Final Fantasy 7 has been one of the crowning jewels of the JRPG genre since it released in 1997, and fans have long been crafting cosplays and tributes to the iconic game. There have been countless timeless cosplays of Final Fantasy 7's many characters created over the years, including one particularly stunning shot of Cloud Strife by a Japanese cosplayer.
As the protagonist of one of the most well-regarded video games of all time, Cloud is a commonly cosplayed character. His simple but distinct design is easy to recognize even without the giant sword at his side, but some of the most memorable Cloud Strife cosplays incorporate the Buster Sword to fantastic results.
In a picture shared on Twitter in 2020, Japanese cosplayer soL is sitting in front of a tree, Buster Sword in hand, dressed in full Shinra regalia. They are specifically cosplaying the Final Fantasy 7 Remake version of Cloud, which may explain why their hair is less spiky than what Cloud's classic design shows. Accompanying them is a more rarely cosplayed companion: Red XIII. Final Fantasy 7 fans often share cosplays of Tifa Lockhart and other human characters, but Red XIII is a huge, red lion-like creature, and it can be difficult to make non-humanoid cosplays look good in real life.
It's hard to say whether the Red XIII in this image is a doll or the result of clever image editing, but either way it looks great in the frame. This isn't the only time soL cosplayed as Cloud, but Red XIII's appearance makes it one of the most striking. They also posted a combat photoshoot with Reno, as portrayed by Twitter user KZ_G7s. These shots would fit right in on the list of Reno cosplays that would make the Turks proud.
The Japanese cosplayer also shot a series of nighttime photos with Twitter user bekkusu7's Zack Fair. Zack Fair may be one of the most interesting Final Fantasy 7 characters, and some of the mystery surrounding him bleeds through in these images. Mostly, these pictures are a tribute to the bond between two young men who went through hell together.
While soL's Cloud cosplay is striking, they've also cosplayed at least one other Final Fantasy protagonist, Noctis Lucis Caelum, as well as characters from the mobile game Twisted-Wonderland and the anime Black Jack. They may not be one of the most prolific or well-known cosplayers on the internet, but the quality of their work is undeniable.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now for PS4 and PS5.
