Cloud and Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII

Ambiguous characters in Final Fantasy VII

Cloud Strife is the main protagonist in Final Fantasy VII, while Sephiroth is the main antagonist. Fans of the game have debated both characters’ sexuality. There is a great deal of fan-produced media showing them in a relationship, like this recording of two Sims [Link to Sims page] wearing Final Fantasy skins:

Others have pointed to Cloud’s “cross dressing” mission as further evidence of his sexuality. However, there is no indication in the game or in the official game description that either is gay or bisexual. It has been pointed out that some male characters in Final Fantasy VII can be “characterized as bishonen, a Japanese term for young male characters with a beauty aesthetic that is traditionally interpreted as feminine,” which is a frequent archetype in Japanese pop culture (Greene, 2013).

LGBTQ references in this game series:

Final Fantasy V (1992): Faris Scherwiz, Bartz Klauser

Final Fantasy VII (1997): Ambiguous Characters; Cross-Dressing; Mukki

Final Fantasy VIII (1999): Adel

Final Fantasy IX (2000): Quina Quen

Final Fantasy X (2001): Tidus, Brother and Wakka

Final Fantasy XIII (2009): Fang and Vanille

Final Fantasy XIV (2014): Same-sex marriage, Gay NPC couple

Citations: