Highlights

• Final Fantasy 7 is hailed as one of the greatest games of all time, thanks to its combat system, character depth, world-building, side quests, and vast amount of content.
• Memorable characters and iconic quotes from FF7 have solidified its place in the Great Hall of Video Games, captivating fans for decades.
• The translation in the game had grammatical errors that became iconic, adding to the game's overall charm and popularity.

Final Fantasy 7 is a title that has captivated fans for decades. Fans laud it as one of, if not the greatest Final Fantasy game of all time. As such, FF7 has been reviewed time and time again for its intuitive combat system, character depth, world-building, optional side quests, and sheer volume of content alone.

With such an illustrious history and a plethora of side content, Final Fantasy 7 has solidified itself in the Great Hall of Video Games. The memorable characters helped sell the story, and they've delivered a ton of equally iconic quotes that will stand the test of time.

Updated on February 12, 2024 by Jon Eakin: With the launch Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second installment in the Remake trilogy, we decided to revisit this list. There are no shortage of iconic quotes from Final Fantasy 7, so we've added some more while refreshing the rest of the entries.

20 "You Look Like A Bear Wearing A Marshmallow."

Cloud Strife

Cloud Strife isn't known primarily for his wit or cracking wise, but when he does decide to hit someone with a snarky remark it usually lands. When the party has to go undercover as Shinra soldiers and sailors, Cloud finds Barret dressed as a sailor particularly ridiculous.

The fact is Barret would have looked absurd in any disguise, the man is absolutely massive. Not to mention the fact that he has a gun grafted onto the end of his arm, how did no one question this? Make fun all you want Cloud, Barret might be better at stealth than Yuffie – and she's a ninja.

19 "I Been Here Since The Beginnin', An' I Still Don't Know What The Hell's Goin' On."

Barret Wallace

During the story of Final Fantasy 7 there comes a point where the party members recap events from the beginning, to refresh their memory of what has happened and catch up the newer party members. It's presented as something the characters need, but really it's for you.

Barret chimes in that he was there from the start, which is true, and still doesn't understand what is happening. It's a fair comment, things escalate considerably from that first mission to blow up a reactor. Barret could have never expected to be dealing with clones, aliens, and the threat of the end of the world.

18 "But, I Do Things Differently. I'll Control The World With Fear."

Rufus Shinra

Rufus enjoys a dramatic monologue when he first appears in the game, establishing just who he is and what he's all about. It's during this speech that he delivers the line about how he intends to take a different approach to running Shinra and the world than his father did.

It's a fantastic speech, but what makes it so chilling is that his father has just died. In fact, his father's body is only feet away. It all works to establish Rufus as someone to be wary of as you continue with the story of the game.

17 "Barret, Be Careful! Attack While It's Tail Is Up. It's Gonna Counter Attack With Its Laser!"

Cloud Strife

Those grammatical errors? They're intentional here. The translation of Final Fantasy 7 was notorious for being pretty low quality, with several mistakes that have become iconic due to their prominent placement in one of the most popular games of all time.

One such typo occurs during the first-ever boss fight in the game. Players are forced into making an error when the scrolling text confusingly tells players to attack the Guard Scorpion when its tail is up, only for the boss to counterattack with a damaging Tail Laser attack — something that Cloud mentions only after the fact, which is quite frustrating indeed.

16 "This Guy Are Sick."

Aerith Gainsborough

Speaking of infamous typos, it would be impossible not to mention one of the most known spelling mistakes in video game history. This typo occurs in the Sector 5 Slums.

After encountering a sickly man in his 'home' — a term used extremely loosely here — Aerith utters a legendary Final Fantasy 7 quote that has become notorious among the fans of the title. This is the type of grammatical error that elevates a throwaway line into a legendary one. And in fairness? Aerith has grown up in a poverty-stricken part of the world. So what if her English isn't perfect? You get the point!

15 "Alright, Everyone, Let's Mosey."

Cloud Strife

The plot twist regarding Cloud's real identity is one of the most shocking and well-known moments in Final Fantasy 7. The character's personality is turned right on its head after he's revealed that he was never the man he thought he was.

This causes massive conflict in Cloud's mind, following which he finally decides to stay true to his own personality. Cloud utters this line near the end of the game when he tries to convince the gang to give it their all one last time in the final battle against Sephiroth. What's cool about the line is that it isn't 'cool'; if anything, it's a touch dorky for a last-minute pep talk at the edge of world's end. It's Cloud being Cloud - the real Cloud.

14 "I'll Be Going Now. I'll Come Back When This Is All Over."

Aerith Gainsborough

Aerith's quotes in Final Fantasy 7 are generally quite chirpy and reflective of her upbeat character. However, the final thing she says to the party before heading off into the Forgotten City is quite chilling.

Aerith's statement of going and coming back after everything's over takes on a whole new meaning when you realize this is the last thing that she says in the game before dying at the hands of a diabolical Sephiroth.

13 "What Are You Saying? Are You Trying To Tell Me You Have Feelings, Too?"

Sephiroth

Speaking of Final Fantasy 7's antagonist, one has to mention that his demeanor after ending Aerith's life is quite chilling. He just stands in place and starts monologuing while a helpless Cloud tries to come to grips with the fact that Aerith is no more.

During this monologue, Cloud ends up telling Sephiroth to shut up before lamenting Aerith's loss. This causes a bemused Sephiroth to question Cloud's ability to feel, which is rather cold even by his standards.

12 “It's Cause Of That &%*%* Pizza, That People Underneath Are Sufferin'.”

Barret Wallace

Barret is easily one of the most energetic characters in FF7. While a good deal of his quotes contain expletives, as evidenced here, Barret is a natural leader and the driving force of the early events in the game. Despite his harsh exterior, Barret often shows a level of depth that is accentuated by his heart of gold.

For those unfamiliar with this quote, it comes early in the game. First-time players might laugh, not fully considering the depth of what is being said. The “pizza” Barret refers to is the upper city of Midgar, which is essentially the high-class section of the city, while all others live below.

11 “It’s Like This Train. It Can't Run Anywhere Except Where Its Rails Take It.”

Cloud Strife

Rolling along with a second quote from the same conversation, Cloud makes a profound observation on the lives of citizens in Midgar. After Barret makes the statement above, he goes on to discuss how polluted the land is underneath the plate and how people stay because they love their homelands. Cloud then makes this statement.

What is so profound about this statement is how applicable the metaphor is in real life. We all have choices. We are all able to continue down our chosen paths. At the end of the day, we can only move where our paths take us, and we are all locked on a rail of sorts.

10 “...You Gotta Understand, There Ain’t No Getting Offa This Train We On Till We Get To The End Of The Line.”

Barret Wallace

Fans of FF7 will immediately recognize this quote as an inspirational one used to reaffirm the party’s commitment and to motivate Cloud away from his identity crisis. In saying this, Barret is essentially stating that the party is bound together despite differences and struggles in each character’s background.

This quote epitomizes perseverance and friendship. The metaphor of a train returns and stands valid. As stated earlier in the game, life can be a bit like a railroad. Everyone is committed once they are on it, and the only way to get off is to ride it until the end.

9 “I’ll Smash Em.”

Tifa Lockheart

In a sign of the times when FF7 was created, there are a number of questionable scenes that many fans will agree hold a more humorous spot in our hearts. During the early part of the game, in Sector 6’s Wall Market, the player has to infiltrate the mansion of a man named Don Corneo by having the two female characters, Tifa and Aeris, as well as Cloud, dress up for a date to be appraised.

There are many pieces of this sequence that make it memorable and inappropriate. The quote here is one of three threats made towards Corneo in order to get him to talk. What will be smashed if he doesn’t comply will go unnamed, but it’s unlikely that you don’t already know if you’ve played the game.

For a stellar example of keeping what works and changing what doesn't work into something even better, Final Fantasy 7 Remake's modernization of the Wall Market sequence is a total highlight.

8 “…Because It’s Our Job.”

Rude

This quote also involves Don Corneo, but it is a much different audience he is entertaining. Reno and Rude are members of an operative group called the Turks, which work for the Shinra Electric Power Company. Shinra is a major organization throughout the world in FF7, supplying energy through the refinement of Mako, which powers all the conveniences used. The organization serves as the home for most of the game’s antagonists.

Reno and Rude are often the comedic relief of the game, displaying a sort of buffoonery throughout. This statement is the last spoken to Don Corneo before his death and serves as a reminder that despite the laughs, they are dedicated professionals. And we all have to do our job.

7 “Words Aren’t The Only Thing That Tell People What You’re Thinking.”

Tifa Lockheart

The silent love story that plays out between Cloud and Tifa throughout FF7 sticks in your mind long after the credits roll. Throughout the game, Tifa reaches Cloud’s vulnerable side and reveals her own vulnerabilities time and time again. Perhaps it is the tough exterior they both portray that compels her to make this quote to Cloud.

As is the case with many of these quotes, this is a perfect concept to keep in mind. There is an adage that states that actions are louder than words, and this quote is directly in line with that statement.

6 “These Hands Are A Little Too Stained To Carry Her Anymore.”

Dyne

An example of the depth of characters in this game comes to light when you consider Dyne. From the beginning, Barret is seen to have a daughter named Marlene. Following events at the Gold Saucer, your party is thrown in prison for a crime Barrett is mistakenly accused of. In the junkyard of the prison, they find the “boss,” a man named Dyne.

Dyne is the father of Marlene. After an extremely emotional sequence where Barret tries to take Dyne back to Marlene, Dyne makes this quote before throwing himself over a cliff. The story is truly thought-provoking and illustrates two opposite examples of how we carry trauma. Barret echoes Dyne’s quote, but only one has the strength to persevere and carry on.

5 “Will You All Come With Me?”

Cloud Strife

There’s more to unpack than just this single line. During the monologue, which includes it, Cloud is explaining the control that Sephiroth has over him. He explains that something inside of him made him give Sephiroth the Black Materia and put Aerith’s life at risk. But he also explains that he must stop him.

When he asks his friends to join him, it is to save him from doing something terrible. Whether asking them to restrain him, asking them to give him resolve, or just asking them to ensure that his course doesn’t change, Cloud knows the power of friendship and looks to his friends to be his strength.

4 "Our Battlefield Is Now Beneath The Earth... The Gate To Tomorrow Is Not The Light Of Heaven, But The Darkness Of The Depths Of The Earth."

Vincent Valentine

Vincent Valentine had a knack for waxing poetic, and he does so with this highly stylistic quote. Vincent is beloved by fans for being an unapologetically "edgy" character, and quotes like this only add to his edge lord legend.

When the time comes to battle Sephiroth for the fate of the world, Vincent utters the quote as a means of convincing Cloud to commit to the mission. It's certainly one for the history books, or at least some emo song lyrics.

3 "How Can There Be Any Meaning In The Memory Of Such A Being? What I Have Shown You Is Reality. What You Remember, That Is The Illusion."

Sephiroth

If Sephiroth was good at one thing, it was manipulating his enemies. Sometimes, he even used the truth to do it. In the case of Cloud, he unveiled one of the most shocking plot arcs of the game.

When Cloud and company are dragged into an illusion created by Sephiroth, he uses the opportunity to reveal Cloud's true origins, leaving everyone in a state of denial. The truth is that Cloud was a failed clone of Sephiroth, a realization that has drastic repercussions moving forward. Even so, human memory is a fickle thing, prone to filling in the blanks; Final Fantasy 7's antagonist knows to use that against his foes.

2 "What About My Pain? My Fingers Are Tingling. My Mouth Is Dry. My Eyes Are Burning!"

Cloud Strife

The death of Aerith was an immense shock to every FF7 player, and for good reason. What should have been a key party member right to the end was snuffed out in the most unceremonious manner possible. It had also been revealed just recently that she was the last of a dying race known as the "Ancients" – the key to stopping Sephiroth.

This quote sums up the sense of loss that gamers felt upon watching her die, a moment that will live in infamy as one of the most tragic scenes in video game history.

1 "...This Planet's Still A Kid. A Little Kid Sick And Trembling In The Middle Of This Huge Universe. Someone's Gotta Protect It."

Cid Highwind

Almost every Final Fantasy game (and even a few other Square Enix games) features a character named Cid. But this Cid may just be the fandom's favorite iteration. His penchant for swearing, paired with his love of aeronautics, endeared him to the fanbase but so did his Chaotic Good alignment.

After all, he's got a point: if no one else will stand up to do what's right, it has to be them. Why not? That drive to do what's right is what Cid Highwind is all about, and if that happens to include cutting-edge airship technology, all the better.

The idea of the planet being like a child we have a responsibility to protect is a powerful one. From the beginning of the game, the character's goal is to protect the planet, but none of them put things into quite the same terms as Cid. It makes sense, though, as someone who dreams of going to space, he has more perspective on how small the world is in the universe as a whole.