many people throughout the internet and fans all over the world think that Cloud is somehow sexually attracted to one of these 3 fine women in the game. Personally I think that Cloud is a loner and would rather concern himself with the mission at hand rather than bothering about what restaurant to take this chick to after 9PM.

Who do you guys think Cloud liked winking at in the hallways of Midgar High School?

I would agree that he is more interested in the mission.
But if I had to say any, I would say Aeris, he seemed to have more of a connection with her, even more than Tifa.

Hmmm tough one.

Back when he was younger it definitely would have been Tifa, after all she was the reason why he wanted to become stronger and join Shinra.

Now he's older it's probably BOTH Aeris and Tifa. I say this because although he's messed up from the Mako poisoning and thinks he's Zack once he finds himself again he still seems to care for her. I also say Tifa because he felt so much for her when he was younger there must still be something there... Or maybe it's because I'm a Tifa fan I like to think that. She does a lot for him though after Aeris dies, like helping him find himself.

Overall though Cloud has far too many emotional "issues" to become romantically involved with any of them. Even in Advent Children he acts that way, like he finds it difficult to get close to people... But then the last person two people he got close to both got attacked and hurt or deaded by Sephiroth... (yes I'm reffering to both Tifa and Aeris)

I'm firm beleiver in the Cloud and Tifa pairing and the power of a childhood crush. I do beleive Cloud had some feelings for Aeris, but I also think that most of those feelings were attributed to the personaility he adapted from Zack. The remorse Cloud shows towards Aeris I believe is more guilt than it is a love sickness. He probably had a bit of a crush on Aeris, even without Zack's feelings but I'm sure he got over that and more than anything is broken up about the fact that he stood by and did nothing while she was killed. In his mind he's nothing but a weakling and a failure, Sephiroth/Jenova and Hojo have manipulated that lack of self worth to control him, which in turn kind of only makes him feel more weak and helpless.

Which leads me into the point that more realistically I could see Cloud ending up alone, because he spends too much time sulking and distancing himself from the freinds he's made in his journey and like Squall he fears loosing them. More so because it's Cloud he fears failure above all else and I think the notion of others he cares about suffering or even dying because of his own inabilties tears him up more than anything else. Aerith's death was kind of an example of that situation and you can see how broken up he is over it and how much he persists to beat himself up.

Although at the end of AC I think he has a kind of Squall awakening and puts Aerith's death aside finally able to forgive himself, and if he has any feelings for her still put those aside realizing she's gone, moving on. After that I could see him warming up and opening his eyes, realizing just how much Tifa cares for him and how much he also cares for her, beyond just the realm of friendship.

Of course there is no evidence in favor of any of these parings as this is one of those things that is in the realm of thesis and personal preference. Anyway since someone voted for Aeris I had to vote for Tifa to even it out, and I'm sure Aztec will get on and level it out even more voting for Yuffie (jk).

Tifa.
i dont think he ever really couldve connected with aeris that well being caught up in so many emotions and all the things going on in the world.

he liked none. if he did he'd had made a move, or at least hint at one. either that or he's latently homosexual. he should go marry link.

In FFVII we find out that Cloud had a childhood crush on Tifa, whether he still has one is not explained. He also has some feelings for Aeris, what exactly those feelings are (friendship, short-term crush, love, lust) is never explained either. Why? Simply put Square was lazy or more likely they did it on purpose making a very smart move. They left it open for the fans to debate the "real" love pairing for years to come.

It's not like FFVIII where Squall falls for Rinoa or FFX where sparks fly between Tidus and Yuna. We all sort of knew that was going to happen in a way and hints were dropped through out the games. More so there was no real rivalry with the other female characters competing for the hero, nor the hero displaying any real interest in any of the other ladies.

The thing about FFVII is it's unelxplained, so in the end everyone wins. Not only do they avoid the hate mail from Aeris and Tifa fans by having Cloud get involved with just one, but they also leave the story and the pairing open to interpretation. Thats one of the things that was so great about FFVII, all the plot holes and sketchy areas that were never explained. Really they just provide something for the fans to talk about a decade later while also giving people a chance to use thier imagination to take the story as far as they'd like to go, in that taking it in whatever direction they desire.

you forgot garnett and zidane

I haven't played FFIX and I don't know remotely enough to about it to make assumptions on the couples in that game. Yeah I know about the Zidane/Garnet pairing, but I don't know if any of the other female characters took an interest in him or if he took an interest in any of them to prove my point that FFVII seems to be the only FF or one of the few (at least that I know of) that doesn't settle on a specific character pairing.

I think Tifa most definetely. im playing CC right now, and i personally think Aeris loved Zack, and anything that Cloud feels for Aeris is just Zack's personality coming through. he took a sword for Tifa, and became a soldier for her, i dont see how anyone could pair him with anyone else.

Hmm, it's complicated. You can't just say that Cloud was most interested in one person sadly, because he was interested in both of them (Yuffie doesn't get a mention lol) in different ways.

Cloud, as he saw himself, was most interested in Aeris. This is partially because of his mind being scrambled up and him taking Zack's past and some of his personality into himself which made him care a lot about Aeris, and also because of Aeris being someone that Cloud could put a lot of his energy towards saving. Square designed Aeris to have a rod whereas Tifa has gloves. In classic Final Fantasy a Knight (In this case Cloud) would cover the allies, the character who most needed covering would be the Mages (In this case Aeris) not Monks (In this case Tifa, although Monks do need protecting sometimes). This relates to some of the feelings that Cloud could have felt. He was able to try and defend Aeris while she was still alive, and when she died he could still fight to protect her memory. She was an active source of neediness to a sense. Whereas Tifa could fight and protect herself and would only need Cloud a couple of times, she was less needy and so could have been less attractive to the side of Cloud that was wanting to protect people.

However the actual Cloud, the Cloud without various mental confusions, was probably more interested in Tifa. This is all related back to the conversation with Cloud's mother where she said that 'she would like him to be with someone older', Tifa is that model person. When Cloud was being needy Tifa was the one who would help him and protect him. With Tifa, Cloud would have a large chance of being happy with someone and not having to do the 'damsel in distress saving' act that he would have to with Aeris. Tifa was there for Cloud through a lot of things and Cloud definitely cares for Tifa in that way, this is shown by the scene where Cloud and Tifa are sitting together before entering the Northern Crater and by how Cloud is living with Tifa in Advent Children.

If Cloud was given the choice without complications (like Aeris being dead) then he would probably end up going with Aeris, however it's the sort of thing where Cloud should be with Tifa because the relationship would be a lot better for him. With Tifa the relationship would be a lot less destructive than with Aeris. With Aeris, Cloud would end up having to save her a lot and they would not actually get any further in the relationship due to the two being very much an 'old couple type'. With Tifa, they could actually have some growth in the relationship and they would be together as a pair.

To conclude (lol), I would say Cloud and Yuffie...no. Cloud would probably choose Aeris though he would be better choosing Tifa.

Spoilers for anyone who hasn't completed FF7 / FF7:CC

A lot of Clouds attraction to one of the female characters relies on us reading between the lines and applying our own assumptions on his feelings. As is quite obvious in CC Zack is totally loved up with Aerith and Cloud purpously avoids showing his identity to Tifa who e-mails questions about Cloud in Soldier. This lays the base that Cloud originally has feelings for Tifa and with all his mental issues in FF7 it is confusing to find his true feelings and who he is. Aerith doesn't seam like a slag so I'mma go on a limb that she's not bed hopping from Zack to Cloud and I can't see Cloud stealing his buddy's girl leading me to the conclusion of Cloud + Tifa.

As for Yuffie... F'off

*reads Goda's post*
Dude you should totally be an FF lecturer or something. Great analyzing and pretty accurate conclusion.

*SPOILERS AHEAD* If you haven't played VII or CC

Even though Cloud has more history with Tifa, I'd say he'd pick Aeris too. Its clear he may have had a crush on Tifa once, but he connects with Aeris so fast, its like they were made for each other. Aeris seems mostly over Zack by the time she meets Cloud, and she's pretty much given up on Zack just before he dies anyway "This is the 87th and final letter" (I think it was 87)

And he seems gutted for so long after Aeris dies he barely takes an interest in Tifa after then. Like he's too emotionally scarred to be interested in anyone. But if she hadn't died, it'd be Aeris.