Honestly, the first time I saw Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, I didn't recognize him. Not physically—the spiky blonde hair and the impossibly oversized sword were all there—but the vibe was just... off. If you grew up playing the original 1997 PlayStation classic, you remember a Cloud who was cocky, a bit of a merc with a heart of gold, and someone who eventually found his footing as a leader. Then 2005 rolled around. Square Enix dropped the movie, and suddenly Cloud Final Fantasy Advent Children edition was a brooding, guilt-ridden guy living in a dusty office.
It felt like a regression. Or was it?
Two decades later, looking back at the "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII," the way Cloud is handled in Advent Children (and the later Complete version) is actually one of the most realistic depictions of PTSD in gaming history, even if it’s wrapped in a leather-clad, gravity-defying anime package. People call him "Emo Cloud" as a joke, but if you look at the lore, the guy was going through literal hell.
The Geostigma Factor: More Than Just a Cough
Let's talk about the biological reality of what Cloud was facing. He wasn't just "sad." He was dying. Geostigma isn't some metaphorical anime flu; it’s a result of the Lifestream flooding the planet to stop Meteor at the end of the original game. Because Sephiroth’s consciousness was still lingering in that Lifestream, his "will" infected people with cellular rejection.
Cloud’s left arm was essentially rotting.
Imagine saving the world, losing your best friend Aerith, losing your mentor Zack, and then realizing that the very thing that saved the planet—the Lifestream—is now killing you and the orphans you’re trying to raise. It’s heavy. You see him constantly adjusting his sleeve or wincing in pain. That’s not just for drama. Director Tetsuya Nomura and writer Kazushige Nojima wanted to show a man who felt he didn't deserve a "happily ever after" because he couldn't protect the people he loved.
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He was living in a church. Alone. That’s a massive shift from the guy who was cracking jokes with Barret and flirting with Tifa in the Highwind.
The Fusion Swords: A Design Masterclass
We have to mention the hardware. The Buster Sword is iconic, sure, but the Fusion Swords (or First Tsurugi) in Cloud Final Fantasy Advent Children are a mechanical marvel of mid-2000s design. It’s a six-sword assembly that fits together into one massive blade.
- The Main Blade: The base for the others.
- The Hollow Blades: Two identical side blades that clip on.
- The Back Blades: Smaller ones for weight distribution.
- The Crest Blade: The final piece that gives it that heavy silhouette.
The fight against Kadaj on the highway? When he starts discarding the layers of the sword to use them as separate projectiles? That’s peak Square Enix. It showed a shift in Cloud’s fighting style—he went from a brute-force heavy hitter to a technical specialist. He had to be faster because his body was failing him.
Why the "Complete" Version Actually Matters
If you only watched the original 2005 DVD release, you missed the real story. Advent Children Complete, released in 2009, added about 26 minutes of footage, and it changed the entire tone. It’s gorier, sure—you actually see the blood during the Sephiroth fight—but the character beats are what save it.
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There’s a specific scene where Denzel, the orphan Cloud took in, collapses from Geostigma. In the original, it’s a quick moment. In Complete, you see the desperation. You see Cloud’s failure as a "father figure" manifesting in real-time. It explains why he ran away. He didn't leave Tifa and the kids because he didn't love them; he left because he was terrified they’d have to watch him die.
It’s a subtle distinction. But it’s everything.
The dialogue in the Japanese script (and the improved English dub) hammers home that Cloud’s "emo" phase was actually a deep-seated belief that he was a "hollow" person living a lie. He was still carrying Zack Fair’s legacy like a weight rather than a gift.
The Sephiroth Rematch: Fan Service or Narrative Necessity?
Let’s be real: Sephiroth shouldn’t have been in this movie. His story was done at the end of FFVII. But you can’t have a Cloud Final Fantasy Advent Children story without the One-Winged Angel.
When Kadaj transforms, it’s a moment of pure fanservice. But it serves a purpose for Cloud's arc. In the original game, the final fight is internal—a mental battle inside the Lifestream. In Advent Children, the fight is the final exorcism of his guilt. When Cloud says, "Stay where you belong... in my memories," he’s finally closing the door.
He’s not just killing a villain. He’s killing his own trauma.
The choreography in this fight is still being studied by animators today. The way the environment is used—the falling debris of Shinra HQ, the way Cloud uses the Fusion Swords to gain verticality—it set the standard for how high-fantasy action should look in 3D.
The Tifa Dynamic
We also need to talk about Tifa Lockhart. She is the MVP of this era. While Cloud is moping in the church, Tifa is running the Seventh Heaven bar, taking care of the kids, and keeping the 7th Heaven delivery service afloat. She’s the emotional anchor.
Her fight against Loz in the church is arguably the best-choreographed hand-to-hand scene in the entire "Compilation." It’s also heartbreaking. She’s fighting for her family while the man she loves is essentially ghosting her. It highlights a side of Cloud that is often ignored: he can be incredibly selfish in his grief.
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The Legacy: From Advent Children to Remake and Rebirth
You can see the DNA of Advent Children all over the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. The "Whispers" in Remake feel like a nod to the ethereal nature of Kadaj and his brothers. The combat system in the new games—specifically the "Operator" and "Punisher" modes—mimics the weight and speed Cloud displays in the film.
But more importantly, the Remake series is trying to bridge the gap between the "tough guy" Cloud of 1997 and the "broken man" of 2005. They’re showing the cracks in his persona much earlier.
If you're looking to dive back into this specific era of the lore, don't just watch the movie. Look at the "On the Way to a Smile" novellas. They bridge the gap between the game’s ending and the movie’s beginning. They explain how Tifa and Cloud started the delivery business and how the world transitioned from Mako energy to just... trying to survive.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you want the full Cloud Final Fantasy Advent Children experience today, here is the move:
- Watch "Complete" only. Skip the 2005 original. The 4K remaster of Advent Children Complete is the definitive way to see the textures of his leather suit and the details of the Geostigma.
- Read "Case of Tifa." It’s a short story in the On the Way to a Smile collection. It makes the movie 100% more impactful because it shows the domestic life they tried to build before everything fell apart.
- Play the "Intermission" DLC in FF7 Remake. It introduces elements that hint at how the Lifestream and the "remnants" might work in this new continuity.
- Check out the Fenrir bike design. If you’re into model kits or 3D art, the Fenrir (Cloud's motorcycle) is a masterpiece of engineering. It actually has storage for all six of his swords.
Cloud Strife isn't a static character. He’s a guy who saved the world and then realized he didn't know how to live in it. Advent Children isn't about a hero winning a fight; it's about a veteran finally coming home. Whether you like the "emo" tone or not, it’s the most human he’s ever been.