Swords

Cloud starts off with this rather clumsy-looking sword that defines his image. Unless you manage to steal a Hardedge early on, this will have to do Cloud until he finally leaves Midgar. That's not to say it's worthless; the Buster Sword packs a respectable punch. The motif of oversized swords continues throughout, and this is not the largest one he will wield.

A worthy replacement for the Buster Sword, this much more conventional-looking blade may be purchased from Kalm after leaving Midgar and offers a valuable extra Materia slot. If you missed stealing a Hardedge in Midgar, then this will have to do until Junon.

Essential equipment, notable for both its unusual appearance and its appearance early on; Steal one of these babies from the third class SOLDIERs in the Shinra HQ and you may never need another sword^*. You cannot return to this area once you leave, so be sure to take the sword if you need the extra attack power.
^*Well, for a while.

One of the most evil-looking swords you could ever want to lay eyes upon, the Force Stealer's unusual design belies its true power: Double Materia growth. Perform well in the military sendoff in Junon and this will be yours. The lack of linked slots may be a drawback, however.

A solid mid-range sword in all respects, with decent power and a decent set of Materia slots. Butterfly Edges may be purchased in Cosmo Canyon, and provide Cloud with the strength he needs until the later superweapons turn up. They also look quite pretty, and aren't going to embarrass you in front of the enemy party.

Found shortly after obtaining the Butterfly Edge, in a chest tucked away on Mt. Nibel, the Rune Blade is strengthwise almost identical to its sister Butterfly Edge. Its draw is its double Materia growth, for which it trades the Edge's paired slots for singles. If support materia isn't important, then this effectively becomes AP on tap.

Found in Gaea's Cliff, just outside the exit to the second cave, this sword has very little attack power for when it becomes available. However, only two swords have four paired Materia slots, and only this one allows them to grow. If Cloud is in a magical role and strength isn't much of an issue, then this blade allows for some useful Materia setups and combinations. Just beware that you may be missing out on one of his best assets as a fighter.

The cursed brother (legendarily speaking; it carries no actual curse) to Sephiroth's Masamune, the Murasame is a powerful beast which offers a significant improvement over the Butterfly Edge. Unless the double AP power of the Rune Blade is required, this pointy number will have Cloud cleaving his way through everything.

This sleek blade is the property of an old man in the centre of Rocket Town. Look up at the rocket with him, and he'll reward your patience by giving you the sword. This sword will avenge dead characters by doing twice as much damage when a party member is KO'd. The price you pay, however, is high with a hideous Materia option.

Ouch. Look at it. Just look at it. One quick thrust and twist and you can say goodbye to your pension plan. Available for purchase from the Icicle Inn weaponsmiths, this jagged piece of metal costs a pretty penny but easily trounces anything else Cloud may have equipped.

Found if you get knocked off the clockface in the Temple of the Ancients, the Nail Bat is very strong for its time but somewhat lacking in the Materia department. In that is has none at all. Unless Materia is an issue, or you're bothered about Cloud's credibility, this vicious bit of kit will last for a very long time.

A superb weapon with heavy attack power and a strong Materia capability. The Crystal Sword is good for both physical and magical Clouds, and has the strength to last for quite some time. Though only slightly more useful than the Organics, it has the added bonus of looking a bit like the Master Sword. It can be purchased from the weapon shop in Mideel.

A successful party thrives on Materia, and there's nothing Materia likes more than AP. If you have some magical orbs in need of powering up, look no further than the triple growth offered by this Rorschach-esque sword. To obtain this raw AP power, work your way through the puzzle of the Ancient Forest.

There comes a time in everyone's life when they have to choose between power and Materia combos. This is such a time. Insanely powerful, and easily stronger than anything else for miles around, this sword's only failing is its lack of paired slots. The Heaven's Cloud can be found in the first chest inside the Gelnika; If you are of a nervous disposition, get out of there as soon as possible.

Effectively the most powerful sword you'll ever need to use, the Ragnarok goes well with the Apocalypse (appropriately enough). When AP is required yesterday, its brother still works out as the better weapon, but for all other purposes it's time to unleash the twilight of the gods.

The strongest weapon in existence, Ultima Weapon will carve through anything and still hold enough Materia to put Yuffie in a coma. The power and glow of the blade is directly proportional to Cloud's current HP, so be sure to keep him healed in order to deal the most damage. If AP growth isn't an issue, then prove yourself worthy of this blade by finding its namesake in various locations around the world and defeating it in battle.