Name:	Zack Strife
	Origin:	Desert Of The Dead
	Alignment:	Good

Zack Strife (Real name "Claude Strife") is probably the most kind hearted of the bunch despite his horrid past. He was with the group of drifters that had unknowingly stumbled upon the Valley of the Promised, and he and his brother (Zack) were the only survivors and were captured and tortured by the Senate for an extended ordeal. Finally, before the real Zack would break under torture, they managed to escape the Senate-city of Zion and trekked by car across the desert towards Midgar. It was when they were within miles of Zion that the real Zack was killed by a rival band of drifters. Claude managed to survive and made it to Midgar, and took his brother's name and part of his personality (apparently he cracked a little under the Senate's torture). Since then Zack has become allies with many characters, especially Sephiroth X and Bax. But making friendships has also become part of the pain in Zack's life as of recently. The length of time his "happy" personality will last under the conditions is unknown.

Appearance: (Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII) 5’6” human male, approximately 16 Earth years old, though he thinks he's 18. Blonde spiky hair. Amazingly bright blue eyes, which express such a strong range of emotion that they may be overwhelming to look into. Half the time, they seem far too old, world-worn, and pained to belong in his youthful face. The other half of the time, they hold innocence and hope, like a child who has never really grown up. His features are handsome, with a magnetic draw, though his mood can make him seem anything from cute (like a kitty ^_^) to intimidating. His physique is not overly buff, but is obviously solid, strong, and flexible. He has something extra strong within him, however, since nobody with arms like his should be able to wield his giant sword with the ease he does. He also wears a dark blue sleeveless turtle-neck, thick armored belt, military issue pants, and metal wrist guards. His arms have a great deal of various scars, including burns, stabs, slashes, and scratch-marks. He’s clearly survived some hard times.

Personality: Good (Most of the time ;) ) Usually extremely optimistic and silly. Ranging vastly from friendly and outgoing, to shy and uncertain. Sometimes he may seem standoffish and cold, or downright angry… but when it all comes down to it, he obviously cares deeply for those in need of help. The inconsistency of when, why, and how much is what may be confusing. He also seems to have a dark side which favors conflict… yet this may just be a façade to build a tougher image of himself.

Weapon of Choice: Buster Sword (named: Fjalar)

Fighting Style: Swordsman (Though also proficient at hand-to-hand)

Unique/Signature Moves:
Cast Thunder: With a special stone equipped either on his arm guards or his sword (holding these stones in the bare hands is dangerous), Zack can disturb the air above an enemy enough to agitate a bolt of lightning from above, striking with damaging electric shock and burning heat. The strength of the bolt depends upon the condition of the atmosphere at the time; inside a building, for example, it may only be enough to cause a moment of searing pain. Outdoors, the hotter the air, the more intense the effect. Finally, during a thunderstorm already occurring, the bolt can be instant overkill and even cause a fire in the area, but in turn, the aim is difficult to control.

Cast Ice: With an equipped Ice Stone, Zack can send a wave of energy at the enemy which encases them in a layer of ice, chilling and temporarily stopping or slowing them. The enemy must expend some of their strength to burst the encasement, and depending on their weaknesses, they may be slowed for quite a while due to the intense cold exposure. If the encasement is not burst, then the target will be put into cold-sleep, able to be revived slowly with heat. They will certainly be pretty cold for a while afterwards.

Cross-slash: A small bit of Zack’s will enters the blade, and culminates in both sword and fire damage. He makes four angled cuts at the enemy, which trail in the air leaving a cross of fire for a moment. (The “X” is suspended in a segmented square, something like:
|_X¯| ).

Spirit-Slash: A substantial part of Zack’s own fighting spirit is channeled into the sword. This is quite draining, but provides an extremely powerful attack; Zack’s strong emotions can create an extreme impact.

Omnislash: A long, rapid series of Spirit-Slashes in quick succession. A last-resort attack of rage, which leaves him almost totally vulnerable after usage. However, should it be effective, the weak period does not matter; this destructive, berserk attack could very well leave the enemy in bloodied shreds.

Misc:
-Due to the width and strength of the Buster Sword, Fjalar can be used as a shield as well as a weapon.
-Personality stuff: May act cocky and confident at times, even showy… But in reality, he does it to cover up his extremely low self-image and insecurities. He tries to appear outgoing and casual in order to hide his doubts or weaknesses. In the end, however, he is much stronger than he gives himself credit for.
He just might classify as insane