4. Cloud (Final Fantasy VII)
Cloud is the quintessential Final Fantasy protagonist. He’s broody, he’s badass, he has a big sword. At first, he seems like he’s just a merc for hire, a weapon to be pointed and shot at an enemy. But as he’s forced to reckon with the realities of Midgar and the rest of the world, he grows to care for those around him and their plights, which leads to some of the game’s most devastating reveals. And it already has plenty of those.
Much like Clive, Cloud is at his best when he is subversive. He’s proficient with the Buster Sword, but watching his guard come down alongside Aerith and Tifa, seeing him have to care about Barret’s cause, then sitting with his pain as his own world comes crashing down is all even more impactful than watching him be the sullen action hero he thinks he has to be.
