Cloud (SSB4)

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Cloud in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Final Fantasy
Availability	Downloadable
Final Smash	Omnislash

“	Cloud Storms Into Battle!	”
—Introduction Tagline

Cloud (クラウド, Cloud) is a playable character and newcomer in Super Smash Bros. 4 as the fifth downloadable character. He was announced during the November 12th, 2015 Nintendo Direct, and released on December 15th, 2015. Cloud is the fifth third-party character to be introduced in the game, joining Capcom's Mega Man and Ryu, SEGA's Sonic and Bayonetta, and Bandai Namco's Pac-Man.

In all versions of Super Smash Bros. 4, he is voiced in Japanese by Takahiro Sakurai, similar to Marth and Roy.

Attributes

In terms of general combat, Cloud has a noticeable advantage with approaches and aerial fighting thanks to his basic attributes. With one of the fastest dashing speeds, quick walking speed, high jump height (almost on par with Falco) and effective short hops, Cloud has some of the better approaching options in the game, both on the ground and in the air. This compliments his high disjointed range, courtesy of the Buster Sword, which provides great reach to space opponents out, which is further evident in his powerful aerials that benefit greatly from his good range. This makes him especially adept at edgeguarding (in a similar line to Shulk), as most of his aerials have quick startup, meteor smashing potential, and the ability to autocancel, making them effective aerial tools. His up aerial is frequently considered to be his best aerial in neutral, with falling up air starting up quickly and low enough to catch grounded characters, along with possessing little lag and a great autocancel window. It also deals high damage, and its range and priority allows for very effective juggles, along with linking together easily with other combo moves like up tilt and neutral air. His grounded game is also surprisingly fast for a high ranged character, with his jab and down tilt being effective at quickly covering missed attacks, while his down throw and up tilt can start combos at very low percents.

Cloud's above average approach and offensive games are further complimented by another vital tool in his playstyle, his Limit Break mechanic, which gives his special moveset considerably potent damage options and can allow him to KO opponents earlier than most other characters (in a similar vein to Little Mac's Power Meter). Along with it boosting his ground and air movement stats slightly while on standby, this makes it imperative for Cloud to keep his Limit Gauge's charge at high or full capacity for the majority of the neutral game, as without the effect, none of his specials can KO at any absolutely reliable percentages. This makes him comparable to a combination of Ike and Little Mac (in addition to a projectile attack), with an effective, powerful and long reaching sword along with a high comeback ability.

While his smash attacks aren't all that fast compared to bare-handed fighters, they have agreeable startup and endlag for the range and power they possess, making his forward and up smashes safe on shield when spaced correctly. His forward smash can trap opponents and has incredible knockback, making it one of best KO moves if landed successfully, his up smash has a large and effective hitbox (even possessing a small hitbox behind him), and his down smash creates difficulties for opponents with poor horizontal recovery, for it has the fastest startup out of all of his smash attacks and can effectively carry opponents into the second hit, and can stage spike recovering opponents near the ledge. His low damage-fallout projectile in Blade Beam means he isn't helpless at longer range, while he has reliable options for damage racking: his up tilt, neutral aerial, Cross Slash and Climhazzard are all effective damage rackers (with the previous two being good out of shields) whose low knockback growth allow them to combo even at extremely high percents, making Cloud all-rounded at approaching and protecting himself.

As previously mentioned, Cloud's Limit Break mechanic is his primary method of finishing opponents off as effectively as possible, outside of edgeguarding. But unlike the Power Meter, Cloud has the advantage of being able to manually charge it through his down special. Once it reaches full capacity, all his specials gain large boosts in utility, through increases in damage and knockback, improved recovery, higher priority, and better KO ability, and he also gains a slight boost to his stats. All said specials have minimal startup time, impressive range, and overwhelming power (some as strong as Ganondorf's), giving Cloud four additional and immensely effective finishers while under Limit Break's effects, making him a powerful comeback character.

While this skill has a high chance of turning the tides in his favor, Cloud can have trouble executing Limit Break charges in high pressure situations, and connecting the finishers in the first place. While the gauge can be filled in multiple ways such as damage taken, Cloud has to survive 100% of damage before it fills completely, which naturally puts him at a severe disadvantage. Other options include dealing damage, although he must do a lot of it before the gauge fills (250%), or manually charging the gauge with Limit Charge (6 seconds of charging), which can often be difficult while being pressured by faster characters like Fox. While he can quickly start and cancel his limit charge anywhere, giving him the ability to be mobile and active while charging in short bursts, the limited options in which cancelling the charge gives to him (shield, dodge, attack) can be taken advantage by opponents to punish him, further reinforcing careful play. Limit Break specials are also limited to one per charge, restricting Cloud to a single particular focus and forcing him to play mindgames with his opponents if he is to make any effective use of it. Furthermore, without Limit Break, Cloud has several issues that can occur if he uses his specials carelessly; specifically, if he is to overuse any of them, they lose utility quite rapidly, allowing opponents easier opportunities to read and punish, while the single-use abilities take a hefty amount of time to charge up again, making it necessary to land them lest he be burdened by another extended charge time.

Other issues Cloud suffers from are as a result of his somewhat polarized playstyle; while he has impressive aerial, damage racking and edgeguarding games, the same cannot be said about his KOing ability outside of Limit Break specials and smash attacks. This makes Cloud effectively good at getting opponents to KO percentage, but inconsistent at actually landing KOs, since his kill setups often rely on having a charged Limit Break available. Without them, Cloud relies on generating enough space in order to charge his Limit Gauge, as without Limit Break his only reliable killing tools onstage are his smash attacks. His impressive edgeguarding skills serve as his only reliable stock clearing ability without Limit Break: he possesses two strong, disjointed spikes in his forward and down aerials, and has many moves with long active frames that are effective at catching the 2-frame ledge snap vulnerability. And often he will be able to hit an opponent far enough offstage to have a charged Limit by the time they make it to the ledge, equipping him with deadly versions of his special attacks, all of which can cover multiple getup options and put Cloud in a perfect position to KO (though even without charged Limit Break, his smashes are also effective at punishing ledge getups). Cloud also has a poor grab game outside of his quick grabs and good combo starter with down throw, as all his other throws cannot be followed-up upon and also lack KO potential.

His aerial game is similarly restrictive, as even though his air game is effective for offense, his recovery is hindered due to his somewhat low air speed, while his only recovery move, Climhazzard, has below average vertical movement, no horizontal movement, and cannot grab ledges until the move is complete. The follow-up descending strike is also unsafe to use near the edge, as he cannot grab the ledge if he initiates too close to it, providing limited practical use of it offstage. Despite having a moderately high wall jump, a high double jump, and the ability to stall somewhat with Blade Beam, Cloud can be particularly easy to gimp and/or edgeguard in most situations, given his Limit Break isn't charged, making it a double-edged sword for Cloud to fight offstage. Finally, Cloud's effective recovery being highly dependent on Limit Break Climhazzard is also a detriment, as it often forces him to use up his Limit Break even if it was intended for another use.

Finally, Cloud is prone to being caught in combos and juggled hard by characters such as Fox, Zero Suit Samus, and Mario, since he has no quick aerials that work as combo-breakers, and no effective specials he can B-reverse or wavebounce for aerial maneuvering. This can make it difficult for Cloud to land back onstage after being sent into the air, the only saving grace being his safe, long-ranged aerials which offer him good protection right near the ground. Cloud is also naturally at a disadvantage in custom matchups as he, like other DLC fighters, lacks custom specials to aid in any of his aforementioned detriments.

Overall, Cloud has access to incredible offensive options that can overwhelm the opposition fairly easily, but he suffers when he is forced into disadvantageous situations. He is a very volatile and somewhat polarized fighter overall, with both his survivability and kill power often revolving around his constantly fluctuating Limit meter. He could be thought of as a good example of a combo-finisher oriented glass cannon, a powerful fighter with weak survivability who relies on specific and effective, yet inconsistent finishers to end stocks.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2%, 2%, 4%	Two alternating forward kicks ending with a clearing slash. Very good speed, and both kicks have good range, similar to Ike's neutral attack. Each attack after the first hit moves Cloud a step forward, further improving the move's range, although the sword strike has lower range than the two kicks.
Forward tilt			11%	An outwards slash while taking a step forward. Quick startup, but moderate ending lag. Cloud's only tilt that can KO under 150%. KOs middleweights at 135% at the edge.
Up tilt		rowspan="1"	8%	Swings the Buster Sword forwards in a fan-like fashion above his head. Hitbox starts behind Cloud, with a larger front hitbox. Fast with a decently large hitbox, although knockback is lacking. One of Cloud's most reliable combo starters, chaining into itself at 0%, and into aerials at low percents.
Down tilt		rowspan="1"	6% (early), 7% (late)	A ground-hugging forwards slide, similar to Mega Man's down tilt. Deals slightly more damage if it connects after the first few frames. Very quick startup and sends Cloud a good distance forward while keeping his hitbox small, making it useful as a quick and weak punish.
Dash attack			11% (clean), 8% (late)	Cloud slides to a halt, forcing the entire front edge of the Buster Sword forwards with two hands, as if parrying. Deals more damage at the beginning. Moderately high knockback, able to KO at high percentages.
Forward smash			3% (hit 1), 2-4% (hit 2), 12-13% (hit 3)	Cloud unleashes a lightning-quick triple slash in front of him at a speed contrary to his sword's size. The final hit has slightly more range and carries all the knockback. Depending on where each slash hits, this move can do from 18-20% damage. Slight startup and moderate ending lag, but extremely powerful for its speed, KOing at 98% from the middle of Final Destination.
Up smash			18% (clean), 12% (late), 11% (end)	Cloud swings the Buster Sword in a wide upwards uppercut. Good range and somewhat fast startup, giving him reliable aerial protection. The Buster Sword does weak damage at the end when Cloud holds it above his head. Moderate ending lag. Starts KOing at 125%.
Down smash			5% (hit 1), 17% (hit 2)	Cloud crouches, then shoves the Buster Sword's handle forwards before stabbing backwards in the same direction. The first hit is designed to natural combo into the second hit. Cloud's fastest smash attack, and the second hit sends opponents at a semi spike angle, although it is hard to use for edgeguarding unless Cloud is facing towards the stage at the edge. Regardless, it is useful for sending opponents with weak horizontal recoveries offstage. The first hit's angle can stage spike with pinpoint timing.
Neutral aerial		rowspan="1"	8%	Swings the Buster Sword in a wide arc downwards, starting from over his head and ending behind him. Weak, but its wide range and speed makes it very useful as an approach option and aerial tool, similar to Shulk's neutral air. Auto cancels from a short hop, making it rather difficult to punish, although it can be difficult to hit grounded opponents while starting this in the air due to the hitbox starting above his head.
Forward aerial		rowspan="1"	14% (sweetspot), 13% (clean), 11% (late)	Cloud pauses, then slices downwards in front of him with the Buster Sword, similar to Ike's forward air. Has the most startup out of all his aerials, but sweetspotting right when the sword stops moving results in a powerful meteor smash. Wide range and meteor smashing properties makes this a decent offstage option. Moderate ending and landing lag, but auto-cancels from a full hop.
Back aerial			13%	Cloud spins and swipes behind him with the Buster Sword. Good range and knockback, and a reliable edgeguarding attack due to its fast startup. Moderate ending lag, but can auto-cancel if done a few frames after starting a full hop. KOs at 130% at the edge.
Up aerial			13% (clean), 9% (late)	Cloud thrusts the edge of the Buster Sword skywards with both hands, like his dash attack except upwards. Acts like a sex kick, doing less damage as time passes. Surprisingly good horizontal range due to Cloud using the entire edge of his sword. Auto-cancels from a short hop, and can be used at the last second before landing to catch grounded opponents with the move.
Down aerial			13% (clean), 15% (sweetspot), 8% (late)	A downwards stab similar in appearance to Link's down air. Striking with the Buster Sword as it comes down powerfully meteor smashes aerial opponents and deals more damage. Stays out for a while, allowing the move to hit opponents after the initial thrust.
Grab			—	Cloud reaches out with his left hand.
Pummel			3%	Cloud knees the held opponent with his right leg. Somewhat slow.
Forward throw			4% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2)	Cloud kicks the opponent forward while doing a backflip. Low knockback.
Back throw			3% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2)	Turns around and kicks the opponent behind him. Low knockback like his forward throw.
Up throw			2% (hit 1), 2% (hit 2), 2% (hit 3)	Two spinning kicks, sending the opponent flying upwards. Cloud's second strongest throw, though unable to KO at realistic percentages.
Down throw			7%	Forcefully slams the opponent onto the ground, sending them behind him. Low base knockback and Cloud's primary combo throw, as it can lead into a reversed tilt or Cross Slash until middle percents. Surprisingly, this is also his strongest throw at high percents due to high knockback growth, although it cannot KO until 215%.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Spins the Buster Sword around him before getting up.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Spins the Buster Sword in a circle before getting up.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)
Edge attack Edge getups			8%	Swipes at the opponent's feet before pulling himself up.
Neutral special	Default	Blade Beam	8% (ground, clean), 6% (ground, late), 6% (air, clean), 4% (air, late), 19/15% (Limit Break, first target ground/air), 13/10% (Limit Break, after first target ground/air)	Cloud sends a blade of wind forwards, acting as a projectile that disappears upon hitting anything. Overall stronger if started on the ground and in the first few frames, while the aerial version is slower, deals less damage, and gives Cloud a slight amount of lift. When under Limit Break status, the projectile becomes a much stronger, uninterruptable multi-hitting move with higher velocity that can KO at 110%, although the aerial version is still weaker.
	Custom 1	N/A
	Custom 2	N/A
Side special	Default	Cross Slash	4% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2-4), 6% (hit 5), 5% (Limit Break, hit 1-2), 3% (Limit Break, hit 3-4), 10% (Limit Break, hit 5),	Cloud strikes with a combo of slashes, which can continue up to five hits so long as the first slash connects. The slashes aesthetically spell out the kanji 凶 (kyo). Good damage and moderate knockback, but exceedingly weak against shields. When under Limit Break status, Cloud instantly unleashes all five strikes and the attack gains high power, able to KO at the edge from 75% onwards.
	Custom 1	N/A
	Custom 2	N/A
Up special	Default	Climhazzard	3% (hit 1), 4% (hit 2, 3), 3% (hit 4), 6% (Limit Break, hit 1), 7% (Limit Break, hit 2)	A rising slash upwards, which can be finished with a downwards slash that sends opponents flying. The first hit deals set knockback, while the second hit deals more damage in the middle of the blade and less if near the hilt. The second hit can meteor smash when Cloud falls. Cloud's primary recovery move, although the downwards slash cannot ledge sweetspot until Cloud falls a certain distance, making it unworthy to use the second hit offstage. Vertical distance gained is also lackluster, and horizontal distance is nonexistent. However, when under Limit Break status, the first slash gains tremendous distance, greater horizontal movement and can sweetspot ledges, greatly improving Cloud's vertical recovery, and can begin KOing at 124% on the ground.
	Custom 1	N/A
	Custom 2	N/A
Down special	Default	Limit Charge	1% (Finishing Touch)	Cloud poses and charges up his Limit Gauge, an invisible meter which can alternatively be filled by taking (100%) or dealing (250%) damage, similar to Little Mac's Power Meter. The charge can be cancelled by rolling, sidestepping or pressing the special button again. When the meter is full, Cloud gains a slight overall boost to all his stats and can use a more powerful one-use version of his special attacks. This move itself turns into the Finishing Touch when the meter is full, which is a large whirlwind that deals 1% damage but tremendous knockback, enough to KO opponents as early as 75%.
	Custom 1	N/A
	Custom 2	N/A
Final Smash		Omnislash	3% (hit 1), 2% (hit 2-14), 5% (hit 15), 4-5% (hit 16), 10% (hit 17)	A final attack which works like a combination of Critical Hit and Great Aether. Cloud dashes forward at high speed, and flings any opponents he runs into to the top of the screen. After a series of quick sword slashes, Cloud charges up a final blow which sends him and his victims careening to the ground, causing a huge explosion that sends them flying with high knockback.

On-screen appearance

• Falls out of the sky and catches his Buster Sword.

File:Battle Entrance (Cloud).jpg

Taunts

• Up taunt: Twirls his Buster Sword and places behind his back, referencing his victory animation from Final Fantasy VII, while saying 興味ないね, ("Not interested").
• Side taunt: Places his Buster Sword on his back, places his hands together, and mimics the casting animation from Final Fantasy VII, complete with the sound effect and the glow.
• Down taunt: Stands his Buster Sword on its tip and poses in a casual manner while scoffing.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Rubs the edge of his Buster Sword, similar to one of Ike's and Roy's idle animations.
• Holds his Buster Sword upwards in front of himself.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Cloud! Cloud! Cloud!
Pitch	Group chant

Victory poses

A remix of the victory theme heard in Final Fantasy VII, which is itself a variant of the victory theme heard throughout the Final Fantasy series. Unlike other themes, it continuously plays, replacing the results theme.

• Twirls the Buster Sword with one hand and places it on his back, and says 悪く思うな, which translates into "No hard feelings."
• While turning away from the camera, he twirls the Buster Sword, places it on his back and then looks at the screen, while saying ついてないな, which translates to "Better luck next time."
• Slashes the Buster Sword twice and gets in his battle stance, while saying お前に俺は倒せない, which translates to "I’m out of your league."

Reveal trailer

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Cloud's reveal trailer references moments and characters from the Final Fantasy series, primarily Final Fantasy VII:

• The starry sky in the opening is a reenactment of the original opening to Final Fantasy VII, which even includes the original accompanying music, "Opening - Bombing Mission".
• The trailer contains a "blurring" screen transition to the battle phase in which Cloud faces off against Kirby, Samus, and Charizard, with Cloud situated opposite of the other three combatants. These instances reference Random Encounters, battle sequences that are often seen in the Final Fantasy series. The screen transition itself is one that is observed during gameplay of Final Fantasy VII along with the accompanying battle theme "Let the Battles Begin!".
• Zelda lying on her knees near Cloud laying on his back is a reference to a scene in Final Fantasy VII, where Cloud falls from the Sector 5 Reactor down into the church and is found by Aerith the Flower Girl, with Pikmin representing flowers in the church. The Lip's Stick that Zelda is holding resembles the flowers that Aerith sells.
• Cloud grabbing Wario and throwing him off his bike before making off with it himself references the segment when Cloud commandeers the Hardy Daytona motorcycle to escape from Shinra Headquarters. In Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Cloud himself has the motorcycle Fenrir, to fit with his "Lone Wolf" motif.
• Cloud being dizzy on The King of Red Lions is a reference to motion sickness Cloud suffers in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.
• The Sablé Prince turning into a frog next to Cloud is a reference to the recurring Toad spell, which transforms its targets into harmless frogs.
• Odin's appearance after Cloud uses his casting animation is a reference to the ability to summon monsters in Final Fantasy VII.
• Cloud fighting Ike towards the end is a reference to the final battle in Cloud's mind between him and Sephiroth.
• The segment in which Chocobos appeared references Chocobo Woods, a location in Final Fantasy III where Chocobos and the Fat Chocobo can be found, and Smells Like Chocobos is a recurring quote in the series which references the fact that Fat Chocobo can only be summoned in places that "Smell like Chocobos" in Chocobo Woods.
  • The fact that the Chocobos are on Gaur Plain may be a reference to the Chocobo Farm from Final Fantasy VII, which is located in the grasslands outside Midgar.

Trophies

Cloud

The protagonist of FINAL FANTASY VII, Cloud wields the enormous Buster Sword, a memento from his comrade Zack. Once a SOLDIER of Shinra, he now fights as a mercenary against the corporation he originally served. His decision to join AVALANCHE's insurgence, however, will transform his destiny.

FINAL FANTASY VII (11/1997)

Cloud (Alt.)

Filling the Limit Gauge allows Cloud to perform a Limit Break, supercharging his next special move. His down special becomes Finishing Touch. With a huge swing of his sword, Cloud summons a whirlwind that inflicts only 1% damage, but boasts brutal launch power. Go for a KO while his foes' damage is still low!

FINAL FANTASY VII (11/1997)

Omnislash

Cloud sets out to prevent Sephiroth from sending Meteor crashing into the planet. The fate of the world on his shoulders, Cloud confronts his enemy one on one. He unleashes a flurry of swift slashes before delivering the finishing blow. In Smash Bros., the final strike creates an explosion, launching nearby fighters.

• 

  Classic (3DS)

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  Alt. (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

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  Alt. (Wii U)

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  Omnislash

Alternate costumes

Cloud's default outfit is based on his appearance in Final Fantasy VII. He has an alternate costume based off of his appearance in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (known as "Cloudy Wolf" in Dissidia Final Fantasy). Said alternate costume has two minor variants; one with a long black sleeve covering his Geostigma-infected left arm, and one revealing said arm and the pink ribbon worn over it in memory of Aerith Gainsborough.

Gallery

• 

  Cloud's poster used on the official website.

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  Cloud's promotional trailer splash art.

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  Cloud's "Cloudy Wolf" costume from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Note the different pose.

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  Cloud with Mario and Samus.

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  Cloud attacking Charizard with Blade Beam.

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  Cloud on Final Destination.

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  Cloud landing on Midgar.

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  Cloud with Wii Fit Trainer and Lucario all around the Summon Materia.

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  Cloud attacking Ganondorf.

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  Cloud appearing with Link.

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  Cloud on Skyloft.

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  Cloud in a dizzied state on a boat with Ness and Wii Fit Trainer behind him, referencing a scene in Final Fantasy VII where he gets motion sickness.

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  Charging up his Limit Break with his down special, Limit Charge.

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  Using Cross Slash.

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  Cloud with a Mii Fighter wearing the Chocobo hat.

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  Attacking Link using Blade Beam.

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  Standing on Midgar with Bahamut ZERO behind him.

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  Attacking Luigi with Cross Slash in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

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  Cloud with Villager.

Trivia

• Cloud is the first character in the Super Smash Bros. series to not have a canonical appearance from his respective mainline series on a Nintendo console.
  • Squaresoft originally planned to make Final Fantasy VII for the SNES and eventually the Nintendo 64, before moving the project to the Sony Playstation.
  • Cloud made appearances in several Final Fantasy spin-off titles for Nintendo consoles, such as the Theatrhythm Final Fantasy games for the Nintendo 3DS.
• Cloud is the first newcomer in Super Smash Bros. 4 to have debuted in the 1990s, with Final Fantasy VII releasing in 1997.
• Cloud and Bayonetta are the only characters with alternate costumes that modify their models as opposed to simply their textures, and the only characters to sport a change of weapon in those alternate costumes as well - in Cloud's case, he goes from wielding the Buster Sword to the Fusion Swords from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
• Cloud's pose in his official artwork matches his pose from his official artwork from Final Fantasy VII, with the more slouched variation for his Advent Children costume resembling his Dissidia artwork. This pose is also used as one of his taunts, and humorously his Screen KO pose.
• Cloud is the second DLC character from a universe that has been newly added to SSB4, preceded by Ryu, and succeeded by Bayonetta.
• Despite having an official English voice actor in his home series, Steve Burton, Cloud is the only non-Fire Emblem character to still speak Japanese in all versions of the game. This is similar to Mewtwo's situation, although its Japanese dialogue is removed in international versions.
  • According to Burton's twitter account, he was not asked to voice Cloud in English.
• Cloud is the only character to have a victory theme that plays continuously.
• When Cloud completes Classic or All-Star mode, the "Congratulations" message will be written in the Final Fantasy font. It even uses the meteor seen in the background of the Final Fantasy VII logo.
• Cloud is the only character in SSB4 who poses differently in his artwork when wearing an alternate costume that only changes his outfit.
  • He is the second character in the entire series to do this, following Wario in Brawl.