also speaks to him. Not wanting her to follow him, he promises her that no matter how far he goes, he will always come back to Hollow Bastion. Though Aerith initially feels that he doesn't seem to be so sure, she is in the end confident in him.

Cloud also aids the residents of Hollow Bastion in defending against the [[Battle of the 1000 Heartless|Heartless invasion]]. He and [[Leon]] are seen at the [[Ravine Trail]], back to back with their swords raised as Heartless surround them. The two banter playfully back and forth, then proceed to fend off the Heartless.

However, as he fights, he ends up separated from Leon, and Sephiroth makes his appearance. Cloud expresses his belief that once Sephiroth is defeated, his darkness will go away. However, Sephiroth reminds Cloud of his dark past, though it is not elaborated on. Cloud denies it, saying that Sephiroth doesn't know him, but the winged being says otherwise: "''I know. Because...I am you.''"

[[Tifa]], who had been searching fervently for Cloud, also arrives. However, her presence causes Cloud to see the light, making him wince. Sephiroth then vanishes, and Cloud runs off before Tifa can get to him.

Cloud is then seen with Leon again who is worried about Sora, [[Donald Duck|Donald]], and [[Goofy]]. Cloud tells him to relax because those three aren't going down that easily. He also tells him before leaving that Sora is a lucky kid.

After the 1000 Heartless battle, Cloud keeps at a distance from the others and avoids fighting the Heartless from [[Space Paranoids]], knowing that his friends have enough strength to fend off the [[Master Control Program|MCP's]] tricks. After the MCP is defeated, he is seen once again with Leon when [[Tron]] shows them a sight of when their city was first built, and so reminded everyone of its true name.

Cloud, still searching for Sephiroth, can be found in the town center after this. Sora, having just fought Sephiroth, reveals that he is at the [[Dark Depths]]. Cloud then goes off to settle the score. Sora manages to get to Sephiroth first, and he asks where Cloud is. Just then, Cloud arrives, and Sephiroth makes more comments on how Cloud can never let go of his darkness. Cloud grows angry, demanding he shuts up, and the two battle. However, Sephiroth says that defeating him will be futile, for Cloud's darkness will always hold him back. Sephiroth's words begin to drag him into the depths of despair, but Tifa once again arrives.

Cloud warns her to stay away from Sephiroth, but she refuses, for she wants to help him. Sephiroth says that it is futile, for Cloud will always have darkness within him. Tifa doesn't deny this, but retorts that as long as he is surrounded in light, the darkness within him can't be reached. Tifa attacks Sephiroth as Cloud watches, but when flashes of light blind Cloud, Sephiroth attempts to strike Cloud. However, Cloud successfully parries the attack, and takes a stand between Sephiroth and Tifa. Tifa offers Cloud her light, and though Sephiroth insists that the light doesn't suit Cloud, he begins to glow with a bright light, and the fight resumes. In a final brilliant flash of light, Cloud and Sephiroth rise into the air, then vanish.

Goofy asks where Cloud went, and Sora explains that he went to fight a great battle. When Sora asks Tifa what she will do now, she says that she will just have to keep looking and that light is easy to find. Tifa then gives Sora the [[Fenrir]] [[Keychain]] as thanks for helping.

===''[[Kingdom Hearts coded]]''===
Cloud has been shown to travel and battle Heartless with Sora and Hercules, making ''Kingdom Hearts coded'' his party member debut. He makes a deal with Hades about visiting other worlds with the Secret of Heroes. He wants to break away from his past and his powerlessness after he takes care of Hercules and [[Data-Sora]]. It seems the reason he bargained with Data Hades is so he could become stronger to protect someone. He learned from Sora and Hercules that his true strength comes from his heart when he protects someone; for example blocking one of Data Hades's fireball that is about to hit Sora, and Hercules.

==Personality==
Cloud seems to be notably stoic and melancholy, very different from the personality of his ''Final Fantasy VII'' counterpart. However, he does possess some similar, even more melancholic, characteristics in Advent Children. He is also seen engaging in playful banter with [[Leon]] during the 1,000 Heartless Invasion of Hollow Bastion as well, hinting at a friendly rivalry between the two.

In an interview, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetsuya_Nomura Tetsuya Nomura] stated that while Cloud makes a big deal of looking for Sephiroth in ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'', he is actually running from something, the 'something warm' that Tifa was after in ''Advent Children''. It is likely that his motivations for running, a combination of guilt and worry that he will be unable to protect the people he cares about, are the same in the ''Kingdom Hearts ''universe as they were in the ''Final Fantasy ''universe.

==Appearance==
In ''Kingdom Hearts'', ''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories'', and ''Kingdom Hearts coded'', Cloud has an appearance similar to his appearance in ''Final Fantasy VII''. However, he also has a flowing red cape and a metal claw on his left hand, much like [[finalfantasy:Vincent Valentine|Vincent Valentine]], another character in ''Final Fantasy VII'', though there are some notable differences. Protruding from his back is one large demonic wing, a counterpart to Sephiroth's angelic one. He also wields the [[finalfantasy:Buster Sword|Buster Sword]], though it is covered in bandages, likely a symbol of his bound self and past. Cloud is always bandaged in one way or another, and they are most likely used to resemble his personality.

In ''Kingdom Hearts II'', Cloud's design changes dramatically, and is dressed in the exact same attire from ''Final Fantasy VII Advent Children'', his hair also having changed to reflect his movie counterpart's. He wields his [[finalfantasy:Fusion Swords|sword]] from ''Advent Children'' as well, though bandaged like the Buster Sword. The lines between the six separate swords look less distinct, like the lines were simply engraved on the blade, which may mean it is simply a single sword, although this could just have been to make animation easier. The wing from his previous outfit is mysteriously absent. Interestingly, Cloud's face looks similar to, if not exactly like, Sephiroth's. This is commented on by Goofy, who, when spoken to after meeting Sephiroth for the first time in ''Kingdom Hearts II'', states that Sephiroth "kinda looks like Cloud."

==Abilities==
{{Main|Cloud (Boss)}}
When fighting, Cloud remains in a "combo" of astonishingly rapid sword strokes and occasionally Thunder-based magic attacks, only fighting normally when he seems to be winning and Sora or the others are near. His attacks include: the technique "Sonic Rave" where he dashes through his opponents, he can slash his opponents using a powerful combo called "Cross Slash", he can use "Braver" where he jumps in the air and comes down hard. When enraged, he activates "Omnislash", where he surrounds himself with fire and lightning and starts flying and attacking in a Sephiroth-like manner. Essentially, his entire moveset consists of his original Limit Breaks.

Although Cloud is a much weaker boss than Sephiroth in ''Kingdom Hearts'', the fact he was able to go head-to-head with him in ''Kingdom Hearts II'' implies that he wasn't fighting as hard as he could against Sora.

Because he acted as a supporting character, but not as a party member in ''Kingdom Hearts II'', Cloud is immune to damage during the period of time he helps Sora's party.

Cloud's basic technique is {{nihongo|'''Cross-slash'''|凶斬り|Kyougiri|lit. "Bane-slash"}}, a three-hit sword combo with his Buster Sword. He can also perform {{nihongo|'''Cross-slash+'''|凶斬り・改|Kyougiri-kai|lit. "Bane-slash Revision"}}, in which he teleports behind an opponent before Cross-slash. His strongest technique is {{nihongo|'''Omnislash'''|超究武神覇斬|Choukyūbushinhazan|lit. "Super-ultimate War-god Commanding Slash"}}, where he extends his wing and begins flying around the arena while performing heavy slashes on his opponent. In ''Kingdom Hearts II'', Cloud instead uses '''Omnislash ver5''', based on a technique introduced in ''Final Fantasy VII Advent Children''.

Gameplay wise, Cloud is by far the most powerful ally in ''Kingdom Hearts II''; along with being immune to damage, he is able to deal a large amount of damage in a very short amount of time. When using a cheat device to place him in your party, he often single-handedly obliterates even the most dangerous bosses in the game.

==Origin==
[[File:Cloud FFVII.jpg|125px|left]]
[[finalfantasy:Cloud Strife|Cloud Strife]] was originally the main protagonist from ''[[finalfantasy:Final Fantasy VII|Final Fantasy VII]]'', a console role-playing game that was developed by [[wikipedia:Square Co.|Square]] (now [[wikipedia:Square Enix|Square Enix]]) and published by [[wikipedia:Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony Computer Entertainment]] for Sony's [[wikipedia:PlayStation|PlayStation]]. It was released in Japan on January 31, 1997, and in North America on September 7, 1997.

Contrary to ''Kingdom Hearts II'', in ''Final Fantasy VII'' Cloud never made it into [[finalfantasy:SOLDIER|SOLDIER]], but rather adopted memories from [[w:c:finalfantasy:Zack Fair|Zack Fair]], a friend of his who was a real SOLDIER 1<sup>st</sup> Class.
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==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Cloud KHREC.png|Cloud as he appears in ''Kingdom Hearts'', ''Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories'' and ''Kingdom Hearts Re:coded''
File:Buster Sword B KHII.png|Cloud's bandaged Buster Sword B in ''Kingdom Hearts II''
File:Cloud-CrossSlash Combo.gif|Cloud using Cross-slash in ''Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories''
File:CloudCrossSlash.gif|Cloud using Cross-slash in ''Kingdom Hearts II''
File:Cloud (KH outfit) D012.png|Cloud's ''Kingdom Hearts'' attire as an alternate costume in ''[[finalfantasy:Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy|Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy]]''
</gallery>

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==Trivia==
*Although they were originally set to appear in ''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]'', Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Cloud, Tifa, and Cid were removed from the game because, according to Nomura, there were too many plot lines already, and it would have gotten confusing.{{fact}}-->
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