Capacity for Mimicry

Aztec Triogal

Aztec Triogal

3-7-77
Veteran
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Messages
2,973
Age
40
Location
Williamsport, PA
Gil
0
Alright, so we all know Cloud got stabbled, tossed in a test tube, and then dumped outside of Midgar. The whole experience, along with that of his dorky and unfulfilled youth, made him take up Zack's memories. This part I understand.

However, does anyone else find it odd that he acted so similarly to Zack? I understand he was taking Zack's persona as his own, due to a psychotic snap... but have you ever tried to mimic a friend or family member? It's extremely hard to do it convincingly. He had the advantage of truly believing that Zack's history and personality was his own... but still actually mimicking a person is nearly impossible to any conveyable degree.

I guess several questions come from this thought:

1.) Did he actually mimic Zack well? Aeris did fall for him, as she did Zack... but is that just coincidence?

2.) If he was trying to mimic Zack, would he feel weird in his own skin? As if he wasn't being true to himself?

3.) If he did mimic Zack, would anyone even notice? Aeris possibly but Tifa knew him prior to Zack, during childhood... so would she pick up on a personality change?
 
the answer,at the end of crisis core if you played through it,at the ending chapter,zack comes out of being induced in a mako tube for 4 years,he gets cloud out,but do to a hole going through clouds body,he was put into a mako induced come,where zack had to lug him around until the final battle sequence of the game,where zack is knocked down and shot in his head by a shinra infantry man,then cloudsw wakes to go see his friend dying,keep in mind that because of the mako induced come,that cloud doesnt remember a thing,so zack looks up at him and touchs clouds head to his bleeding chest,cloud rises with zacks blood on his face,zack gives cloud the buster sword as he dies,cloud walks to midgar,faints,and awakes,as you can see,as zacks blood seeps into cloud,not only does he get the perfect mako formed monsters genes,but he takes over all of zacks memories from when he met zack,and also becoming zacks living legacy,being a complete reincarnation of zack,untill its cleared up and cloud realizes who he is,hope this helped

and the answer to your 3rd question,throughout ffvii,tifa is always telling cloud how he changed since he came back to midgar,hinting she sees his change
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Plese don't double post, use the edit button, thats what its there for ;))

Too answer the question, I think Cloud was that fucked up that he didnt even know he was acting any different than normal.

Also, of course people noticed - well Tifa seeing as she was the only one who knew him. She wanted to keep him close by so she could keep an eye on him - and figure out what was wrong, why he was acting so odd. That's why she introduced him to the Avalanche dudes. To make him stick around
 
but,what i find funny,or odd if you want to say about this,when cloud wakes up in gongaga,zacks home town,after aerith left,you can live,or visit the houses,one of them being zacks parents house,they ask if cloud,being they think hes from SOLDIER wear a uniform,ask he knows zack,cloud asks himself why he remembers the name,but doesnt remember a face for the name,being that he has taken zacks persona and memories,dont youu think there would be a face to remeber,or is it that becoming zack,he completely lost the face of zack,or is this just one of the creators possible half baked ideas yet again,its not making sense to me
 
Taking on ones thoughts, appearance and memories is the power of Jenova. At least that is what is said somewhere in the game. We can't really say that Cloud had Zack's personality completly because Crisis Core obviously makes thoughs things clearer than the original game can (facial expressions, Voice acting etc). I think Aerith saw some qualitys of Zack in Cloud and was attracted to him but mostly was just coincidence. Cloud would feel fine about acting like Zack because before hand he was quite timid in comparision where as after he is a much more confident person. He may be copying but it's still posssible that he can make that personlity his own as afterall people can change.

As for Cloud not being able to put a face to Zacks name, it's clear that even though Cloud is mentaly fucked a part of him is still aware. It could be that Cloud does remember Zack but is in denial and is trying to not blow his cover, so much so he actually beleives it himself. If you notice, everytime Aerith or whomever tries to bring up Zack, Cloud quickly tries to get out of it.
 
@ Zacks,livinglegacy --- Wait, this blood contact thing? I don't buy that since the rain that happened on cue washed it off.

@ Moonshine --- There is a mental condition known as Traumatic Amnesia. I'm assuming it does not need an explanation, but I see that playing a VERY big role here. I'm actually willing to bet money that if you were able to ask Cloud what he did on his last birthday (21st), he would not be able to answer.

-- Now for my 2 cents --

1) That was my first thought, but there was something that I really didn't understand when got to Gold Saucer date and it was with Aerith. Then that last part on the ride, there was a statement in parenthesis that indicated a thought ("...I want to meet you.")

When I understood that later, I think that at first she did develop an attachment, but at the same time was confused and was determined to find out for herself.

2) I don't think that Cloud would even notice that detail since it's not just Zack's persona he took -- I think that it was combined with some of his own, his hatred towards Sephiroth, and his anger he had built up in losing everything (He didn't even know that Tifa survived that fire) and blaming Shin-Ra was a very good place to blame. In my opinion, at the start of the game, Cloud acted like a real asshole (and picking a fight with Barret) and then calmed down as the story progressed.

3) I think that Aerith was at first confused, then as she got to know him and everyone else, slowly started putting the pieces together.

As for Tifa, I did find it very odd that when Cloud told his story in Kalm that she didn't say a word... just a "..." She kept holding back and did nothing to correct him. Later she said while trying to help him find himself again "There were things you should have known but you didn't, and there were things that you shouldn't of known but you did."

... Maybe she just didn't know what to say or do and right from the start, knew something was terribly wrong.
 
Last edited:
Aztec Triogal said:
Alright, so we all know Cloud got stabbled, tossed in a test tube, and then dumped outside of Midgar. The whole experience, along with that of his dorky and unfulfilled youth, made him take up Zack's memories. This part I understand.

However, does anyone else find it odd that he acted so similarly to Zack? I understand he was taking Zack's persona as his own, due to a psychotic snap... but have you ever tried to mimic a friend or family member? It's extremely hard to do it convincingly. He had the advantage of truly believing that Zack's history and personality was his own... but still actually mimicking a person is nearly impossible to any conveyable degree.

I guess several questions come from this thought:

1.) Did he actually mimic Zack well? Aeris did fall for him, as she did Zack... but is that just coincidence?

2.) If he was trying to mimic Zack, would he feel weird in his own skin? As if he wasn't being true to himself?

3.) If he did mimic Zack, would anyone even notice? Aeris possibly but Tifa knew him prior to Zack, during childhood... so would she pick up on a personality change?
Click to expand...

1)I dont think Cloud mimic'd Zack, instead he wanted to be like Zack. It's true that Cloud got really fucked because of the mako and all. I think Aeris only fell for Cloud because of how much Cloud resembled Zack. Later on in the game at Gold Saucer, she tells Cloud that she "want to meet him". Cloud doesnt answer. This is also the reason why I want a remake because we don't know the emotion cloud shows to aeris so we're running in blind. I believe that Aeris really did like Cloud (READ: Aeris's story "Maiden...something something, i forget) but in Aeris's story, she really wants to find cloud and tell him that she still loves him.

2) I think that cloud really did feel awkward, especially when Jenova tells him he is just a puppet and that all along he has been copying someone else. but when he becomes his true self, Tifa and Clouds story comes together.

3) its hard to say in the game, because of the random "..." we get from Tifa as Cloud tells his side of the story in Kalm. I think that Aeris knew about Cloud's true trouble when they go in the ride in Gold Saucer, thats why she kept saying "i want to meet you". I think that Tifa already picked up on a few things that were right and weren't. She didn't want the group to think Cloud was a fuck up (LoL) so i guess she just waited till the right moment.
 
It's "The Maiden Who Travels The Planet." I have a copy of that, and the other novellas "On the way to a smile."

That is, if you're intersted
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top