Taken on face value Barret just looks like he is simply the party’s tank. He’s big and looks mean enough to beat Mr. T with one arm tied behind his back. However, when it comes down to his stats, abilities, and special moves he is so much more.
In addition to being a tank-like character, Barret also functions as the party’s long-range fighter with similar mechanics to the archer class in previous Final Fantasy games. These qualities have carried over into the Final Fantasy VII Remake too, but if fans really want to see what the character is capable of, then playing the original Final Fantasy VII may be the best way forward – at least until the remake is complete.
Here we are going to rank Barret’s Limit Breaks from worst to best and explain how each ability differs, offering players very different attacks with different results.
7 Mindblow
The Mindblow Limit Break is the second attainable ability for Barret and can be unlocked once he has used the Big Shot Limit 9 times in a battle. Even though it is Barret’s second Limit Break, it isn’t as useful as the Big Shot and only works against magic users.
Mindblow is an attack that is designed to drain the MP of large normal enemies that use powerful spells. It is particularly useful against the Midgar Zolom which is known to cause a lot of problems for players early in the game. However, it’s useless in all the game’s boss battles, and where it does prove useful it can inadvertently prevent players from learning enemy skills.
6 Hammerblow
The Hammerblow is Barret’s second level 2 Limit Break and can be obtained once he has used the Grenade Bomb eight times in a battle. It differs from Barret’s other attacks because it’s not a projectile attack like the Big Shot.
It has the ability to cast the Instant Death spell on some enemies by punching them out of the arena. However, it only works on enemies that are vulnerable to the attack and it has no use against any of the bosses in the game.
5 Big Shot
The Big Shot is Barret’s first Limit Break ability and he will begin the game with it automatically unlocked. It is a non-elemental attack that can cause 3.25x the damage of Barret’s normal physical attack stats.
As Barret is easily one of the strongest in the group, the Big Shot is capable of causing a significant amount of damage to a variety of enemies and bosses. It’s the best level 1 Limit Break and is only outdone when Barret unlocks his first level 2 Limit.
4 Grenade Bomb
The Grenade Bomb is Barret’s first Level 2 Limit Break, and it feels like a true upgrade on his first attack, the Big Shot. It can be obtained once 80 enemies have been defeated in battle and is designed to damage multiple enemies at once.
Barret’s Grenade Bomb is one of his most popular attacks and makes a return in the Final Fantasy VII Remake as “Fire in the Hole”. It does 3.375x the damage of his normal attacks and will hit his enemies with non-elemental damage. However, that damage ratio is reduced when there are more enemies on the battlefield.
3 Satellite Beam
The Satellite Beam is the first level 3 Limit Break Barret can be obtained once a further 80 enemies have been defeated in battle after the Grenade Bomb has been activated. The Satellite Beam functions like an airstrike that attacks multiple enemies on the battlefield.
Barret’s Satellite Beam is a non-elemental attack that is will attack enemies at 2.1875x Barret’s normal attack. It’s capable of hitting multiple enemies with a significant amount of damage but the effect is minimized when used against a single enemy.
2 Catastrophe
The Catastrophe Limit Break is Barret’s final ultimate level 4 Limit attack. It will be available after the party has completed the Huge Materia quest in the main story. Players will need to approach and initiate a conversation with the woman in the ruined building near the North Corel Inn.
On its own and without modifications, the Catastrophe Limit Break is the most powerful attack that Barret will have access to. It will land 10 physical attacks at random for a total of 12.5x Barret’s normal attack damage. The potential for landing massive amounts of damage is greater depending on how leveled up Barret is.
1 Angermax
The Angermax Limit Break is the second Level 3 Limit Break for Barret. Just like Barret’s ultimate ability, it hits enemies at random on the battlefield. However, it hits enemies with 18 physical attacks at half of Barret’s normal attack damage.
On its base level, it is a weaker attack than the Catastrophe Limit Break, but with the right items and weapons, it can be Barret’s most powerful attack in the game. Players will need to have obtained Barret’s ultimate weapon the Missing Score, mastered materias like the Knights of the Round, Power Sources, and Hero Drinks to increase his stats. This will make Barret capable of hitting up to 9999 damage for 18 hits at a time.
NEXT: The 15 Most Powerful Materia Combinations In Final Fantasy 7, Ranked
