A mighty blade able to cleave in one stroke anything foolish enough to stand in the wielder's way.
Description
The Hardedge is a weapon for Cloud in Final Fantasy VII Remake. It provides the Infinity's End ability that has slow buildup and high ATB cost, but tremendous burst damage. The blade has the kanji (一刀両断, Ittō ryōdan?, lit. one-bladed bisection) written on it, a Japanese term for "cutting into two with a single stroke".
Hardedge provides the highest raw 
Attack Power of any of Cloud's weapons, while also providing good durability due to its Bloodsucker ability. Its 
Magic Attack attribute, however, is significantly lower than most of Cloud's other weapons.
Obtained[]
The Hardedge first becomes available to purchase in Wall Market during Chapter 9, "The Town That Never Sleeps", for 2,000 gil.
Upgrades[]
Materia slots[]
| Materia slots purchased |
Minimum Weapon Level |
Slots |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 |  
|
| 1 | 5 |
|
| 2 | 5 |
|
| 3 | 6 |
|
| 4 | 6 |
|
| 5 | 6 |
|
Skills[]
| Hardedge Core - Weapon Level: 1 - Required SP: 8 | ||
|---|---|---|
| ATK Up | Attack Power +4 | Increases attack power attribute. |
| ATK Up | Attack Power +4 | Increases attack power attribute. |
| MATK Up | Magic Attack Power +4 | Increases magic attack power attribute. |
| Buff Extension | Buff Duration 10% Boost | Extends the duration of beneficial status effects. |
| Hardedge Sub-Core I - Weapon Level: 3 - Required SP: 10 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced Attack | Attack Damage 5% Boost | Increases damage dealt by basic attacks. |
| Enhanced Aerial Attack | Aerial Attack Damage 5% Boost | Increases damage dealt by aerial attacks. |
| Enhanced Punisher | Punisher Mode Strong Attack Damage 5% Boost | Increases damage dealt by strong attacks in punisher mode. |
| Enemy Parts Damage Up | Crippling Damage 10% Boost | Increases damage dealt to discrete enemy parts. |
| Hardedge Sub-Core II - Weapon Level: 4 - Required SP: 12 | ||
|---|---|---|
| ATK Up | Attack Power +8 | Increases attack power attribute. |
| ATK Up | Attack Power +8 | Increases attack power attribute. |
| ATK Up | Attack Power +8 | Increases attack power attribute. |
| MATK Up | Magic Attack Power +5 | Increases magic attack power attribute. |
| Stagger Siphon | Stagger Siphon | Recover HP when dealing damage with unique abilities to a staggered enemy. |
| Hardedge Sub-Core III - Weapon Level: 5 - Required SP: 14 | ||
|---|---|---|
| ATK Up | Attack Power +8 | Increases attack power attribute. |
| ATK Up | Attack Power +8 | Increases attack power attribute. |
| ATK Up | Attack Power +8 | Increases attack power attribute. |
| MATK Up | Magic Attack Power +8 | Increases magic attack power attribute. |
| Enhanced Limit Breaks | Limit Break Damage 5% Boost | Increases damage dealt by limit breaks. |
| Bloodsucker | Bloodsucker | Recover HP when enemies are defeated in battle. |
| Needs More Materia | New Materia Slot | Adds an additional materia slot or links two existing slots. |
| Needs More Materia | New Materia Slot | Adds an additional materia slot or links two existing slots. |
| Hardedge Sub-Core IV - Weapon Level: 6 - Required SP: 16 | ||
|---|---|---|
| ATK Up | Attack Power +12 | Increases attack power attribute. |
| ATK Up | Attack Power +12 | Increases attack power attribute. |
| MATK Up | Magic Attack Power +10 | Increases magic attack power attribute. |
| Ability Critical Hit Rate Up | Weapon Ability Critical Hit Rate 10% Boost | Increases probability of landing a critical hit with an ability. |
| Needs More Materia | New Materia Slot | Adds an additional materia slot or links two existing slots. |
| Needs More Materia | New Materia Slot | Adds an additional materia slot or links two existing slots. |
| Needs More Materia | New Materia Slot | Adds an additional materia slot or links two existing slots. |
Use[]
Hardedge provides the highest raw attack power increase of any of Cloud's weapons, and most of its abilities focus on improving Cloud's physical damage, such as boosting Cloud's aerial damage and to damage dealt against bosses' specific parts, and plain boosts to his attacks both generally and further when in Punisher Mode. Its Bloodsucker ability recovers Cloud's HP when enemies are defeated in battle. This makes it excellent for Cloud's durability and is very MP-efficient. A 5% boost to Cloud's limit break damage can also be unlocked.
Hardedge is the strongest weapon for Cloud's physical damage, and its abilities lock Cloud into this role. The only comparable weapon is the 
Nail Bat, which provides physical damage in the form of critical hits, but Hardedge has far fewer limitations to Cloud's potential elsewhere. Hardedge provides a few boosts to Cloud's magic damage, but ultimately lags far behind weapons such as the Mythril Saber, or even the more rounded Buster Sword or Twin Stinger. Compared to Twin Stinger and Mythril Saber, Hardedge's slow materia slot growth can also feel limiting. As Hardedge has linked slots early on, Cloud can still equip 
Elemental Materia or HP Absorption Materia with the weapon.
If Cloud is used for a physical damage role, Hardedge is his best weapon to equip all around, providing solid physical damage stats, decent MP-efficient durability with Bloodsucker, and not too many compromises to his magic capabilities. However, Cloud's balanced attributes mean he can be used in a wide variety of ways, and though Hardedge optimizes Cloud's potential for physical damage, it wastes his magic damage potential. In encounters against enemies more resistant to physical damage, or among players who prefer to use Cloud for a more magic-oriented or mixed role, other weapons may be better suited. For a pure physical damage role, Hardedge is possibly the best choice for Cloud.