Summons are some of the most useful materia you can find in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Instead of just unleashing a cinematic attack, these summons literally spawn a creature to help you in battle. Cloud has a unique Summon Material slot, and if one is equipped, you’ll gain a unique meter that charges independently during battle. It’s kind of like a separate Limit Break gauge.
When the Summon meter is fully charge, you’ll be able to summon a beast that attacks on its own. By spending your (or your allies) ATB, you can unleash special Summon Abilities. When the meter runs dry, the creature will finish with a massive attack that’s just as cinematic as you’d expect from these flashy spells from the original game.
And many of them can be missed. Below, I’ll explain how to get all the in-game summons for yourself.
More Final Fantasy 7 Remake guides:
Tips & Tricks Beginner’s Guide | How To Unlock Level 2 Limit Breaks | All Weapon Locations & Proficiency Abilities | All Rare Materia Locations | All Jukebox Music Tracks Locations | ‘Heavenly Dart Player’ Trophy Guide | ‘Sultan of Squat’ Trophy Guide | PSA: 3 Very Useful Button Inputs | How To Get 200% Or 300% Stagger Bonus | How To Beat Roche, Crab Warden & Air Buster | How To Beat Reno, Rude & Hell House | How To Beat Abzu, Ghoul & Eligor | All Side-Quests Guide & Rewards List
There are 9 Summons total — 6 can be unlocked in-game, 1 is a pre-order bonus, and 2 are special edition bonuses. Two can be found in-game or acquired in the story. The other four are only available as you complete Battle Intel challenges.
The last four summons are unlocked by completing VR Battles given by Chadley. For every five Battle Intel challenges you complete, talk to Chadley to unlock a new VR Battle. The VR Battle pits you against the Summon creature — defeat it to tame it and add it to your list of powerful Summons.
- Story Progression Summons:
- Ifrit: Ch. 3 – Unlock automatically in the story.
- Chocobo & Moogle: Ch. 6 – Found in Mako Reactor 5. Near the end, disable two sun lamps (of the last three) and use the platform to the right of the Cargo Platform exit. Use the control terminal up the ladder and clear the enemies in under 1 minute.
- Battle Intel VR Battle Summons:
- Shiva: 4 Battle Intel Complete – Unlocks VR Battle
- Fat Chocobo: 9 Battle Intel Complete – Unlocks VR Battle
- Leviathan: 14 Battle Intel Complete – Unlocks VR Battle
- Bahamut: 19 Battle Intel Complete – Unlocks VR Battle
You can start completing Battle Intel before you ever meet Chadley. Many of the Battle Intel quests are about Materia — so using magic as often as possible can help you unlock that Battle Intel early.
There are Battle Intel challenges related to Assess too, so the more enemies you scan with the Assess Materia, the more Battle Intel you can complete faster.