Best Materia in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the Materia system is still what defines your characters’ abilities and strategies. If you’ve got endless options for customization, then choosing the correct Materia can be the difference between barely surviving a battle and dominating all your enemies. This guide goes over some of the best and most powerful Materia, including Magic, Support, and Command types, to ensure you reach your full team potential. The way of elemental combinations like Fire and Ice to changing your game with something like Magnify and AP Up will be taken down as well, explaining in detail how and when to get each Materia. Mastering Materia can conquer every hurdle that the game throws at you.

Best Materia

Materia in Final Fantasy VII Remake provides character moves and tactics that improve fights. Green Magic Materia allows characters to cast elemental spells, such as Fire and Ice, which are considered central to exploiting enemy weaknesses and creating Pressure or Stagger. It could enhance the impact of linked Magic Materia, making it automatically perform an effect to work more effectively. 

Yellow Command Materia had moves like Steal or Chakra, but these needed to be charged for ATB as part of supporting the action-based combat system. Purple Complete Materia gave automatic boosts to stat points such as HP and MP, which enhances overall performance. Strategic Materia combinations optimize characters and enable creative combat builds.

Blue Support Materia 

Support Materia requires linking to another piece of Materia to activate its effects. These Materia typically enhance magical attacks or automatically trigger the use of the linked Materia. Most Support Materia interact specifically with green Magic Materia, though there are a few exceptions. They can be applied to improve your character’s capabilities and strategy in dealing with combat conditions.

How to Boost Level

The Level Boost Materia increases the level of the linked Materia by one, up to the maximum level. While there are more impactful Support Materia later in the game, Level Boost is especially useful for leveling up Materia that require a lot of AP. For instance, combo Materia like Lightning and Wind can benefit from this, as well as Revival Materia, which grants access to Arise earlier.

To get level boost:

• In Chapter 1, on the first floor of the Mako Measurement Facility on Mt. Nibel. After entering, head up the stairs and turn right.
• Purchase it from the Battle Square GP Exchange at the Gold Saucer for 2,500 GP.
• Cait Sith has it after officially joining the party.
• Complete the “Missing: Mr. Birdie” side quest, starting in Chapter 9.
• Available for 6 Moogle Medals at a Moogle Emporium after reaching Merchant Rank 5.
• Complete “Cosmo Battle Intel: Nature’s Vengeance” in the Combat Simulator, starting in Chapter 10.
• Located on the upper floor of the Chocobo Sage’s Manor in the Nibel region.

AP Up

The AP Up Materia doubles the AP earned by the linked Materia, making it level up twice as fast. This Materia is extremely valuable and should be equipped whenever possible, especially during long stretches of open-world exploration when combat may not be as challenging. Unlike most Support Materia, AP Up can be linked to any Materia type as long as it hasn’t reached its max level.

To find AP up:

• In the Mythril Mine during Chapter 3, at the end of a thin walkway after Barret and Red XIII leave the party.
• Complete “Corel Battle Intel: Badlands Beasts” in the Combat Simulator, starting in Chapter 9.
• Complete “Nibel Battle Intel: Chthonian Rondo” in the Combat Simulator, starting in Chapter 11.
• Finish “Six-Person Bouts: Ululating Quartet” in The Gold Saucer’s Musclehead Colosseum after the story is complete.

The Elemental Materia

The Elemental Materia allows you to link an elemental effect to either your weapon or armor. When linked to a weapon, it infuses attacks with a specific element, while linking it to armor grants resistance to that element. This also works with combo elemental Materia, like Fire and Ice, making it a flexible option for both offense and defense.

To get elemental:

• Complete “Junon Battle Intel: Conqueror of the Skies” in the Combat Simulator, starting in Chapter 4.
• Finish “Gongaga Battle Intel: Distant Tremors” in the Combat Simulator, starting in Chapter 9.
• Complete “Brutal Challenge: Requiem for the Scorned” in the Combat Simulator.

Magnify

Magnify is a unique Materia that reduces the strength of the linked Magic Materia but allows you to hit multiple targets at once. You can also choose to cast either the Magnified or regular version of any spell linked to Magnify by pressing L1 when selecting the spell. This is especially useful for crowd control against groups of weaker enemies. 

You can find Magnify in several locations:

• In Chapter 1, when you reach the Northern Ridge area of Mt. Nibel, shimmy across some wooden planks and climb down the left side of the cliff.
• After Cait Sith joins your party, he will have it.
• You can also obtain it by completing the “Victim of Circumstance” Side Quest in the Cosmo Canyon region, starting in Chapter 12.
• Finally, you can unlock it by completing the “Brutal Challenge: Hellions’ Intonement” in the Combat Simulator after finishing the story.

Auto-Cast

Auto-Cast enables an ally to automatically use the paired spell in battle while they are out of your direct control. Thus, you need not keep changing between characters so often to manage abilities. It can also be used in association with Healing Materia so that any character low on HP would heal themselves automatically.

To get Auto-Cast:

• In Chapter 1, find it on Mt. Nibel’s Northern Ridge as you head towards the Appraisal Drilling Site.
• Develop seven of them with Chadley in the Grasslands using World Intel Data Points.

Green Magic Materia

Magic Materia lets a character cast specific spells tied to the orb. As you level it up, you will usually unlock stronger versions of those spells, and sometimes it adds buff or debuff spells too. The core elements, Fire, Ice, Lightning, and Wind, are essential for exploiting enemy weaknesses to apply Pressure and Stagger. It’s also a good idea to have Healing Materia on at least two active party members at all times.

Fire and Ice

The Fire and Ice Materia combines Fire and Ice spells into a single orb, letting a character use both while only taking up one slot on their weapon or armor. It’s a smart idea to pair it with Support Materia:

• Elemental Materia: Adds Fire and Ice damage to an ally’s attacks, which is especially useful since many enemies are weak to these elements.
• Magnify Materia: Lets spells hit multiple enemies, applying to all versions of Fire and Ice.

Leveling up this Materia takes significantly more AP, making it (and its Lightning and Wind counterparts) perfect for pairing with:

• AP Up Materia: To boost AP gain.
• Level Boost Materia: To improve its effectiveness throughout the game.

You can develop it with Chadley in Chapter 2 or later by earning 10 Grasslands Data Points.

Lightning and Wind

The Lightning and Wind Materia is just as useful as Fire and Ice, though its applications differ slightly. Here’s how:

• Fewer enemies are weak to Lightning and Wind compared to Fire and Ice.
• Weaknesses are often obvious:
  • Lightning: Effective against robots.
  • Wind: Strong against flying enemies.
• Linking it with Elemental Materia on a weapon is less practical, but having both spells combined in a single Materia orb is incredibly convenient.

You can develop it with Chadley in Chapter 4 or later by earning 30 Junon Data Points.

Poison and Petrify

The Poison and Petrify Materia is a later-game addition to your arsenal, giving a character access to the Bio and Quake spells. Like other paired Materia, it requires more AP to level up, but the benefits make it worth the investment.

You can develop it with Chadley in Chapter 10 or later by earning 70 Cosmo Region Data Points.

Time

The Time Materia is one of those things that really is a game-changer, as it gives more than just speed to your character. It allows you to cast Haste, which significantly speeds up an ally, making their ATB meter fill much faster. This makes Time Materia one of the best options to pair with Magnify, as it lets you cast Haste on your entire party. As you level it up, you also unlock the ability to cast Slow and Stop on multiple enemies, making it a versatile tool for controlling both your allies and enemies.

Starting in Chapter 6 at Costa del Sol, reach Rank III (15,000) in the Brigantine version of Pirate’s Rampage. In Chapter 10, it becomes available for purchase from vendors for 5,000 Gil. In Chapter 11, you can unlock it by completing the “Nibel Region Intel: Level 1” in Chadley’s Combat Simulator.

Yellow Command Materia

Command Materia in Remake and Rebirth are quite different from the original FF7. While familiar abilities like Steal and Morph are still present, the shift from turn-based combat to a more action-focused system has led to a complete overhaul. Now, many Command Materia abilities use ATB Charges, like the self-heal Chakra. While not all of them are essential, they can certainly be part of some creative and effective builds.

Assess 

Assess is one Command Materia you should definitely make use of. When you use Assess on an enemy, it provides detailed Enemy Intel, showing their elemental weaknesses, tips for Pressuring and Staggering them, and other crucial information. Some enemies have special abilities that must be dodged or blocked, or maybe they’re only vulnerable from certain angles. The only way to learn this is by using Assess. 

Once you Assess an enemy, you can quickly access this information again by pressing the touchpad when you encounter them later. As you level up the Assess Materia, you can Assess all enemies in the battlefield with a single command. Plus, some of Chadley’s Combat Simulator battles are unlocked by Assessing enough enemies in a region, so it’s worth making this a habit.

To get Assess:

• Available in Chapter 1 after defeating the Velociwing swarm.
• Can be purchased from vendors for 500 Gil.
• In Yuffie’s possession once she joins the party.

Enemy Skill

Enemy Skill is arguably one of the most powerful Materia orbs in the game, effectively turning one character into a classic Final Fantasy Blue Mage who can learn abilities from enemies. In FF7 Rebirth, this is done through Chadley’s Biological Intel challenges in the Combat Simulator. Plus, each level of Enemy Skill provides a small but useful stat boost.

Sonic Boom

• Casts a wind magic spell that grants the user Bravery and Faith.
• Available by default.

Plasma Discharge

• Charges attacks with lightning and damages surrounding areas when an ATB charge is filled.
• Level 2: Complete “Biological Intel: Blinded by Light” in the Combat Simulator.

Soothing Breeze

• Heals the user and allies in a wide area while halting movement.
• Level 2: Complete “Biological Intel: Breath of Life” in the Combat Simulator, starting in Chapter 4.

Self-Destruct

• The user explodes, damaging all enemies in the area, but incapacitates themselves.
• Level 3: Complete “Biological Intel: At Any Cost” in the Combat Simulator, starting in Chapter 9.

Mind Blast

• Deals damage and inflicts Paralysis on the target.
• Level 4: Complete “Biological Intel: Head Chase” in the Combat Simulator, starting in Chapter 9.

Rancid Breath

• Releases a foul mist that randomly inflicts Petrification, Poison, Silence, Sleep, or Stop in a wide area.
• Level 4: Complete “Biological Intel: That’s the Smell” in the Combat Simulator, starting in Chapter 10.

Gorgon Shield

• Creates a shield that fires shots to inflict Petrification when damaged.
• Level 5: Complete “Biological Intel: Stony Stare” in the Combat Simulator, starting in Chapter 11.

Sonic Boom and Plasma Discharge stand out as the most useful Enemy Skills because they grant access to Wind and Lightning attacks. Sonic Boom also boosts Attack and Magic Attack with the Bravery and Faith buffs. Plasma Discharge becomes especially powerful when paired with Haste on characters like Tifa, who already generates a lot of ATB, making it effective for crowd control with its area-of-effect damage.

Soothing Breeze provides valuable healing, especially in Hard Mode, but it does leave the user vulnerable while casting. Self-Destruct is less exciting unless you’re setting up Red XIII with Reraise and using the Vengeful Revenant Weapon Skill to increase his Vengeance Gauge after revival, though this setup isn’t particularly worth the effort.

The remaining skills focus on applying various debuffs, which can be useful when combined with characters who have abilities that complement them. For example, Aerith’s Debuff Extension in her Folios extends debuff duration by 10%, and her Timeless Rod further boosts it by 25%, adding up to a 35% increase in debuff duration.

To get enemy skill complete the “Biological Intel: Know Thine Enemy” challenge in the Combat Simulator during Chapter 2.

Chakra

Chakra is a self-healing ability that costs just one ATB charge and restores a percentage of the user’s lost HP. The lower the user’s HP, the more is restored, but it won’t completely fill their health. It’s a great way to keep characters safe when they’re close to danger, especially if they have extra ATB charges. Tifa benefits the most from this Materia, as she generates ATB quickly and can be a bit more fragile than other front-line fighters.

In Hard Mode during a second playthrough, items can’t be used, making healing methods like Chakra crucial. It’s a good idea to level up a few Chakra Materia during your first playthrough to prepare for this challenge.

To get Chakra:

• Added in Chapter 1 after Cloud’s first battle, on the way to the Mako Reactor.
• Available from Vendors for 300 Gil.
• In the Corel Region, win the Amateur-Level Crunch-Off at the Training Gym.
• In Cosmo Canyon’s Water Grotto, on a buffet table in the inn’s outdoor eating area.
• In the Temple of the Ancients, after turning gravity and defeating two Ancient Dragons, go through the archway, turn left, and climb the rubble to find the Materia.

Prayer

Prayer is a healing ability that restores a moderate amount of HP to the entire party, but it comes with a hefty cost of two full ATB charges. While this ability fits Aerith’s character, she generates ATB slowly, so it’s better suited for characters like Barret who can fill their ATB faster.

Like Chakra, Prayer becomes essential in Hard Mode during a second playthrough since items are unavailable. Be sure to level up at least one Prayer Materia to its maximum level in your first playthrough.

To get Prayer:

• Aerith starts with it in Chapter 1 when you take control of Cloud in Kalm.
• Found in a chest after completing Phenomenon Intel 4 in Gongaga, south of Gongaga Airstrip.
• Available from Vendors for 500 Gil, starting in Chapter 10.

ATB Boost

When activated by pressing L1 + R1, ATB Boost doubles the character’s current ATB charge, although it does have a cooldown after use. It’s important to note that activating it when the ATB is already full may waste some of the charge. However, even in that case, it’s still one of the quickest ways to get two full charges, which is handy for using abilities like Prayer.

ATB Boost becomes even more effective when paired with Synergy Abilities, which split the ATB meter between two characters into three segments.

To get ATB Boost:

• Developed with Chadley for 15 Corel Region Data Points, starting in Chapter 7.
• Developed with Chadley for 30 Corel Region Data Points after unlocking the first one.

Item Economiser

On Hard Mode, where items can’t be used, Item Economiser isn’t very useful, but it’s still a great Materia to equip on Cloud or any character you control most often. It lets you use items without consuming any ATB, but only after performing a certain number of actions. The number of actions needed decreases as you level up the Materia.

To get Item Economiser:

• Develop with Chadley for 30 Junon Region Data Points, starting in Chapter 4.
• Develop with Chadley for 60 Junon Region Data Points, after unlocking the first one.

Purple Complete Materia 

Purple Complete Materia provides passive benefits to your character, offering various boosts to stats. HP Up and MP Up are key ones that you’ll likely use frequently, but there are also other Materia that enhance major stats. In addition, there are plenty of other useful passive buffs and perks to consider. Here are some of the best ones to use.

First Strike

First Strike gives you a portion of your ATB charge right at the start of a battle. While it’s not as useful in larger or boss fights, it’s a big advantage in smaller encounters, allowing you to use abilities like Assess right away.

To find First Strike:

• Finish the “Grasslands Battle Intel: Horror on the Range” challenge in the Combat Simulator.
• Complete “Grasslands Battle Intel: Flower of Destruction” in the Combat Simulator, starting from Chapter 10.

Steadfast Block

Steadfast Block increases ATB gauge gain while guarding and reduces incoming damage, making it a versatile Materia for any character. It’s particularly effective for tanks and essential for Red XIII, as his Vengeance Mode activates with every block, enhancing ATB gain and damage reduction even further.

To find Steadfast Block:

• Complete the “Combat Training: Synergy” challenge in the Combat Simulator.
• Purchase from Vendors for 1,500 Gil, starting in Chapter 6.
• From Park Central plaza, head southwest, go up the stairs, then turn right.
• In Aerith’s section after the party splits up: at the third altar, restore the southern Vessel of Life with Lifestream energy, then search the southeast room.

Auto-Unique Ability

Each character’s “Unique Ability” is activated using the triangle button. With Auto-Unique Ability Materia, an ally can automatically use their unique ability during battle without player input. Barret and Tifa are excellent choices for this Materia – Barret will fire off Overcharge whenever it’s ready, and Tifa will unleash Unbridled Strength. It’s a great option to enhance their efficiency, and you can experiment with other characters as well.

To get Auto-Unique Ability:

• Develop it at Chadley for 10 Grasslands Data Points.
• Develop a second one at Chadley for 20 Grasslands Data Points after creating the first.

Item Master

Item Master Materia increases the effectiveness of items, so something like a Potion will restore more HP than usual. While this Materia isn’t useful during a second playthrough in Hard Mode (where items can’t be used), it can be highly effective in regular playthroughs. Pair it with Item Economizer, and an ally can use more powerful items without consuming an ATB charge.

To find Item Master Materia:

• Purchase from vendors for 1,000 gil starting in Chapter 4.
• Found at the Grasslands Port at the end of the western wastelands tunnel.
• Earned by completing “Preliminary Trial: Bioselected Specimens” in the Shinra Manor Combat Simulator (available starting in Chapter 12).

Tips

• Pair elemental Materia like Fire, Ice, Lightning, and Wind with Elemental Materia to exploit enemy weaknesses. This will help you deal massive damage and apply Pressure or Stagger.
• Combining Magnify with elemental spells allows you to target multiple enemies at once, making crowd control much easier. You may need to accept a potency reduction for multi-target spells, but the trade-off is usually worth it.
• Materia like Fire and Ice, Lightning and Wind, or Poison and Petrify can be more effective when leveled up and linked with AP Up or Level Boost Materia. These Materia require higher AP to level up, but the results are substantial, especially in the late game.
• Keep Healing Materia on at least two party members. While not included in the tips for best Materia here, it’s essential to make sure your team has consistent healing during battle. You don’t want to risk running low on health without a backup healer.
• Pair Time Materia with Magnify to cast Haste on all allies simultaneously, making battles significantly more manageable.
• Don’t neglect Materia like Auto-Cast, which automates abilities, reducing the need for constant manual input during hectic battles.
• Adapt your Materia setup based on the character’s abilities. For instance, Chakra works well with Tifa, who generates ATB quickly and can use it to heal herself when she’s in danger.