Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Chapter-bound inn items: save before the Rufus-photo group in Chapter 4 and take a sharp photograph. Keep every accompanying infantryman alive through the chapter's final combat stretch, healing them when needed, to receive Stuffed Stamp after Roche. In Chapter 11, save before Cait Sith's conveyor-box sequence and destroy ten boxes for Stuffed Fat Moogle. If a reward is missed, replay that story chapter on the same completed-game save. Chapter 13 cleanup alone cannot recover those scenes.

Assess new enemies and keep useful unmastered materia equipped. Recruit all infantry squads before the Junon parade, finish the ship tournament and learn abilities from newly found weapons. The regional relic trophies and My Job Here Is Done can progress alongside the story.

Return to Chapter 13 after the story. Open every regional activity chain, finish Materia Completionist and use Johnny's inn ledger to track minigame rewards. For the fixed card puzzles, use the Card Carnival sequences in 7-Star Hotel. Follow Piano Virtuoso for the six required piano performances. Keep the same save's accumulated collector's items when replaying chapters.

Cait Sith cleanup: Chapter 13 does not keep him in the party. After unlocking the late activities, use Chapter Selection to return to Chapter 12, retain the completed quest data and stay before the Haunted Hotel date sequence. All seven characters are available there. Use this window for his weapons, folio and solo simulator bout. Keep advancing the same save so collected rewards remain registered.

On Hard, normal item use is disabled and ordinary benches restore HP only. Keep Prayer and Chakra available, use low-cost pressure attacks and save MP for bosses. Chocobo Stops can restore MP when you use a Cushion. Keep a manual save before long locked sections and do not spend the whole party's MP in early fights.

Bring the whole party to level 70, develop folios and level the magic and support materia used in the builds. Follow Of Hardy Stock for the final story fights and Virtually Renowned for late simulator unlocks. You can alternate activities rather than completing every simulator before starting Hard.

Use Preparing the magic builds first if any equipment is missing.

This setup is for the Cloud/Zack challenge. Use Rune Blade, Cetran Bracer and Genji Gloves on Cloud. Link Wind to HP Absorption, MP Absorption and Swiftcast using separate copies, link Magic Focus to Lightning and Wind, and put Elemental with Fire and Ice in armour. Add Enemy Skill, ATB Boost, First Strike and Magic Up. Select the magic-attack, ATB-charge and Full-Power Magic weapon skills available at your weapon level.

Learn Prime Mode from Umbral Blade. Use it from the ability menu, then hold through its heavy attack sequence to activate Fury and rebuild ATB. Zack supplies Faith and defensive support. The wind casts recover HP and MP only when they actually deal damage, so avoid spending your last MP into a protected target.

1. Titan: pressure with Aeroga, then use Zack's Stop to extend the opening. Build Cloud's next cast while the target is held.
2. Hueyacoatl: dodge the opening, prepare Prime Mode and use Aeroga. Apply Stop after pressure, then Faith and another wind burst.
3. Phoenix: defeat the linked summons first. Bank ATB before the last linked enemy dies, then use ice during Phoenix's pressure and stagger. Switch back to wind if movement keeps making ice miss.
4. Brineborn Demon: use Firaga to create pressure and Zack's Stop to hold it. Build Fury and deliver another fire cast while the opening lasts.
5. Kujata: keep Faith active and interrupt its elemental activation quickly with Aeroga.
6. Ironclad: work behind it, build ATB safely and use wind for recovery. Use lightning when your HP and MP can support spending it without the wind absorb.
7. Alexander: break both arms with lightning, then attack from behind. Resume wind casting to restore resources before the next round.
8. Mindflayer: keep Manawall on Cloud. During Telekinesis, shelter behind a rock before Psychotic Break. Do not rely on interrupting that attack.
9. Bahamut Arisen: keep Faith, Haste and Manawall active. Use the Counterfire synergy skill, holding and selecting its displayed partner input, against ranged attacks where possible, use Aerora on the wings and follow with Aeroga. Staggering during Neodrive helps regain control of the fight.
10. Odin: block or counter his ordinary strings in Prime Mode and keep offensive pressure with Aeroga. When Spatial Distortion appears, move to the undistorted half of the arena. If Temporal Imprisonment traps Cloud, use Zack to defend and heal until Cloud is free. Keep Zack alive rather than treating the targeting as guaranteed.

A loss means another challenge attempt. Practise the individual summons first and enter the late rounds with resources restored.

After finishing the remaining challenges, inspect the inn for missing collector's items. Earn them on the current save and speak to Johnny once all 88 are registered for 7-Star Hotel.

Genji Gloves: defeat Gilgamesh for Genji Armaments, then reach Craftsmanship 16 by crafting each new pre-Genji recipe once. Repeating a recipe does not fill the missing first-craft experience. Complete the region's Excavation Intel for transmuter chips and craft the enhanced accessories that use Dark Matter minigame prizes. Check the transmuter's uncrafted rows when progress stalls.

The gloves need five Exquisite Beast Hides, one Sinister Quetzalcoatl Talon, one Slimy Malboro Tendril and six Pirate Jetsam. On Hard, revisit Quetzalcoatl in the Grasslands and Great Malboro in Gongaga for the special talon and tendril. Each of these classified fights appears after scanning four of its region's six lifesprings. These are the Hard drops, not their ordinary-mode materials.

Corsair's Compass: from Chapter 12, open the purple Pirate King's chest on the Costa del Sol dock beside the Tiny Bronco. The map marks four grottos. Sail to the southwest Gongaga coast, southeast Junon coast, the island northeast of Costa del Sol and the island farther northeast near Gilgamesh Island. At each, defeat the guardian and climb to its purple chest. After all four relic pieces, choose Item Transmuter > Accessories > Corsair's Compass. Its ocean radar works from your inventory. Follow its signal to purple floating chests and collect six Jetsam for the gloves.

Buy and develop the needed blue materia at Chadley, then level it through AP before relying on its final effect. Master Elemental for absorption. Its second level only nullifies damage. Link it in armour for defence, never in the weapon. Each repeated spell-support pair below needs its own spell materia copy in a connected pair of slots.

Learn Prime Mode from Umbral Blade, Counterstance from Slipstream Saber, ATB Ward from Ceremonial Staff and Arcane Ward from Guard Stick. Brumal Form is one of Yuffie's default abilities. The weapon checklist and unusual weapon rewards are in Well-Rounded.

Cetran Bracer: after Cloud's trial in Chapter 13, descend the Temple of the Ancients' Spiral of Rebirth until rubble blocks the stairs. The side passage takes us through an Ancient Dragon and Panthera Protector fight, then down to the room with Fuma Shuriken's purple chest. Take the south branch to the Shrine of Ambition, defeat Floating Death and open the armour chest. Return to the junction and continue east.

Cetran Armlet: in Aerith's second Hall of Life section, leave Brisingamen's chest room by its north path. At the bee-filled junction, cross the broken path west, then go south into the small room. Turn right and jump the gap to the room with crystals, bees and two Blight Frogs. Collect the armour before returning to the altar.

These are the two eight-slot armour pieces. For Rulers of the Outer Worlds, equip them on Aerith and Barret. Give Yuffie armour with at least five slots, including a linked pair for Elemental-Fire. Reassign the Cetran armour when changing to a solo or two-person build.

Speed Demon Keychain comes from Chapter 4's Roche sequence with all five infantrymen surviving. Replay that chapter if necessary. Chocoking's Cape comes from the Gold Cup, covered in Hall of Famer. For Enhanced Malboro Orb and Enhanced Expeditionary Medal, obtain the base recipes through regional excavation, then win Six-Person Bouts: Harmony of Discord in the Musclehead Colosseum for Transmuter Chip: Ultimate Accessories. Each enhancement also needs four Dark Matter, one Pirate Jetsam and its listed monster material. Limit Booster comes from 31,000 points in Expert G-Bike. Transference Module comes from Six-Person Bouts: Riotous Feast. Fury Ring comes from Six-Person Bouts: The Archfiends. Enhanced Expeditionary Medal gives access to Cloud's level-three limit when the gauge fills. Götterdämmerung is the reward for clearing Rulers of the Outer Worlds. The solo setups that use it come after that clear.

For Enemy Skill, clear Biological Intel: Know Thine Enemy, equip the materia to earn AP and revisit the unlocked Biological Intel simulations as it levels. Some later simulations require its higher materia levels as well as regional enemy-assessment totals. Check the locked row's requirement before farming unrelated encounters.

Start with Preparing the magic builds and the unlock checklist in Virtually Renowned. These challenges use Hard rules even if the surrounding chapter is Easy. A defeat restarts the entire selected challenge. Before retrying, identify the round that failed and change the relevant protection. Finish every round and wait for its clear mark.

First four challenges

For Army of the Damned, Requiem for the Scorned, Unending Nightmare and Hellions' Intonement, use Cloud, Aerith and Cait Sith in the Chapter 12 cleanup window.

• Cloud: Rune Blade, eight-slot armour and Fury Ring. Link Petrify to Magnify, a separate Petrify to MP Absorption and Poison and Petrify to Magic Efficiency. Add First Strike, ATB Boost, ATB Stagger, Magic Up and Enemy Skill. Select Full-Power Magic, Magic Attack Power, ATB Charge Rate Up and Enemy Parts Damage Up where available. Phoenix supplies magic stats. Fury Ring increases incoming damage, so start the control loop promptly.
• Cait Sith: Iron Megaphone, armour with at least six slots and Enhanced Malboro Orb. Link three separate Time copies to Swiftcast, Magnify and one Magic Focus materia. Add First Strike and Chakra. Choose both Debuff Extension weapon skills. In Combat Settings, put Magnify-Stop on a shortcut. Check the Magnify setting on that command before entering.
• Aerith: Gambanteinn, armour with at least six slots and Chocoking's Cape. Equip ATB Boost, Healing, Revival and Synergy-Comet. Chocoking's Cape supplies her opening ATB, leaving the two First Strike copies for Cloud and Cait Sith. For Hellions, also equip Subversion and pair it with mastered Warding for instant-death protection. Take Barrier and Chakra in spare slots. Select Reprieve.

At the start of a round, Cait Sith casts Magnify-Stop, Aerith places Arcane Ward on Cloud, then Cloud uses ATB Boost and casts Magnify-Quaga from the ward. While he casts, build another ATB on Cait Sith. Return to Cloud, attack to refill his bars and cast again from the ward. Reapply Stop after its previous effect ends, preferably when a dangerous enemy is staggered. Repeated Stop becomes shorter and eventually fails, so use the opening to finish the fight. If only one enemy remains, turn Magnify off for the stronger single-target spell.

For Army of the Damned, Quakra is usually enough for the small packs. Aerith can add Radiant Ward over Cloud's position once she has ATB. Hit the burrowing enemies in round three before they disappear. If one escapes, defend until it resurfaces, then resume casting. Give the large Screamer priority in round nine. External video: Army of the Damned setup and rounds (Optinoob).

For Requiem for the Scorned, start Stop before the opening Noxicap can silence Cloud. Block or dodge the frogs' projectiles if one escapes the opening. In round five, keep Dranabarga stopped while finishing the smaller enemies, then attack during its stagger. In round nine, the Savage Grandhorn takes priority because Earthbound can bind successive party members. Stagger it to release a captive. In the final round, stop and kill the Tonberry before it reaches the party. External video: Requiem for the Scorned (Optinoob).

For Unending Nightmare, put Elemental-Lightning and Wind in Cloud's armour in two spare slots. Remove optional stat materia if needed. Focus the Queen Bee in round one and the Gi Sorcerer in round two. In round six, kill Whymzelett first, interrupting Soothing Breeze, then wear down Shirdal. Cloud's wind protection makes that remaining fight safer, but still block physical contact. Use a renewed single-target Stop during the large Enmidunk's stagger in round eight. External video: Unending Nightmare (Optinoob).

For Hellions' Intonement, keep the Fury Ring damage setup and the full Stop extension. Against Adjudicator, use the opening Stop and prepare Arcane Ward, but move Cloud outside the ward for his first Quaga. The spell can trigger Reflect, which would bounce the ward's automatic second cast back at the party. Switch to physical attacks to stagger Adjudicator. Renew Stop once the stagger clears its earlier application, then return to the ward for Quaga after checking Reflect is gone. If Reflect remains, Aerith can remove it with Dispel before Cloud casts again. Against Hecteyes, stop casting offensive magic while Reflect is active. Aerith uses Dispel, then Cait Sith stops it before returning to the ward loop. Against White Terror and White Mousse, stop the wolf, since the mousse is immune. Let them approach each other before the area casts. Against the worms, move away when they burrow, then roll toward and past the emerging worm to avoid Swallow. In the final round, stop the Tonberry King promptly rather than waiting for a perfect stagger. External video: Adjudicator opening (Optinoob, 7:17). External video: Hellions' Intonement (Optinoob).

The Seventh Seal

Use Tifa, Cloud and Aerith. This setup builds Aerith's Planet's Protection while Tifa attacks.

• Tifa: Kaiser Knuckles, eight-slot armour and Transference Module. Equip Time, First Strike, ATB Boost, ATB Assist, Strength Up, Speed Up, HP Up, Chakra and Enemy Skill. Put Elemental-Fire and Ice in armour. Use spare slots for Luck Up. Buy her Concentration and Reprieve folio upgrades and learn Unfettered Fury, Chi Trap and True Strike.
• Cloud: Umbral Blade and Limit Booster. Equip Limit Support, Magnify-Healing, Steadfast Block, Precision Defense Focus, HP Up and MP Up. Use spare slots for Magic Focus linked to extra Healing copies. Select Reprieve and defensive weapon skills.
• Aerith: Ceremonial Staff and Expeditionary Medal. Equip Limit Siphon, First Strike, Magnify-Barrier, Magic Efficiency linked to a second Barrier, Subversion, HP Up, MP Up and defensive block materia. Planet's Protection is her default level-two limit. The medal makes that level available from the start of each round.

Aerith opens with Magnify-Manawall. Tifa uses ATB Boost, Haste on herself and Unfettered Fury. Check her command before starting the combo. If it does not show Rage and Fall, build another ATB and cast Unfettered Fury a second time. Concentration can supply a starting chi level, but does not always trigger. At the Rage and Fall chi level, hold for the uppercut, release as it starts, then hold again for the follow-up that rebuilds ATB. Spend two bars back to back on Chi Trap to feed allies through ATB Assist. During a stagger, use True Strike instead. If you spend her chi attacks or the buff expires, use Unfettered Fury again until the command shows Rage and Fall before continuing that combo.

When Tifa has enough limit gauge to fill Aerith's remaining bar, Aerith uses Limit Siphon on her and casts Planet's Protection. It prevents physical damage, while magic, status effects and certain special attacks still need attention. Cloud supplies manual party healing. Refresh Manawall as needed. Planet's Protection can only be used once in each round. Use its protected window to finish the dangerous target, then return to blocking, dodging and healing if it expires.

Kill the disruptive smaller enemy first, then the larger target. For Kid G, block the ordinary punches, dodge Sledgehammer or Goblin Beatdown and punish his recovery. Avoid attacking him freely while he is not pressured. Dispel defensive barriers on Sanguine Scourge in round five and Irasceros in round six. In the worm round, deal with Gigaworm before Dark Claw and dodge Swallow as above. For the cactuar round, keep moving until Planet's Protection is active. In the finale, target Diabolic Variant's right arm, then its body and duplicates before finishing Ember Zu. Tifa's fire absorption helps with the bird, but does not protect Cloud or Aerith.

External video: The Seventh Seal build and all ten rounds (Optinoob).

Rulers of the Outer Worlds

Use Yuffie, Barret and Aerith. Start with full materia levels. This setup needs Genji Gloves, Speed Demon Keychain and Chocoking's Cape, all covered in Preparing the magic builds.

• Yuffie: Crescent Sickle, armour with at least five slots and Speed Demon Keychain. Equip First Strike, ATB Boost, Speed Up, HP Up, two Spirit Up, two Vitality Up and Revival. Put Elemental-Fire in armour. Select ATB Charge Rate Up and Opening ATB Bonus, and unlock Weapon Ability ATB Recovery in her folio. Put Brumal Form on a shortcut.
• Barret: Barrage Blaster, eight-slot armour and Chocoking's Cape. Link Magnify-Barrier, Swiftcast-Time, Magic Efficiency to a second Barrier, and Magnify-Cleansing. Equip Empowerment, Prayer, Revival and Auto-Unique Ability, with Elemental-Fire in armour. Choose Overcharge Protection and defensive/recovery weapon skills.
• Aerith: Plumose Rod, eight-slot armour and Genji Gloves. Link two separate Fire copies to two Magic Focus materia. Link MP Absorption to Fire and Ice. Equip Lightning and Wind, First Strike, Magic Up, HP Up, MP Up and Auto-Unique Ability. Put Elemental-Fire in armour. Choose Enduring Ward, Ward Shift Mastery, Enhanced Magic Guard and an HP boost.

Barret casts Haste on Yuffie. Yuffie uses ATB Boost and Brumal Form while Aerith places ATB Ward on Yuffie. Keep Yuffie inside that ward and repeatedly use Brumal Form to refill her allies' ATB. If she is knocked out of it, move back before continuing.

Barret casts Magnify-Manawall and Faith on Aerith, then uses Lifesaver, Steelskin and Prayer to support the party. Aerith places Arcane Ward on herself and casts the useful top-level spell from it. Refresh Haste and Manawall before they expire. The wards and Brumal Form supply the resources, but do not make the whole party invulnerable.

A poor opening is worth restarting early. For a late-round loss, check whether the problem was expired Haste, leaving the ward, a missing Manawall or casting into an elemental immunity before repeating the whole challenge. The clear awards Götterdämmerung for the solo bouts.

External video: Rulers of the Outer Worlds setup and all five rounds (Optinoob).

Clear Rulers of the Outer Worlds in Brutal challenges first if using Götterdämmerung below. Work from the Chapter 12 cleanup window so Cait Sith is available. Each bout has five rounds with one character. A defeat restarts all five, so practise the final enemy in its regional intel or summon fight when possible.

Use level 70, developed folios and mastered support materia. An armour pair means the linked slots must be in armour. Each duplicate spell-support pair needs a separate spell copy. Learn the named weapon abilities before entering, using Well-Rounded. Phoenix supplies magic stats for the magic builds, while Odin suits physical attackers. Save the actual summon call for a difficult later round.

Cloud vs. the Warriors

Use Slipstream Saber, eight-slot armour and Götterdämmerung. Link separate Lightning copies to HP Absorption, MP Absorption and two Magic Focus materia. Put Elemental-Lightning and Wind in the weapon, Elemental-Fire and Ice in armour, and add Magic Up and Strength Up. Choose Formidable Counter and Punisher/magic boosts.

1. Let the bandits gather and use Cross-Slash, then finish survivors.
2. Against White Terror, counter ordinary attacks by holding in Punisher Mode. Dodge Throat Clamp. Use Thundara after its attack ends. Save the limit for Earsplitting Howl, or block the barrage if the gauge is not ready.
3. Stay behind Irasceros, attack physically and use a limit when Concentrate begins. Use lightning during the stagger.
4. Against Sanguine Scourge, take short grounded attack openings, block the tracking orb through its explosion and back away from Demon Slice. Use lightning for damage and absorbed recovery.
5. Circle Ironclad's rear right foot. Dodge grabs and the large blade attack rather than trading hits. Use lightning and limits during recovery. Its fire spells heal Cloud with the mastered armour link.

External video: Cloud vs. the Warriors (Optinoob).

Barret vs. the Colossi

Use Gatling Gun, eight-slot armour and Götterdämmerung. Put Elemental-Fire and Ice in the weapon and Elemental-Fire in armour. Link a separate Fire to MP Absorption. Add Chakra, Enemy Skill, HP Up, MP Up, Strength Up, First Strike, Steadfast Block and Precision Defense Focus. Choose Massive Recharge and Overcharge Protection.

Open with the limit, use Overcharge whenever ready, maintain Steelskin and Bonus Round, then spend surplus ATB on Maximum Fury. Press once at the end of an attack or ability to shorten the Overcharge recharge animation. Heal with Chakra.

1. Limit the bandits, then Overcharge the survivors.
2. Block Modded Sweeper's volleys and keep shooting. Back away and block its final self-destruct.
3. Against Gigant Bomb, preserve MP and use physical attacks. Fire absorption supplies recovery, but its physical contact can still hurt.
4. Against Moss-Grown Adamantoise, cast Fira when it is not pressured to stop its dangerous projectile cycle. Save one ATB for the next Fira as pressure ends. Do not waste MP repeatedly casting while it is already pressured. Block its charges.
5. Against Hell Rider II, use the physical loop, block Infernal Cannon and heal with Chakra. Avoid offensive spells while Reflect is active. Fire absorption helps against its fire attacks.

External video: Barret vs. the Colossi (Optinoob).

Tifa vs. the Martialists

Use Kaiser Knuckles, armour with at least seven slots and Götterdämmerung. Put Elemental-Lightning and Wind in the weapon. Equip Strength Up, Speed Up, HP Up, First Strike, Time, Chakra, Enemy Skill, Steadfast Block and Precision Defense Focus. Link mastered Warding-Poison and Petrify in armour. Choose Concentration and Martial Arts Mastery.

Use Unfettered Fury until her command shows Rage and Fall. From her starting chi level, this takes two casts. If Concentration starts her one level higher, one cast is enough. Build the extra ATB and cast again whenever the command has not reached Rage and Fall. Build ATB with short held uppercut sequences, then use True Strike during staggers. Stop extends the pressure opening on susceptible enemies.

1. Let the Type-G Slug Rays close in with Lacerate before using the limit.
2. Dodge Dark Claw's Reaper Claws, then Stop it during pressure and stagger it.
3. Against Kid G, block ordinary punches, dodge Sledgehammer or Goblin Beatdown and attack his recovery. Withdraw before pressure ends to avoid his counter and heal.
4. Against Elder Golem, avoid the charged ground and hit it during Recharging. Use the limit and fast stagger attacks during that opening.
5. Against Jabberwock, hold your limit until Gorgon Shield finishes forming. Use it to pressure, then Stop and stagger. Petrification protection must be mastered for this setup.

External video: Tifa vs. the Martialists (Optinoob).

Aerith vs. the Magi

Use Plumose Rod, eight-slot armour and Genji Gloves. Link Magnify-Ice, Magic Focus-Fire and Ice and a second Magic Focus-Ice. Put Elemental-Lightning and Wind in armour. Add First Strike, ATB Boost, Magic Up, Enemy Skill, Steadfast Block and Chakra.

Use Arcane Ward for double casts. Learn Lustrous Shield from Wizard's Rod for ranged protection. Move out of poison puddles and use Chakra when a safe opening appears.

1. ATB Boost and Magnify-Blizzaga clear the opening group.
2. Against Yin & Yang, use Lustrous Shield to stop ice projectiles. The lightning link protects against lightning magic. Build ATB during the magic-resistant Yang stance, then use Firaga from Arcane Ward when it switches to Yin. Defend during its physical strings.
3. Against the two White Mousses, maintain distance from poison shots, place Arcane Ward and cast Magnify-Blizzaga when they are close enough to share its area.
4. Against Hecteyes, stop casting while Repel is active. Block its ice with Lustrous Shield, avoid Drain and save two ATB. Cast Blizzaga from the ward when its protection ends.
5. Against Quetzalcoatl, dodge physical charges and use Blizzaga from Arcane Ward. Its lightning attacks feed the armour absorption.

External video: Aerith vs. the Magi (Optinoob).

Red XIII vs. the Beasts

Use Amethyst Collar, eight-slot armour and Genji Gloves. Link Magic Focus-Fire and Ice, HP Absorption-Ice and MP Absorption to another Ice. Add Barrier, Cleansing, Enemy Skill, ATB Boost, First Strike, Steadfast Block, Magic Up and Speed Up. Select Enhanced Counterspin and ATB Charge Rate Up.

Maintain Barrier. Hold to block a string, release it after the final hit and press for Counterspin. This builds ATB for Blizzaga, which supplies HP and MP when it damages the target.

1. ATB Boost and Blizzaga the central Amphidex while the group is together.
2. Against Mastodon, block its full multi-hit charge or Rage string before Counterspin. Use fire for its weakness, switching to ice when recovery matters.
3. Against Gigantoad, dodge its grab and target the exposed tongue. Use ice after its attack ends.
4. Against Levidron, keep Barrier active and counter its attacks instead of chasing it during Amp Up. Cast ice after it commits to an attack.
5. Cast Resist before Great Malboro's opening breath. Maintain Resist and Barrier, move out of lingering breath damage and cast ice during safe openings. Save two ATB as its stagger approaches.

External video: Red XIII vs. the Beasts (Optinoob).

Yuffie vs. the Wronged

Use Crescent Sickle, eight-slot armour and Genji Gloves. Link MP Absorption-Lightning and Wind and a second MP Absorption-Ice. Put Elemental-Fire in armour. Equip First Strike, ATB Boost, ATB Stagger, Enemy Skill, Magic Up, Strength Up and Chakra. Use the remaining slot for HP Up. Choose ATB Charge Rate Up and Shuriken Mastery.

Throw with , then use for ranged ninjutsu. Choose the appropriate Elemental Ninjutsu and use Doppelganger. Bank two ATB for the named pressure window instead of spending every bar immediately.

1. Throw the shuriken into the wolves, then use Windstorm to pull them together. Repeat and finish survivors.
2. Use wind against Joker. Dodge Soul Sucker and cast Aeroga during the pressure after its repeated misses.
3. Use ice against Diabolic Variant's right arm. As it breaks, cast Blizzaga and keep attacking through Enshadow. If duplicates appear, keep moving, destroy regenerated arms and finish each copy.
4. Against Dragon, keep distance, use Ice Ninjutsu and Blizzaga. Fire absorption helps, but melee and other damage still need dodging.
5. Against King Zu, use Lightning Ninjutsu. When Swan Song starts, destroy both wings before attacking the pressured body with Thundaga. Repeat if it charges again. Fire absorption does not make Swan Song safe.

External video: Yuffie vs. the Wronged (Optinoob).

Cait Sith vs. the Abominable

Use Resounding Megaphone, eight-slot armour and Götterdämmerung. Link Magnify-Fire and Ice and MP Absorption-Ice. Equip First Strike, ATB Boost, Magic Up, Strength Up, Speed Up, Steadfast Block, Poison and Petrify, Enemy Skill and Chakra. Choose both Moogle Decoy and both Moogle Sentinel weapon skills, plus Reprieve where available.

Use Let's Ride!, then to dismount. Keep the moogle between you and the enemy, attack at range and reserve one ATB to summon it again when it falls. The distraction creates openings but does not guarantee every attack targets the moogle.

1. Use the limit or area ice against Grangalans.
2. Use area fire or the limit against the Gi Lancer and Gi Archer, then finish the weaker one first.
3. Against Reapertail, alternate ice and fire to exploit its changing vulnerability. Keep moving away from Pulverize and rebuild the moogle before committing to a long cast.
4. Against Suevite Disgorgon, use ice, keep the moogle active and avoid Petrifying Mist. Fight from its rear or at range.
5. Against Mindflayer, apply Bio after a teleport, let poison work and attack with the moogle and ranged bubbles. Hide behind a rock after Telekinesis for Psychotic Break. Dodge its dangerous teleport attacks, heal with Chakra and resummon the moogle before losing your distraction.

Do not depend on a lucky second limit or instant-death result. A clear ends after Mindflayer and the simulator result screen.

External video: Cait Sith vs. the Abominable (Optinoob).

This is the Cloud/Sephiroth bout. Clear it separately from Bonds of Friendship. Use the unlock and level preparation in Virtually Renowned.

Use Cloud's Rune Blade, Cetran Bracer and Genji Gloves. Link Wind to HP Absorption, MP Absorption and Swiftcast with separate copies. Link Magic Focus-Lightning and Wind, put Elemental-Fire and Ice in armour, and add First Strike, Magic Up, Enemy Skill and Empowerment. This replaces the Bonds build's ATB Boost so Cloud can cast Faith himself. Choose Full-Power Magic, magic attack, ATB charge and enemy-part damage upgrades.

Start Sephiroth as leader. Attack with him until his Aura Charge is full, then use followed by for his evasive Shift Slash. Repeat to build ATB and limit, rebuilding Aura Charge if he is hit. Use his limit in a pressure opening and follow the prompt for Octaslash Prime. Practise that loop in the opening round before committing to all ten.

Cloud uses Prime Mode, Faith on himself and the held combo to activate Fury. Cast Aeroga for damage and absorbed HP/MP, switching to the target's weakness where needed. Sephiroth can heal and cast Manawall. Build synergy charges with ATB abilities and use Double Helix when available. During Sephiroth's temporary unlimited MP, refresh Manawall and apply Reraise as insurance.

Save the challenge's one summon for the last rounds. A defeat means replaying all ten. If a late round repeatedly ends the run, practise that enemy's single encounter before returning. Complete the final result screen for the clear mark.

External video: To Be a Hero setup and all ten rounds (Optinoob).