The Final Fantasy 7 Remake is one of the most hotly anticipated games of 2020, and Square Enix is going all-out on redefining the legendary JRPG, even adding a brand new voice cast for the main characters. Apart from that the game has been rebuilt from the ground up, Final Fantasy 7 uses a brand new combat system that mixes elements of action and turn-based.
Of course, the voice cast is one of the more divisive changes, replacing all of the actors that have previously voiced these characters in Advent Children and other spin-offs.
Fans have, obviously, become attached to actors like Steve Burton, who previously voiced Cloud Strife, but the new cast comes jam-packed with talented actors. Here's the entire list of known actors for the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and who voices the main characters.
Final Fantasy 7 Voice Cast
Considering this is only the first part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake project, characters like Cid, Yuffie, and Vincent won't appear, and therefore don't have voice actors yet. At the moment, Square Enix also hasn't announced the actors for characters like Reno or Red XIII, but this article will be updated once they have. Here's the full list of known actors.
- Cody Christian as Cloud Strife - Cody Christian is best known for playing the role of Theo Raken in Teen Wolf, as well as Mike in Pretty Little Liars.
- Briana White as Aerith Gainsborough - Aerith is Briana White's first role in video games, and she's previously appeared as Jessica Townsend in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
- Britt Baron as Tifa Lockheart - Britt Baron's voice acting experience includes playing Livewire in Young Justice and Linda-058 in Halo 5: Guardians. She's best known for playing Justine in Netflix's GLOW.
- John Eric Bentley as Barret Wallace - John Eric Bentley has done a myriad of bit voices in games like Red Dead Redemption II and Kingdom Hearts III. He was also the narrator in the Digimon Adventure Tri films.
- Tyler Hoechlin as Sephiroth - Tyler Hoechlin is another alumnus of Teen Wolf, as he played Derek Hale. You might also know him as Michael Sullivan Jr. in Road to Perdition.
- Erica Lindbeck as Jessie - Erica Lindbeck has been voicing video games for years, but you'll probably recognize her as Futaba in Persona 5, or as Black Cat in Marvel's Spider-Man.
- Gideon Emery as Biggs - Strangely, another Teen Wolf actor joining the Final Fantasy 7 cast, as Gideon Emery played Deucalion. You might also recognize him as Anatoly in Netflix's Daredevil or as Fergus from Wolfenstein: The New Order.
- Matt L Jones as Wedge - Matt Jones has played a number of roles in both film and television, including Kyle in the animated film Home, and Noah McNichol in Brightburn.
Why the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Has a New Voice Cast
Recasting every character in Final Fantasy 7 is a huge choice, and it's proven to be divisive with fans, some of whom even started a petition to get the old actors back. However, in the long run, it could prove to be a wise move for Square Enix, as they try to make Final Fantasy 7 the next step in the franchise. It's more than just a simple remake, as Square Enix is pushing it as the evolution of the franchise.
Because of that, it makes sense that they want the voice cast to appeal to a broad range of players, both those intimately familiar with Final Fantasy 7 and those that have never even heard of it. It's the same idea as giving an unknown actor a role in a big project, giving the potential for a breakout performance. At E3 2019, Square Enix told Joe Juba of GameInformer "A new generation of performers is the best way for newcomers and old fans to experience Final Fantasy VII Remake."
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake is going back to the drawing board to redefine the original and its story, and Square Enix is greatly enhancing the scope of the Midgar section. This provides a chance to give these characters more complexity and depth than ever before, and those old actors already have a history with those characters that can't be changed. It makes sense that a new actor would be better for voicing a redefined character, rather than trying to combine the new personality of each one with those original voice actors.