These are all the characters that you get in the game. I will try to not ruin any spoilers about them. I have rated each character in each of the following categories:
Attack: This is overall attack strength, averaged throughout the game.
Speed: This is how fast the character gets their time bar filled.
Defense: This is an average of the characters defense, taken into account armor makes a difference.
Ether: This is how useful the character's ether ability is, and the relative strength.
Hit: The higher the rating, the more a character hits. **Note: Just because the # is 8 or so doesn't mean they hit 80% of the time. This just means that compared to other characters, they hit more.
Evade: The higher the rating, the more a characer evades. **Note: Just because the # is 8 or so doesn't mean they dodge 80% of the time. This just means that compared to other characters, they dodge more.
Combos: This is how strong/useful a character's combos are.
Likeability: How likeable (story wise) a character is.
Overall: This is my overall impression of the character.

Fei Fong Wong
Age: 18
Fei is the star of the game. He fights with his bare fists, which leaves him with balanced attack strength. His past seems simple, but the whole truth is revealed throughout the game.
Attack:9
Speed:9
Defense:9
Ether:8
Hit:6
Evade:7
Combos:9
Likeability:9
Overall:9

Elahym Van Houten
Age: 18
"Elly" as she likes to be called, uses rods to fight. She has a strong sense of duty, but longs to do what she desires, not what others tell her to do. She has a certain familiarness with Fei, and strong motherly characteristics.
Attack:8
Speed:8
Defense:7
Ether:7
Hit:7
Evade:7
Combos:9
Likeability:9
Overall:9

Citan Uzuki
Age: 30
The doctor has watched over Fei since he was brought to Lahan. He is very intelligent and calculating, but has strength and skill to back himself up. Citan fights with his fists, as he vowed to never use his sword to kill anymore. He is mysterious, and hides the secrets of his past.
Attack:8, with sword: 10
Speed:10
Defense:9
Ether:9
Hit:8
Evade:8
Combos:9
Likeability:5
Overall:9

Barthalomew Fatima
Age: 18
Bart, who is rightfully next in line for the throne, wanders the deserts as a bandit. His weapon of choice is the whip. He is guided by Sigurd and Maison, and his cousin, Margie, is his old childhood friend, and they have an even more familiar future.
Attack:8
Speed:8
Defense:8
Ether:5
Hit:6
Evade:6
Combos:9
Likeability:8
Overall:8

Ricardo Banderas
Age:
Rico is the battling champion of Kislev. He lives very well, and is very strong. His past is mysterious, but his mother did die when Rico was young. He was always prejudgediced against, since he is not human.
Attack:9
Speed:5
Defense:8
Ether:5
Hit:4
Evade:5
Combos:9
Likeability:7
Overall:8

Billy Lee Black
Age: 16
Billy's mother was killed when he was young, and he took it upon himself to raise his sister, in the absense of their father.
Attack:7
Speed:7
Defense:7
Ether:9
Hit:7
Evade:5
Combos:9
Likeability:8
Overall:7

Maria
Age: 10
Maria controls her father's supposed last gear, and the sister gear of Calamity, Shebzein. She longs to get back to Solaris, and rescue her kidnapped father. Little does she know what fate awaits her when she first encounters Fei's group.
Attack:4
Speed:4
Defense:4
Ether:7
Hit:5
Evade:4
Combos:n/a
Likeability:6
Overall:6

Chu Chu
Age: ??
Chu Chu was first thought to be a stuffed animal, but turned out to be a living animal. She is the last of her surface dwelling kind, but there may be more out there. . .She fell in love with Fei when she first saw him, and has dedicated herself to the group.
Attack:5
Speed:5
Defense:4
Ether:7
Hit:3
Evade:3
Combos:n/a
Likeability:6
Overall:4

Emeralda
Age: appearance=10, adult appearance=20
Emeralda is the creation of a scientist named Kim who lived over a thousand years ago. She is created out of nanomachines, which are smaller than cells. They can repair her or mold her body in different ways. Her body, in fact, is a weapon, sealed away after it was sought after by the public that Kim knew.
Attack:8, when adult: 9
Speed:8
Defense:6
Ether:5
Hit:7
Evade:5
Combos:9
Likeability:8
Overall:8