Over time in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Cloud becomes very close with his party members. To develop relationships on a deeper level, including than what was seen in the original game, there are various romance options. Here are all the romance options and other relationships in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Note: This article contains minor spoilers.
All Romance Options and Relationships in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
The main goal of romance and relationships in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is to develop bonds with Cloud and the other characters. This culminates during Chapter 12 at the Gold Saucer.
Not all relationships are romantic in nature, but the following characters have a relationship system.
- Tifa Lockhart
- Aerith Gainsborough
- Barret Wallace
- Yuffie Kisaragi
- Red XIII
How to See Character Relationship Meters
The current relationship level Cloud has with other characters is denoted by a smiley face icon above their heads. Press L1 while the party is out exploring to see it.
Depending on certain decisions and actions, the relationship will increase, and change color from the following: grey > purple > yellow > green > dark blue > light blue. Cait Sith’s icon is a cat and is not part of the relationship system.
In classic Final Fantasy VII, the relationship values were hidden. However, they are fully transparent in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Synergy Skills and Synergy Abilities
By spending skill points (SP) in the Folio menu, you can unlock Synergy Skills and Synergy Abilities. When Cloud and the specific character are battling together, you can trigger the following actions.
- Synergy Skills – Hold R1 and choose a particular Synergy Skill.
- Synergy Abilities – Fill up the ATB meter by attacking enemies, then select a character ability that adds a synergy pip. When two characters have a minimum of two pips, they can activate their Synergy Ability.
You gain a relationship boost with a character the first time that Cloud performs a Synergy Skill or Synergy Ability with them. This is why it’s essential to seek out Folio perks granting Synergy actions with Cloud if just to gain a relationship boost. You can still respec or reset allocated points later.
Conversations
When characters wander around towns and villages, you will be presented with three possible dialogue choices. One of the three replies grants the boost, or at least the highest boost. This is followed by a character responding in a delighted manner.
Side Quests
Every town or settlement has a bulletin board where you can pick up side quests, known as “Odd Jobs.” When you approach a quest giver, the party member will appear alongside you. You can also check this via the Quests menu. Completing the side quest will grant a relationship boost with the specific companion.
You do not need to complete all side quests from the moment you receive them. They can be taken on much later in the campaign when you feel like taking a break from the main story.
However, keep in mind that:
- Fast Traveling from one region to another sometimes won’t be possible because of your place in the storyline. Advancing the campaign at certain segments will restore your ability to do so, however.
- If you ever wish to max out Cloud’s relationship with a particular companion, ensure you do so before reaching the Gold Saucer in Chapter 12.
Missable Contextual Prompts and Events
Depending on your actions, you might miss out on relationship boosts. Here are some key examples.
- Chapter 4: Tifa and Aerith – Gain double the relationship bonuses by reaching a score of 100,000 or higher in the Junon Parade.
- Chapter 5: Red XIII – Win the Queen’s Blood Tournament aboard the Shinra-8.
- Chapter 6: Tifa and/or Aerith – Make sure that Tifa and/or Aerith have the same beachwear as Cloud.
- Chapter 6: Tifa and Red XIII or Aerith and Barret – Choose which duo to assist at the beach.
- Chapter 6: Yuffie – Before Yuffie joins your party, you can compliment her beachwear upon seeing her in Costa del Sol. Later, you can agree to let her join your party.
- Chapter 7: Yuffie and Barret – Switch the tracks along the rails, and try to shoot as many crates as you can.
- Chapter 8: Barret – Complete the buggy escape segment and destroy lots of vehicles.
Gold Saucer Sequences
At the beginning of Chapter 12, you will visit Costa del Sol. The main goal, if you wish to continue the campaign, is to visit the Gold Saucer. Due to the fact that every fast travel option is available at this stage, it helps to take on any outstanding side quests you may have forgotten.
Once ready, visit the Gold Saucer and follow the objectives. After some time, you will be told to rest at the Haunted Hotel. If you have romanced your favorite companion correctly, they will be the ones to knock on Cloud’s door and ask him to accompany them. This leads to several key sequences.
- Event Square: Opera – There’s a play with a lot of QTE sequences. Cloud is the hero of this story, and the maiden/princess accompanying him can either be Tifa or Aerith, whoever has the higher affinity value.
- Skywheel – The companion who asked you to go out with them will also join you in the Skywheel, which leads to a unique conversation with “Standard/Normal” outcomes and “Intimate” outcomes. There are friendly chats where a character might open up (i.e. Red XIII or Barret), and the potential for a more romantic outcome (i.e. Tifa and Aerith).
The intimate outcome for the Skywheel sequence depends on whether you have reached the highest relationship/affinity with that companion (light blue smiley face icon).
- Standard/Normal outcome: The companion leans their head on Cloud’s shoulder.
- Intimate outcome: The companion also holds Cloud’s hands.
Once you have finished the campaign, you can make changes in the Extra Settings menu to have different companions. In the Chapter Select panel, choose Chapter 12 to see how Cloud’s interactions go with other party members.
Consider reading our Aerith romance guide and Tifa romance guide if you are interested in boosting affinity levels with these characters.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and initially released in 2024 for PlayStation 5.