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Zack Fair and Cloud Strife are friends and comrades. Their time together has a lasting influence on Cloud, and Zack’s story in Crisis Core –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion explores the legacy that connects them. The original Final Fantasy VII presents Zack through Cloud’s past; Crisis Core puts Zack at the center.
Spoiler note: This explains the broad relationship without detailing the plot revelations surrounding Cloud’s personal history.
How are Zack and Cloud connected?
Cloud is a mercenary and former member of Shinra’s elite SOLDIER unit. Zack is a Shinra SOLDIER operative. They become friends, and Cloud accompanies Zack on assignments while hoping to become a SOLDIER himself. Square Enix’s Final Fantasy Portal Site retrospective says their time together has “an incredible influence on the person Cloud eventually becomes.”
That makes their connection more than a simple rivalry: Zack is a friend, comrade and important influence in Cloud’s life. The full significance of that influence is tied to Cloud’s personal history, so the games’ accounts are best approached with spoilers in mind.
#1 Best Overall
- Immerse yourself in the city of Midgar like never before, with improved textures, lighting, and background environments
- Players can switch between two game modes: "Graphics Mode" prioritizes 4K high-resolution graphics; "Performance Mode" prioritizes smooth action at 60 frames per second
- Capture and share your memorable moments from the game with a fully customizable “Photo Mode”
- Players can enjoy immersive battles by using the DualSense PlayStation 5 controller with its haptic feedback integration
- Play the brand-new episode featuring Yuffie and experience new combat and gameplay additions
How does Zack show care for Cloud?
Square Enix’s Zack character profile offers a concrete example: after a difficult battle, Zack returns to Midgar hoping to see Aerith and brings a mako-poisoned Cloud with him. The detail illustrates Zack’s protective role without reducing their bond to a romantic pairing.
Where does the story of their relationship appear?
Final Fantasy VII
The original Final Fantasy VII frames Zack through Cloud’s story and past. Readers encounter the connection from Cloud’s perspective rather than following Zack as the main character.
Rank #2
- The award-winning FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE* retells the original story up to the escape from Midgar, with breathtaking visuals, fast-paced gameplay, and additional story elements. This RPG delivers unforgettable characters, a powerful narrative, and a hybrid battle system that blends real-time action with strategic, command-based combat. It also includes FF7R EPISODE INTERmission, a side story starring Yuffie Kisaragi that offers a fresh perspective running in parallel to Cloud’s journey.
- STUNNING VISUALS - Explore Midgar like never before with stunning visuals and richly detailed environments that bring the city’s layered, industrial districts to life, all while staying true to the spirit of the original game.
- DYNAMIC COMBAT WITH STRATEGIC DEPTH -The innovative battle system combines strategic command-based gameplay with fast-paced action. Seamlessly switch between characters, harness the power of materia, summon iconic creatures, and unleash devastating limit breaks.
- ICONIC CHARACTERS, UNFORGETTABLE STORY - Follow Cloud Strife, an ex-SOLDIER turned mercenary, as he joins Avalanche to take on the Shinra Electric Power Company. Cloud and his allies Barret, Tifa, and Aerith are pulled into a battle that will decide the fate of the planet.
- EXPANDED CONTENT - FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE offers quests, mini-games, and missions set in expanded areas of Midgar. Encounter new characters and experience exciting content that adds even more depth to the story.
Crisis Core –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion
Crisis Core is a prequel centered on Zack. Square Enix says its story begins seven years before Final Fantasy VII. The Square Enix Store product page describes the game as revealing “the legacy that connects him to Cloud.” Its focus on Zack gives more context for the bond, while the original game shows how Zack belongs to Cloud’s past.
Crisis Core –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion is an optional way to explore Zack’s story; Square Enix describes it as a remaster with updated graphics, soundtrack, interface and combat. This comparison concerns the original Final Fantasy VII and Crisis Core; it should not be taken as a claim that every continuity detail is identical across the later Remake project.
Rank #3
- The Amazon Exclusive Edition includes a FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH PS5 controller skin (inside the case) featuring Cloud and Sephiroth. This PS5 controller skin provides full coverage without buttons or sensor interference.
- An Expansive World: As the party searches for Sephiroth, explore the beautiful, expansive regions of the world and open up new areas to discover through unique forms of transportation
- Deepen their relationships to unleash powerful team based combos
- An Evolved Battle System: Combine strategic thinking with thrilling action combat alongside your comrades, including newly added characters
- Beyond the Walls of Fate: In this standalone adventure for fans and newcomers, Cloud and his comrades venture across the planet, their fates unwritten, making each step outside the dystopian city of Midgar fresh and mysterious
Is Zack’s relationship with Cloud the same as his relationship with Aerith?
No. Zack’s connection to Cloud is one of friendship, comradeship and influence. Zack’s hope to see Aerith when he returns to Midgar is a separate part of his story. Keeping those relationships distinct avoids mistaking Zack and Cloud’s bond for a romantic one.
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