I didn't even know cloud had those glitchy headaches in the original until I played it again 2 weeks ago, that's how subtle it is. But being subtle is also the original's strong points, mainly due to technological limitations. Being too open is also the Re: trilogy's weak point. I understand that square enix loves to show off in the remake but there are certain criticisms about them being too eager to show too much. Overall, the expansion and elaboration on the story in remake does more good than harm tbh. Plus this whole multiversal stuff going on has my full support while some fans just want a 1:1 Remake which I think understand even after 4 years.
@@CaaaramelApples How about since Tifa and Cloud already went over what Tifa saw in the lifestream, Cloud begins flashing back to his missions as a grunt after his breakdown. He goes through his memories of encountering Angeal and Genesis copies and THAT is what helps him repair his mind.
The most unsettling scene was in the Temple following each of the party’s trials. Aerith gives her impassioned speech to settle the rest of the party down after they just relived such traumatic experiences. Cloud’s response is just “Are you finished?” Just brutal
Honestly Cloud’s sephiroth stance looked way more devastating than Sephiroth himself doing it. Being pierced and cut by that massive sword gotta hurt ouch.
@@memeprez1281he’s the only successful Sephiroth clone… but Cloud isn’t aware of it… although it is not revealed as of rebirth so it’ll happen in the third game
I also felt like that, and it s even more tragical because Cloud is the victim of this process, he s being possessed by the evil cells. But i remain confident the group will save him in the next game.
@@Banana-cc5rxuh spoilers? Look, I know the original came out decades ago, but this is a Rebirth comment section. A lot of people are playing it and experiencing the story for the first time.
@samgrace7826 this is old info from crisis core though? Stop reading comments and even the internet if you don't want to be spoiled. That's like saying people shouldn't talk about Zack as well
The fact that if you try moving Cloud away from Sephiroth or Aerith when he’s under his control only to move towards them makes this scene even better.
He's already completely mental by the end of this game. If Aerith truly is there through the lifestream or if it's Jenova lil bro is tweaking thinking he actually saved her, he genuinely has no clue what's real or what isn't anymore. Full on psychosis.
@juliogomesdesouza9035 Spoilers Actually at the end of this game Cloud is basically just being delusional and in denial, but he's gonna snap out of it at the beginning of part 3 and he's gonna continue almost totally normal until we get to the Northern Crater. That's what happened in OG at least. The only thing that broke Cloud completely, is his identity being denied by Tifa in the cutscene where Sephiroth shows the picture in Nibelheim with Zack and Tifa can't confirm he's "Cloud from Nibelheim" anymore, Cloud completely loses faith in himself and brings the black materia to Sephiroth's physical body at the Northern Crater. Cloud's lowest point in the game is his loss of identity and him begging Hojo for a number.
@@laurajanco2i The game is different from the original. I agree with you, that's how it worked there, the only thing that breaks him in the og was Zack's death and realizing his whole personality and sense of self was a lie. But him going crazy from Aerith's death on the remakes is undeniable. It's gonna have just as much impact if not more on him in the long run than anything related to his persona. But yes his lowest point in the remakes is absolutely going to be that as well.
@@juliogomesdesouza9035 The game processes things differently, but the outcome is always the same. That's why Aerith still dies. I think we'll have to see the third part, but Cloud's character arc/development is impossible to change, because it's the heart of FF7 and why we're seeing him spiral to begin with. So that he can find himself in part 3.
This is the prove that, of all Final Fantasy main characters, Cloud is the most mentally messed-up character, and not entirely by his fault. He’s nothing like Lightning nor Squall, his true identity was broken by very traumatic circumstances, forcing him to subconsciously create a fake persona to cope with his own flipped mind.
@@veronicapiccinini7956 I'm still on the fence if Cloud really created the fake persona to cope, or it's a result of the mako poisoning that put him in a catatonic state. It's said that "Catatonia is a state in which someone is awake but does not seem to respond to other people and their environment." Considering Zack told Cloud a lot of stories for over a year, and he essentially lived through Zack, it makes sense to me also. And on top of it Zack literally passed on his memories and his dreams to Cloud when he died, which doesn't help much for his mental state either lol. Maybe it's a little bit of both?
@@lolololol7573 It's all of those. Cloud was already a pretty introverted and awkward person as a kid, the lost of Zack right in front of him caused him to create the fake "zack" persona due to guilt, he was trying to live as "Zack" to cope that Zack isn't dead. Then the "mako poisoning" was more of Sephiroth's cell being in him fighting for control thanks to Hojo and messing with his head. All the stuff turned him into a mess since the very start of the story. Part 3 is pretty much redemption arc and we see how Cloud truly is as himself, even in Advent Children he is changing himself for the better.
Instead of walking forward to get to the spot in 20 seconds, i spent 15 minutes to get there just because i forced Cloud to zigzag his way there in hopes it would trigger a different outcome.
@@MissusFailat first I was trying everything to turn back around but then I thought it’s better that Cloud approaches than Sephiroth gets impatient and does it himself, so I started to move forward and give her plenty of time to run.
Angeal: “You should’ve give someone that is mentally stable.” Zack: “Says the guy who is more crazier than Cloud.” Angeal: *Surprised Pikachu meme face*
Clouds friends are the worst enablers, lol. They see Cloud losing his god damn mind, almost killing Tifa and Aerith, and treat him with the softest of gloves.
Yeah, dude folded a massive stone door in half with just a few sword strike and let’s not forget the snake in the swamp. He is just a terrifying killing machine at this point.
I love how at 13:19 you can see how small his pupils are but when he takes orders at 13:37 his pupils dialate immediately. These details are so good and just adds to the puppetry that Sephiroth is doing. It’s literally like an on/off switch where Cloud sadly has no control and is essentially brain dead, suddenly trying to complete a task. After returning it at 15:20 we see them get smaller again. And then eventually when he snaps out of it his pupils grow larger again to save Aerith 🥺🩷
This genuinely unsettled me, like, aren’t they already mass murdering ennemies, and all of a sudden it becomes bad ? Sure he does it with some sadism, but still…
I do appreciate how the Remake trilogy will let it's main character be pathetically fallible like this (I am saying this in the best way possible). I feel like most games wouldn't do *this* to the extreme like what Remake and especially Rebirth does. Cloud Strife isn't a perfect emo badass that's the gold standard for the JRPG industry. He's someome that needs help and no one really kmows what's going on. He's surprisingly fragile, which honestly makes him more human to me, despite the non-human things happening to him. But yeah, I dont think most games would mar their beloved main character to this level. But I think it's really compelling personally and I can't wait to see the lows and the highs of Cloud's mental health next game!
To be fair....he was like that in the original. Instead of him going through stock poses in a silly 3d model while laughing and having electric noises around him, and us all forgetting about how weird that was from the start because lol look at that shit... We now have it fully realized with modern set pieces and direction. It's well done and true to the character.
@cronoesify That's true. OG Cloud was like this too. I feel like in this Trilogy Cloud is doing somehow worse than he did in OG though. *looks at Rebirth ending* But yeah you are totally right.
@@strelitziamystery21 it's better realized, but true to the character. This is exactly why everyone wanted a remake of 7. The nuts and bolts there are fantastic story elements that didn't fully come together outside of our own imaginations at the time.
anyone noticed that when cloud was stabbing that big.. thing on the head four times it showed a bit of sephiroth? clouds left arm was having that white armor that's on sephiroths shoulder, and i might be wrong but I think they showed sephiroths hair; it's like sephiroth is inside cloud controlling him.. he's real possessed. his armor / clothing was turning into sephiroths clothes.
Wow, What an eagle eye. I literally think it is one frame and Cloud is heavily obscured by particle effects and motion blur but he does appear to morph into Sephiroth at that moment.
In that whole black materia chase i was screaming at the start the moment sephi showed up and cloud was working towards him i was screaming someone knock em out this shit aint right. I cant wait to see how avalanche time is going to save him
I just love the detail of clouds pupils being dilated or blown out whenever sephiroth is controlling him, and when he snaps out of it they go back to normal
i've heard a theory that makes cloud even more fu*cked up in the head than you might think. it's really sad but also quite likely. *ending spoilers* the aerith that cloud sees at the end is just a projection of his mind (could be jenova). aerith's very, truly dead but cloud just cannot accept that so instead he creates this projection of her, convincing himself that she's okay. that's why there wasn't the scene where cloud puts aerith's body on the water - because that moment in the og means cloud accepts her death. but it's missing in rebirth. it's a very iconic scene and there's no good reason i can think of (except for this one) that would make them omit it. another thing that proves this theory is when he's holding her body and her eyes are closed + there's blood coming from her body - this is what barret and the others see because that's what's actually happening. but then the glitching starts again and you see cloud's pov - where there's no blood and aerith's eyes are open as she talks to him, comforting him. letting him hear what he _wants_ to hear. it's so upsetting to see just how much trauma cloud has experienced and that it's not over yet. especially with sephiroth. i wouldn't even know where to start with his constant taunting and manipulating - ranging from reciting the last words cloud's mom said to him (run, cloud, run away), to cleaning his sword by splashing aerith's blood on cloud... 😭
I also think this is what is happening. Deliberately denying the player the most iconic visuals of the original is a dramatic choice. We’ll likely see them during the rebuilding of Cloud’s mind scene in 3 when Tifa has to bring Cloud to accept her death. Cloud constructing false realities to deal with the death of people close to him is in line with his character, it’s exactly what he did with Zack. This is also in line with the metanarrative. Fans haven’t been able to accept Aerith’s death for decades. Those who think we brought her back are in for just as rude an awakening as Cloud is.
I thought it was cold-blooded when he chuckled over Cait-Sith’s death….i was like dayum they really are expendable to him when he’s like this. 😢 Great Depiction though 👏🏽 ALL of this.
During the scene where Cloud went berserk against the Shinra soldiers, i was hyped, and yelling "LETS GO STRIFE!" When he was dodging with just a little head tilt, i was smiling like crazy...but when he executed the guy he knocked up in the air and the dude on the ground, my smile faded into straight horror
Good video, my fave clip tho was at the end of the game in the grass when he says "The Reunion" and looks at the black materia like he forgot it before and then you all know what he did to his sword...
@@enzoarayamorales7220 lore spoilers? the story reason is probably because Cloud needs to be alive in order for Sephiroth to continue existing, in the Lifestream Black reading it describes that he lives past FF7 by anchoring himself to Cloud's memories of him something like that, although i will say it doesnt explain why he acts fondly (in a backhanded way) to him, which i am curious to see in part 3
@@enzoarayamorales7220 it was initially zack who pissed him off the most lol because he reminded him of his past life and his friends Angeal and Genesis, but cloud did humiliate him in front of what he thinks is "mom" and then tossed him into a mako chemical reactor so there may be just a tad bit of salty rage in his demeanor over that lmao but not just that in his deranged mind he probably thinks that by manipulating and torturing Cloud its the same as mocking Zack who called Cloud his "living legacy" xD
@@enzoarayamorales7220 He's fond of Cloud because he likes cloud. The black materia, the s cells, jenova cells, etc aren't why he specifically wants Cloud to join him and defy destiny with him. I know a lot of men specifically can't comprehend this about their fave villain but he is fruity.
i noticed that all of these instances of Cloud are getting mind-controlled is that he is away from Aerith and it is only getting worse the longer he is away from Aerith like in the temple when he is separated from her the longest.
@@damonlopez2197If this was real life, Tifa is the woman you'd want to be with because Aerith is a dreamer and will not be as loyal or honest as Tifa. But this is a game, and Cloud has different needs as he has some serious issues, he needs both of them. I HATE Aerith as a character and will never write one like her, but Cloud needs her.
This video really highlights the similarities and parallel between Cloud in Rebirth and Kadaj - both are unhinged and unsettling as hell, mere puppets for Sephiroth
You forgot to include the last part at the ending, where Cloud finds he has the Black Materia and smirks with "The Reunion." before equipping it into the Buster Sword.
It’s always tonally dissonant when Barrett and Tifa look shocked at Clouds murderous actions when during combat they kill and murder people all the time and just because Cloud got blood on himself physically they are shocked. Hell Barret killed innocents with the reactor bombings and didn’t really seemed phased at the time in Remake at the beginning
Barret and Tifa aren't shocked by Cloud killing people, but by the way he's doing it. Cloud is being callous and unnecessarily brutal with his kills. Sure, Barret acted like he didn't care about the people whose lives were lost during the first reactor bombing, but that's just him trying not to let their deaths weigh him down from accomplishing Avalanche's mission. Cloud is just acting like a unhinged monster.
Well outside of fiends, I’ve always interpreted battling as knocking out the characters. A phoenix down doesn’t revive, just wakes them up from unconsciousness. The game text when beating an enemy is “X defeated”. So here he’s going beyond standard gameplay by actually killing.
Every time i got to each of these points in the game with Cloud being unhinged, I imagine myself being one of the team members and side-eyeing with everyone, like I feel bad bruh, especially for Tifa if you romanced her.
Spoilers if you've not played the original FF7. The reason Cloud is absolutely losing his mind is because he has been directly injected with Jenova cells and also samples of Sephiroth himself (that scene in the lab beneath Shinra Manor alludes to this). Actually, he has been exposed to even more experiments than the typical SOLDIER candidate because he was one of the two found survivors of the Nibelheim incident, the other being Zack who was already a SOLDIER. However, unlike Zack, Cloud was infused with Sephiroth's DNA and regular SOLDIERs up until that point were not. The person behind this was of course... Hojo. Hojo figured that since Sephiroth was assumed dead Shinra would need a replacement. He couldn't do much with Zack because he'd already undergone the creation process but Cloud was effectively a blank slate for Hojo to work with, and he was thorough in the creation of this prototype Sephiroth clone. Hojo almost lets the entire thing slip in Remake before the Whispers carry him off. This is also why Hojo released Jenova at the end of Remake, because he wants to see what will happen whenever his prototype (and magnum opus) comes into contact with Jenova. This will all come to a head in Part 3 when the group reaches the Northern Crater where the physical body of Sephiroth resides and where both he and Hojo will reveal the entire thing. This revelation absolutely SHATTERS Cloud's already fractured mind, leaving him a braindead husk. Cloud is clearly under the direct control of Jenova/Sephiroth throughout the entire journey through The Temple Of The Ancients. What is really creepy is if you listen to Cloud's dialogue... the further in you get the more it changes to becoming more unhinged. It can be hard to discern it from all the noise of battle but if you go to the in-game options and filter everything out except voices you can hear it. He laughs sadistically when his Limit Break is charged. He has new aggressive lines whenever he finishes off an opponent. He becomes increasingly apathetic to his comrades, but doesn't overtly let it slip that he is effectively Sephiroth as to not blow his cover. He nearly murders Elena. He murders the SOLDIERs in cold blood. He says the exact same things Sephiroth does (Tifa notices this way back in Nibelheim and freaks out). He gives Sephiroth the one thing he absolutely must not get: The Black Materia to summon Meteor. Then later at the Forgotten Capital he almost murders Aerith but manages to fight back, only for Sephiroth to then intervene and do it himself. Sephiroth is able to control Cloud directly because of their shared connection through the Jenova cells in their bodies. He is able to do this easily because Cloud's mind is very fragile and he is uncertain as to what his true memories are (the return to Nibelheim spells this out pretty clearly). The only one who can reasonably anchor Cloud is Tifa, which is why Sephiroth encourages Cloud to doubt her and then later when he is in direct control in Gongaga to attempt to kill her. Tifa is Cloud's only lifeline to restoring his mind, and thus breaking Sephiroth's control, which is why he is so set on killing her.
Man, Sephiroth is not going easy on Cloud this time around. Just consistently mind screwing him here. It definitely makes me scared of what he’ll do to him in part 3.
I wonder how Cloud will use the Black Materia in Part 3 (Reunion). And I wonder if Aerith will play a part in that game as she’s just in Cloud’s Head, maybe like a Final Fantasy version of Cupid Me from South Park.
My guess the 3rd game will open with northern Crater being the tutorial dungeon, it will end with Sephiroth getting black materia and Cloud being lost, Intro cutscene where meteor is summoned and Weapons are awakened. Then the game begins and 1st quest will be to escape Junon and find Cloud. Aerith will be a voice in Cloud's head that will point him in the right direction, as for the rest of the game my guess is that everything that was optional in OG like Wutai, Ruby and Emerald Weapons will be mandatory, they might add another new weapon as a super boss but we'll see. Who knows maybe a minigame where you have to shoot Sapphire Weapon using Junon Canon. Rocket town will be remade for Cid's story, Knights of Round will be a materia of Cetra heroes that will be mandatory to get to help in fight with Sephiroth.
"15 mins of Sephiroth gaslighting."
When you have an incredibly obsessive ex
Feels just like Thanksgiving 😭
That ain't Sephiroth gaslighting. He took it to a new sport.
I love how they portrayed clouds fracturing psyche in this game, it’s WAY more fucked up than in the original
I didn't even know cloud had those glitchy headaches in the original until I played it again 2 weeks ago, that's how subtle it is. But being subtle is also the original's strong points, mainly due to technological limitations. Being too open is also the Re: trilogy's weak point. I understand that square enix loves to show off in the remake but there are certain criticisms about them being too eager to show too much. Overall, the expansion and elaboration on the story in remake does more good than harm tbh. Plus this whole multiversal stuff going on has my full support while some fans just want a 1:1 Remake which I think understand even after 4 years.
It's way more non-sensical than in the original. But be happy, it's animu.
Why did his teammates not question or confront him?
@@DiegoCervantes-qz7ku because its a huge plot point for later
@@DiegoCervantes-qz7ku Gotta wait for the third part or spoil yourself with OG/Ever Crisis playthrough
Cloud chuckling evilly has to be the most unsettling thing in the game.
To be honest, it was unsettling in the original, and we only read it 😂😂
Cody (Cloud’s VA) mentioned it was unnerving in an interview to chuckle.
Yeah that gave me chills
First play through I was stood back like I don’t want to walk up to the creepiness.
Boah what He there doing ?
Angeal from the lifestream watching Cloud hammer the buster sword on a stone door: 🥲
Ángel and Zack: Triggered
PLEASE... let part 3 somehow have an Angeal fight to have Cloud prove himself to the original owner of the Buster Sword.
@@chrisdaughen5257 that would be cool, even to have some reference to the CC trio in some side quests or something
@@CaaaramelApples How about since Tifa and Cloud already went over what Tifa saw in the lifestream, Cloud begins flashing back to his missions as a grunt after his breakdown. He goes through his memories of encountering Angeal and Genesis copies and THAT is what helps him repair his mind.
Angeal to zack : wear bring tear and rust....
Meanwhile cloud abused buster sword be like :
The most unsettling scene was in the Temple following each of the party’s trials. Aerith gives her impassioned speech to settle the rest of the party down after they just relived such traumatic experiences. Cloud’s response is just “Are you finished?” Just brutal
Cloud only cares about his precious: the black materia. No time for words. Need the precious.
I literally just played that scene a half hour ago and was wondering why it isn't in this video. I was genuinely hurt for Aerith.
It's revealed that he said that because he couldn't really hear what she was saying
He was having a trance the whole time
He locked in gate of the world on the line I ain’t got time for no speech
@@extraterrific8835 Where was it revealed?
Whenever someone walked in on me playing Rebirth and asked for an explanation of what was happening, I began every time with "Cloud is NOT okay."
That bullet dodge was crazy
That bullet dodge made me feel funny things in places I don't feel comfortable LOL
I must confess that I replayed that bullet dodge more times than I count now 🫣
ngl if i was one of the shinra grunts and saw that i'd put the gun down and start running for it
@@faeandal2824 You make me feel better for knowing I'm not the only one who has done that LOL
@@CuteSceneChic just admit you get sexually aroused by cloud already lmao
Honestly Cloud’s sephiroth stance looked way more devastating than Sephiroth himself doing it. Being pierced and cut by that massive sword gotta hurt ouch.
And they didnt dissapear/return to the planet.
They were still alive!
Bro why sephiroth so damn obsessed with cloud😂
@@memeprez1281he’s the only successful Sephiroth clone… but Cloud isn’t aware of it… although it is not revealed as of rebirth so it’ll happen in the third game
@@memeprez1281 they were in a relationship then they broke up and Sephy wouldn’t let go
@@luiousy7329lmao
I would rather awkward, cool, and sassy Cloud than unhinged. Seeing him like that broke my heart.
Me too. At some point, i wanted him out of the group.
Sad to see him at this state.
I also felt like that, and it s even more tragical because Cloud is the victim of this process, he s being possessed by the evil cells. But i remain confident the group will save him in the next game.
Unhinged is better. Girls cling to him, begging him to stop, flashing their titties for him.
I'm the opposite. Seeing Cloud go crazy kind of turned me on a little bit. (Not in a sexual way) but like in a more intrigued way.
@CuteSceneChic your choice of words, though!
That "did I do good, daddy?" expression at 15:22 is about the most pathetic Cloud gets in this game.
and we love him for it
AYE YO 💀
Love 15:13 just before when he walks up to sephiroth and gives him the materia like a dog lol
@@heiditran119 you mean like a GOOD BOY
I can’t unsee this now 😭😭😭💀
Cloud turned into Gollum. "THE PRECIOUS. SHE STOLE IT FROM US."
Yes! I was getting Frodo vibes. Tifa will be like Samwise and be the true hero
His battle stance, his way of dodging, his movements in the first scene - all from Sephiroth
Yeah and he was holding the buster sword in his left hand Cloud is right handed Sephiroth is left handed so Sephiroth was controlling cloud it seems
I knew i wasnt crazy when i saw him pose like that
Yes because Cloud is a Sephiroth clone himself, all the top soldiers are in fact. Sephiroth could had possessed Cloud fully if he had given in
@@Banana-cc5rxuh spoilers? Look, I know the original came out decades ago, but this is a Rebirth comment section. A lot of people are playing it and experiencing the story for the first time.
@samgrace7826 this is old info from crisis core though? Stop reading comments and even the internet if you don't want to be spoiled. That's like saying people shouldn't talk about Zack as well
The fact that if you try moving Cloud away from Sephiroth or Aerith when he’s under his control only to move towards them makes this scene even better.
Not even *we* can control Cloud... Not even *we* can stop him...
And this (hopefully) isn’t gonna be the peak of his insanity. We still have one more game to see Cloud lose his McFucking Marbles at the world
He's already completely mental by the end of this game. If Aerith truly is there through the lifestream or if it's Jenova lil bro is tweaking thinking he actually saved her, he genuinely has no clue what's real or what isn't anymore. Full on psychosis.
We still need to see wheelchair Cloud. This is going to be crazy. I can't wait.
@juliogomesdesouza9035 Spoilers
Actually at the end of this game Cloud is basically just being delusional and in denial, but he's gonna snap out of it at the beginning of part 3 and he's gonna continue almost totally normal until we get to the Northern Crater. That's what happened in OG at least.
The only thing that broke Cloud completely, is his identity being denied by Tifa in the cutscene where Sephiroth shows the picture in Nibelheim with Zack and Tifa can't confirm he's "Cloud from Nibelheim" anymore, Cloud completely loses faith in himself and brings the black materia to Sephiroth's physical body at the Northern Crater.
Cloud's lowest point in the game is his loss of identity and him begging Hojo for a number.
@@laurajanco2i The game is different from the original. I agree with you, that's how it worked there, the only thing that breaks him in the og was Zack's death and realizing his whole personality and sense of self was a lie.
But him going crazy from Aerith's death on the remakes is undeniable. It's gonna have just as much impact if not more on him in the long run than anything related to his persona. But yes his lowest point in the remakes is absolutely going to be that as well.
@@juliogomesdesouza9035 The game processes things differently, but the outcome is always the same. That's why Aerith still dies. I think we'll have to see the third part, but Cloud's character arc/development is impossible to change, because it's the heart of FF7 and why we're seeing him spiral to begin with. So that he can find himself in part 3.
Cloud, smiling at any point during the last hours of the game:
"Hello, my name is Cloud Strife. Yes. I am mentally ok. What a weird question to ask."
I like how they did it, I actually felt bad for unhinged Cloud, it breaks my heart. Which is exactly the point.
This is the prove that, of all Final Fantasy main characters, Cloud is the most mentally messed-up character, and not entirely by his fault.
He’s nothing like Lightning nor Squall, his true identity was broken by very traumatic circumstances, forcing him to subconsciously create a fake persona to cope with his own flipped mind.
@@veronicapiccinini7956 I'm still on the fence if Cloud really created the fake persona to cope, or it's a result of the mako poisoning that put him in a catatonic state. It's said that "Catatonia is a state in which someone is awake but does not seem to respond to other people and their environment." Considering Zack told Cloud a lot of stories for over a year, and he essentially lived through Zack, it makes sense to me also. And on top of it Zack literally passed on his memories and his dreams to Cloud when he died, which doesn't help much for his mental state either lol. Maybe it's a little bit of both?
@@lolololol7573 It's all of those. Cloud was already a pretty introverted and awkward person as a kid, the lost of Zack right in front of him caused him to create the fake "zack" persona due to guilt, he was trying to live as "Zack" to cope that Zack isn't dead. Then the "mako poisoning" was more of Sephiroth's cell being in him fighting for control thanks to Hojo and messing with his head. All the stuff turned him into a mess since the very start of the story. Part 3 is pretty much redemption arc and we see how Cloud truly is as himself, even in Advent Children he is changing himself for the better.
Clouds voice actor always delivers
Even Barret is realizing that Cloud is not right in the head.
Yuri Lowenthal: I did the most evil impersonation of my character!
Cody Christian: Hold my materia…
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one sensing the Sasuke vibes
😂😂😂
Cloud(laughing psychoticly): Aerith.😈
13:45 clouds voice actor was amazing here
Made him so menacing
Sephiroth just has Cloud on a leash
If you know what I mean? ;)
He’s got him on an ever better leash as of the end of this game. He implicltly trusts “Aerith”
Kinky
Sephiroth is darkness. Tifa is light.
@@johnsantos507 aerith is light. Tifa is the childhood friend
Nothing more horrifying than romancing Aerith and then when Sephiroth is making you chase her you physically can’t turn around
Instead of walking forward to get to the spot in 20 seconds, i spent 15 minutes to get there just because i forced Cloud to zigzag his way there in hopes it would trigger a different outcome.
@@MissusFailat first I was trying everything to turn back around but then I thought it’s better that Cloud approaches than Sephiroth gets impatient and does it himself, so I started to move forward and give her plenty of time to run.
@@finleymorris04 Either way that must've been the most uncomfortable part of the game for every Clerith fan out there. I was mortified. 😨
That pose at the beginning was very reminiscent of Sephiroth’s pose.
It IS Sephiroth's pose
@@Lightlord56 I knew it! I didn’t want to go researching promotional art and cutscenes just to make sure Cloud never did that pose.
was it 0:28? then he used it like masamune 😭
6:47 Angeal is screaming in the lifestream rn
HE IS 💀💀😂
FR
Angeal: “You should’ve give someone that is mentally stable.”
Zack: “Says the guy who is more crazier than Cloud.”
Angeal: *Surprised Pikachu meme face*
It's not death, it's a homecoming is the new Good soldiers follow orders.
1:08 That smile and tiny laugh after stabbing him was terrifying. That was the moment when I really thought Cloud was gonna lose himself.
I want my cool, awkward, sassy Cloud back, Sephiroth's creepy ass better get away
You can see when Sephiroth influenced Cloud at the start. His facial expressions, stance, everything are Sephiroth's style and it's freaky
Clouds friends are the worst enablers, lol. They see Cloud losing his god damn mind, almost killing Tifa and Aerith, and treat him with the softest of gloves.
you will see why they did that in the next game. its for a good reason.
Because he's freaking dangerous
But they also kinda need him so it's like he has them in a hostage situation
Yeah, dude folded a massive stone door in half with just a few sword strike and let’s not forget the snake in the swamp.
He is just a terrifying killing machine at this point.
Cloud: *losing his damn mind and talking to himself*
Tifa and Aerith: maybe a nap?
I don't want to spoil the rest of the plot from the og game but you'll understand later
All that carnage with only a teaspoon’s worth of blood splattered on his face 😅
Ff7 Remake Cloud: *Awkward with woman*
Ff7 Rebirth Cloud: Fuck it, we ball!
Poor cloud. His friends just watch and stare when he is having a seizure attack. They don't even help him they just watch
That moment where he dodges the bullets just by moving his head tho 😳😳😳
I love how at 13:19 you can see how small his pupils are but when he takes orders at 13:37 his pupils dialate immediately. These details are so good and just adds to the puppetry that Sephiroth is doing. It’s literally like an on/off switch where Cloud sadly has no control and is essentially brain dead, suddenly trying to complete a task. After returning it at 15:20 we see them get smaller again.
And then eventually when he snaps out of it his pupils grow larger again to save Aerith 🥺🩷
yeah i really liked the detail with the pupils.
Murdering hundreds in battles=good. Murdering in a cutscene=evil
Nah its more about how he does it. In the Cutscenes he is enjoying it while in gameplay it is more because he has to.
This genuinely unsettled me, like, aren’t they already mass murdering ennemies, and all of a sudden it becomes bad ? Sure he does it with some sadism, but still…
He needs more than just a nap Barret- he needs a snickers.
Also can't wait for his mental breakdown in the next game, I hope they nail that part.
I just relized. Sepherioth has perfect eyeliner.....
5:30 I love hugs as much as the next guy, but the LAST thing I would want is to be hugged by Sephiroth…
“Very good….”
Same, but I'm pretty sure there are like- hundreds of people who would want to be Cloud in that scenario.
@@mariogirl8100 that’s because people find pleasure in being a slave…
@@mariogirl8100yeah bro me i was screaming at the screen
"It's not death, It's a homecoming."
It's not delivery, it's Digiorno.
Literally just 15 mins of Sephiroth going “nah me personally, I wouldn’t take this disrespect”
You should've also included the moment where he laughs when switching at the wall demon
sincerely thought i was becoming just as insane as Cloud and hearing things the first time- the little details are just too good
I’ve done that battle three times and only heard it once! Not sure what triggers it. I thought I was going crazy 😭
I thought it was the Demon Gate laughing at first… then I heard the same laugh from Cloud in the next scene and realized what it was.
What would have made that gongaga incident more gut wrenching if it was the 7th division and the last guard goes "Captain, why?"
3:01 be honest, this is the part where we all thought "holy shit, that theory of tifa dying instead of aerith is true?" wasn't it?
They had me for a bit
This is both sad and disturbing at the same time
0:38 why is he looking at the camera like that!!!!!!
This is Sephiroth's standard posture when dodging bullets. If you look carefully, Cloud's sword skills at this time are the same as Sephiroth's.
I do appreciate how the Remake trilogy will let it's main character be pathetically fallible like this (I am saying this in the best way possible). I feel like most games wouldn't do *this* to the extreme like what Remake and especially Rebirth does. Cloud Strife isn't a perfect emo badass that's the gold standard for the JRPG industry.
He's someome that needs help and no one really kmows what's going on. He's surprisingly fragile, which honestly makes him more human to me, despite the non-human things happening to him.
But yeah, I dont think most games would mar their beloved main character to this level. But I think it's really compelling personally and I can't wait to see the lows and the highs of Cloud's mental health next game!
To be fair....he was like that in the original. Instead of him going through stock poses in a silly 3d model while laughing and having electric noises around him, and us all forgetting about how weird that was from the start because lol look at that shit...
We now have it fully realized with modern set pieces and direction. It's well done and true to the character.
@cronoesify That's true. OG Cloud was like this too.
I feel like in this Trilogy Cloud is doing somehow worse than he did in OG though. *looks at Rebirth ending*
But yeah you are totally right.
@@strelitziamystery21 it's better realized, but true to the character. This is exactly why everyone wanted a remake of 7.
The nuts and bolts there are fantastic story elements that didn't fully come together outside of our own imaginations at the time.
@@cronoesify 💯
I agree. They really leaned in to how flawed he is which is refreshing.
0:27, sephiroth's octaslash stance with buster sword 😶😶😶😶😶
0:36, that smirk while dodging bullet, really possesed by sephiroth
anyone noticed that when cloud was stabbing that big.. thing on the head four times it showed a bit of sephiroth? clouds left arm was having that white armor that's on sephiroths shoulder, and i might be wrong but I think they showed sephiroths hair; it's like sephiroth is inside cloud controlling him.. he's real possessed. his armor / clothing was turning into sephiroths clothes.
Where?
Wow, What an eagle eye. I literally think it is one frame and Cloud is heavily obscured by particle effects and motion blur but he does appear to morph into Sephiroth at that moment.
In that whole black materia chase i was screaming at the start the moment sephi showed up and cloud was working towards him i was screaming someone knock em out this shit aint right. I cant wait to see how avalanche time is going to save him
A person of culture, I see :)
AVALANCHE TIIIIIIME MTHAFUCKAS!!!!!
Bros a goat for using the Buster Sword
The Gongaga scene broke my heart to see
I just love the detail of clouds pupils being dilated or blown out whenever sephiroth is controlling him, and when he snaps out of it they go back to normal
i've heard a theory that makes cloud even more fu*cked up in the head than you might think. it's really sad but also quite likely.
*ending spoilers*
the aerith that cloud sees at the end is just a projection of his mind (could be jenova). aerith's very, truly dead but cloud just cannot accept that so instead he creates this projection of her, convincing himself that she's okay.
that's why there wasn't the scene where cloud puts aerith's body on the water - because that moment in the og means cloud accepts her death. but it's missing in rebirth. it's a very iconic scene and there's no good reason i can think of (except for this one) that would make them omit it.
another thing that proves this theory is when he's holding her body and her eyes are closed + there's blood coming from her body - this is what barret and the others see because that's what's actually happening. but then the glitching starts again and you see cloud's pov - where there's no blood and aerith's eyes are open as she talks to him, comforting him. letting him hear what he _wants_ to hear.
it's so upsetting to see just how much trauma cloud has experienced and that it's not over yet. especially with sephiroth. i wouldn't even know where to start with his constant taunting and manipulating - ranging from reciting the last words cloud's mom said to him (run, cloud, run away), to cleaning his sword by splashing aerith's blood on cloud... 😭
I also think this is what is happening. Deliberately denying the player the most iconic visuals of the original is a dramatic choice. We’ll likely see them during the rebuilding of Cloud’s mind scene in 3 when Tifa has to bring Cloud to accept her death. Cloud constructing false realities to deal with the death of people close to him is in line with his character, it’s exactly what he did with Zack. This is also in line with the metanarrative. Fans haven’t been able to accept Aerith’s death for decades. Those who think we brought her back are in for just as rude an awakening as Cloud is.
@@henryaggerate9669exactly. it'd be really thought provoking and clever if it turned out to be true
@henryaggerate9669 the devs did say the rebuilding of cloud's mind is their favourite scene, so they'll greatly expand upon it
Our boy is broken. 😭
This is the quality content I am here for
I thought it was cold-blooded when he chuckled over Cait-Sith’s death….i was like dayum they really are expendable to him when he’s like this. 😢 Great Depiction though 👏🏽 ALL of this.
Yeah cloud becomes gollum
During the scene where Cloud went berserk against the Shinra soldiers, i was hyped, and yelling "LETS GO STRIFE!" When he was dodging with just a little head tilt, i was smiling like crazy...but when he executed the guy he knocked up in the air and the dude on the ground, my smile faded into straight horror
Good video, my fave clip tho was at the end of the game in the grass when he says "The Reunion" and looks at the black materia like he forgot it before and then you all know what he did to his sword...
Yeah I originally wanted to include that and a few others but sadly cut them out to keep the video length around 15 mins max.
Sephiroth is way too fond of Cloud.
You'l learn why in part 3
I think it’s cause the fact that clouds threw him off to his supposed death scarred his ego so much he decided to mentally abuse him in particular
@@enzoarayamorales7220
lore spoilers?
the story reason is probably because Cloud needs to be alive in order for Sephiroth to continue existing, in the Lifestream Black reading it describes that he lives past FF7 by anchoring himself to Cloud's memories of him
something like that, although i will say it doesnt explain why he acts fondly (in a backhanded way) to him, which i am curious to see in part 3
@@enzoarayamorales7220 it was initially zack who pissed him off the most lol because he reminded him of his past life and his friends Angeal and Genesis, but cloud did humiliate him in front of what he thinks is "mom" and then tossed him into a mako chemical reactor so there may be just a tad bit of salty rage in his demeanor over that lmao
but not just that in his deranged mind he probably thinks that by manipulating and torturing Cloud its the same as mocking Zack who called Cloud his "living legacy" xD
@@enzoarayamorales7220 He's fond of Cloud because he likes cloud. The black materia, the s cells, jenova cells, etc aren't why he specifically wants Cloud to join him and defy destiny with him. I know a lot of men specifically can't comprehend this about their fave villain but he is fruity.
Oh no hey sephiroth get ur hands off my sweet angle cloud strife now
That time Cloud did bath salts
The final cutscene in this game was so brutal. Hes completely lost it. His psyche is hanging on by a thread
Bro is gased up on that Sephiroth pack.
He will be dope eventually once he ll get the memories of all clouds from other timeline, where everyone will fail he will succeed
Sephiroth's right cloud is such a puppy fetching his ball to his master.
i noticed that all of these instances of Cloud are getting mind-controlled is that he is away from Aerith and it is only getting worse the longer he is away from Aerith like in the temple when he is separated from her the longest.
Yeah, but Tifa is always the one to bring him back to reality.
(This is probably gonna start a shipping war here but whatever)
@@damonlopez2197If this was real life, Tifa is the woman you'd want to be with because Aerith is a dreamer and will not be as loyal or honest as Tifa. But this is a game, and Cloud has different needs as he has some serious issues, he needs both of them. I HATE Aerith as a character and will never write one like her, but Cloud needs her.
Tifa lied lmao but yea true
@@damonlopez2197 Kinda? It was only Aerith who made him snap in chapter 13.
@@zackt3288 this is a crazy take on aerith. men who hate aerith always seem to have weird views on women 😕
This video really highlights the similarities and parallel between Cloud in Rebirth and Kadaj - both are unhinged and unsettling as hell, mere puppets for Sephiroth
You forgot to include the last part at the ending, where Cloud finds he has the Black Materia and smirks with "The Reunion." before equipping it into the Buster Sword.
I was going to include it, but that scene tends to get flagged alot sadly.
Intrusive thought cloud
Travels with a guy who carries a massive sword everywhere he goes.
Sees him use it
😧
And is only 5'8
Can’t wait for the vide from the third game: “9 hours and 27 minutes of Cloud unhinged”
It’s always tonally dissonant when Barrett and Tifa look shocked at Clouds murderous actions when during combat they kill and murder people all the time and just because Cloud got blood on himself physically they are shocked. Hell Barret killed innocents with the reactor bombings and didn’t really seemed phased at the time in Remake at the beginning
Barret and Tifa aren't shocked by Cloud killing people, but by the way he's doing it. Cloud is being callous and unnecessarily brutal with his kills. Sure, Barret acted like he didn't care about the people whose lives were lost during the first reactor bombing, but that's just him trying not to let their deaths weigh him down from accomplishing Avalanche's mission. Cloud is just acting like a unhinged monster.
Barret didn't kill those people with the reactors, Shinra did
Replay the game
You don't see Barrett unloading a full clip onto a man that's begging for his life.
Well outside of fiends, I’ve always interpreted battling as knocking out the characters. A phoenix down doesn’t revive, just wakes them up from unconsciousness. The game text when beating an enemy is “X defeated”. So here he’s going beyond standard gameplay by actually killing.
Every time i got to each of these points in the game with Cloud being unhinged, I imagine myself being one of the team members and side-eyeing with everyone, like I feel bad bruh, especially for Tifa if you romanced her.
scarlet saw cloud slaughtering the infantryman and she decided that is not cloud that is saphiroth then bounce outta there
Cloud saying it's not death it's a homecoming. Reminds me a lot like when Sora said you'll be recompleted in kh 3. 😂
Yozora: I'll save you
Also Yozora: popsicle time
When sephiroth told him to follow his rage bla bla, cloud MIMICKED seph swordfighting stance!
Cloud: 👁️👄👁️
1st clip was ultra instinct cloud
Spoilers if you've not played the original FF7.
The reason Cloud is absolutely losing his mind is because he has been directly injected with Jenova cells and also samples of Sephiroth himself (that scene in the lab beneath Shinra Manor alludes to this). Actually, he has been exposed to even more experiments than the typical SOLDIER candidate because he was one of the two found survivors of the Nibelheim incident, the other being Zack who was already a SOLDIER. However, unlike Zack, Cloud was infused with Sephiroth's DNA and regular SOLDIERs up until that point were not. The person behind this was of course... Hojo.
Hojo figured that since Sephiroth was assumed dead Shinra would need a replacement. He couldn't do much with Zack because he'd already undergone the creation process but Cloud was effectively a blank slate for Hojo to work with, and he was thorough in the creation of this prototype Sephiroth clone. Hojo almost lets the entire thing slip in Remake before the Whispers carry him off. This is also why Hojo released Jenova at the end of Remake, because he wants to see what will happen whenever his prototype (and magnum opus) comes into contact with Jenova.
This will all come to a head in Part 3 when the group reaches the Northern Crater where the physical body of Sephiroth resides and where both he and Hojo will reveal the entire thing. This revelation absolutely SHATTERS Cloud's already fractured mind, leaving him a braindead husk.
Cloud is clearly under the direct control of Jenova/Sephiroth throughout the entire journey through The Temple Of The Ancients.
What is really creepy is if you listen to Cloud's dialogue... the further in you get the more it changes to becoming more unhinged. It can be hard to discern it from all the noise of battle but if you go to the in-game options and filter everything out except voices you can hear it.
He laughs sadistically when his Limit Break is charged.
He has new aggressive lines whenever he finishes off an opponent.
He becomes increasingly apathetic to his comrades, but doesn't overtly let it slip that he is effectively Sephiroth as to not blow his cover.
He nearly murders Elena.
He murders the SOLDIERs in cold blood.
He says the exact same things Sephiroth does (Tifa notices this way back in Nibelheim and freaks out).
He gives Sephiroth the one thing he absolutely must not get: The Black Materia to summon Meteor.
Then later at the Forgotten Capital he almost murders Aerith but manages to fight back, only for Sephiroth to then intervene and do it himself.
Sephiroth is able to control Cloud directly because of their shared connection through the Jenova cells in their bodies. He is able to do this easily because Cloud's mind is very fragile and he is uncertain as to what his true memories are (the return to Nibelheim spells this out pretty clearly). The only one who can reasonably anchor Cloud is Tifa, which is why Sephiroth encourages Cloud to doubt her and then later when he is in direct control in Gongaga to attempt to kill her. Tifa is Cloud's only lifeline to restoring his mind, and thus breaking Sephiroth's control, which is why he is so set on killing her.
Omg I thought I was hearing some weird shit from Cloud in the Temple but yea the extra noise hides it a bit
That poor wall be beat up lol
I'd love cloud going full destroy mode. Sorry to say but I'm evil 👿
Man, Sephiroth is not going easy on Cloud this time around. Just consistently mind screwing him here. It definitely makes me scared of what he’ll do to him in part 3.
So that's how he tricked Tifa into flashing him. Pretending he's crazy🤔
Cloud is out there playing Chess not Checkers.
mhm yeah im thinking i'd let deranged cloud get me pr-- [COMMENT CENSORED PER SHINRA COMMUNITY GUIDELINES]
WTF…
😂😂😂
you need to get help brother, not in a mental sense but to get an artificial womb if you don’t have one (wait wha
Same tho
Ijbol
When I saw that first clip during my
Play through, BOI! I had to take a breather. Just murdered those folks
Shinra infantrymen take a real beating in this game and not only by just Cloud. 😅
Cloud reminds me of Robin in that one Teen Titans episode Haunted.
0:37 YOOOOO
Cloud is a actual tweaker
This shit was truly painful to watch
I wonder how Cloud will use the Black Materia in Part 3 (Reunion). And I wonder if Aerith will play a part in that game as she’s just in Cloud’s Head, maybe like a Final Fantasy version of Cupid Me from South Park.
Not Cupid me!!🤣🥴. The reference got me
My guess the 3rd game will open with northern Crater being the tutorial dungeon, it will end with Sephiroth getting black materia and Cloud being lost, Intro cutscene where meteor is summoned and Weapons are awakened. Then the game begins and 1st quest will be to escape Junon and find Cloud. Aerith will be a voice in Cloud's head that will point him in the right direction, as for the rest of the game my guess is that everything that was optional in OG like Wutai, Ruby and Emerald Weapons will be mandatory, they might add another new weapon as a super boss but we'll see. Who knows maybe a minigame where you have to shoot Sapphire Weapon using Junon Canon. Rocket town will be remade for Cid's story, Knights of Round will be a materia of Cetra heroes that will be mandatory to get to help in fight with Sephiroth.
You mean “Aerith” is in his head. That’s Jenova. She’d pretend to be anyone to get her prey.
Looks like Sephiroth is flirting with Cloud and Cloud is enjoying it
its creepy when cloud laugh
The third film will expand to one hour.
0:28 cloud takes up sepiroths stance.
6:29 cloud takes up a mirror of sepiroths stance again
Am I wrong for thinking puppet mind controlled Cloud is cute?
Is it because Barret plays fetch with him?
@@ADAPTChancein JP Sephiroth says "Puppet Doll" bit sus 😳
When he grabbed Barret's arm saying, "That's mine." was so cute to me.
@@theginga2914 I always thought that too
But also when his voice became softer
Then again it was creepy because it was unlike cloud
it's only gonna get worse too ;-;
You missed out the ending CG where his totally unhinged.
I had it originally but cut it out due to time, sorry.
@@ADAPTChance and spoilers I hope.
I would love to see a comp video of cloud smiling ❤
Normal smiles or psychotic smiles?