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Switching Party Members in FF7 Rebirth Cloud Tifa and Aerith
Screenshot by The Escapist

How to Change Party Members in Final Fantasy 7 (FF7) Rebirth

You can change your party members in FF7 Rebirth, but it's not the most intuitive process

We’ve all got our favorite characters in Final Fantasy 7 (FF7) Rebirth. While not all characters are available all the time, you do have some control over the three active party members when you head into combat, so here’s how to change party members in FF7 Rebirth.

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Where to Switch Your Party in FF7 Rebirth.
Screenshot by The Escapist

You can have up to three active party members at any given time in FF7 Rebirth, chosen from the characters who are currently traveling with you. The fighters you actively control during combat are referred to as the “frontline” party members, while the other characters traveling with your party will be designated as “backline.” Backline party members will still be present during combat, but you won’t be able to assign their actions the way you can with your active party members. You’ll also have a designated Leader who you take control of at the start of combat.

At certain points in the story, your party selection will be “locked” based on what’s happening with the plot. At those times you may not be able to edit your party or change party leaders. Whenever this happens, you’ll get a clear pop-up message telling you that party selection is locked.

How to Switch Your Current Party Members in FF7 Rebirth

An image showing Tifa next to a list of her skills in Final Fantasy 7 (FF7) Rebirth as part of an article on how to swap party members in the game.
Screenshot by The Escapist

In FF7 Rebirth, you’ll need to head to the Combat Settings option to change your party members. This can be a bit difficult to figure out at first since there is a menu option named “Party,” but you can’t actually switch the current party members from there. The Party menu simply lets you review the stats, resistances, and skills of each party member.

To actually change your party makeup, you want that Combat Settings option, which is the third option in the main menu. Here, you’ll be able to toggle between three pre-built parties using the L1 and R1 buttons. This lets you have a few different default teams that you can easily swap out depending on the situation.

You’ll also be able to switch different characters into your party options, with active members being highlighted in white.

Related: What Is the Max Level in FF7 Rebirth?

An image showing Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa in Final Fantasy 7 (FF7) Rebirth as part of an article on how to switch party members in the game.
Screenshot by The Escapist

To switch party members in FF7 Rebirth, hit the Edit Party button (the square button on your PS5 controller). This will bring you to a screen where you can change your frontline (active) and backline party members. To swap in a backline character, click on that character’s photo, then select the mainline party member you want to replace. Hit the confirm button, and the characters will switch roles.

Once you have the party how you like it, you’ll hit the back button to return to the Combat Settings screen. Here, you’ll see the changes you made and be able to choose your newly edited party as your current active party build.

How to Swap the Party Leader in FF7 Rebirth

You can also switch your FF7 Rebirth party leader in the Combat Settings menu. The party leader is the character you’ll automatically control at the start of battles and you may want someone different to be in charge depending on the situation.

To change the party leader, head back to the Combat Setting menu. From the main screen here, you’ll see your currently selected party, with the party leader designated by a Leader icon next to their name.

Combat settings screen in FF7 Rebirth, featuring Aerith. An arrow points to the "change party leader" option
Screenshot by The Escapist

To switch your leader to another character in the party, move your cursor so that the character’s name is highlighted. Then, hit the Set as Leader button (the triangle button on your PS5 controller). The Leader designation will switch to the character you chose, and you’ll now enter combat playing as that party member.

One thing to keep in mind is that at certain points in the story, your party selection will be locked to just Cloud, in which case you can’t change the leader. Otherwise, you can set any member of your current party as the leader at any time by heading to the Combat Settings menu.

If you’re looking for more, check out our complete map of the Grasslands Region in FF7 Rebirth.

The above article was updated on 3/15/2024 by Amanda Kay Oaks to clarify information about FF7 Rebirth.


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Author
Image of Amanda Kay Oaks
Amanda Kay Oaks
Amanda Kay Oaks has been a freelancer writer with The Escapist since February 2024. She's a lifelong gamer with an affinity for Pokemon, RPGs, and cozy games, especially The Sims. Amanda has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction, with prior work on pop culture and entertainment at Book Riot, Fanfare, and Gamepur.