The video game community as a collective waited patiently for decades, painstakingly poring over ideas, theories, rumors, and articles, and as of April 10, 2020, we finally got what we wanted. Final Fantasy 7 Remake was met with rave reviews, and, for some, it even reached the expectations of their wildest dreams.
The popular installment made a name for itself based on its thrilling story, deep characters, and unique boss fights. In this list, we'll be taking a look at some of the toughest bosses you'll encounter throughout the game and its excellent DLC — Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade — that stars Yuffie on her own quest through Midgar.
Updated June 19, 2023 by Kyle Chamaillard: Final Fantasy 7 Remake introduced a whole new generation of gamers to this classic story, and allowed veterans of the series to revisit old encounters and experience new ones. We've decided to update our list of the hardest bosses in Final Fantasy 7 Remake to include some intimidating foes from the phenomenal Intergrade DLC.
15 Ghoul
- Chapter 11: Haunted
A newcomer to the world of Final Fantasy 7, the battle with Ghoul can be a difficult one if you haven't focused on upgrading your magical materia. It will constantly switch its immunity between magical and physical attacks throughout the fight, so you'll need a team composition that will allow you to dish out both types of damage.
Its AOE stuns can quickly and easily catch you off guard if you're not careful, so you'll need to stay alert to what it's doing at all times. Ghoul can be especially difficult if it catches you with Incorporeality, which will remove one of your party members from the fight until the boss is stunned.
14 Roche
- Chapter Four: Mad Dash
Roche is a difficult opponent as he's the first example of two different battle types in the game: motorcycle bosses and duel bosses. It can be frustrating getting the controls right when trying to fight on two wheels, and Roche doesn't give you much time to get a handle on things.
On foot, however, Roche is a fun opponent to fight. This duel really encourages you to play methodically — which could be a major problem if you're used to button-mashing through humanoid enemies with Cloud's huge Buster Sword.
13 Eligor
- Chapter 11: Haunted
You'll encounter Eligor at the Train Graveyard and you should be prepared for another tricky battle, especially if you're playing on Hard Mode. It arrives just a few moments after the battle with the Ghoul and can sometimes catch you off guard, but there are some things that you can do to make this encounter a little bit easier for yourself.
The best approach is to hit Eligor hard early on to prevent it from flying up into the air, although a few successful casts of Aero can bring it back down. Pairing Ice materia together with an Elemental materia in Cloud's weapon can also speed things up, but you'll need to be wary of getting hit by Eligor's status-afflicting physical attacks.
12 Ramuh
- Chapter One (Intergrade): Wutai's Finest
Once Yuffie arrives in Sector 7 during the first chapter of the DLC, she is immediately met with a slew of side quests and optional missions. You don't have to, but it's best to talk to Chadley after recruiting Sonon to take on his battle simulator to face the menacing Ramuh. It's an optional fight, but unlocking the new Summoning materia afterwards is worth it.
Ramuh is incredibly powerful and can easily defeat you if you're not careful. Most of his attacks have a large range or follow you until they make an impact, so it's best to keep moving the entire fight. It's ideal to wear equipment that increases your defense against magic damage and use any Wind materia to strike Ramuh's only weakness.
11 Airbuster
- Chapter Seven: A Trap Is Sprung
Shinra's secret weapon takes you on during the second mako reactor bombing sequence. Although this enemy is a returning one, the remake of Final Fantasy 7 brought with it a few changes to the Airbuster fight that actually make it a little easier than it was in the original version of the game.
While progressing through the reactor, you have the option of removing some of its parts to make the battle less difficult. You can always choose to not remove any of them to add an extra layer of difficulty, but the fact that it's an option arguably cheapens the fight quite a bit.
10 Rufus And Darkstar
- Chapter 17: Deliverance from Chaos
This battle is difficult mostly because you only have one party member with which to fight it: Cloud. You're outnumbered by two very quick opponents, and it's all too easy to take a few too many hits and fall prematurely. You may feel overwhelmed by Rufus and his hound, but well-timed parries and dodges will help you survive.
The best strategy for this fight is to get Darkstar down as soon as you can and then focus on learning Rufus' attack patterns. Punisher mode is very useful in this fight, so use it to your advantage as much as you can. It's ultimately a tense and emotionally-driven fight that will test everything you've learned about Cloud's moveset.
9 Crimson Mare
- Chapter Two (Intergrade): Covert Ops
Scarlet is seen throughout Final Fantasy 7 Remake as Shinra's Head of Weapons Development, but you don't get a chance to see her ruthlessness until Yuffie and Sonon confront her in the Intergrade DLC. After the duo maneuver through one of Shrina's labs, Scarlet stops them in their tracks by revealing her powerful battle armor — Crimson Mare.
It's fast and powerful, requiring you to be on your toes at all times to dodge its attacks. To make the situation even more frustrating, a group of Sentry Rays will also attack you, making it hard to focus on Crimson Mare as it prepares its next move. The best strategy here is to summon Ramuh whenever you can to deal massive amounts of damage to the machine.
8 Whisper Harbinger
- Chapter 18: Destiny's Crossroads
The Whispers are one of the most notable additions to Final Fantasy 7 Remake and arguably one of the most controversial. Their inclusion ultimately makes some fairly significant alterations to the plot, which not everybody was happy about, although the battle against them is generally considered to be quite a good one.
It's broken up into multiple stages and includes some fairly unique combat mechanics that only show up here. A lot of its difficulty is derived from the length of the battle, which is considerably longer than any other in the game. As is often the case with RPGs, it's a case of one false move, and you're back to square one. You'll need to remain focused if you want to avoid repeating this encounter multiple times.
7 The Valkyrie
- Chapter 15: The Day Midgar Stood Still
Much like the Airbuster, the threat of the Valkyrie looms for quite a while before the battle actually begins. Not only does this help to build up tension, but it should also give you a fairly decent idea of what you'll be up against and allow you to prepare accordingly.
A lot of its attacks are projectile-based, so you'll need to remain on your toes to avoid taking unnecessary damage. Blocks, dodges, and rolls will be your best friend here, as too will your Wind and Lightning materia. The third phase of the battle can be particularly tricky as you'll need to lure the enemy into its own attack to break its shield, but providing you keep moving you should be able to get through it relatively unscathed.
6 Jenova Dreamweaver
- Chapter 17: Deliverance from Chaos
A couple of misplaced moves can spell certain defeat in this fight. Jenova follows a specific pattern, so be sure to follow it because you can quickly get caught off guard by her more powerful attacks like Rejection and Vengeance.
While it's far from the most difficult battle in the game, it's definitely a test of the skills you have acquired throughout your playthrough. Her invulnerability stages can be particularly frustrating as you'll need to cut through a seemingly endless wave of tentacles before you can deal any damage. Thankfully, Cloud's Triple Slash ability can really help in this regard.
5 Nero The Sable
- Chapter Two (Intergrade): Covert Ops
Nero the Sable is the final boss in the Intergrade DLC, and his difficulty is unlike anything Yuffie and Sonon have faced so far. His menacing nature aside, Nero has four separate phases that will test everything you've learned so far and make you use every last tool in your box to come out on top.
Nero has a variety of attacks that can deal heavy amounts of physical or magic damage, and it might take you a few runs before you figure out his entire arsenal of moves. He has no weaknesses or resistances, so use as much power as you can muster to stagger Nero and slowly drain his health between phases. If you can, hold on to Limit Breaks and Summons until you have to use them or unleash them all at once during his final phase to put a bow on Yuffie's adventure.
4 Sephiroth
- Chapter 18: Destiny's Crossroads
While you don't fight the One-Winged Angel in the original game until much later on in the story, the remake decided to use him as the final main boss. It's a fight that truly showcases the beauty and fluidity of the battle engine, and makes for one of the most fun and exciting battles in the game.
All of his moves pack a punch, and you must go through three phases of the battle to complete it. The difficulty lies in being patient and waiting for opportunities to attack, defend, and heal yourself and your party members. If you get too aggressive, you can fall into a string of deadly attacks and have your back against the wall.
3 Pride And Joy
- Shinra Combat Simulator
When it comes to secret boss fights, the Final Fantasy series is no slouch. They have been in the series since the beginning and the Final Fantasy 7 Remake is no exception. This secret super boss can only be accessed in the game's Hard Mode and is only available after conquering Don Corneo's coliseum and completing the fights in the Shinra combat simulator.
It is an intense five-round gauntlet where you face off against all the summons you've encountered throughout the game. While the Pride and Joy Prototype itself is fairly simple, it's that your party must endure this challenge without the use of items that will have you pulling your hair out. It's worth the effort though, as beating it will reward you with an accessory that will make your quest through Hard Mode much easier.
2 Hellhouse
- Chapter Nine: The Town That Never Sleeps
The mysterious house from the original which you would routinely encounter in the Sector 5 area returns in an even more glorious fashion. The Hellhouse battle ranks toward the top of the toughest battles in the game. Its weaknesses are constantly shifting throughout the fight, and it has a strong defense against physical damage. The fact you only have two party members for this fight only adds another layer of difficulty to the encounter.
It can deal a hefty amount of damage in all three of its phases, so it's best to take your time and focus on its shifting weaknesses while trying to dodge its attacks. If you're playing on Hard Mode, you'll need to worry about conserving MP as well, so it's best to only use first and second-stage offensive spells until the very end. The only exception is Bioga, which you should cast as soon as the fight begins to inflict Poison.
1 The Arsenal
- Chapter 17: Deliverance from Chaos
There are a number of things that make the battle with the Arsenal challenging, with the main one being that you'll lose both Cloud and Tifa shortly before it begins. This leaves just Barret and Aerith at your disposal with Red XIII aiding on his own. Then there's the small matter of the enemy's constant barrage of powerful attacks, which can quickly wipe out your party if you're not careful.
It's a fight that gets progressively harder, with the final phase giving you a fairly short window of time to wrap things up. Exploiting its weakness and targeting its main cannon whenever you can safely do so should be your aim in this fight. Dealing enough damage to the weapon will cancel a lot of its bigger attacks and will greatly increase the speed at which you'll be able to stagger it.