Main Characters
Cloud Strife (Ex-SOLDIER)
Aeris Gainsborough
Cid Highwind
Cait Sith
Yuffie Kisaragi (Secret)
Tifa Lockhart
Barret Wallace (AVALANCHE)
Red XIII
Vincent Valentine (Secret)
Final Fantasy VII has seven characters who are naturally obtained throughout the course of the game and two that are secret characters, which can be completely ignored. Cloud Strife is the main playable character, as he is controllable by the player for the vast majority of the time.
Villains
Sephiroth (Ex-SOLDIER)
JENOVA
Professor Hojo (Science Department)
Elena (The Turks)
President Shinra
Rufus Shinra (ShinRa Vice President)
Tseng (The Turks)
Reno (The Turks)
Rude (The Turks)
Sephiroth is the main villain in Final Fantasy VII, but there are plenty of other characters also vying to take down the main characters at every opportunity. The Turks, consisting of Tseng, Reno, Rude and Elena are the "rivals" to Cloud and his group of friends.
Minor Characters
ShinRa Employees
Reeve Tuesti (Urban Development)
Scarlet (Weapons Development)
Heidegger (Public Safety)
Palmer (Space Research)
Lucrecia Crescent (Science Department)
Professor Gast (Science Department)
Mayor Domino (Mayor of Midgar)
Zack Fair (SOLDIER)
Other Characters (Place In Brackets)
Don Corneo (Wall Market)
Bugenhagen (Cosmo Canyon)
Seto (Gi Cave)
Dyne (Corel Desert Prison)
Marlene Wallace
Shera (Rocket Town)
Johnny
Priscilla (Junon Harbour)
Joe (Gold Saucer)
Holzoff (Icicle Inn)
Myrna Wallace (Corel)
Dio (Gold Saucer)
Godo Kisaragi (Wutai)
Ifalna (Icicle Inn)
Elmyra Gainsborough (Sector 5)
Zangan
Eleanor (Corel)
Skotch and Kotch (Wall Market)
Yamski (Icicle Inn)
Ester (Gold Saucer)
Chocobo Sage (Near Northern Crater)
Final Fantasy VII featured a gulf of characters which could be considered "minor" in the grand scheme of things. These have been categorised where possible, but the vast majority have no real connection to a group or organisation.
