Square-Enix Did Kingdom Hearts.....

Aeris was the name given to Aerith in FFVII, due to a translation error. Even though Aeris changed into Aerith in her following appearances in games/movies after FFVII, some people still call her Aeris, since they were used to the name. However, some people, like me, call her Aerith instead. It's like a deate going on for a few years on which is her real name. If you notice in Advent Children, Cloud and the others never called Aeris/Aerith by her name, instead calling her "her" or "that girl" (I might be wrong though).

 

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Now, please, people would like this discussion to continue so please do so and keep on that topic.

 

Another thing is, by Dissidia, he's gone through 13 Cycles of war. He saw a lot of people die around him. And by that point, him and almost everyone are questioning why they're in there. Kain questions it and discusses it with Cloud, Cloud talks to Tifa about it, etc. so it's not him being mopey, it's him being sick of all the fighting, especially since he has no idea why the hell they're fighting.

 

I don't think Kingdom Hearts contributed to it, considering how happy-go-lucky the series originally was compared to the FFVII compilation. Like others said, I think it's the evolution of the designs (part of me would say evolution of society's preferences of characters and styles also counts for this), plus everything that Cloud had been through knocked his arrogance down a bit, as well as maturing and realizing life is a bit more serious than he thought at the beginning of FFVII. I'd also blame the technology used for the first picture: it's a lot less realistic (my god, his legs go into his chest) and rendered to have him face directly forward. Though I will concede that the latter picture makes Cloud look like he doesn't even want to look you in the eye out of some emoness. Anyway, regardless of whether or not Cloud became more emo, or whatever the argument is, I don't think Kingdom Hearts contributed to it so much as...became the initial outlet to show that version of his character.

Actually, just thought about this: KH Cloud was influenced by Vincent Valentine, did that mean by personality as well as physical design? If it did, KH may have contributed to it by Nomura making Cloud darker, to emulate Vincent, and then liking the overall result and pushing for a more somber Cloud in future versions.

 

I've always thought KH had something to do with it, but I've been debated on it to the point that I have to preface that now by saying that Nomura was already kind of heading that way with Cloud's character. Advent Children saw him unable to maintain the confidence he'd gained by the end of FFVII, and to begin reliving his own perceived shortcomings. As for Kingdom Hearts, Disney's insistence that Nomura include Cloud when he wanted Vincent may have caused some overlap in their personalities. Dissidia, in my opinion, is cruel to Cloud and Sephiroth, further magnifying Cloud's melancholy and flanderizing Sephiroth into full-on obsession with someone he originally regarded as barely a blip on the radar.

The original question, however, seems to be asking another question: Is this change of character ok? Does it work? The short answer is, no, but they tried. Cloud has always played the role of the hesitant hero, but he's been stuck in the same rut for so long that it's starting to lose its luster. Not to mention, Nomura seems to be forgetting the cardinal rule: Characters can be mopey, as long as they're not mopey all the time. Cloud is mopey all the time. Well... maybe 90% of the time. I, for one, liked his character arc in Duodecim, and would've liked to see more of that. He doesn't become any more chipper, but he also doesn't sit around feeling sorry for himself; he talks to people, identifies with them, exchanges quips. And he goes so far as to fight two people who're technically on his side to satisfy his own turbulent feelings.

That's what it takes to make a character like that interesting: action. No matter what a character is like, it's a lot of work to make them entertaining if they are passive more than they are active. People like Cloud do exist, but would they make an interesting read? Probably not. They stay in their head too much. They never do anything. They just brood and sulk and lament their miserable life and tormented heart, and that kinda stuff is dense and hard to endure. As much as I've identified with Cloud in the past, I recognize that his writing is a bit shabby as-is. And in that situation I don't think I could go as long as he does without making some kind of impulse decision, or at least trying to sort out my reason for fighting. Indecisive or not, sometimes you've just gotta get up and move.

Was it intentional? Maybe, maybe not. Yes, Cloud has changed, but was it a conscious change? Was Nomura acting towards that end? I highly doubt it. It only looks that way when you take two portraits into MS Paint and actively search for differences. They might be there, but that doesn't tell you if they were planned. Are you conscious of the ways you change, or do you more often discover them after the fact? Cloud's walking a path, and it'll take him to different places, same as it does anyone else. As for where it started... well, it never stopped. Every game in which he's featured is one of the building blocks, and as far as I'm concerned they all deserve some praise and some blame. Maybe a little more of one than the other in some cases, but that's all relative.

Frankly, I just wish the kid would get some meat on his bones. Being a super-soldier with the innate strength of ten-odd Strongman competitors is no excuse to let your diet go to sh#%.

 

In the original cloud was acting like his hero was. he was quiet but he wasn't really depressed. I guess after the events of the game. he became depressed and questioned his self. that's what I remember in Advent children. in dissidia I think he was a little bit the same. but near halfway he got the fighting spirit back. in the animated short ff7 the last order.( I think that's what It was called) he was like every other anime hero. after he was down he went in with passion.

 

It was more or less that he thought he was Zack, realized he wasn't, then questioned who he truly was and if he was fit to carry on Zack's legacy.

Plus he was in love with Aerith and she died, so yeah.

 

Yeah, Cloud had a lot happen to him since Zack died, its no wonder hes all mopey.....

 

It's still overplayed, sure. It's horribly overdone, but the guy has reasons to be mopey.

 

I have to say no, Cloud went through many things before ending up on Kingdom Hearts. Though he's still awesome.

 

Actually, Cloud always has been kind of an emo character. Strong and confident, sure... But he also has had a lot of times of self-doubt and questioning even through Final Fantasy VII. Has it gotten worse since the events of VII? Probably, considering everything that's happened to him, he has a right to be. So it's probably just everything over time wearing on him.