Where a hero began his journey...

[Elisa Maza]

Cloud IS talking about himself. Hallelujah, he's finally seeing himself as a hero after aaaaaaaall that guilt trip!!

The point is, he became what Zack wanted to become himself: a hero. So Cloud is talking about himself as Zack's fulfilled dream/living legacy: Cloud is a hero, so Zack's dream is a success as well.

Yes, Cloud became cocky. Can I have a HELL YEAH?

 

[ForceStealer]

Cloud has had cocky moments in the past (most recent, I suppose, would be his "What do you think?" in response to Vincent asking if they'd be all right in DC), but to flat-out call himself a hero still strikes me as a bit odd.

 

[Roger]

I wouldn't cocky but fullfilled Zack's hopes satisfactorly and is happy about it, why not?

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Does any one have the actual line from the Japanese ACC, so that we can stop bawwing about translation issues?


X

 

[ForceStealer]

Well I just checked my copy, and in Japanese Cloud says,

"英雄がここから旅立つたんだ。"

Hito/Tres/Quex can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they translated that line just pretty much exactly. "A hero began a trip here."

No blaming translators on this one, unless that's some kind of idiom in Japanese, it looks to be an equally vague, awkward line in both languages

 

[Tetsujin]

Since Cloud was still high on mako...maybe it's meant to be "Here a hero began trippin'"...?

 

[Mitch Connor]

Of course nothing good happened at the ledge to make him become a hero, but that's not what Cloud means. The line wasn't "this is where a hero was born". It was "this is where a hero began his journey."

Zack's death=beginning of FF7
Beginning of FF7= Beginning of Cloud's journey
Cloud=Hero

Simple.

 

[Tifabelle]

Oh I think most of us understand the line. But that doesn't stop it from being awkward. Especially being delivered by Cloud.

 

[Gym Leader Devil]

Of course nothing good happened at the ledge to make him become a hero, but that's not what Cloud means. The line wasn't "this is where a hero was born". It was "this is where a hero began his journey."

Zack's death=beginning of FF7
Beginning of FF7= Beginning of Cloud's journey
Cloud=Hero

Simple.

^This.

 

[MaliciousMisery]

Is it supposed to be a reference to Zack? It still seems kind of clunky (there was not much journeying after that point for Zack), but it makes more sense to me than it being for Cloud.

And yet it still seems weird to me for Cloud to say that was when Zack became a hero, because Cloud looked up to Zack way before that.

Okay, I always saw it your way, but now I'm thinking it is maybe a a reference to Zack. Think about it - he did say "Do you think I became a hero?" (or something to that effect) and Aerith had this journey or something when she died, didn't she?

 

[Edley]

It's Cloud being a father figure to Denzel. I doubt he'd say "Well Denzel, this is where my best buddy got shot 43 times and bled out while I watched helplessly only to take his final words a bit too literally." But seriously, I think Cloud would have a quiet confidence after killing Sephiroth 3 times and seeing ghost!Aerith and Zack give him the thumbs up. It made sense that he was referring to himself.

 

[Dashell]

FYI what I got out of the original line was, "A hero began his trip from here"


and I had no idea people thought he was talking about Zack, I thought it was obvious he was talking about himself... but what do I know?

I realize this topic is kinda old but I wanted to weigh in my two cents

 

[Final Fantasy Aoibh]

It's definitely an incredibly awkward line. Which ever the meaning Square meant to convey they could have done it a hell of a lot better than that lol!

But originally I thought Cloud was talking about himself. His journey did begin there if you think about it. Yes his head was messed up and there were countless other places that could be represented as the beginning of his journey but it's where he wakes up from the mako poisoning in a 1st class soldier outfit, acquired the Buster Sword and became Zack's living legacy.
I also thought it was supposed to be a positive and encouraging line for Denzel whom he brought up there as if to say "Yeah I became a hero even though I woke up here to find my best friend dying trying to protect our freedom and even though I wasn't in my right mind I went on to try and save the world etc." kinda thing. Sorry for the awkward phrasing XD Also could it have been there to mirror the Angeal-Zack, then Zack-Cloud relationship? The way they looked up to their predecessor? Denzel looked up to CLoud the same way.

THEN On the other hand...

Was he talking about Zack? Never originally crossed my mind but after reading these posts....I'm not sure. :L As ye said before it could be a reference to Zack and his "Do you think I became a hero?" line. But as also pointed out before Zack's journey as a hero began long before that - with many debatable starting points. So I think it's a little more likely to be carried onto Cloud (the hero line in the end of C.C). Zack was most definitely a hero and Cloud wanted to be one too.

So there you have it. In my opinion Cloud was talking about himself. And even though it does sound arrogant considering what happened there I don't think it was meant to be. It's just an awkward line.

 

[enziro]

It's Japanese, go figure! There's probably something lost in translation. Burton clearly agrees that it makes no sense at all - you can hear it in his voice.

 

[enziro]

It's Japanese, go figure! There's probably something lost in translation. Burton clearly agrees that it makes no sense at all - you can hear it in his voice.

I'm certain that it's established that Zack becomes a hero on his deathbed. Perhaps he's beginning his 'journey' to the afterlife? Given the doubt and depression that Cloud shows throughout the film, I honestly can't see him referring to himself that way.

 

[Captain Jack Harkness]

 

[Roger]

I'm certain that it's established that Zack becomes a hero on his deathbed. Perhaps he's beginning his 'journey' to the afterlife? Given the doubt and depression that Cloud shows throughout the film, I honestly can't see him referring to himself that way.

Zack most certainly did not become a hero on his deathbed, he became a hero long before then. Hell, on his deathbed he only saved Cloud by killing a few hundred thousand other soldiers and at the cost of own life. Cloud probably would've asked him to not do that if he could. When he fought Sephiroth or AVALANCHE or the Genesis Army he was fighting to save many lives, the world. That's when he became a hero.

And yeah, during the movie Cloud was too depressed and down on himself to consider himself a hero, this is after the movie when he had gotten past all that.

 

[Danseru-kun]

^

I personally take Zack's last stand as a fight for his life and freedom rather than saving Cloud. His heroism came from 10 months of struggle and never leaving Cloud but his death "isn't a sacrifice to save Cloud" IMO. Cloud survived at the last scene of CC (after the sniper shot in ACC) not because Zack fought for him but because Shinra troops spared him. That's my take on Zack's death.

That is why I love him, he started out as a boy with big dreams to be a hero but he died killed by mere mooks running away to save his life and his friend's and on the way back to Aerith. What makes me cry is that, just by knowing that Cloud lived, he was happy and felt that he was a hero.

 

[Kermitu Kleric Katie]

I think Cloud is referring to himself when he says "hero" and the fact that he now considers himself a hero just further shows that he's gotten over his guilt about Zack's death(and Aerith's) and is no longer a sad ball of angst and is ready to continue with the happy life he had with Tifa and the kids before he contacted Geostigma(and this time it'll probably be happier now that he's no longer guilty about Zack and Aerith and Denzel no longer has Geostigma). And as many people have pointed out, the cliff overlooking Midgar kinda is where Cloud started his journey.

 

[enziro]

Zack most certainly did not become a hero on his deathbed, he became a hero long before then.

Then do explain the line at the very end of this video.

 

[ForceStealer]

He just means, now that his life's over and there will be no more "considerations," would you say he became a hero?

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

I personally take Zack's last stand as a fight for his life and freedom rather than saving Cloud. His heroism came from 10 months of struggle and never leaving Cloud but his death "isn't a sacrifice to save Cloud" IMO.

I don't think his death makes sense as anything other than making a stand to save Cloud. Zack successfully fought that army, bringing down all but three pairs of the boots on the ground.

Given the strength of SOLDIERs like Angeal and Genesis (just look at the FMV training bout between them and Sephiroth), and that Zack had at least matched their level, there's no way those soldiers could have prevented Zack from reaching Midgar if he had hauled ass for the city and left Cloud behind. Sure, he would have taken some hits along the way, but could they have stopped him? Not a chance.

Hell, they were on the wrong side of him and the city to start with.

I think Cloud is referring to himself when he says "hero" and the fact that he knows considers himself a hero just further shows that he's gotten over his guilt about Zack's death(and Aerith's) and is no longer a sad ball of angst and is ready to continue with the happy life he had with Tifa and the kids before he contacted Geostigma(and this time it'll probably be happier now that he's no longer guilty about Zack and Aerith and Denzel no longer has Geostigma). And as many people have pointed out, the cliff overlooking Midgar kinda is where Cloud started his journey.

This is it in a nutshell. Cloud got over his depression and recognizes himself for what he is now.


Cloud's line is as much a reference to Zack as to himself, though, because he is Zack's "living legacy" -- Cloud carries on to live out the life both of them deserved, and keeps Zack's memory alive. By respecting himself, Cloud honors Zack.