Hard Mode Difficulty Guide

This is a guide to the Hard Mode difficulty setting available after you finish Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (FF7 Rebirth) for the first time. Read on to learn strategies for completing Hard Mode, how to unlock Hard Mode, what you need to prepare for the increased difficulty.

Hard Mode Guides
Hard Mode Guide	How to Recover MP in Hard Mode	Post-Game Content Guide

How to Unlock Hard Mode

Complete the Story Once on Any Difficulty

To unlock Hard Mode, you will need to complete all available chapters in the game on any difficulty. When clearing the game for the first time, make sure to maximize your characters levels, equipment, and Materia since these will be much more difficult in Hard.

Walkthrough and List of Chapters

What to Expect in Hard Mode

Recover MP Using Cushions on Broken Rest Stops

You can restore your MP by using a Broken Rest Stop found at Chocobo Stops and using a Cushion. This will fully restore both your HP and MP to prepare you for your next fight. However, it is advisable that you exercise caution when expending your MP, as it is a limited resource.

Using a regular Rest Stop will only replenish your HP; the remaining MP on all party members will remain unchanged.

List of All Chocobo Stop Locations

Use HP⬌MP Materia On One of Your Characters

Assign a healer to your party and equip the HP⬌MP Materia to drastically boost their maximum MP. With this setup, one of your characters will have a sufficient MP pool to support the rest of the party by healing and reviving members outside of combat.

Do note that this character should be in the backline since they can die with a single shot due to their low HP pool.

Changing Materia Will Drain Your MP

Equipping or removing a Materia on the assigned healer will automatically adjust their current MP to match their max HP. Ensure that you are near a Chocobo Stop when changing the Materia to immediately restore their MP.

Items Are Now Disabled

You will not be able to use any of the items in your inventory, forcing you to rely solely on your spells and expend MP as you progress.

Enemies Are Now Stronger

Enemies and bosses are now much stronger than Normal and Easy. They will deal significantly more damage while having much larger Health Pools (HP). All boss encounters in Hard mode have the potential of wiping out your entire party if you are not careful.

Post-Game Content Guide

You Cannot Change Difficulty in Settings

Once you begin a Hard Mode run of a chapter, you won't be able to adjust the difficulty in the settings unless you restart the chapter by going to Chapter Select.

How to Prepare for Hard Mode

Preparing for Hard Mode
Max Out Your Character Levels Collect and Max Level All the Best Materia Learn to Play All the Characters Get All Weapon Abilities Equip Your Best Gear Use Barrier to Reduce Damage Use Weapons with Stagger Recovery and Trade-Off

Max Out Your Character Levels

Level up your characters to at least 50 to increase their stats and survivability to make the fights more manageable.

EXP Farming Guide - How to Level Up Fast

Collect All the Best Materia and Level Them to Max

Look for Materia such as Auto-Cast, Auto-Weapon Ability, and Auto-Unique Ability so you do not have to constantly control the rest of your party during combat.

Additionally, Materia that can improve the effectiveness of your spells, like Magnify and Magic Up, are also extremely useful since they allow you to save MP.

Materia List and How to Get All Materia

Learn to Play All the Characters

Throughout the game, you will be required to control different characters in your party during certain chapters. It is crucial to familiarize yourself with all of your characters' abilities and mechanics before progressing to Hard Mode.

Get All Weapon Abilities

By leveling up your weapon and getting its Proficiency Bonus, your character can learn that weapon's ability even when it is not equipped. This provides you with more options for skills to use during combat.

Best Weapons For Each Character and Locations

Equip Your Best Gear

Having decent gear can drastically improve your Hard Mode run, as better gear provides additional Materia Slots and enhances survivability with Defense and Magic Defense stats.

Best Armor and How to Get Them

Best Accessories and How to Get

Use Barrier to Reduce Damage

Barrier is one of the most recommended materia to use in Hard Mode. With enemies dealing heavier damage in this mode, you can halve the damage you take from enemy attacks with this materia.

How to Get the Barrier Materia

Use Weapons with Stagger Recovery and Trade-Off

Stagger Recovery can help you recover HP when staggering enemies, while Trade-Off can help you recover MP when taking damage. These two are very powerful weapon skills in Hard Mode, especially during boss fights where restoring HP and MP could become a problem.

List of Weapons with Stagger Recovery and Trade-Off

Character	Weapon
Cloud	・ Rune Blade ・ Slipstream Saber
Aerith	・Aerith's Manuscript.
Barret	・ Fafnir Rifle ・ Barrage Blaster
Red XIII	・ Amethyst Collar ・ Mystic Collar

Best Materia for Hard Mode

Recommended Materia for Hard Mode

Recommended Materia	Benefits of Use
Healing	・Great healing coverage. ・Recommended for 1-2 party members.
Revival	・Revies fallen allies.
Fire and Ice	・Covers two weaknesses. ・Recommended for Magic Users.
Lightning and Wind	・Covers two weaknesses. ・Recommended for Magic Users.
Steadfast Block	・Reduces damage while getting an ATB increase. ・ Recommended for all party members.
HP Up	・Boosts HP by 30%, increasing sruvival rates. ・ Recommended for all party members.
ATB Stagger	・Increases ATB on Enemy Stagger. ・ Best equipped on an offensive party member due to limited availability.
ATB Boost	・Doubles ATB per minute. ・Best paired with First Strike Materia
Skill Master	・Increases ATB for every three different commands. ・Best paired with ATB Boost as well.
Magnify	・Allows Healing to cure the entire party when paired. ・Also pairs well with Barrier and Time.
Elemental	・Reduced damage from incoming elemental attacks. ・Can lessen the difficulty of most bosses in Hard Mode.

Other Recommended Materia

Recommended Materia	Benefits of Use
Fire	・Great for bosses with fire weakness. ・Replace when facing other bosses with no fire weakness.
Lightning	・Great for bosses with lightning weakness. ・Replace when facing other bosses with no lightning weakness.
Wind	・Great for bosses with wind weakness. ・Replace when facing other bosses with no wind weakness.
Ice	・Great for bosses with ice weakness. ・Replace when facing other bosses with no ice weakness.
Barrier	・Reduces damage of enemy attacks.
Time	・Increase ATB with Haste. ・Best paired with Magnify.
Empowerment	・Improves damage output. ・Damage boost lasts long.
Chakra	・Heals HP and Cures Poison without using MP. ・Can help you save MP.
Prayer	・Heals HP without using MP.
Darkside	・Enhances ability potency, but suffer HP reduction. ・Best equipped to any physical party member.
Warding	・Reduces debuff duration.
MP Absorption	・Allows the use of Ga-spells unlimitedly. ・Recommended materia for magic users.
Swiftcast	・Reduces the cast time of linked spells.
MP Up	・Increases MP gauge by 30%. ・Best equipped during boss battles.
Strength Up	・Enhances physical moves.
Magic Up	・Enhances magic spells.
Speed Up	・Improves ATB charge rate.

Best Equipment for Hard Mode

Cloud Recommended Equipment

Equipment	Benefits of Use
Rune Blade	・Provides ATB bonuses. ・Enhances magic spells. ・Increases Magic Power by 20. ・Has Stagger Recovery.
Cetran Armlet	・Provides several materia slots.
Enhanced Expeditionary Medal	・Increases level limit to maximum.

Focus on Maximizing Cloud's Magical Abilities

Cloud has the second-highest magic stat after Aerith, making the Rune Blade an ideal choice of weapon to further enhance his magical abilities. This allows him to effectively cast Ga-spells with increased damage output. Additionally, the Rune Blade features Stagger Recovery, allowing Cloud to regain a percentage of his health upon successfully staggering enemies.

Cloud Best Builds

Aerith Recommended Equipment

Equipment	Benefits of Use
Plumose Rod	・Ward Shift Mastery reduces Ward Shift cooldown. ・Improves Tempest Damage. ・Extends Ward Shift duration. ・Extends Fleeting Familiar duration.
Cetran Armlet	・Provides several materia slots.
Genji Gloves	・Breaks the damage limit.

Genji's Glove Helps Aerith Cast Powerful Magic

With Genji's Gloves, Aerith can unleash powerful magic attacks that exceed the damage limit, particularly when casting Ga-spells. This allows Aerith to take on an offensive role and inflict substantial magic damage, especially during boss fights.

Aerith Best Builds

Tifa Recommended Equipment

Equipment	Benefits of Use
Kaiser Knuckles	・Increases the chances of entering the battle with Unbridled Strength. ・Improves Unbridled Strength. ・Enhances Synergy Abilities damage output. ・Improves magic damage.
Hades Armlet	・Provides several materia slots.
Genji Earrings	・Enhances Tifa's damage output by 15%.

Genji's Earrings Improves Tifa's Damage Output

Tifa's Unbridled Strength can help fill up her ATB gauge quickly as it allows her to hit enemies consecutively. Pairing it with Genji's Earrings grants her a 15% damage increase, allowing her to strike enemies multiple times with powerful blows.

Yuffie Recommended Equipment

Equipment	Benefits of Use
Fuma Shuriken	・Provides Fire and Ice damage boost. ・Has Shuriken Mastery. ・Improves magic damage. ・Provides ATB bonuses.
Yggdrasill Armlet	・Provides several materia slots.
Chocoking's Cape	・Increases ATB at the start of battle.

Yuffie Can Fulfill Both Support and Offensive Roles

Yuffie's Fuma Shuriken provides both supportive and offensive capabilities thanks to its weapon skills tailored to enhance her magical abilities. Additionally, she can fill up her ATB gauge with Doppelganger, which you can immediately use when the Chocoking's Cape is equipped.

Barret Recommended Equipment

Equipment	Benefits of Use
Barrage Blaster	・Protects Barret when using Overcharge. ・Has Trade-Off. ・Increases limit gauge fill when guarding. ・Reduces damage when guarding.
Celestial Bangle	・Provides several materia slots.
Hermes Shoes	・Grants Haste at the start of battle.

Trade-Off to Provides Barret MP Recovery

Barret's Barrage Blaster has Trade-Off, a great weapon skill that allows him to gain MP when taking damage. It also includes several defensive weapon skills that can prove beneficial during boss battles.

Red XIII Recommended Equipment

Equipment	Benefits of Use
Brisingamen	・Improves Vengeance gauge on successful blocks. ・Altruistic increases buff duations. ・Increases Counterspin potency. ・Enhances physical damage output.
Enhanced Resplendent Bracer	・Provides several materia slots.
Enchanted Ring	・Extends beneficial effects.

Red XIII Can Take a Support Role with Increased Buff Durations.

Red XIII, with Brisingamen and Enchanted Ring, extends all beneficial effects applied to him, making him a great support. Offensively, Brisingamen is a great weapon to use as it allows him to focus on inflicting physical moves against enemies.

Cait Sith Recommended Equipment

Equipment	Benefits of Use
Gjallarhorn	・Lucky Jockey increases Luck when riding Moogle. ・Moogle Decoy lures enemies more. ・Increases Magic Attack by 20. ・Increases ATB and ATB Limit.
Enhanced Varvados Bracelet	・Provides several materia slots.
Ribbon	・Prevents status effects.

Gjallarhorn Improves Cait Sith's Attacks

Gjallarhorn greatly improves Cait Sith's physical attacks. It also boosts his Luck, which is beneficial since most of his attacks are based on Luck, such as Roll o' the Dice. You can further enhance this by equipping the Luck Up materia as well.

Why Play Hard Mode?

Collecting Endgame Manuscripts

The manuscripts for Vol. 7 to 15 can only be acquired by completing Side quests and defeating Bosses in Hard Mode. These manuscripts are essential for increasing your character's SP (Skill Points), which are used to progress your character's Folio.

Folio Skill Trees Guide

To Obtain Of Hardy Stock Trophy

Silver	Of Hardy Stock
	Complete all chapters on Hard difficulty. ・List of Chapters

The Of Hardy Stock Trophy is exclusively attainable by completing all chapters on Hard difficulty, which is one of the requirements for obtaining the Platinum Trophy, The Planet's Hope.

How to Unlock All Trophies

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Related Guides

FF7 Rebirth Complete Guide

All FF7 Rebirth Guides

FF7 Rebirth Guides
Story Walkthrough	Bosses
Side Quests	Queen's Blood
Minigames	Characters
Romance	World Intel
Materia	Weapons
Armor	Accessories
Limit Breaks	Folio Skill Tree
Chocobos	Maps and Locations
Combat Simulator	Crafting Materials
Enemies	News and Game Info
Demo Walkthrough

Beginner's Guide and Getting Started

Guides for Getting Started
Beginner's Guide	Best Gameplay Settings
Difficulty Setting Differences	Should You Watch The Story So Far?
How to Claim Bonuses	How to Skip Chapter 1
Trophy List and Guide	List of Controls

Gameplay System Tips and Tricks

Gameplay Tips and Tricks
Combat System Explained	Battle Icons and Status Effects Explained
Active and Classic Combat Style Differences	First Strike Explained
How to Restore HP and MP	How to Change Your Party
How to Pressure and Stagger Enemies	How to Fill the ATB Gauge
How to Attack Flying Enemies	How to Counter and Parry Attacks
How to Dash (Run)	How to Use Terrain Actions
How to Run Away (Fleeing)	Chocobo Customization Guide
How to Fix Insert Data Disc Bug	How to Fast Travel Across Regions
All Beach Outfits and Which to Choose	How to Go Down Ladders Fast
Steal List & Guide: Best Items to Steal	Morph List & Guide: Best Items to Morph
What to Spend GP On and All Gold Saucer Items	Missable Items, Events, and Quests
Weapon Upgrades Explained	How to Get Unbound
How to Take Photos in Photo Mode	All Synergy Abilities and How to Use
How to Save the Game and Delete Save Files	Shinra Boxes Explained
Weapon Abilities Explained	How to Lock On to Enemies
How to Farm GP	-

Character Stat Guides

Character Stats Guides
Character Stats Explained	What Does Attack Do?
What Does Defense Do?	What Does Magic Do?
What Does Magic Defense Do?	What Does Magic Attack Do?
What Does Strength Do?	What Does Spirit Do?
What Does Vitality Do?	What Does Speed Do?
What Does Luck Do?	-

Mount Guides

Mount Guides
All Mounts and How to Unlock	How to Get the Buggy
How to Get the Tiny Bronco	How to Get the Wheelie (Segway)

Farming Guides

Farming Guides
Gil Farming Guide - How to Farm Gil (Money) Fast	AP Farming Guide - How to Farm AP Fast
EXP Farming Guide - How to Level Up Fast	How to Increase Party Level and Rewards
Moogle Medal Farming Guide	SP Farming Guide - How to Farm SP Fast

Post-Game Guides

Post-Game Guides
Chapter Select and New Game Plus Explained	Post-Game Content and How to Get 100% Clear
Hard Mode Difficulty Guide	List of All Manuscripts Guide
All Johnny's Treasure Trove Locations	How to Recover MP in Hard Mode

Story Guides

Story Guides
How to Escape the Depths	How to Get Into the Crow's Nest
How to Get the Gondola Ticket	How to Wake Up the Dead Businessmen
Should You Pay 2,000 Gil to the Bandits?	Swindling Seminar Solution
Which Direction Should You Set the Minecart?	World Intel Guide and Rewards
Which Direction Should You Set the Minecart?	All Pirate Relic Locations
Which Gift to Choose for Aerith?	How to Unlock the Elevator with Yuffie
Point of No Return	-