Things aren’t as they seem in Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, with the game opening up on a series of memories retold by Tifa and Cloud to Aerith, Red XIII, and Barret while recovering at an Inn in Kalm. Cloud remembers things differently than Tifa, causing confusion.
The first chapter of FFVII: Rebirth takes players through the events of the Nibelheim incident, in which Sephiroth is sent to check on the old Mako Reactor at Mount Nibel. Throughout the flashback, Cloud takes on the role of Sephiroth’s partner as a new SOLDIER 1st Class.
**Major Plot Spoilers Beyond This Point**
Was Cloud In Nibelheim With Sephiroth in FF7 Rebirth?
Yes, Cloud was in Nibelheim, but not in the role he remembers. Cloud was with Sephiroth but as one of the cadets acting as support for the mission.
Fans who have played Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core Reunion will know that it was Zack Fair who accompanied Sephiroth to Nibelheim and filled the role that Cloud seems to remember himself in during the FFVII: Rebirth flashback. In actuality, he is the Cadet who shields Tifa from an oncoming attack as she leads Zack and Sephiroth to Mount Nibel and is the Cadet who survives being plunged into the river when the bridge collapses.
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As players progress through FFVII: Rebirth, they will learn that Tifa remembers Zack being in Nibelheim, not Cloud. She doesn’t tell him, worried it may cause additional damage to his already unstable headspace. Eventually, Cloud begins to remember Zack, but not accurately. He has false memories of Zack being swept down the river in front of Mount Nibel, instead of another Cadet. This memory is false, likely planted by the effects of Sephiroth as he attempts to destabilize Cloud in various appearances throughout the game.
It is important to note that Cloud “remembering” Zack didn’t happen in the original Final Fantasy VII game. This is a turn of events unique to Rebirth.
Why Does Cloud Think He Is Zack in FF7 Rebirth
Cloud thinks he is Zack Fair due to serious Mako Poisoning he endured at the end of the events of Crisis Core. During this time, he is experimented on, going through a similar physical process as those inducted into SOLDIER. Zack escapes with Cloud, attempting to outrun Shinra. Unfortunately, he is unable to do so, and he stands off against an army on the cliff edges outside of Midgar.
In the original course of events, Zack passes away, telling Cloud he is “his living legacy”. The combination of extreme trauma, Mako Poisoning, and the effects of the Jenova cells used on SOLDIER causes his mental identity to fray, meshing his own memories with Zack’s.
In Rebirth, players see a version of Zack who survives the attack outside of Midgar. He also has a version of Cloud who, while still Mako Poisoned, may have a different outcome mentally without witnessing Zack’s death. However, this timeline is broken, and Zack arrives in modern-day Midgar, instead of the Midgar of five years present. Because of this, Zack is still alive, and there are technically two living Cloud Strifes throughout Rebirth.
