Cloud's first appearance was in Final Fantasy VII, where he was the main protagonist. At the beginning of the game, he ends up joining the eco-terrorist group, AVALANCHE, which is run by Barret Wallace. It is here that he meets his childhood friend, Tifa Lockhart, with whom he has a promise to protect her. Later on, he meets with a flower girl named Aerith Gainsborough, who he ends up having to protect from the Shinra Company.
It is later found out that he has a connection with Sephiroth, the game's main antagonist, who was a legendary member of SOLDIER. He joined SOLDIER so he could be like Sephiroth, but ends up having to fight him after Sephiroth freed Jenova.
After an event in which he and Tifa fall into the Lifestream, his true memories come to him, knowing that what he remembered is not entirely true. In fact, his memories were confused with Zack Fair's memories, who was the person who gave him the Buster Sword, as well as mixed with Tifa's memories and Jenova cells and some manipulation done by Sephiroth.
