Summary

After years ofFinal Fantasy 7fans begging,Square Enixfinally gave them the remake they’d been asking for in 2020. But Square Enix didn’t just stop at a little graphical overhaul, instead, they rebuilt the game from the ground up, making major story and gameplay changes and splitting it into three parts. While some of these changes have been controversial, there’s no denying the success of both Remake and Rebirth.

Final Fantasy 7is one ofthe most influential turn-based JRPGsever made for many reasons, but one of the biggest is its epic story. The game gave us some of the best, and most iconic, characters in the genre and the Remake universe has worked hard to give them even more depth. Changes have been made to each character, but they remain the same deep down and Square Enix has kept the basics, like their heights, the same.Since Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth isn’t out on PC yet, we’ve avoided major story spoilers for that game, but expect some for the almost 30-year-old original.

57

184cm (6'0")

Former Turk

Let’s kick things off with the oldest main character in the games, in quite some way. Technically, Vincent is 57 years old but it looks like he’s still in his twenties thanks to the experiments carried out on him by Hojo. These experiments which fused Vincent with protomateria gave Vincent special abilities like strength, speed, and endurance. Meant to resemble a vampire (he even sleeps in a coffin), Vincent’s most impressive ability is shapeshifting into a terrifying demonic form.

Vincent only joins the party towards the end ofRebirth, which was a bit disappointing considering how heavily his presence in the game was teased.Thankfully, much like Red XIII plays a bigger role inRebirththan inRemake, that looks to be true for Vincent. He was a popular enough character back in the early 2000s to get his own game, one ofthe best in the Final Fantasy 7 universe, so we’re sure he’ll be a major party member in the third game. He has a really interesting tragic backstory and the potential for some of the coolest moves in the series.

48

120 cm (3'9")

None

Red XIII joined the Remake universe at the end of the first game but plays a much larger role inRebirth. He’s an interesting character because he’s technically 48 years old but is much younger mentally thanks to the fact his species ages really slowly. Early on in the game, he attempts to act more mature than he really is, but following the events at Cosmo Canyon, he’s more willing to let his true colors shine. We won’t spoil those events here, but Red XIII’s backstory is one of the things that makes him one ofFinal Fantasy’s best non-human characters.

In the game, Red XIII is a versatile character whose playstyle revolves around balancing attack and defense to make the most of his Vengeance Mode. He’s a speedy character who uses fast claw and fang attacks which are amped by his headdress. Red XIII was always one of the best characters from the original games, and it’s good to seeRebirthdo him justice.

35

197cm (6'6")

Avalanche Cell Leader

RebirthandRemakehave made a lot of changes toFinal Fantasy 7’sstory but haven’t changed the main characters that much. Barret is the exception to that rule.The originalFinal Fantasy 7is an amazing game, but its portrayal of Barret, the only black character, was problematic at best and definitely dated by today’s standards.Both new games have made his personality more nuanced and focused on making him feel like a real character rather than a stereotype.

As the oldest human main character, Barret plays a father role to both his adopted daughter Marlene and the group as a whole. In the original, he was the leader of AVALANCHE, but in the remake, he is the leader of an AVALANCHE cell, one that doesn’t get on well with the organization at large. Rebirth also made significant changes to Barret’s backstory and what happens when he finally reunites with Dyne. In combat, Barret uses his machine gun arm to take out enemies at range andhas plenty of cool gun-arm skills to choose from.

27-30

200 cm (6' 7")

Former SOLDIER First Class

Sephiroth is the villain who needs no introduction. Ever since his appearance in the originalFinal Fantasy 7, he’s been one ofSquare Enix’s best villains. While we don’t want to spoilRebirth’sstory, it’s safe to say he’s an even bigger threat this time and has his sights set on a much grander goal. He’s playable duringRebirth’sopening chapter, which is awesome, and he haunts Cloud throughout the game.We’ve estimated him at around 27–30 years old, considering he’s around 25 during the events at Nibelheim, which are roughly 5 years before the game takes place.His height is sometimes listed as being shorter, but he’s usually portrayed as taller to make him more intimidating.

Sephiroth was famously the greatest member of SOLDIER and a Shinra hero before his turn to madness and villainy. His swordsmanship with Masamune is second to none. After being enhanced by the Jenova project, Sephiroth became a magical powerhouse with deep ties to the planet and its lifestream. An even bigger threat than ever before, it’s exciting to see where the third installment of the remakes will take one ofFinal Fantasy’smost iconic villains.

100 cm (3'4")

Toysaurus/ Spy

Cait Sith has always been one ofFinal Fantasy 7’smore complex characters. In both versions, he joins the party at the Golden Saucer and takes the former of an adorable black and white cat riding around on a giant stuffed Moogle toy. He’s a jolly little fellow and tends to lighten up the mood and even hasthe power of fortune-telling.Unfortunately, he’s also a big phony who only joins the team so that he can spy on them for Shinra.

You see Cait Sith is just an animatronic puppet being controlled by Shinra employee Reeve.Rebirthplays around with this now well-known twist in interesting ways and has turned the little traitor into one of the game’s most likable characters. His redemption is handled particularly well. In the original game, Cait Sith was one of the weaker characters, but inRebirthhe’s a lot of fun to control, and his luck-based attacks can buff party members and dish out the damage.

23

185 cm (6'1")

SOLDIER

Zack Fair first appeared briefly in the originalFinal Fantasy 7before getting his own (excellent) prequel spin-off. All we’re going to say about his role inRebirthis that he’s briefly playable and his inclusion in the game will get his fans very excited. Zack was an up-and-coming member of SOLDIER back when Cloud was just a grunt and, in many ways, represented the kind of hero the young Cloud wanted to be.

Zack wielded Cloud’s iconic Buster sword before him and was the one who rescued Cloud from Shinra Mansion.He originally died just before the events ofFinal Fantasy 7, but the Remake universe is doing interesting things with timelines. Like Zack, he’s adept at both magic and melee combat, but he has a slightly different fighting style. With his positive outlook, sense of humor, and irresistible charm, Zack has been a fan-favorite character for a long time and served as Aerith’s original love interest.

22

163cm (5'4")

Florist

Aerith is first introduced in both the original game andRemakeas a harmless florist working in the Sector Five slums. A light-hearted, caring young woman, she grows flowers in a ruined church and sells them to the people, hoping to lift their spirits. It’s soon revealed she’s wanted by Shinra due to the fact she’s the last surviving member of the Cetra, an ancient race with close ties to the Life Stream. She also serves as a love interest to both Cloud and Zack and is responsible for lightening the mood when things get too dark.

Sadly, anyone who played the original knows Aerith’s ultimate fate. It’s one of the most important scenes in video game history. In the original, as well as Remake and Rebirth, she’s one of the party’s most powerful mages, particularly adept at healing magic. Aerith is slightly older than Cud and Tifa and possesses wisdom beyond her years.

21

173cm (5'8")

Mercenary

Cloud is the original spiky-haired, grumpy reluctant hero JRPG protagonist. In both the original andRemakeuniverses, he starts out as a total grouch who only works with the others to make some Gil before gradually growing into the role of hero and leader.AsFinal Fantasy’s most iconic character,he’s famous for wielding his oversized Buster Sword and his close personal rivalry with Sephiroth.

While Cloud seems a little one-note at first, he has one heck of a backstory. He paints himself (and believes himself) to be a high-ranking member of SOLDIER turned mercenary, but the truth is he was never more than a grunt who became enhanced after receiving a heavy Mako dose. The original game did an awesome job of fleshing out Cloud’s character, somethingRemakeandRebirthhave only improved upon. In battle, Cloud is melee-focused, switching between his operator and punisher modes to slice up enemies. Cloud is arguably the most famous JRPG protagonist of all time and the new games have only made him an even better character.

20

167cm (5'6")

Bartender, AVALANCHE Member

It would be easy to dismiss Tifa as Cloud’s childhood sweetheart and romantic interest, but she’s always been much more. Tifa might come across as shy, but she can get pretty feisty and is a total badass. She’s fiercely loyal and in the original game played a major role in protecting Cloud after his dip in the lifestream. Tifa is capable of leading when necessary and always has her friends' backs in a fight.

Trained by Zangan Tifa is a master martial artist.Wielding knuckles and claws, Tifa takes out enemies with a host of lightning-fast punches and kicks. The more aggressive the player plays, the more powerful Tifa becomes in combat, making her one of the best short-range fighters in bothRemakeandRebirth. Both new games have added more depth to Tifa’s already impressive character, elevating her far above being just another love interest.

16

160 cm (5'2")

Thief, Materia Hunter, Ninja

Yuffie was one of the original game’s most annoying characters. An optional, recruitable character, she had a nasty habit of stealing from the party and tended to be a bit of a brat. In the new games, she was introduced as the protagonist ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’sINTERmissionDLC and has proven to be a much more likable character.In the new game, she’s more cheeky than bratty and has a much stronger relationship with Cloud.

Yuffie is introduced much earlier inRebirththan she was in the original game and becomes a permanent party member partway through the story. Her motivations and loyalty to Wutai are much better fleshed out, and it’s even revealed she had a crush on a SOLDIER member (probably Zack).In battle, Yuffie wields a giant shuriken and combines short-range and long-range attacks while using elemental ninjutsu to exploit enemy weaknesses.She’s a ton of fun to play and arguably one of Rebrith’s most OP characters. All around she’s a much better character in the remakes than the originalFF7.