DEATH BATTLE: Ichigo Kurosaki VS Cloud Strife

Bleach vs Final Fantasy VII

Connections:

Both are stoic, spiky-haired protagonists from Japanese mediums (anime/manga and video games) and are considered substitutes to another person (Ichigo is a Substitute Soul Reaper who can become a Shinigami by either absorbing another one's powers or passe the Trials of the Shattered Shaft. Cloud has gain Zack Fair's memories due to the Jenova's cells and Mako poisoning and mistook them as his own, causing Cloud to have an identity crisis)

Both use massive swords (Zangetsu and Fusion Sword respectively) and utilize spiritual energy (Reiryoku and Materia respectively)

Both are part of a massive organization (Ichigo's team and Avalanche respectively) and are close friends to a kind-hearted female who are healers (Aerith Gainsborough and Orihime Inoue respectively) and another black-haired female whom they tag along (Rukia Kuchiki and Tifa Lockhart respectively)

Both also have an arch-nemesis who are arrogant, manipulative and sees everyone else as pawns or beneath them (Sosuke Aizen and Sephiroth respectively), even going as far to harm those closes to them in front of their eyes (Sosuke injuring Ichigo's father Isshin and Sephiroth killing Aerith). They have fought them several times, but the villains were so powerful at that point that they needed to bust out the big guns to defeat them (Ichigo using Mugetsu to severely weaken Aizen long enough for Urahara's seal to take effect and Cloud using Omnislash Version 5 with Fusion Sword to best Sephiroth) and tanking one of their strongest attacks prior to that (Hado 90: Kurohitsugi and Supernova respectively)