As the journey goes on, Sephiroth's fateful reappearance drives Cloud on a quest for revenge that sheds light on who he is, the true events of his past and the real value he holds as a person, leading him to understand what strength, bravery and his own worth really are. Cloud's arrogant and cocky attitude are but a mask hiding many questions and doubts, his story is filled with holes and inconsistencies that can't properly reconcile what he remembers with what really seems to have happened or what others seem to recall from the same events, and the image he tries to project about himself many times comes at odds of how he naturally acts. However, things aren't so simple as they seem. Now Cloud must work to take down his former employers, alongside a group that doesn't trust him, fighting for a cause that he has no interest in, in a struggle to attempt to take down the company that controls pretty much the whole world. This work eventually led him to meeting again his old friend, Tifa Lockhart who introduced him to the anti-Shinra extremist group, AVALANCHE, led by Barret Wallace who would end up hiring him.
After this event, Cloud made his way to the city of Midgar where he began to work as a simple mercenary, without a real moral code nor ideals, taking any job for the right price. However, during the mission Sephiroth snapped and destroyed Nibelheim, slaughtering everyone in the process, which led to a confrontation between both him and Cloud that ended with Sephiroth's disappearance. The Mako poisoning, Jenova's influence, and the trauma result in Cloud taking on the persona of his friend Zack, and replacing many of his own memories with Zacks.Cloud Strife is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, also appearing in the spin-off games of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, with a minor appearance Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- and Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-, as well as a supporting role in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-.Ī former high ranking member of SOLDIER, the Shinra Electric Power Company's elite private military, Cloud abandoned the unit following an incident during a mission five years ago: alongside Sephiroth, fellow 1st Class SOLDIER, Shinra's greatest champion and the hero who inspired him to join their ranks, Cloud was sent to investigate one of Shinra's reactors located in his hometown, Nibelheim. After Zack breaks himself and Cloud out of the Shinra facility, Cloud witnesses Zack's death at the hands of a platoon of Shinra soldiers.
Both Cloud and Zack were pumped full of Mako for years and infused with Jenova cells to try and create another Sephiroth. After confronting Sephiroth Cloud and Zack are captured by Shinra and put through experiments for years. That mission was when Sephiroth learned the truth about Jenova and started losing his mind. Cloud became friends with Zack, and the pair were sent on a mission to Nibelheim, along with Sephiroth. Zack Fair, the black-haired character seen in the ending, is the one that actually became a SOLDIER 1st class. Although the Remake doesn't reveal this, Cloud was never actually in SOLDIER, and only ever became a Shinra foot soldier.
When players are first introduced to Cloud Strife they learn one thing Cloud is a former SOLDIER 1st class.