The 10 HARDEST Boss Fights In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Chasing down a man with a gun for an arm that massacred Shinra soldiers and guests at the Gold Saucer, Cloud and company eventually run into Barret and his old friend Dyne who has clearly been driven mad by the events of the Corel Reactor. Unable to talk sense into his friend, Dyne turns his gun on Barret and the leader of Avalanche is forced to take on this fight alone. Even if you’ve had Barret in your company your entire playthrough and kept him up to date with the best equipment and materia, this fight is still a challenge. Dyne has a much more versatile set of armaments than Barret and he’s also quite a bit more mobile. Sticking to cover and choosing your shots is key but even this tactic is short lived as Dyne destroys the battlefield and goes Full Metal Alchemist, upgrading his gun arm mid-fight.

This encounter is difficult for several reasons. Firstly, the arena in which you battle the Terror seems specifically designed to benefit the boss, with numerous trap doors for sneak attacks and a wide area for it to fire off long range projectiles. Secondly, most of your party is going to be ill equipped for a battle with an airborne enemy. This gives the Terror a distinct advantage because the majority of your party will be unable to unleash their strongest attacks while it mockingly floats above the arena. The Terror will also frequently lock one of your party members in a Water Cell leaving them trapped until you turn your attention from the boss to free them, which also leaves you vulnerable to the Terror’s many swipe attacks. Yuffie would have been a big help in this fight if the Terror hadn’t already knocked her out of it before it began.

Gi Nattak

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The HARDEST Boss In Every Final Fantasy Game

Rebirth has a habit of splitting up your party and oftentimes this can lead to a combination of party members you might not have been prepared for. During Red XIII’s trials, he and Barret encounter what remains of the Gi, and at the end of the gauntlet is the Gi Nattak. The Gi are a powerful race of warriors and Nattak is by far their fiercest combatant. Unlike the majority of enemies or bosses in Rebirth, Nattak has absolutely zero weaknesses, so this is a battle of endurance and skill as much as it is power. He will also unleash minions to do his dirty work, preventing you from attacking him directly until they’re dealt with. Finally, Nattak will put a time limit on your encounter by casting Doom on Barret and Red XIII, only adding to the anxiety of the entire fight.

Tonberrys were already the bane of Final Fantasy players’ existence, so naturally their king would be an even greater challenge. An optional boss in the Corel region, the Tonberry King is a gigsized Tonberry that doesn’t appear to be much of a challenge. His slow and methodical pace means he’s not much of a threat if you can get your attacks in a retreat before his counters with his kitchen knife. However, it's the times when he catches you that result in instant death for your party members. He will also call in his underlings to join the fight and it’s all too easy to be overwhelmed by the tiny death marchers. The King also has a ridiculous health bar and no weaknesses, so chipping away and retreating before it's too late is really the only option. Once he’s finally staggered, he goes down easily, it’s just getting to that point that remains a struggle.

We’re combining two boss fights for this entry just because we can and because they take place almost back-to-back anyways. Each phase is party locked but thankfully gives you a moment in between to prepare your squad for the upcoming encounter. Specimen makes use of numerous magic and Mako attacks but can also deal heavy physical damage. It will also constantly leap around the arena and can deal massive damage to anyone unfortunate enough to be in the landing zone. Scarlet’s Crimson Mare MK II is an entirely different beast. She will primarily focus all of her attention on whichever character the player is controlling, forcing you to constantly swap back and forth before your best fighter becomes an unwitting target. She also has numerous large sweeping and screen filling attacks that will eat away at your health bars. No amount of preparation can prepare you for this level of stress.

All of the summons can present some of the most significant challenges in Rebirth, but there are ways to nerf their encounters by finding their shines within their given region. However, not even attempting to appease Bahamut by unlocking his shrines is enough for the deity to show mercy on your party. Bahamut is widely considered one of the strongest summons in the Final Fantasy franchise and he’s damn good and ready to show you why with his numerous particle attacks that do damage over time, as well as incredibly powerful elemental attacks and physical attacks that will keep your party on the ropes and on the run for the majority of the fight. Your main goal in this encounter is to build your Synergy Skill and Abilities and use them as quickly and as often as possible to keep the pressure on before Bahamut will join your roster.

Vincent might be none too happy Cloud and company interrupted his slumber, but he still sees fit to let them explore the Shinra Mansion until Cloud explores an area he wasn’t cleared for. Vincent will then unleash his wild side as the Galian Beast, which is an updated representation of his Limit Break from the original FF7. Vincent’s Limit Break hits hard. Like REALLY hard. He’s incredibly fast and can easily stun lock your current party member with attacks on both the ground and in the air. His slashes are fast and furious, and he can quickly dart from one end of the arena to the other to focus on whichever party member the player happens to be in control of. The Galian Beast also has incredibly high defense, meaning you’re in this one for the long haul. Unleash everything you have to put this dog down and end Vincent’s temper tantrum.

The newly crowned president of SHINRA is back for round 2 and he’s had some time to train, just like Cloud, in between encounters. As if taking on the duo battle with Elena and Rude wasn’t difficult enough, Rufus then enters the arena and challenges Cloud to a one-on-one duel. Rufus is adept at both close quarters and long range and will easily counterattack Cloud’s best assaults. He’ll also call for help halfway through the fight with his deadly doggo joining him once again, but if you focus on the pooch first, he won’t add much more than a distraction from Rufus himself. Rufus’ speed and agility is near one-to-one with Cloud’s and if players have been ignoring the block and parry mechanics, they’re going to feel it here. However, sending the prince running with his tail between his legs a second time is immensely satisfying.

The sheer amount of legwork you must put in just to unlock this smackdown is unreal. After discovering every Proto-Relic in every region and casually crossing paths and swords with an unknown swordsman who appears like more of a joke character than anything, Gilgamesh shows his true colors and unleashes absolute hell on any player who comes looking for a fight. The multi-limbed, multi-weapon samurai uses his drunken master style of fighting to great effect and rarely misses when unleashing the power of his many blades. His speed is also on another level as despite his size, he’s remarkably nimble and capable of crossing the arena instantly as well as dodging many of your most powerful attacks. His varied weapons and special attacks make mounting any kind of a defensive strategy unviable and his relentless onslaught and desire for Cloud’s Buster Sword makes him an unexpectedly challenging and unforgettable encounter.

Sephiroth Reborn

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Sephiroth's Villain Origins | Final Fantasy VII

The Final Fantasy games are well known for their multistage ending boss fights, but this absolute gauntlet is on another level entirely. After the party becomes separated throughout the various timelines, Sephiroth transforms into the behemoth Sephiroth Reborn, and each party must deal with the various incarnations of the one-winged angel’s monstrous form. While Cloud’s battle is straightforward, Barret’s group needs to cripple Sephiroth’s wings before they can do any substantial damage and move the fight along. This is easier said than done, however, if the party doesn’t have the appropriate materia and spells equipped as the wings are immune to nearly everything except the corresponding magic. The final showdown demonstrates how lethal Sephiroth truly is as he unleashes his most devastating attacks against Cloud and Aerith along with one that can knock them down to 1 HP and back to the beginning of the fight if he lands a follow up. What was the most challenging fight you barely survived in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? Share your struggles down in the comments.