When a character gains a level and their max SP increases, their weapons will also level up. When a weapon's level increases, a new core will appear, providing more skills to unlock.
Somewhere in Midgar, there are valuable items capable of increasing your max SP.
Loading screen tip
Weapon upgrade menu.
This is a list of weapon passives in Final Fantasy VII Remake and "Episode INTERmission".
Unlockable with SP (skill points), each weapon provides passive abilities when equipped. Unlocking these passives will apply them whenever that weapon is in use, giving each weapon unique perks and traits that change how it is used compared to other weapons. The weapon's abilities are unlocked by spending skill points that are earned both from leveling up and from manuscripts.
Weapon passives range from simple stat boosts to unique offensive or defensive properties, and to those that provide character-specific enhancements. They can be unlocked one-by-one from the menu by activating the selected nodes. The game also has an auto-upgrade function, used via 
from the weapon selection in the upgrade menu.
List of passives[]
Stat enhancements[]
The specific increase in the attribute varies, normally based on the weapon, or the weapon core.
| Ability | Effect | Weapons |
|---|---|---|
| ATK Up | Increases the  Attack Power bonus provided by the weapon.
|
Cloud:  Buster Sword, Iron Blade, Hardedge, Mythril Saber, Twin StingerBarret: |
| MATK Up | Increases the  Magic Attack bonus provided by the weapon.
|
Cloud: Buster Sword, Iron Blade, Hardedge, Mythril Saber, Twin Stinger Barret: Gatling Gun, Light Machine Gun, Big Bertha, Steel Pincers, Wrecking Ball, EKG Cannon |
| DEF Up | Increases the  Defense of the wielder.
|
Cloud: Buster Sword, Iron Blade Barret: Gatling Gun, Light Machine Gun |
| MDEF Up | Increases the  Magic Defense of the wielder.
|
Cloud: Buster Sword, Mythril Saber Barret: Gatling Gun |
| Max HP Up | Increases the maximum HP of the wielder. | Cloud: Buster Sword, Nail Bat Barret: Gatling Gun, Light Machine Gun, Big Bertha, EKG Cannon |
| Max MP Up | Increases the maximum MP of the wielder. | Cloud: Buster Sword, Mythril Saber Barret: Gatling Gun, Steel Pincers |
| Speed Up | Increases the  Speed of the wielder.
|
Tifa: Leather Gloves, Metal Knuckles, Sonic Strikers, Feathered Gloves, Purple Pain |
| Luck Up | Increases the  Luck of the wielder.
|
Cloud: Nail Bat Aerith: Bladed Staff |
| Needs More Materia | Either grants an additional materia slot, or links two existing slots, depending on the weapon and on how many previous slots were unlocked. | All |
| AP Up | Doubles the amount of AP earned from the battle for both Yuffie and Sonon. | Yuffie: 4-Point Shuriken, Boomerang, Steel Reaper, Cacstar |
Offensive effects[]
| Ability | Effect | Weapons |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced Attack | Boost damage of normal attacks +5%. | Cloud: Nail Bat, Hardedge Barret: |
| Enhanced Aerial Attack | Boost damage of aerial attacks +5%. | Cloud: Hardedge Tifa: Metal Knuckles, Feathered Gloves |
| Enhanced Limit Breaks | Boost damage of limit breaks +5%. | Cloud: Buster Sword, Hardedge Barret: |
| Enhanced Elements | Boost damage added by  Elemental Materia to attacks by +10%.
|
Cloud: Mythril Saber, Twin Stinger Barret: |
| Elemental Damage Up | Boost damage of elemental attacks +5%. | Cloud: Iron Blade Barret: Light Machine Gun |
| Fire Damage Up | Boost damage by  Fire-elemental attacks by +5%.
|
Cloud: Twin Stinger Barret: Steel Pincers |
| Ice Damage Up | Boost damage by  Ice-elemental attacks by +5%.
|
Cloud: Twin Stinger Barret: Steel Pincers |
| Lightning Damage Up | Boost damage by  Lightning-elemental attacks by +5%.
|
Cloud: Twin Stinger Barret: Steel Pincers |
| Wind Damage Up | Boost damage by  Wind-elemental attacks by +5%.
|
Cloud: Twin Stinger Barret: Steel Pincers |
| Debuff Extension | Lengthens the duration of debuffs inflicted on enemies by +10%. | Cloud: Twin Stinger Barret: Steel Pincers |
| Critical Hit Rate Up | Boosts the probability of landing a critical hit by +10%. | Cloud: Nail Bat Barret: EKG Cannon |
| Critical Damage Up | Boosts the damage dealt by a critical hit by +25%. | Cloud: Nail Bat Barret: EKG Cannon |
| Ability Critical Hit Rate Up | Boosts the probability of landing a critical hit when using a weapon ability by +10%. | Cloud: Nail Bat, Hardedge Barret: Wrecking Ball, EKG Cannon |
| Enemy Parts Damage Up | Increases damage dealt to discrete enemy parts by +10%. | Cloud: Nail Bat, Hardedge Barret: Wrecking Ball |
| Backstabber | Increases damage dealt when attacking an enemy from behind by +10%. | Tifa: Metal Knuckles,  Feathered Gloves
|
Supportive effects[]
| Ability | Effect | Weapons |
|---|---|---|
| ATB Charge Rate Up | Increases the amount successful attacks increase the ATB gauge by +10%. | Barret Wallace:  Wrecking BallTifa: |
| Buff Extension | Lengthens the duration of buffs by +10%. | Cloud: Hardedge, Twin Stinger Barret: |
| Elemental Defense Up | Reduces damage taken from elemental attacks by 5%. | Cloud: Twin Stinger Barret: Big Bertha |
| Debuff Resistance Up | Increases resistance to debuffs by +5. | Cloud: Nail Bat, Mythril Saber
Barret: Light Machine Gun |
| Enhanced Physical Guard | Reduce physical damage taken by 10% when guarding, | Cloud: Iron Blade Barret: Light Machine Gun |
| Enhanced Magic Guard | Reduce magic damage taken by 10% when guarding, | Barret: Wrecking Ball Tifa: Featherd Gloves |
| Bloodsucker | Recover HP enemies are defeated. | Cloud: Hardedge Barret: Wrecking Ball, EKG Cannon |
| Stagger Siphon | Recover HP when dealing damage to a staggered enemy with unique abilities. | Cloud: Hardedge Barret: Light Machine Gun, Wrecking Ball |
| Trade-Off | Recover MP after taking significant damage.
(0.2% of damage received, rounded down) |
Cloud: Iron Blade, Mythril Saber Barret: Big Bertha |
| MP Recovery Up I | Increase the speed of passive MP regeneration by 10% during battle. | Cloud: Buster Sword, Twin Stinger Barret: |
| MP Recovery Up III | Increase the speed of passive MP regeneration by 50% during battle. | Cloud: Mythril Saber Tifa: Sonic Strikers |
| MP Saver: Attack Spells | Reduces the MP cost of attack spells by 20%. | Cloud: Mythril Saber Barret: Steel Pincers |
| MP Saver: Healing Spells | Reduces the MP cost of healing spells by 20%. | Cloud: Twin Stinger Barret: Light Machine Gun, Steel Pincers |
| Reprieve | Survive an otherwise fatal attack at 1 HP once per battle. | Cloud: Iron Blade, Nail Bat, Twin Stinger Barret: Light Machine Gun, Wrecking Ball, EKG Cannon |
Conditional effects[]
| Ability | Effect | Weapons |
|---|---|---|
| Dominant Physical Offense | Improves Attack Power by +5 when HP is 75% or higher.
|
Cloud: Mythril Saber |
| Dominant Magic Offense | Improves Magic Attack by +5 when HP is 75% or higher.
|
Cloud: Iron Blade Barret: |
| Dominant Physical Defense | Improves Defense by +5 when HP is 75% or higher.
|
Cloud: Iron Blade Barret: Light Machine Gun |
| Dominant Magic Defense | Improves Magic Defense by +5 when HP is 75% or higher.
|
Cloud: Twin Stinger Tifa: Sonic Strikers |
| Desperate Physical Defense | Improves physical defense by +10 when HP is 25% or higher. | Cloud: Nail Bat Barret: Big Bertha, EKG Cannon |
| Desperate Magic Defense | Improves magic defense by +10 when HP is 25% or higher. | Cloud: Nail Bat Barret: Big Bertha, EKG Cannon |
| Desperate Recovery | Boost self-healing by 50% when HP is 25% or lower. | Cloud: Iron Blade Barret: Big Bertha |
| Desperate Limit Breaks | Boost damage of limit breaks +5% when HP is 25% or lower. | Cloud: Iron Blade, Nail Bat Barret: Big Bertha |
| Desperate Striker | Increase the probability of landing a critical hit by +50% when HP is 25% or lower. | Cloud: Nail Bat Barret: EKG Cannon |
| Max MP Magic Up | Boost magic effect by +20% when MP is full. | Cloud: Mythril Saber Barret: |
Character-specific effects[]
| Ability | Effect | Character | Weapons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhanced Punisher | Boost damage of Strong Attacks under Punisher Mode +5%. | Cloud | Buster Sword, Hardedge
|
| Counter Damage Up | Boost damage of counterattacks under Punisher Mode +5%. | Cloud | Iron Blade
|
| Enhanced Overcharge | Boost damage of Overcharge +10%. | Barret | Gatling Gun, EKG Cannon
|
| Enhanced Techniques | Boost damage of Whirling Uppercut, Omnistrike, and Rise and Fall +10%. | Tifa | Feathered Gloves, Purple Pain
|
| Concentration | Provides a chance that Tifa may enter battle with an increased chi level. Chance varies by weapon. | Tifa | Leather Gloves (50%), Metal Knuckles (30%), Sonic Strikers (50%), Feathered Gloves (70%), Mythril Claws (30%), Purple Pain (70%)
|
| Enhanced Tempest | Boost damage of Tempest +5%. | Aerith |  Guard Stick, Reinforced Staff
|
| Thievery | Allows you to use Mug. | Yuffie | 4-Point Shuriken, Boomerang, Steel Reaper |
| Steal Success Rate Up | Increases odds of successfully obtaining items using Steal. | Yuffie | 4-Point Shuriken |
| Shuriken Master | Increases amount of time throwing stars can remain aloft. | Yuffie | Boomerang |
| Precision Defense: ATB Boost | Guard against an attack at the right time to fill the ATB gauge. | Yuffie | 4-Point Shuriken |
| Precision Defense: Barrier | Guard against an attack at the right time to cast  Barrier.
|
Yuffie | Boomerang |
| Precision Defense: Manaward | Guard against an attack at the right time to cast  Manaward.
|
Yuffie | Boomerang |
| Precision Defense: Regen | Guard against an attack at the right time to cast  Regen.
|
Yuffie | Steel Reaper |
| Incendiary Limit Breaks | Fills limit break gauge when inciting or provoking enemies. | Sonon | Marshalist's Staff, Djinn Staff |
| Synergized Limit Breaks | Allows you to use synergized limit break attacks. | Sonon | Marshalist's Staff |
| Auto-Remedy | Automatically cure ally of detrimental status effects when opportunity presents itself. | Sonon | Djinn Staff |
Behind the scenes[]
Naoki Hamaguchi made the weapon auto-upgrading mode for testing and adjusting weapon balance. He thought it was incredibly useful, and so it was included in the final game.[1]
Citations[]
- ↑ Team, FF7 (2020, August 28). "Final Fantasy VII Remake Ultimania Interview with Motomu Toriyama, English Translation". From game8. Archived from the original on 23 February 2021.