An intriguing woman with a mysterious past, Aeris seems to know something that ordinary people do not. She is sought after by the Shinra, and Cloud takes it upon himself to protect her. In battle, she takes the role of a white mage, attacking with a rod and using healing abilities.

Barret is the leader of AVALANCHE, a group dedicated to protecting the Planet by destroying things. Don't question their methods. He has a vendetta against the Shinra, and he hires Cloud to help attack one of their reactors. He fights with a gun-arm, an implant used to replace the real arm that he lost to the Shinra.

Cait Sith is a robotic cat that travels around on the back of a stuffed moogle. He is a fortune teller at the Gold Saucer, and his attacks are in a similar "luck" vein. He forces himself into the party after predicting an unusual fortune for Cloud. At least, that's what he wants the party to think...

A foul-mouthed pilot who dreams of venturing into space. His big chance failed at the launch, however, as Shera was too busy performing safety checks to leave the rocket. He now lives with Shera in the shadow of the failed craft. In battle, he takes the role of Paladin, fighting with a spear and using powerful jump attacks.

Cloud is a mercenary who used to work for the Shinra, and is a childhood friend of Tifa's. He was hired by AVALANCHE to help destroy some Shinra reactors. He occasionally hears voices in his head, but he doesn't understand their origin. He uses the sword as his weapon, and can cause extreme damage with it.

Red XIII is a fearsome beast with remarkable intelligence and the ability to speak. The Shinra captured him for research, where he was given the codename Red XIII. He is a noble and respectful character, and knows more than he may let on. In battle he has a melee attack, the power of which can be enhanced with hair clips.

An old friend of Cloud's, Tifa is an expert martial artist. She now runs the Seventh Heaven, a bar which doubles as AVALANCHE's hideout. She has feelings for Cloud, but has kept them hidden from him. She has a personal vendetta against Sephiroth and the Shinra for what they did to her family and hometown.

Vincent is yet another mysterious character with a reason to dislike the Shinra. He was found to have been "sleeping" in a coffin in Nibelheim for thirty years. He has had one arm replaced with a metal claw, and seems to be able to turn into a variety of beasts and demons. During battle, he attacks the enemy with a handgun.

Yuffie comes from a long line of ninja, and uses her skills to steal and deceive. She is on a constant quest for Materia, and tricks her way into the party in order to get more. When it comes to fighting, she is second to none, and can do major damage with a variety of shuriken and other thrown objects.