First of all are ya a feminist or something? guy or girl it doesn't matter if you are a feminist don't even bother reading on ahead because i've dealt with those type of people and nothing i say will get through to them since apparently any dislike of anything women is evil.
Come on now, i don't go around telling women go to the kitchen where you belong and get me a sammich and beer while your at it, her being a woman has nothing to do with it, granted i will admit i prefer male protagonists over female ones because i can relate better with them since ya know im a frickin' guy, it's only natural. buuuut ehh' that isn't the reason.
On the topic of Vaan, there are no words for him, hes that bad. calling him the Justin Bieber of the FF world would be a complement. Lightning is bad, to me but not nearly on the same level as that monstority.
I find it hard to relate to female characters unless they have really good personalities. like you said, Lightning is pretty much Cloud and Squall fused, and Squall is also a bitch and i don't like him either, but i dislike Lightning more then him because her attitude throughout the entire game is like she has a giant chip on her shoulder being a total ass to her team, even in Dissidia 012 she was a total bitch, and it really showed in that game more then Squall did in his game.
And the only reason why i like Cloud is because he brings back nostalgia from my childhood since FFVII was my first and is my favorite FF game of them all. 1997, 7th day 7 years old.
Funny thing is, i like him, but i like Sephiroth, Tifa, Cid, Red XIII and especially Vincent Valentine far more then Girly-man Cloud.
Tsk, For the ap tenth million time, i don't like Lightning because of her terrible attitude and Cloud gets a get-out-of-jail free card because hes Nostalgia.
For lack of a better word, your right FF characters are dumb in the end anyway.