The fan-favorite, Final Fantasy VII, has come a long way from its initial release in 1997 on the Playstation 1. After 23 years, the series is finally back with better graphics, amazing voice work, a reworked battle system, and new looks for its beloved cast of characters. But don’t worry too much; the updated character models all keep the main components that give each character their iconic look.
From the main cast to the minor characters in the remake’s first installment, here are all the Final Fantasy VII: Remake character models compared side by side with their original models (cutscene renders, in-game models, battle models, and character/concept art all included!).
20 Cloud Strife
The beloved protagonist, Cloud Strife, definitely made sure not to change too much for his fans. With a single look at his original model, perhaps some may have had some doubts that this particular hairstyle wouldn’t look so great in a more realistic render. Not too far from Cloud’s look from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children released in 2005, Cloud’s look surprisingly made a successful transition and he’s as dashing as ever.
A few notable differences lie within the details that are finally visible on Cloud’s newer model: the bolts on his shoulder, his turtleneck, and his earrings to name a few.
19 Aerith Gainsborough
There was a bit of a stir when fans finally saw Aerith’s Remake model. Apparently, some Japanese fans weren’t as happy with Aerith’s new look. While Western audiences generally liked her new design, a Reddit thread and YouTube video were made all in honor of explaining Aerith’s fiasco. It seems as if Japanese fans disapproved of the proportions of Remake Aerith’s face, elongating it; claiming it made her look “too old” or no longer attractive.
Previous renditions made her seem youthful with a small “cat-like” face, with her features being more centered. However, new Aerith does have different facial proportions and may seem to look a little older than her original model.
Don’t worry, Aerith, you’re still a fan favorite, new look or old. Not even everyone’s favorite flower girl can fit every beauty standard out there.
18 Tifa Lockhart
Fortunately, Tifa’s reveal went a bit smoother than Aerith’s. Her gloves may look like a slightly different color and her bangs may be styled a bit differently from her original in-game model, but once again, Square Enix did fans justice by keeping Tifa fairly true to her former self.
All the main details are present, even down to the details only visible on her art; such as her earrings and elbow pads. 2020 Tifa now sports thigh-high socks, a black undershirt under her white tank top, and has a much more detailed skirt.
However, as with any changes to something iconic, comes the resistance of it. Although many were pleased with Tifa’s new look, some die-hard fans were insistent on having her original look in the remake and even started a petition to support their cause. These poor girls can’t catch a break!
17 Barret Wallace
Some of mighty Barret’s most notable differences between his original art and his Remake model were his addition of sunglasses and the tank he now wears under his vest. Barret’s tattoo has also been altered slightly, but all of his most distinct features remain in his 2020 model.
16 Sephiroth
One of the most iconic villains of all time is finally back and couldn’t wait to make his appearance. Rather than keeping fans waiting, installment after installment, for his first appearance, Sephiroth decides to pop in for a quick hello every now and then during the first part of Final Fantasy VII: Remake much to Cloud’s dismay.
All the right fine points are there; his clothing looks like his art brought to life, his cat-like eyes have that famous mako glow, and he’s just as handsome as everyone had first envisioned him to be. However, his hair in the remake did seem to be a bit looser and natural-looking. Maybe Sephiroth decided to ditch the hardcore hair gel for his return and opted for some mousse instead.
15 Red XIII
Nothing but the best for the best boy: Red XIII. His transition over to the PS4 remake was a smooth one. Maybe a bit less orange and more red, but he’s easily recognizable as himself. Red looks great and fluffier than ever!
14 Marlene Wallace
Although not a major character, who could forget about Marlene? Barret’s adorable daughter gets more time in the spotlight and so they made sure to make her new character model as cute as possible, and it seems as if they’ve succeeded with flying colors.
Marlene kept her signature look: pink dress and yellow bow. Now sporting a slightly shorter hairstyle, Marlene is just as distinct of a character as she was in the 1997 original.
13 Biggs
Avalanche was rumored to have a much bigger role in the 2020 remake and of course with a bigger role comes new and improved character designs. But these redesigns aren’t drastically different. In fact, they still somehow kept them as true to their former models as possible with still looking fresh and modern. Leader Biggs still sports all his iconic colors. His hairstyle may be fixed to be a bit more flattering but he’s still the Biggs fans know and love.
12 Jessie Rasberry
Tifa vs. Aerith has always been a heated discussion when fans should also consider Jessie deserving of the title as well. Jessie’s art has always been cute but her in-game model lacked detail. The 2020 remake truly brought Jessie to life, keeping her signature hairstyle, her bandana, even down to the detail of her eye color. This time around, the Avalance crew was going to get their time to shine, and with Jessie’s new redesign, Square Enix made sure that all eyes were on her.
11 Wedge
Wedge also got the same treatment his friends Biggs and Jessie did; keep all the most distinct features and bring them to life. His new model for the remake did fans justice and let Wedge himself know he didn’t need to change a thing to have a bigger role in Cloud’s story.
10 Don Corneo
It goes to say that either version of Don Corneo is just a little bit creepy. Whether it be on PS1 or PS4, the greasy Don Corneo keeps his image of sleazy mafia leader up with ease.
9 Heidegger
Aside from the color shift from “Christmas green” to a much more mellow dark one on his coat, a cool new scar, and deciding to give his beard a trim, Heidegger upholds his previous look in the original game.
8 Rufus Shinra
Rufus seems to have decided to dress up a bit more for his return; adding more pleats and layers to his coat as well as some more distinct grey accents to his outfit. The details on his coat are much more intricate than the all-white look of his battle model and more closely represent the look of his concept art.
7 President Shinra
The very elusive President Shinra decided to ditch the red suit for a black one and also gave his signature mustache a trim in the process.
6 Reno
Reno kept things simple, changing his blue suit for a black one and adding a bit of fanservice for the girls (and guys) as it seems like he’s decided to unbutton two buttons of his dress shirt instead of one.
5 Rude
Luckily for developers and the character design department, Rude was one of the easier characters to reimagine due to the simplicity of his original character model.
4 Tseng
While Tseng’s original in-game model may have some differences compared to his newer one, his art seems to be a splitting image of his redesign.
3 Reeve Tuesti
Reeve’s angry brows were ditched for the remake and were replaced by some very chic facial hair instead.
2 Scarlet
All of Scarlet’s main points were kept true to the game. However, she decided to change her jewelry up just a bit as both her earrings and pendant are different in color from the original.
1 Professor Hojo
A few stray strands of hair and the absence of his gold buttons are all that really makes Professor Hojo’s character model differ from his original 1997 version.
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