Summary
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthcontinues the wild adventure that started in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. That means going face-to-face against some familiar and new bosses of the original PSX game and the recent Remake. The enemies of Final Fantasy 7 come in all different shapes, sizes, strengths, and weaknesses.
With the revamped looks of many of the legendary boss fights, there are also new ways to fight them thanks to the new battle system introduced in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Some fights are more straightforward, while others are dynamic and cinematic clashes that are similar to the dynamic fights in the film Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children.
Warning: Contains Spoilers For Boss Fights Throughout The Game
10Materia Guardian
The first boss you will face in the game. The Materia Guardian perfectly sets up all the dynamic moments and battles you will have throughout the game. As the tutorial boss, you canspend plenty of time on this multi-legged menacelearning the combat system, figuring out the best tactics, and configuring party members to benefit your strategy.
Kill It With Fire And The Power Of Sephiroth!
In this fight, you also have Sephiroth as your ally. Apart from exploiting this monster’s weakness to fire and hacking away at its limbs is a surefire way to bring it down. Being the first big boss to fight in the game, the Materia Guardian is the best first impression you can have.
9Demon Gate
When the dark revelation of the Black Materia becomes revealed, Sephiroth unleashes the Demon Gate to tamper with Cloud and the party’s progress. This xenomorph-looking monstrosity is a difficult wall due to the intensity of its area-based attacks. Bosses won’t get easier after this thing, so he’s the best wake-up call you’ll get moving into the endgame.
Interrupt Everything
The Demon is formidable due to the mass array of effects it can have on your group. Regardless, many of the monster’s moves and attacks are interruptable. If it tries to draw the walls closer to shorten the battlefield, it commits enough damage to knock it out of the movement. If it starts casting spells, use the opposite spells to counter them effectively.
8Terror Of The Deep
This fishy menace is a blast to fight. After rescuing Yuffie from impending death in the water, the party lures this beast into a better area to face off against it, after which it launches into the air and somehow levitates for the battle. This fish is a great match for Aerith and Barret, both of them can take advantage of their healing and long-range abilities.
Use Lightning Exploits
The Terror of the Deep is weak to Lightning, so before taking it on, load up your strongest lightning materia. This beast has several moments where it’s vulnerable to staggering, but beware when it immobilizes your party members with water cell. This underwater nightmare also has an AOE attack that can very nearly take out your party without Aerith’s healing.
7Red Dragon
Nothing beats fighting a classic dragon in a not-so-classic fantasy setting. He is a basic dragon boss fight, but he’s still a stylish boss that leaves plenty of room for all kinds of tactics. There are multiple parts of the dragon and multiple ways to get the most damage done. He’s an awesome fight to experience and helps get you ready for the Demon Gate battle.
Take Cover
In the fighting arena, you can take advantage of these four pillars that can cover you from the sweeping fire-breath attacks of the dragon and can be damaged to commit as much damage as possible. Once the dragon starts flying in the fight, target the wings and bring it down for additional damage.
6Galian Beast
After getting fed up with Cait Sith’s shenanigans, Vincent Valentine unveils one of his many monstrous forms, The Galian Beast. A swift, werewolf-like demon monster, Galian Beast’s design is close to the design from the PS2 game, Dirge of Cerberus, where you could access this form as a “Devil Trigger” for Vincent. There are clear updates to the additional details such as the face, claws, and tail.
A Punishing Gauntlet
The Galian Beast is a swift, savage beatdown that can make short work of your party without the right preparation. He is a great fight to keep your attention and requires several backup strategies. Sadly, Vincent Valentine himself isn’t playable in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but with another installment in the Remake trilogy on the horizon, the Galian Beast is a teaser for what you may be able to do when he returns for the conclusion of the journey.
5Midgardsormr
The second boss in the game,this massive serpent is a force to be reckoned withand is one of the toughest enemies based on your level in the game. He is an incredible-looking monster who has the intimidation factor down with a venomous vengeance. Though he was much more terrifying in the original game, this time around the encounter is more straightforward and dynamic.
Chill That Monster
Ice is the monster’s staggering weakness. Keeping pressure on it while also having Barret blast it from a long range is the best way to put this monster into a consistent flow of damage. Midgardsormr is that nice part of the game that “kindly” reminds you if you’ve been normally using your materia and leveling it up properly during enemy battles. Without getting decent ice spells from leveled materia, taking on this massive snake would be pretty difficult.
4Bahamut Arisen
Traditionally the strongest of the summons to obtain in the Final Fantasy series, Bahamut is also the toughest to beat for those summon materia rewards during the simulation battles. Nevertheless, all that pain, frustration, and palm-sweating intensity is fully worth it to gain one of the best summon options in the game.
Taking On The Toughest Summons
Bahamut is also fought alongside Sephiroth Reborn’s boss battle, so getting the chance to fight them before the final boss also makes great practice for the penultimate battle. You’ll want Haste spells for faster actions along with using opportunities to damage the open wings during particle charge to gain stagger openings.
3Roche
A fan-favorite during his introduction in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Roche is back with his trusty motorcycle and flashy charisma. He is one of several bosses that is fought more than once throughout the game and is different in each engagement. For Roche though, his different battles represent a narrative turn, since Sephiroth’s influence ultimately takes over.
From A Beast To A Biker
Roche’s different fights give a different feeling and tone. His first fight is a fun and gung-ho gladiator match with an audience and a great presentation. While it is one of the easier fights in the game, you’ll have so much fun you won’t think about it. The second fight is much more melancholy due to the story’s events.
2Jenova
The source of Shinra’s experiments and the progenitor of Sephiroth. Jenova is a recurring foe that manifests in Sephiroth and is fought as a horrific amalgamation of flesh, parts, and other grotesque details. The first match is on a ship and fully introduces the scope of the threat Jenova has on the world and beating it is pivotal and expresses the dark side of Shinra.
Stopping The Reunion
Jenova is fought in two forms,as Emergent on a ship, and Lifeclinger in the shrine of the Lifestream, shortly after a major moment in the story happens. Jenova’s design, nature, and influence on the world are very reminiscent of the Nightmare scenario of John Carpenter’s The Thing and are perfectly recreated to be the terrifying threat it was always supposed to be. Sephiroth may be the “main villain”, but the true monster that’s killing the world is Jenova and its spawn.
1Sephiroth
The final boss and our penultimate showdown with the chief antagonist of the game. The boss fight with Sephiroth is the climactic payoff of dozens of hours of emotional torment driven by this sadistic, katana-wielding villain. He is fought in four separate phases during the last battle. Each one provides a different level of challenge and support to take him on with.
Take On Sephiroth Over And Over
Your first fight with Sephiroth pits Cloud and Zack together against him. This is a great start to an epic battle as the two heroes combine their strengths. After that, Sephiroth transforms into his Reborn form and fights Cloud alone for a while, after which he descends to fight the party with a new Bahamut Arisen. After that battle, you’ll fight Reborn as Zack alone, then there will be a final send-off fight with Cloud and Aerith together. There is so much going on in this final battle that it deserves its place here as the coolest and most dynamic combat moment in the entire game.
