quote

Zack was a former First-class SOLDIER and Cloud's best friend from when they both worked under Shinra.
He was also Aeris's boyfriend.

After the tragic Nibelheim incident, both he and Cloud were captured by Hojo and treated as lab rats. They escaped many years later, but Zack was killed while he protected Cloud from Shinra gunfire.

Since then Cloud vowed to live his life for both himself, and for Zack.

Neoportal

Had he lived, I feel like he would have disrupted the whole "revenge Aeris" dealy. =P Cloud may not want to get in the middle of his best friend's relationship. Granted though, I'm sure Zack would have been pissed at her death, so the story could have resumed in that manor ((that Zack pushed the group on to take oh Sephiroth)).

As for Zack's character, he seems like a great guy. From the clips and scans of Crisis Core, I'm really excited to get to know him more as a character, mostly because he seems like he's a great friend to Cloud and has a pretty ethical outlook on most situations.

I think Zack's death is the most important aspect of his entire character. Sure I think he's awesome and sure I think he is much cooler than Cloud, but his death was essential to the flow of Final Fantasy VII. If he was alive he could have just slapped Cloud around and been like "Hey quit stealing my life!" and Cloud just wouldn't have acted like the Cloud we all know. It would have been a very different game.

It's good that he died, but I'm super excited to play him as a main character!

Hahah, true, I didn't even think about that side of things. Now that you mention it, that would screw a lot of things up. For example, the entire flashback sequence at Kalm.

Sephiroth would probably have far less control over Cloud as a result of his knowing who he really is, too.

I think I'm going to end up liking Zack more than Cloud.

Who knows.

Through Zack, we may be able to see more of who Cloud was (It's kind of difficult nowadays).

from what i can tell, Zack seems like a pretty awesome guy...i think his CC hair is better than his VII hair...sorry that was random


but i think it would rather he be in his own game because like someone has said, if he were a FFVII party character, hed be nearly identical to Cloud...but then there would be a dispute as to who would use the Buster Sword...well didnt Zack get Buster from Angeal anyway?

Zack would use the Buster Sword, because Cloud only used it in honor of Zack, who used it in honor of Angeal.

Likewise, if Angeal was still alive, he'd be using Buster Sword.

quote Ray_Masamune

Zack would use the Buster Sword, because Cloud only used it in honor of Zack, who used it in honor of Angeal.

Likewise, if Angeal was still alive, he'd be using Buster Sword.

Yeah, Crisis Core will unfortunately only be a PSP title. Looks like I'll have to add another platform to my collection, from Sony no less. They just HAVE to milk the Final Fantasy title for all it's worth on all the platforms, huh? Just so I have to go and get all of them. =P

I kinda wish Zack had his own signature sword though... Apparently, it seems like everyone in SOLDIER has their own awesome swords. Sephiroth with his Masamune, Angeal with the Buster Sword, that other dude with the red sword of doom ((no idea what that's gonna be called hahaha))... Zack should have a sword of doom to call his own. =[

quote Mister Ivanovich

Yeah, Crisis Core will unfortunately only be a PSP title. Looks like I'll have to add another platform to my collection, from Sony no less. They just HAVE to milk the Final Fantasy title for all it's worth on all the platforms, huh? Just so I have to go and get all of them. =P

I kinda wish Zack had his own signature sword though... Apparently, it seems like everyone in SOLDIER has their own awesome swords. Sephiroth with his Masamune, Angeal with the Buster Sword, that other dude with the red sword of doom ((no idea what that's gonna be called hahaha))... Zack should have a sword of doom to call his own. =[

At least you didn't lose your PSP... >.>

Zack is one of my favorite characters in FFVII despite having a limited role in the game. He was like the complete opposite of Cloud in personality, but it's that side of him that made him an interesting character. Not many silent-type characters in any fiction impresses me, Cloud was one of the very few.

Zack is interesting in his significance to the character Cloud. Cloud is a fusion of Zack's upbeat and helpful nature and Cloud's decidedly negative and self depreciating side (hence why Cloud is such a smarmy know it all in the game). The only literal time we see Zack in the game is via the flashback leading up to his death where he was unknowingly 'programming' Cloud.

Personally I find the Crisis Core thing a little dubious. As part of the expansion of the FFVII world, especially the wings and G stuff, Zack has inevitably become more significant. I haven't heard a lot about it, but anything associated with Sephiroth and wings and etc just makes me roll my eyes (not a big fan of retcon, personally).

quote Ray_Masamune

Zack would use the Buster Sword, because Cloud only used it in honor of Zack, who used it in honor of Angeal.

Slash was asking who would use it if Zack was still alive.

Cloud didn't take Zack's sword until Zack died.

And if Zack was still alive, and continued being a friend to Cloud, Cloud probably wouldn't think he's Zack, since Zack would always be in front of him.

He admired Zack, and the Mako poisoning caused Cloud to get a little mixed up regarding his past.

So he may still think that his role in the Nibelheim incident was still Zack's role.

But I don't think Cloud would just take Zack's sword from him, thinking it was his own.

[color=#666666]This message was edited by Ray_Masamune on Jul 09 2007.

I'm hoping that Zack's death scene ends up being really emotional in CC. I was watching the Remniscence of FFVII last night, and I thought that the scene where Cloud discovers Zack's dead body was really sad (especially with the music that had been added to that scene). It's nice to know that Squeenix tried to make the already-existing scene alot more emotional than it originally was by adding that piece of music. At least they understand how emotional that scene could become (especially with improved graphics and voice-acting).

Zack's death in CC is going to end up being more emotional than Aeris' death just because of the improved graphics, music, and especially the voice-acting. I have no doubt that Sakurai Takahiro (Cloud's Japanese VA) can pull that scene off, but I'm a little worried about Steve Burton (English VA).

I think Ray posted a script of how the scene is supposed to go, and just reading what Cloud's reaction was to Zack's death was powerful.