Shiva is one of the hardest boss battles in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Here are tips and tricks to beat it as part of the endgame.
How to Unlock Shiva Boss Fight
The fight against Shiva is available as a VR mission from Chadley after you reach Chapter 8.
Preparations
This is one of the game’s final (optional) challenges. You need to be as prepared as possible before going in. In general, you want to prioritize Magic Defense.
Up to 11 of the 12 types of magic Materia can be purchased from vending machines, while the last (Aero) can be purchased from Chadley.
Below are our recommendations:
- Fire Materia for all party members (this is Shiva’s main weakness)
- Healing Materia
- Ifrit as Summon Materia
- Elemental Materia (link with Fire for infused attacks)
- Magic Up Materia (power up Fire attacks)
- HP Up (to take more damage)
- Earrings accessory (increases magic damage by 5%)
How to Defeat Shiva
You can mix and match various party members for this fight, but be sure to bring Aerith. Shiva rotates between various Ice attacks during the fight.
Icicles
Block each of these as they come your way.
Whiteout
When Shiva gets into a sitting position, that is a signal that the Whiteout attack is coming. It’s an Ice beam that shoots across the floor. Be sure to time your dodge for this, otherwise, you will be stunned asleep.
Icicle Impact
Shiva waves her hand and lets out an ice burst that coats the floor and sticks out. You can block it and once shattered, run towards her and begin attacking.
Blizarra
A burst of ice flies towards the party, forming a crystal that explodes several seconds later. You can block the initial hit, and then dodge the crystal that forms.
Frost Familiars
Frosted orbs hover around Shiva while flying towards you in a random fashion. These need to be blocked.
Diamond Dust
This attack deals unavoidable damage and sees Shiva creating a circular trail of ice behind you. It happens towards the end of the fight. Simply make sure to keep your health up throughout to ensure the party survives the hit.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and initially released in 2020 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, the enhanced version of the game, was released in 2021 for PlayStation 5 and PC.