Yeah, exactly. He's a kid. Take one look at the Cactuar animation and tell me you still take SOLDIER as seriously as you did in FFVII.
Oh come on. Really? It's just supposed to be funny. I think you're taking that a little too seriously.
Yeah, exactly. He's a kid. Take one look at the Cactuar animation and tell me you still take SOLDIER as seriously as you did in FFVII.
Yeah, exactly. He's a kid. Take one look at the Cactuar animation and tell me you still take SOLDIER as seriously as you did in FFVII.
Yes, exactly. He IS a kid, an ambitious, ingenuous, fun-loving friendly kid who wants to be a hero and thinks the way to do it is to become a soldier.
So he's that kid in Kalm who is running back and forth 'training' for SOLDIER. I understand that Zack is the same as 90% of the people who try out for SOLDIER with big dreams and green faces, but I think what bothers me is that he got in.
Let's imagine that SOLDIER is the same as the Navy Seals. I don't think someone who has undergone that kind of military training still bounces around when he gets orders, or talks back to his superiors. In CC, people just roll their eyes at him. It's like they were going for the "damnit maverick if you weren't so damn good..." shtick, except Zack isn't a maverick he's a third class, completely replaceable. It makes his cartoon mischief a mockery of the entire SOLDIER program.
If we're going by your standards of who should be in SOLDIER, Sephiroth, Angeal and Genesis shouldn't be in SOLDIER either. In Crisis Core, Sephiroth blatantly goes against orders when he says that he will fail to kill Genesis and Angeal because they are his best friends. Angeal has a sense of honor that both Sephiroth, Genesis and Zack roll their eyes at at least once. I don't think I need to tell you what Sephiroth and Angeal think about Genesis's constant reciting of LOVELESS. So yes, Zack has his quirks, but so do all the other SOLDIER 1st Classes. Zack fits right in.So he's that kid in Kalm who is running back and forth 'training' for SOLDIER. I understand that Zack is the same as 90% of the people who try out for SOLDIER with big dreams and green faces, but I think what bothers me is that he got in.LicoriceAllsorts said:Yes, exactly. He IS a kid, an ambitious, ingenuous, fun-loving friendly kid who wants to be a hero and thinks the way to do it is to become a soldier.
Let's imagine that SOLDIER is the same as the Navy Seals. I don't think someone who has undergone that kind of military training still bounces around when he gets orders, or talks back to his superiors. In CC, people just roll their eyes at him.
This in not an accurate portrayal of Zack's position in SOLDIER. At the beginning of Crisis Core, Zack is a SOLDIER 2nd Class at the age of 15/16. That is impressive, especially when you take into account that Zack left Gongaga to become a SOLDIER when he was 12/13. A year later, he makes 1st Class at the age of 16/17. At this time, the only other 1st Class who is still working for Shin-Ra is Sephiroth. As he is the only 1st Class in SOLDIER at the time, I'd say he's more of a maverick then anything else.It's like they were going for the "damnit maverick if you weren't so damn good..." shtick, except Zack isn't a maverick he's a third class, completely replaceable. It makes his cartoon mischief a mockery of the entire SOLDIER program.
The game makes a huge deal about how the qualifications for SOLDIER have entirely to do with having an independent mentality. If you do not have a sense of self, you aren't getting in because you'll lose yourself to mako poisoning and Jenova's influence. In other words, your metal strength is more important then your physical strength. Keep in mind that Cloud, in fact, is part of the same 90% of people that Zack is, only he doesn't have Zack's sense of individuality so he doesn't get in.I understand that Zack is the same as 90% of the people who try out for SOLDIER with big dreams and green faces,
except Zack isn't a maverick he's a third class, completely replaceable. It makes his cartoon mischief a mockery of the entire SOLDIER program.
Well, if he's so great, how come he's *dead?*
^^If Aerith's so great, how come she's *dead?*
They are the tragic characters, guys. People who are very good, but left early. That's the point.
Uhm. It's called tragedy (definition 1.a - many people have a wrong definition of it in their heads)... and it's about catharsis (definition 2) for the player.
There's no rule in a tragedy that if someone is the best at something good/nice he will survive. Or that he will be king. Quite the reverse.
As i view CC, the fatal flaw in Zack's way of being was exactly that he was so great - trying to save Cloud, trying to save Genesis, trying to save Angeal, trying to be with Arith despite being constantly watched, trying to get Sephiroth back on the sane track, heck, trying to make EVERYTHING right (I've probaly missed some other stuff).
If he wasn't a hero he wouldn't try anything. Just get on with the orders, drink booze with Kunsel after missions, kill Cloud for trying to interfere with Sephiroth at Nibelheim. Oooh... alternative history.
I don't see how you can hate Zack in the beginning. He's a sweet kid, with big dreams. He's still young, and like Angeal called him, restless. He develops plenty throughout the story, but I never found him irritating before that.But I could never hate Yuffie D:
If he wasn't a hero he wouldn't try anything. Just get on with the orders, drink booze with Kunsel after missions, kill Cloud for trying to interfere with Sephiroth at Nibelheim. Oooh... alternative history.
Well, if he's so great, how come he's *dead?*
^^If Aerith's so great, how come she's *dead?*