Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Red XIII Combat Guide

Red XIII is one of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s more complex characters.

In the original Final Fantasy 7, there was a grand total of nine party members you could acquire over the course of the game. In this outing with Rebirth, we're one step r to seeing all of those party members come to life in this new style. Red XIII is one such character, having joined the party in Remake but not being controllable in combat.

In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Red XIII can be quite versatile but is primarily built around being an attacker that has a slow build-up, taking time to reach their full potential. As such, you need a pretty strong understanding of their core mechanics to be able to utilize them properly. That's what this article will help you with!

Updated April 16, 2024 by Hilton Webster: Being one of the newest members of the party, it is understandable that Red XIII will be one of the characters that would take the longest to understand how to play properly. We've updated this article to reflect the full game's details.

Combat Overview

Battle Basics

While each and every character in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth functions uniquely, Red XIII is a newcomer to the party, playing unlike anything in the previous Remake entry. That said, Red XIII's base moveset is quite simple- 'Square' for Regular Attacks, and 'Triangle' for his Special Mode.

Square (Single Press	Pressing 'Square' will have Red XIII unleash a series of slashes with each press of the button/
Square (Holding Down)	Holding 'Square' will have Red XIII perform a counterspin that drags in enemies.
Triangle (Single Press)	Pressing 'Triangle' will have Red XIII enter Vengeance Mode.

Red XIII is a very fast attacker, both in the speed at which his attacks come out but also in how fast he can travel across the battlefield. His Regular Attacks are quite simple, being a small chain of advancing slashes at the enemy. By holding the 'Square' button, Red XIII instead does a spinning attack that both damages enemies in a wide area and also drags them r to Red XIII.

Owing to his quadrupedal form, Red XIII moves fast but also dodges quickly and far. This makes him quite evasive, letting him target another enemy and reposition himself with ease.

Unlike other characters who have an attacking move for their 'Triangle' Special Move, Red XIII has a mode change akin to Cloud. This is known as Vengeance Mode, and increases Red XIII's damage and speed. It is filled by taking damage while blocking. Many of Red XIII's abilities, such as Sentinel Stance, are built around his Vengeance mode.

Limit Breaks

Red XIII has three Limit Breaks, with the final acquired through his folio and party level. Higher level Limits can be used by increasing your Limit level through Synergy Abilities during combat.

Bloodfang	Bloodfang, a level one limit break that has Red XIII dash at the enemies around him, dealing damage while also restoring his own HP and MP.
Howling Moon	Howling Moon, a level two limit break that has Red XIII howl at the moon, dealing damage to enemies around him while also giving him a longer-lasting Vengeance Mode.
Wrath Of The Land	Wrath of the Land, a level three limit break that has Red XIII shatter the very earth to damage a single enemy while also significantly increasing their stagger.

If you're ever struggling to understand Red XIII's combat style, you can also visit Chadley to test out his tutorial in the Combat Simulator.

Vengeance Mode

While being evasive, Red XIII can also function as a tank. Consequently, playing as a tank can also reward you with Red XIII's unique Vengeance Mode that turns him into a powerful attacker as well.

First and foremost, Vengeance Mode is filled by taking damage while blocking. It can be difficult to tell when Red XIII is blocking, so make sure to keep an eye on his tail. When blocking, it will glow brightly to indicate that Vengeance Mode will fill when he is attacked.

Another important part of Red XIII's blocking is the ability to counterattack. After taking damage while blocking, there is a brief window where you can press 'Square', the Regular Attack button, to unleash a powerful retaliatory attack. Just make sure to release the block button first or you'll activate one of your Synergy Skills by mistake instead.

Vengeance Mode can be activated no matter how much the actual gauge is filled. However, it will last longer the more the gauge is filled.

During Vengeance Mode, Red XIII gains increased speed and damage. This is great for turning the tides of any battle or giving yourself some extra combat capabilities in a pinch. His 'Triangle' Special Attack also becomes Siphon Fang, a move that has Red XIII attack the enemy and steal HP and MP for himself. In this way, Vengeance Mode becomes self-sufficient with proper use.

Many of Red XIII's more evasive moves also become offensive during Vengeance Mode. Dodging immediately after an attack will trigger a small slash at enemies in your wake. Using Siphon Fang during a dodge will instead trigger a weaker but faster version of the move.

Certain abilities, such as Crescent Claw , are also enhanced during Vengeance Mode, and the Limit Break ' Howling Moon ' gives an even longer-lasting Vengeance Mode.

Many of Red XIII's abilities are built to be used either in Vengeance Mode, such as Supernal Fervor, or used to build up the Vengeance Gauge, such as Chilling Roar.

Red XIII's Weapons

As is the case of all other characters in the game, Red XIII has a total of seven weapons at his disposal, including his original Mythril Collar. More can be found in purple chests in the world, as well as during certain story moments.

Weapon	Ability	Proficiency Bonus
Mythril Collar	Stardust Ray	Strike two or more enemies.
Renegade's Collar	Crescent Claw	Finish off an enemy.
Silver Collar	Chilling Roar	Exploit an enemy's weakness.
Amethyst Collar	Supernal Fervor	Activate on a three-person party.
Golden Collar	Watcher's Respite	Activate when the Vengeance gauge is full.
Mystic Collar	Watcher's Spirit	Activate when the Vengeance gauge is full
Brísingamen	Reaper Touch	Activate when HP is critically low (screen is flashing red).

They let you build Red XIII in a variety of ways, whether you want to focus on maximising stats or giving yourself the most Materia slots possible.

Red XIII's Ability List

Red XIII has a myriad of abilities at his disposal. These abilities cover all the bases, from defensive to offensive, and single enemy attacks to wide area-of-effect strikes. View the table below for even more information on each of his Abilities.

Move	Ability
Sidewinder	This move has Red XIII perform a spinning attack in the air before slamming down into the enemy. This can also hit enemies that are already in the air and drag them down with Red XIII.
Sentinel Stance	Sentinel Stance has Red XIII take on a defensive posture, locking him in place. He takes massively reduced damage during this while also filling the Vengeance Mode gauge more quickly. You can also end Sentinel Stance at any time with a devastating Counter with 'Square'.
Stardust Ray	Stardust Ray has Red XIII summon a massive swell of cosmic energy, damaging all enemies caught within for massive damage. It takes a while to execute as well as uses up two ATB charges.
Crescent Claw	This move has Red XIII slash at a single enemy with his claws. If used during Vengeance Mode, it will deplete the remaining gauge and cause Crescent Claw to attack multiple enemies for even higher damage.
Chilling Roar	This ability has Red XIII surround himself with piercing icicles that deal an ice-element counterattack to whoever strikes him. This fills the Vengeance gauge without needing to block.
Supernal Fervor	This ability has Red XIII to grant Haste to all party members. However, it can only be activated during Vengeance Mode and requires two ATB bars.
Watcher's Respite	This ability drains the Vengeance Gauge to heal all party members. The amount in the Vengeance gauge determines how much HP is restored.
Watcher's Spirit	This ability drains the Vengeance gauge to fill the ATB of Red XIII and his party members. The amount given is directly proportionate to how filled the Vengeance gauge was.
Reaper Touch	This ability has Red XIII unleash a potentially devastating strike against a single enemy. The lower Red's HP is, the higher the damage dealt by the ability is.
Retaliation	This ability has Red XIII take on a defensive stance, automatically dealing an incredible counterstrike against any who attack him. This can only be used during Vengeance Mode and costs two ATB bars.

As you can see, much of Red XIII's core combat revolves around managing his Vengeance Mode, alternating between taking and then dishing out heavy damage.

Red XIII's Synergy Skill And Abilities

Synergy Skills and Abilities are a new addition to FF7 Rebirth, intended as a means of both expanding the combat and showcasing the bonds between characters. This is achieved wonderfully for thematic weight but also offers unique combat opportunities befitting each character.

Synergy Skills, which are accessed while blocking, have no requirements for use while also filling your ATB charges after use. So make sure to take great advantage of them!

Synergy Skills

Synergy Skill	Effect
Phantom Fang	This skill has Red call on his ally to help him perform a backward dodge. Dodging with the right timing has you unleash a counterattack.
Wild Charge	This skill has Red and his ally charge at an enemy, guarding against attacks received on the way.
Iron Defense	This skill has Red and his ally steel themselves in place, granting incredible defense against incoming attacks.

Synergy Skills are those accessed by blocking and are free of charge. Synergy Abilities require the use of their own separate Synergy Bips from each character and increase in cost each time they are used in a single encounter.

Synergy Abilities

Synergy Ability	Effect
United Refocus	This ability, performed with many different allies, has Red XIII and his ally temporarily split their ATB bar into three segments.
Savage Assault	This ability, performed by Red XIII and Cloud, has the duo attack the enemy in tandem with claw and sword, increasing both their limit levels.
Overfang	This ability, performed by Red XIII and Barret, has Barret load Red into his arm before firing him at the enemy. This raises their limit levels.
Bestial Barrage	This ability, performed by Red XIII and Tifa, has the two of them attack an enemy with furious abandon. This raises their limit levels.
Call of the Wild	This ability, performed by Red XIII and Tifa, has the pair attack enemies over a long range, increasing the length and potency of stagger.
Planetary Roar	This ability, performed by Red XIII and Aerith, has Aerith's magic channelled into Red's roar, dealing damage over a wide area and raising their limit levels.
Ringmaster	This ability, performed by Red XIII and Aerith, has Aerith wrap Red into magical energy and swing him around like a whip, dealing damage to enemies in a wide area. This increases the length and potency of already staggered enemies.
Hack and Slash	This ability, performed by Red XIII and Yuffie, has the pair attack in sync against a single enemy. This raises their limit levels.
Feline Fury	This ability, performed by Red XIII and Cait Sith, has the pair charge at the enemy with an animal rage, raising their limit levels.
Mognificent Shot	This ability, performed by Red XIII and Cait Sith, has the animal duo ascend to the skies with the moogle, raining damage on the enemies below. This grants them temporary unlimited MP.

Synergy Skills and Abilities showcase the aspects of both characters involved in the attack, and in Red XIII's case, that aspect happens to be closing the gap between enemies and dealing massive damage to them.