Final Fantasy 7 has some tricky characters to cosplay, but a few have looks that are relatively easy to pull off. Some of these are so simple that fans could already have the necessary pieces sitting in their wardrobes without realizing it. Cloud Strife and Sephiroth are among the most popular characters in FF7 (if not the entire series), yet they are notoriously tough to cosplay, thanks to their giant swords, hard-to-manage hair, and tight-fitting leather outfits.
FF7 was the first entry in the series to use a setting similar to the real world, with many characters sporting regular clothes. Still, its characters and monsters were designed by Tetsuya Nomura, who went on to earn a reputation for creating outlandish outfits overloaded with accessories. This meant many FF7 cast members sport all kinds of flourishes in their outfits. There have been decades of admirable attempts at FF7 cosplay, but it can be difficult to truly hit the mark.
FF7 Remake featured updated designs for all of the characters who appeared in the Midgar section of the original game, as well as a few cameos, such as Yuffie in the INTERmission DLC. Since FF7 Remake was released at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, few people have had a chance to cosplay as its characters during live events. Once these come back in full swing, cosplayers on a budget will have several options available to them, as a few FF7 characters are easier to dress up as than others.
Easy FF7 Cosplay: Biggs
Biggs is being set up for a bigger role in the FF7 Remake series, since he survives this time around and is free to show up in future games. As such, he's likely going to be a more popular choice for cosplayers. The FF7 Remake version of Biggs wears a red bandana around his head, a green t-shirt, light green denim shorts, and what appear to be black leggings or kneepads beneath that end at his calves. Biggs also sports a handgun, a gun belt with pouches around his waist, and two belts around his shoulders that carry ammunition.
The hardest part of Biggs to get right is the boots, with their white plates and straps. Luckily, as with the belts, the specifics of the boots are something few fans will likely remember, so regular brown boots and belts should work fine. Of FF7 Remake's Avalanche members, Biggs has the simplest costume, since Jessie and Wedge wear armored plates on their outfits.
Easy FF7 Cosplay: Professor Hojo
Hojo might not be the strongest Final Fantasy villain in terms of combat abilities, but he's still one of the most despicable and manipulative in the series. He has a vile sort of charisma about him, which makes him a somewhat popular villain. Hojo is also incredibly easy to cosplay, especially for people with long, dark hair. He wears a white lab coat, black shades, a black collared shirt, slightly baggy dark blue jeans, and black shoes. The Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 version of Hojo dresses a little differently, wearing a white shirt, slightly baggy brown pants, and a light blue tie.
Easy FF7 Cosplay: Cid Highwind (Advent Children)
Cid is perhaps the easiest member of the core cast to cosplay as, especially in his Advent Children incarnation. In Advent Children, he wears a pair of aviator goggles, a silver dog tag around his neck, a light blue t-shirt, a pink ribbon around his left bicep, a pair of green cargo pants, a brown coat tied around his waist, brown leather gloves, and dark brown or black boots - all simple purchases. Creating one of Cid's spears may prove difficult, but it will still be comparatively little work compared to making Cloud's Buster Sword. A broom handle with white tape and a spearhead composed of tinsel or cardboard might even suffice.
Easy FF7 Cosplay: Marlene
Aside from Elena (seen below), most female FF7 characters have complicated or highly specific outfits. Marlene is one of the few characters who avoids this, mostly due to the fact that she is a child and doesn't have much of a role after the Midgar section of the game. In FF7 Remake, Marlene's outfit consists of a pink dress with a yellow ribbon, white socks, and small brown boots. Even her haircut is fairly normal for a Final Fantasy character. Marlene's Advent Children outfit is also fairly simple, with a grey sleeveless turtleneck, grey striped skirt, and a pink bow in her hair.
Easy FF7 Cosplay: The Turks
Those looking to cosplay as an FF7 character needn't go through the trouble of making a custom Red XIII fursuit or gluing on tentacles to play Jenova; there are perfectly good Turks outfits sitting in closets all around the world. The Turks all wear black suits, white shirts, black ties (if any), and brown shoes. Each individual Turk has their own distinctive quirks, though. Elena and Tseng have the most conventional looks. Elena has blonde hair that is longer on one side, while Tseng has long, well-kept brown or black hair. Tseng also has a dark, tilaka-like dot on his forehead.
Of the Turks, Reno is the least conventional, as he doesn't wear a tie, preferring to keep his white shirt open to just below his chest. He wears a pair of goggles on his forehead and sports a black and white foldable baton. Reno also has two red tattoos just below his eyes, which would be easy to replicate with face paint. But by far the easiest member of the Turks to pull off is Rude: He's a bald guy with sunglasses and a pair of black gloves. The Turks' outfits are so simple that they're likely best for group cosplays, so as to ensure people know they're meant to be Final Fantasy 7 costumes, not Agents from The Matrix or Men In Black.