Do we like them?

Do we like Cloud Strife?

A character from Final Fantasy VII (1997)

Our score: 8 out of 10. Yes, we'd back him. He starts out as a cold, in-it-for-the-money hired blade. He ends up as someone who keeps showing up for his friends and for strangers, even when he's a mess.

Cloud is a mercenary who says he used to be in SOLDIER, Shinra's elite, genetically enhanced fighting force. He carries an enormous sword and works for whoever pays. The story begins when he's hired by the eco-resistance group AVALANCHE to help attack Shinra's energy reactors in the city of Midgar.

He comes across as blasé and unenthusiastic at first, and agrees to help only for the right price. Over time he becomes properly invested in the struggle against Shinra. He is also awkward, moody and often a bit of a dork. That makes him easy to root for, because he's a flawed hero and not a polished one.

He scores high because his actions add up to a lot of good. He keeps going when things get dark, he cares about his friends more than he lets on, and he gradually stops pretending to be a lone wolf. His rough edges and his early focus on money keep him just short of a perfect score.

Cloud's tough-guy persona turns out to be partly a fabrication. His memories of being a SOLDIER 1st Class are tangled up with other people's stories and with the lingering effects of Mako and Jenova's cells. Facing that and finding out who he really is makes his journey more moving, and it makes us like him more.