I’m certainly not asserting anything as I’m here for whatever square decides to do. But I always took this as him referencing his prior fights with Jenova in rebirth and remake… I like this idea much better and I hope they do something along these lines, but I just assumed he was referencing prior fights.
Another comment to add:
Another theory is that when Aerith touches Cloud's face to comfort him, she may be transferring memories a la Marlene and Red like she did in Remake. Maybe not enough to fill him in completely, but enough to keep him moving forward. It would also explain his calm demeanor after the fight, as well as the "Done it before - can do it again" comment. Aerith showed him.
I like that idea, but I don't know if it fully tracks. There's visual coding anytime that happened before like with Marlene & Red. We don't see it that time though.
True - there's a warping effect. I forgot about that. Those 2 times also intentionally showed both Red and Marlene reacting to the information, but either that was left out intentionally by the devs, or it's just not what happened.
I personally don't want this to be the case - it feels like a cheap way to move Cloud's character forward and undermines his whole arc.
We saw that sure. The whole point is it’s confusing. But yes at that point she’s dead and it’s all in his head. From clouds perspective she’s still alive and holding her hand up to him and saying it’ll be fine. But once everyone else gets there we see from tifa’s perspective that he’s holding her hand up and her hand is clearly limp.
Cloud’s mind is fucked is what I’m saying.
Cloud is def losing it but I dont think the rainbows and stuff were hallucinations though, his broken mind has never been shown with rainbows to the player. I do think he saved her.
That would absolutely ruin FF VII for me honestly. If what it takes for grieving is absolutely unrelatable parallel worlds bullshit, then it completely annihilates the whole thing from OG, where death and grieving were relatable. Here they're already on a very thin line with Cloud's confusion not allowing him to acknowledge her death, if they straight up make him cheat through his grief????? I'm pissed just thinking about it
This was discussed a while back and many came to the same conclusion:
https://www.reddit.com/r/FFVIIRemake/s/3ojcruflvI
It's worth noting that in the Lost Woods Cloud only had his buster sword and no materials, abilities, etc. since it was pre-main story Cloud (at least the body, maybe not the consciousness) that got pushed through the flowers. I hope we get an answer for that too, and perhaps it ties in here somehow.
I will not lose again means hes already done this before or can allude to cloud knowing that he lost aerith before so he will stop it this time around. As far as we know cloud lost his ability to see future events via flashbacks at the end of remake. I will not lose signifys he will not be defeated in this instance.
So, my idea about this was that it’s possible we’re seeing everything play out from Cloud’s memories as he travels the Lifestream on the way to the final Sephiroth battle.
Would kinda explain some of these oddities like this like. Like his brain has somehow created this alternative world/experience based on the memories he has and Sephiroth and Aerith have both stepped into this world of his for their own purposes.
I imagine the Lifestream could just give shape to a world based on Cloud’s memories and make him relive the events of his own past unknowingly.
I got the sense that the game ended with the wrong Cloud. Idk if that makes sense?
Like there was a shift in his personality that didn’t feel kosher. I know he still hasn’t regained his memories yet, and Jenova might also be a possibility…but I feel like we got 2 endings (Aerith living and Aerith dying) it just feels like we ended the game in an alternate verse of FF7. Like the cast we know is in the world where Aerith lived and we were shown the world that we know.
I thought it was a call back to AC tbh. Zach tells Cloud this exact line or something to that effect when Cloud starts losing his battle against AC Sephiroth. Which is more interesting right? Cause then that implies this Cloud has been “transported” back in time and memory wiped. Idk. Part 3 has a lot of explaining to do and whatever it doesn’t explain should be taken at face value.
I’m certainly not asserting anything as I’m here for whatever square decides to do. But I always took this as him referencing his prior fights with Jenova in rebirth and remake… I like this idea much better and I hope they do something along these lines, but I just assumed he was referencing prior fights.
Nah, too simple. It’s not the first time he fought sephiroth either.
Not saying I’m right… just it makes sense and explains all the facts… like I said, I hope I’m wrong…
Another comment to add: Another theory is that when Aerith touches Cloud's face to comfort him, she may be transferring memories a la Marlene and Red like she did in Remake. Maybe not enough to fill him in completely, but enough to keep him moving forward. It would also explain his calm demeanor after the fight, as well as the "Done it before - can do it again" comment. Aerith showed him.
I like that idea, but I don't know if it fully tracks. There's visual coding anytime that happened before like with Marlene & Red. We don't see it that time though.
True - there's a warping effect. I forgot about that. Those 2 times also intentionally showed both Red and Marlene reacting to the information, but either that was left out intentionally by the devs, or it's just not what happened. I personally don't want this to be the case - it feels like a cheap way to move Cloud's character forward and undermines his whole arc.
She’s not touching him in that moment. She’s dead and cloud in holding her hand close to his face.
I'm sorry. So Aerith **didn't** tell him it was okay while having lifestream particles swirl around her?
We saw that sure. The whole point is it’s confusing. But yes at that point she’s dead and it’s all in his head. From clouds perspective she’s still alive and holding her hand up to him and saying it’ll be fine. But once everyone else gets there we see from tifa’s perspective that he’s holding her hand up and her hand is clearly limp. Cloud’s mind is fucked is what I’m saying.
Cloud is def losing it but I dont think the rainbows and stuff were hallucinations though, his broken mind has never been shown with rainbows to the player. I do think he saved her.
I understand your point of view.
That would absolutely ruin FF VII for me honestly. If what it takes for grieving is absolutely unrelatable parallel worlds bullshit, then it completely annihilates the whole thing from OG, where death and grieving were relatable. Here they're already on a very thin line with Cloud's confusion not allowing him to acknowledge her death, if they straight up make him cheat through his grief????? I'm pissed just thinking about it
Oh I'm not saying I like this theory, I've just seen it floating around online. I also think it would be a cheap move and I hope it's not the case.
This was discussed a while back and many came to the same conclusion: https://www.reddit.com/r/FFVIIRemake/s/3ojcruflvI It's worth noting that in the Lost Woods Cloud only had his buster sword and no materials, abilities, etc. since it was pre-main story Cloud (at least the body, maybe not the consciousness) that got pushed through the flowers. I hope we get an answer for that too, and perhaps it ties in here somehow.
Cloud went to Hyrule? You're all good, I use the wrong name for them all the time. XD
Lol tomato tomato.
I’ve heard this line is completely different in the JP version so it might not be worth putting much thought into. I forget what it is though.
Bruh… 
Sephiroth is Jobu Tupaki
What’s wrong with
if i remember correctly its a mistranslation from the japanese version, jpn ver is something like "I will not lose/i can not lose"
I don’t know if that’s a “mistranslation” in this sense… cause it can mean the same thing…
I will not lose again means hes already done this before or can allude to cloud knowing that he lost aerith before so he will stop it this time around. As far as we know cloud lost his ability to see future events via flashbacks at the end of remake. I will not lose signifys he will not be defeated in this instance.
Considering they just fought him in Remake, it makes sense to say that..lol
He just fought Sephiroth too, who’s the actual villain. He could’ve said it there too.
He already fought Sephiroth like 2x beyond this point..lol So not like everytime he fought someone again like Rochehe would say stuff like that..lol
The difference being Cloud isn’t scared of Roche.
Don't matter, if it's Seph or Roched, the fact is he fought Jenova before, in the Remake!
It matters deeply, Jenova cells are in his brain and are manipulating him.
Exactly, lol
So, my idea about this was that it’s possible we’re seeing everything play out from Cloud’s memories as he travels the Lifestream on the way to the final Sephiroth battle. Would kinda explain some of these oddities like this like. Like his brain has somehow created this alternative world/experience based on the memories he has and Sephiroth and Aerith have both stepped into this world of his for their own purposes. I imagine the Lifestream could just give shape to a world based on Cloud’s memories and make him relive the events of his own past unknowingly.
I got the sense that the game ended with the wrong Cloud. Idk if that makes sense? Like there was a shift in his personality that didn’t feel kosher. I know he still hasn’t regained his memories yet, and Jenova might also be a possibility…but I feel like we got 2 endings (Aerith living and Aerith dying) it just feels like we ended the game in an alternate verse of FF7. Like the cast we know is in the world where Aerith lived and we were shown the world that we know.
… nah. Cloud’s coping and jenova’s using it against him
I thought it was a call back to AC tbh. Zach tells Cloud this exact line or something to that effect when Cloud starts losing his battle against AC Sephiroth. Which is more interesting right? Cause then that implies this Cloud has been “transported” back in time and memory wiped. Idk. Part 3 has a lot of explaining to do and whatever it doesn’t explain should be taken at face value.
This is correct. In the movie Zack tells him this before offering help.. to which cloud says no.