In 1997, Final Fantasy VII was one of the most revolutionary games around and was an introduction for many into the next generation of games. Now, 23 years later, comparing it to the Final Fantasy VII Remake is akin to comparing Kraft Mac n' Cheese to a dish cooked by world-class chef, Gordon Ramsay.
Though FF7 Remake certainly isn't the first time these characters were updated or redesigned, it's certainly striking to see them in 4K and on modern consoles. The variety in character design is one aspect of FF7 that has remained a favorite among fans since the original, but some of them have had more of a glow-up than others.
10 Sephiroth
What makes Sephiroth such an iconic character within Final Fantasy VII and arguably one of the most recognizable video game villains in history is his simple yet elegant design. Sephiroth fit extremely well on the original PlayStation's hardware as his clothing and color scheme were simple and straightforward.
This is nowhere near a bad thing, but it makes it increasingly difficult to evolve his physical appearance further. Sure, he's one of the prettiest characters in gaming, but in terms of 23 years of Final Fantasy VII, he hasn't changed much.
9 Jessie
Each member of AVALANCHE has received a substantial upgrade to their appearances in the Remake, but Jessie is likely the one with the least number of big changes. Her design was one of the simplest in the original game, after all, but the upgrades to facial expressions and body language really give Jessie a way more significant-feeling role than she ever had.
The opening bombing mission of the game does a great job of showcasing what these familiar characters have to offer after the long-awaited release of FF7 Remake, and Jessie makes it a real treat.
8 Cloud Strife
What can be said about Sephiroth can mostly be applied to Cloud, as he isn't much more than a stylish sleeveless turtleneck, spikey hair, and a big-ass sword, but he's actually come quite a long way since FF7 Remake's reveal.
Looking at past trailers and announcements for the game, Cloud's hair, face, and body have been tweaked to the point of near perfection, and a close look at him shows just how much time and effort has been put into his character model. Although his design has remained pretty much the exact same, he now looks better than he ever did in Advent Children.
7 Wedge
Wedge has come a long way since the original game as well as the earlier builds of the Remake. Wedge had always seemed like a tool for comic relief instead of a supporting character that players grow to know and care about, but the Remake ensures that he has great voice work and some much-needed spotlight.
Earlier builds of FF7 Remake have Wedge looking a little too much like the Pillsbury Doughboy, but the demo reworked his face a bit to create one handsome, caring man.
6 Tifa Lockhart
Even though Tifa never fit the stereotype of fantasy characters donning ridiculously complicated and intricate outfits, instead choosing to rock a simple white crop-top and a short skirt for maximum close-combat efficiency, the Remake still manages to make her look more stunning than ever.
Every aspect of Tifa's design has been perfected, from her hair to her jewelry, outfit, gloves and arm-bracers, and facial structure. There isn't a ton to build upon when it comes to Tifa's character design, but she's still one of the best looking character models in gaming at the moment.
5 Heidegger
The right-hand man to President Shinra may not immediately come to mind when considering the best aspects of FF7's transition to modern consoles, but his new design is handled very well. He mainly retains the same attire from the original, but now with tons of detail and added flair.
Heidegger's hair and face have, obviously, received a significant upgrade as well, as he now looks like the coolest, evil pirate around. He'd fit right in next to Captain Jack Sparrow in Kingdom Hearts 3's Pirates of the Caribbean world.
4 President Shinra
President Shinra gets very little attention next to most other characters on this list, but compared to his appearance in the original game, the Remake paints a completely different picture of the president of the Shinra Electric Power Company.
On the PS1, his pudgy, goofy character model never really conveyed him as the evil, scheming politician he is. Now, however, the vile look in his eyes paired with his obviously expensive attire makes him a clear villain from the very first glance. Without even speaking a single word in the demo, President Shinra's decision to blow up the Mako Reactor still had a profound weight to it.
3 Biggs
Out of all the minor AVALANCHE characters, Biggs is probably the one many least expected to look this good in the Remake. But, it's an entirely fair statement to say that Biggs is a contender for one of the most attractive characters in the game.
That jawline, facial hair, razor-sharp smile, eyebrows, and demeanor makes it difficult to ascertain why Jessie is so dead-set on Cloud when Biggs is right alongside her the entire time. The original game likely depicted Biggs as somewhat generic and goofy so he could complement Wedge, but Square Enix really did the character a disservice.
2 Barret Wallace
During the events of the Final Fantasy VII Remake Demo, fans finally get a good, long look at a lot of the supporting characters and party members. Barret had the most screentime next to Cloud, providing ample opportunity to see the upgrades to his outfit, tattoos, and facial features.
This is, without a doubt, the best iteration of Barret to date, and is exactly how he was pictured past the limitations of the original game. Due to his bigger stature, his overworld model on the PS1 was arguably one of the worst out of all the characters, but he looks near perfect in the Remake.
1 Aerith Gainsborough
From the first sight of the opening cutscene of the Final Fantasy VII Remake, Aerith shows the true scope of how far graphical capabilities have come in video games. Her original models were already some of the best in the game, but Square Enix truly knocked it out of the park with her modern design.
Aerith's clothes are extremely detailed with lots of intricate additions, and her hair almost looks too good to be in a video game. Aerith is, without a shred of doubt, one of the best looking Final Fantasy character models ever, if not one of the best character models in all of gaming.