Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth weapons guide

Each character in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has seven weapons (wow, just like the name of the game) to find and unlock. Each weapon also has a unique weapon ability that makes the party members stronger. Mastering these abilities so that you can use them even if the characters don’t have the respective weapons equipped is an important part of the game, but where do you find all these weapons?

While some are locked behind some side content, you’ll find a majority of them as you crawl through caverns and abandoned reactors, so you’ll specifically want to keep your eye out for purple glowing chests. We get into that more below.

In our FF7 Rebirth guide, we explain which weapons are the best to use, how to level up weapons, and where to find each of the weapons in the game.

What is the best weapon in FF7 Rebirth?

There isn’t really a definitive answer to this, since weapons have different stats and specialties. It mainly relies on how you like to play. For the most part, later weapons will be better than the earlier ones, especially since later weapons allow you to equip more materia.

For example, the second-to-last weapon for Cloud, the Igneous Saber, has significantly higher physical attack than the rest of his weapons, but has a lower magic attack stat in return. Though this is my weapon of preference for Cloud (since I don’t run much magic on him), somebody who wants to fling spells around may opt for Cloud’s third weapon, the Rune Blade, which has a really high magic attack.

That is all to say that all of these weapons have further customization added to them in “weapon skills,” so it’s really up to you. If you feel yourself dying a ton, you may want a weapon that beefs up HP. If you’re a master of counters and parries, you may want a weapon that has a skill that beefs up damage for Cloud’s punisher mode.

How to level up weapons in FF7 Rebirth

The idea of “leveling up your weapons” is kind of misleading, given that the weapons and their levels have their own “upgrade weapons” menu screen. Unlike Final Fantasy 7 Remake, there’s no way to separately level up individual weapons using a skill tree. Rather, each character has a “weapon level” that’s just separate from their regular levels. All the SP you gain from leveling goes towards one huge skill tree, so there’s nothing you really have to worry about here.

Just keep battling and your weapon level will go up.

Image: Square Enix via Polygon

As you increase your weapon level, you’ll unlock new “weapon skills,” which may increase stats, increase stagger from individual skills, or add other useful perks. You can equip these both in the “weapons and materia” and “upgrade weapons” screen. Different weapons have different weapon skills, so you’ll want to try out a bunch of different combinations to see what suits your playstyle.

Where to find every weapon in FF7 Rebirth

You can find nearly every weapon in the game in a glowing purple chest, but each character other than Cloud has a weapon that you’ll need to get through another means, whether it’s a side quest, minigame, or combination of both.

Image: Square Enix via Polygon

Some purple chests can be pretty easy to miss, but have no fear. Once you clear that part of the game, you can go back and buy the missed weapon from a shopkeeper in any of the major areas (like Gongaga Village or Kalm) for gil. (Note that we say shopkeeper, not vending machine.) This only applies to weapons that aren’t locked behind minigames and side quests. You will have to still complete the side quest or beat the minigame high score if you want those weapons — there’s no way around it.

Each character except Cait Sith will also get their last weapon inside the final dungeon of the game, the Temple of the Ancients, so if you’re still missing a weapon before the point of no return, this is why.

Below we list all the weapons in FF7 Rebirth, along with where to find them, their abilities, and what chapter you get them in. The table is also sortable, so you can find the weapon you want quickly.

The world of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is huge, but we have your back if you need help. We have a beginner’s guide, list of side content rewards, and even an explainer on how to plan ahead for your Gold Saucer date.

If you need more nitty gritty guides, like how to find the Costa del Sol ziplines or where to find the Tonberry King boss, we have that, too. Or if you love Queen’s Blood, we have a card list.