Whew! I really wrote a lot here, didn’t I? I once stated, although I don’t know if many of you remember, that I could write endlessly about Cloud. Even here, I cut some things short to get directly to the point—even though that does not seem like the case at all. Here I am, in Microsoft Word, with 11,000+ words written and over 24 pages of text. After completing this monumental task, I feel completely justified in liking the character known as Cloud Strife. He goes beyond my favorite videogame character, but my favorite character to ever exist in any type of entertainment medium. While he may not be the absolute best, he is MY favorite and that will not be changing anytime soon. I can relate to Cloud more than any other character, I fully understand Cloud more than any other character, and I like Cloud more than any other character. Many people here may criticize me for the choice, but I simply do not care. These same people may jokingly say that my favorite character will change in the future, but I hope this write-up has put away these claims.
In conclusion, I feel that Cloud is one of the most complex and most well developed characters ever. This most definitely holds true for videogames. Speak of Solid Snake or Luca Blight or whomever else people bring up, but I honestly don’t believe any of them hold a candle to Cloud’s greatness. Not only is he complex and well developed, but also he has an appeal that always got to me. I loved his design—admittedly, I began busting out gel and spiking my hair shortly after playing Final Fantasy VII back in the day. There is a connection I have to this “fictional character” that is, I feel, something amazing. I feel justified in this and I hope you all have a better understanding of why I like Cloud so much and perhaps… maybe even you have learned something new about him, something that would make you dislike him less. Anyway, thanks for reading, people. It’s been good.
~Courtesy of Heroic Mario circa 2005