Even after 27 years, the adventures of Cloud Strife and his friends in FINAL FANTASY VII still manage to capture the hearts of many. Starting out as an arrogant and hardened swordsman, Cloud slowly opens up throughout his adventure, becoming a hero beloved by fans for decades.

With FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH launched earlier this year with continuous praise from fans, we got an opportunity to catch up with Cody Christian, the English voice of Cloud in the remake project. Apart from being the voice of Cloud, you might have heard of Christian as an actor in the popular teen drama Pretty Little Liars as Mike Montgomery as well as Teen Wolf as Theo Raeken.

Without further ado, here is what Christian had to say about his experience voicing the elite swordsman Cloud Strife.

Interview is edited slightly for clarity. 

Becoming Cloud 

Cloud is no doubt an iconic character in gaming history. As the face of  FINAL FANTASY VII, he has appeared in countless other spin-offs and crossovers since 1997. With such a rich legacy, we asked Christian how he approaches voicing such a well-known character.

“Delicately,” responded Christian. “And as true to source as possible.”

“Upon learning of the character I was cast for (the audition process was under an alias project), I jumped head-first into researching the source material. Thankfully, I had my brother as a secret weapon that pointed me in all the right directions. Between every fan source, OG FINAL FANTASY VII play through, FINAL FANTASY VII: ADVENT CHILDREN, to even playing Super Smash as Cloud in the DLC to hear iterations of battle sounds, I simply immersed myself in as much of the world as I could.”

“The goal was not to duplicate, but rather understand the core components of Cloud’s story already enjoyed by so many. After that, the process became humanizing him as much as possible to allow as much emotional authenticity to exist.”

Portraying Cloud’s Struggles 

Cloud is a character that has undergone significant development throughout the games, especially in FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH. Considering the complexity of the character, we asked Christian how he navigates in portraying Cloud’s internal struggles and growth.

“This part of the storytelling was a personal favorite of mine!” he replied. “For a majority of the first game, so much of Cloud is guarded, reserved, and only pokes through the surface. Throughout FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, we see phases of mental instability and vulnerability never really seen before. Or at least brought to life in such a cinematic scope.”

“As an actor, I relished in the opportunity to give Cloud a soul to be tormented and a humanity to be tested. The most important part of navigating this character development was ensuring I was properly informed of the what, when’s, how’s, and why’s of every scenario. And that extends to understanding Cloud’s past, not just what’s unfolding in the present moment.”

Giving the Right Emotions 

In FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, the player’s choices do matter and affect the story and dynamics between characters. Regarding this new aspect of the game, we asked Christian if he tried harder to give Cloud the right or different emotions every time he spoke.

To that, he noted, “There was no personal bias in the effort put into any line or interaction.”

“Every time Cloud speaks, emotes, or makes any type of noise, the story and character both demand focus and 100% effort. This project, story, and character are all bigger than me. And it deserves that level of commitment. With that being said, I had both an excellent director and translator (Kirk and Ben) to ensure the emotionality was always where it was supposed to be.”

Dynamics with Tifa and Aerith 

Cloud’s relationships with the leading ladies in his party, Aerith and Tifa, play pivotal roles in FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH. As the voice of Cloud, we asked Christian how he approached portraying the character’s emotional dynamics with both Cloud and Tifa, especially considering the complexities of his connection with each.

“I know you’re expecting a grand answer filled with complexities but I can’t take credit where I don’t deserve it,” said Christian. “I didn’t craft these characters or invest the unfathomable amount of time developing their stories. As an actor, my job is to bring the material to life with an authenticity to allow the audience to experience a true suspension of disbelief and connect with our characters.”

“I hate to repeat myself, but the key to achieving this was simply doing the work constantly to understand Cloud. Who he is. What he’s been through. His childhood and trauma are associated with Tifa. The distortion of memory. Clouded judgment and confusion stemming from Zack’s experiences. I relied heavily on the people around me to have all the information I deemed necessary. So I guess the answer is asking a lot of questions, not being afraid to do so, and having a desire to want to explore.”

Here concludes our interview with Cody Christian, the voice actor of Cloud Strife in FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE and FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH.

We would like to thank Cody Christian for taking the time to answer our questions. If you want to hear more from Cody Christian, you can follow him on X and Instagram.