[case a] A Family Connection?

There are some in the FFVII fandom who believe that Rufus Shinra and Cloud Strife may be related - usually, as half-brothers. There is no evidence in the game, but it is an interesting theory.

There are a few supporting bits of evidence. One is the resemblance between the two - unusual in a Squaresoft game unless the creators are really trying to hint at something (e.g. the relationship between Squall Leonhart and Laguna Loire in FFVIII).

Another piece is the fact that Cloud says 'he never really fit in' in Nibelheim, which hints that he and his mother may have moved to the small town from somewhere else and are newcomers in a close-knit community. This may have been because his mother was forced to move here when she became pregnant with Cloud - perhaps she moved from Midgar where she worked at Shinra Inc., the number one employer in the big city. We don't know; Square is very sparing with any facts about Cloud's mother, besides the fact that Cloud appears to have inherited her hair.