The larger-than-life nature of the Final Fantasy series makes fans wonder how the characters here can fare against those in different franchises. The most popular entry in this series remains Final Fantasy VII, whose protagonist, Cloud Strife, is a beloved figure.
Cloud isn’t extremely powerful, but has a range of abilities including enhanced strength, speed, and durability, to go along with his Buster sword and fighting skills. All in all, he has a good chance of beating some villains from significant franchises. However, there are certain others who will easily brush him aside. Here are 5 match-ups he can walk away as the victor, and 5 villains he can’t beat.
10 Can Beat: The Vizier (Prince Of Persia)
The villain in one of Ubisoft’s biggest successes, the Vizier, possessed powers from the Sands of Time. In The Two Thrones, the Vizier used the sands to corrupt himself into becoming a monstrous creature.
However, Cloud should still manage to contend with him, provided he’s given possession of the Dagger of Time. Cloud has the required skills to evade the Vizier’s attacks and has enough durability to take hits as well. With the dagger in possession, all Cloud needs is one clean shot at the Vizier to take him out.
9 Can't Beat: Zeus (God Of War)
Fans still await Zeus’s potential return in a God of War PS4 sequel. One of the reasons for his popularity is his incredible powers. Being the leader of the gods, Zeus has everything from lightning to gigantism, and nigh invincibility.
A protagonist like Kratos can contend with him, but Cloud is hopelessly out of his element. No amount of hits from the Buster sword can get a scratch on Zeus. His above-average strength will do him no good either, and this will be a very short fight resulting in Cloud’s demise.
8 Can Beat: Albert Wesker (Resident Evil)
It’s been a while since Wesker’s demise, and there’s hope he might return soon. He’s pretty powerful in Resident Evil terms, having mutated abilities of speed and stamina. Eventually, he turned into a vicious monster before his demise.
However, Cloud’s own enhanced state means he’s more than a match for Wesker. The mutated version will easily get sliced with Cloud’s Buster sword. Wesker’s speed won’t do him good against Cloud’s agility, and the latter can very well spam attacks to put Wesker down for the count.
7 Can't Beat: Vergil (Devil May Cry)
Easily one of Capcom’s greatest games, Devil May Cry benefits from Vergil’s mix of style and ruthlessness. He possesses strength even gods might not have, and his fighting skills are perfect to a tee. Not to mention the Devil mode that turns him indestructible.
Cloud just can’t keep up with Vergil’s quickness, whose moves with his Yamato sword are impossible to see. It won’t be two seconds before Cloud gets chopped off. Cloud loses even if speed is disregarded, as Vergil’s Devil mode is the stuff of nightmares, and can easily devour Cloud.
6 Can Beat: Dr. Robotnik (Sonic The Hedgehog)
Although he’s done some terrible things to Sonic, Robotnik will feel like a bit of a joke against Cloud. Sure, his 300 IQ has led to him creating machinery and weapons, but these always fail against offensive attacks.
Cloud has materia he can make use of, granting him further strength, quickness, among other tools. He can deliver a barrage of attacks on Robotnik, whether he’s in his Eggmobile or using robotic minions. Soon enough, Cloud’s range of offensive maneuvers will have Robotnik fleeing.
5 Can't Beat: Bowser (Super Mario)
Super Mario makes Bowser look comedic, but he’s pretty terrifying when put up to scale. After all, he’s got an impenetrable shell, can make it rain in fireballs (even underwater), and has displayed magical abilities like teleportation.
Cloud’s durability won’t last long here, considering Bowser can tear apart through boulders. The Buster sword seems powerful enough, but it’s dubious if it can harm Bowser's incredibly tough shell. While agility might be in Cloud’s favor, ultimately he can’t do lasting damage to Bowser.
4 Can Beat: Medusa (Assassin's Creed)
One of the mythological antagonists found in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Medusa, is a monstrous being out for blood. Her powers are linked with mythology, capable of turning one into stone and having snakelike physiology.
Still, this fight is tailor-made for Cloud. His stamina is such that avoiding Medusa’s attacks aren’t a problem at all. Along with that, the Buster sword is perfect to potentially decapitate Medusa, and more crucially, avoid her stare by blocking them. Cloud’s strength level is another factor in his favor, as he can overpower Medusa’s grip each time.
3 Can't Beat: Superman (Injustice: Gods Among Us)
A normal Superman is a difficult character to beat for most. An evil one is pretty much impossible for almost anyone to overcome. This version, in particular, is insane as he looks to vaporize anyone who opposes him and can easily smash someone to smithereens.
No matter the will or determination Cloud might have, he can’t hope to match Superman. The Man of Steel’s speed is one to behold, and Cloud won’t even know what hit him before he’s finished. Materia could give Cloud ranged attacks, but that’s still nothing next to Superman’s heat vision. All in all, this is a death wish for Cloud if he challenges Superman.
2 Can Beat: HADES (Horizon Zero Dawn)
Among all the machines to be fought in this game, HADES stands as the main villain. Capable of “possessing” any kind of machinery, it can potentially be enormous with a wide array of weapons. And yet, considering it got beat by a person whose main ability is archery, Cloud’s chances look very good.
Cloud doesn’t even need to rely on ranged attacks, as his own quickness can complement well with his use of the Buster sword. HADES will most likely do a number of jumps between machines, but Cloud’s stamina will ensure he doesn’t succumb to any weakness. By the end, there might not be enough machines around for HADES to contend with Cloud.
1 Can't Beat: Alduin (Skyrim)
With a roar that can make meteors shower onto the ground, a combination of frost and fire breath, and the immense size of this being, Alduin’s win is a surety. This villain from Skyrim can qualify as being among the most powerful gaming villains of all time.
There’s no real use of considering Cloud’s fight approach against Alduin. Mainly, the question will be how long Cloud could last before he gets crushed. His best bet would be to seek shelter and use his smaller size for a sneak attack. However, Cloud has nothing in his arsenal that can harm Alduin in the slightest.