Cloud Strife: The main protagonist. A mercenary employed by AVALANCHE, and the main character of the game. Cloud is portrayed as a confused and conflicted individual with an occassionally arrogant attitude. He wears a blue SOLDIER uniform, has blue eyes that glow green (caused by exposure to Mako), and bizarrely spiked blonde hair (about which he is often teased). Cloud wields a Buster Sword in combat.
Barret Wallace: The leader of AVALANCHE, a powerfully built man with a deep-seated hatred of everything Shin-Ra. Barret mistrusts Cloud at first because of the mercenary's past affiliation with the corporation. He lost his lower right arm during an encounter with Shinra years ago and had it replaced with the prosthetic "gun-arm" he uses in battle. Barret must come to terms with the destruction of his entire hometown. He is also the adoptive father of his friend Dyne's daughter, Marlene.
Tifa Lockheart: A close childhood friend of Cloud's, Tifa is a skilled martial artist with a cheerful nature. One of the main members of AVALANCHE, it is Tifa who convinces Cloud to work for the group. She has long black hair tied back in a loose pony-tail and brown eyes. Tifa helps Cloud unravel the secrets of his past.
Aeris Gainsborough: Aeris is a young woman who sells flowers on the streets of Midgar and is sought after by Shinra's research department. She asks Cloud to be her bodyguard after a run-in with the Turks, and subsequently joins AVALANCHE. She has long brownish-red hair she keeps in a braid with pink bows, vivid green eyes, and wears a red mini-jacket and long pink dress. Aeris is also a well-known martyr, and the resistance among adoring fans to her death helped produce the infamous rumour advocating that she can be resurrected in the game. Her name Aerith was mistranslated as "Aeris" in FF7, but has been corrected in all her following appearances.
Red XIII: Strong, fierce, and coated with fire-red fur, Red XIII is a large and powerful beast, with a strong intellect and warm heart to match. Red XIII joins with Cloud after being rescued from a horrible Shinra experiment. Red XIII is the name given to him by Hojo, the head of Shinra's Science Department, but his real name is Nanaki. Hojo claims that he is the last survivor of his species, but this information may not be reliable (After the credits at the end of the game, Red XIII is seen running with two cubs. It's also the same scene which starts FFVII:AC). Nanaki returns to his home in Cosmo Canyon where we discover information about his origins. Both of this character's names are likely references to Star Wars; Nanaki is an anagram of Anakin, and Red 13 is a Rebel callsign.
Cait Sith: Appearing as a stuffed, talking cat, Cait Sith is friendly but often untrustworthy and unreliable. He rides on the back of a stuffed "Mog", a magical creature that does all of the pair's fighting. He is eventually revealed to be a "puppet" that Reeve Tuesti, Shinra's Head of Urban Development, used to infilitrate AVALANCHE. However, over time, Reeve came to care for his new friends and their cause and used Cait Sith as a way for him to help the gang in spirit. Cait Sith sacrifices himself at one point in the game to aid the group, but a "Cait Sith II" immediately shows up to replace him.
Cid Highwind: A rather crotchety and foul-mouthed, but nonetheless warm-hearted, character, Cid is a pilot who secretly dreams of travelling into space. He lives with Sierra, an assistant who forced Cid to abort his past chance at launching his rocket into space, saving Cid's life by checking oxygen tanks she feared were faulty during the lift-off sequence. Cid also helped create the airship Highwind and also owns the Tiny Bronco, a small plane which Cloud and the others use as a boat in the game after it is downed by Shinra. Cid wields a powerful longspear in battle.
Yuffie Kisaragi: The spunky young princess of Wutai and Godo's daughter. A self-proclaimed "Materia Hunter", Yuffie is in fact a pickpocket and thief who joins the party hoping to steal Materia (owing to the fact that Materia is forbidden in Wutai). Although Yuffie is a skillful ninja, she has her weaknesses - namely, she is prone to sea and air sickness.
Vincent Valentine: A dark, brooding, and somewhat sardonic character whose heart has been numbed by a tragic love. Vincent is an Ex-Turks gunsman who was experimented on by Hojo approximately thirty years before the start of the game. Cloud and the others eventually discover him inside a coffin in the basement of the Shinra Mansion. Due to Vincent's ties to Sephiroth and Shinra, he feels compelled to help Cloud and the others in their quest.
Sephiroth: The game's primary antagonist. Said to be the greatest member of SOLDIER ever, Sephiroth rose to a prominent rank at an early age. Mysterious and dangerous, with an agenda all his own. Driven mad by the discovery of his true heritage (or so he thinks), he plans to become god-like by wounding the planet with Meteor and absorbing the Lifestream emitted by the Planet to heal the damage. Sephiroth was the son of Hojo and Lucrecia, infused with Jenova cells before birth to give him his superhuman strength and intelligence. Sephiroth's actions, appearance, and the theme song ("One-Winged Angel") hint at his symbolism as a "fallen angel."
Biggs: Member of AVALANCHE. Slightly cocky and arrogant at first, he ends up respecting Cloud anyway. Killed by Shinra. Biggs is named after Luke Skywalker's childhood friend, Biggs Darklighter of the Star Wars Saga.
Wedge: Member of AVALANCHE. Killed by Shinra. Slightly overweight and unconfident of his place in the group, he adores Tifa's cooking. Wedge is named after the pilot Wedge Antilles of the Star Wars Saga.
Jessie: Member of AVALANCHE. Explosives technician that fakes IDs for herself and fellow members so they could pass through Shinra's security checkpoints without being detected. She has a fascination with gadgetry, explosives and other 'flashy stuff'. She also gives Cloud a lesson on the Midgar rail system and the structure of the city itself. The player also has the option to flirt with her a few times. Killed by Shinra.
President Shinra: Head of Shinra Company. He sets up a trap for AVALANCHE's second Mako Reactor bombing in the game and dispatches a mecha called "Airbuster" to kill Cloud, Tifa, and Barret. Cloud's group is taken before him after the Turks foil their plan to escape from Shinra Laboratories with Aeris. He tells them that Aeris is an Ancient and that they plan to use her to find the Promised Land, where they can build a new Midgar in a Mako-rich environment. He then sends them to be locked up. He is later found dead with Sephiroth's sword stuck through him.
Rufus Shinra: The son of President Shinra and Vice President of Shinra. He becomes the president of Shinra after his father's death. Unlike his father, he plans to control the people with fear rather than with money. He is a ruthless - and somewhat vain - entrepreneur who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Eventually, he and Cloud's group put their differences aside to fight their common foes, Meteor and Sephiroth. Rufus was presumed dead when the Shinra Building - with him inside it - was hit by a blast from Diamond WEAPON, but Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children reveals that he did, in fact, survive.
Heidegger: Head of Shinra's Public Safety Maintainence, which is just a euphemism for the Shinra military, the elite SOLDIER unit, and the Turks. He died when the mobile weapon he and Scarlet were riding in, the Proud Clod, exploded after a battle with the protagonists. He was nicknamed "Gua-ha-ha" for his distinctive laugh. Possibly named after the German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976).
Scarlet: Head of Shinra's Weapon Development Division. Wants to make the perfect weapon, but doesn't trust Heidegger to use it properly. One of the Shinra officials responsible for the destruction of Barret Wallace's home town of North Corel and for the loss of Barret's forearm. Helps in creating a large mako cannon, Sister Ray, used to fight WEAPON. About the most competent and ruthless Shinra employee next to Rufus. She died along with Heidegger in the explosion of the Proud Clod. She was nicknamed "Kya-ha-ha" for her distinctive laugh.
Reeve Tuesti: Head of the Urban Development Department, who created Cait Sith as a way for him to spy on, and later aid, the heroes. Along with Mayor Domino, he is one of the only people in Shinra who has concern for the common people. He is fired from Shinra as a traitor after the presumed death of Rufus.
Palmer: The incompetent head of Shinra's failed Space Program, a bouncy, overweight man. He goes with Rufus to Rocket Town to steal Cid's plane, the "Tiny Bronco." Although he is hit by a truck as he tries to escape Cloud and company, he (along with Reeve and Rufus) is one of the few Shinra executives to survive the events of Final Fantasy VII. However, he has yet to make any further appearances in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.
Tseng: The stern, no-nonsense leader of the Turks. He has known Aeris since she was a child and harbors a slight crush on her. He was grievously wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth in the Temple of the Ancients, leading many fans to believe he was killed, but this has since been disproven by Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
Reno: A member of the Turks, a lanky man with unkempt red hair and a ponytail. He is somewhat laid-back and doesn't take his job very seriously, but he is nonetheless very good at what he does. His weapon of choice is an electrified rod. He is a second in command of sorts to Tseng and a very good friend of Rude.
Rude: A member of the Turks, a tall, bald man with a goatee who is always wearing sunglasses. He usually appears with his friend and long-time partner Reno. Rude is somewhat taciturn and usually lets Reno do the talking. He prefers to fight with his fists. He has a crush on Tifa.
Elena: The newest member of the Turks, an attractive young woman with short blonde hair, enlisted to make up for Reno's leave of absence when he sustains injuries in a fight with AVALANCHE. She takes her job very seriously, but it is quite evident that she is the most naive and incompetent member of the group. She has a large crush on Tseng and blames Cloud for his (apparent) death.
Hojo: The head of Shinra's Science Research Division at the time of the game. He is an archetypal mad scientist, undertaking radical experiments without any regard for ethics or the potential consequences of his research. Hojo, not surprisingly, regards the subjects of his experiments as mere "specimens", despite the fact that they are almost always human or otherwise sentient. Hojo's notoriety begins in Nibelheim about three decades prior to the start of the game, where he is sent by Shinra to assist Professor Gast and Lucrecia with the Jenova Project. He brings Shinra's true agenda, which Gast may not have been fully aware of, along with him: To "create humans with the powers of the Ancients", almost certainly with super-soldier applications in mind. Hojo quickly becomes the project's primary advocate, eventually prompting Gast to pursue other research. Due to a lack of success with fully matured subjects, Hojo - with Lucrecia's cooperation - moves on to exploring the effects of Jenova cells on an unborn child, and the two of them produce a new "specimen" specifically for this purpose. After the birth of their son, Sephiroth, Hojo continues his immoral experiments at Nibelheim and, eventually, the Shinra Building, using such unwilling test subjects as Vincent, Cloud, Zack, Red XIII, and uncounted others. Much of this research involves the development of Sephiroth "clones", although precisely what this means is a matter of some dispute (the Japanese word used can also be read as "copy" which stipulates they were merely attempting to replicate Sephiroth's abilities). Ultimately, Hojo injects himself with Jenova cells and mutates into a super-being, only to be slain by the heroes. Hojo's full name is never disclosed, although, since "Hojo" is an actual Japanese surname, it is likely Hojo's, as well. The individual kanji used mean "treasure/wealth" and "stripe/streak".
Gast: The former head of Shinra's Science Research Division and Aeris' father. Gast seems to be a noble and principled man who pursues knowledge for its own sake, rather than for the power it can bring. Gast finds Jenova during an excavation in the northern crater. After Jenova is transported to Nibelheim for further study of her origin and powers, Gast comes to the incorrect conclusion that she is a Cetra. Shinra sends Hojo to assist him, but Gast grows uncomfortable with his colleague's lack of scruples. Unable to stop Hojo's experiments on live subjects, he eventually leaves the project, although he doesn't officially leave Shinra. Gast continues his research on the Ancients alone and, at some point, meets Ifalna, one of the last surviving members of the Ancients' race. At a house in the resort town of Icicle Lodge, Gast carries out a series of interviews with Ifalna, videotaping them to preserve her knowledge. They fall in love and have a child together, Aeris, but it is not long before Hojo finally tracks them down and attempts to capture both Ifalna and Aeris for further study. Gast tries to stop Hojo but is killed in the process, and his wife and daughter are taken captive. Professor Gast seems to have played a larger role in Sephiroth's life than his biological father, Hojo, did, and he may be the only person whom Sephiroth genuinely respects. Although known to English-speaking fans as "Professor Gast", he officially has a full name - in Japanese syllabery, Gasuto Faremisu. Unfortunately, the correct Romanization of Faremisu is unknown, although "Faremis" is the most straightforward of the many possibilities.
Lucretia: A young female scientist who serves as an assistant to Hojo and Gast during the Jenova Project. Although Vincent, the Turks supervising the project, falls in love with Lucrecia and attempts to court her, she instead enters a relationship with Hojo. She subsequently becomes pregnant and agrees to become (along with her unborn child) the subject of an experiment investigating the effects of Jenova cell influence on human in utero development. At some point following her son Sephiroth's birth, Lucrecia - disgusted with what she has done and longs to hold her child - isolates herself in a cave (actually an artificial chamber of some kind) behind a waterfall, afraid of the effects that Jenova's cells could have on her and the possibility that she could become dangerous. However, the treatment she received has granted her unnaturally long life and resilience, and she is discovered by her old friend, Vincent, during the time frame of the game. Vincent later returns to the cave to find that Lucrecia has disappeared. Fans have speculated that she was killed by grief over the "death" of her son, Sephiroth, although Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus states that Vincent's tragic romance will come to light-- most likely the return of "ghost" Lucrecia (no actual images of her have been revealed). Much speculation exists surrounding Lucrecia's motives and her relationships (romantic or otherwise) with Vincent and Hojo, and hopefully some of these mysteries will be resolved in Dirge of Cerberus.
Bugenhagen: Red XIII/Nanaki's "grandfather", an eccentric old man who moves by floating (the means by which are never disclosed). Formally a Shinra environmental scientist, he retires to Cosmo Canyon to pursue the study of planet life, although his heart remains torn between technology and nature. He adopts Nanaki after his biological parents died defending Cosmo Canyon from the Gi tribe. He has an observatory at the top of Cosmo Canyon, apparently a gift from Professor Gast, and provides vital information to Cloud and the others regarding how to stop Sephiroth and Meteor. Bugenhagen dies after his journey to the Forgotten City, strengthening Nanaki's resolve to protect the Planet.
Don Corneo: The crime-boss of lower Midgar who resides in Wall Market. After being confronted by Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris, he spills the beans on the plan to destroy Sector 7's support pillar. Later, after being kicked out of Midgar by the Turks organization, he kidnaps Yuffie and Elena in Wutai, only to be killed by Reno. Evidence in the game suggests that Corneo was on less than friendly terms with the Shinra Company. The Don had two "pets," Aps and Rapps, which he sent to kill Cloud and the others.
Dyne: Barret's best friend and father of Marlene. Left for dead after Shinra attacked his hometown of Corel, Dyne actually survived and, similarly to Barret, had his missing left forearm replaced with a gun prosthetic. Dyne blamed Barret for the death of his wife and the destruction of his town. Dyne eventually became the "Boss" of Corel Prison beneath Gold Saucer and a twisted self-loathing man with a lust for killing people. In the junkyard of the prison, he was finally reunited with Barret and insisted upon a duel to settle the score. Afterwards, he made Barret promise to take care of Marlene and, unable to live with what he had become, he committed suicide by jumping off a cliff.
Elmyra Gainsborough: Aeris' adoptive mother, she offers aid to an injured Ifalna after Ifalna escapes Shinra Headquarters. After Ifalna's death, Elmyra takes charge of her orphaned daughter. Elmyra lives in a particulary nice house in the Sector 5 slums of Midgar, one of the few places where flowers and grass can grow. She later takes care of Marlene while Barret is pursuing Sephiroth, but both are subsequently kidnapped by Reeve and held hostage.
Ifalna: Aeris' birth mother. The last known Ancient alive on the planet. Found by Dr. Gast in Icicle Inn, where he records a series of interviews with her. The two fall in love, and, after Gast leaves Shinra, they have a daughter named Aeris. Hojo tracks them down a few years later and has Gast killed. Ifalna escapes with Aeris as far as the Sector 7 station in Midgar. Here, exhausted and wounded, she hands Aeris over to Elmyra Gainsborough and dies.
Jenova: Believed (incorrectly) to be a powerful Ancient, Jenova's remains were found by Gast and became the subject of extensive research and experimentation by Shinra. It is not known what exactly Jenova is, but it seems that she is an alien that crashed into the Planet sometime in the distant past. Ifalna refers to Jenova as 'a calamity that came from the skies', and explains that she befriended the Cetra. However, Jenova proved to be duplicitous, and spread an infection amongst the Cetra, which turned some of them into monsters. The few Cetra that survived succeeded in sealing Jenova deep within the Planet. Two thousand years later she was discovered by Professor Gast and presumed to be one of the Cetra. Ultimania Omega's "The Truth of FFVII" sections and story analysis suggests that Jenova no longer has the ability to think or plot. It and those with it's cells are driven by the instinct of 'Reunion'. Sephiroth wasn't willing to be a puppet, and because his will was greater than Jenova's, he overcame the Reunion instinct and was able to take control.
Marlene: The young daughter of Barret's friends, Dyne and Eleanor. Adopted by Barret after Eleanor's death during the burning of Corel. She is left with Elmyra during the game, but is kidnapped by Reeve. By the end of the game Marlene is somehow in Kalm.
Sierra: A scientist working on the No. 26 who ultimately made Cid cancel the launch. Cid resented her for this, but he later came to respect her greatly and named the airship in Advent Children after her. Her name was mistransliterated "Shera" in Sony's localization of the game, although the mistake is understandable, the kanji is very similar.
WEAPON: Created by the Planet as a defense mechanism, these immense, biomechanical entities were activated when Meteor was invoked. Each Weapon serves to exterminate everything that threatens the planet, including humans. There are five known Weapons that protect designated areas: Ultima, Sapphire, Diamond, Ruby, and Emerald. A fifth WEAPON, Omega-WEAPON, is said to appear in Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus.
Zack: A SOLDIER 1st Class from Gongaga. While stationed in Midgar, he meets and dates Aeris. Five years prior to the start of the game, he is sent, along with Cloud and Sephiroth, to investigate reports of monsters disrupting life for the workers at the Mt. Nibel Mako Reactor. After Sephiroth goes insane, Cloud and Zack are taken prisoner in the basement of the Shinra Mansion and used as test subjects for Hojo's efforts to produce a Sephiroth "clone". Zack breaks out and carries the incapacitated Cloud with him during their escape. (It is speculated that Zack's ability to escape from his imprisonment is due to the fact that he himself was not Hojo's primary subject but instead served as the control.) He gives Cloud some of his clothes and gets them transport to Midgar, where he hopes to become a mercenary. However, upon arriving to the outerskirts of Midgar, they are discovered by Shinra soldiers. Zack is shot dead, while Cloud, too sick to move, is simply left to die on his own. Subsequently, Cloud takes Zack's persona and Buster sword and, for much of the game, believes that he actually is Zack. It is believed by some that either the Mako or Jenova cells that Cloud and Zack were exposed to, resulted in their memories becoming intermixed. Zack is a playable character in the fighting game Ehrgeiz and will be the main playable character in the action RPG Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII for the PlayStation Portable. He also appears in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, both in flashbacks and as Aeris' companion in the Lifestream. Although the official Romanization of his name is indeed "Zack", the katakana rendition of his name is (in romaji) Zakkusu, which indicates a pronunciation of [zęks]. It is unclear why this glaring discrepancy exists.
Zangan: Tifa's martial arts instructor, who helped rescue her after she was wounded by Sephiroth. His letter to Tifa (found in her piano) shed light on the events following the burning of Nibelheim and the coverup that ensued. Zangan was hyperactive and animated, and possessed some ability with magic, using Cure spells on Tifa as he transported her to Midgar.
Big Bro: Cross-dressing owner of the gym in Wall Market - offers a wig as a prize for a squatting competition. His name in the Japanese version, Aniki, carries a mob connotation missing from the English term used, even though it means literally the same thing.
Choco Bill: Owner of the Chocobo Farm. "Gurin" in the japanese version.
Choco Billy: Choco Bill's son, sells greens and deals with Chocobo breeding. "Gurin-Gurin" in the japanese version.
Chocobo Sage: A mysterious - and rather forgetful - old "man" who lives up north. He periodically offers advice on Chocobo breeding and sells the most expensive greens.
Chole: Choco Billy's younger sister, who helps out in the stables. She also writes down the Chocobo Sage's notes about breeding. "Kurin" in japanese version.
Dio: Manager of the Gold Saucer Entertainment Complex. When he hears reports of a man with a gun for an arm has murdered his employees, he arrests Barret's group and places them in Corel Prison. Later lends the Keystone to them that will open the Temple of the Ancients. His favorite attraction in the Gold Saucer is the Battle Arena, where he makes Cloud fight for the Keystone.
Domino: The mayor of Midgar by title only; he's actually a figurehead, and holds no real power over the city. Despite appearances and the belief of Shinra, Domino is actually shrewd and strongly anti Shinra.
Elder Bugah: A friend of Professor Gast that explains a brief history about Professor Gast, his discovery of Jenova, and his subsequent flight from Shinra.
Elder Hargo: Details some information regarding the Lifestream.
Eleanor: Dyne's wife and the birthmother of Marlene; she died when Corel was burned to the ground.
Ester: Chocobo Racing manager assigned to Cloud.
Godo Kisaragi: Yuffie's father, and the leader of Wutai. Wutai was the enemy Shinra fought in a war that occurred around the time of Sephiroth's childhood; in fact, Sephiroth was part of Hojo, Lucrecia, and Dr. Gast's work in a super-weapon project to defeat Wutai. As a condition of its surrender, Wutai was not allowed to possess any materia and was reduced to a tourist town. Like his daughter, Yuffie, Godo had a bit of an obsession with Materia.
Hart: The mayor's assistant.
Holzoff: Lives at the base of Gaea's Cliffs and tells the party how to overcome the "biting cold".
Joe: Chocobo Jockey. Rides Teioh. A skilled rival in the chocobo races.
Johnny: Young man from Sector 5 (who seems to know a lot about Cloud and Tifa). He leaves Midgar and moves to Costa del Sol.
Kalm Traveler: An old man in Kalm looking for a Guidebook, Earth Harp, and Desert Rose. Willing to trade Underwater Materia, Mastered: Magic; Command; and Summon Materias, and a Gold Chocobo (with the racing ability of a coffee table, but still useful to travel the world) respectively for the items.
Kotch & Skotch: Two of Don Corneo's lackeys. Their names in japanese (Kocchi & Socchi), taken together, essentially mean "Here & There".
Mr. Coates: Runs the prisoner racing program in Corel Prison but is really a subordinate of Dyne.
Mukki: A bodybuilder first encountered in Honeybee Inn. He makes his way to the Costa del Sol bar.
Myrna: Barret's wife, who died when Corel was burned to the ground.
Priscilla: A young girl living in Junon that Cloud rescues by performing CPR. Helps the party get into the upper levels of Junon with her trusty friend, Mr. Dolphin. By the time Cloud visits Junon for the second time, Priscilla has decided to marry him.
Seto: Red XIII's/Nanaki's father. Was believed to be a coward by Red XIII but later shown to be a great hero who sacrificed his own life for the tribe by keeping the Gi Tribe at bay. The poison arrows of the Gi Tribe turned Seto to stone.
Snow: An ice queen that lives on Great Glacier. Defeat her to receive the Alexander Summon Materia.