The original Final Fantasy 7 had a sizable cast, even for an RPG, and especially for its time. Final Fantasy 7 Remake added plenty more, and hasn't stopped the new character wagon. Returning favorites and fresh faces alike bedazzle the world of Gaia.

As is the nature of any story, some characters will make more of an impact than others. And some are clearly intended to be tertiary at best. But then there are those who stick with us for the long haul. We reckon a couple of our picks may prove contentious, but that's part of the fun, right?

We're leaving out characters with a stronger presence in the main story, or else you'd see folks like Roche and Elena on here. A few of our picks do play a role in the overarching quest, but not so much 🔯as, say, Bugenhagen (who isജ also great).

9 Gus

Yeah, we're kicking things off with someone who is bound to be divisive. But hear us out. Or rather, hear that song out. Solemn Gus is anything but, and his theme is testament to that fac💮t. It is a bop, and when we first bumped into it, we let it play for at least half an hour.

And those dance moves. Look at that screenshot! When we snapped it via FF7 Rebirth's (excellent) photo mode, we didn't do it for a list we didn't even know we'd write. We did it because it is ridiculous, and some of the best things in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are ridiculous.

Gus, you're a right pest. You're a jerk at best. But you're our jerk.

8 Biggs

Biggs is back. Or is he? Who is this guy, anyway? Well, FF7 Rebirth has an answer for that, but since we promised we'd stick with light spoilers, we'll refrain from going into detail. (Biggs is in the game's trailers, so we're classifying this as light.)

Regardless, we dig Biggs because he's a haunted man. He's having to come to terms with survivor's guilt. A heavy subject, handled fairly well. Biggs doesn't have a ton of screentime, but the writers use it well, and his voice actor (Gideon Emery) provides a layered, nuanced, performance.

7 Kyrie

Kyrie was introduced in the Final Fantasy 7 tie-in novel, 'The Kids Are Alright', written by veteran FF scribe Kazushige Nojima. She made the leap to the Remake project in the first game, but she had a fairly small role. Her role isn't huge in Rebirth - honestly, she's probably best in small doses - but she leaves more of an impression.

A good impression, if you ask us. Yes, she's petulant and bratty. Yep, she sure is irresponsible. No, she doesn't even change that much over the course of her ordeal - although there is character development! But Kyrie is still rad. She's bloody hilarious, and like Gus, her theme song is unstoppable.

Kyrie even makes a neat little appearance in Zack's story vignettes. The girl gets around!

6 Chadley

Chadley popped up throughout Midgar in Remake, aiding Cloud and friends with new Materia - including Summons - via the Combat Simulator. It was a pretty straightforward affair, although the Combat Simulator's been greatly expanded in Rebirth. And with all the forms of World Intel, Chadley's role is much increased.

While the kid's all right (accidental reference to an aforementioned novel unintended) in Remake, his writing's sharper in Rebirth. Or maybe it's not so much sharper as it is more... defined? Turns out, what our android pal needed in order to shine was a road trip across two whole continents.

Chadley has insight everywhere you go, and you get the feeling he's growing as an individual. Not in his actions, perhaps, but in his insights. Good for you, Chadley. Make the most of your youth. If that's how android bodies work, anyway.

5 Cissnei

Cissnei, a former Turk, was introduced in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7, the Zack-starring prequel originally for PSP and later ported to modern hardware. She's a fan-favorite in that game, and the lack of any explanation for her disappearance from the timeline following Crisis Core frustrated folks for nearly 17 years.

Well, we found her. FF7 Rebirth puts the gal in Gongaga, where she plays a role in one of the story's 14 chapters. We love Cissnei because we can tell she's grown. She's cool, she's confident, and she's a natural leader who inspires her militia.

Cissnei's character might not land so well for players unfamiliar with Crisis Core - we're not sure! - but we reckon you'll still like her well enough.

4 Billy

Billy really surprised us. The kid's all right (OK, that time it was intentional, sorry) when we first meet him at Bill's Chocobo Ranch. His grandfather's good people. His sister, Chloe, is good people. They're all good people. But there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to Billy. And that's fine!

'Flowers from the Hill', an early-game side quest, reveals that Billy and Chloe have a grudge against FF7 Remake's Chocobo Sam. It's compelling, but we leave it behind for a good while. It resurfaces with greater intrigue during another side quest in the Nibel region, and culminates at the Gold Saucer.

All this is to say, Billy has a clear arc. Seeing him come to terms with the past is cathartic. He's got a lot on his plate, and he keeps his hat on with aplomb.

3 Dio

Dio is a hoot. This muscular man's fine form demands attention from the moment we meet him in our first trip to the Gold Saucer. Loud, proud, and with a fairer and more considerate personality than in the original FF7, Dio wants desperately to trust Cloud's statements of innocence regarding a certain big event.

He gifts us the desert buggy later - and holds off one of FF7 Rebirth's formidable foes in a funny little clash. Dio doesn't stop being rad as the game goes on; he's a stage-stealer, a bona fide performer, and while it wasn't his plan to create the Gold Saucer, we can think of no one better qualified.

2 Johnny

Ah, Johnny. The original FF7 gave you a t🧸runcated presence that always seemed primed for more. Rebirth gave you the screentime you had always needed. Rebirth triples down on it.

No, no. It's seven times as much. Johnny is the hero of the hour when Yuffie, um, clones him. We then travel the eastern half of the Corel region, meeting up with the various Johnnys, as one after the other, they deliver self-deprecating puns that prove for good and all that FF7 Rebirth's writers are excellent at their craft.

Your best bro is one of the best side characters, bar none. We didn't know we needed seven of him, and if you'd asked us before Rebirth's launch, we'd probably have balked at the notion, but here we are.

1 Gilgamesh

Ever since 1992's Final Fantasy 5, Gilgamesh has topped so many lists for most beloved recurring Final Fantasy characters. Granted, there are only so many, but don't let that fool you; everyone loves Gilgamesh.

We're pleased to report that Gilgamesh's role has not been this large since his debut in FF5. Popping up for most of the game's Protorelic quests, he runs a veritable gauntlet of humor. Look, he's a polygonal captain. Now, he's a giant sand gargoyle... thing.

And when we fight him? You'd better believe his iconic theme song has been done justice. 32 years after his arrival at the Final Fantasy scene (and, what, 4100 years since his real-world Mesopotamian origin, but who's counting?), and we still can't enough Greg.

Sor🐼ry, that last bit was a little Final Fantasy 14 joke.