Cloud (SSB4)

Cloud in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Final Fantasy
Availability	Downloadable
Final Smash	Omnislash
Tier	B (12)

“	Cloud Storms Into Battle!	”
—Introduction Tagline

Cloud (クラウド, Cloud) is a playable character and newcomer in Super Smash Bros. 4, and is the fifth downloadable character released. He was officially 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.

Similarly to Marth and Roy, Cloud in all regions of Super Smash Bros. 4 is voiced only in Japanese by Takahiro Sakurai, his recurring Japanese voice actor from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children onward, in spite of having an English voice actor.

Cloud currently ranks 12th out of 56 on the tier list, in the B tier. This makes him the second lowest ranking high-tier character, the second highest ranking downloadable character, and the third highest ranking third-party character. Cloud possesses one of the longest overall disjointed ranges in the game, along with Shulk and Ike; many of his moves either having wide arcs (neutral and forward aerials), long lasting hitboxes (up and down aerials) or moving him a long distance (side and down tilts), all of which make him effective at spacing, edgeguarding, and approaching. Unlike his fellow swordsmen, he also boasts very good movement speed, high jumps, and surprisingly fast frame data relative to his range, giving him a strong offense capability akin to faster, weaponless fighters, with his ground attacks being able to easily chain with multiple aerials in a single string. His unique Limit Break mechanic makes him stand out the most, due to it turning all his special moves into tremendously fast yet powerful finishers that are difficult to predict and avoid, making it easy for him to clear stocks while it is active.

However, Cloud does have some drawbacks. While potent, the Limit Break mechanic makes his playstyle fluctuate constantly; his Limit Breaks take some time to charge and Cloud's moveset is noticeably inconsistent at KOing without them, as he lacks set-ups into his finishers and his specials become better at damage racking rather than KOing until past realistic percentages. He additionally has some of the least useful sets of throws, short grab range, and weak power against shields, making it difficult to get around shielding opponents. Despite his impressive movement speed and jump height, his recovery is sub-par at best due to Climhazzard's unimpressive overall distance coverage when not under Limit Break status, which leaves him very susceptible to aggressive edgeguarding. Finally, although his frame data is rather impressive for his range, he cannot cover the space in front of him as efficiently in the air, leaving him even more vulnerable to combos and being carried off the stage. His out of shield options, while sufficient for punishing, are somewhat lackluster for escaping pressure due to a combination of their startup, endlag, or hitbox placement.

Regardless, Cloud's potent Limit Break finishers and fundamentally sound attributes outweigh his cons, and he is regarded highly on the tier list due to his current performance in national tournaments. His placement in the tier list was a constant topic of heavy debate, largely due to the release of Smash 4's first tier list coinciding closely with his release in the game, the nerfs to himself and some top tier characters (such as Sheik, Bayonetta, and Zero Suit Samus) in version 1.1.5, and his fluctuating recovery that depends on the Limit Gauge being full. However, in spite of his nerfs and overall weak recovery, most top players (such as Mr. R and ZeRo) and many other smashers believe him to be one of the best characters in the game, deserving a higher placing in the tier list.

Attributes

Cloud is a swordsman with quick mobility overall, even in spite of his above average weight. He has average walking speed, the tenth fastest dashing speed, above average air speed, average air acceleration, and strong jump heights, granting him quick ground mobility and resilient aerial mobility. However, he has above average falling speed and high gravity, making his aerial mobility quite polarized and unrewarding. Under Limit Break status, his mobility is even better, where his walking speed becomes the eleventh fastest, his dashing speed becomes the fifth fastest, his falling speed becomes the fourth fastest, while his air speed becomes the fastest among the cast and his traction slightly improves. However, his falling speed and gravity are also increased, the latter slightly decreasing his jump height to the point where he loses the ability to air dodge in a short hop or double jump from the ledge without suffering its landing lag, as well as the ability to auto-cancel his back aerial in a short hop, and up aerial in a short hop fast fall. 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 range. The Buster Sword grants Cloud's attacks the overall second longest reach in the game (surpassed only by Shulk), allowing him to fight from a safe distance and space out his opponents quite easily. Combined with the aforementioned stats, Cloud can approach opponents noncommittally. Due to this range, his ground game is adept at punishing careless attacks. His neutral attack, forward tilt, down tilt, dash attack and forward smash also make Cloud slide a bit forward, with down tilt granting about equal distance to Mega Man's down tilt. His up tilt is also a reliable combo starter until medium percentages, chaining into itself, up smash or up aerial. Furthermore, his aerial moveset benefits even more from these stats, making him a threat in the air. Neutral aerial covers a very large area, similar to Shulk's neutral aerial, making it a go-to spacing move. It additionally has low ending lag, which, when combined with its wide range and low angle, make it great at edgeguarding. Forward aerial is very strong if hit clean, and is also a meteor smash on aerial opponents if sweetspotted. Back aerial is similar to Ike's in terms of animation, damage and range, allowing it to edgeguard and space effectively. Up aerial has high power, high speed, long duration and enormous overall range, making it an all-purpose attack and discouraging most opponents from trying to challenge it. Down aerial is not only one of the strongest meteor smashes if sweetspotted, it is also one of the fastest in the game, hitting on frame 11. Its speed, range and duration also make it great for breaking or outright preventing juggling. Finally, up and down aerials autocancel immediately after their hitbox ends, with the former also autocancelling in a short hop, along with neutral aerial and back aerial (without Limit Break for the latter).

His special moveset also has some interesting options. Blade Beam is a projectile with good range and high activity, making it useful for forcing approaches and good at edgeguarding. It also stalls Cloud in the air, giving it additional utility in guard breaking. Cross Slash is very similar to Dancing Blade, requiring additional inputs from the player to initiate the remaining slashes. However, it is less demanding, having wider input windows and cancelling immediately if the first hit misses. Climhazzard is similar to Aether and Final Cutter, as it is a rising slash followed by a descending slash. Unlike them, however, it is a great out of shield option, as it hits on frame 7. Its descending slash is optional, allowing Cloud to mix up his recovery and getaways. Lastly, Limit Charge is only a charging method for a mechanic that is unique to him: the Limit Breaks.

Though their appearance, use and naming is not the same across the Final Fantasy games, the concept of Limit Breaks has become a series staple. In Smash Bros., this mechanic is a direct reference to Cloud's game of origin, Final Fantasy VII. It manifests itself as an invisible meter, similar to Little Mac's Power Meter. After it is full, Cloud gets a boost in almost all of his stats, allowing him to move even more quickly across the stage. In addition, all of Cloud's special attacks are given a single-use power boost, with all of them dealing more damage and having high knockback. They are also granted brief intangibility upon startup. Each one is also granted additional properties, with Blade Beam being faster and having transcendent priority, Cross Slash striking five times immediately and having very low ending lag, and Climhazzard granting more vertical distance and much more horizontal momentum, as well as having the ability to edge sweetspot at any time. Limit Charge is also converted to Finishing Touch, a spinning slash with such tremendous knockback that can KO any character at 70% from Final Destination floor level. It also causes a whirlwind that pushes away opponents, making it harder to punish and providing Cloud a means of gimping recoveries.

However, Cloud has some severe flaws. One of those is his grab game: his short grab range, a slow pummel and the overall least useful set of throws make it the most unimpressive among the cast, even more so than that of Marth and Lucina. His forward and back throws cannot combo or KO before 300%, unless the opponent is extremely light and Cloud is at the ledge upon performing them. His up and down throws both have too much ending lag for reliable early percentage combos, KO extremely late (at around 215% for middleweights), and down throw loses all of its combo potential past 30% if the opponent has good DI. Another weakness is his largely inconsistent KOing ability. While he has an abundance of strong finishers, none of them are easy to land in the neutral game. Forward smash's immense power is counterbalanced by its slow startup and surprisingly low duration, as it is possible to dodge all three hits with a well-timed sidestep. Up smash's wide range is hindered by a combination of low speed and mediocre power. Down smash's semi-spike and stage spike capabilities are not particularly powerful, with the move also having relatively high ending lag and the first hit is techable, causing the second hit to miss. His neutral aerial has low power, while his back and up aerials require good positioning to KO before 130%. His Limit Break specials are also blockable, making it impossible for them to connect if not used at point-blank. While Blade Beam is an exception to that, reflection can be quite detrimental to Cloud. In addition, Cloud has no means of escaping pressure. His neutral attack and down tilt are extremely punishable if shielded, while none of his fast aerial attacks start from the front. As such, Cloud is very susceptible to combos. Blade Beam is also not particularly threatening in neutral due to its low speed and high ending lag, to the point where Captain Falcon and Sonic can powershield the beam and grab Cloud, even if they start from the other side of the stage.

Another problem is the Limit Break mechanic itself. It acts as a double-edged sword, as it increases Cloud's gravity at full charge, making recovery without the use of Climhazzard deceptively difficult. It also makes precise use of his special attacks mandatory, as it takes six seconds to fully charge a Limit Break. Its alternative methods of charging, dealing 250% or taking 100%, are both too slow, with the latter also leaving Cloud susceptible to opponents' finishers. The exclusive Finishing Touch deals only 1% and has has very high ending lag if the whirlwind does not work. Furthermore, like every DLC character, Cloud is at an inherent disadvantage for lacking custom moves. However, his most prominent weakness is his recovery. His diagonal movement is overall very slow, making him prone to edgeguarding and gimping. Climhazzard is also a terrible recovery move, granting below average vertical distance and no horizontal momentum. Its ascending hit is also completely incapable of edge sweetspotting, allowing opponents to knock him further away from the stage with any far-reaching move. Its descending hit cannot edge sweetspot until it covers some prior distance. These factors make Cloud's recovery comparable to those of Ganondorf, Little Mac and Dr. Mario, in the sense that it is one of the riskiest and most ineffective without use of his wall jump or Limit Break version of Climhazzard. Finally, he lacks custom moves, like all DLC characters, and while this doesn't seem to be a problem considering his Limit Break-boosted moves, it does hinder his moves when the Limit Break mechanic is not taken into account.

Overall, while Cloud has all the tools required to be successful, they cannot be used consistently, leaving the player to manage Cloud's resources to the best of their ability. His combo game and KOing ability, while unique and powerful, are very inconsistent, leaving much to be desired. The player has to avoid edgeguarding and adopt a creative playstyle in order to maintain control of the match. Much like Mario, Cloud has a decently low learning curve and skill floor that make him an effective choice for beginners and inexperienced players, but continues to be a very viable character in high-level play. Cloud's tournament representation and results so far have been strong, possibly being tied with Ryu for the second strongest results out of the DLC characters and also having the second best tournament representation, with notable players like Komorikiri, Mew2King and Tweek, while other top players like Leo and ScAtt, are beginning to pick up Cloud as a secondary or a new main. Regardless, it is currently unknown how he will fare in the long run on singles play, due to his easily exploitable weaknesses. In doubles play, however, Cloud has received even stronger results, due to team-based combo setups synergizing very well with his Limit Break mechanic.

Update history

Cloud has been nerfed as of update 1.1.5. His up aerial deals 1% less damage, which hinders both its damage racking and KO potential, resulting in it now KOing around 12% later, and true up aerial chains being only possible with a falling up aerial to start. His KO potential in general was also slightly toned down; forward smash, down smash and Limit Break Cross Slash had their knockback scaling slightly decreased, while aerial Finishing Touch's knockback scaling was decreased to the point that it now KOs about 24% later (in front) or 36% later (from behind) if landed on a grounded opponent. Though the significance of these nerfs have been highly debated (with Mew2King, a Cloud main himself, stating that these nerfs have made him much worse than most people are led to believe), Cloud remains a viable character in the metagame, with most players believing that even his current placing on the tier list is too low, especially considering Sheik's heavy nerfs from 1.1.5 and only Bayonetta receiving additional crippling nerfs in 1.1.6.

1.1.5

• End of roll intangibility: Frame 17 → 15
• Forward smash's third hit has lower knockback scaling (119 → 115).
• Down smash's second hit has lower knockback scaling (96 → 94).
• Up aerial deals less damage (13% (clean)/9.5% (late) →12%/8.5%), hindering its KO potential.
  • However, this also improves its combo potential.
• Limit Break Cross Slash has lower knockback scaling (155 → 153).
• Limit Charge takes 42 frames (0.7 seconds) longer to fully charge.
• Aerial Finishing Touch has lower knockback scaling (417 (clean)/390 (late)/100 (windbox) → 359/335/86).

Moveset

• Cloud can wall jump.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2.5%	A mid-level side kick followed by a mid-level roundhouse kick followed by a clearing slash. In addition to possessing very good speed, both kicks have good range, similarly 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 kicks. Due to the last hit's low, semi-spike knockback, it can be used to tech-chase reliably. The third hit can fail to connect at high percents.
			2%
			4%
Forward tilt			11%	An outward slash while taking a step forward. Quick startup, but moderate ending lag. Cloud's only tilt that can KO under 150%, as it can KO middleweights at around 120% at the edge.
Up tilt		rowspan="1"	8%	An overhead arcing slice. Its hitbox starts behind Cloud, with a larger front hitbox. Fast with a decently large hitbox, although its knockback is lacking. One of Cloud's most reliable combo starters, as it can chain into itself at 0% and into aerials at low percentages.
Down tilt		rowspan="1"	6% (initial knee hitbox), 7% (leg)	A sliding kick that is almost identical to Mega Man's Slide down tilt. His legs are intangible while the hitbox is active, and will sometimes deal less damage if landed early. Very quick startup and sends Cloud a good distance forward while keeping his hitbox small, making it useful as a quick and weak punish. Launches opponents vertically, leading into follow-ups with aerial attacks. This move sends Cloud low enough to dodge some projectiles such as Hadoken, helping his approach.
Dash attack			11% (clean), 8% (late)	Slides to a halt, forcing the entire sharp edge of the Buster Sword forward with both hands in a parrying motion. Deals more damage at the beginning but has a long-lasting hitbox. Its moderately high knockback enables it to KO at high percentages.
Forward smash			3% (hit 1), 2% (hit 2 center), 3% (hit 2 hilt), 4% (hit 2 tip), 12% (hit 3 tip),13% (hit 3 non-tip)	A series of three high-speed slashes. The last hit has slightly more range and carries all the attack's knockback. Depending on the size of the opponent's hurtbox and where each slash hits, this move can deal 17%-20% damage. It is immensely powerful for its startup (19 frames), KOing middleweights at around 100% in the middle of the stage, but it has high ending lag and poor shieldstun. Cloud's strongest move if his Limit Break specials are unavailable.
Up smash			13% (earliest/tip), 12% (hilt/mid), 8% (late)	An upward, wide-arcing slash. Good range and average startup, giving him reliable aerial protection. The Buster Sword does weak damage at the end when Cloud holds it behind his head. KOs middleweights at around 125%.
Down smash			4% (hit 1), 12% (hit 2)	Crouches and then shoves the Buster Sword's hilt forward before stabbing backward in the same direction. The first hit carries opponents into the second hit. Cloud's fastest smash attack and it is also a semi-spike courtesy of its second hit, although it is hard to use for edgeguarding unless Cloud is facing away from the edge. Regardless, it is useful for sending opponents with weak horizontal recoveries off-stage. The first hit will almost always stage spike, due to its angle. The back hit KOs at 140%. It is possible to tech after the first hit, causing the second hit to miss.
Neutral aerial		rowspan="1"	8%	Swings the Buster Sword in a circular motion around him, starting from over his head and ending behind him, similarly to Ike's neutral aerial. Another trait is that it shares the range of Shulk's neutral aerial, yet it also boasts respectable speed in its own right, which makes it very useful as an approach option and aerial tool. It autocancels from a short hop, making it rather difficult to punish, although it can be difficult to hit grounded opponents while buffering it as soon as possible, due to the hitbox starting behind him.
Forward aerial		rowspan="1"	14% (clean sweetspot), 13% (clean sourspot), 11% (late)	Briefly pauses and then slices downward, similarly to Ike's forward aerial. Has the most startup out of all his aerials, but sweetspotting in the middle of the blade as it comes down results in a powerful meteor smash on aerial opponents, while launching grounded opponents at a slightly more vertical angle. Deals weak knockback if contact is made once the blade stops, making it useful for catching air dodges. Wide range and meteor smashing properties makes this a useful off-stage option, albeit easy to telegraph. Moderate ending lag, though its landing lag is decent for its power, and it autocancels from a full hop. The sweetspot can also notably be frame cancelled, allowing for more followups if done correctly due to its drastically increased hitlag and more vertical angle of its trajectory. Resembles the Braver Limit Break.
Back aerial			13%	Spins and performs a backward swipe. Good range and knockback, and a reliable edgeguarding tool due to its fast startup. Moderate ending lag, but can autocancel from a short hop (if not in Limit Break status), and has low landing lag. It can also be used in a wall of pain at medium percentages if timed correctly, or as a combo starter at low to medium percentages if the opponent DIs poorly. KOs middleweights at around 110% at the edge.
Up aerial			12% (clean), 8.5% (late)	Thrusts the sharp edge of the Buster Sword upward and parallel to the ground. While powerful at the start of the animation, it also functions as a sex kick, doing less damage after the first few frames. The initial hitbox has surprisingly good range both vertically and horizontally, which allows Cloud to barely poke through the top platform of Battlefield just at the apex of his short hop and contest almost any downward aerial move and trade at worst. It can autocancel from a short hop, and it has low landing lag; therefore, it can be used at the last second before landing to catch grounded opponents with the move and true combo into up tilt at lower percentages, neutral aerial or another up aerial until higher percentages, and forward aerial and back aerial at medium percentages. KOs middleweights at around 160% on a grounded opponent when clean. Due to its many positive traits with its only drawback being weak when hitting late, it is considered one of the best up aerials in the game.
Down aerial			13% (clean aerial sourspot, grounded opponent), 15% (aerial sweetspot), 8% (late)	A downward stab similar to Link's Down Thrust down aerial. Striking at the first few frames with the base of the blade powerfully meteor smashes aerial opponents and deals more damage. Stays out for a while, allowing the move to hit opponents after the initial thrust, which makes the move a good out of shield option. It can also be used to counter juggling. KOs middleweights at around 135% on a grounded opponent when landed clean. The late hit of the move is an excellent combo starter when autocancelled; it can combo into any aerial and Cross Slash (both versions) until higher percentages, and even Finishing Touch at medium percentages, making it one of Cloud's most effective moves for setting up KOs, though most of the possible followups can be escaped with DI. When properly autocancelled, the move is extremely difficult to punish, making it one of Cloud's best moves in his moveset and is vital for his strong neutral.
Grab			—	Reaches out with his left hand. Cloud's grab range is short.
Pummel			3%	Knee strikes the opponent. Moderately slow.
Forward throw			4% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2)	Dropkicks the opponent away, similarly to Wii Fit Trainer's back throw. The animation resembles the Somersault Limit Break used by Tifa in Final Fantasy VII.
Back throw			3% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2)	Turns around and reverse roundhouse kicks the opponent away, similarly to Captain Falcon's back throw. It is capable of tech-chasing alongside Blade Beam or his dash attack, though this is only possible against middleweights and heavyweights until medium percentages.
Up throw			2% (hit 1), 2.5% (hit 2), 4% (hit 3)	A butterfly kick that hits twice and launches the opponent upward, similarly to Sonic's up tilt and Captain Falcon's up smash. One of two "strong throws" for Cloud along with down throw; though it is unable to KO at realistic percentages, 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. The animation vaguely resembles the Waterkick Limit Break used by Tifa in Final Fantasy VII.
Down throw			7%	Forcefully slams the opponent onto the ground with one hand, launching them behind him. Low base knockback and Cloud's primary albeit lackluster combo throw, as it can lead into a reversed forward tilt or Cross Slash until middle percentages, though this is not guaranteed if Cloud does not have a sufficiently high level of rage. The other "strong throw" that Cloud has at higher percentages; against most characters, it can only KO earlier than up throw if Cloud is near the ledge, as it is more significantly affected by DI than up throw due to its weaker vertical angle. The animation resembles a simplified version of the Meteor Strike Limit Break used by Tifa in Final Fantasy VII.
Floor attack (front)			7%	Spins the Buster Sword around himself before getting up.
Floor attack (back)			7%	Same as frontal floor attack.
Floor attack (trip)			5%	Similar to other floor attacks.
Edge attack			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), 6% (hit 1, Limit Break), 2% (hits 2-6, Limit Break), 3% (hit 7, Limit Break)	Swings the Buster Sword forward to fire a green, crescent-shaped energy beam. Like a typical projectile, it disappears upon hitting anything. The projectile comes out and moves rather slowly, but travels a long distance overall, and its hitbox is extremely active. It is stronger if started on the ground and in the first few frames, while the aerial version is slower and deals less damage, but gives Cloud a slight amount of lift. Its Limit Break variant is colored blue and possesses transcendent priority, higher velocity, an increased damage output and hits multiple times, with the last hit having great KO potential near the edge, starting at 98%. Like the standard Blade Beam, the Limit Break variant is weaker when performed in midair.
	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), 3% (Limit Break, hits 2-4), 10% (Limit Break, hit 5),	A series of slashes that are inputted by pressing the special button after each slash connects, similarly to Dancing Blade and Double-Edge Dance. It aesthetically spells the kanji 凶. Respectable damage output and moderate knockback make it a superb punishing option at close range, though it is exceedingly weak against shields. Each hit can only be inputted only if the first hit lands (even if shielded), and the first hit is highly punishable, making spacing and timing crucial. Its Limit Break variant changes the kanji's colors from yellow to blue while Cloud instantly unleashes all five strikes instead of requiring button inputs as well as possessing noticeable increases to its damage output and KO potential, starting at 100%. It is also considered to be Cloud's best Limit Break move due to its speed and power, notably as a powerful stage spike and shield breaking option if used quickly with another follow-up attack.
	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 upward, which can be finished with a downwards slash that launches opponents. 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. If the special button is inputted again, Cloud does a second hit that can meteor smash when he falls. Cloud's primary recovery move, though it only covers mediocre vertical distance while covering little to no horizontal distance. Additionally, the downwards slash cannot ledge sweetspot until Cloud falls a certain distance, making it unsuitable to use the second hit off-stage. The fast start-up of this move makes it an excellent surprise attack, particularly as an out of shield option. Its Limit Break variant changes the blade's color from magenta to blue, the ascending (but not descending) hit deals more damage while sweetspotting ledges, Cloud gains much greater vertical and horizontal recovery distance, and it can begin KOing at 124% on the ground.
	Custom 1	N/A
	Custom 2	N/A
Down special	Default	Limit Charge	1% (Finishing Touch)	Charges up the Limit Gauge, an invisible meter which can alternatively be filled by taking (100%) or dealing (250%) damage, similar to Little Mac's Power Meter. It takes 400 frames (6.667 seconds) to fully charge it by this method, during which a text box will appear above him that displays "Limit". It can be charge-canceled by pressing the shield button (which, on the ground, can then be cancelled into any dodge or a jump), hitting the control stick left or right (which triggers a roll), grabbing, or pressing the special button again, which has an 8 frame delay. When the meter is full, Cloud receives a 10% increase to his gravity, falling speed, fast fall speed, initial dash distance, and running speed, a 15% increase to his walking speed and traction, and a 20% increase to his air speed and acceleration. During this time, he can also use a more powerful one-use version of his special attacks. This move itself turns into the Finishing Touch Limit Break when the meter is full, which is a large whirlwind that deals only 1% but possesses tremendous knockback, enough to KO most opponents as early as 65%, even without rage. Rather slow, hitting on frame 16-17, though extremely powerful for its speed, and is easily his best option for punishing opponents at KO percents. However, the attack itself is punishable if it misses or hits a shield, as it has very high ending lag and extremely poor shieldstun due to its damage output. The back hitbox comes out 2 frames slower and KOs opponents around 10% later, and the attack as a whole has further reduced knockback when performed in the air, KOing grounded opponents around 24% later with the front hitbox, or around 36% later with the back hitbox; however, this difference is reduced if the opponent is airborne. Both hitboxes are deceptively large, being able to poke through the lower platforms of Battlefield, Dream Land, and Lylat Cruise. If whiffed, it generates a windbox that simply pushes opponents away. It stalls Cloud when used in the air, which can potentially aid his recovery. Cancelling Limit Charge with the special button instead of the other methods has several applications; Limit Charge can be used in the middle of his jumps to keep Cloud on the move while still charging his limit or, if inputted immediately after charging, to cancel his run quickly into any attack as a pseudo crouch-cancel.
	Custom 1	N/A
	Custom 2	N/A
Final Smash		Omnislash	3% (hit 1), 2% (hits 2-14), 5% (hit 15), 4%-5% (hit 16), 10% (hit 17), 50% (total)	A multiple hitting series of powerful slashes, which functions similarly to Pair Up. Cloud dashes forward at high speed, with a text box appearing above him that displays "Omnislash", and flings any opponents he runs into to the top of the screen. After the series of slashes, Cloud charges up a final blow which sends him and his opponents careening to the ground and results in a huge explosion that launches the opponents. Can KO as early as 22%. Unlike Marth's Critical Hit, Cloud will dash off of the edges of platforms if the move is initiated next to one.

On-screen appearance

• Falls from the sky and catches his Buster Sword.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Recreates his victory animation from Final Fantasy VII, where he twirls the Buster Sword in front of him before positioning it on his shoulders while saying 興味ないね ("Not interested").
• Side taunt: Recreates his spellcasting animation from Final Fantasy VII, where he places the Buster Sword on his back and cups his hands together in front of him. Complete with the original sound effect and glowing energy field.
• Down taunt: Stands his Buster Sword on its tip and poses in a casual manner while scoffing. It resembles the "cocky pose" he uses in many Final Fantasy VII cutscenes.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Pulls the Buster Sword backward and touches the edge of the blade, similarly 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!	Ku-rau-do!
Pitch	Group chant	Female

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 while looking away, saying 悪く思うな ("No hard feelings"). This victory pose originates from Dissidia Final Fantasy.
• While turning away, he twirls the Buster Sword, places it on his back and then glares at the screen, saying ついてないな ("Better luck next time").
• Rushes forward quickly slashes the Buster Sword twice and gets into a battle stance similar to his idle animation, saying お前に俺は倒せない ("I'm out of your league").

In competitive play

Notable players

•  Komorikiri
•  Leo
•  Mew2King
•  RAIN
•  Seibrik
•  Serge
•  Tweek

Inactive

•  Nicko

Reveal trailer

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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)

• 

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Omnislash

Alternate costumes

Cloud's default costume is based on his appearance in Final Fantasy VII. He has an alternate costume based on his appearance in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, known as "Cloudy Wolf" in Dissidia Final Fantasy, which has two minor variants and replaces the Buster Sword with the Fusion Swords. One variant has a long sleeve covering Cloud's left arm to hide the visible signs of his Geostigma. The other variant reveals Cloud's left arm after he has been cured of Geostigma, as well as a dark pink ribbon that is wrapped around it in memory of Aerith Gainsborough.

Gallery

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  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 on Gaur Plain.

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  Cloud in a stunned 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 with 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.

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  Cloud in Living Room.

Trivia

• Cloud's attacks make blunt hitsounds when they hit opponents. They are unique to him as the sounds come from his home game, similar to how Snake's and Ryu's hitsounds work.
• Cloud and Bayonetta are the only characters with alternate costumes that sport a change of weapon. In Cloud's case, his Advent Children costume sees him wield the Fusion Swords from that movie instead of the Buster Sword.
• Cloud's pose in his official artwork matches his pose from his official artwork from Final Fantasy VII. Conversely, the pose for his Advent Children costume resembles his official artwork from Dissidia Final Fantasy. This pose is also used as one of his taunts, two of his victory poses and, humorously enough, during his Screen KO.
• Cloud is the second DLC character from a newly added universe, succeeding Ryu and preceding Bayonetta. Additionally, he is also the only one from a newly represented company (Square Enix), as SEGA and Capcom were already represented by Sonic and Mega Man, respectively, prior to the release of Ryu and Bayonetta.
• Cloud's alternate Blast KO has him mutter (ミスった, "I made a mistake."), making him one of the few fighters who say anything during a KO, and the only fighter to have a Japanese KO line in non-Japanese versions of the game.
• Along with Little Mac, Cloud is one of the only two characters who have special moves that affect the in-game camera, with both KO Uppercut and all but one of Cloud's Limit Break moves zooming in and slowing down time upon hitting their targets. Interestingly enough, both of their attacks involve taking and dealing damage before use.
• Cloud, Roy, Ryu, Corrin, and Bayonetta are the only five characters (who are all coincidentally DLC) to use different sound clips when using battering items.