Of every game in the beloved franchise, Final Fantasy 7 is probably the most iconic title. This was the game that introduced so many of us to the Final Fantasy franchise, if not to JRPGs in general. The company’s fortunes would have been dramatically different if it hadn’t gone on to become the phenomenon it did.

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One of the most memorable aspects of this title is its cast of legendary characters. From Cloud Strife himself to Cait Sith and the dastardly Sephiroth, there are so many Final Fantasy icons here, many of whom have helped to shape their whole world with their scientific prowess. Let’s rank some of the smartest characters in the game.

10 Vincent Valentine

As anybody who’s played Final Fantasy 7 will tell you, Vincent Valentine might well be one of the most enigmatic characters in gaming history. From the moment you solve that famous Shinra Mansion puzzle, open the safe and rescue him from the basement, you’re immediately fascinated by/terrified of this man.

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Vincent was once a successful and valuable member of the Turks, who opposed the inhumane experiments of Professor Hojo (and so was attacked and subjected to similar treatment himself). We learn more about Vincent from Lucretia later (if the player opts to visit a certain optional area), but it’s clear that he’s a brilliant, emotionally guarded individual.

9 Cid Highwind

ff7 remake part 2 cid

Granted, Cid Highwind isn’t the sort of man whose brilliance is plain to see right off the bat. He’s volatile, rude and throws around more expletives than your average episode of South Park. Let’s not take things at face value, though.

Like most of the recurring Cids in the Final Fantasy series, Cid Highwind is highly accomplished in his field. He can pilot everything from the Tiny Bronco to the mighty Highwind airship, and is even capable of flying Shinra’s rocket (not that this venture goes very well). If he’d been given more time to shine in this regard, he’d probably have been rated higher on the list.

8 Tseng

Speaking of the Turks, Cloud and his party tangle with this arm of Shinra corp (until they become their own group) multiple times over the course of Final Fantasy VII. There are several boss battles that pit our heroes against Rude and Reno, sometimes accompanied by Elena as well. However, we don’t get to personally fight the latest leader of this outfit: Tseng.

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Tseng is a quiet, level-headed man who has something of a history with Aeris. As with Vincent, we don’t get to see the true extent of his intelligence during the events of the game, but the mastermind behind the Turks’ actions clearly has what it takes to lead such a covert group.

7 Red XIII

Sure, Red XIII isn’t an accomplished and celebrated pilot. His four paws and general furriness probably limited his opportunities to advance in a career as an astronaut. What Nanaki does bring to the table, however, is the great longevity of his tribe and the wisdom and potential that comes along with it.

We don’t know very much about this noble tribe or their origins, but we know that their lifespans far exceed those of humans. He has an outsider’s perspective and a long life ahead to hone it, both factors that made his adopted grandfather Bugenhagen the brilliant man he is (as we’ll see later).

6 Ifalna

As the player soon learns, Elmyra Gainsborough isn’t Aeris’ biological mother. The unassuming young flower seller is actually a member of an ancient, formidable race known as the Ancients (officially the Cetra).

Ifalna was the last remaining pure Ancient. She conceived Aeris with Professor Gast after they fell in love while Gast interviewed and performed research on her to learn about the Cetra. Before the pair were attacked by Shinra agents (who learned of the baby and wanted to claim her for their own), Ifalna divulged some priceless knowledge to Gast about her race and Jenova (interested players can check out recordings of these conversations at the Icicle Inn). Ifalna ranks in the middle of the list simply because it’s tough to know exactly where her knowledge ended or what she could impart.

5 Professor Gast

Speaking of Gast, it’s tough to say whether he or his successor Professor Hojo rank higher when it comes to intelligence. Their respective accomplishments and attitudes towards their own brilliance clouds that issue. For the purposes of this list, though, Hojo’s going to rank slightly higher simply because he was willing to push the very limits of his knowledge — however horribly that may have gone.

Gast Faremis also lead the Scientific Research arm of Shinra. It was he who began the Jenova Project, believing the entity to be a member of the Cetra, which it wasn’t — another point against Gast. He was a brilliant, dedicated biologist who met his death at Hojo’s hands when he refused to give up Ifalna and their newborn daughter.

4 Professor Hojo

Where Gast was an enthusiastic, personable scientist who only wanted to use his knowledge to help humankind, Hojo had very different intentions. His research was driven only by a desire for power. His lack of humanity and willingness to perform all manner of horrific experiments on his "test subjects" (such as Vincent Valentine, who joins the party to get revenge on Hojo) set him apart from the kindly Gast.

However ruthless Hojo may have been, there’s no denying that he achieved astonishing things. He put his own body on the line in the name of science (as seen by the super hideous forms he takes in the boss battle with him) and could have been a true force for good if he hadn’t strayed so far from basic morality.

3 Sephiroth

Well naturally, Final Fantasy VII’s Big Bad was going to have to show up here sooner or later. You know what that guy’s like. He likes to be acknowledged, and we don’t feel like being skewered on the end of a Masamune this morning. Fine, Sephiroth, we’ll indulge you.

The son of Professor Hojo and Lucrecia, Sephiroth was subjected to grisly experiments (injection with Jenova’s cells) before he was even born. This accomplished and formidable soldier officer later learns the truth of his origins, and…well, as we all know, he doesn’t take it especially well. If Sephiroth's efforts to ascend and fulfill his "mother" Jenova’s will succeed, he absorbs the knowledge of the Ancients, a feat beyond anything the most accomplished scientists could even fathom.

2 Jenova

Jenova is the source of so much of the villainy we see in the world of Final Fantasy VII. Sephiroth, Hojo, and Cloud himself are all affected by the lifeform’s insidious influence.

The Calamity from the skies fell two millennia before the events of the game, taking the form of a Cetra to infiltrate and destroy almost the entire race. Humanity hid away, prospering after the last few Cetra survivors managed to imprison Jenova. Sephiroth eventually dominates Jenova’s own will, but it’s only through his "mother’s" great knowledge and power that he’s able to do so.

1 Bugenhagen

Extra-terrestrial menaces and brilliant scientists are one thing, but if you’re looking for the most intelligent character in Final Fantasy VII, our vote would have to go to Bugenhagen. The elder of Cosmo Canyon is a sort of Albus Dumbledore figure (magnificent gray beard and all), always enlightening the party on the nature of the planet, the Lifestream and what must be done to try and save them.

Later in the game, the player is reliant on Bugenhagen several times, needing him to explain the nature of a mysterious artifact or to show them the way. Intelligence and wisdom often aren’t the same thing, but Bugenhagen is clearly overflowing with both.

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