In FF7, Cloud is supposed to be the confused rebel, who turns into the hero through series of events. Through the course of the game, his life hapens. He meets all these people, especially Aeris — who would change his life forever. After Aeris death, we see slight transformations in Cloud. He faced Jenova, Sephiroth, Shinra and every enemy that threatened his very life, and that of his companions. His very life was in torment when he fell into the lifestream, yet he survived, especially with help from Tifa. Cloud with involved in love triangles, and saw maany things and events, that, would/should forever change him from the rebel to the hero. This was Square’s purpose.
My point in this is that Cloud was a confused young man who got thrown into the fight for the planet, his friends, and for his very life. Cloud had issues, but over the course of the game, they were resolved.
What do you think about Cloud? Do you agree, or do you see his life as something else than I do?
But anyway, I’m not sure for issues. Sure, he may have been a bit weird at times, but nothing really wrong…
Cloud wanted to join Soldier therefore he was infected with Mako, but he never made it in Soldier, disapointed he didn’t want Tifa to know what happend. Then he heard from a friend, Zack, his story about how he got in Soldier and that he battled with Sephiroth as a Soldier 1st class. He told this story to Tifa and eventually he got so cought up in it that he really believed that it was he that made it to Soldier and not Zack. When u fall into the lifestream, Cloud remembers and then he is "normal" again since he’s not pretending anymore.
**SPOILERS**
Just a note: Cloud doesn’t hear Nibelheim’s story from Zack, he was with Sephiroth and Zack there as a normal soldier, so he remembers all what happened since he saw it for himself.
I suppose you could say that, along with the main storyline and all the other sub plots going on, Final Fantasy VII is also about one man trying to find out truly who he is. Cloud’s journey from an ex-SOLDIER with a lack of memory for the best part of five years to a "clone" of Sephiroth that isn’t totally human, to what he finally turns out to be (a normal Shinra soldier who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time), and the strength of finding out who he is gives him the energy to battle Sephiroth.
Thinking about the story in that term as well as all the others makes me realise just how deep Final Fantasy VII was in comparison to VIII and IX.
*SPOLIERS*
Personall, I think that Cloud did have alot of issues. The lack of memory that he is experiencing is self induced. It may not be voluntary, but because he has been lying so long, he has almost became Zack, the gap in memory is probably because he didn’t know what Zack was doing, and couldn’t fabicrate what he would be doing as a 1st class, since he probably wasn’t sure what a 1st class did anyway.
I think that Cloud’s strength not so much comes from him finding who he is, as it does that all his friend still love/respect him eventhough he’s not the big bad soldier he thought he was. I think he gains alot of strength that Tifa still cares about him, eventhough everything he lead everyone and himself to believe was a lie.
His strength comes from his friends, not himself. He only becomes strong once Tifa makes him realize that they will still follow him, and fight Sephiroth with him.