Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Folios: Best Abilities For All 7 Party Members

Just after the opening chapter of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, you’ll unlock Folios, a FFX Sphere Grid-esque system that lets you unlock stats boosts, synergy abilities, and more for each character. At an initial glance, it’ll seem like an overwhelming system filled with loads of different options, but once you get the change of things it’s one of the most effective ways of strengthening your party. The catch is that you won’t have enough SP for every skill until you do literally everything in Rebirth, so you’ll need to pick and choose. We’ve compiled a list of the best Folio skills for every character, so you can get a leg-up while you endeavor to unlock the rest.

How to Unlock Folio Abilities in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Folio Skills are unlocked using SP (Skills Points) which is earned a few different ways. Each time a character levels up they earn 5 SP. You can also earn 10 SP by obtaining manuscripts for each character, earned as rewards for story segments, side quests, rewards for minigames, and by exchanging Moogle Medals at the Moogle Emporium.

The other factor here is your party level, as each “tier” of the Folio needs to be unlocked by first meeting the party level. The max party level is ten and you get points for raising the level for beating each boss, completing side quests, completing world objectives like Variant Battles, and more. Generally, you’ll get to at least level 5 or 6 by simply playing through the main story, but doing world activities and side quests and easily boost that. The final two party levels are the hardest to hit, and because of that all of our suggestions will be below those levels.

In order to unlock nodes you’ll need to head to Mhagnata Books in any town, or use the purple Folio machine at bench rest spots. It’s important note that you can refund any node on any Folio at any time, so feel free to mix and match as you’re trying to build your party.

Best Folio Abilities For Cloud

• Weapon Ability Damage Up (5 SP) - This node can be unlocked early on at Party Level 3. Cloud has the highest physical attack of any character in Rebirth, and you should do everything you can to double down on that. He’s also in your party 90 percent of the time. Boosting his weapon ability damage lets his already powerful Weapon Skills get even deadlier.
• Limit Gauge Stagger (10 SP) - Cloud also has the strongest Limit Breaks in Rebirth, and his late-game build heavily focuses on building the Limit Gauge. To that end, this ability boosts the charge rate whenever you stagger an enemy, so make sure Cloud is the primary character doing staggers.
• Enhanced Limit Breaks (20 SP) - This one’s pretty self-explanatory and tied to the last one, boosting Cloud’s Limit damage by 5 percent.
• Firework Blade (5 SP) - This is the first Synergy ability Cloud can unlock, but it remains his best throughout the game. Your characters can still get damaged while using Synergy abilities, so Firework Blade’s range gives you a huge advantage, while also boosting the Limit Levels of both Cloud and Aerith, letting you use more powerful Limit Breaks.

Best Folio Abilities For Barret

• Enhanced Overcharge (5 SP) - Overcharge is a tremendous ability, causing good damage and increasing stagger. Barret has a lot of abilities that enhance Overcharge, and while this is the first you should get, boosting Overcharge’s damage, they’re all worth investing in.
• Physical Safeguard (10 SP) - Barret has the highest defense of any character, and these next two skills can make him a real powerhouse. This one activates Protect at the start of each battle.
• Regeneration (15 SP) -Similar to the last one, but this ability activates Regen at the start of each battle. The two abilities combined make Barret the perfect defensive option.
• Arcane Blast (15 SP) - This is one of Barret’s better synergy attacks due to being magic-based, and also able to be used at extreme range. You’ll need Aerith in the party to use it.

Best Folio Abilities For Tifa

• Combo Damage Up (5 SP) - Tifa’s combat style is all about stringing together lengthy combos and skills, so boosting that damage should be your first priority.
• Opening ATB Boost (10 SP) - Tifa has two ATB Boost abilities, and if you unlock both you’ll have a full ATB gauge at the start of each battle. That can give you a huge advantage in terms of buffing your party, or applying status effects to enemies.
• Utterly Unbridled Strength (15 SP) - This ability boosts Tifa’s damage whenever she has Unbridled Strength active, and it's the singular most important part of the Folio. Tifa should always have Unbridled Strength on.
• Bestial Barrage (15 SP) - This is Tifa’s most powerful Synergy attack and has a decent AoE that can draw in surrounding enemies.

Best Folio Abilities For Aerith

• Spiritual Harvest (20 SP) - MP is everything for Aerith, as you need to make sure she can always use magic. This ability boosts the amount of MP Soul Harvest absorbs.
• Altruistic Recovery Boost (15 SP) - Aerith is a healer, and this ability boosts the healing she gives to other party members, making it essential.
• Enduring Ward (15 SP) - Aerith’s wards are fantastic, especially Radiant Ward which makes her attack faster and invincible when casting a spell. You want those wards on the field as long as possible, hence this ability.
• Sweet and Sour Salvo (15 SP) - Like most other synergy abilities we’ve mentioned, the benefit of this one is that it’s ranged, reducing your chance for damage. Plus, seeing Aerith and Barret put on sunglasses never gets old.

Best Folio Abilities For Red XIII

• Elemental Defense Up (15 SP) - Red XIII can be specced as either an attacker or supporter, but either way, he’s uniquely positioned to be strong against magic. This particular ability boosts his elemental defense by ten percent.
• Magic Defense Up (5 SP) - Combine this with the previous ability, and certain accessories, and Red XIII becomes your key party member for magic-using enemies.
• Vengeful Guardian (10 SP) - Most of Red’s weapon skills hinge on his Vengeance Gauge, so you’ll want it to charge as quickly as possible. This ability boosts how much the gauge charges when blocking.
• Savage Assault (10 SP) - Red doesn’t have any exceptional synergy abilities, so your best bet is to use Savage Assault, which has him teaming up with Cloud, since he’s always in your party. It causes good damage and boosts both character’s Limit levels.

Best Folio Abilities For Yuffie

• Elemental Damage Up (10 SP) - Yuffie’s best skill is her elemental Ninjutsu, which can be changed to any of the four elements to exploit an enemy’s weakness. Boosting that damage makes her even more useful.
• Opening ATB Bonus (5 SP) - The same idea as with Tifa, an ATB bonus lets you get Yuffie’s elemental Ninjutsu set faster.
• Faithful Thief (15 SP) - This ties into Yuffie’s ninjutsu as here elemental attacks count as magic damage. With this ability, using Steal will give Yuffie a boost to her magic damage.
• Halcyon Descent (15 SP) - This synergy team-up with Cloud, again always in your party, has some good AoE, but more importantly, extends the length an enemy is staggered. Used at just the right time, it can be vital.

Best Folio Abilities For Caith Sith

• Lucky Jockey (15 SP) - This boosts Cait Sith’s luck by 100 when riding the Moogle, and when combined with a full Luck Up materia can make Cait Sith’s luck abilities devastating.
• Moogle Sentinel (10 SP) - These next two abilities are all about making the Moogle more useful, this one reduces the damage it takes.
• Moogle Vanguard (15 SP) - This ability boosts the damage the Moogle causes.
• Mayhem Go Round (10 SP) - This synergy ability with Barret is one of the best of the game, because it hits a ridiculously wide area. The pair let out a series of blasts that almost always catch every single enemy in view.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is available on PS5.