We will be diving into FF7 Rebirth, with all playable characters ranked in this article
With no exception to the legendary and long-standing Final Fantasy series, Rebirth is no stranger when it comes to beautifully written characters that you’ll find yourself emotionally invested in. From the stern and steadfast countenance of Cloud Strife to the jolly-hearted and lively presence of Aerith and Tifa, everyone will get a chance to relate to one of these video game personas.
But as well written as these characters, not all of them play as massive of a role in the battlefield when it comes to combat viability. That’s why in this article, we’ll be taking a look at all the characters that you can play as in Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth and rank them in order of how viable they are. Do note that this is a subjective list and it’s just our opinion. The usefulness of these characters will also depend on how accustomed you are with playing as them.
Aerith Gainsborough
It’s arguable that Aerith is the most important character in the entire series, although we don’t know the reason for that in the remake yet. As colorful and vibrant as her personality is, there’s an aura of mystery around her that none of us can point our finger at.
Despite being one of the best characters in FF7, her reliability in the battlefield is massively underwhelming, since her magic and spells can only do a feeble amount of damage to the opponent. It’s understandable as her main role is that of a healer. But in Rebirth, you won’t really need much of a healer most of the time, which is why she ranks bottom on our list.
Cait Sith
A new addition to playable characters in Rebirth, this adorable feline friend is surprisingly viable when it comes to taking down small foes or groups of small enemies. His ability to summon a Moogle that follows all his commands is the main way he’ll attack the opponents. Scaling mostly off of magic damage, he pales in comparison to most of the other characters higher up on the list.
Barret Wallace
Anyone’s first impression of Barret is bound to be a bit off the tracks, given that his heart is as big as his bulging biceps. It’s hard not to like this character once you see just how empathetic he is towards the world and the people he loves (his daughter the most!).
When it comes to fighting, Barret will tear down enemies that reside both in the sky and the ground with his trusty machine gun hand. He hasn’t changed that much from the original Remake but that doesn’t mean he’s not useful, so if there are enemies that are out of reach to your main party members, then Barret is definitely the dude for you.
Red XIII / Nanaki
People who played the original Final Fantasy 7 from the 90s have been very eager to finally get to play as Red XIII. And rightfully so. Who doesn’t want to play as a polite and erudite gentle-lion? Despite his rugged demeanor, he’s extremely intelligent and knowledgeable when it comes to planetology and other topics, always lending a curious ear to Cloud and Tifa’s stories and opinions about the world.
On the battlefield, he’s extremely fun to play with thanks to his fast combos and attacks. Playing with this character doesn’t take much skill and he’s easy to get value out of, with the only caveat being that he won’t be able to target foes that are airborne.
Yuffie Kisaragi
Serving as the main character of Intergrade, Yuffie Kisaragi is as cunning as she is cute to look at. So don’t let her looks deceive you, since she can pack a severe punch with her ranged attack repertoire! Her shurikens can do a lot of hurt to the enemies while you stay at a safe distance, making her one of the most useful and devastating characters to play as in the new installment of the series and also ranking her in the top 3 of our list.
Cloud Strife
It makes perfect sense as to why he’s the main character of the series, because Cloud Strife can hit enemies as hard as his dead-pan cold stares. Always having a stern and icy demeanor, his resolve is unbreakable when it comes to combat prowess and swordsmanship, although he’s loosened up quite a lot since the original remake and has only improved his fighting skills from there onwards.
Having super-fast combos that are extremely fun to chain together, the combat system of FF7 Rebirth perfectly complements Cloud’s fighting style. His Guts-esque greatsword is extremely fun to swing around and bash enemies on the head, while you blitz through groups of foes at lightning speeds. But there’s only one character in this game that’s more fun than Cloud and we’ll see who that is up next.
Tifa Lockhart
Even people who have never heard of Final Fantasy are likely to know who Tifa Lockhart is. Working as a bartender in Seventh Heaven, she is a vital member of the original gang and an extremely good friend to Cloud. That being said, it’s hard to say what’ll stun you more: her looks or her devastating kickboxing combos.
She’s known for having the fastest moves in the entire game and it’s unbelievably fun to string combos with her special attacks and chi mechanic. The moment you start playing as Tifa, it becomes incredibly obvious as to why she’s a fan favorite, thanks to her bright personality and dominance in fights, and that’s why she’s ranked the number 1 best character to play as in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
And that concludes our list. Like we’ve said before, this ranking is entirely subjective and will definitely differ from person to person as well as the opinions you have of each of the characters’ personalities. Square Enix has done a wonderful job with all of the characters regardless and deserve an applause for how fun they were able to make them.
If you want to check out more FF7 Rebirth content from us, be sure to take a look at our best materia article or Tifa’s weapon guide.