Why Was Sephiroth Obsessed With Cloud? An In-Depth Analysis
Cloud Strife represented far more to Sephiroth than just another enemy. His sudden emergence as the one to throw Sephiroth into the Lifestream dealt a crushing blow the villain‘s overinflated god complex. Yet upon his return, Sephiroth‘s fixation with the righteous mercenary warped into full-blown obsession. This guide will uncover why.
The Inciting Incident: Cloud Deals a Devastating Blow
Heroes fall and villains rise in stories all the time. But Sephiroth‘s ego could not reconcile losing to a seemingly ordinary grunt like Cloud:
"How can I lose… to a puppet?" (Crisis Core)
For context, Sephiroth had single-handedly won the Wutai War. He required over 30 SOLDIERS to subdue him upon going mad. Yet somehow this lone, unenhanced trooper now stood victorious. To Sephiroth, it made no logical sense.
Defeated by Cloud Strife
His humiliating loss provoked what TV Tropes calls "The Reason You Suck" Speech. It highlighted Sephiroth‘s own fallacies that enabled a "mere puppet" to best him. This existential crisis/assault on his pride is what sparked an endless drive for vengeance.
"I will never be a memory." (Advent Children)
But behind this prideful obsession laid far deeper context involving Jenova cells, Shinra origins, and more.
Shared Cellular Origins: Reunion Theory Gone Rogue
Both products of Professor Hojo‘s experiments, Cloud and Sephiroth actually share fundamental biological connections:
| Comparison | Sephiroth | Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Jenova Cell Infusion | In Utero | Age 14-15 |
| Jenova Cell % of Total | Over 60% | Less Than 10% |
As outlined in the Reunion Theory, those carrying Jenova‘s cells will instinctively be drawn back together.
"Cells… with my knowledge, and Jenova‘s power." (Advent Children)
Yet rather than literally reuniting, Sephiroth chose to endlessly torment Cloud by exploiting their shared cells. This cellular level obsession reinforced his drive for godhood while sadistically punishing Cloud for "pretending" to carry even an ounce his power within.
The Clone Who Lived: Reminder of Shinra Failure
In Nibelheim, Hojo injected Cloud with Sephiroth’s cells in an attempt to clone the ultimate SOLDIER. But as the Final Fantasy Wikia notes:
Only Cloud survived… becoming the only "success" of the Sephiroth-clone experiment.
As the sole surviving specimen, Cloud reminded Sephiroth that Shinra scientists could merely copy but never truly recreate him. So by fixating on the "failed clone," Sephiroth could both mock Cloud and Shinra‘s hubris simultaneously.
Sephiroth towers over Cloud as the superior specimen
Shared History as Shinra Guinea Pigs
Finally, as fellow products of human experimentation, Cloud and Sephiroth share a bond of origins:
"You were created by them, used by them." (Advent Children Complete)
Yet unlike Sephiroth, Cloud refuses to play victim over it. Again this defiance vexed Sephiroth – if Cloud could move on from such manipulation, why was he unable to? After all HE was the product of greater effort and investment. Ultimately this shared history fed into Sephiroth‘s ego-driven rivalry.
By examining the psychological, cellular, and historical traits binding them, we uncover the layered complexity behind Sephiroth’s singular obsession with Cloud Strife. Their fates were woven together by far more than mere hatred.
