Any good resistance group against a massive, planet-destroying corporation is going to need some serious firepower to succeed, and the party in the Final Fantasy VII Remake has access to 24 different weapons in total. With 6 weapons per character, each with their own pros and cons, it can be difficult to figure out where to start, especially as a beginner.

Unlike most JRPGs, the Remake allows players to equip any weapons they like throughout the entirety of the game through the weapon upgrading system, giving each weapon its own unique quirks to make it stand out from the rest. Here are the ten best weapon choices for first-time players during the earlier stages of the game.

10 Cloud: Buster Sword

One of the most iconic weapons in video game history ought to be balanced and easily accessible by any player, and it surely is in the Remake. The Buster Sword’s growths are equal in terms of both physical and magical damage, and it offers both physical and magical defense bonuses as well.

Its unique skills include Punisher Mode Damage Boost, MP Regeneration, and Limit Break Damage Boost, making it a viable option in any battle. It doesn’t have nearly as many advanced skills as Cloud’s other weapons, as it is a simple, yet effective hunk of metal.

9 Barret: Light Machine Gun

The Light Machine Gun is Barret’s second weapon and is automatically obtained after completing Chapter 6. This gun-arm is a bit more magically focused than the Gatling Gun, making it a great choice for the more magically-centric Barret.

It doesn’t provide both types of defenses like the Gatling Gun, but it has a slightly higher physical defense rating along with 10% Physical Damage Reduction when Guarding, Physical Defense +5 with High HP, Stagger Siphon, Reprieve, and two buffs to the base defense stat to ensure that Barret won’t be going down anytime soon.

8 Tifa: Metal Knuckles

The Metal Knuckles have the highest potential physical damage rating out of any weapon in the entire game at 164 and are obtained as early as Chapter 5. Its magical attack growth is significantly lower, only being able to go up to 36, turning Tifa into a physical powerhouse.

A lot of its skills focus on boosting raw stats, but it also has some more unique skills like ATB Charge Rate Boost, Bloodsucker, and Concentration Activation 30%. Enemies can be taken out extremely quickly with these weapons, especially when paired with an Elemental Materia.

7 Aerith: Silver Staff

The Silver Staff is one of the more magically damaging weapons that Aerith can use and is obtained from the Moogle Emporium starting in Chapter 9. Most of Aerith’s weapon abilities come in the form of supportive actions that passively assist the party, but the Silver Staff is an exception.

Aerith can be a bit more difficult to use compared to other characters due to her slower movement and attack speed, but Sorcerous Storm ensures that anything and everything in Aerith’s vicinity will be blasted to shreds.

6 Cloud: Iron Blade

Cloud’s Iron Blade is the first alternate weapon that is available and serves as a tutorial of sorts on what different weapons can offer to your party members. This sword is similarly balanced in offense to the Buster Sword with a slightly higher emphasis on magic damage and physical defense.

Its weapon skills are much more focused on defense this time around, with raw increases in the defense stat, Damage Reduction when Guarding, Self-Healing Boost, Trade-Off, and Reprieve. This weapon rewards defending much more than most, making it great for beginners who are still getting used to the battle system.

5 Barret: Big Bertha

Barret doesn’t receive most of his weapons until much later in the game, unfortunately, as Big Bertha is only his third weapon and cannot be bought until Chapter 13. But, it still stands as one of his most balanced and simple weapons, with a slightly higher physical damage rating than magic.

Like the Iron Blade, it has many defensive skills like Trade-Off, Desperate Physical Defense, Magical Defense, and Recover, and Self-Healing Boost. This is one of the best weapons to suit Barret’s phenomenal healer-build.

4 Tifa: Feathered Gloves

The Feathered Gloves allow Tifa to excel in both physical and magical attacks extremely well and remain her most balanced weapon choice throughout the game. They’re found in a chest in the sewers during Chapter 10, and players should put learning the ability Starshower in high priority.

This ability can tank through most attacks, deal a ton of damage, and it increases the strength of the next ability that Tifa uses. If there’s one weapon that both first-time players and those returning to new game+ should use, it’s this one.

3 Aerith: Mythril Rod

If you’re looking to turn Aerith into an unrivaled magical powerhouse, then the Mythril Rod is your weapon. Obtained in Chapter 11, the Mythril Rod lacks the inherent option of fused Materia slots but instead provides a significant boost in power as well as the Weapon Ability, Ray of Judgment.

Its skills mainly tack-on additional magical offense to its already insane damage output, further exemplifying Aerith’s potential as a high-damaging mage.

2 Cloud: Hardedge

The Hardedge is one of the most iconic weapons from Final Fantasy VII besides the Buster Sword and Ultima Weapon, and it makes sure to live up to its fame in the Remake. This blade gives Cloud the highest physical damage output out of any of his other weapons, even more so with Infinity’s End.

It doesn’t just focus on raw damage, however, as it learns skills such as Buff Duration, Crippling Damage Boost, Punisher Mode Damage Boost, Stagger Siphon, and Weapon Ability Critical Hit Rate Boost, perfect for anyone who loves to mash the life out of the square button.

1 Tifa: Sonic Strikers

These gloves can be found in a treasure chest during the events of Chapter 7 and offer some of the most Materia slots out of any weapon at that point in the game. While every weapon can eventually have up to six Materia slots, this cannot be achieved until new game+.

They’re a bit less balanced than Tifa’s Leather Gloves, but its lower magical attack rating is made up for by its first Sub-Core, which places emphasis on elemental damage boosts, as well as the second Sub-Core’s Elemental Materia Damage 10% Boost.

NEXT: Final Fantasy: 10 Most Epic Versions Of Summons, Ranked