Take on Roche for one big rematch in Chapter 4. This is an eventful section of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, sending your party to the militarized city of Junon. After the inciting events of the parade, Cloud will lead a team of Shinra Troopers deep into the depths of the walled city. If you manage to keep all your Shinra buddies alive, you’ll earn a collectible for the museum in later chapters, too. But the big problem is Roche. Before leaving the city, you’ll need to take on the motorcycle-riding maniac in a special arena.
Boss: Roche
- Weakness: Fire
- Exploting his elemental weakness can pressure him. If Roche is pressured while riding the walls, he will drop to the ground and counterattack. Inflicting enough damage while he is pressured will cause him to spin out.
Cloud encounters Roche in Chapter 4 while escaping Junon. Roche rides on his motorcycle, circling the arena and forcing Cloud to fight solo. If any Seventh Infantry have survived this far, they will not join Cloud.
Before entering the battle, make sure to equip Cloud with Assess and Fire Materia. If you have Firebolt Blade, this is a useful stand-in for magic attacks. The attack is slow so difficult to land on Roche. You’ll still want Fire Materia to pressure him.
Roche rides around, moving fast. He’s way too fast to easily chase. When he’s circling the arena, guard and wait for him to come to you. Evade if he charges or simply attack. After spinning out, he’s usually vulnerable to attacks for a short time.
To really pressure him, wait for Roche to ride on the walls of the arena then use Fire. Don’t waste your MP until Roche is riding the walls. At this early stage in the game, you don’t have many options, but Fire is really all you need. If you really want to pressure him and exploit weaknesses, equip Ifrit and Summon. Otherwise, Roche shouldn’t be too difficult. Stock up on Potions before entering the fight. Top up your health, guard against his ranged attacks, and don’t forget to Lock-On. Do all that, and you’ll win this fight.
