[Warning: Spoilers for FF7 & FF7 Remake Part 1 below]
Final Fantasy 7 Remake may retell the Midgar section of the original game, but there’s quite a bit of new content packed in as well. The remake explores more of Cloud’s past than the Midgar section of the original did, especially in terms of Cloud’s connection to Sephiroth.
Cloud is a very conflicted character, and throughout the game, he suffers from splitting headaches at various moments. These headaches aren’t just random, however, as they come at very specific moments when Cloud experiences something.
The original game had Cloud experiencing the same thing, but it’s even more drastic in the Remake. The reason for the headaches is directly tied to Cloud’s past, but there could be extra layers in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
Cloud’s History and Identity Crisis
![FF7 Remake Explained: Why Cloud Gets Headaches In Final Fantasy 7](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Final-Fantasy-7-Zack-Cloud.jpg)
When players are first introduced to Cloud Strife they learn one thing; Cloud is a former SOLDIER 1st class. Although the Remake doesn’t reveal this, Cloud was never actually in SOLDIER, and only ever became a Shinra foot soldier. Zack Fair, the black-haired character seen in the ending, is the one that actually became a SOLDIER 1st class. Cloud became friends with Zack, and the pair were sent on a mission to Nibelheim, along with Sephiroth. That mission was when Sephiroth learned the truth about Jenova and started losing his mind. After confronting Sephiroth Cloud and Zack are captured by Shinra and put through experiments for years. Both Cloud and Zack were pumped full of Mako for years and infused with Jenova cells to try and create another Sephiroth. After Zack breaks himself and Cloud out of the Shinra facility, Cloud witnesses Zack’s death at the hands of a platoon of Shinra soldiers. The Mako poisoning, Jenova’s influence, and the trauma result in Cloud taking on the persona of his friend Zack, and replacing many of his own memories with Zacks.
This series of events is the root cause of Cloud’s headaches. Whenever Cloud hears or learns something that conflicts with his fake memories it causes him tremendous dissonance. The same can be said whenever Cloud hears the name Jenova, Sephiroth or Hojo. The severe trauma has made Cloud block out some of the major events of the past, although he still remembers Hojo’s role in Shinra and the horrific experiments he conducted. This explains part of Cloud’s headaches and visions, but the Remake also features moments where Cloud sees flashes of the future.
Cloud’s Connection With Sephiroth in Final Fantasy 7 Remake
![Final Fantasy 7 Remake Key Art](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Final-Fantasy-7-Remake-Key-Art.jpg)
Cloud has always been connected to Sephiroth, both by past events and the presence of Jenova cells in both of their bodies. The Remake, however, makes this connection even deeper as Sephiroth constantly appears to Cloud and taunts him. The end of the Remake shows that Sephiroth is trying to get Cloud to work with him to change the future, and he seemingly knows what happens and that he’s defeated. Aerith also seems to know a lot more than she lets on in the Remake, and it could be the influence of both these characters that’s causing Cloud to see visions of the future, along with the headaches. Considering Cloud can see the Whispers in the Remake, it’s also possible that their appearance is another factor causing visions. Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 should delve more into Cloud’s past, and what effect defeating the Whispers may have had.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is currently available on PS4.