The Final Fantasy franchise is full to the brim with memorable characters, with a lucky few being considered to be some of the most iconic characters in gaming. The series is one of the first few mainstream titles to push full-blown fantasy stories with a band of ragtag yet complex heroes, and it has continued with this trend in some style. Final Fantasy VII is perhaps the most memorable in this regard, with the entire cast being amazing in every sense of the word.
The existence of this title reason why another game in the franchise is lampooned so much. Among the numerous complaints people had when it came to Final Fantasy XIII, one of the most widespread discussions was the fact that the main character of this game — Lightning — was oddly similar to Cloud in many ways. While this may be true in some ways, one can also make a case against this by stating that there are enough distinct characteristics to separate the two.
Keeping this in mind, here are five reasons why Lightning is just like Cloud, coupled with five ways in which she forms a unique character and comes into her own.
10 JUST LIKE CLOUD: Their Personalities Are Quite Similar
The initial impression that Lighting gives off is incredibly similar to how Cloud is portrayed to us — cold and aloof people who seem apathetic to what's happening around them.
If that wasn't bad enough as is, the manner in which they develop their personalities is also similar. Both people end up trusting the people around them more and show more compassion over time.
9 SHE IS UNIQUE: Different Blades
While this might be a minor aspect that doesn't really change anything in the grand scheme of things, it must be said that Lightning's weapon is nothing like the iconic Buster Sword that Cloud uses.
Rather, her weapon resembles that of Squall's from Final Fantasy VIII — a gunblade.
8 JUST LIKE CLOUD: Both Of Them Are Sword-Wielding Protagonists
The similarities between Cloud and Lightning don't end at their personalities — it's also in their overall character design and the role they play in the story.
The fact that they both wield a quirky sword and are the protagonists in their respective tales goes to show that Square Enix has a template of sorts when it comes to making main characters in their Final Fantasy games.
7 SHE IS UNIQUE: She And Hope Become Surrogate Siblings In A Way
While Cloud definitely forms some long-lasting bonds over the course of the game, one can't really say that he was acting like a brother to anyone in the group.
This is definitely not the case with Lightning, who treats Hope like her brother at one point. In fact, it's through Hope that Lightning finally realizes the error of her ways and decides to change her attitude towards the people close to her.
6 JUST LIKE CLOUD: She's Experienced The Pain Of Loss
Both Cloud and Lightning have experienced the pain of loss in life.
While one might argue that Cloud's experience was way more traumatic — for obvious reasons — this doesn't change the fact that both these characters did experience the loss of people close to them in their respective games.
5 SHE IS UNIQUE: Her Reaction To Losing The People Around Her Is Way More Immature
However, while Cloud was mature enough to mask his grief and tackle whatever obstacle was in his way — regardless of the manner in which he achieved this — the same can't be said for Lightning.
Cloud never went out of his to blame anyone for the losses he suffered, while the same can't be said for Lightning — she constantly berates everything and everyone around her who brought Serah to the brink of death, including Snow himself.
4 JUST LIKE CLOUD: She Tried To Forget Her Past
Both Cloud and Lightning tried to run away from their past, due to various reasons. Of course, Lightning's reason was very tame in comparison — she just wanted to forgo her past life and the burden associated with it so that she could be strong for Serah.
However, Cloud's reason for doing so is way more intense... and not exactly something in his control either. After watching his town being razed to the ground, getting infected with Mako, and seeing his closest friend die in front of his eyes, something broke inside Cloud.
The result was that Cloud decided to take the memories of Zack as his own and forget about his own failings in order to deal with his trauma.
3 SHE IS UNIQUE: She Doesn't Suffer In The Same Way
With their backstories in consideration, it could be easy to come to the conclusion that Lightning seems almost childish for being so flippant when it came to her past.
Her outbursts at the people around her weren't due to any serious problems she might've been facing — rather, it was just her immaturity that prevented her from looking at the big picture.
2 JUST LIKE CLOUD: She Leads A Gang Of Unlikely Friends In A Fight Against Any Oppressor, Human Or Otherwise
Both Cloud and Lightning start off in the same position — encountering soldiers on a train before moving towards their end goal to fight against the establishment.
During their journey, they meet a bunch of characters that decide to join them in a quest to save the world from destruction — a task that is ultimately led by these two characters in their respective journeys.
1 SHE IS UNIQUE: She Turns Into A God Of Sorts
The Final Fantasy XIII trilogy might not have been the best idea that Square Enix came up with, but it gave ample time for Lightning to come into her own as a character. The fact that this took three full games might not be all that great, but at least it's something.
This also allows her character to go through some pretty radical changes, unlike Cloud. Perhaps the most distinct change of the lot is that Lightning transforms into a god — something that Cloud simply wouldn't be able to achieve no matter how many enemies he faces.
Unless that is, the Remake takes his character in a very different direction.