Much like in the 2020 remake, materia plays a pivotal role in the original release of Final Fantasy VII. There are five different classes of materia, with each one serving a different purpose and identifiable by its unique color. Green Magic materia allows players to cast powerful spells, yellow Command materia adds new commands to the battle menu, and blue Support materia enhances other materia when paired with it in a dual-slot. There's also purple Independent materia, which provides passive stat boosts and auto-abilties and, last, but certainly not least, red Summon materia.
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These shiny red orbs allow players to summon powerful creatures known as Summons, which are a long-running staple of the Final Fantasy franchise. Final Fantasy VII boasts sixteen of them in total, as well as a special orb of Master Summon materia which grants access to every available creature while only taking up a single materia slot. With the exception of Master Summon, every orb of Summon materia also provides passive stat boosts and penalties and can be mastered and duplicated by obtaining enough AP to reach level 5.
Quick Links
| Choco/Mog | Shiva | Ifrit |
| Ramuh | Titan | Odin |
| Leviathan | Bahamut | Kujata |
| Alexander | Phoenix | Neo Bahamut |
| Hades | Typhon | Bahamut ZERO |
| Knights of Round | Master Summon |
Choco/Mog
| Element | Wind |
|---|---|
| Ability | DeathBlow!! / Fat-Chocobo |
| MP Cost | 14 |
| Attack Power | 16 / 20 |
| Status | Stop (40% Chance) |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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While perhaps the most adorable summon in the game, Choco/Mog's damage potential is fairly limited. That said, it can be incredibly useful during the early stages of the game and the ability to cast Stop while also inflicting damage also has its uses. It will usually attack using DeathBlow!!, though there is a one in sixteen chance that it will use the more powerful Fat-Chocobo ability instead.
Where To Find The Choco/Mog Materia
Choco/Mog is the first Summon that players can get their hands on. It's obtained at the Chocobo Farm by interacting with the Chocobo near the fence in the outside pen. If they don't get the materia before Meteor is summoned though, players will need to rent a stable and catch a Chocobo to make it show up.
Shiva
| Element | Ice |
|---|---|
| Ability | Diamond Dust |
| MP Cost | 32 |
| Attack Power | 24 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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One of the series' most iconic Summons, Shiva returns with her signature Diamond Dust attack. When it comes to dealing ice damage, only Ice3 and Freeze are more powerful, though as these are single target attacks unless paired with an orb of All materia and cost considerably more MP, Shiva often provides the better option.
Where To Find The Shiva Materia
Shiva is given to the party by Priscilla after they save her from the Bottomswell monster at the beach in Under Junon. If the player's materia inventory is full when she tries to hand it over, she'll instead leave it in her room for Cloud and co to pick up later.
Ifrit
| Element | Fire |
|---|---|
| Ability | Hellfire |
| MP Cost | 34 |
| Attack Power | 27 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Another of the series' long-standing Summons, Ifrit provides the party with a useful source of area fire damage. Hellfire can be incredibly useful early on in the game, but is eventually outclassed by Fire3, Flare, and the Phoenix Summon materia. As with Shiva though, Ifrit does have the edge over these more powerful alternatives when it comes to MP consumption.
Where To Find The Ifrit Materia
Players can obtain the Ifrit materia while onboard the cargo ship that takes them to the Costa del Sol. It's dropped by Jenova∙BIRTH upon its defeat, though can be permanently missed if players fail to pick it up before leaving the ship.
Ramuh
| Element | Lightning |
|---|---|
| Ability | Judgement Bolt |
| MP Cost | 40 |
| Attack Power | 30 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Ramuh doesn't show up in the franchise quite as often as Shiva and Ifrit, nor is he quite as useful. Granted, his Judgement Bolt attack is actually more powerful than Hellfire and Diamond Dust on paper, but both Kujata and Typhon each deal greater Lightning damage, as too does Bolt3. As an early game summon, however, Ramuh does have its uses.
Where To Find The Ramuh Materia
Players can obtain the Ramuh materia at the Gold Saucer shortly after Barret defeats Dyne. It will be on the floor in the chocobo jockey room, though will be permanently missed if players fail to pick it up before they leave.
Titan
| Element | Earth |
|---|---|
| Ability | Anger of the Land |
| MP Cost | 46 |
| Attack Power | 33 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Titan's Anger of the Land attack deals massive earth damage at the cost of 46 MP. As with other earth attacks though, it's completely useless against flying enemies, so players will need to pick and choose when they use it. It's eventually outclassed by Quake3 and the Typhon summon, though both cost quite a bit more to cast.
Where To Find The Titan Materia
The Titan materia can be found in the Meltdown Reactor area of Gongaga. On their first visit, players won't actually be able to see it, but can still obtain it by following the path that leads to the right of the reactor core and then interacting with the core itself about halfway up. If missed, players can return to the area once they have access to the Highwind, at which point the materia will be clearly visible.
Odin
| Element | — |
|---|---|
| Ability | Steel Bladed Sword / Gunge Lance |
| MP Cost | 80 |
| Attack Power | 0 / 78 |
| Status | Death (92% Chance) |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Odin is one of two Summons with multiple attacks, the other being Choco/Mog. If the target isn't immune to instant death, Odin will use his Steel Bladed Sword ability which has a 92% chance of instantly killing enemies. Otherwise, he will use his powerful Gunge Lance attack, which deals non-elemental damage to a single target.
Where To Find The Odin Materia
The Odin materia is dropped by Lost Number, an enemy locked inside a safe in the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim. To get their hands on it, players will need to open the safe using the combination 36 Right, 10 Left, 59 Right, 97 Right, and then defeat Lost Number in battle.
Leviathan
| Element | Water |
|---|---|
| Ability | Tidal Wave |
| MP Cost | 78 |
| Attack Power | 75 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Leviathan is one of the two most recurring Summons in Final Fantasy and one of the game's few sources of water elemental damage. Its Tidal Wave attack is expensive in terms of MP consumption, but its damage potential makes it invaluable when up against fire-type enemies.
Where To Find The Leviathan Materia
Obtaining the Leviathan materia isn't easy, as not only does it involve recruiting an optional party member, but also completing a somewhat challenging side quest. Players will first need to recruit Yuffie and then battle their way to the top of the Pagoda in Wutai. After defeating her father, Godo, she'll be given the Leviathan materia as a reward.
Bahamut
| Element | — |
|---|---|
| Ability | Mega Flare |
| MP Cost | 100 |
| Attack Power | 65 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Bahamut's Mega Flare ability may look a little lackluster when compared to some of the other Summons, particularly given its high MP cost. It's worth noting, however, that it completely ignores enemies' Magic Defense stat, which more than makes up for its low attack power.
Where To Find The Bahamut Materia
Players will find the Bahamut materia on the floor in the Temple of the Ancients immediately after defeating the Red Dragon. It's easy to spot, but can be permanently missed, so players should be sure to pick it up before leaving the area. Failure to do so will prevent them from unlocking Bahamut ZERO later on.
Kujata
| Element | Fire, Ice & Lightning |
|---|---|
| Ability | Tetra-Disaster |
| MP Cost | 110 |
| Attack Power | 100 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Though incredibly powerful, Kujata's Tetra-Disaster ability can be a little situational. Given that it's infused with three different elements, the chances that an enemy may absorb some of the damage is dramatically increased, so players should be careful about when they use it. The Magic Breath Enemy Skill can sometimes offer a better alternative to summoning Kujata, as although it's a little weaker, it costs significantly less MP to cast.
Where To Find The Kujata Materia
After passing through Bone Village, players will find themselves in a forested area. After continuing to the next screen, they'll see the Kujata materia floating around among the trees. To obtain it, all they'll need to do is grab it, although should make sure that their materia inventory isn't full before doing so as this will lead to them missing out on it forever.
Alexander
| Element | Holy |
|---|---|
| Ability | Judgement |
| MP Cost | 120 |
| Attack Power | 120 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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There is only one source of Holy damage in the game, which makes Alexander somewhat unique. Granted, there aren't too many enemies that are weak to Holy, but then neither are there many that are resistant to it. With this in mind, Judgement and its high damage potential are incredibly useful, particularly when up against groups of enemies with different elemental affinities.
Where To Find The Alexander Materia
Players can find the Alexander materia in the Great Glacier, though there's a little bit of legwork involved. First, they'll need to touch the hot springs and must then defeat the optional Snow boss. She can be found in a cave due east of the cave with the All materia inside, which is in the snowfield to the south of Holzoff's cabin.
Phoenix
| Element | Fire |
|---|---|
| Ability | Phoenix Flame |
| MP Cost | 180 |
| Attack Power | 60 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Not only does Phoenix Flame dish out a lot more damage than Ifrit's Hellfire ability, but it also resurrects all fallen party members. This does come at a high price though, as its 180 MP cost makes it the second most expensive summon to cast in the game. Still, provided players can keep their MP up, pairing the mythical Phoenix with the Final Attack materia effectively serves as a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Where To Find The Phoenix Materia
Players can first get their hands on the Phoenix materia in Fort Condor by successfully protecting the Huge Materia from the Shinra forces. If the Shinra forces win or they fail to actually pick the materia up, players will instead need to get the Phoenix materia in Bone Village by excavating the right side of the upper area.
Neo Bahamut
| Element | — |
|---|---|
| Ability | Giga Flare |
| MP Cost | 140 |
| Attack Power | 80 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Much like the regular Bahamut Summon's Mega Flare ability, Giga Flare completely ignores enemies' Magic Defense. It has a much cooler animation though and also boasts better passive stat boosts. As its attack is non-elemental, it cannot be resisted, making it incredibly useful in all but a handful of situations and scenarios.
Where To Find The Neo Bahamut Materia
The Neo Bahamut materia can be found on the ground in the Whirlwind Maze area of the North Crater not too far from the save point. As players are unable to return to this area after their first visit, failure to pick it up will lead to them missing out on it forever and being unable to obtain Bahamut ZERO later on.
Hades
| Element | — |
|---|---|
| Ability | Black Cauldron |
| MP Cost | 150 |
| Attack Power | 90 |
| Status |
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| Stats |
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| AP |
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Hades is a fantastic Summon to use when up against enemies that are weak to status ailments. Assuming targets are not immune, Black Cauldron has a 100% chance of inflicting a myriad of effects and can make several key battles significantly easier. The Bad Breath Enemy Skill offers a cheaper alternative to summoning Hades, though it deals no physical damage and is unable to inflict Slow or Paralysis.
Where To Find The Hades Materia
The Hades materia is located in the cargo room of the sunken Gelnika plane, which players can only visit once they've gained access to the submarine. It's between some wreckage on the right-hand side of the lower section, not too far from the chest containing Cid's ultimate Limit Break, Highwind.
Typhon
| Element | Wind, Fire, Ice, Lightning & Earth |
|---|---|
| Ability | Disintegration |
| MP Cost | 160 |
| Attack Power | 110 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Those who've played Final Fantasy VI should immediately recognize Ultros' partner in crime, Typhon. It's one of several Summons that only appear in a single game, dealing high fire, ice, lightning, and earth damage to all enemies with its Disintegration ability. Despite being classed as a wind summon, it doesn't actually deal any wind damage, though it does ignore Magic Defense which can make it particularly deadly in certain situations.
Where To Find The Typhon Materia
Players can find the Typhon materia in the Ancient Forest. Before they can get there though, they'll either need to defeat Ultimate Weapon or get themselves a Gold Chocobo. Once inside the forest, Typhon can be found in the treetops area by climbing the tongue-like vines protruding from some of the nearby flowers.
Bahamut ZERO
| Element | — |
|---|---|
| Ability | Tera Flare |
| MP Cost | 180 |
| Attack Power | 120 |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Bahumut ZERO is easily the most powerful of the three iterations of the dragon king in the game and is capable of dishing out some insane damage with its Tera Flare ability. As with other versions of Bahamut, it completely ignores enemies' Magic Defense and also boasts a fantastic, albeit, incredibly long animation.
Where To Find The Bahamut ZERO Materia
If players complete all of the Huge Materia sidequests, they'll be able to obtain the Bahamut ZERO materia by interacting with the blue Huge Materia in Bugenhagen's observatory in Cosmo Canyon. They'll need to have collected the other two Bahamut materia first though. If they failed to secure the Huge Materia, they can instead dig up Bahamut ZERO in Bone Village after the raid on Midgar by excavating the area just to the right of the third large rib on the left-hand side of the lower section.
Knights Of Round
| Element | — |
|---|---|
| Ability | Ultimate End |
| MP Cost | 250 |
| Attack Power | 80 (13 Hits) |
| Status | — |
| Stats |
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| AP |
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Due to it dealing damage in 13 different hits, Knights of the Round's Ultimate End ability is capable of dishing out an insane 129,987 damage each time it is summoned, making it by far the most powerful Summon in the game. Like Bahamut ZERO though, its attack animation is incredibly long and it requires a lot of MP to summon, so it's best not to use it in every single battle.
Where To Find The Knights Of Round Materia
Players can find the Knights of Round materia in a cave on the round island in the northeast section of the world map. Though it's possible to fly over the island using the Highwind, players won't actually be able to land, meaning that the only way to gain access is with a Gold Chocobo. Players can breed their own, or can give the Desert Rose to the Kalm Traveler after defeating Ruby Weapon to get one.
Master Summon
| Element | — |
|---|---|
| Ability | — |
| MP Cost | — |
| Attack Power | — |
| Status | — |
| Stats | — |
| AP | — |
When equipped, the Master Summon materia allows party members to summon any of the 16 Summons in the game. For this reason, many consider it to be the most powerful piece of materia in Final Fantasy VII. When paired with an orb of MP Absorb or HP Absorb materia it can be incredibly effective, though is not so good with Support materia like Final Attack as it will choose a Summon at random rather than a specific one.
Where To Find The Master Summon Materia
There are actually two orbs of Master Summon materia in the game, though neither are particularly easy to get ahold of. The first requires players to obtain the red Huge Materia from the underwater reactor and then interact with it at the observatory while in possession of a complete set of mastered Summon materia. The second requires players to defeat Emerald Weapon and then trade the Earth Harp with the Kalm Traveler.
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