Cloud (SSBU)

Cloud in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
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Universe	Final Fantasy
Other playable appearance	in SSB4
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Omnislash / Omnislash Ver. 5

“	He's the protagonist of Final Fantasy VII. You can also select his Advent Children outfit. Charging up his Limit Gauge increases his special move abilities! Land a powerful hit!	”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Cloud (クラウド, Cloud) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Cloud is classified as fighter #61.

Takahiro Sakurai's potrayal of Cloud in Super Smash Bros. 4 was repurposed for Ultimate.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

• Play VS. matches, with Cloud being the 55th character to be unlocked.
• Clear Classic Mode with Samus or any character in her unlock tree, being the sixth character in her unlock tree after Dark Samus.
• Have Cloud join the player's party in World of Light.

With the exception of the third method, Cloud must then be defeated on Midgar.

Attributes

Cloud is a semi-heavyweight swordsman with surprisingly quick mobility overall. He has average walking speed, very fast dashing speed, above average air speed and average air acceleration, granting him both quick ground and aerial mobility. He has above average falling speed and high gravity, however, preventing him from staying in the air for long despite his good aerial maneuverability. Under Limit Break status, his mobility is even better; his traction slightly improves, his dashing speed becomes even faster, his falling speed the fourth fastest, and his air speed becomes the fastest in the game under normal circumstances. His increased gravity and falling speed, however, make his jumps slightly lower and prevent him from auto-cancelling some of his aerial attacks (notably back aerial and up aerial) as easily. As a result, his Limit Break status only marginally benefits his aerial mobility, but it can nevertheless help him move along the ground better.

Cloud's greatest asset is his effective range, courtesy of his Buster Sword; Cloud's attacks have among the longest reaches in the game, and can space out the opponent quite easily, stuff out opposing approaches and adeptly punish most careless attacks due to his speed and range. A prime example of this trait is Cloud's aerial attacks: his neutral aerial covers Cloud's hurtbox well, making it a go-to option for spacing or air-to-ground transition movement. It is also very fast on both ends, can autocancel from a short hop, and has a low launching angle, all of which make it a good edgeguarding and spacing tool despite its below-average knockback. His up aerial has a rather large hitbox, overall decent speed, a long duration, and decent damage and knockback, which makes it effective at juggling and denying landings. His down aerial is not only a very strong meteor smash when sweetspotted, but also possesses a long-lasting late hitbox, which grants it good anti-juggling potential and allows him to follow up into another move if it connects while he is falling. Like up aerial, it also has a long autocancel window, being able to autocancel from a jump regardless of his Limit Break status. Back aerial has tremendous range, decent power, very low landing lag, and also autocancels from a short hop, allowing him to edgeguard and space effectively, though it can often miss low opponents due to it having little vertical range. Forward aerial is very strong when hit clean, and is also a meteor smash on aerial opponents when sweetspotted. Like down aerial, it autocancels from a full jump and has low landing lag in relation to its range and power, however, it has the slowest startup of his aerials, making it his riskiest aerial to use regardless.

His grounded moveset is not quite as overwhelming. His neutral attack is his fastest attack, and the third hit can force a tech-chase. His down tilt is a low-profile slide, and can be a great tool to put the opponent at a disadvantage. His up tilt is a reliable combo starter until high percentages, chaining into itself at low percentages, and comboing into up smash or his neutral, back and up aerials. His up smash, in particular, covers a very large arc, has decent speed, and rather high knockback despite its surprisingly low damage, making it among his best and least risky KOing options out of his standard moveset. His forward tilt has decent power and speed, but has little utility aside from as a quick punish, or being used as a KOing option at extreme percentages. His dash attack is a fast punishing tool from a distance and, due to its power, can put opponents in a bad position. It is easily punished when shielded or avoided, however. Cloud's forward smash is his most powerful non-Limit Break move, though to compensate it also takes the longest to start and is very punishable if it whiffs. His down smash is also prone to punishment if the front hit is avoided, but it drags the opponent into the back hit if it connects, the latter being a strong semi-spike.

Cloud's special moveset also offers interesting options. Blade Beam is a projectile with good range and activity, making it useful for forcing approaches, though it gets weakened over duration and has rather high endlag, which hampers its otherwise useful utility. It also stalls Cloud in the air, giving it additional, if situational, utility in guard breaking. Cross Slash is very similar to Dancing Blade and Double-Edge Dance, requiring additional inputs from the player to initiate the remaining slashes. In contrast, it has wider input windows, but the full move is only allowed to continue if all hits connect. It can also stall Cloud in the air, just like Blade Beam, though much more briefly. Climhazzard is similar to Aether and Final Cutter, as it is an ascending slash, but differs from them in that it can be followed by an optional descending slash. This allows Cloud to mix-up his recovery and enables Climhazzard to function as his fastest out of shield option, though it is very risky to use.

In reference to Final Fantasy VII, Cloud possesses a unique Limit Break mechanic. It manifests itself in the form of a gauge, which becomes visible while charging it to show its progress, similarly to Little Mac's Power Meter. Cloud can charge Limit Break by dealing 150% damage, receiving 100% damage, or by manually charging it for 6.5 seconds with his down special, Limit Charge. Unlike most other chargeable special moves, it can be canceled with a simple special move button press. After it is full, Cloud gets a boost in all of his movement attributes except for attack speed, allowing him to move very quickly across the stage and in the air, with his overall mobility almost rivaling that of Captain Falcon and Sonic. In addition, all of Cloud's special attacks are given a single-use power boost, with all of them dealing more damage and high knockback to the point of KOing reliably around 90%-120%. Limit Charge is also converted to Finishing Touch, a spinning slash with such tremendous knockback that can KO most characters around 60%-70%. It also emits a whirlwind that pushes away opponents, making it harder to punish and providing Cloud a situational method of gimping weak recoveries. With the exception of Finishing Touch, all Limit Break specials are also granted brief intangibility upon start-up, as well as additional properties: Blade Beam is faster, stronger, and has transcendent priority; Cross Slash requires no additional button inputs and strikes five times immediately, has very low ending lag in relation to its immense power, and stalls him completely in the air; and Climhazzard grants more vertical distance and much more horizontal momentum, as well as having the ability to edge sweetspot at any time. With all these benefits underneath the Limit Break status, players must be wary of this, as one small slip-up from the opponent can give Cloud the perfect opportunity to strike and turn the tide of battle instantaneously, making Cloud's Limit Break a mechanic that should not be taken lightly when in the hands of a competent player.

However, Cloud has some severe flaws. The most prominent one is his very lackluster recovery; despite his aerial mobility and jump height being arguably better than most sword-wielding characters, his diagonal speed remains slow when compared to them, making him prone to edgeguarding and gimping, and making it mandatory to stay a safe distance within reaching the edge. Climhazzard is also a bad recovery move for many reasons: it grants below average vertical distance, little horizontal momentum, its ascending hit is completely incapable of edge sweetspotting, and its descending hit cannot edge sweetspot until it covers slight distance. These factors make Cloud's recovery somewhat comparable to that of Chrom and Ganondorf, in the sense that it is one of the riskiest and most ineffective without use of his wall jump or Limit Break Climhazzard (which loses the active hitbox near the end of his ascent, making it less safe than the regular Climhazzard in some situations). Cloud can stall his descent with Blade Beam and Cross Slash, although they only do so after one use. Additionally, the former's slower start-up and ending lag can make its use problematic against opponents already close to the edge or in prime position to reflect it, while the latter slows down his air speed significantly. The last problem about his recovery is that if he gets grabbed near the edge without his double jump and gets air released, he will not be able to return to the stage unless he properly times a Blade Beam to stall towards the edge, uses aerials or air dodges to reset his momentum, or possesses a Limit Break.

Another glaring flaw is his grab game: Cloud's grabs' ranges are abysmally short, his throws' damage outputs are only average at best and, barring down throw, they lack combo potentials. His forward and back throws' decent speed are significantly offset by the problematic combination of their virtual lack of combo potential and low knockback scaling. Additionally, both fail to KO before 300%, unless the opponent is light and Cloud is at the edge upon performing them. His up and down throws both have misleading power, failing to KO until well beyond 200%. Up throw has too much ending lag for reliably comboing, while down throw doesn't have reliable combos at low percentages and loses all of its combo potential past low-mid percentages if the opponent DIs properly.

Despite his huge range, projectile and combo options granting him a strong neutral game, Cloud has a below average approach at best. His approach options are linear, with dash attack being easily punishable, neutral aerial having a hitbox that starts from behind, up aerial being very predictable and being surprisingly punishable on shield if not spaced well, and having other attacks that either lack the frame data or the utility to be used as reliable options for approaching such as his poor grab game. Cloud also has no reliable means of escaping pressure. His neutral attack and down tilt are his fastest ground options, while Climhazzard can work as an out of shield option. However, they are noticeably unsafe on shield, while none of his fast aerial attacks start from the front or below him. Down aerial's late hitbox can be used to escape juggling directly from below him, but its otherwise narrow hitbox allows opponents to hit Cloud laterally. Thus, Cloud is fairly easy to combo, and is just as easily forced on the defensive if his attacks are improperly spaced. While Cloud also possesses an abundance of strong finishers, his KOing ability is somewhat inconsistent. None of his strongest finishers are easy to land in the neutral game and they can be easily punished if avoided or shielded, his weaker moves such as his forward tilt and back aerial require good positioning to KO reliably, and he lacks reliable set-ups into his strongest or best finishers.

Aside from Limit Charge, his special moves have some noticeable weaknesses. Blade Beam is relatively slow in regard to start-up and ending lag, as well as depreciating in damage over time or when used in the air. Cross Slash is inconsistent with linking all five of its hits due to SDI or landing different parts of the hitboxes, along with being very prone to stale-move negation due to being a very reliable damage racking option. In addition to its aforementioned weaknesses in regard to recovery, Climhazzard is also very punishable if shielded and easily DI'd out of, while all of his specials only boast KO power when they are boosted by the Limit Break. The Limit Break mechanic itself is also problematic. It acts as a double-edged sword, as it increases Cloud's fall speed and gravity at full charge, making recovery without the use of Climhazzard deceptively difficult, and rendering Cloud even easier to combo at medium percentages. It makes precise use of his special attacks mandatory, as his Limit Break specials are still blockable and possess limited range; while Limit Blade Beam can be used as a ranged KOing option, it can just as easily be reflected or otherwise avoided at the tip of its range, leaving Cloud wide open to punishment. Finishing Touch deals only 1% and has very high ending lag that renders Cloud vulnerable if the slash or whirlwind do not hit. Finally and most notably, his limit will go away if not used in 15 seconds, requiring Cloud to either "go big or go home" with the charge in a short amount of time, which could potentially be a huge turnabout on him at the wrong time.

Overall, while Cloud has all the tools required to be successful, the player is forced to manage his resources to the best of their ability, and they must avoid being thrown off the stage at all times. His combo game and KOing ability, while unique and powerful, can sometimes be inconsistent. Even though Cloud has many playstyles applicable to him, the combination of all of the traits above make him a fundamentals-oriented character most of the time.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Cloud was previously considered alongside Bayonetta to be one of the best characters in Smash 4 due to a myriad of advantages, including deceptively lingering hitboxes, excellent speed-to-range ratio alongside generous autocancel windows, and a powerful advantage in the form of Limit Charge, which granted a lasting stat buff that boosted his already high overall mobility, allowed him to force approaches, and posed a constant threat during games due to the potential of a powerful Limit Break special attack. All these factors made him one of the most viable characters in the previous game overall. These traits were even more prominent in doubles, where teams containing at least one Cloud were notorious within the community for their prominence and disproportionate effectiveness, to the point where teams containing a Cloud (or occasionally just double Cloud) were banned from use in a handful of late-game Smash 4 tournaments, such as Get On My Level 2018, Smash 'N' Splash 4, CEO 2018, Shine 2018, and DreamHack Atlanta 2018. Statistically, Cloud in doubles held more dominance than even Meta Knight in Brawl singles. As a result, Cloud has been noticeably nerfed overall from his transition into Ultimate.

Cloud received a fair share of buffs; most of these are universal throughout the cast. Like most other characters, he was given a boost to his already high stats, with faster movement speed, a frame 3 jumpsquat, and reductions to landing lag, all of which compliments his strong aerial spacing ability and continues to make him one of the most mobile sword-users in the game. The readdition of directional air dodges allow him to extend his notoriously weak horizontal recovery when his Limit Meter is not fully charged. Certain moves have been improved to make them more consistent, such as his neutral attack (which connects better and can now lock), and forward tilt (which keeps closer to the ground, preventing it from whiffing), and the ability to dash cancel into any ground move allows him to make use of his more situational ground attacks, such as down tilt as an approaching move, or forward tilt as a potential KO move.

Cloud's special moves have also been given some noteworthy improvements. Blade Beam's sluggishness has been improved by a reduction of ending lag, making it less punishable. Climhazzard can be teched at the end of the move, snaps to ledge faster when using the downward slash, has much lower landing lag, transitions quicker, and KOs more consistently if used offstage due to the changes to meteor smashes. This makes it safer for recovery, more reliable out of shield, and consistent for sacrificial KOs. Limit Charge allows Cloud to jump or air dodge out of it, charges significantly faster with damage dealt, and can be tracked in the HUD. Finally, grounded Finishing Touch has enough vertical range to hit opponents on the bottom platforms of Battlefield, and has less startup lag.

However, these buffs are offset by an abundance of nerfs. One of Cloud's most significant changes are to his Limit Charge: it can no longer be instant charge-canceled since it incurs 7 frames of lag when canceling a charge, will have its charge reduced if Cloud is hit during the process of charging, and disappears entirely if not used up in 15 seconds. This changes result in Cloud's Limit Break mechanic no longer being a direct upside that can be kept for mindgames or a lasting stat boost, and forces him to be more cautious of both charging and activating his Limit, vastly reducing the sheer game changing abilities it once had in the previous game. His grounded KO ability has also been nerfed, as his forward and up smash attacks have slightly higher ending lag, while down smash deals less damage, making his middling ground game even less imposing.

Finally, Cloud's aerials have been toned down, making his previously prominent aerial game less effective despite their lowered landing lag. Neutral aerial's hitbox size has been reduced, making it less safe and effective for spacing. Down aerial's lingering hitbox ends earlier and has more ending lag, making it harder to follow up in midair and riskier to use an an anti-juggle move, although its lowered landing lag allows it to start combos if Cloud lands first. Finally, Cloud's notorious up aerial has been substantially nerfed due to changes to its hitboxes, alongside one more frame of startup and lowered autocancel window; these changes remove its ability to start combos on grounded opponents, while also reducing its sheer utility and incontestability, with its only buffs being its lowered landing lag and damage which makes it easier to chain together with the aid of platforms. As a result of these nerfs, Cloud now has more defined weaknesses, with his weak grab game, exploitable recovery, and weakened tools necessitating him to be precise and careful with optimizing his Limit or spacing, alongside making followups from his aerials more difficult.

Overall, Cloud remains a fundamentally solid character with a low learning curve and effective tools, although he is not as overpowering as he was in Smash 4 due to his nerfs toning down the incredible utility his moveset had at his disposal. In spite of this, while Cloud performs worse than his previous iteration, he still remains a popular character in competitive play and has amassed a strong set of results in the early metagame of Ultimate, with notable mains including Cheeks, RAIN, YOC, and Masashi, while players such as MkLeo and Javi keep him as a pocket character.

Aesthetics

• As with all veterans returning from SSB4, Cloud's model features a more subdued color scheme. His clothing features subtle detailing, and the Buster Sword's blade texture appears more "battle-worn", featuring scratches and a metallic sheen.
• Cloud's sixth alternate costume is black instead of a deep teal, making it identical to the default Advent Children costume with the exception of his exposed left arm. His seventh alternate costume has also been slightly updated. It is now brown, instead of black.
• Cloud's "Better luck next time" victory pose has been altered slightly. He only flourishes the Buster Sword once, and also turns his head away from the camera completely, hiding his face, instead of spinning the Buster Sword and looking back over his shoulder at the camera in SSB4.
• Cloud's "No hard feelings" victory pose has been altered slightly. He closes his eyes and keeps them closed when the camera focuses on him.
• Cloud's Limit Break gauge is shown persistently above his damage meter.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Cloud's jumpsquat animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 4).
• Cloud's initial dash speed (1.8 → 2.145) and run speed (1.97 → 2.167) are much faster.
• Cloud walks slightly faster (1.1 → 1.155).
• Cloud's air speed is slightly higher (1.1 → 1.155).
• Cloud's traction is higher (0.055 → 0.106).
• Forward roll has less ending lag (FAF 32 → 30).
• Back roll has more startup (frame 4 → 5) and ending lag (FAF 32 → 35).
• Spot dodge has less ending lag (FAF 28 → 26).
• Spot dodge grants less intangibility (frames 3-18 → 3-17).
• Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-28 → 3-30).
• Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 34 → 48).

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • The first and second hits have altered angles and knockback to keep opponents close to Cloud, akin to other neutral attacks. This allows them to connect better and jab lock.
  • The first hit transitions faster into the second hit (frame 9 → 8), which transitions faster into the third hit (frame 11 → 9).
  • Consecutive uses of the first hit are slower (11 → 15 frames).
  • Cloud's leg for the first hit is angled lower, making the animation more consistent with the hitbox.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt's hitbox has been lowered, allowing it to hit prone opponents (or fighters with very low crouches, like Wii Fit Trainer and Snake).
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash has slightly increased ending lag (FAF 64 → 67).
• Up smash:
  • Up smash has slightly increased ending lag (FAF 47 → 49).
• Down smash:
  • Down smash deals less damage (4% → 3% (hit 1), 12% → 11% (hit 2)), and down smash's second hit has slightly reduced knockback growth (94 → 92), hindering its KO potential.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have reduced landing lag (15 frames → 9 (neutral, up), 18 → 11 (forward), 14 → 8 (back), 26 → 16 (down)).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial has an altered animation where Cloud’s arm can no longer be lengthened. This noticeably reduces its range.
• Back aerial:
  • Due to a slight animation change, it has more vertical range, being able to hit taller characters out of a buffered short hop.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial has more startup (frame 7 → 8) with its animation unchanged, reducing its range below Cloud and preventing it from hitting grounded opponents as easily.
  • Up aerial's deceptively large hitboxes have become smaller (4.8u → 4.2u).
  • It autocancels later (frame 26 → 32), no longer doing so from a short hop fast fall and immediately after its hitboxes cease.
  • It deals less damage (12% → 11% (clean), 8.5% → 8% (late)) and knockback, hindering its KO potential, but allowing it to combo better on landing.
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial has a shorter duration (frames 11-42 → 11-38) and autocancels later (frame 43 → 46), making its late hit harder to combo with.
  • It has more ending lag (FAF 60 → 65).

Throws and other attacks

• All grabs have more startup (frame 7/10/11 (standing/dash/pivot) → 9/12/13) and ending lag (FAF 32/40/37 → 37/45/40).
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals more hitlag (5 frames → 14), but has significantly less startup (frame 5 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 26 → 7), shortening its duration.
  • It deals much less damage (3% → 1.3%).
• Down throw:
  • Down throw releases opponents slower (frame 18 → 27), making it easier to DI. The decreased hitstun at higher percents also worsens its combo potential compared to other down throws, due to its more horizontal trajectory.
  • The speed of the throw is no longer weight-dependent.
• Edge attack:
  • Edge attack deals more damage (8% → 10%).

Special Moves

• With the exception of Limit Blade Beam, all of Cloud's Limit Break specials now trigger the Special Zoom when hitting an opponent.
• Blade Beam:
  • Non-Limit Blade Beam has less ending lag on the ground (FAF 61 → 54).
• Cross Slash:
  • Limit Cross Slash's strikes slow down significantly when hitting a shield. While this doesn't change the safety of the move on shield due to the new shieldstun formula, it gives opponents substantially more time to react to the move being blocked and continue doing so.
  • Limit Cross Slash's last hit deals slightly less knockback growth (153 → 147).
  • Cross Slash's visual effects have a sharper design inspired by Dissidia Final Fantasy instead of the brush-like strokes from Smash 4.
• Climhazzard:
  • Cloud can now tech at the peak of Climhazzard's height.
  • There is a wider window for the downward slash to snap the ledge.
  • The move has has less landing lag (41 → 26 frames).
  • Due to the change in teching mechanics for meteor smashes, the downward slash's grounded hit lands far more reliably, as the sweetspot no longer gives opponents the opportunity to tech before the grounded hit lands. The sweetspot of the downward slash is also easier to use as a sacrificial KO, as meteor smashes now KO the opponent before they reach the bottom blast line if they are tumbling.
  • Limit Climhazzard's second early hit has increased knockback growth (135 → 142), improving its KO potential.
  • The sourspot of the downward slash has significantly less base knockback.
  • The window to input the downward slash is much shorter.
  • The Limit Break version of this move has a purple blade effect rather than a blue one.
• Limit Charge / Finishing Touch:
  • Like other charge-cancelable specials, Cloud can cancel Limit Charge by jumping or spot dodging.
  • Cloud fills his Limit Gauge faster from dealing damage, requiring only 150% damage for a full charge (down from 250% damage).
  • Canceling Limit Charge is no longer instantaneous, instead incurring 7 frames of lag, leaving Cloud more vulnerable when charging it.
  • If hit during Limit Charge, including the lag from canceling it, Cloud loses Limit instead of gaining it.
  • Cloud loses his Limit Break if it is not used within 15 seconds of reaching full charge, requiring it to be charged again. This makes his Limit Breaks much easier to avoid, and prevents him from having his stats increased indefinitely.
  • Finishing Touch when performed on the ground has less startup (frame 16 → 14). It also has more vertical range, allowing it to hit opponents standing on the bottom platform of Battlefield.
  • Finishing Touch has increased knockback growth, improving its KO potential (417 (early, grounded)/390 (late, grounded)/359 (early, air)/335 (late, air) → 431/406/371/349).
  • Finishing Touch has more ending lag (FAF 80 → 86).

Update History

2.0.0

• Cloud can grab ledges faster after using forward aerial.
• Finishing Touch has more range at the start of the move, now hitting characters lying on the ground.

3.0.0

• Non-limit Blade Beam deals less shield damage.

3.1.0

• Down smash's hits connect more reliably.
• Created glitch where Cloud would significantly increase his momentum if immediately used his aerial attacks or jump and be hit by Cape while nearly charging his Limit Break.

Moveset

• Cloud can wall jump.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2.5%	A side kick, followed by a mid-level roundhouse kick, followed by an outward slash. All hits are executed very quickly and have high range (particularly the kicks). The last hit can be used to tech-chase due to its low semi-spike knockback, but it's slow to end. The first two hits can jab lock.
			2%
			3.5%
Forward tilt			11%	An inward slash. It has quick start-up, but moderate ending lag. It is Cloud's only tilt that has reasonable KO potential, KOing middleweights around 120% at the edge. It is based on his basic attack in Final Fantasy VII.
Up tilt			8%	An overhead arcing slash. Its hitbox starts behind Cloud with a larger front hitbox, although it does not extend beside Cloud and makes it unable to hit smaller characters beside him. It is fast and has a fairly large hitbox, although its knockback is lacking. It can reliably start combos, chaining into itself at 0% and into aerials at low percentages.
Down tilt		Sliding	6% (knee), 7% (leg)	A baseball slide. His legs are intangible while the hitbox is active, and it will sometimes deal less damage if landed early. It has very quick start-up, propels Cloud a good distance forward, launches opponents vertically, and significantly lowers his hurtbox. Altogether, these traits make it useful as a punishment option, as well as a capable set-up option into aerial attacks.
Dash attack			11% (clean), 8% (late)	Thrusts the sharp edge of the Buster Sword forward while holding it diagonally. It deals more damage at the beginning, has a lingering hitbox and its moderately high knockback enables it to KO at high percentages.
Forward smash		Triple Buster	3% (hit 1), 2% (hit 2 center), 3% (hit 2 hilt), 4% (hit 2 tip), 12% (hit 3 tip), 13% (hit 3 non-tip)	Performs three extremely fast slashes in front of himself. The first two hits combo into the third, which has higher range and immense knockback for the move's start-up (19 frames). It is Cloud's strongest non-Limit Break move, KOing middleweights around 100% at center-stage, but it has high ending lag and deals below average shieldstun. Additionally, each hit is only active for one frame, which means it can be dodged entirely with a well-timed roll or sidestep. It resembles the depiction of Cross Slash in the Kingdom Hearts series, and may also be a reference to the effects of the Double Cut Materia in Final Fantasy VII.
Up smash			13% (early/tip), 12% (mid/hilt), 8% (late)	Swings the Buster Sword upward in a wide arc. Has some startup (15 frames) and moderate ending lag, and its KO power is only average compared to most other up smashes, but it has long range in front of, above, and slightly behind Cloud. KOs middleweights around 125%.
Down smash		Double Thrust	3% (hit 1), 11% (hit 2)	Kneels and thrusts the Buster Sword's hilt forward, then performs a reverse gripped thrust behind himself. The first hit launches opponents into the second, though it is possible to tech after the first hit, causing the second to miss. The first hit can stage spike with ease due to its angle, while the second hit is a semi-spike, making it useful for launching opponents with weak horizontal recoveries off-stage. It hits on frame 8, making it Cloud's fastest smash attack.
Neutral aerial			8%	A circular slash around himself. It covers Cloud's whole hurtbox, very fast, autocancels from a short hop, making it a solid all-purpose move that is rather hard to punish.
Forward aerial		Meteor Slash	14% (clean sweetspot), 13% (clean sourspot), 11% (late)	Briefly pauses and then performs a downward slash. It is his slowest aerial to start, hitting on frame 18, but a sweetspot on the middle of the blade as it comes down powerfully meteor smashes aerial opponents. Grounded opponents are sent at a more vertical angle by the sweetspot. If contact is made once the blade stops, it deals weaker knockback. Its ending lag is moderate, though its landing lag is low for its range and power, and it autocancels from a full hop. It closely resembles Braver, Cloud's initial Limit Break in Final Fantasy VII.
Back aerial			13%	Turns around to perform an outward slash. Has very long range and good knockback, KOing middleweights at around 115% near the edge. This makes it an effective spacing and KO option. It also has very low landing lag, autocancels from a short hop, and can be used to perform a wall of pain at low percentages. It has limited vertical range, however, and its hitbox is only active for three frames. It resembles the sword strike he does during his Meteorain Limit Break.
Up aerial			11% (clean), 8% (late)	Thrusts the sharp edge of the Buster Sword's blade upward while holding it parallel to the ground. Has sex kick properties. While it has rather moderate startup, it is a viable starter for combos and juggling, due to its rather large hitbox. It has a long-lasting hitbox and can effectively deny landings, which makes it a good anti-air move.
Down aerial			13% (clean aerial sourspot, grounded opponent), 15% (aerial sweetspot), 8% (late)	A downward thrust. Striking directly beneath Cloud with the first few frames meteor smashes aerial opponents. Its late hit is a capable combo starter when autocancelled (from a full hop, but right before he reaches the apex), which even has certain KO confirms at high percentages. It has a long duration, but also has high ending lag, making it a huge risk to use off-stage.
Grab			—	Reaches out with his hand. Has very low range.
Pummel			1.3%	A knee strike. Rather good speed.
Forward throw			4% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	A modified dropsault. It has low knockback, so it's usually used for positioning or throwing opponents off-stage. It resembles Somersault, a Limit Break used by Tifa Lockhart, one of Cloud's party members in Final Fantasy VII.
Back throw			3% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	A spinning back kick. At lower percentages, it is capable of tech-chasing with Blade Beam or his dash attack against middleweights and heavyweights. Has weak knockback, KO’s Mario at roughly 194% at the edge of Final Destination.
Up throw			2% (hit 1), 2.5% (hit 2), 4% (throw)	Cloud sets the opponent above him and butterfly-kicks them. While it has high enough knockback to set up juggles, it is unable to KO at reasonable percentages, and should the opponent be in the middle of the stage and be at such percentages (around 215% for middleweights), up throw will be more effective at KOing. It vaguely resembles Tifa's Waterkick Limit Break, albeit kicking vertically instead of horizontally.
Down throw			7%	A one-handed body slam. It launches opponents behind him with low base knockback; it is Cloud's only combo throw, though it is a lackluster one. It also KOs earlier than any of his other throws, at around 181% for middleweights with Cloud facing away the edge of Battlefield. It resembles Tifa's Meteor Strike Limit Break, albeit performed while grounded instead of in the air.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Swings the Buster Sword around himself before getting up.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Swings the Buster Sword around himself before getting up.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Swings the Buster Sword around himself before getting up.
Edge attack Edge getups			10%	Performs an inward slash while climbing up.
Neutral special		Blade Beam	8% (grounded clean), 6% (grounded late), 6.4% (aerial clean), 4.8% (aerial late), 6% (Limit Break hit 1), 2% (Limit Break hits 2-6), 3% (Limit Break hit 7)	Swings the Buster Sword upward and in front of himself in order to launch a green, crescent-shaped energy beam as a projectile. It comes out and moves rather slowly, but travels a long distance and has a large hitbox. It is stronger if used on the ground and hit early. The aerial version is slower and deals less damage, but gives Cloud a slight lift. Like most projectiles, it disappears on contact with an object or enemy. The Limit Break variant possesses transcendent priority, moves much faster across the ground and hits multiple times, with its last hit having great KO potential. It is still weaker and slower when performed in midair, however.
Side special		Cross Slash	4% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2-4), 6% (hit 5), 5% (Limit Break hit 1), 3% (Limit Break hits 2-4), 10% (Limit Break hit 5)	Performs a downwards slash. On contact with an enemy, pressing the special button allows this slash to transition into a series of follow-up slashes, together spelling the kanji 凶 ("misfortune"). The full attack deals high damage and moderate knockback, making it a superb punishing option at close range. It is weak against shield, however, as all stages of the attack are slow and punishable if missed. Its Limit Break variant results in Cloud unleashing all five strikes with a single input regardless of whether he hits anything. It also noticeably increases both the damage and KO potential of the move, KOing middleweights at 100% from the center of the stage, while reducing the move's ending lag to such an extent that it becomes nearly impossible to punish without being right behind Cloud as he unleashes the move. Additionally, Limit Cross Slash deals a high amount of shield damage, so much so that the final hit can sometimes break a middleweight's shield, making it risky to be near Cloud during Limit break. It is commonly considered Cloud's most effective Limit Break move due to its abundance of positive traits.
Up special		Climhazzard	3% (hit 1), 4% (hits 2-3), 3.5% (landing), 6% (Limit Break hit 1), 7% (Limit Break hit 2)	A leaping reverse gripped slash. If the special button is pressed again, it is followed with a descending reverse gripped slash. The first hit deals set knockback that leads into the second hit, which has a sweetspot at the center of the Buster Sword's blade that meteor smashes opponents as Cloud descends. It is Cloud's primary recovery move, though it is notable for being very ineffective due to multiple traits: it grants mediocre distance with low vertical height and almost no horizontal momentum, and the descending slash cannot be cancelled and isn't able to sweetspot the edge until Cloud has fallen a certain distance with it, making it unsuitable to use offstage. Its fast startup makes it a good surprise attack when grounded, particularly as an out of shield option. Its Limit Break variant greatly strengthens the first (but not second) hit of the move (allowing it to KO grounded middleweights at around 125%), allows it to sweetspot edges throughout, and grants Cloud much greater vertical and horizontal distance.
Down special		Limit Charge	1% (Finishing Touch)	Holds out the Buster Sword and remains still. This manually charges the Limit Gauge. While the move is being held, a text box labelled "Limit" appears above Cloud, which contains a meter that denotes the current level of Limit and increases as it is charged. The Limit Gauge will reach full charge either by using Limit Charge for 400 frames (6.67 seconds), but can be alternatively filled by dealing 150% or receiving 100%, and each of these methods stack with each other. The move can be charge-canceled by pressing the shield button, hitting the control stick left or right (which triggers a roll), grabbing, or pressing the special button again (the latter of which has an 8-frame delay). When the Limit Gauge is filled, Cloud is surrounded by a blue, flame-like energy, and his speed and mobility receive a noticeable increase. As long as he is in this state, he has access to much more powerful, one-use variants of his special attacks, as listed above. Using any of these attacks will empty the Limit Gauge and return Cloud to his normal state, even if the move misses or is interrupted. The charge goes away in 15 seconds if it isn't used at all when fully charged. The Limit Break variation of Limit Charge itself is an entirely different attack called Finishing Touch; Cloud slashes in an arc around himself, generating a large whirlwind that deals only 1% damage but deals tremendous knockback, enough to KO most opponents before 70%. The move hits on frame 14, but has very high ending lag and almost no shieldstun due to its damage output. The attack is weaker as a whole when performed in the air, however, KOing about 24% later when hit in front, and 36% later with the back hitbox. The attack's hitbox is deceptively large, and it generates a powerful wind that extends even further beyond the Buster Sword's range, pushing opponents away. Finishing Touch's animation may be based on Tornado, an unused Limit Break in Final Fantasy VII.
Final Smash		Omnislash	3% (hit 1), 2% (hits 2-14), 5% (hit 15), 4%-5% (hit 16), 10% (hit 17), 50% (all hits connect)	Rushes forward at high speed and attacks, unleashing a series of slashes that concludes with a powerful, descending slash that triggers an explosion. At the beginning of the move, with a text box appearing above him that displays "Omnislash" as he proceeds to flings any opponents he runs into to the top of the screen. After the series of slashes, Cloud charges up a final slash, in which he descends and slashes the opponent downward to the stage and results in a huge explosion that launches the opponent. One of the most powerful Final Smashes in the game when successful, as it can KO as low as 22%. Unlike Marth and Lucina's Critical Hit, Cloud will dash off the edges of platforms if Omnislash is initiated next to one, and he cannot cancel the move.

On-screen appearance

Falls from the sky and catches the Buster Sword with a flourish.

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," his catchphrase from Final Fantasy VII).
• 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: Leans on his Buster Sword while scoffing.

Idle poses

• Pulls the Buster Sword back and rubs the edge of its blade.
• Holds the Buster Sword upward in front of himself with both hands.

Victory poses

• Twirls the Buster Sword with one hand and places it on his back before closing his eyes, and says "悪く思うな", which translates to "No hard feelings." Based on his victory animation in Final Fantasy VII.
• While turning away from the camera, Cloud flourishes the Buster Sword, places it on his back and then looks to the side facing away from the camera, saying "ついてないな", which translates to "Better luck next time."
• After dashing into the scene from offscreen, he 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 "You cannot defeat me."

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.

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In competitive play

Notable players

•  Masashi - One of the best Cloud mains in Japan. Placed 2nd at KVOxTSB 2019, 9th at Sumabato SP and Sumabato SP 4, and 13th at Sumabato SP 2.
•  RAIN - Placed 5th at Pre-Genesix, 25th at Umebura SP 3, and 49th at GENESIS 6.
•  Salt One - One of the best Cloud mains in the United States. Placed 1st at Final Round 2019 and 49th at MomoCon 2019, has taken a set off of ANTi.
•  Sparg0 - The best Cloud main in Mexico. Placed 25th at 2GG: Prime Saga, and 49th at GENESIS 6.
•  YOC - Placed 17th at Sumabato SP and 25th at both Umebura SP 2 and Umebura SP 3.

Classic Mode: A Ride? Not Interested.

All of Cloud's battles are done on vehicle stages and are against characters associated with them. This is a reference to the fact that he suffers from motion sickness.

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Toon Link	Spirit Train	Full Steam Ahead
2	Fox and Falco	Corneria	Main Theme - Star Fox 64 (Brawl)
3	Meta Knight	Halberd	Meta Knight's Revenge
4	Mario , Yoshi , and Peach	Rainbow Cruise	Slide
5	Captain Falcon	Big Blue	Big Blue (Remix)
6	Wolf	Lylat Cruise	Space Armada
Bonus Stage
Final	Master Hand	Final Destination	Master Hand (Less than 7.0 intensity) Master Hand / Crazy Hand (Intensity 7.0 or higher)	On intensity 7.0 and higher, Crazy Hand fights alongside Master Hand.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Cloud has Fight On! accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light

Finding Cloud in World of Light

Cloud does appear in the World of Light opening cutscene on the cliffside, he was vaporized offscreen imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (sans Kirby) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.

Cloud was one of the many fighters that fell under Dharkon's control upon Galeem's first defeat. He is unlocked in the Sacred Land sub-area in the Dark Realm, guarding the Master Sword required to dispel the darkness clouding the top part of the land which makes up the Triforce of Power, making his unlocking mandatory.

Fighter Battle

No.	Image	Name	Type	Power	Stage	Music
61		Cloud	Attack	11,200	Midgar (Ω form)	Fight On!

Spirits

Cloud's Fighter Spirits can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. They are also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 Gold. Unlocking Cloud in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a Fighter Spirit, they cannot be used in Spirit Battles and are purely aesthetic. Unlike most fighters, the Spirits for Cloud only use his artwork from Ultimate, rather than also having alternative artwork from a previous appearance.

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  1,004. Cloud Strife

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  1,005. Cloud Strife (Advent Children)

In Spirit battles

As the main opponent

Spirit				Battle parameters
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music
1,103		Master Edges	Super Smash Bros. series	•Cloud (×4)		9,500	Final Destination	N/A	•The enemy's melee weapons have increased power •Stamina battle •The enemy has increased move speed and reduced weight	Master Core
973		Zeke	Xenoblade Chronicles series	•Cloud •Bayonetta		2,500	Kongo Falls (Battlefield form)	•Sudden Final Smash •Hazard: Zap Floor	•Survive until the timer runs out •The floor is electrified •The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash after a little while	Those Who Stand Against Our Path - Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Link, Kirby, Mario, and Cloud artwork, as posted by Tetsuya Nomura's official Twitter account.

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  Official render of Cloud's Advent Children outfit.

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  Cloud's fighter card.

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  On Gaur Plain.

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  Posing on the Bridge of Eldin.

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  Using Cross Slash on Diddy Kong on the Umbra Clock Tower.

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  Charging up his Limit Charge on Midgar.

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  Cloud on Figure-8 Circuit.

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  Cloud and his Advent Children costume posing on the Bridge of Eldin.

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  Cloud getting hit by Luigi's Super Jump Punch on Battlefield.

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  Grabbing Mega Man on Great Bay Ω.

Trivia

• A section of Cloud's trailer pictures him using his side taunt with R.O.B. in the distance, who is promptly struck by Thunder. This is a direct reference to spellcasting and its general animations in the Final Fantasy series, with Thunder being a basic Black Magic spell throughout the series. Thunder, localized as "Bolt" in Final Fantasy VII, is one of Cloud's starting spells in that game.
• Cloud’s official render resembles his idle animation from Final Fantasy VII and Super Smash Bros., as well as Ike's official render for Brawl.
• With Marth and Roy now dubbed in English for international releases of Ultimate, Cloud is the only playable character with an established English voice actor, being Steve Burton, to speak Japanese in all versions of Ultimate.
  • He is also one of the two playable characters in Ultimate who speaks in Japanese in at least one version of the game to never speak in English in any version of Ultimate, the other is Mewtwo.
• Cloud is the only character who travels to Spirit Train and Rainbow Cruise in his Classic Mode campaign.
• Cloud, R.O.B., and Ice Climbers are the only fighters that cannot receive a series bonus since they don't have any primary spirits from their own series.
• Outside of DLC, Cloud has the fewest Spirit battles out of the entire roster, being only part of the Zeke and the Master Edges spirits.
  • Due to both spirit battles not taking place during World of Light's events, this makes him one of two characters where only the original fighter is fought at any point of the mode outside of facing Galeem's and Dharkon's puppet fighters (the other being the Pokémon Trainer).
  • Due to the Final Fantasy series lacking non-fighter spirits, Cloud is the only fighter not to appear in their own universe's spirit battles.
• Cloud is one of the few fighters to spin differently in their Star KO: he spins forwards instead of away from the screen, similarly to how Star KOs acted in Smash 4. He shares this trait with Shulk, Corrin, Incineroar and Inkling.
• Cloud, Wii Fit Trainer, Pokémon Trainer, and Robin are the only four playable characters not to use artwork from their home series for their fighter Spirits, simply only using their official renders for the game.
• According to Sakurai from a Famitsu column, as of January 2019, Cloud was the most used fighter online.
• Cloud, Dr. Mario, Ivysaur, Greninja, Little Mac, Ryu, Olimar, Dark Samus, and Ken are the only characters to never appear as minions in any Spirit battles.
• Cloud is the first character to have his victory theme continuously play over the results theme, with the second being Joker.
  • Both are also third-party characters with this distinction.
• With the removal of Trophies and descriptions in-game, Cloud is the only human Final Fantasy character explicitly shown or mentioned in Ultimate.
  • Previously, the combined descriptions of for 3DS and Wii U's trophies namedropped Zack and Sephiroth.