Jenova Lifeclinger Hard Mode Guide

Jenova Lifeclinger is a boss in Chapter 14: End of the World of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (FF7 Rebirth). Learn how to beat Jenova Lifeclinger on Hard Mode and normal difficulties, its weaknesses and resistances, and a list of its moves and attack patterns in this guide!

Jenova Lifeclinger Weaknesses and Stats

Stats

	Easy	Normal	Hard
HP	66340	94772	?

Weakness and Resistances

Weaknesses	Lesser Resistances	Greater Resistances
None	Ice Wind	Stop
Absorbed Elements	Immunities
None	Proportional Damage Slow Poison Stone Morphable Items

Changes When Staggered

How to Pressure Jenova Lifeclinger

Destroy the Barrier with Magic Auto-Pressured During Sanguinary Flame Deal Enough Damage

Destroy the Barrier with Magic

During the 1st Phase of the fight, Jenova Lifeclinger will swap sides and put up a barrier that blocks all Physical attacks. Quickly destroy it with Magic attacks like Cloud's Blade Burst or elemental spells to destroy it and pressure Jenova.

Auto-Pressured During Sanguinary Flame

During Phase 3, Jenova Lifeclinger will use Sanguinary Flame and will automatically be pressured while it's using this move. Similar to the barrier, it's immune to Physical attacks so you'll need to use Magic attacks to stagger it.

Deal Enough Damage

If you keep hitting Jenova Lifeclinger with high damage abilities, like a Limit Break for example, it can get pressured just from your attacks. Make sure that you're always using each character's strongest moves to pressure it without relying on its other pressure conditions.

How to Pressure and Stagger Enemies

Jenova Lifeclinger Best Party and Builds

Normal Mode Builds

Party Members For Each Phase

Phase	Party Members
1st Phase	Cloud	Random	Random
2nd Phase (Right Wing)	Tifa	Cait Sith	-
2nd Phase (Left Wing)	Barret	Red XIII	-
2nd Phase (Head)	Cloud	Yuffie	-
Final Phase	Cloud	Random	Random

For the 1st and Final Phases, you will have two random party members alongside Cloud. However, the party members for the 2nd Phase will be fixed, and you'll control the same two characters every time.

Do note that this also applies for Hard Mode, so make sure to plan your builds accordingly.

Best Materia to Use

Materia	How to Use
Fire and Ice	・Gives the ability to cast Fire and Ice spells ・Can save an extra slot for stat-increasing Materia
Lightning and Wind	・Gives the ability to cast Lightning and Wind spells ・Can save an extra slot for stat-increasing Materia
Healing	・Gives the ability to cast healing spells to heal your party
HP Up	・Equip to increase HP
Time	・Apply Haste on your party to increase their overall speed
Item Master	・Increase the effect of items like Potions

Hard Mode Builds

Notice from Game8	These Hard Mode builds use equipment at Weapon Level 9, except for Cloud and Barret. If you don't have enough Materia slots or the right Weapon Skills to complete a setup, consider using a different weapon or collect all of the character's Manuscripts first.

As a note, most of these builds, besides Cloud's, use the Enhanced Varvados Bracelet due to its high Magic Defense. If you wish, you may swap it out for another Armor piece with more Materia Slots instead if you need it.

Best Build for Cloud

Cloud Physical DPS
		Weapon		Armor
		Sleek Saber		Cetran Bracer
		Accessory		Summon Materia
		Enhanced Expeditionary Medal		Gilgamesh
Weapon Materia			Armor Materia
HP Up MP Up Strength Up Speed Up Steadfast Block Precision Defense Focus			Magnify and Healing Revival Skill Master First Strike ATB Assist Chakra Limit Siphon
Weapon Skills
Attack Power +20			Attack Power +20
ATB Charge Rate Up			ATB Charge Rate Up

Cloud will be your main damage dealer for this fight since he's guaranteed to show up in all three boss Phases. This means that he should equip the Magnify-Healing, Skill Master, and ATB Assist Materias to better support the party.

Besides that, he has the usual Revival, Stat Up and Blocking Materias, as well as First Strike to start proccing ATB Assist as soon as possible and Chakra to heal himself without using MP.

One thing to note is that there's a unique quirk with this fight where all other party members besides Cloud will have their Limit Gauges full when they first appear in battle. This makes Limit Siphon an amazing Materia to have because, when combined with the Enhanced Expeditionary Medal accessory, Cloud can easily spam his Finishing Touch Limit Break on Jenova.

Best Build for Barret

Barret ATB Support
		Weapon		Armor
		Battle Cry		Enhanced Varvados Bracelet
		Accessory		Summon Materia
		Transference Module		Kujata
Weapon Materia			Armor Materia
HP Up MP Up Steadfast Block Precision Defense Focus Player Choice Player Choice			Healing Revival Barrier Prayer Player Choice
Weapon Skills
Weapon Ability ATB Recovery			ATB Charge Rate Up
Opening ATB Bonus			Limit Gauge Charge Rate +10%

Since there are open Materia Slots on this build, you can choose to add any useful Materia like Dark Side, First Strike, or Time in the open slots.

Barret will act as a Support for Cloud by generating and using up ATB Charges to build up his Limit Gauge with the Transference Module accessory. Once Barret's Limit Gauge is full, Cloud can use Limit Siphon on him, allowing him to use his Limit Breaks instead.

Also, Barret can use Lifesaver to redirect damage away from the rest of the party, allowing you to focus your healing on one character rather than having to use multiple Curagas or Cloud's Magnify-Curaga.

Aside from that, the Materias used are the same as every other party member besides Cloud. These include the usual Stat Boost, Blocking, and Restorative Materias, as well as Barrier to cast Manaward and reduce the damage of Jenova Lifeclinger's predominantly Magic-based attacks.

This Build is Stronger at Weapon Level 9

As a note, this build is much better with the ATB Limit Weapon Skill. Unfortunately, you will need to beat this boss first on Hard Mode to get the required Manuscripts to reach Weapon Level 9 and unlock ATB Limit.

Best Build for Tifa

Tifa Physical DPS
		Weapon		Armor
		Dragon Claws		Enhanced Varvados Bracelet
		Accessory		Summon Materia
		Hermes Shoes		Odin
Weapon Materia			Armor Materia
HP Up MP Up Steadfast Block Precision Defense Focus Player Choice Player Choice			Healing Revival Barrier Prayer Player Choice
Weapon Skills
Enhanced Techniques			Weapon Ability Damage +5%
Attack Power +20			Attack Power +20

Since there are open Materia Slots on this build, you can choose to add any useful Materia like Dark Side, First Strike, or Time in the open slots.

Tifa will primarily be a Physical DPS in this fight thanks to the raw single-target power of her abilities. The damage of her Unique Abilities in to True Strike combo can easily shave off massive chunks of Jenova Lifeclinger's HP once it's staggered.

However, a key difference with this build compared to other party members is that Tifa doesn't want to have her Limit Gauge taken away by Cloud. This is because she can do more damage than him as long as she gets up to Limit Level 3, so you'll want to make sure you're using Synergy Abilities to get her to that breakpoint.

Aside from that, the Materias used are the same as every other party member besides Cloud. These include the usual Stat Boost, Blocking, and Restorative Materias, as well as Barrier to cast Manaward and reduce the damage of Jenova Lifeclinger's predominantly Magic-based attacks.

Best Build for Red XIII

Red XIII Physical DPS
		Weapon		Armor
		Brisingamen		Enhanced Varvados Bracelet
		Accessory		Summon Materia
		Enhanced Draconic Ring		Alexander
Weapon Materia			Armor Materia
HP Up MP Up Steadfast Block Precision Defense Focus Player Choice Player Choice			Healing Revival Barrier Prayer Player Choice
Weapon Skills
Altruistic Buff Up			Attack Power +20
Vengeance Gauge Charge Rate Up			Vengeance Gauge Charge Rate Up

Since there are open Materia Slots on this build, you can choose to add any useful Materia like Dark Side, First Strike, or Time in the open slots.

Red XIII will also be a Physical DPS character for this fight due to the amount of damage he can do with Retaliation. Thankfully, Brisingamen comes with two Vengeance Gauge Charge Rate Up Weapon Skills, letting him use Retaliation more often than normal.

Another thing to note is that Red can also help feed Cloud's Limit Siphoning thanks to the Enhanced Draconic Ring accessory. Since Red will constantly block attacks to charge up his Vengeance Gauge, he will also generate Limit Gauge charges at the same time.

Aside from that, the Materias used are the same as every other party member besides Cloud. These include the usual Stat Boost, Blocking, and Restorative Materias, as well as Barrier to cast Manaward and reduce the damage of Jenova Lifeclinger's predominantly Magic-based attacks.

Best Build for Yuffie

Yuffie Magic DPS
		Weapon		Armor
		Twin Viper		Enhanced Varvados Bracelet
		Accessory		Summon Materia
		Spectral Cogwheel		Bahamut Arisen
Weapon Materia			Armor Materia
HP Up MP Up Steadfast Block Precision Defense Focus MP Absorption and Fire			Healing Revival Barrier Prayer Player Choice
Weapon Skills
ATB Limit			MP Limit
Max MP +3			Fire Damage Up

Since there's an open Materia Slot on this build, you can choose to add any useful Materia like Dark Side, First Strike, or Time in the open slot.

Yuffie dishes out a lot of magic damage thanks to her Ninjutsu basic attacks, her Weapon Abilities like Banishment and Purification, as well as her Fire spells. This makes her a great candidate for destroying Jenova's barrier during Phase 1 and as a DPS for Phase 3 when it uses Sanguinary Flame.

Also, similar to Barret, she can constantly fill up her Limit Gauge for Cloud to Siphon away thanks to ATB Limit, MP Limit, and the Spectral Cogwheel accessory. Make sure that you're constantly casting Fire spells to spend MP and ATB Charges to quickly build up her Limit Gauge.

Aside from that, the Materias used are the same as every other party member besides Cloud. These include the usual Stat Boost, Blocking, and Restorative Materias, as well as Barrier to cast Manaward and reduce the damage of Jenova Lifeclinger's predominantly Magic-based attacks.

Best Build for Cait Sith

Cait Sith Magic DPS
		Weapon		Armor
		Iron Megaphone		Enhanced Varvados Bracelet
		Accessory		Summon Materia
		Gi Warrior's Charm		Phoenix
Weapon Materia			Armor Materia
HP Up MP Up Steadfast Block Precision Defense Focus MP Absorption and Lightning			Healing Revival Barrier Prayer Player Choice
Weapon Skills
Max MP +3			Max MP +3
Moogle Sentinel			MP Limit

Since there's an open Materia Slot on this build, you can choose to add any useful Materia like Dark Side, First Strike, or Time in the open slot.

Cait Sith will be the other Magic DPS since he will want to spam Lightning spells to build up his Limit Gauge with MP Limit. This way, he's both doing damage and feeding into Cloud's Limit Siphon strategy.

Alternatively, you could use a Physical build that uses the Gjallarhorn for its ATB Limit Weapon Skill, but it's recommended to keep Cait Sith as a spellcaster so he can destroy the barrier in Phase 1 and to damage Jenova when it uses Sanguinary Flame in Phase 3.

Aside from that, the Materias used are the same as every other party member besides Cloud. These include the usual Stat Boost, Blocking, and Restorative Materias, as well as Barrier to cast Manaward and reduce the damage of Jenova Lifeclinger's predominantly Magic-based attacks.

How to Beat Jenova Lifeclinger (1st Phase)

Jump to Boss Phase
1st	2nd	3rd
Jenova Lifeclinger First Phase Tips
Have Tons of Recovery Items on Normal Mode Use a Limit Break Instantly Destroy the Barrier with Magic Cloud Will Fight Alone Once Its at 80% HP Use a Second Limit Break Once Party Returns Stand In Front of the Body During Desecration Reduce HP to Around 40% to End the 1st Phase

Have Tons of Recovery Items on Normal Mode

Prepare a lot of recovery items before fighting Jenova Lifeclinger on Normal Mode. It is hard not to get hit against Jenova Lifeclinger as it will launch a variety of attacks with different timings and ranges, and they can be fatal if you get hit a few times so don't hesitate to recover using your items when a character falls below 50% HP.

List of Items

Items Cannot be Used on Hard Mode

Do note that this tip only applies for non-Hard Mode difficulties, since you cannot use items on Hard Mode. If you're on Hard Mode, you'll need to rely on Cure spells, Chakra, and Prayer healing instead.

Hard Mode Difficulty Guide

Use a Limit Break Instantly

During this fight, every party member besides Cloud will have their Limit Gauge maxed out the first time they appear during the boss fight. Use Limit Siphon with Cloud so that you can unleash a powerful Limit Break right as the fight begins.

Don't Use a Limit Break While It's Invincible

Make sure that you only use 1 Limit Break first since Jenova Lifeclinger will stop taking damage at around 80% HP. Check first if its HP bar is greyed out with a stop symbol over it before using another Limit Break, otherwise, it'll do no damage and be wasted.

Destroy the Barrier with Magic

Jenova Lifeclinger will eventually swap sides and put up a barrier that is immune to Physical damage. Use Magic attacks such as spells or Cloud's Blade Burst to destroy the barrier and instantly pressure Jenova.

Cloud Will Fight Alone Once It's at 80% HP

At around 80% HP, Jenova will pick up both of Cloud's companions and eject them from the arena. Be prepared to have Cloud fight alone until you bring it down to around 75% HP, where the fight transitions to the second part of Phase 1.

Raise Stagger Meter While Jenova's Invincible

Another thing to note when Jenova's at 80% HP is that it stops taking damage. However, it will still be susceptible to having its Stagger Meter raised. Take this opportunity to raise it right before the bar maxes out so that you can instantly stagger it when it's no longer immune to damage.

Don't worry about raising the gauge too high since Jenova can't get Staggered while it's immune to damage.

Use a Second Limit Break Once Party Returns

Once you get to the second part of Phase 1, use Limit Siphon again on the other party member that still has a full Limit Gauge so that you can deal massive damage and push Jenova closer to Phase 2. If Cloud's Attack is high enough, a Finishing Touch can be enough to end Phase 1.

Stand In Front of the Body During Desecration

When Jenova teleports, it will immediately use Desecration and fire multiple high-damage lasers from its wings. Make sure to stand in front of the body so that you're not standing in front of the wings and the lasers.

Reduce HP to Around 40% to End the 1st Phase

Keep damaging Jenova Lifeclinger until it drops to around 40% HP to finish Phase 1. Remember to use Cloud's Limit Breaks to deal massive damage and quickly bring down its health.

How to Beat Jenova Lifeclinger (2nd Phase)

Jump to Boss Phase
1st	2nd	3rd
Jenova Lifeclinger Second Phase Tips
Party Changes Depending on the Body Part Instantly Block After a Cutscene Prioritize Blocking Over Dodging Use a Limit Break to Destroy a Body Part Avoid the Red Light to Dodge Desecration Destroy the Head to End the 2nd Phase?

Party Changes Depending on the Body Part

Party Setup In Order
Right Wing	Tifa	Cait Sith
Left Wing	Red XIII	Barret
Head	Cloud	Yuffie

The characters that you'll use in this Phase are dependent on which body part you're fighting, and unlike Phases 1 and 3, the party members will always be the same. You'll start with the Right Wing characters, followed by the Left Wing, and lastly the Head in that order.

Instantly Block After a Cutscene

Once the in-battle cutscene ends and you can control your character again, Jenova will immediately use an attack with little warning. Make sure that you're ready to block this attack as soon as the cutscene ends so that you won't take any unnecessary damage.

Do note that this applies to every cutscene where you swap to a different body part and not just the cutscene between Phases 1 and 2.

Prioritize Blocking Over Dodging

You'll want to block attacks rather than dodge them because the size of the platform you fight on is tiny. This leaves a wider margin of error when dodging an attack, especially against homing attacks and moves that take up a large amount of space.

Use a Limit Break to Destroy a Body Part

Depending on the party members that you had during the 1st Phase, you may have a Limit Break available to use on each body part during Phase 2. Use them right away so that you can quickly destroy one body part and move on to the next one.

Alternatively, you could always save a character's Limit Break for Cloud to Siphon away in Phase 3, but it's better to use them this Phase since you're not sure which two party members will show up for Phase 3.

May Not Destroy a Body Part at Full HP

A Limit Break might not instantly destroy a body part depending on your stats or difficulty. If your offensive stats are low or you're playing on Dynamic or Hard Mode, be prepared to use follow-up attacks to destroy a body part.

Avoid the Red Light to Dodge Desecration

Similar to Phase 1, Jenova Lifeclinger will blast your characters with laser beams when it uses Desecration. You can easily dodge this attack by moving away from the red light that's used to indicate where the laser will fire.

Do note that the attack pattern of this move changes depending on the body part you're fighting, so make sure that you're paying attention to the red light and you're not reflexively dodging the same way you did against a different body part.

Destroy the Head to End the 2nd Phase

To move on to Phase 3, you'll need to destroy Jenova's head during Cloud and Yuffie's section. Remember to Siphon Yuffie's Limit so that you can quickly destroy the head with Finishing Touch and move on to the next Phase.

How to Beat Jenova Lifeclinger (Final Phase)

Jump to Boss Phase
1st	2nd	3rd
Jenova Lifeclinger Final Phase Tips
Attack Pattern Combines of Phase 1 and 2 Save ATB Charges for Emergency Recovery Use Magic Attacks During Sanguinary Flames Build Limit Gauge on Other Characters

Attack Pattern Combines Phase 1 and 2

Jenova Lifeclinger's Phase 3 attack pattern uses a combination of attacks from its prior Phases, meaning you can use the same methods to dodge its attacks. However, some attacks can overlap, so be patient and wait for an opening before counterattacking.

Save ATB Charges for Emergency Recovery

Considering that Jenova is sending a barrage of attacks your way, it's recommended to always have one ATB Charge saved at all times in case you need to heal or revive a party member.

Use Magic Attacks During Sanguinary Flames

Jenova Lifeclinger will automatically be pressured when it uses Sanguinary Flames and becomes immune to physical attacks. Move away from Jenova Lifeclinger and use any Magic attacks to deal damage until it gets staggered.

Build Limit Gauge on Other Characters

Remember to also use your other party members and fill their Limit Gauges so that Cloud can Siphon it and use Finishing Touch.

Doing this means you don't have to worry about increasing a party member's Limit Level with Synergy Abilities and you can immediately use Cloud's Level 3 Limit Break, as long as you have the Enhanced Expeditionary Medal equipped.

Save Limit Break for When Jenova's Staggered

If you use a Limit Break, Jenova may use Sanguinary Flames and make itself immune to the attack. To avoid this from happening, it's best to save your Limit Breaks for when it gets Staggered to ensure that the attack hits.

Jenova Lifeclinger Rewards and Details

Rewards

Drops the Sharpshooter's Companion Vol. XV on Hard Mode

Defeating Jenova Lifeclinger on Hard Mode will award you with the Sharpshooter's Companion Manuscript for Barret. This is important because you will need to collect all of a character's Manuscripts to reach Weapon Level 9.

List of All Manuscripts

Basic Information and Details

Jenova Lifeclinger
Location	Chapter Unlocked
Forgotten Capital	Chapter 14
Species	Movement
Unreadable	Grounded
Details
The calamity from the stars that fell into a deep slumber after its conflict with the Cetra. Newly awakened through the grace of black-robed sacrifice, it seeks to seep its way into the lifestream and bring about the end. Unable to read

FF7 Rebirth Related Guides

Boss Fight Guide and List of All Bosses

Story Bosses

Optional Bosses