Summary
Admittedly, Cloud Strife, the main protagonist ofFinal Fantasy 7, isn’t exactly an easy guy to get along with. Because of the serious and stoic persona Cloud puts up for much of the game, he can come across as a pretty cold and arrogant guy who has little respect for those around him, so as a result, it makes it difficult for others to break down his walls to learn about the man underneath the hardened exterior.
With that being said, multiple characters in the original and remake ofFinal Fantasy 7managed to recognize Cloud for who he truly was, and after seeing his willingness to protect others and save the world, they would come to view him in a more positive light. Though these characters initially had a fairly lackluster opinion of Cloud, they eventually began harboring some level of respect for the “Ex-Soldier” while on the grand adventure to stop Sephiroth.
1Roche
Roche Is Impressed By Cloud’s Ability To Keep Up With Him In Combat
The first time Roche, the hot-headed and highly dangerousSOLDIER, comes across Cloud is when the protagonist is trying to make his way to the upper plate alongside Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs in the firstRemake. When Roche rocks up on his flashy motorcycle, he’s more than happy to hack and slash away at Avalanche’s bikes to slow them down before eventually challenging Cloud to a one-on-one duel.
By the time Cloud faces him inRebirth, Roche is shown to acknowledge Cloud’s swordsmanship and even lets him leave the battle with his life intact for putting on such a dazzling show of strength. Since the events ofRebirth, Roche has seen Cloud as somewhat of a rival, for whom he has come to acquire a lot of respect after their many duels.
2Johnny
Johnny Is Made To Acknowledge And Respect Cloud’s Strength After An Intense First Encounter
The first time Cloud speaks a word to Johnny inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, he is holding his giantBuster Swordover his head, ready to take him out for good after believing he would run off and give away Avalanche’s whereabouts. Needless to say, this terrifies the pants off poor Johnny, and from that moment on, he comes to form an odd relationship with Cloud where he comes to respect him out of some kind of fear.
While Johnny is still up for bantering with Cloud now and again, especially if it concerns Tifa, he has also been shown to still care about the Ex-Soldier to some degree. When Cloud and Aerith try to enter the Wall Market Coliseum, for example, after being utterly humiliated in battle himself moments before, Johnny advises the duo what they are up against to prepare them, rather than letting them walk in blindly as a way to bring them down a peg.
3Red 13
Red Respects Cloud For Treating Him Like Every Other Member Of The Crew
Though it is only subtly implied in the remakes, in the originalFinal Fantasy 7, it’s heavily suggested that Red 13, a talking dog who was found being experimented on by Shinra, isn’t all that fond of humans. This would make sense considering he was treated horribly by the folks at Shinra for so long, so when he does eventually decide to join Cloud and the others, it takes a little bit of time before he becomes truly loyal to them.
However, after witnessing Cloud’s strength as the leader of the pack and the fact that he treated Red no differently to any other human, Red began to warm up to his new leader quite a lot throughout their journey. While Cloud is taken aback by Nanaki’s sudden voice change atCosmo Canyon, the fact that he still views him as a loyal companion, even after Red admits he was masking his true personality, also doesn’t go unnoticed by everyone’s favorite canine.
4Zack Fair
The Plucky Young Grunt Makes An Impression On Zack When He And Cloud First Meet
Zack’s first meeting with Cloud is shown in theCrisis Corespin-off, before the events of the main game kick off, and therefore, before Cloud’s mind becomes warped due to Mako poisoning. As a result, he comes across as a much more open, friendly, and sociable young man whom Zack, a fully-fledged SOLDIER, comes to admire and respect as the game goes on.
It wouldn’t be long before Cloud and Zack become best friends, despite being in entirely different classes in terms of their positions within the Shinra army. After Sephiroth burns down Nibelheim and the two are experimented on byHojo, Zack’s final sign of respect toward Cloud would be handing him his Buster Sword, proving that he was more than certain his close friend would take good care of it in his place.
5Dio
After An Epic 3D Animated Brawl, Dio Learns That Cloud Is Not Someone To Be Messed With
In stark contrast to Cloud, Dio isn’t a man who turns down the chance to hog the spotlight any time he gets the opportunity. When Cloud and the gang first step foot into theGolden SaucerinRebirth, Dio is there to welcome them in and initially tries to convince Cloud to duel him in a 3D animated brawl.
While Cloud refuses at first, Dio continues to pester him until, eventually, Cloud accepts his challenge and even scores a victory over him. Not only does this earn Dio’s respect, but it also awards Cloud a Golden Ticket, which can be used for navigating the Golden Saucer and all of its wonderful minigames. Dio would even turn back up a little later to give the gang a ride in his buggy, which just goes to show that earning a little respect from a big-shot can lead to some major benefits in the long run.
6Wedge
It Doesn’t Take Long For Wedge To See Cloud As His “Bro”
Wedge may not get all that much screentime in the originalFinal Fantasy 7, but his character is a lot more fleshed out in the remake, including his relationship with Cloud, which doesn’t start all that great initially. Because Cloud is trying to keep up his edgy lone-wolf facade during the early portion of the story, it causes him to mock and ridicule Wedge quite a lot, despite Wedge still seemingly wanting to be friends with Cloud, if that’s even possible.
Cloud’s perception of the clumsy Avalanche member would change after Wedge manages to help out after Cloud and Biggs find themselves being overwhelmed by Shinra forces while traveling with Jessie. While Cloud would still try to act all dismissive toward Wedge, he started to compliment his bravery and willingness to help others, with Wedge, in return,calling him a “bro"who he would come to greatly admire.
7Tifa Lockhart
Cloud’s Desperate Attempts To Learn The Truth About Himself Don’t Go Unnoticed By Tifa
Cloud and his childhood friend Tifa share a prettycomplicated relationship. WhenFinal Fantasy 7’s story kicks off, Tifa quickly realizes that Cloud seems to be lying about certain parts of his past and has also seemingly taken on an entirely different personality, one which is a lot more cold and heartless than what she is used to. As a result of this, the two feel a bit distant for the Midgar portion of the story, but once Cloud is forced to face his inner demons and re-learn who he truly is, Tifa realizes just how willing Cloud is to get himself together to save the world.
This would, in turn, allow Tifa to have more respect for Cloud as a leader who had earned the right to march a group of soldiers into battle after accepting who he truly is. If Cloud had not attempted to rectify his memories, it’s unlikely Tifa’s relationship with him would have improved all that much, but thankfully, this wasn’t the case.
8Barret Wallace
Along The Journey, Barret Witnesses Cloud Go From Snobby Mercenary To True Hero
Saying Cloud and Barret don’t get along when they first meet would be putting it lightly. Initially, Barret sees Cloud as little more than a rude and arrogant mercenary who is only helping him out with destroying the Mako Reactor so that he can earn some Gil. However, once Barret becomes swept up in Cloud’s mission to stop Sephiroth from destroying the world, he gradually changes his opinion on Cloud, especially after witnessing who the man underneath the cold exterior truly is.
While Cloud would be there for Barret in his time of need after he was forced to take down his friend Dyne, Barret would return the favor by checking on Cloud now and again when he would suddenly freeze up or wander off into a daydream. Though the two are unlikely allies when in Midgar, once they escape, they become brothers in arms, with Barret coming to hold great respect for his newparty leader.
