Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth remakes the Nibelheim flashback faithfully to the original. But does Rebirth change story details regarding Cloud’s identity? Was Cloud in Nibelheim during the incident with Sephiroth in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? We’re here to answer this question.
Cloud’s identity crisis was a major story point in the original Final Fantasy 7 and it remains so in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Mako poisoning rendered Cloud an amnesiac for a while, even messing up his memories.
Was Cloud There During the Nibelheim Incident?
Technically, Cloud was indeed present during the Nibelheim incident with Sephiroth. Remember the Shinra soldier grunts sitting in the truck with Cloud and Sephiroth during the Chapter 1 flashback sequence? One of those faceless grunts is actually Cloud, while the Cloud we play as in the flashback is actually Zack Fair.
Swap Cloud with Zack in the flashback sequence and you have the right idea. Cloud was one of the Shinra grunt soldiers accompanying Zack, Sephiroth, and Tifa up Mt. Nibel. More specifically, Cloud is the grunt that survived the bridge collapse and went on to stay with Tifa outside the Mako Reactor as Sephiroth and Zack went in.
Why Cloud Misremembers Events
As mentioned earlier, the reason we play as Cloud instead of Zack during the Nibelheim flashback sequence in Chapter 1 is because that’s how Cloud remembers the events. Cloud’s memory is faulty due to Mako poisoning and has confused his past with that of Zack Fair, who was a SOLDIER First Class. Cloud was just a Shinra grunt and not actually the brave hero soldier he thought he was.
To conclude, Cloud was in Nibelheim in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Cloud was a faceless grunt who accompanied Zack and Sephiroth as they investigated the Mako facility. Have more questions regarding FF7 Rebirth? Check our guides on ____.
