Materia Leveling & Growth — Final Fantasy VII Remake Guide

Materia Leveling & Growth

Materia in Final Fantasy VII Remake is not static; it grows and levels up as you use it, unlocking more potent versions of spells and abilities. Each Materia has a growth meter that fills as you gain experience points (EXP) from battles. Higher-level Materia often grants access to stronger spells (e.g., Fire to Fira, Fira to Firaga) or enhances passive effects. Understanding this growth system is key to optimizing your party's capabilities throughout the game.

The rate at which Materia grows can be influenced by specific items and Materia. The AP Up Materia, for example, doubles the AP (Ability Points) gained by any Materia linked to it. This is incredibly useful for quickly leveling up essential Materia like healing spells or powerful offensive magic. You can acquire AP Up Materia by transforming Pedometer Materia with enough steps taken in-game.

Certain Materia, like Enemy Skill Materia, learn new abilities by being exposed to enemy attacks. The more diverse the range of enemies you fight, the more potential skills you can acquire. Similarly, Command Materia like Assess needs to be used to fill out the enemy intel reports, which can sometimes unlock new Materia or provide valuable combat insights.

The growth of Materia is persistent. Once a Materia reaches its highest level, it often transforms into a different, more advanced Materia, or it can be sold for Gil. This transformation mechanic ensures that your Materia investment continues to pay off throughout your playthrough. For instance, a leveled-up Fire Materia might transform into a Fire Materia with a higher spell level, or even a different type of Materia altogether.

Prioritizing which Materia to level up first depends on your playstyle and the challenges ahead. For early game progression and survivability, leveling up Cure Materia to Cura and Curaga is essential. For offensive power, focusing on upgrading your elemental magic Materia will yield sificant damage increases. On Hard Mode, where MP is scarce, leveling up MP-restoring or MP-cost-reducing Materia becomes even more critical.