Final Fantasy VII has some of the most beloved characters in the entire franchise. Some of them are even better in the game’s 2020 remake. Unfortunately, however, not everybody made it in which makes sense since the game only covers the Midgar section of the story.
So, in celebration of its release, let’s go back and think about the nine party members. Ranking them will be based less on combat as Limit Breaks are really the only differing meters and more on personality, importance to the story and design. And yes, there will be spoilers.
Updated March 25, 2021, by Thomas Bowen: Although there’s still no solid news on when part two of Final Fantasy VII Remake will be ready for release, the PS5 version of the game will bring with it a few new DLC chapters and the return of a much loved character. Yuffie’s role in the original game was somewhat limited due to her being an optional party member and so fans will be hoping that the upcoming content will do more to flesh out her character and the nation of Wutai from which she hails.
9 Cait Sith
Age: 35 (Reeve)
Birth Year: 1972 (Reeve)
Height: 3’4″
Cait Sith is one of the strangest characters to team up with the game’s rag-tag group of adventurers; first doing so after apprehending Cloud at the Gold Saucer prior to the party’s journey to the Temple of the Ancients. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, it ends up betraying them, although does manage to redeem itself a little later on.
It’s eventually revealed that the anthropomorphic plush toy is actually being controlled by Reeve and the Shinra executive seems somewhat sympathetic to the party’s cause. Despite its interesting design and curious backstory though, it is fairly underwhelming in battle. Its Slots Limit Break can be deadly, but only if it lands on triple seven.
8 Red XIII
Age: 48
Birth Year: 1959
Height: 3’9″
Red XIII is almost on the same tier of ridiculousness as Cait Sith. Yes, this is a world of magic, but talking critters can feel weird to some players even in an JRPG. It can really break the immersion, although seeing the character pretending to be a human while dressed in a sailor suit arguably makes up for this.
He has more consistent Limit Breaks than Cait Sith, although none really stand out when compared to those of the other party members. The one thing that does earn him some bonus points though is his deeper role in the story. It’s also because of the feline that players get to meet Bugenhagen; one of the most bizarre characters in Final Fantasy history.
7 Barret Wallace
Age: 35
Date of Birth: December 15th, 1972
Height: 6’6″
Why so low? Well, in the original game Barret can come across as a real blowhard. Sure, the fact that he has a little girl sweetens him up a touch, but other than that, he’s just a little too generic. He does feel important early on, but as more characters are introduced and the story drifts away from AVALANCHE, he becomes less essential.
One thing that does give Barret an edge, however, is his battle prowess. Having a gunner on the team is great for ranged combat; especially during the later encounters with foes like Ultimate WEAPON. His interactions with Red XIII and Cloud also provide some humerus moments, although after the North Corel section of the game, he starts to takes more of a back seat.
6 Yuffie Kisaragi
Age: 16
Date of Birth: November 20th, 1991
Height: 5’2″
Yuffie’s inclusion as an optional party member came during an era when it was difficult to get information about a game without splashing out on its official strategy guide. As a result, it was very easy to miss out on recruiting Yuffie. Even if players did manage to find her by chance, selecting the correct dialogue choices could be a real trial in and of itself.
Recruiting her to the party isn’t too tough a task these days and is definitely worth the effort to do so. Her young, spunky attitude brings a whole new dynamic to the group and her ties with Wutai help to provide some much needed backstory for the under fire nation.
5 Aerith Gainsborough
Age: 22
Date of Birth: February 7th, 1985
Height: 5’4″
Aerith is, of course, very important to the story. She is literally the Jesus figure that sacrifices herself so that she can use Holy to heal the planet and stop Sephiroth’s evil plan. In cut-scenes and during gameplay though, well, she’s a little milquetoast.
All of her abilities revolve around healing or buffing the party, which, although useful, is far from exciting. She also feels like a bad fit for Cloud and her motives for going along with him are never fully explained. Her history with Zack makes it all the weirder, especially considering that Cloud and Zack were friends before the latter’s death.
4 Tifa Lockhart
Age: 20
Date of Birth: May 3rd, 1987
Height: 5’6″
Having grown up in the same backwater town as Cloud, Tifa is almost as integral to the game’s plot as the main protagonist himself. She was there for some of the key moments from his past and it’s because of this that she’s able to help him recover from his Mako poisoning after he falls into the Lifestream. She’s a talented fighter too which helps out a lot during earlier stages of the game.
She is a capable combatant from the get go and becomes stronger still with the aid of her incredible Slot-Fu Limit Breaks. She brings the heat to the table and even becomes the game’s main protagonist for a short period too. There’s also the slap fight with Scarlet, which is arguably one of her finest moments in the game.
3 Cid Highwind
Age: 32
Date of Birth: February 22nd, 1975
Height: 5’10”
Cid and Barret are pretty similar when it comes to their personalities. They both love to swear, although Cid has a more crotchety attitude than his gun-armed colleague. The would be astronaut got burned pretty badly by Shinra in his younger days and it still eats him up inside despite many years having passed.
This does not excuse his treatment of Shera by any means, but he eventually does learn from his mistakes. He is a beast in battle and one of the strongest Cid characters in any of the Final Fantasy games. His final Limit Breaks are also pretty cool, in particular, the one where he calls up to the Highwind for a missile barrage.
2 Vincent Valentine
Age: 57
Date of Birth: October 13th, 1950
Height: 6′ 0″
Vincent is the game’s second optional character, although has a much weaker connection to the game’s plot than Yuffie. Bringing him along during certain sections of the game will add additional dialogue though, like the one with Hojo after the party returns to Midgar. He also has a secret rendezvous with Lucrecia, although his backstory remains fairly underdeveloped until the release of other games in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.
Point is, not much happens with him and as his Limit Breaks aren’t controllable, he can be pretty useless in battle. So what makes him so cool? Honestly, it’s just his looks and incredibly mysterious past. He is the epitome of 90s anime and RPG characters and it’s hard not to love him for that.
1 Cloud Strife
Age: 21
Date of Birth: August 11th, 1986
Height: 5’8″
Cloud is perhaps the safe bet here, but it really would be difficult to pick anyone else as the best character in the game. His combat skills are first class and his attitude is badass. What really puts him at the top of the pile for most though is his personal journey throughout the game.
Amnesia-ridden characters had been done before and have been done since, but his revelation of stolen identity is still one the biggest surprises in gaming history. Plus, his legacy beyond the game as a guest character in titles like Super Smash Bros. and Final Fantasy Tactics proves how much fans enjoy this spiky-headed fool.
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