The original Final Fantasy VII game is still ranked as the top-selling video game with 13.1 million copies sold as of April 2020, and as of August 2020, the remake had officially hit five million copies sold according to Rappler. When a video game surpasses a number like that, the question begs to be answered: what would make something so necessary to a person's game collection? It could be the story, which has both captivated and thrilled those who followed along with gritted teeth and white knuckles. It could be the dialogue, which was intriguing and dynamic (albeit somewhat hilariously translated at times). Or, perhaps, it's the characters - all of whom were highly regarded as being some of the best group of fictional people a gamer could imagine.
Each character in Final Fantasy VII evolved, grew, and had attributes unique to who they were as people, and in the remake, these qualities only intensified with HD graphics and better dialogue. Each arc has a beloved place in gamer's hearts but as any gamer knows, not all characters are loved equally.
Yuffie Kisaragi
Yuffie is an optional character in the game and while players have the option to get her fairly early on, she doesn't provide much - if anything - in terms of information to further the story or the plot. She's adorable and somewhat useful thanks to her skill as a thief and a ninja but the buck ends there.
All in all, there would be no harm done if anyone chose not to go forth and find Yuffie in the woods she's hiding out in, and her only true connection to the plot is a stolen item from Zack Fair. It can be surmised that Yuffie's backstory will have more weight to it when Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is released on June 10th.
Jenova
While Jenova is the true antagonist of Final Fantasy VII, the front of Sephiroth is a major distraction for most. It's easy to forget that, combined with Sephiroth's fury and jaded attitude, Jenova is the one who was originally pulling the strings. The intent of this alien creature was to destroy the world (surprise, surprise, as is many the intent of Final Fantasy antags) and the path to doing so was through Sephiroth, who was injected with her cells.
Aside from creepy allusions to her partial alien body and an eventual hybrid reveal with Sephiroth at the end, Jenova doesn't have that powerful of a story. Her hatred is tangible, but her rage and fury, if any, was filtered through the One-Winged Angel.
Aerith Gainsborough
There's a soft spot in everyone's heart for Aerith and while her story is short-lived and comes to an end rather tragically, her backstory prior to that was not all that strong. In the original game, not much was known about the flower girl aside from her former love who was, of course, none other than Zack Fair, whom she saw glimpses of in Cloud.
Her connection to Zack and her position as the last of the Cetra makes her incredibly important to the Shinra Electric Power Company which is why she's important to the story. Aside from that, the remake goes much further in-depth, giving a much-needed glimpse into where she grew up, what her upbringing was like, and her overall personality.
Zack Fair
Known for his role in Crisis Core, it seems that Zack will have much more of a presence - perhaps literally - in the remake. In the original game, players are only given information about Zack through flashbacks that Cloud has as he recovers his true memories and not those which are false.
The connection to Aerith is what ties him to the current moment in time but it's his strong, brotherly relationship with Cloud that strengthens Zack's story, as well as his devotion to SOLDIER and, by extension, Sephiroth.
Barret Wallace
The reason Barret's story is so strong could be due to his tie to Marlene, who has a story of her own. It could also be the fact that his life is so intertwined with Tifa's, which was made abundantly clear in the remake, and they both have a reason for fighting Shinra.
Often loved for his strong attitude and tell-it-how-it-is personality, Barret is a character most players feel as though they know in real life, with a story that's troubled but relatable.
Vincent Valentine
Vincent's story goes all the way back to the Turks as he was one before sentencing himself to an eternity in a coffin as punishment for his 'sins.' His tie with Professor Hojo is finite, as the character's side story reveals that he fell in love with a woman named Lucretia - AKA Sephiroth's true mother.
Although Vincent objected to testing on Lucretia's son, whom she had with Hojo, Hojo proceeded anyway and Vincent, unfortunately, became a product of the experiments. His guilt drives him and anyone who plays video games knows that is a powerful force.
Cloud Strife
In most games, the protagonist has the stronger arc of any character. In Final Fantasy VII, Cloud happens to be one of the last characters to truly know his arc.
While it is a powerful one, it's shared with several of the characters including Zack, Tifa, and Sephiroth. Therefore, to say that all four of them have a strong arc would be more accurate than to say that Cloud has the strongest arc of the four.
Tifa Lockhart
Much of the game's beginning takes on direction thanks to Tifa and her retelling of childhood stories to Cloud, along with the flashbacks that accompany them. She also serves as the link between Barret, Marlene, and Avalanche members Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge.
It's through her nostalgia, compassion, and true love for Cloud that many story arc details are revealed, as well as her through her friendship with Aerith. Therefore, she's essential to the plot, offers tons of support, and acts as an unspoken love interest to the protagonist.
Red XIII
Known by his real name Nanaki, Red XIII is perhaps one of the most beloved characters in the game. His wolf-like species makes him different from any other Final Fantasy game characters and his backstory as a playable character is supported by a trip to Cosmo Canyon, where he commits to protecting the planet and avenging his late father, Seto.
The dynamic between Red XIII and the tribe as well as his father is one that's emotional and deep, touted by many as one of the best arcs in the game.
Sephiroth
The slight obsession surrounding Sephiroth comes from his cold, calculated nature as well as the mystery that surrounds him, his connection with Cloud, and the unbelievable power he wields. According to Marlene's description of him in Advent Children, Sephiroth is said to 'hate everything' following the experiments that made him the monster he stands to be in Final Fantasy VII.
Perhaps it's his most chilling line, 'Tell me what you cherish most. Give me the pleasure of taking it away' that made fans fall in love with him while simultaneously give them chills. Or, perhaps, it's his undeniable connection - and control - over Cloud that makes him so terrifyingly admirable. Either way, his tragic and fated arc holds a place like no other in the game.