Summary
A great deal of additional information and plot time is given to a lot of characters in the remakes ofFinal Fantasy 7compared to the original game. This allows characters to be explored more, and leaves a greater lasting impression in the hearts of the players — including from characters who crossed paths withCloud Strifeand were bested by him.
Barret may give Clouda hard time, especially in the earlier parts ofFinal Fantasy 7, but it’s safe to say that he would pretty much give any newbie a hard time in the same way, and eventually he comes around to resepcting Cloud. Barret is a valued member of Cloud’s party, and doesn’t make the cut here, when there are othercharacters who hate Clouda whole lot more.
5Don Corneo
Crime Boss Of Wall Market
Don Corneois a crime lordin the Wall Market district. Despite this area being in Sector 6, his influence extends beyond just this sector. He is involved in many insidious misdeeds and conducts shady deals with the Shinra Electric Power Company. These misdeeds range from keeping monsters as pets to having his pick of numerous potentially-unwilling women. His unopposed life of luxury and self-indulgence is disrupted once Cloud and company come into his life. Cloud shows him a great deal of disrespect, and physically boots him across the room.
The group constantly threaten harm upon Corneo until he divulges the information they seek, before springing a trap door on them. Don Corneo appears inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, where the same line of threats against him are reprized by each member of the group — along with some new ones. After all the humiliation and threats made against him, he will most likely forever hold a grudge against Cloud and his companions.
4Palmer
Executive Director Of Space & Aeronautics
Director Palmeris the Executive Director of Space and Aeronautics at the Shinra Electric Power Company. He experiences a long line of upsetting developments, from performing the menial task of distributing the wanted posters of Avalanche, to his Chocobo coming in last place during theCorel Chocobo Race. All of this ends up pushing him to deploy a mecha with himself as the pilot, in an attempt to get revenge on Cloud and company for all the trouble they have caused him over the course of the story.
Palmer may not be the most powerful of antagonists, nor is he one that comes up a lot in conversation when talking aboutFinal Fantasy 7, but he audibly expresses a level of hatred toward Cloud and co. greater than any other antagonist because he is pushed so far over the edge.
3The Turks
Investigation Branch Of The General Affairs Department
The Turksare a special unit of agents working for the Shinra Electric Company, which consists of multiple key figures inFinal Fantasy 7’sstory. They are responsible for a lot of shady dealings, such as assassinations and espionage. Cloud continuously acts as a wall preventing them from accomplishing their mission to abduct Aerith throughout the story.
Themost notable antagonistic figuresin The Turks include Rude, Reno, Elina, and Tseng — with the former three appearing as boss characters. Cloud first encounters Reno when he defends Aerith in a church, defeating him and making his escape. The Turks are under orders to capture Aerith, who is believed to be the last living Cetra — making her a vital piece in accomplishing President Shinra’s ambitions, and Cloud’s constant obstruction of their goals has to begin frustrating them after repeated defeats at his hand.
2President Shinra
President Of The Shinra Electric Power Company
While his son, Rufus Shinra, may be more prominent in later parts of the story, the president of theShinra Electric Power Companyis a perfect example of corporate villainy at its most extreme. Not only is he a ruthless businessman, he is also a ruthless person. He is established early on in the story and was believed to be the main villain by fans at the start of theirFinal Fantasy 7journey. He has his hooks inserted throughout Midgar, and is one of the most influentially powerful characters in all ofFinal Fantasy 7.
President Shinra’sgoal is to create and rule over a Neo Midgar, but he is opposed by Cloud and company, who constantly antagonize him and prevent his dreams from becoming a reality. With Aerith in his custody, he was closer than ever before to achieving his ultimate ambition, until Cloud and company saved her and thwarted his plans yet again. If not for his abrupt demise, he would harbor a very deep disdain for Cloud and the rest of Avalanche as future events play out.
1Sephiroth
The Ultimate Final Fantasy 7 Antagonist
The single most iconic villain in all ofFinal Fantasy 7has to beSephiroth. Players will constantly catch glimpses of him throughout the story, and even get tohave him as a temporary companionduring a flashback portion of the original game and forFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Sephiroth is driven to insanity upon learning secrets withheld from him regarding his birth, slaughtering countless innocent lives in the Niflheim Incident. This broken sanity, and watching his ultimate ambitions draw closer throughout the story, means there is actually little reason for him to harbor any hatred for Cloud. It is clear that Cloud has a much stronger hatred for Sepheroth than the other way around.
That is, until the final moments of the story. Upon transforming into Safer-Sephiroth, he is confronted by Cloud and company in the final boss battle of the originalFinal Fantasy 7. Having been denied his plans coming to fruition, Sephiroth pulls Cloud’s very essence toconfront him in a climatic one-on-one battle. Sepheroth has already lost, but that does not matter anymore to him. His only remaining ambition is to see Cloud fall, and he fails in that goal as well.
