Throughout any Final Fantasy game, your heroes will find lots of weapons to help them along the way. In Final Fantasy 7 Remake, weapons are handled a little differently than in the original. Implementing the SP system, you can level up your gear and customize each piece to suit your play style. Even better, each weapon you pick up has the potential to serve you throughout the game, so if you want to rock Cloud's Buster Sword until the end, you can do that!
Weapons in Final Fantasy 7 Remake
While each of your four characters starts with a weapon, there are five other weapons for each of them scattered throughout Midgar, giving you a total of 24 weapons in the game. Some are impossible to miss, while others will require a fair bit of effort to acquire. Each has a unique ability and each can be leveled up using your total SP. While every weapon has its uses, you are likely to find some that just don't mesh well with your style of play.
Cloud's Weapons
Cloud, the ex-SOLDIER turned mercenary, relies primarily on swords. He starts with the iconic Buster Sword and quickly gains his second blade.
- Buster Sword - Cloud starts with this sword. It is well-rounded with just a slight edge on physical attacks and can suit many roles.
- Iron Blade - Cloud is given this sword in Chapter 3. It focuses a little more on defense and magic, while still being well-rounded.
- Nail Bat - If you complete the Chapter 8 side quest Kids on Patrol, Cloud receives this weapon. It is focused exclusively on physical attacks with no bonuses to magic.
- Hardedge - This sword can be purchased from the weapons shop in Wall Market in Chapter 9. More physical attack than magic or defense, this sword is fairly versatile.
- Mythril Saber - This sword can be purchased from the weapons shop in Wall Market in Chapter 14. Focused exclusively on magic, this is the sword you'll want to use Cloud as a magic attacker.
- Twin Stinger - This sword can be found in a chest directly in your path in Chapter 17. It is not as magic focused as the Mythril Saber but still provides more magic boosts than any other weapon.
Tifa's Weapons
Tifa's weapons are all specialized gloves since she's a melee fighter who relies on her fists. Although Tifa is primarily used in close combat, some of her gloves can hold a lot of materia, giving her even more room for customization.
- Leather Gloves - Tifa starts with these gloves. They are well-rounded with a slight edge to physical attacks.
- Metal Knuckles - Tifa is given these gloves after defeating the Crab Warden in Chapter 5. They sacrifice magic and defense to make Tifa a strictly physical attacker.
- Sonic Strikers - These gloves are in a chest in one of the connecting corridors in Chapter 7. They provide a good balance between physical attack and magic attack but cost Tifa in defense.
- Feathered Gloves - Another pair of gloves found in a chest, this pair can be found in Chapter 10, in the first sluice gate you find in the sewers. They are well balanced while providing increased ATB gain and damage reduction when blocking.
- Mythril Claws - These gloves are a reward for beating the boss Failed Experiment in Chapter 13. Focused exclusively on magic and mostly offensive attacks, these gloves turn Tifa into the fastest black mage.
- Purple Pain - Tifa can find these gloves in Chapter 16. After she falls, instead of using the first ladder, cross over using monkey bars to reach the chest. These specialized gloves focus on critical hits and critical hit damage. Because of Tifa's speed, these gloves can shred your enemies, especially when paired with Luck Materia.
Barret's Weapons
Not one to let something as minor as losing half his arm hold him back, all of Barret's weapons are attached where his forearm used to be. Ranging from guns to specialized close combat weapons, Barret's weapons give the most variance in utility.
- Gatling Gun - Barret starts with this gun. It is well balanced with a lot of basic upgrades, leaving you room to explore all of Barret's possibilities.
- Light Machine Gun - Biggs gives Barret this gun at the end of Chapter 6. While still well balanced, this gun gives Barret more magic options, making him a better support.
- Big Bertha - This gun can be purchased from the weapons shop in the Sector 7 Slums in Chapter 13. This gun takes Barret's already high HP and boosts it even further, making him the ideal tank.
- Steel Pincers - This weapon can be purchased from the Moogle Emporium in Chapter 14 for 7 Moogle Medals. With more magic boosts than any of Barret's other weapons, this weapon gives Barret both melee options and mage options.
- Wrecking Ball - If you complete the Chapter 14 side quest: Subterranean Menace, Barret will be given this weapon. another melee option for Barret, this weapon focuses on dealing as much physical damage as possible while relying on his high HP to survive the fight.
- EKG Cannon - After you speak with Mayor Domino in Chapter 16, Hart will sell you this weapon for 10,000 Gil. High in magic, while retaining physical attack, this gun lets Barret deal a done of damage from a distance.
Aerith's Weapons
Aerith is a magic user connected to the very lifeforce of the planet. She uses staffs and rods to cast magic and keep a bit of space between herself and enemies. Her weapons are made for enhancing her magic.
- Guard Stick - Aerith starts with this staff. Not nearly as balanced as the other starting weapons, this staff focuses Aerith on magic use.
- Silver Staff - This staff can be purchased from the Moogle Emporium in Chapter 8 for two Moogle Medals. Leaning even heavier into magic-exclusive territory, this staff sacrifices defense and physical attack for more specialized magic.
- Arcane Scepter - If you complete either the A Dynamite Body or the Shears' Counterattack sidequests in Chapter 9, Aerith will be rewarded with this scepter. Another magic focused weapon, this staff primarily boosts offensive magic. Aerith can do a ton of damage with this, but doesn't do nearly as much healing or support.
- Mythril Rod - This rod can be found in a chest in an abandoned carriage near the beginning of the Train Graveyard in Chapter 11. You may be noticing a trend here with yet another magic focused weapon. This staff gives more defense than Aerith's other staves, allowing her to survive a little longer.
- Bladed Staff - In Chapter 11, you can only get this staff if you equip the Steal Materia and steal it from Eligor. This staff boosts Aerith's critical hits and magic damage if her luck holds out. Definitely equip Luck Materia with this one.
- Reinforced Staff - This staff is in a chest in the first room at the start of Chapter 17. This staff sacrifices a fair bit of offensive capability in exchange for defense. If you want to focus on Aerith as a supporting character, this might be your best bet.
What are weapon abilities?
Every weapon in Final Fantasy 7 Remake has a weapon ability. This is a special attack that can be used in battle from the abilities menu. The more a character uses their weapon in battle, the more they increase their proficiency and when their proficiency reaches 100%, they permanently learn that ability. This means you may want to spend time using each weapon, so you can use every ability, no matter which weapon you have equipped.
Cloud's abilities
- Focused Thrust: Cloud lunges and hits multiple times, increasing stagger.
- Triple Slash: Cloud attacks three times, bouncing from one enemy to the next, each hitting harder than the last.
- Disorder: Cloud strikes with a devastating attack followed by a fluid mode switch.
- Infinity's End: Cloud winds up and strikes from overhead with increased damage on stagger.
- Blade Burst: Cloud sends out a wave of non-elemental energy.
- Counterstance: Cloud braces for an attack, and follows up with a powerful counterattack.
Tifa's abilities
- Divekick: Tifa leaps into the air to unleash a powerful kick.
- Overpower: Tifa uses this in conjunction with basic attacks to deliver more pressure.
- Focused Strike: Tifa evades, only to unleash a charged attack which increases stagger.
- Starshower: Tifa attacks many times in rapid succession, and increases the strength of the next command.
- Chi Trap: Tifa creates an orb of chi that damages enemies upon contact.
- True Strike: Tifa attacks with incredible strength at close range, increasing stagger damage bonus.
Barret's abilities
- Focused Shot: This uses all ATB for a single, concentrated burst, and increases stagger.
- Lifesaver: Barret takes damage in place of other party members.
- Maximum Fury: This uses all ATB to fire a long stream of bullets.
- Charging Uppercut: Barret rushes the enemy and launches them into the air while increasing charge.
- Smackdown: Barret strikes the ground sending nearby enemies flying.
- Point Blank: This uses all ATB to deliver a powerful, close-range attack that sends enemies flying.
Aerith's abilities
- Arcane Ward: Aerith casts a ward that doubles all offensive spells cast within the ward.
- Sorcerous Storm: Aerith deals magic damage to nearby enemies.
- Fleeting Familiar: Aerith summons a fairy who follows up your abilities and spells.
- Ray of Judgment: This costs two ATB to fire a series of energy bursts, and increases stagger damage bonus.
- Lustrous Shield: Aerith conjures a magic shield that keeps enemies and projectiles from hitting.
- ATB Ward: This costs two ATB to conjure a ward. Allies partially regain ATB spent within the ward.
What is SP and how does it work?
Regardless of which weapons you choose to use, every weapon can be enhanced with the entire pool of SP your character has earned. This is good news because it means each of your weapons remains useful throughout the entire game. Most of your SP will be earned just by battling and leveling up. You can also buy an additional 10 SP for each character from the Moogle Emporium for five Moogle Medals each. When you have enough SP, you can enhance your weapons by following these easy steps:
- Press the Options button to open the main menu.
- Select Upgrade Weapons.
- Press X to select the character whose weapons you wish to upgrade.
- Press X to select the weapon you wish to upgrade. This will open the Weapon Core menu.
- Depending on how far along you are, you will be presented with a Core and potentially several Sub-Cores. Using L2 and R2, select the Core or Sub-Core you wish to enhance.
- Using either the left joystick or the left and right buttons on the directional pad, move to the skill you wish to unlock.
- Press X to unlock the skill.
- Continue until you have spent your SP.
- Repeat the process on each of your weapons.
Each weapon has different skills in their Cores and Sub-Cores, giving them the potential to be used in very different ways. Some will enhance a character's magic, while others focus more on physical attacks. Some are very well balanced, while others are specialized. Depending on your style of play, you will likely favor some weapons, but the SP system allows all of your weapons to be fully upgraded, putting them on relatively equal footing.
