Square Enix’sFinal Fantasy 7 Remakehas reignited a passion for the already beloved role-playing game that can be seen all over the Internet, particularly through real-world recreations of its content.Final Fantasy 7’s lead character Cloud Strife has inspired much of that creativity thanks to his large, iconic Buster Sword, but one fan’s take on the character goes above and beyond the call of duty.
Reddit user ManticMistvein uploaded a short gif showcasing their Cloud Strife cosplay to the r/gaming subreddit earlier today, complete with the armored shoulder pad, ridiculous spiky anime hair, and a life-sized Buster Sword. The cosplayer said their goal was to “define those in-game physics” through the look, which is apparent by how easily their Cloud is able to carry, unhook, and wield it despite thebuster sword not being recreated using cardboardas other fans have attempted in the past.
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In the comments of the post, Mistvein said that the sword is actually “just extremely light” despite looking fairly metallic, as it is “structured like a LARP weapon with a fiberglass core” and EVA foam. Apparently this is the third version of the sword they have created, and with it they could “actually hit people … without having to fear that it might break,” which helps their cosplay rank among other well-made outfits like aGeralt of Rivia cosplay created forThe Witcher 3’s fifth anniversary.
One of the challenges of creating the weapon was the fact that it has holes in the center, according to Mistvein. Because of that, they were not able to just start with a fiberglass rod and work around it as they might have withCloud’s other weapons fromFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. When asked about the possibility of making a tutorial for the Buster Sword in particular, Mistvein said, “I’ll make work of it.”
The characters and weapons fromFinal Fantasy 7have become so iconic that they have been recreated in other video games as well as real life. For instance, there are plenty ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeoutfits forAnimal Crossing: New Horizonscirculating the Internet that let players dress like Cloud, Tifa, and others.
As a result of that popularity, the remake was one of the hottest commodities on the gaming market earlier this year.Final Fantasy 7 RemakeandCall of Dutytopped the NPD sales chartin April, so it’s not hard to see why fans like Mistvein are coming out of the woodwork with some incredible cosplays to show off.
