One stunning cosplay has combined two beloved characters from Final Fantasy 7 into one cohesive creation, featuring a mashup of Cloud Strife from FF7 and Link from the Zelda franchise. Although it seems like this combination really shouldn't work, it comes together extremely well.

Forsaken_Building_76 on Reddit shared their impressive cosplay, which combines elements from each character into one. The cosplay includes Link's iconic green hat and elfen ears, and Cloud's massive buster sword, shoulder guard, bracer, and his various belts and straps, redesigned to include the instantly recognizable emblems and designs of Zelda. The shoulder guard sports a rendition of the Hylian Shield, complete with a colorful raised printing of the Hyrule Crest, while the weapon reimagines Link's Master Sword as a Buster Sword.

The photos, expertly captured by Gabefreeland on Instagram, further bring the creation to life. The photos capture Cloud-Link posing in various battle-ready stances, and the blurred backgrounds make the central character pop out at the viewer. Some of the photos also make use of reflections, for a gorgeous view of the cosplayer standing above his own mirror image.

They May Have More In Common Than You Realize

Link and Cloud don't have too much in common at first glance. FF7's protagonist Cloud Strife is a brooding mercenary who takes some time to warm up to his companions. He appears only in the world of Final Fantasy 7 and its related spinoffs and remakes.

Link, on the other hand, is a silent but significantly less brooding protagonist. He exists across many different Legend of Zelda games, each one offering a slightly different version of the green-clad hero. In each title, though, Link is shown to be a valiant hero who wears his heart on his sleeve more often than not.

Link looks scared as the Master Sword from Zelda Tears of the Kingdom shines behind him.
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A deeper dive into their games, though, shows that they may be more related than it appears. At the very least, both characters are sword-wielding baddies tasked with saving the world. Besides this, the Final Fantasy 7 remakes have opened up the possibility of multiple versions of Cloud existing across different timelines, much like Link and his multitude of games.

The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy 7 influenced many younger players, bringing them into the vast world of video games. There's a certain nostalgia that's connected to both, and cosplayer Forsaken_Building_76 and photographer Gabefreeland capture this feeling perfectly in their collaboration.

Source: Forsaken_Building_76/Reddit, Gabefreeland/IG