In an interesting trivia nugget shared with the official FFVII REMAKE Twitter page Today it was revealed that Final Fantasy VII hero Cloud Strife was originally conceived as a Berserker character. Twenty-six years since the original Final Fantasy VII was released for PlayStation, this page of Cloud’s history has only come to light today.
From the announcement a few days ago that January 31st is officially Japan’s very own Final Fantasy VII Day, to the reveal of the upcoming FFVII DLC for PowerWash Simulator, it’s been a big week for Final Fantasy fans. However, especially for Cloud Strife fans, the tweet shared today has been the icing on the cake of the week so far – or Materia on Buster Sword if you prefer.
Translated by Siliconera, the tweet explains that in the early stages of Final Fantasy VII’s development, Cloud Strife was simply referred to as “Berserker” – this archetype would form the basis of his character and combat style. Before it was refined into today’s Cloud Strife, this proto-Cloud would only wield his sword in his right hand, and his left arm would have been “sealed” with a bracelet. When not in use, the sword would rest on its back, fixed in place by a powerful magnet.
The tweet then goes on to explain that the character can then fight with both hands on the hilt of the sword, much like Cloud Strife does these days. Although the “Berserker” concept was eventually scrapped, Omnislash from Limit Break (also similar to the fighting style of the Berserker Nobodies in Kingdom Hearts II, designed by Tetsuya Nomura) can still be found in the Cloud today. The overall size of the Buster Sword itself.
Over the years, additional layers of information have been attributed to Buster Sword through successive Final Fantasy VII Compilation games. Today, Cloud Strife’s Buster Sword is arguably one of the most iconic weapons in all of video game history, in that holy glass cabinet, alongside the Master Sword and Gravity Gun. Many devoted Final Fantasy fans did their best to craft the landmark sword, and last year Square Enix released a Buster Sword Alarm Clock in honor of the game’s then-twenty-fifth anniversary.
Currently, the Square Enix team is working on the second installment of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy called Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. A complete remake of the original Final Fantasy VII is playable on all modern consoles, PC and mobile devices.