Summary
Mild spoilers for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ahead
Cody Christian, the actor behindFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthhero Cloud Strife, recently discussed one of the most challenging scenes for him to record: the part where Cloud turns into a Moogle. When Square Enix released the long-awaitedFinal Fantasy 7 Remakein 2020, the game’s entire cast received new voice actors, including Cloud himself. While Steve Burton voiced Cloud in theCompilation of Final Fantasy 7and theKingdom Heartsgames,All Americanalumni Cody Christian picked up the Buster Sword forFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeand its eventual sequel, this year’sFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Cloud goes through a pretty dark and emotional experience throughoutFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, with his fractured memories starting to surface and Sephiroth’s continued gaslighting leading him to question his own reality multiple times during the party’s quest to uncover the secrets behind the ancient Cetra. However,FF7 Rebirthalso has moments of levity sprinkled throughout, especially duringFF7 Rebirth’s Moogle side quest. The culmination of this comes after Cloud and company help round up the wayward Moogles one last time, and they temporarily transform Cloud into one himself, complete with a miniature version of his iconic Buster Sword weapon for added comedy.
Cody Christian recently discussed what it was like to record this scene in an interview withDeadline, during which he said that it was one of the hardest parts to act through due to how “goofy” it all was. At first, he thought the production staff had made a mistake when he first saw the Moogle Cloud’s dialogue, which consisted solely of the word “Kupo” being spoken 30 times. He says that it was especially jarring after themore serious parts ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthhe was recording beforehand, and that the challenge came from saying the same word repeatedly with different inflections.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Moogle Cloud Was A Challenge To Record
Christian described the whole ordeal as “ridiculously funny,” but he nonetheless took his job seriously, going back and listening to each “Kupo” to pick out the right one for the mood of the in-game moment. According to him, it was especially tough to pick out one take from another when they sounded similar, and the process was surprisingly meticulous for what was ultimately such a brief and lighthearted moment withinFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s emotionally intense plot.
Cody Christian went on to describe how he performedCloud’s darker moments inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, focusing on the human aspects of the character as he struggles to come to terms with his traumatic past and his role in the battle to save the future from annihilation at the hands of his former idol Sephiroth. This journey left Cloud in a troubled place at the end ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and fans can’t wait to hear more of Cody Christian in the third and final chapter of the series.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
