Cloud’s character arc in the original Final Fantasy 7 is a quest for self-discovery. Throughout the story, awkward, aloof, but well-meaning, Cloud aims to find out who he is and, in the process, to break free from the control that the nefarious Sephiroth has over him. Cloud starts as a blank slate but, gradually, comes to terms with his tumultuous past and, in doing so, can define his own future.
However, the Cloud of Final Fantasy 7 Remake finds himself in a different position. Throughout the game, his interactions with Sephiroth are much more nuanced and two-sided than in the original. Though the silver-haired malcontent takes his rightful place as the game's final boss, he does so with a wry self-awareness; almost as if he is preparing Cloud for the trials ahead, rather than actively trying to destroy him.
