OVA
Description
Cloud Strife was born on August 11, 1986, in Nibelheim, a mountain village, to Claudia Strife. His father died during his early childhood. Growing up largely separate from other village children, Cloud viewed himself as superior yet held a distinct fascination for his neighbor, Tifa Lockhart. At age nine, following Tifa and her friends on a perilous trek across Mt. Nibel after her mother's death, he witnessed her fall from a bridge. Cloud attempted to catch her, resulting in both tumbling down the mountainside. Tifa suffered severe injuries and lapsed into a seven-day coma. Blamed by the villagers and barred from seeing Tifa by her father, the incident ignited Cloud's anger and deep-seated feelings of inadequacy, prompting him to start frequent fights.
Inspired by Sephiroth's legendary reputation as a SOLDIER operative, Cloud departed Nibelheim at fourteen to join Shinra's elite military unit. Before leaving, he met Tifa at the village water tower, promising to rescue her if she were ever in peril. Despite his ambitions, Cloud failed to qualify for SOLDIER, becoming a regular Shinra infantryman instead. Ashamed, he severed all contact with his hometown. During his service, he encountered SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair on a mission to Modeoheim in 0001, bonding over their shared rural origins. Cloud later participated in protecting Professor Rayleigh in Midgar from the insurgent group AVALANCHE, demonstrating significant sword skills despite his infantry status.
Cloud returned to Nibelheim in September 0002 as security detail accompanying Sephiroth and Zack to investigate a malfunctioning mako reactor. Embarrassed by his infantryman rank, he concealed his identity with a helmet, only revealing himself to his mother. Sephiroth discovered Professor Hojo's experiments involving Jenova and learned of his own artificial creation. This revelation drove Sephiroth into madness, leading him to burn Nibelheim and slaughter its inhabitants, including Cloud's mother. Cloud found Tifa gravely injured and Zack barely conscious at the reactor. Enraged, he seized Zack's Buster Sword and impaled Sephiroth, who retaliated by running Cloud through with his katana, Masamune. Defying his wounds, Cloud lifted Sephiroth and hurled him into the reactor's mako pit before collapsing.
Shinra captured Cloud and Zack, subjecting them to Hojo's experiments in the Shinra Manor basement. Injected with Jenova cells and saturated with high levels of mako for Hojo's Reunion Theory, Cloud developed severe mako poisoning, falling into a vegetative state. Four years later, Zack freed them, but Cloud remained catatonic. During their subsequent year-long escape, Zack carried Cloud while sharing stories of his life and dreams. Near Midgar in September 0007, Shinra forces ambushed them. Zack was killed defending Cloud, who regained partial consciousness as Zack died. Entrusted with the Buster Sword, Cloud staggered toward Midgar alone.
Traumatized by Zack's death, the mako poisoning, and Jenova cell infusion, Cloud's mind constructed a new identity. He merged fragments of Zack's memories and personality with his own idealized vision of a SOLDIER hero, completely suppressing Zack's existence. Believing himself a former SOLDIER First Class, Cloud arrived in Midgar and was discovered by Tifa in a disoriented state at the Sector 7 train station. She recruited him as a mercenary for her AVALANCHE cell, led by Barret Wallace, while hiding her worries about his unstable memories.
During initial AVALANCHE missions, Cloud projected an aloof persona, claiming motivation solely by money. He suffered mental breakdowns, headaches, and flashes of false memories, especially triggered by Sephiroth-related events. Pursuing Sephiroth worsened Cloud's mental state. He experienced intermittent control by Sephiroth through the Jenova cells, culminating in Cloud handing over the Black Materia. This act enabled the summoning of Meteor and contributed to Aerith's death. Overwhelmed by guilt and trauma, Cloud's psyche shattered completely, leaving him catatonic.
Tifa aided Cloud in recovering his true memories within the Lifestream. They uncovered that Cloud had never been in SOLDIER; his false identity was built from Zack's experiences and his own insecurities. Accepting his true self, Cloud rejoined his companions, defeated Sephiroth, and helped save the planet from Meteor. Following these events, Cloud lived with Tifa in Midgar, helping raise Barret's adopted daughter Marlene and an orphaned boy named Denzel. He established a delivery service using a motorcycle named Fenrir.
Two years later, Cloud contracted Geostigma, a disease linked to Jenova cells and planetary trauma. Believing he deserved punishment for past failures, particularly Aerith's death, he isolated himself in Aerith's church, distancing himself from Tifa and the children. When Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo kidnapped Marlene and Denzel, Cloud confronted them, initially struggling due to Geostigma's effects and his emotional turmoil. Purified Lifestream water in Aerith's church healed him. After a final battle where Sephiroth was resurrected and subsequently defeated again, Cloud reconciled with his friends and family, releasing his guilt. He continued his delivery work and later assisted Vincent Valentine in combating the Deepground organization.
Inspired by Sephiroth's legendary reputation as a SOLDIER operative, Cloud departed Nibelheim at fourteen to join Shinra's elite military unit. Before leaving, he met Tifa at the village water tower, promising to rescue her if she were ever in peril. Despite his ambitions, Cloud failed to qualify for SOLDIER, becoming a regular Shinra infantryman instead. Ashamed, he severed all contact with his hometown. During his service, he encountered SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair on a mission to Modeoheim in 0001, bonding over their shared rural origins. Cloud later participated in protecting Professor Rayleigh in Midgar from the insurgent group AVALANCHE, demonstrating significant sword skills despite his infantry status.
Cloud returned to Nibelheim in September 0002 as security detail accompanying Sephiroth and Zack to investigate a malfunctioning mako reactor. Embarrassed by his infantryman rank, he concealed his identity with a helmet, only revealing himself to his mother. Sephiroth discovered Professor Hojo's experiments involving Jenova and learned of his own artificial creation. This revelation drove Sephiroth into madness, leading him to burn Nibelheim and slaughter its inhabitants, including Cloud's mother. Cloud found Tifa gravely injured and Zack barely conscious at the reactor. Enraged, he seized Zack's Buster Sword and impaled Sephiroth, who retaliated by running Cloud through with his katana, Masamune. Defying his wounds, Cloud lifted Sephiroth and hurled him into the reactor's mako pit before collapsing.
Shinra captured Cloud and Zack, subjecting them to Hojo's experiments in the Shinra Manor basement. Injected with Jenova cells and saturated with high levels of mako for Hojo's Reunion Theory, Cloud developed severe mako poisoning, falling into a vegetative state. Four years later, Zack freed them, but Cloud remained catatonic. During their subsequent year-long escape, Zack carried Cloud while sharing stories of his life and dreams. Near Midgar in September 0007, Shinra forces ambushed them. Zack was killed defending Cloud, who regained partial consciousness as Zack died. Entrusted with the Buster Sword, Cloud staggered toward Midgar alone.
Traumatized by Zack's death, the mako poisoning, and Jenova cell infusion, Cloud's mind constructed a new identity. He merged fragments of Zack's memories and personality with his own idealized vision of a SOLDIER hero, completely suppressing Zack's existence. Believing himself a former SOLDIER First Class, Cloud arrived in Midgar and was discovered by Tifa in a disoriented state at the Sector 7 train station. She recruited him as a mercenary for her AVALANCHE cell, led by Barret Wallace, while hiding her worries about his unstable memories.
During initial AVALANCHE missions, Cloud projected an aloof persona, claiming motivation solely by money. He suffered mental breakdowns, headaches, and flashes of false memories, especially triggered by Sephiroth-related events. Pursuing Sephiroth worsened Cloud's mental state. He experienced intermittent control by Sephiroth through the Jenova cells, culminating in Cloud handing over the Black Materia. This act enabled the summoning of Meteor and contributed to Aerith's death. Overwhelmed by guilt and trauma, Cloud's psyche shattered completely, leaving him catatonic.
Tifa aided Cloud in recovering his true memories within the Lifestream. They uncovered that Cloud had never been in SOLDIER; his false identity was built from Zack's experiences and his own insecurities. Accepting his true self, Cloud rejoined his companions, defeated Sephiroth, and helped save the planet from Meteor. Following these events, Cloud lived with Tifa in Midgar, helping raise Barret's adopted daughter Marlene and an orphaned boy named Denzel. He established a delivery service using a motorcycle named Fenrir.
Two years later, Cloud contracted Geostigma, a disease linked to Jenova cells and planetary trauma. Believing he deserved punishment for past failures, particularly Aerith's death, he isolated himself in Aerith's church, distancing himself from Tifa and the children. When Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo kidnapped Marlene and Denzel, Cloud confronted them, initially struggling due to Geostigma's effects and his emotional turmoil. Purified Lifestream water in Aerith's church healed him. After a final battle where Sephiroth was resurrected and subsequently defeated again, Cloud reconciled with his friends and family, releasing his guilt. He continued his delivery work and later assisted Vincent Valentine in combating the Deepground organization.