After years in development, Square Enix finally released the highly-anticipated remake of its classic 1997 game, Final Fantasy 7. As expected, Final Fantasy 7 remake brought several changes to the game, offering a fresh experience for players while retaining most of the game’s major plot points. Several months prior to the game’s release last week, Square Enix confirmed that it would be recasting the voice actor for Cloud Strife, along with all of the other characters.

For seventeen years now, voice actor Steve Burton has been providing voice work for Cloud making Square Enix’s decision to replace him disappointing to some. However, the new cast of voice actors that are giving life to Final Fantasy 7’s iconic characters comprises of seasoned veterans in their respective fields and are tasked to usher in Final Fantasy 7 remake to a whole new generation of players. But who is the new voice actor of Cloud Strife, and why does he sound so familiar?

Cody Christian Takes Over as Cloud Strife

As it turns out, Cody Christian takes over the role of Cloud Strife from Steve Burton. Although Final Fantasy 7 remake is Christian’s first major video game voice work, he is a seasoned actor who has appeared in numerous films and television shows. It is currently unclear why Square Enix decided to replace longtime Cloud voice actor Steve Burton for Final Fantasy 7 remake, especially since Burton was initially reported to be reprising his role in the remake.

Of course, many are saddened by the departure of Burton, who is considered by longtime Final Fantasy fans to be the man who gave life to the iconic character. However, upon the confirmation of the new cast of voice actors, Burton released a heartfelt statement that thanked Square Enix for the opportunity. He also congratulated and wished Cody Christian all the best for taking over the character, whom he has voiced for many years. While many will have their preference of which actor provided the better voice work for Cloud, it appears that Christian did an excellent job in Final Fantasy 7 remake. However, several fans have noticed that the new voice of Cloud in Final Fantasy 7 is familiar.

For those who are wondering why Cloud Strife’s voice in the remake is familiar, then they have probably seen some of Cody Christian’s popular TV shows and films. As previously mentioned, Final Fantasy 7 remake is Christian’s first work in a major video game. However, the actor has been featured in several hit films and TV shows, most notably in MTV’s Teen Wolf reboot series. Starring in 29 episodes from 2015-2017, Cody Christian played the role of Theo Raeken, who made his first appearance in the show’s fifth season. Theo was the first Chimera created by the Dread Doctors, who was able to complete his transformation without rejection.

Apart from Teen Wolf, Cody Christian is also known for his recurring role in the series Pretty Little Liars, where he played the character of Mike Montgomery, the younger brother of Aria Montgomery. On the other hand, Christian has also been featured in a handful of feature films such as 2018’s Assassination Nation, and the 2016 survival thriller film, Submerged. Some of Christian’s recent work includes a recurring role in the popular TV series All American. 

And that solves the mystery as to why Cloud Strife’s new voice actor sounds so familiar. Of course, playing one of the most iconic characters in the video game industry would certainly open many doors for Cody Christian in the field of voice acting. While it is currently unclear what his next work as a voice actor will be, hopefully Final Fantasy 7 will not be his last.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is out now for the PlayStation 4.