Part I: Welcome Back to the Planet, Merc 🌎
Introduction: So, You Wanna Be a Master? 🌟
So, you’re looking to become a master, huh? Awesome! This journey across the Planet chasing that one-winged angel isn’t gonna be easy. It’s packed with gnarly fiends, slick corporate goons, and more mini-games than you can shake a Chocobo stick at. 😅 This guide is your personal Lifestream of strategy, a collection of tactics to take you from a rookie merc to a true SOLDIER-class legend. 🗡️
We’re not just gonna give you a checklist. We’re gonna dive deep into the why. Why is Tifa the queen of Stagger? 🥊 Why is Barret way more than just a loudmouth with a gun-arm? 🦾 Why is blocking way more important than that fancy dodge roll? This guide will break down all of it. We’ll turn you from a button-masher into a battlefield tactician, conducting a symphony of destruction. 🎶
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a GIGANTIC game. 🗺️ Critics and players love it, and you can easily spend over 90 hours just on the main story and some side quests. If you’re a completionist? You’re looking at 150+ hours, easy. ⏰ In a world this big, a guide isn’t a luxury—it’s essential. Whether you’re a total newcomer or a veteran from ’97, this journey is full of unknowns. Let’s get ready to master it!
The Unwritten Journey: Remake, Rebirth, and the Original Sin (Spoiler-Free! 🤫)
To get what’s happening, you gotta understand this new reality. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is Part 2 of a three-part project reimagining the 1997 original. It picks up right after Remake, with Cloud and the gang escaping Midgar to chase the super-dangerous Sephiroth across the open Planet. 🏃💨
But calling this a simple “remake” is a massive understatement. This is not a 1:1 recreation. The story is making some big changes. The creators themselves said the characters’ “fates are unwritten” and they’re heading toward an “unknown future.” 🔮 This is the most important thing for returning fans to get: The path you remember is not the path you will walk. 🤯
This isn’t an accident; it’s the whole point. In Remake, we met those spooky ghost-things called Whispers. 👻 Their whole job was to make sure everything happened exactly like it did in the original game. They were basically the “Fate Police.” By the end of Remake, our heroes fought them and won, shattering that predetermined path.
This changes everything. The Remake project isn’t just a retelling; it’s a sequel to the original story’s events. The characters, and especially the villain Sephiroth, are in a world where the script has been tossed out. They’re not just playing their parts; they’re fighting against their own destiny.
For vets, your old knowledge is both a blessing and a curse. It gives you context, but you can’t be sure what’s next. For newbies, you’re on a totally fresh, mysterious adventure. 🤩 The journey to the Forgotten Capital isn’t a set destination anymore—it’s a giant question mark. ⁉️
Part II: The Art of War: Mastering the Combat System ⚔️
Foundations of the Fight: Stop Mashing Square! 🛑
The combat in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a beautiful mix of real-time action and strategic menu commands. It all revolves around the Active Time Battle (ATB) gauge. You can play “Active” (full control) or “Classic” (automated basic attacks) style. 🕹️
The basic loop seems simple: do basic attacks to build your ATB gauge, then spend that ATB on abilities, spells, or items. But if you played Remake, you need to unlearn a big habit.
In Remake, mashing the attack button was a great way to build ATB. In Rebirth, this is a trap. 😵 It’s the slowest, most inefficient way to get things done. The game actively punishes you for it. The real goal isn’t just to do damage; it’s to generate ATB as fast as possible. 🔋 The game wants you to use its deeper systems: perfect blocking, character-specific moves (like Barret’s Overcharge), and the amazing new Synergy system. Think of basic attacks as just a small tool, not the whole engine.
The Rhythm of Battle: Pressure, Stagger, and Obliteration 🥊
Beating tough enemies is a four-step dance. Mastering this rhythm is the key to winning every tough fight.
- Step 1: Assess – Knowledge is Power 🧐Your first move in any new fight should always be to use the Assess Materia. Seriously, it’s the most important Materia in the game. It tells you an enemy’s weaknesses, resistances, and—most importantly—how to make them “Pressured.” Fighting without this is just guessing.
- Step 2: Pressure – Create an Opening 🎯Once you know the weakness, exploit it! Hit ’em with the right element, parry a specific move, or break a body part. This inflicts “Pressured.” A Pressured enemy stumbles and, critically, their Stagger gauge fills up way faster. This is the opening you’ve been waiting for.
- Step 3: Stagger – Break Their Will 💥Now that they’re Pressured, go all-out on that orange Stagger gauge under their health bar. Any attack helps, but “Focused” abilities are your best friends here. Think Cloud’s Focused Thrust, Tifa’s Focused Strike, or Barret’s Focused Shot. These will send that gauge flying.
- Step 4: Obliterate – Unleash Hell 😵A Staggered enemy is a sitting duck. They’re totally helpless, and a damage multiplier (like 160%!) appears. This is your cue! Spend all your ATB on your most powerful attacks. Use your Limit Breaks. This is also where Tifa shines 🌟. Her unique Triangle attacks are the only thing that can raise that damage multiplier, pushing it up to 200%, 300%, or even higher!
Master this loop: Assess ➡️ Pressure ➡️ Stagger ➡️ Obliterate.
Synergy Unleashed: Your Ultimate Guide to Team-Up Tactics 🤝
The biggest new thing in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth combat is the Synergy system. It’s all about teamwork and adds a super-cool strategic layer. It’s split into two parts: Synergy Skills and Synergy Abilities.
Synergy Skills: The Bread and Butter 🍞🧈
These are your new go-to moves. They’re fast, efficient, and the new engine for your whole strategy.
- How to use ’em: Hold Block (R1) and press a face button (Triangle, Circle, X, Square).
- Cost: This is the best part… they cost ZERO ATB. 💸 They are totally free!
- Why use ’em: This is how you build ATB quickly now! They’re the answer to the “don’t mash square” problem. They also have great defensive or positioning perks. Cloud can counter projectiles, and Barret can dash at an enemy while still blocking. Use them all the time!
Synergy Abilities: The Big Guns 💥
These are the flashy, cinematic team-up attacks that can change the tide of a boss fight.
- How to use ’em: You earn “pips” (those little blocks on your HUD) every time you spend an ATB charge. Once you have enough pips, the Synergy Ability shows up in your command menu.
- Why use ’em: They do huge damage, but their real value is in the powerful buffs they give. Each one does something different:
- Raise Limit Levels 🟡: Lets you use your Level 2 or 3 Limit Breaks.
- Unlimited MP 🟣: Gives you infinite MP for a short time. Go wild with your biggest spells!
- Extend Stagger 🟠: Use this on a Staggered enemy to keep them helpless for even longer.
- Partition ATB Gauge (United Refocus) 🔵: Splits your ATB gauge into three small, fast-filling segments.
The Synergy system is also a brilliant way to control your AI teammates. When you use a Synergy Skill, your partner instantly joins in, forcing them into a useful action or position. 🤝 It turns your trio into one smart, deadly unit.
A Good Defense is a Good Offense 🛡️
In a fast-action game like this, it’s tempting to just go all-out offense. That’s a huge mistake. A strong defense in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an active way to create openings and build your ATB.
Forget what you know from other games. The dodge roll is not your best friend here. 🚫 Most attacks will track you, making dodging unreliable. It’s really just for repositioning or avoiding big, unblockable attacks.
Your primary, most-effective defense is the Block (R1). A standard block cuts damage way down and builds a little ATB. It’s your safe, reliable option.
But the real prize is the Perfect Block (or precise block). Tap R1 right before an attack hits. You’ll take zero damage, won’t get knocked back, and will gain a ton of ATB. ✨ This is a core skill for advanced play. It turns an enemy’s attack into your own personal ATB battery. 🔋
To make this even better, use the Steadfast Block Materia (less damage, more ATB when blocking) and the Precision Defense Focus Materia (makes the perfect block timing window bigger). Defense isn’t just about surviving; it’s about turning the enemy’s strength against them.
Part III: The Heroes of the Planet: A Character Masterclass 🤩
Cloud Strife: The Adaptable Leader 🗡️
Cloud is your all-rounder, the ultimate jack-of-all-trades. He can be a physical attacker, a powerful mage, or a counter-attacking tank. It all depends on his two stances.
- Core Mechanic: Operator vs. Punisher Mode
- Operator Mode (Default): This is Cloud’s mobile stance. He can dodge, zip between enemies, and hit flying foes. This mode is for movement and flexibility.
- Punisher Mode (Triangle): This turns Cloud into a slow-moving powerhouse. He can’t dodge, but his attacks are wide, heavy-hitting cleaves. Best of all, if you block a melee attack in this mode, he automatically counters for huge damage. This mode is for holding your ground and punishing aggressive enemies.
- Key Abilities:
- Focused Thrust: Your #1 tool for building the Stagger gauge.
- Infinity’s End: A massive overhead slam. Use this on a Staggered enemy for gigantic damage.
- Counterstance: A manual counter. Use this to bait an enemy and smack ’em back.
- Disorder: A spinning attack that also switches your stance, keeping the pressure on.
- Blade Burst: Fires a wave of energy, giving Cloud a great ranged attack without using MP.
- Build Philosophy: Cloud can be anything. Load him with Strength Up and ATB Boost for a physical DPS build. Give him the Rune Blade (high magic) and elemental Materia to make him a Magic Knight. Or, use Punisher Mode with HP Up and Steadfast Block to turn him into a counter-tank.
Tifa Lockhart: The Stagger Virtuoso 🥊
Tifa is the high-speed heart of the party. Her entire job is to orchestrate the Stagger. She pressures enemies, builds the stagger gauge, and then sends the damage multiplier to the moon. 📈
- Core Mechanic: Unbridled Strength and ChiTifa’s gameplay is all about building Chi.
- Building Chi: Use her ability Unbridled Strength (costs ATB) to raise her Chi level (up to 3). Each level makes her normal attacks better and, more importantly, upgrades her Triangle attack.
- Unleashing Chi: Her Triangle attack changes with each Chi level:
- Level 1: Whirling Uppercut
- Level 2: Omnistrike
- Level 3: Rise and Fall
- The Stagger Payoff: When an enemy is Staggered, use these three moves in order (Rise and Fall ➡️ Omnistrike ➡️ Whirling Uppercut). This is what increases the stagger damage multiplier. A good Tifa can easily push it from 160% to over 300%, making everyone else’s attacks hit so much harder.
- Key Abilities:
- Focused Strike: A perfect move. She backflips to dodge an attack and then lunges in with a strike that builds a ton of stagger.
- Overpower: A flurry of strikes that’s great for pressuring an enemy.
- True Strike: A powerful blow that does bonus damage only to a Staggered enemy.
- Divekick: A fast, powerful kick. Use it from the air (like after an uppercut) for a great combo finisher.
- Unfettered Fury: An alternate way to build Chi that makes her attacks build stagger faster.
- Build Philosophy: Tifa is a glass cannon. She’s fast, but she can’t take a hit. Go all-in on offense. Because she attacks so fast, she’s the perfect character for the ATB Assist Materia. When she uses two ATB commands quickly, her allies get ATB too! She becomes an ATB battery for the whole team.
Barret Wallace: The Ranged Bastion 🦾
Barret is the anchor of AVALANCHE. He’s your main ranged physical attacker and your most durable tank. He’s the guy you rely on to shoot down flying enemies and protect the team.
- Core Mechanic: OverchargeBarret’s gameplay loop is all about his Triangle ability, Overcharge.
- Unleashing the Barrage: Hit Triangle to unleash a huge burst of explosive shots. It does great damage, builds stagger, and—most importantly—instantly fills a big chunk of his ATB gauge.
- Managing the Cooldown: After you use it, Overcharge needs to cool down. You can speed this up by tapping Triangle to “Charge” it. The rhythm is: Overcharge ➡️ Spend ATB ➡️ Charge ➡️ Repeat.
- Key Abilities:
- Focused Shot: His main ranged stagger tool. It uses all his ATB for one big blast that fills the stagger gauge.
- Steelskin: A defensive buff that makes him take less damage and harder to interrupt.
- Lifesaver: This is the core of his tanking. When it’s active, Barret takes a portion of the damage meant for his allies. He becomes a total bodyguard.
- Bonus Round: Loads special bullets that do more damage and stagger.
- Turbulent Spirit: A buff that makes his ATB gauge fill much faster.
- Build Philosophy: Embrace the Tank Barret build. It’s one of the best strategies in the game. Equip him with Lifesaver. Then, load him up with HP Up Materia, Steadfast Block, Provoke (to draw enemy fire), and either Prayer or Chakra for MP-free healing. He’ll be able to absorb all the damage for the team, heal himself, and still dish out damage with Overcharge. He lets squishy characters like Tifa and Aerith do their jobs safely.
Aerith Gainsborough: The Planet’s Mage 🌸
Aerith is the last of the Cetra and the party’s undisputed master of magic. 🪄 She can deal devastating elemental damage and provide amazing support. Her power is immense, but she’s frail and slow. Her whole game is about controlling the battlefield with her Wards.
- Core Mechanic: Wards and PositioningAerith is a battlefield architect. Her power comes from the magic circles she places on the ground.
- Arcane Ward: Her signature move. Anyone standing in this ward casts their offensive spells twice for the cost of one. This is her main damage tool.
- Radiant Ward: A new ward that makes her basic attacks hit harder and faster. Even better, it makes anyone casting a spell inside it temporarily invincible during the cast!
- ATB Ward: A support ward that gives ATB to allies when Aerith uses an ATB command inside it.
- Ward Shift (Triangle): Her Triangle ability isn’t an attack; it’s a teleport. She can instantly warp to any of her active wards.
- Key Abilities:
- Soul Drain: Her MP management tool. She hits an enemy to absorb MP, and she gets way more if the target is Staggered.
- Sorcerous Storm: A “get off me!” move. It’s a burst of magic that hits all nearby enemies.
- Chrono Aegis: Creates a barrier that damages and Stops any enemy that touches it.
- Ray of Judgement: A giant beam of light that does huge damage to a Staggered enemy.
- Build Philosophy: The “Magic Nuke” 💣. You want to get her wards set up ASAP. Give her First Strike and ATB Boost Materia. At the start of a fight, she can cast Arcane Ward, then use ATB Boost to get enough ATB for a Radiant Ward. Once both wards are stacked, she’s an unstoppable turret. She can double-cast her biggest spells while being totally immune to interruption. Pair her with a tank like Barret, and she’ll melt bosses.
Red XIII: The Vengeful Guardian 🐺
Red XIII is a brand-new playable character with a very unique style. He’s a “defensive attacker.” His whole strategy is to absorb and counter attacks to build up his own offense. He wants to get hit… as long as he’s blocking.
- Core Mechanic: Vengeance ModeRed’s combat is a cycle: defend to build power, then unleash it.
- Building Vengeance: Every time Red blocks or parries an attack, his Vengeance Gauge fills up. The bigger the hit he blocks, the more gauge he gets.
- Unleashing Vengeance: Once the gauge has some charge, hit Triangle to activate Vengeance Mode. He becomes way faster and stronger, and his dodge becomes a damaging spin attack.
- Siphon Fang: While in Vengeance Mode, his Triangle attack becomes Siphon Fang, a lunge that damages the enemy and heals Red, giving him awesome self-sustain.
- Key Abilities:
- Sentinel Stance: Red braces for a hit, blocking all damage for a moment and rapidly building Vengeance. He can then unleash a strong counter. Perfect for huge, telegraphed attacks.
- Crescent Claw: A powerful finisher that uses up his entire Vengeance Gauge for one massive blow.
- Chilling Roar: An ice-buff that surrounds him with ice shards. When he gets hit (even if not blocking), the shards auto-retaliate and build his Vengeance.
- Supernal Fervor: A support move he can only use in Vengeance Mode. It gives the entire party the Haste status, speeding up everyone’s ATB.
- Watcher’s Respite: Uses the Vengeance Gauge to heal the entire party. An amazing MP-free group heal.
- Build Philosophy: Red wants to be the center of attention. Give him Provoke to draw aggro. Steadfast Block and Precision Defense Focus are must-haves to get the most out of blocking. Since he can heal himself with Siphon Fang, he’s a super self-sufficient tank who hits back hard.
Yuffie Kisaragi: The Elemental Ninja 🥷
Yuffie is back from the Remake DLC and she’s a blast to play. She’s a speedy, versatile ninja who can fight up close or at a distance. Her specialty is elemental mastery without spending any MP.
- Core Mechanic: Elemental Ninjutsu & ThrowYuffie’s whole kit is about her giant throwing star.
- Throw/Retrieve (Triangle): Press Triangle to throw her shuriken. While it’s out, her attack button throws long-range ninjutsu projectiles. Press Triangle again to call it back with a spinning attack.
- Elemental Ninjutsu: This is her signature move. For one ATB, she can change her ninjutsu attacks to Fire, Ice, Lightning, or Wind. This lets her hit any elemental weakness instantly, making her the best character for applying Pressure.
- Key Abilities:
- Doppelgänger: Yuffie summons a clone that mimics all her actions. This doubles her damage output and is incredibly powerful.
- Windstorm: Creates a tornado that pulls enemies together. Great for crowd control.
- Banishment: A big finishing move that gets stronger the more ATB you’ve spent. It also changes its element to match your active Ninjutsu!
- Purification: The support version of Banishment. It also charges up with ATB use, but it heals the party and removes bad status effects.
- Build Philosophy: Yuffie is a true jack-of-all-trades. Her fast attacks and clone make her great for an ATB-focused build (ATB Assist, Skill Master). Her strongest role, though, is as a “Magic Ninja.” Stack her Magic Attack stat. Have Aerith put down an Arcane Ward, then have Yuffie stand in it, use Doppelgänger, and unleash her elemental ninjutsu. She’ll be double-casting and her clone will be copying her, hitting the enemy four times with every attack. 🤯
Cait Sith: The Agent of Chaos 🎲
The final party member! Cait Sith is a zany, fortune-telling robot cat riding a giant inflatable Moogle. 🧸 His combat style is just as wacky. He’s a luck-based support character who brings a lot of fun, chaotic energy to a fight.
- Core Mechanic: Let’s Ride!Cait Sith is all about his big Moogle buddy.
- Summoning the Moogle: Use the Let’s Ride! ability (costs ATB) to summon the Moogle. He can fight alongside it or press Triangle to hop on its back.
- A Fourth Party Member: When Cait Sith is off the Moogle, the Moogle acts on its own! It attacks, draws enemy fire, and can even use its own abilities. It’s basically a temporary 4th party member, which is a huge help.
- Mounted Combat: When riding the Moogle, Cait Sith’s attacks are stronger, and he gets new abilities. But, he can’t dodge—only block.
- Key Abilities:
- Roll o’ the Dice: He rolls a die, and a random effect happens, from damage to party buffs. 🎲
- Lucky Slots: A 2-ATB slot machine. Matching the reels can cause powerful effects, like healing the party or dealing big damage.
- Moogle Knuckle: A good, reliable punch from the Moogle that does a lot of stagger damage.
- Moogle Kaboom: Turns the Moogle into a bomb. When it leaves or its HP hits zero, it explodes for big area damage. 💣
- Build Philosophy: You gotta embrace the chaos! His builds should focus on boosting his Luck stat, which makes his random abilities more likely to have good outcomes. Give him Luck Up Materia. Since his whole kit is locked behind summoning his Moogle, First Strike and ATB Boost are essential so he can use Let’s Ride! at the start of the fight. He’s a super-fun support character who causes mayhem all over the battlefield.
Part IV: Forging a Legend: Progression and Customization 📈
The Folio System: Charting Your Path to Power 🌳
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has a new skill tree system called Folios. This is where you’ll customize your stats, abilities, and—most importantly—unlock all those cool new Synergy commands.
- Unlocking Your PotentialYou need two things to progress:
- Skill Points (SP): This is the “money” you spend to unlock nodes. You get SP from leveling up and by finding Manuscripts (which give you a bunch of SP at once). You’ll find manuscripts from side quests or buy them from places like the Moogle Emporium.
- Party Level: Your whole party has a level. This level goes up as you complete main story quests, side quests, and World Intel. Higher tiers of the Folio are locked until your Party Level is high enough. This cleverly rewards you for exploring the world!
Best part? You can reset and re-assign your SP at any time! So go ahead and experiment. 💡
- Strategic Folio Priorities (Early Game):
- Cloud: Go for Weapon Ability Damage Up and Enhanced Limit Breaks.
- Barret: Anything that improves Overcharge. It’s his ATB engine.
- Tifa: ATB Stagger Boost is top priority. Opening ATB Bonus is also great so she can use Unbridled Strength right away.
- Aerith: Enduring Ward to make her wards last longer and Altruistic Recovery Boost to make her healing stronger.
- Yuffie: Elemental Damage Up to boost her main gimmick.
Weapon Upgrades & Skills: Set It and Forget It… Mostly 🔧
The weapon upgrade system from Remake is gone. This new system is so much better and simpler.
Your weapons now level up automatically! ⬆️ A weapon’s level is tied to your character’s total SP. This means all of your weapons level up at the same time. A new weapon you find in a late-game chest will be just as strong (level-wise) as your starting weapon.
This changes everything. Every weapon is an endgame weapon. You no longer have to worry about which weapon has the best stats. You can now choose your weapon based on:
- Its stat “flavor” (like, does it boost Attack or Magic Attack?)
- Its Materia slots.
- Its passive Weapon Skills.
This is super player-friendly! But you still have two things to manage:
- Mastering Abilities: Every weapon has a unique ability. Use that ability in combat (and try to hit its “Proficiency Bonus” like “Stagger an enemy”) to fill its proficiency gauge. Once it’s full, you’ve mastered that ability forever and can use it even when you have a different weapon equipped. Master every new ability as soon as you get the weapon!
- Equipping Weapon Skills: As your weapons level up, they unlock passive skill slots. You have to manually go into the “Weapon Upgrade” menu and equip skills you like, such as “ATB Charge Rate Up” or “Reprieve” (which lets you survive a fatal hit once). This is where the real customization happens.
Materia Mastery: A Comprehensive Guide to the Planet’s Magic 💎
Materia is still the heart and soul of customization in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. These magic orbs give you spells, abilities, and stat boosts. Here’s a quick color-coded guide:
- 🟢 Green (Magic): Your spells! (Fire, Ice, Cure, Barrier).
- 🔵 Blue (Support): Modify other Materia. You must put these in linked slots.
- 🟡 Yellow (Command): New abilities for your command menu (Steal, Pray).
- 🟣 Purple (Independent): Passive boosts (HP Up, First Strike).
- 🔴 Red (Summon): Lets you call in the big guns (Ifrit, Shiva).
Mastery comes from combining Materia in those linked slots. Here are the best combos you should build ASAP.
| Combination | Materia 1 (Blue) | Materia 2 | Effect | Strategic Use |
| Elemental Infusion | Elemental | Fire / Ice / Lightning / Wind | In a weapon, adds that element to your attacks. In armor, gives you resistance (or even absorbs!) that element. | This is how you exploit weaknesses without using MP. Putting it in armor can make some bosses a total joke. |
| Widespread Effect | Magnify | Healing / Time / Barrier | Makes the linked spell hit all allies or all enemies at once (with a small power drop). | Turns Cure into Cura-All. Turns Haste into a party-wide buff. This is a must-have for your support healer. |
| AP Farming | AP Up | Any Materia | Doubles the AP (experience) earned by the linked Materia, making it level up twice as fast. | Put this on your most important Materia, like Revival or your summons. It cuts the grind way down. |
| Vampiric Magic | HP Absorption | Any Damaging Magic or Command | Heals you for a percentage of the damage you deal with the linked Materia. | Amazing self-healing for your mages. Link it to a multi-hit spell, and you can heal to full instantly. |
| Status Lockdown | Warding | Binding / Poison / Time | Gives you resistance (and eventually immunity) to the status effects from the linked Materia (e.g., Binding = Sleep, Silence). | Absolutely essential for certain boss fights that love to spam annoying status effects. |
Summoning the Gods: A Guide to Divine Intel and Battles 🐏
Summons are back and they’re awesome. To get them, you have to help out Chadley with his World Intel.
In each region, there’s a sleeping Summon (like Titan in the Grasslands). To get its Materia, you have to:
- Analyze Divine Intel 💎: Find the three hidden Summon Sanctuaries in that region. Each one you find does two things: it makes the Summon Materia you eventually get stronger, and it makes the VR boss fight to get it easier.
- Defeat the Summon 👊: After analyzing at least one sanctuary, go to Chadley and challenge the Summon in his VR combat simulator. Beat it, and the Materia is yours!
This system rewards you for exploring. Find all three sanctuaries, and you’ll get a max-power Summon and have a much easier time fighting it. Win-win!
Part V: The AVALANCHE Arsenal: Gear and Equipment 🛡️
Weapons Compendium: Where to Find Every Weapon! 🗺️
Here’s a list of all 49 weapons in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and where to find them. Remember to get them all to master their abilities!
| Character | Weapon | Ability | Location |
| Cloud 🗡️ | Buster Sword | Focused Thrust | Starting Weapon. |
| Sleek Saber | Firebolt Blade | Chapter 2: Purple chest at the Abandoned Dock (Grasslands). | |
| Rune Blade | Disorder | Chapter 4: Purple chest in the Starboard Connecting Passage (Junon). | |
| Umbral Blade | Prime Mode | Chapter 8: Purple chest at the Dustbowl’s Solemnitude Manor. | |
| Crystal Sword | Infinity’s End | Chapter 9: Purple chest in the Gongaga Reactor’s Freight Corridor. | |
| Igneous Saber | Blade Burst | Chapter 11: On a scaffold near climbable walls (Mt. Nibel). | |
| Slipstream Saber | Counterstance | Chapter 13: Purple chest in the Temple of the Ancients (Hall of Life). | |
| Tifa 🥊 | Leather Gloves | Divekick | Starting Weapon. |
| Sylph Gloves | Reverse Gale | Chapter 3: Purple chest in Tunnel No. 1 (Mythril Mine). | |
| Kaiser Knuckles | Overpower | Chapter 5: Purple chest in the 1st Freight Room (Shinra-8). | |
| Dragon Claws | Starshower | Chapter 8: Reward for Rank III in the Desert Rush minigame (Dustbowl). | |
| Tiger Fangs | Chi Trap | Chapter 9: Purple chest in the Gongaga Reactor (need grappling gun). | |
| Crystal Gloves | Unfettered Fury | Chapter 11: Purple chest in the Garm Pass area (Mt. Nibel). | |
| Járngreipr | True Strike | Chapter 13: Purple chest in the Temple of the Ancients (Corridor of Catastrophe). | |
| Barret 🦾 | Gatling Gun | Focused Shot | Starting Weapon. |
| Hi-Caliber Rifle | Bonus Round | Chapter 2: Purple chest on the swamp island (Grasslands). | |
| Barrage Blaster | Lifesaver | Chapter 7: Purple chest near the Corel Mine entrance. | |
| Vulcan Cannon | Charging Uppercut | Chapter 8: Purple chest in the Corel Desert (near Dyne’s fight). | |
| Fafnir Rifle | Point Blank | Chapter 9: Reward for the “In Pursuit of Perfection” side quest (Gongaga). | |
| Calamitous Bazooka | Smackdown | Chapter 10: Purple chest in the Gate of Anger (Cave of the Gi). | |
| Battle Cry | Turbulent Spirit | Chapter 13: Purple chest in the Temple of the Ancients (Corridor of Repose). | |
| Aerith 🌸 | Guard Stick | Arcane Ward | Starting Weapon. |
| Timeless Rod | Chrono Aegis | Chapter 2: Purple chest at Bill’s Ranch (Grasslands). | |
| Empress’s Scepter | Radiant Ward | Chapter 4: In Aerith’s room at the inn (Under Junon). | |
| Wizard’s Rod | Lustrous Shield | Chapter 7: Purple chest on Mt. Corel (near a rest area). | |
| Ceremonial Staff | ATB Ward | Chapter 10: Purple chest in the Village of the Gi. | |
| Plumose Rod | Ray of Judgement | Chapter 12: Reward for completing all Hojo’s exams (Shinra Manor). | |
| Gambanteinn | Noble Sacrifice | Chapter 13: Purple chest in the Temple of the Ancients (Hall of Life). | |
| Red XIII 🐺 | Mythril Collar | Stardust Ray | Starting Weapon. |
| Renegade’s Collar | Crescent Claw | Chapter 3: Purple chest in the Subterranean Terrace (Mythril Mine). | |
| Silver Collar | Chilling Roar | Chapter 6: Reward for 1st place in Run Wild Free-for-All (Costa del Sol). | |
| Amethyst Collar | Supernal Fervor | Chapter 7: Purple chest in a collapsed hallway (Old South Corel Mine). | |
| Golden Collar | Watcher’s Respite | Chapter 9: Purple chest in the Gongaga Reactor control room. | |
| Mystic Collar | Watcher’s Spirit | Chapter 10: Reward for returning a relic (Cave of the Gi). | |
| Brísingamen | Reaper Touch | Chapter 13: Purple chest in the Temple of the Ancients (Corridor of Currents). | |
| Yuffie 🥷 | 4-Point Shuriken | Elemental Ninjutsu | Starting Weapon. |
| Savage Dagger | Blindside | Starting Weapon. | |
| Twin Viper | Windstorm | Chapter 7: Purple chest in the Corel Mine (near a switch). | |
| Bird of Prey | Doppelgänger | Chapter 9: Purple chest in Cissnei’s house (Gongaga Village). | |
| Crescent Sickle | Shooting Star | Chapter 10: Reward for Rank III on Glide de Chocobo Course No. 1. | |
| Crystalline Cross | Banishment | Chapter 12: Purple chest in the Gold Saucer’s Utilidor area. | |
| Fuma Shuriken | Purification | Chapter 13: Purple chest on a spiral staircase (Temple of the Ancients). | |
| Cait Sith 🎲 | Yellow Megaphone | Roll o’ the Dice | Starting Weapon. |
| Iron Megaphone | Fortune Telling | Starting Weapon. | |
| Red Megaphone | Moogle Kaboom | Chapter 9: Purple chest in a cavern under the bridge (Gongaga Village). | |
| Resounding Megaphone | Moogle Mine | Chapter 9: Purple chest at the Gongaga Airstrip. | |
| Crystal Megaphone | Moogle Magic | Chapter 10: Purple chest in the Cosmo Canyon treasury. | |
| Golden Megaphone | Moogle Knuckle | Chapter 11: Purple chest in the Shinra Manor basement. | |
| Gjallarhorn | Lady Luck | Chapter 13: Reward for completing all Gongaga Protorelic quests. |
Armor & Accessories: The Unsung Heroes of Your Build 🧢
Don’t sleep on your armor and accessories! They’re the foundation of your builds. Armor isn’t just a simple upgrade; different types have different philosophies:
- Bracers: Balanced Defense and Magic Defense, fewer Materia slots.
- Armlets: Balanced stats, but more Materia slots.
- Bangles: High physical Defense, low Magic Defense.
- Bracelets: High Magic Defense, low physical Defense.
Accessories are where your builds really come alive. A good accessory can make you immune to status effects, give you a huge stat boost, or give you a powerful buff at the start of a fight.
Best-in-Slot Accessories for Every Role 💍
| Accessory | Effect | Role | Location |
| Champion Belt | +10% max HP and +5% Strength. | Physical DPS / Tank | Reward from the pro-level crunch-off minigame (Corel). |
| Supernatural Wristguards | +10% Strength. | Physical DPS | Reward from the crunch-off minigame (Corel); also craftable. |
| Sorcerer’s Earrings | +10% Magic Power and +6 max MP. | Mage / Healer | Recipe unlocked via Gongaga Excavation Intel. |
| Hermes Shoes | Grants Haste at the start of battle. | Any (Especially Tifa) | Reward from the Titan Slam Grade II Chocobo Race (Gold Saucer). |
| Healing Carcanet | Increases effectiveness of all healing items, spells, and abilities. | Healer | Found in a chest (Corel); also craftable. |
| Ribbon | Prevents all detrimental status effects. 🎀 | Universal | Reward for beating Sephiroth in the 3D Brawler minigame. |
| Gotterdammerung | Fills the Limit Break gauge at the start of battle and gradually fills it during combat. | Universal (Limit-focused) | Reward for the Brutal Challenge: Rulers of the Outer Worlds (Combat Simulator). |
Part VI: A Merc’s Life: Systems, Side Activities, and Secrets 🏕️
The Item Transmuter: A Crafter’s Almanac 🛠️
Early in the game, you’ll get the Item Transmuter, which is your crafting system. You can craft everything from potions to powerful, unique armor and accessories using materials you find in the world.
- How to Master It:
- Raise Your Craftsmanship Level 📈: Every time you craft a new item for the first time, you get Craftsmanship EXP. As you level up, you’ll automatically learn new recipes. The fastest way to level is to craft one of everything!
- Find Transmuter Chips 💎: The best-of-the-best recipes for armor and accessories aren’t learned by leveling. You have to find Transmuter Chips. These are “buried treasure” that you find by completing Chadley’s Excavation Intel quests (which you unlock by scanning Lifesprings).
- Pro-Crafter Tips:
- Materials Respawn! 🌿 Don’t worry about using up materials. They all grow back over time.
- Use the “To-do List” 🗒️: Missing stuff for a recipe? Add it to your “To-do List” to get a handy tracker on your screen.
- Locate Ingredients: In the Transmuter menu, you can highlight any material and press the touchpad to see which regions it’s found in.
Queen’s Blood: From Pawn to Monarch 👑
Queen’s Blood is not just some simple mini-game. It’s a super deep, strategic, lane-based card game. 🃏 The goal is to have a higher total power in more of the three lanes than your opponent.
- How to Win (Strategy):
- Deckbuilding is Key: Don’t just stuff your deck with high-power cards. You need a balanced deck with lots of 1-pawn cards, a good amount of 2-pawn cards, and only one or two 3-pawn “finishers.” Always buy new booster packs from vendors!
- Control the Edges, Cede the Center: It’s tempting to play cards in the middle lane to expand fast. This is usually a mistake. A smart opponent will just play off your card and steal your spot. A better strategy is to build up your power on the top and bottom lanes first. Let your opponent make the first move in the center, then punish them.
- Win One Lane Decisively: You win based on total score, not just number of lanes. It’s often a great strategy to sacrifice two lanes and focus everything on winning a single lane with a massive score.
A World of Distractions: The Most Rewarding Side Quests 👍
There are 36 optional side quests (Odd Jobs) in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. You should do them! They have great character moments, build out the world, and are the main way to improve your relationships with your party members (which affects that big date at the Gold Saucer! 📅❤️).
While all quests are fun, some give you really valuable rewards you shouldn’t miss.
Must-Do Side Quests for Power and Profit 🎁
| Quest Name | Region | Reward(s) | Why It’s Essential |
| Where the Wind Blows | Grasslands | Whistlewind Scarf (Accessory), Cleansing Materia. | The Whistlewind Scarf gives you a bit of ATB at the start of a fight. Huge advantage! |
| Stuck in a Rut | Junon | Queensguard Bangle (Armor). | An amazing piece of early-game armor that will last you a long time. |
| The Pursuit of Perfection | Gongaga | Fafnir Rifle (Barret’s Weapon). | Unlocks one of Barret’s seven weapons and its ability. |
| Victim of Circumstance | Cosmo Canyon | Magnify Materia. | One of the most powerful Support Materia in the game. A non-negotiable must-have. |
| Bonds of Trust | Cosmo Canyon | Unlocks Glide de Chocobo minigame (which rewards Yuffie’s Crescent Sickle weapon). | Gives you access to a key weapon for Yuffie. |
| Esoteric Secrets of the Elders | Nibel | Chocobo Armband (Armor), unlocks Chocobo Sage rewards. | The armband triples AP gain for linked Materia. Also lets you get Cait Sith’s Gjallarhorn weapon. |
| Lament of the Damned | Nibel | Aerith’s Plumose Rod weapon. | Unlocks one of Aerith’s best magic weapons. |
Part VII: Defying Destiny: The Hard Mode Journey ☠️
The True Challenge Begins: New Rules, New Game 😤
So, you beat Final Fantasy VII Rebirth? Congrats! Now, get ready for the real challenge: Hard Mode.
This isn’t just “enemies hit harder.” It changes the rules of the game completely.
- You CANNOT use any items. 🚫
- Resting at benches or inns only restores HP, not MP.
This changes everything. MP becomes your most precious resource. You have to conserve it across entire chapters. With no healing items and no easy MP refills, you have to adopt totally new strategies to survive.
MP is Life: Hard Mode Builds and Materia Setups 🧘
Success in Hard Mode is all about doing things (especially healing) without spending MP.
- The MP-Free Healing Core: The Prayer and Chakra Materia are now your most important Materia. Prayer (2 ATB) heals the whole party. Chakra (1 ATB) heals just the user. You need multiple, maxed-out copies of these on everyone.
- The MP Battery Strategy 🔋: This is a clever trick for healing between fights. Take a character who isn’t in your active party and give them the HP <> MP Materia. This will convert their huge HP pool into a massive MP pool. You can then use this character to cast Cure spells on your active party. When they run out of MP, just rest at a bench to restore their HP (which is now their MP pool)!
- MP Recovery: Since benches are out, you need other ways to get MP.
- Smashing Shinra crates 📦 will often drop Mako shards that restore a little MP.
- Aerith’s Soul Drain ability is amazing for getting MP back in a fight (especially from Staggered enemies).
- Some weapon skills also restore MP on stagger.
For bosses, use Assess to learn their weaknesses, then hit “Restart from Last Battle.” Now you can set up your Materia perfectly. Linking Elemental Materia to an enemy’s main element in your armor can nullify or even absorb their attacks, saving you a ton of healing. Good luck! 💯
Part VIII: Digital Deluxe & Pre-Order Booty 🎁
If you bought a special edition of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth or have save data from other FF7 games, you’ve got some bonus items waiting for you! You can claim them from the “DLC / Bonuses” section of the main menu.
(Just so you know, the devs have said they aren’t planning any big story DLC, since they’re already working hard on Part 3! 👨💻)
Here’s what you might have:
- Moogle Trio Summoning Materia (Pre-order/Deluxe)
- Magic Pot Summoning Materia (Pre-order/Deluxe)
- Reclaimant Choker (Accessory) (Pre-order/Deluxe) – Restores HP when you defeat an enemy. Super useful early on!
- Orchid Bracelet (Armor) (Pre-order/Deluxe)
- Midgar Bangle Mk. II (Armor) (Bonus for FF7 Remake save file)
- Shinra Bangle Mk. II (Armor) (Bonus for FF7 Remake save file)
- Leviathan Summoning Materia (Bonus for FF7 Remake save file) 🌊
- Ramuh Summoning Materia (Bonus for Episode INTERmission save file) ⚡
These items are a nice little boost for the first few chapters, but you’ll eventually replace them with gear you find or craft. Still, a great head start!
Conclusion: You’re a Master! 🏆
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a massive, amazing, and beautiful game. It honors the original while blazing its own new, exciting path. 🌟
Mastering it requires a new way of thinking. The combat is all about efficient ATB generation. You do that by mastering your defense, exploiting weaknesses, and using the new Synergy system as your core engine. Every character is unique and powerful, and the new Folio and weapon systems let you build them your way.
There’s no single “best” party. The real skill is adapting your team and your strategy to every new challenge. This guide has given you the map and the tools. The rest of the journey is yours.
Now go out there and master the unwritten journey! 🥳
Disclaimer: This is an unofficial fan work, all trademarks and copyrights for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth belong to the developer Square Enix
& publisher Square Enix.
Find the game here! FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH | SQUARE ENIX
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