I think Cloud's "super strength" was borne out of pure adrenaline. It doesn't need to be chocked up any real "in game" explanation of main character syndrome or mako injections, etc. Cloud himself isn't that ordinary even though he didn't make it into SOLDIER. He does have some skill and ability that are above average. And being under extreme duress he was able to perform extreme feats. Simply put: pressure makes diamonds, and Cloud was under a loooooot of pressure.
It also doesn't hurt that, per crisis core, Sephi had actually just gotten roughed up a bit by, like, three different soldier first class, including a fair performance from Zack.
It’s within lore to assume that it was both a limit break and exposure to j cells after Sephiroth cut Jenova’s head. In FF7, Hojo exposes himself to j cells and instantaneously mutates. Lucrecia was also momentarily exposed and was instantly made so durable she couldn’t successfully end her own life.
theres way way WAY too much lore to unpack there though. i mean kalm traveler literally has as many if not more spinoffs and tie ins than even cloud or sephiroth does. double that in japan. shame we never got the Kalm Traveler's Gil Frenzy Surprise pachinko game here in the states. 😭😭😭 i mean weve seen how he got the desert rose AND earth harp so many times enough already god. 🙄 i like him in smash though his up air is a broken as paulatinas and im never gonna apologise for spamming it if yall dont like us traveler mains spamming up air well then just beat it. you know were gonna do it. skill issue. 😤😤😤
I like to think of Clouds first show of strength vs Sephiroth as his first "Limit Break" due to all the tragedy that went on that moment. As in, his POTENTIAL was ALWAYS THERE, it was never the Mako, but himself.
From what I understood, when he went to apply for SOLDIER, he always had the physical superiority and swordskill. It was his weakness to mako, and by extension his weak mind, that got him rejected and relegated to common infantryman. Edit: and that this was why he was so easily able to adapt to the physical requirements of a 1st after inheriting the strong mind also required from Zack. The charade could have never worked if Cloud had the common physical attritubes of a common grunt, unable to wield the Buster Sword. The Jenova cells allowed him to keep what he already had before and not atrophy, like Zack when he breaks out and can immediately overpower a worker in spite of ~4 years of atrophy. Cloud was already weak to mako, and Jenova cells did not enhance this, so I don't think we can assume they enhanced their physical strengths as well. They simply no longer degrade.
It is literally established lore and has been for almost 3 decades that Cloud was a nobody to Sephiroth, hence Sephiroth not noticing or caring that someone in Shinra dress blues was wandering around still. He was infatuated with JENOVA. This is a 25 year old piece of lore that isn't even ambiguous if you're paying attention. Why does 4-8 get so much shit wrong, as someone who plays the game so much 😂😂
Mako is the power of life itself. In the context of the game, it is the physical manifestation of spirit, and is used to produce supernatural effects. It's perfectly appropriate for mako to be the vehicle for realizing a character's potential.
Another great vid, was a blast to watch :D Personally, I believe Cloud's inner voice is his "true" self, not Zack. 1 Evidence for this is the "Back then I only scraped my knees" line when Cloud falls from sector 5 reactor (right before waking up meeting Aeris(th)). "True Cloud" repeats this line inside the lifestream to Tifa. It's one of those if-you-blink-you-miss-it lines. In church: ??? (True Cloud): Back then... I only got scraped knees... Messed up Cloud: What do you mean by back then? In lifestream with Tifa: True Cloud: Tifa missed her step. I ran to her... but didn't make it in time. Both of us fell off the cliff. Back then, I only scarred my knees but......
@@billybatts8283 I always narrowed it down to three different Cloud personas. The is fake Cloud who was an amalgamation of false and mixed memories of Cloud where he built up a false persona of himself. The other was Jenova Cloud, the Cloud who was manipulated by Sephiroth, and then finally their was *real* Cloud, the Cloud who finally realizes the truth and with Tifa and lifestream's help, pieces all of his original memories and personality together again.
Hey I appreciate that because that is kind of what I was going for, since I'm celebrating a series that started in 2014, I was going for that retro hype UA-cam feel. Thanks 👍
Thanks so much. Cloud is final fantasy 7. The whole game is made of wins, but cloud, his mystery, his conundrum, his strength and weakness creates an avenue into the world that I have never witnessed in any other media.
Thanks again to everybody who watches and supports In-Depth in any way! If you would like to join the Patreon to support In-Depth and vote in the polls, you can do so here: www.patreon.com/48Productions
So one thing that I'm surprised about is the lack of mention or reference in that ultimania omega flat out says that - with specified exceptions for true/young Cloud, Sephiroth or Jenova, most of the voice sequences in his head are Zack. O.o During remake, it's noteworthy that every single one specified to be Zack, is replaced by Sephiroth as if to say Zack is absent, due to not being dead. It breaks down each one, including the original voice in the reactor being the left over of a longer scene that was cut.
I found your content a long time ago and always wondered where the in depth Cloud content went. I thought you stopped making content and it was just a big FU to people lol. I guess it makes more sense with a character like Cloud, who in my opinion is the singular best character in all of gaming, to make sure you get it right. I sat down and thought about how long it would take me just to write something like this until I was confident in it doing him justice and it makes sense to me why this video is coming out now. Well done.
Truly one of the best fictional characters ever written. He gets by on his cool guy image but anyone who has played the original game knows the true depth of his personality. A fantastic in depth, as always.
This was absolutely amazing! As I grew up I always wondered why I felt so connected to Cloud over all the other characters of final fantasy. I am a veteran. 6 years in Marine Reserves. I did deploy, but not in a combat zone. I felt like I should’ve been a part of more than I was involved in. Getting out I was diagnosed with PTSD from a variety of things, with leaving the military as my breaking point with my last culture shock getting out. I wanted to do so much for my country but didn’t do as much as I wanted. I always felt out of touch as a kid. I found myself a couple years post service. Clouds story resonates with me big time especially after this recap.
And here i am didnt get a change to join military at all. Well at least u got back alive sir,but dont be a merc like cloud does lol, merc isnt fun at all in real life. Anyway, Godbless to you and ur family.
First Aerith, then Sephiroth and now Cloud. An amazing hattrick of high quality videos the past months. Thanks for creating, compiling and making each of these characters stories more memorable and enjoying. Looking forward to future In-Depths as it expanding to new horizons.
17:30 I think it's implied that this is Cloud talking to himself, at least some part of himself that remembers his past clearly. As evidenced by the "I only got scraped knees." "I" being Cloud.
Truly outstanding work, Death. I really don't know what else to say other than congratulations on bringing this journey to a phenomenal close with this in-depth. You give so much time and effort to tell a compelling story. This presents Cloud in a complete way with even new perspectives to consider. Thank you for your dedication, always.
I consider myself truly luck because FF7 was my first RPG that I ever played. This game and metal gear solid is what made me fall in love with games as a kid. Oddly, now that I’m an adult I’m realizing how relatable clouds character of failure and depression to wanting to protect the ppl he loves and become his own hero. I’m starting to wonder if I am the way I am because of this game. Truly a masterpiece in storytelling
1:10:13 I'm speechless... Cloud is one of my favorite characters throughout all media, and when you put HIS THEME (yes, I will always say and defend this was his theme the entire time) after the beautiful speech you gave of why this was his theme I just started crying... I'm sad the series is over, but you gave justice to one of my favorite characters of all time... Love you content and always will... "I'm Cloud Strife, ex soldier..."
Yo, death, very impressive work indeed. The in-depth series has evolved so much and I have loved every minute of the ride. I had never realized that Cloud does not have a theme but the fact it could be FF VII's main theme makes so much sense and it felt like an absolute mindblown moment while watching the video. Absolutely amazing complex and great character. Video felt like it was 20min, it flew by! As for the next Final Fantasy character, I would obviously want you to tackle Freya. She's the best and deserves a piece of art like this.
An absolutely wonderful work of art as always Death. I’ve really enjoyed listening to this over the past few days. Clouds theme being the main theme just makes so much sense from a whole piece too. The eerie mysterious build up then the reveal moment. So perfect. Thank you as always.
The pace of your content is always so relaxed, great video. I feel like I've been missing out on the In-Depth series now, as this is the first one I have watched. I'll be watching the whole series over the next few days to get caught up.
Wait, wait, wait... it was a *_year_* between Zack getting killed and Cloud being found at the station??? I'm pretty certain it was days, a week at most. Zack & Cloud were experimented on for 4 years in the Mansion, and then traveled another 8-10 months on top of that after they escaped and before getting to Midgar. Cloud would not have had another full year on top of that to wander. Am I mixed up here?
I'm as surprised as you. I don't buy it. It makes more sense to me for Tifa to find him while he's still coming out of it. I'm curious where this year idea came from.
Yupp I misspoke there, it was a year that Cloud and Zack were running but it was only about 3 months between Zack dying and Cloud being found by Tifa. Zack dies in late September, and the reactor mission starts in December. Thanks for pointing that out!
@@masonstewart3066 I'm pretty sure the exact day the game starts is Dec 17th 0007, give or take a few days. The "at week at most" time period I was thinking of was actually between Tifa finding him and the first bombing mission.
I discovered your channel during a recent playthrough of FF7 just looking for information about the game, and man I just want to say thank you... I have absolutely binged your channel since finding it and you've added so much to a game that I've loved since I was a kid.
Amazing in-depth once again! I've watched you talk about FF7 for years and yet, I still learned new things about Cloud in this video. These in-depth videos are honestly the best resource on the internet to learn and understand more about FF7's characters and I'm excited to see you how you approach in-depth videos on other characters outside of FF7!
This has been one hell of a content ride! Thanks death for all that you do! At 1 hour and 20 minutes + this could NOT have been an easy undertaking. Thanks for all your hard work.
Nice one :) What a monster video! I've always thought cloud's story was so incredibly complex that I'm shocked someone thought it up, let alone wove it into a videogame. My friend and I used to talk about FF7 every day at primary school and try to put two and two together and understand it. And the end of cloud's memory stuff in the lifestream and speech on the highwind has a catharsis to it that I'm not sure any piece of art has ever achieved.
What a great finale of the FF VII characters. I watched it twice in a row :D Btw, last week I was talking to a friend about FF VII and Cloud, as he wanted to know more about Clouds story. I told him to wait just a bit because your video will be out soon. I'm sure he has already watched and enjoyed it as well :)
What a fantastic video, series and all around community/content creator. Massive congrats for completing this series and giving us all a massive insight into the characters we all grew up with and love. I've been a massive fan of this community for years and wanted to say thank you for all the times you guys have lifted my spirits throughout the struggles of life. Truly thank you all. My pick for the non ff7 ff character would be Zidane from ff9
Thank you kind sir. Another tremendous video. I'm a simple 42 year old dad, and FF7 is my favorite game ever. Your vids are, without question, the best on this topic. I appreciate the time, effort, and knowledge needed for all these.
I watched this yesterday, on my birthday. Thank you Death, this was amazing, and you're an amazing creator. I have been rewatching old mod videos, and even started the hardcore mod after watching you go through it. You help get me through some really tough times, thank you.
Cloud is such an amazing character, he viewed himself as weak, but he was much stronger than he realized. He was even able to defeat Sephiroth's willpower inside of him after they defeat him as the final boss
absolutely brilliant video, can only imagine how much time and effort went into all the different things that made this video so excellent... been a fan for a while now and you just keep leveling up... i'm now on my way to binge every other "In-Depth" video you've done!
also i just played Chrono Trigger finally for the first time a couple of months ago and absolutely loved it, so I'm stoked to hear there's an In-Depth Chrono vid on the horizon, will for sure try to catch the streams
Ohhh shiiiiit, surprise video drop, and its over an hour, get the popcorn ready!! 🍿we appreciate you Death by putting in tons of work on these character-analysis videos, major props! 👍
I almost NEVER comment, but I had to on this video. I've followed these for years, and listen to the playlist to fall asleep on nights I have trouble. The music, the breakdowns, the voice, everything just...works. Its hard to believe its over. Much like the ending of FFVII itself, this is melancholic for me. Sad its over, but happy it happened. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Death. You're appreciated.
Thank you so much for these in-depth look at the characters from FF7. They're some of my favorite videos on youtube and love revisiting them. It's really cool getting a step by step play through of the game from a character's perspective with other background info filled in from other FF sources. I really appreciate it! Thank you for all the hard work you put into these
This series is a hidden treasure of UA-cam, and what a way to end up this season with Cloud's video, amazing work. If you're looking for a character for the next video after Chrono, I see no other choice than Yuna from FFX 🙂
17:29 This line is from the original/young Cloud in his subconscious, referring to the time he fell from the bridge with Tifa when they were kids. That's how I always interpreted it anyway (as an old dude having trouble considering anything out of the main game canon) :p
Great work on this series and Final Fantasy 7 in general! I love your work Death and been watching you since around 2016. I hope many good years for you still to come. LAGUNA! LAGUNA!
Good job on the video, there's a lot of work in this! In depths are a treat to watch so keep em coming! As for my vote the next in depth, I have to go with my favorite game and vote for Kefka!
what's really memorable about the moment Cloud faces off with Sephiroth at the end as well is, whether or not you obtained Omnislash, or if you don't do anything, Cloud will still do it! I always thought that was really cool to see.
Amazing! You explained the story very well. I like that you touched on all of the little theories and nuances. I learned several new things despite having played through the game a dozen times and read about it constantly over the years. Very well done.
Insane overview. Im attention deficit and rarely something hold my attention. This kept me on the edge and interested for more than hour. Amazing work buddy
Well done, really enjoyed the video. I'm sure a lot of research went into this. My mind is blown by the fact that Cloud is the 2nd best magic user after Aeris. Never dawned on me this!
Thanks for doing these really deep dives! I know it probably took far longer to put everything together and while I know you have a deep passion for FFVII already I appreciate your work!
What an amazing in depth on Cloud! Final Fantasy had such an impact on me growing up, with Final Fantasy 7 being my 2nd favorite game of all time. Your in depths made me appreciate and love this game even more, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you. In terms of an FF character outside of 7, I'd say Zidane, since FF9 is my favorite game of all time, and the journey Zidane goes through had the biggest impact on my life. I believe an in-depth on him could make me and others appreciate things about him that we never thought of before. He's also just a very well written character.
I'd like to see a video about Ramza next, either him or Delita. Tactics on its own is already a really great story and I'm quite curious what you can dig up if you choose to make a video about either one of these characters!
Great video! I found your vids some years ago when I was doing a lot of traveling in the car for work, I'm glad you're still making them. I'll continue to tune into the streams when I can!
Have been a fan since the dawn of ti *ahem* your channel. I have enjoyed watching your love for this piece of art and how it has transformed your life.
Thank you for putting so much effort into the In-Depth Series of all the Final Fantasy VII Characters. It's really given me a new appreciation for one of my favorite games!
4-8 been making amazing FFVII content so long I just associate him with the game now. Thank you so much for all the years of loving this game even more than we do! ❤
man...i love cloud strife, he is my fav video game character ever, (followed by noah from xenoblade 3 2022) but he is just genuine guy with the most unique yet so touching story ever, his design is great one easily and immediately reccoganizable, he is both cool and relatable which make him awesome
Just watched this Cloud in-depth straight after the Sephiroth one. Another thing to consider with the "super strength" moment is that Sephiroth had deep affection for his comrades and had been (fairly) friendly with infantryman Cloud earlier during the Nibelheim incident. I think his line is "don't push your luck" when he puts the sword through Cloud's shoulder - he is warning off a friend/colleague, not trying to kill him. Given Cloud's limit break energy in the moment and Sephiroth's lack of intent to kill, and that Cloud has the element of surprise against a one-handed, off-balance attack, it seems to me to be an internally-consistent one-off event that doesn't need any deus ex machina secret stuff to explain it away. Incredible series by the way, probably my favourite FF content on UA-cam, amazing summaries but some real insights here too eg: use of main theme as secret Cloud's theme, great literary/media analysis.
Finally I could watch this one, after being out of internet! So happy to see the final video after being there during some of the bonus streams! A fantastic video, as usual, thanks so much for all the work put in it! Can't wait to watch further in depth on both FF and not FF related characters. Chrono is going to be a great one (and good luck with it 😂)!!! Again, thanks and take care !!
2024 here, fantastic video dude! I was like 10 years old when FF7 came out, played the hell out of it over the years but still was some complex and confusing stuff with Cloud's unreliable narrator way of remembering stuff. Your super expansive video deserves more views. +1 sub
After following you do these ff7 videos for years I'm ecstatic to be here and can't wait for what's next. Well done and congratulations on your accomplishments Death!
really nice in depth u even did justice Cloud's inspiration on wanting to become a SOLDIER and his relationship with TIfa, now I want to see an in depth video for Tifa next.
I think Cloud's "super strength" was borne out of pure adrenaline. It doesn't need to be chocked up any real "in game" explanation of main character syndrome or mako injections, etc. Cloud himself isn't that ordinary even though he didn't make it into SOLDIER. He does have some skill and ability that are above average. And being under extreme duress he was able to perform extreme feats. Simply put: pressure makes diamonds, and Cloud was under a loooooot of pressure.
This, plus Limit Break
@@SamJulesGillians Yup I always took it as a form of limit break, especially with how Cloud explains it in the beginner's hall in the Sector 7 slums
It also doesn't hurt that, per crisis core, Sephi had actually just gotten roughed up a bit by, like, three different soldier first class, including a fair performance from Zack.
@@SomeGuy-ty7krand stabbed in the back by the buster sword moments prior. Seph was probably unable to act when Cloud threw him in there.
It’s within lore to assume that it was both a limit break and exposure to j cells after Sephiroth cut Jenova’s head. In FF7, Hojo exposes himself to j cells and instantaneously mutates. Lucrecia was also momentarily exposed and was instantly made so durable she couldn’t successfully end her own life.
I was so excited for the calm traveler. I expect a full in depth on that beautiful soul
theres way way WAY too much lore to unpack there though.
i mean kalm traveler literally has as many if not more spinoffs and tie ins than even cloud or sephiroth does. double that in japan.
shame we never got the Kalm Traveler's Gil Frenzy Surprise pachinko game here in the states. 😭😭😭
i mean weve seen how he got the desert rose AND earth harp so many times enough already god. 🙄
i like him in smash though his up air is a broken as paulatinas and im never gonna apologise for spamming it
if yall dont like us traveler mains spamming up air well then just beat it. you know were gonna do it. skill issue. 😤😤😤
@@Sentinel82 you clearly are
Yes!
I like to think of Clouds first show of strength vs Sephiroth as his first "Limit Break" due to all the tragedy that went on that moment. As in, his POTENTIAL was ALWAYS THERE, it was never the Mako, but himself.
From what I understood, when he went to apply for SOLDIER, he always had the physical superiority and swordskill. It was his weakness to mako, and by extension his weak mind, that got him rejected and relegated to common infantryman.
Edit: and that this was why he was so easily able to adapt to the physical requirements of a 1st after inheriting the strong mind also required from Zack. The charade could have never worked if Cloud had the common physical attritubes of a common grunt, unable to wield the Buster Sword. The Jenova cells allowed him to keep what he already had before and not atrophy, like Zack when he breaks out and can immediately overpower a worker in spite of ~4 years of atrophy. Cloud was already weak to mako, and Jenova cells did not enhance this, so I don't think we can assume they enhanced their physical strengths as well. They simply no longer degrade.
@@callmeshaggy5166 I actually like that idea of weak mental fortitude being the reason he was rejected
@@JKMliveit’s not just an idea it’s canon both Cloud himself and the guidebooks said this
It is literally established lore and has been for almost 3 decades that Cloud was a nobody to Sephiroth, hence Sephiroth not noticing or caring that someone in Shinra dress blues was wandering around still. He was infatuated with JENOVA.
This is a 25 year old piece of lore that isn't even ambiguous if you're paying attention.
Why does 4-8 get so much shit wrong, as someone who plays the game so much 😂😂
Mako is the power of life itself. In the context of the game, it is the physical manifestation of spirit, and is used to produce supernatural effects. It's perfectly appropriate for mako to be the vehicle for realizing a character's potential.
Another great vid, was a blast to watch :D
Personally, I believe Cloud's inner voice is his "true" self, not Zack. 1 Evidence for this is the "Back then I only scraped my knees" line when Cloud falls from sector 5 reactor (right before waking up meeting Aeris(th)). "True Cloud" repeats this line inside the lifestream to Tifa. It's one of those if-you-blink-you-miss-it lines.
In church:
??? (True Cloud): Back then... I only got scraped knees...
Messed up Cloud: What do you mean by back then?
In lifestream with Tifa:
True Cloud:
Tifa missed her step. I ran to her... but didn't make it in time.
Both of us fell off the cliff.
Back then, I only scarred my knees but......
Underrated comment!
I can't believe I never noticed that before
Spot on, Zack is not infused in Cloud in anyway. It's all Cloud.
@@billybatts8283 I always narrowed it down to three different Cloud personas. The is fake Cloud who was an amalgamation of false and mixed memories of Cloud where he built up a false persona of himself. The other was Jenova Cloud, the Cloud who was manipulated by Sephiroth, and then finally their was *real* Cloud, the Cloud who finally realizes the truth and with Tifa and lifestream's help, pieces all of his original memories and personality together again.
yeah that was pretty obvious idk how he was confused about that. they also literally show cloud saying the lines in remake
When you realise “Cloud Strife in-depth” is just another way to say “The FFVII timeline explained”
Thanks for saving me honestly
Almost like he's the main character or something
I feel like we can all relate to Cloud a lot more than we all realize. His Journey in FF7 can almost mimic our journey in life too.
Yeah, me and my friends remember the times we were tortured, experimented on, and frozen for years. The classic tale. :P
@@TheKyfe Some people in the military know.....Vietnam vets, the series of vaccines, and being sent to Alaska. 😂
For real @DarthSliver
intro feels like 2012 youtube. love it
Hey I appreciate that because that is kind of what I was going for, since I'm celebrating a series that started in 2014, I was going for that retro hype UA-cam feel. Thanks 👍
Thanks so much. Cloud is final fantasy 7. The whole game is made of wins, but cloud, his mystery, his conundrum, his strength and weakness creates an avenue into the world that I have never witnessed in any other media.
Thanks again to everybody who watches and supports In-Depth in any way! If you would like to join the Patreon to support In-Depth and vote in the polls, you can do so here: www.patreon.com/48Productions
I'm wondering is Zack Next on the Indepth or another character from the Final Fantasy series
So one thing that I'm surprised about is the lack of mention or reference in that ultimania omega flat out says that - with specified exceptions for true/young Cloud, Sephiroth or Jenova, most of the voice sequences in his head are Zack. O.o
During remake, it's noteworthy that every single one specified to be Zack, is replaced by Sephiroth as if to say Zack is absent, due to not being dead.
It breaks down each one, including the original voice in the reactor being the left over of a longer scene that was cut.
The Man, the Legend, the face of RPG developed in Japan.
I found your content a long time ago and always wondered where the in depth Cloud content went. I thought you stopped making content and it was just a big FU to people lol.
I guess it makes more sense with a character like Cloud, who in my opinion is the singular best character in all of gaming, to make sure you get it right.
I sat down and thought about how long it would take me just to write something like this until I was confident in it doing him justice and it makes sense to me why this video is coming out now. Well done.
Feels like an end of an era . I hope people continue to find New things in FF7 for years to come
Truly one of the best fictional characters ever written. He gets by on his cool guy image but anyone who has played the original game knows the true depth of his personality.
A fantastic in depth, as always.
If FF7 was a college course 4-8 would be everyone’s favorite instructor.
This was absolutely amazing! As I grew up I always wondered why I felt so connected to Cloud over all the other characters of final fantasy. I am a veteran. 6 years in Marine Reserves. I did deploy, but not in a combat zone. I felt like I should’ve been a part of more than I was involved in. Getting out I was diagnosed with PTSD from a variety of things, with leaving the military as my breaking point with my last culture shock getting out. I wanted to do so much for my country but didn’t do as much as I wanted. I always felt out of touch as a kid. I found myself a couple years post service. Clouds story resonates with me big time especially after this recap.
And here i am didnt get a change to join military at all. Well at least u got back alive sir,but dont be a merc like cloud does lol, merc isnt fun at all in real life. Anyway, Godbless to you and ur family.
It’s not as intense.
First Aerith, then Sephiroth and now Cloud. An amazing hattrick of high quality videos the past months. Thanks for creating, compiling and making each of these characters stories more memorable and enjoying. Looking forward to future In-Depths as it expanding to new horizons.
god damnit, no
cloud is one of the best protagonists in all of media
17:30
I think it's implied that this is Cloud talking to himself, at least some part of himself that remembers his past clearly. As evidenced by the "I only got scraped knees."
"I" being Cloud.
Yup, I just made a similar comment
That’s what I thought as well, remembering when he fell with tifa. She was hurt badly but he only scraped his knees
Well done on making this man, I've been watching you for years and I'm so happy on where you've brought yourself and the channel, all the best man
Truly outstanding work, Death. I really don't know what else to say other than congratulations on bringing this journey to a phenomenal close with this in-depth. You give so much time and effort to tell a compelling story. This presents Cloud in a complete way with even new perspectives to consider. Thank you for your dedication, always.
I consider myself truly luck because FF7 was my first RPG that I ever played. This game and metal gear solid is what made me fall in love with games as a kid. Oddly, now that I’m an adult I’m realizing how relatable clouds character of failure and depression to wanting to protect the ppl he loves and become his own hero. I’m starting to wonder if I am the way I am because of this game. Truly a masterpiece in storytelling
Watching this on Cloud's birthday! Happy Birthday Cloud!!
Calm Traveler video when?
1:10:13
I'm speechless...
Cloud is one of my favorite characters throughout all media, and when you put HIS THEME (yes, I will always say and defend this was his theme the entire time) after the beautiful speech you gave of why this was his theme I just started crying... I'm sad the series is over, but you gave justice to one of my favorite characters of all time...
Love you content and always will...
"I'm Cloud Strife, ex soldier..."
The first Final Fantasy game I ever played, and the character I most identified with. Thanks for all of your hard work on the In-Depth videos!
You have a split personality too?!
You have mental problems ?
Love it. He will always be the number one game icon for me. What a great in depth tribute.
Yo, death, very impressive work indeed. The in-depth series has evolved so much and I have loved every minute of the ride.
I had never realized that Cloud does not have a theme but the fact it could be FF VII's main theme makes so much sense and it felt like an absolute mindblown moment while watching the video. Absolutely amazing complex and great character. Video felt like it was 20min, it flew by!
As for the next Final Fantasy character, I would obviously want you to tackle Freya. She's the best and deserves a piece of art like this.
Clouds song is Hollow.
Great job man; it was like reliving the whole game with some bonus content all in an hour and a half. Masterful.
An absolutely wonderful work of art as always Death. I’ve really enjoyed listening to this over the past few days.
Clouds theme being the main theme just makes so much sense from a whole piece too. The eerie mysterious build up then the reveal moment. So perfect.
Thank you as always.
Cloud was the ultimate character. Every game he was in i just had to play.
The pace of your content is always so relaxed, great video. I feel like I've been missing out on the In-Depth series now, as this is the first one I have watched. I'll be watching the whole series over the next few days to get caught up.
Thanks!
Wait, wait, wait... it was a *_year_* between Zack getting killed and Cloud being found at the station??? I'm pretty certain it was days, a week at most. Zack & Cloud were experimented on for 4 years in the Mansion, and then traveled another 8-10 months on top of that after they escaped and before getting to Midgar. Cloud would not have had another full year on top of that to wander. Am I mixed up here?
Yeah I thought it was like a week as well
I'm as surprised as you. I don't buy it. It makes more sense to me for Tifa to find him while he's still coming out of it. I'm curious where this year idea came from.
Yupp I misspoke there, it was a year that Cloud and Zack were running but it was only about 3 months between Zack dying and Cloud being found by Tifa. Zack dies in late September, and the reactor mission starts in December. Thanks for pointing that out!
Ff7 is a Christmas game😂
@@masonstewart3066 I'm pretty sure the exact day the game starts is Dec 17th 0007, give or take a few days. The "at week at most" time period I was thinking of was actually between Tifa finding him and the first bombing mission.
I love that you used the FF7R airbuster song in the opening. One of the most fantastic pieces of music I’ve ever heard.
I discovered your channel during a recent playthrough of FF7 just looking for information about the game, and man I just want to say thank you... I have absolutely binged your channel since finding it and you've added so much to a game that I've loved since I was a kid.
The delivery of cloud piecing his memory back together with Tifa was well-executed. Good job.
Amazing in-depth once again! I've watched you talk about FF7 for years and yet, I still learned new things about Cloud in this video. These in-depth videos are honestly the best resource on the internet to learn and understand more about FF7's characters and I'm excited to see you how you approach in-depth videos on other characters outside of FF7!
The deleted scene between Tifa and Cloud should have been left in.
Great video. Instant subscriber. ❤❤❤❤
This has been one hell of a content ride! Thanks death for all that you do! At 1 hour and 20 minutes + this could NOT have been an easy undertaking. Thanks for all your hard work.
Nice one :) What a monster video! I've always thought cloud's story was so incredibly complex that I'm shocked someone thought it up, let alone wove it into a videogame. My friend and I used to talk about FF7 every day at primary school and try to put two and two together and understand it. And the end of cloud's memory stuff in the lifestream and speech on the highwind has a catharsis to it that I'm not sure any piece of art has ever achieved.
What a great finale of the FF VII characters. I watched it twice in a row :D
Btw, last week I was talking to a friend about FF VII and Cloud, as he wanted to know more about Clouds story. I told him to wait just a bit because your video will be out soon. I'm sure he has already watched and enjoyed it as well :)
I just had to watch it to the end. :)
Great job! Beautiful editing, thorough research, excellent storytelling!
Thank you for your hard work!
Also need to say that this video brought tears to my eyes about 3 times.
Thank you greatly brother.
Now... This is epic
What a fantastic video, series and all around community/content creator. Massive congrats for completing this series and giving us all a massive insight into the characters we all grew up with and love. I've been a massive fan of this community for years and wanted to say thank you for all the times you guys have lifted my spirits throughout the struggles of life. Truly thank you all.
My pick for the non ff7 ff character would be Zidane from ff9
Cloud is a working class hero ❤ what a guy ❤
Thanks 4-8, really loved this video 😁❤
just wanna say, the thumbnail for this vid is amazing. props to the artist
Think cloud will always be my goat video game character
Thank you kind sir. Another tremendous video. I'm a simple 42 year old dad, and FF7 is my favorite game ever. Your vids are, without question, the best on this topic. I appreciate the time, effort, and knowledge needed for all these.
I watched this yesterday, on my birthday. Thank you Death, this was amazing, and you're an amazing creator. I have been rewatching old mod videos, and even started the hardcore mod after watching you go through it. You help get me through some really tough times, thank you.
Happy late birthday, my birthday is the day after yours!
@@4-8Productions that's funny, happy birthday to you as well! And thank you again.
My favorite character of all time. Nice work!
ONE OF THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME. Whenever I relive his story it makes me emotional without fail.
Cloud is such an amazing character, he viewed himself as weak, but he was much stronger than he realized. He was even able to defeat Sephiroth's willpower inside of him after they defeat him as the final boss
absolutely brilliant video, can only imagine how much time and effort went into all the different things that made this video so excellent... been a fan for a while now and you just keep leveling up... i'm now on my way to binge every other "In-Depth" video you've done!
also i just played Chrono Trigger finally for the first time a couple of months ago and absolutely loved it, so I'm stoked to hear there's an In-Depth Chrono vid on the horizon, will for sure try to catch the streams
Ohhh shiiiiit, surprise video drop, and its over an hour, get the popcorn ready!! 🍿we appreciate you Death by putting in tons of work on these character-analysis videos, major props! 👍
I almost NEVER comment, but I had to on this video.
I've followed these for years, and listen to the playlist to fall asleep on nights I have trouble. The music, the breakdowns, the voice, everything just...works. Its hard to believe its over. Much like the ending of FFVII itself, this is melancholic for me. Sad its over, but happy it happened. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Death. You're appreciated.
this vid was dope bro! Really enjoyed hearing about so many small details about Cloud from his many appearances.
Thank you so much for these in-depth look at the characters from FF7. They're some of my favorite videos on youtube and love revisiting them. It's really cool getting a step by step play through of the game from a character's perspective with other background info filled in from other FF sources. I really appreciate it! Thank you for all the hard work you put into these
Good video. Glad to see ffx win that contest, my favorite of all the ff
This series is a hidden treasure of UA-cam, and what a way to end up this season with Cloud's video, amazing work. If you're looking for a character for the next video after Chrono, I see no other choice than Yuna from FFX 🙂
Watching that in-depth movie was an absolute blast. Thank you dude.
Hooooly Cow ! This video is a pure and emotional journey
17:29 This line is from the original/young Cloud in his subconscious, referring to the time he fell from the bridge with Tifa when they were kids.
That's how I always interpreted it anyway (as an old dude having trouble considering anything out of the main game canon) :p
I have a 1.5 hour commute to work everyday, and thats why i subscribed to you. I love these in depth looks at video game characters. Keep it up man
I cannot believe we've finally arrived at Cloud, Thank you Death for the hard work
Great work on this series and Final Fantasy 7 in general! I love your work Death and been watching you since around 2016. I hope many good years for you still to come. LAGUNA! LAGUNA!
Thanks!
I'm glad you are the one to tell the story of Cloud, deatyh. I hope you are having a good life, brother.
Good job on the video, there's a lot of work in this! In depths are a treat to watch so keep em coming! As for my vote the next in depth, I have to go with my favorite game and vote for Kefka!
what's really memorable about the moment Cloud faces off with Sephiroth at the end as well is, whether or not you obtained Omnislash, or if you don't do anything, Cloud will still do it! I always thought that was really cool to see.
Amazing! You explained the story very well. I like that you touched on all of the little theories and nuances. I learned several new things despite having played through the game a dozen times and read about it constantly over the years. Very well done.
How do you manage to make me cry by the end of almost every in-depth?
Thanks for the tip on elixirs for Ghost Ship, I've been tossed a few times myself.
Bruh you had me at Kalm Traveler lol congrats death much respect and admiration for the depth of knowledge on this game can't be stated enough
Insane overview.
Im attention deficit and rarely something hold my attention.
This kept me on the edge and interested for more than hour.
Amazing work buddy
What a finale. Great job on making such a long video entertaining and engaging while also not overloading me with all the crazy lore!
Well done, really enjoyed the video. I'm sure a lot of research went into this. My mind is blown by the fact that Cloud is the 2nd best magic user after Aeris. Never dawned on me this!
Thanks for doing these really deep dives! I know it probably took far longer to put everything together and while I know you have a deep passion for FFVII already I appreciate your work!
Thanks!
What an amazing in depth on Cloud! Final Fantasy had such an impact on me growing up, with Final Fantasy 7 being my 2nd favorite game of all time. Your in depths made me appreciate and love this game even more, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
In terms of an FF character outside of 7, I'd say Zidane, since FF9 is my favorite game of all time, and the journey Zidane goes through had the biggest impact on my life. I believe an in-depth on him could make me and others appreciate things about him that we never thought of before. He's also just a very well written character.
I'd like to see a video about Ramza next, either him or Delita. Tactics on its own is already a really great story and I'm quite curious what you can dig up if you choose to make a video about either one of these characters!
I do want to see one of these for the Kalm Traveler, but this was really well done. Thanks.
Nice conclusion to the in-depth FF7, congrats! I'm excited for the Crono video and I would love to see an in-depth video about Cecil Harvey from FF4
Awesome man! I think Terra or Kefka
Bravo.
Thank you so much for all the work you put into this. I really enjoyed it.
I'm so glad I get to watch another of your in-depths! They're always so cool!
Great video! I found your vids some years ago when I was doing a lot of traveling in the car for work, I'm glad you're still making them. I'll continue to tune into the streams when I can!
Have been a fan since the dawn of ti *ahem* your channel. I have enjoyed watching your love for this piece of art and how it has transformed your life.
Thank you for putting so much effort into the In-Depth Series of all the Final Fantasy VII Characters. It's really given me a new appreciation for one of my favorite games!
4-8 been making amazing FFVII content so long I just associate him with the game now.
Thank you so much for all the years of loving this game even more than we do! ❤
Love the channel and your work, another great entry! Fun to be part of it all!
man...i love cloud strife, he is my fav video game character ever, (followed by noah from xenoblade 3 2022) but he is just genuine guy with the most unique yet so touching story ever, his design is great one easily and immediately reccoganizable, he is both cool and relatable which make him awesome
I always assumed Cloud got his boost from the undiluted Jenova Cells on the sword he got stabbed with
This legit made me teary eyed, youve done such a great job with this death.
Id vote for an in depth on Zidane
I’d love if he did some stuff on FFIX or ffX
great content for years. We're lucky to have you going
Just watched this Cloud in-depth straight after the Sephiroth one. Another thing to consider with the "super strength" moment is that Sephiroth had deep affection for his comrades and had been (fairly) friendly with infantryman Cloud earlier during the Nibelheim incident. I think his line is "don't push your luck" when he puts the sword through Cloud's shoulder - he is warning off a friend/colleague, not trying to kill him. Given Cloud's limit break energy in the moment and Sephiroth's lack of intent to kill, and that Cloud has the element of surprise against a one-handed, off-balance attack, it seems to me to be an internally-consistent one-off event that doesn't need any deus ex machina secret stuff to explain it away.
Incredible series by the way, probably my favourite FF content on UA-cam, amazing summaries but some real insights here too eg: use of main theme as secret Cloud's theme, great literary/media analysis.
It's finally here! Kalm traveller in depth let's go!
Edit: Cloud? Maaaaaan
Edit 2: In-Depth on Tidus or Yuna please!
Finally I could watch this one, after being out of internet! So happy to see the final video after being there during some of the bonus streams! A fantastic video, as usual, thanks so much for all the work put in it! Can't wait to watch further in depth on both FF and not FF related characters. Chrono is going to be a great one (and good luck with it 😂)!!! Again, thanks and take care !!
2024 here, fantastic video dude! I was like 10 years old when FF7 came out, played the hell out of it over the years but still was some complex and confusing stuff with Cloud's unreliable narrator way of remembering stuff. Your super expansive video deserves more views. +1 sub
Thanks!
This is really a great video. I have watched the entire thing and I love it. You're a cool guy. Thanks a ton!
Death is the GOAT of FF content period
After following you do these ff7 videos for years I'm ecstatic to be here and can't wait for what's next. Well done and congratulations on your accomplishments Death!
really nice in depth u even did justice Cloud's inspiration on wanting to become a SOLDIER and his relationship with TIfa, now I want to see an in depth video for Tifa next.
ua-cam.com/video/3YygYnU9UBM/v-deo.html
This video is a masterpiece. I'm 1/4 in. Great script! I've always needed to understand some things about Cloud and the events of the game. Thank you.
Dude thanks for this. UA-cam has become abit meh lately, but videos like this are the reason I started watching in the first place.
The Man, the Legend, the face of RPGs developed in Japan.