Learn where to find every weapon in Final Fantasy VII Remake, along with the best equipment setups for Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Aerith.
How to Level Weapons
There are two ways to level up weapons in Final Fantasy VII Remake: Using SP to unlock perks and improving proficiency.
Spending SP
As your characters level up in general, they will accumulate Skill Points (SP). You can spend SP on weapon perks. When a character reaches level 50, you will need to go and locate various Manuscripts in order to acquire additional SP for them.
To improve your weapons with SP, simply pause the game, and visit the Upgrade Weapons section. Select the character whose weapon(s) you wish to improve then the specific weapon itself.
Proficiency
Each weapon in Final Fantasy VII Remake has a proficiency percentage, indicating how much you have mastered its respective ability. You simply level the proficiency from 0 to 100% by using the same ability over and over.
For example, you can max out the proficiency of Cloud’s starter weapon, the Buster Sword, by repeatedly using the special ability Focused Thrust while having it equipped.
Best Weapons Per Character
Cloud
Weapon: Hardedge
Stats: 57 Attack, 19 Magic
We recommend the Hardedge as Cloud’s best-in-slot weapon as it deals the highest amount of physical attack damage. While it does sacrifice magic in the process, it’s worth the trade.
Barret
Weapon: Big Bertha
Stats: 45 Attack, 30 Magic
We recommend the Big Bertha as Barret’s best-in-slot weapon as it deals massive ranged damage at high speed.
Tifa
Weapon: Purple Pain
Stats: 51 Attack, 41 Magic
We recommend the Purple Pain as Tifa’s best-in-slot weapon as it not only deals impressive damage but staggers enemies with ease.
Aerith
Weapon: Mythril Rod
Stats: 24 Attack, 92 Magic
We recommend the Mythril Rod as Aerith’s best-in-slot weapon as it has immense Materia capacity and provides the Ray of Judgment ability, dealing massive single-target damage.
Cloud Weapon List
Here is a list of every weapon for Cloud along with their locations and respective abilities.
Buster Sword
Location: This is Cloud’s starting weapon.
Weapon Ability: Focused Thrust – Cloud lunges toward a single target with his sword, hitting multiple times and dealing significant stagger damage.
Iron Blade
Location: Chapter 3 – Complete the Neighborhood watch quests then speak to the Weapons Shop owner.
Weapon Ability: Triple Slash – Cloud attacks three enemies in quick succession with a cleaving slash, the damage improving with each subsequent blow.
Hardedge
Location: Chapter 9 – Purchase from the Wall Market Weapon Shop on the way to Don Corneo’s Mansion.
Weapon Ability: Infinity’s End – Wind up and unleash an overhead strike. Increased damage on stagger.
Nail Bat
Location: Chapter 8 – Complete the “Kids on Patrol” side quest.
Weapon Ability: Disorder – Cloud delivers a devastating knockback attack and switches modes in one fluid motion.
Mythril Saber
Location: Chapter 14 – Purchase from the Wall Market Weapon Shop.
Weapon Ability: Blade Burst – Cloud charges and unleashes a way of non-elemental Mako energy at enemies in front of him with a slash of the sword.
Twin Stinger
Location: Chapter 17 – Find it in a purple chest to the left of some stairs on the third level of The Drum.
Weapon Ability: Counterstance – Cloud pulls back and prepares a devastating counterattack, dealing massive damage.
Barret Weapon List
Gatling Gun
Location: This is Barret’s starting weapon.
Weapon Ability: Focused Shot – Barret charges up a single shot and then blasts the enemy, dealing massive stagger damage to the target.
Light Machine Gun
Location: Complete Chapter 6.
Weapon Ability: Lifesaver – Barret takes damage that would normally harm other party members.
EKG Cannon
Location: Chapter 17 – Speak to Mayor Domino’s assistant, Hart, and pay him 10,000 Gil for a “hint.”
Weapon Ability: Point Blank – Barret consumes all ATB to lunge towards an enemy, planting a timed explosive on their body, dealing massive AOE damage.
Big Bertha
Location: Chapter 13 – Purchase from the weapon vendor in the ruined playground after the area is evacuated.
Weapon Ability: Maximum Fury – Barret sprays a stream of ammo at an enemy, automatically switching to another target if it fails.
Steel Pincers
Location: Chapter 14 – Purchase from the Moogle Merchant.
Weapon Ability: Charging Uppercut – A close-range attack that hooks and launches a single enemy into the air after charging up.
Wrecking Ball
Location: Chapter 14 – Complete the “Subterranean Menace” side quest.
Weapon Ability: Smackdown – Barret sends enemies flying, dealing massive damage when used on groups.
Tifa Weapon List
Leather Gloves
Location: This is Tifa’s starting weapon.
Weapon Ability: Divekick – Tifa leaps into the air, blasting a single target with a dive attack, dealing significant damage.
Sonic Strikers
Location: Chapter 7 – Found in a purple chest after a set of keycard terminals on the way to the fight with Airbuster.
Weapon Ability: Focused Strike – Tifa dashes away from the action, then returns with a charged strike designed to greatly increase stagger.
Metal Knuckles
Location: Chapter 5 – Defeat the Crab Warden.
Weapon Ability: Overpower – A lunge attack that helps to quickly stagger enemies.
Feathered Gloves
Location: Chapter 10 – After draining the first water basin in the sewers, head down into it to find the weapon in a purple chest.
Weapon Ability: Starshower – Tifa moves between an enemy’s body, hitting them as specific pressure points. Works well for focus damage when an enemy staggers.
Mythril Claws
Location: Chapter 13 – Defeat the Failed Experiment.
Weapon Ability: Chi Trap – Tifa summons an orb, dealing damage over time to enemies caught in its orbit. Works well for crowd control and stunning groups.
Purple Pain
Location: Chapter 16 – When Tifa falls after climbing a series of lights, get on the car ahead of you and head west, using the monkey bars to reach the purple chest.
Weapon Ability: True Stike – Tifa delivers a haymaker to a single target, immediately filling their stagger bar.
Aerith Weapon List
Guard Stick
Location: This is Aerith’s starting weapon.
Weapon Ability: Arcane Ward – Aerith summons a ward below the target which doubles the number of times a spell is cast.
Silver Staff
Location: Chapter 9 – Purchase from The Moogle Emporium in the Sector 5 Slums for 2 Moogle Medals.
Weapon Ability: Sorcerous Storm – Aerith delivers a massive AOE attack around her, dealing magic damage to those nearby.
Arcane Scepter
Location: Chapter 9 – Complete either the “Shears’ Counterattack” or “A Dynamite Body” side quests.
Weapon Ability: Fleeting Familiar – Aerith summons a fairy that attacks enemies around her while she is free to cast and use other abilities.
Reinforced Staff
Location: Chapter 17 – From the moment you are able to enter Hojo’s lab, open the purple chest in the initial room.
Weapon Ability: ATB Ward – Aerith casts a ward under the feet of a target that launches additional attacks at enemies when spells or abilities are used.
Mythril Rod
Location: Chapter 11 – Continue exploring the train compartment to find a purple chest instead of taking the ladder.
Weapon Ability: Ray of Judgment – Aerith charges then casts a hyper beam of magic damage toward a single target, quickly raising stagger.
Bladed Staff
Location: Chapter 11 – When fighting Eligor, the chariot boss at the end, use the Steal Materia.
Weapon Ability: Lustrous Shield – Aerith summons a magical shield around her, consuming projectiles and repelling enemy attacks.
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.