Having the right Materia build for each character is important in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Each character has their own strengths and advantages and having Materia that complement their ideal party role is essential to getting the most out of them.
This guide will go over the ideal setup for each character and how that fits into the party’s overall strategy. There is always a little variance depending on the player’s preferred playstyle, but this is a solid foundation going forward for any player in Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
Updated January 21, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Final Fantasy 7 Remake was a game that could’ve gone south, but the impressive manner in which it managed to modernize a classic should definitely be commended. The great combat system and brilliant visuals make for a great experience that shines ever brighter on a high-end PC rig. Players who want to make the most of the combat system should try out the following optimized Materia combinations for each character in Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
4 Cloud
Cloud is the party’s main melee fighter. His job is to be on the front lines, slicing and dicing while his teammates provide aid and support. Because of this, Materia aren’t as crucial to his performance and are seen more as a bonus. That being said, there are still certain pieces of Materia that will benefit Cloud quite a bit.
Deadly Dodge
Deadly Dodge is probably Cloud’s strongest Materia option, as it enables him to deal area of effect damage immediately after performing a successful dodge. The player will likely spend the majority of the time controlling Cloud, making this a highly useful skill.
HP Up
HP Up is also handy for keeping health high and giving Cloud more room for error. Given that he’s pretty much always fighting in the thick of things, it’s always great to give Cloud greater vitality and allow him to absorb more damage before succumbing to these blows. While the game is manageable without equipping HP Up on Cloud, doing so will make the moment-to-moment combat infinitely better and more satisfying.
Steadfast Block
Steadfast Block is a great Materia for Cloud, as it reduces enemy damage and fills the ATB gauge faster when Cloud is on guard. While this Materia can be switched out for something a little more offensive like Time, this might work against the player. This is because while Time grants access to Haste to increase the ATB gauge refill rate, many believe that Steadfast Block seems to perform better in this context.
Elemental Materia + Lightning
The combination of Elemental Materia along with Lightning is a powerful combo and is considered essential on Cloud’s weapon. It increases damage output significantly and Lightning is guaranteed to hit. It also seems thematically appropriate for Cloud to strike with Lightning.
Ifrit
Finally, a good summon for Cloud is Ifrit, since it gives him access to Fire. This is obviously one of the more subjective aspects of these recommendations, and players don’t really have to stick to this particular Summon Materia for Cloud. However, there’s no denying just how useful this summon is in general. Having it on Cloud gives him access to another magic attack, which is never a bad thing.
3 Barret
Barret is meant to function as a type of ranged Tank. He can draw enemies’ attention away from Cloud to give him breathing room and focus on crowd control. As a result, players should equip Materia on Barret that complement his play style and make him a ranged behemoth in battle.
Assess
Assess is used to determine the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of opponents. Having this knowledge takes away a lot of guesswork and keeps the party efficient and effective in battle. After all, Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s combat isn’t all that easy, and players need to be on their toes at all times to get through most encounters with minimal damage.
First Strike
First Strike is a great addition to any combatant’s arsenal. However, given that Barret is the recommended character for Assess, it makes more sense to give him the First Strike Materia. It gives Barret enough ATB in the beginning of the fight to immediately use Assess, which can make the rest of the battle comparatively easier.
Given Barret is meant to be the tank, it’s important to keep his health high with HP Up. Of course, it’s also true that Barret stays away from conflicts and keeps a decent amount of range between him and his enemies, so players can always replace this Materia with other recommendations instead.
Auto-Cure
Auto-Cure is a handy Materia for Barret, as it enables him to heal other members of the team should the designated healer go down. Cleansing can also help keep teammates from being afflicted by status effects. However, Auto-Cure definitely has more utility in battles, since damage is a constant while status effects are more of a flip of the coin.
Wind
Wind is the ideal elemental Materia for Barret to wield, as it enables him to deal damage to enemies and draw them in towards him. This is handy for keeping other teammates from getting overwhelmed, and draws the aggro to Barret instead. This, coupled with the range from which Barret attacks, means that his casting of Wind can be a source of great annoyance for enemies.
Leviathan
For the summon Materia, Leviathan seems to be a solid choice that complements Barret well. Of course, getting this summon can be quite a task, due to the challenge involved in defeating Leviathan. Thankfully, getting a few levels should be enough to let players defeat this imposing beast.
2 Aerith
Aerith is the designated healer of the party; her primary concern is to keep everyone in the fight as long as possible and get them back up when they go down. This is why the majority of her Materia should be to support the party. However, her magical offense shouldn’t be ignored either.
Magnify + Healing
This combination is immensely powerful for keeping the entire party in the fight. Healing is obvious, as it enables Aerith to keep replenishing the HP of her teammates. However, the addition of Magnify can allow her to use the same spell to heal the entire group in an appropriate area of affect zone at the same time when fully upgraded. It’s true that the effect is diminished, but being able to heal everyone at once saves a ton of MP and is efficient even with the loss. If the party is spread out too far, Pray can be used instead.
Revival
Revival is also critical for Aerith, as it allows her to get teammates back up when they’re knocked down. Not only does this save Phoenix Down feathers, but it is also essential on higher difficulties that don’t allow items like Phoenix Down. Without this ability, the player will be seeing the Game Over screen more often than not.
Refocus
Refocus lets Aerith break her ATB gauge into three parts for faster regeneration. This is an excellent ability that Aerith will definitely benefit from, due to her inclination towards healing magic. It will allow her to keep party members at high HP levels and safeguard their well-being in a particularly nasty battle.
Fire
Fire is a great element that Aerith can use to bring the pain to enemies. Of course, given Aerith’s immense magical damage, pretty much any element is the perfect choice for her.
Shiva
Giving Aerith the Shiva Summon just feels like the right thing to do. This icy Summon has been a mainstay of the series and is one of the coolest allies in the game… quite literally.
1 Tifa
Tifa is a multi-use fighter, able to jump into the front lines or hang back and use spells as needed. This means she’s capable of being support, tank, melee fighter, healer, and more as the player sees fit. This recommended Materia build is based on the composition of the other teammates.
Time
Time Materia is Tifa’s bread and butter throughout the game. Haste, Slow, and Stop especially are useful Time spells that can give her options in battle to improve herself or control the crowd.
Steadfast Block is a good Materia to increase Tifa’s durability and fill the ATB gauge faster. Given her emphasis on as a melee character, this Materia will be a perfect accompaniment to her in-your-face combat style.
Barrier
Barrier Materia lets Tifa focus more on defense and step in as a tank when needed. A Barrier spell like Manawall is also helpful for shrugging off strong magical boss attacks, which is especially useful in some of the more challenging battles.
Ice
The best element for Tifa is Ice, both for balancing and because it gives her strong offensive options if she needs to act as a ranged mage. These situations might be rare, but it’s always nice to have a backup magical attack on Tifa.
Fat Chocobo
Finally, Tifa can choose to summon Fat Chocobo to benefit the team and damage unsuspecting enemies. It’s a simple Summon choice, and can easily be replaced by any of the other great Summon Materia in the game.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake was released on April 10th, 2020 and is available for PS4 and PC.
