Limit breaks are powerful attacks, or other handy status boosts, that can be performed once the limit bar is full. The limit bar is slowly filled as enemies attack the character. Fury status makes the limit bar fill quicker and Sadness status makes the limit bar fill slower.
Most characters have 4 levels of limits; these characters can only learn the 4th limit once all other limits are learned. The 4th level limit is hidden, and comes in form of a "manual" to the limit. Once all other limits are learned, simply use this manual object on the character to learn the level 4 limit.
Most of the first limits on each level are learned by killing more and more enemies. This means that the character has to be the one that deals the killing blow in a fight; it doesn't matter if other characters damage the enemy as well. Most second limits on each level are simply gained by using the first limit on the level enough times.
The tables below list the number of times you have to use the first limit break of each level to get second limit breaks, as well as the number of kills needed to gain the first limit break of the next level. These numbers aren't conclusive because there is an amount of randomness to the system, they should be used as guidelines.
Limit breaks that have special effects beyond dealing damage are highlighted in bold.
Limit breaks diagram
- TOP: all limit breaks are direct attacks
- BOTTOM: all limit breaks are support and debuff techniques
- LEFT: some limit breaks support the allies
- RIGHT: some limit breaks debuff the enemies
- CENTER: limit breaks with random effect.
Cloud
| Name | Level | Effect | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braver | 1 | Damages one enemy | Cloud starts with it |
| Cross Slash | 1 | Attack & Debuff: Damages one enemy, inflicts stop | Use Braver 9 times |
| Blade Beam | 2 | Damages one enemy, splits to damage all others | Kill 120 enemies |
| Climhazzard | 2 | Damages one enemy | Use Blade Beam 7 times |
| Meteorain | 3 | Damages random enemies | Kill 200 more enemies (320 total) |
| Finishing Touch | 3 | May remove enemies from battle | Use Meteorain 6 times |
| Omnislash | 4 | 15 slash attacks | Buy the Omnislash manual from the Battle Arena in the Gold Saucer. It costs 64,000 Battle Points in Disc 1 and 32,000 Battle Points in Disc 2 and 3. |
Tifa
Tifa's limit breaks are chained. When a limit break is used, she will do all of the attacks in the following order, up to the maximum limit of the level currently selected. The slots system is used to pick how well the limits in question are handled:
- Hit: Normal damage
- Yeah!: Extra damage
- Miss: Attack not used
Too many misses will break the chain and the limits that follow aren't used. Also only the first limit break of the Level Tifa is set on will accumulate uses. For example, if Tifa has her first limit breaks of Level 1 and Level 2 and is set on the Level 2 limit, then no matter how many times she gets a Hit or Yeah! on the Beat Rush portion of the slot, her count for Beat Rush will not improve.
| Name | Level | Effect | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beat Rush | 1 | Damages one enemy | Tifa starts with it |
| Somersault | 1 | Damages one enemy | Use Beat Rush 9 times, even missing counts. |
| Waterkick | 2 | Damages one enemy, water elemental | Kill 96 enemies |
| Meteodrive | 2 | Damages one enemy | Use Waterkick 7 times, even missing counts. |
| Dolphin Blow | 3 | Damages one enemy | Kill 96 more enemies (192 total) |
| Meteor Strike | 3 | Damages one enemy | Use Dolphin Blow 6 times, even missing counts. |
| Final Heaven | 4 | Damages all enemies | On Disc 2 or 3, after Cloud is rescued, play the piano in Tifa's house in Nibelheim to get the manual. |
In game, there's one way of learning the melody for Final Heaven - during Cloud's story in Kalm. You can get the limit break even if you don't find the melody out, however, just play the melody normally.
- Note: Tifa must be in your party when you play the song to get the limit break.
- PlayStation version:
(
+) (+) (+) 
- PC version (mapping): [Cancel] [Switch] [Menu] ( [Page Up] + [Menu] ) ( [Page Up] + [Switch] ) [Cancel] [Switch] [Menu] ( [Page Up] + [Cancel] ) [OK] [Cancel] [Switch] [Cancel]
- PC version (default keys): Insert Delete + ( 9 + + ) ( 9 + Delete ) Insert Delete + ( 9 + Insert ) Enter Insert Delete Insert
- PC version for Steam (default keys): c Insert v ( [Page Up] + v ) ( [Page Up] + Insert ) c Insert v ( [Page Up] + c ) x c Insert c
See also Separate module about Tifa's piano.
Barret
| Name | Level | Effect | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Shot | 1 | Damages one enemy | Barret starts with it |
| Mindblow | 1 | Debuff: Removes one enemy's MP | Use Big Shot 9 times |
| Grenade Bomb | 2 | Damages all enemies | Kill 80 enemies |
| Hammer Blow | 2 | May instantly kill an enemy | Use Grenade Bomb 8 times |
| Satellite Beam | 3 | Damages all enemies | Kill 80 more enemies (160 total) |
| AngerMax | 3 | 18 attacks on random enemies | Use Satellite Beam 6 times |
| Catastrophe | 4 | 10 attacks on random enemies | Save North Corel from the runaway train, and a lady in a hut at the top of the town will give the manual to you. |
"AngerMax" was erroneously mispelled "UngarMax" in the first English version of FF7.
Aeris
| Name | Level | Effect | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healing Wind | 1 | Support: Heals the party for half their HP | Aeris starts with it |
| Seal Evil | 1 | Debuff: May stop and silence an enemy | Use Healing Wind 8 times |
| Breath of the Earth | 2 | Support: Cures all party members' status ailments | Kill 80 enemies |
| Fury Brand | 2 | Support: Fills all allies' limit bars | Use Breath of the Earth 6 times |
| Planet Protector | 3 | Support: Makes the whole party invincible for a while | Kill 80 more enemies (160 total) |
| Pulse of Life | 3 | Support: Completely heals party | Use Planet Protector 5 times |
| Great Gospel | 4 | Support: Planet Protector + Pulse of Life | From the weapon store on the peninsula near Gongaga. |
Note: Known as Aerith in the Japanese version of the game. To make it easier to get Aeris' 2nd and 3rd level limit breaks just do the following. After you escape from the Church give Aeris some Materia (Fire, Ice, and Restore Materia work well) and get into some random battles. Fight only with Aeris using her magic (this should instantly kill most enemies) and use Cloud for healing. Do this until you have her 2nd level limit break. If you don't have the Seal Evil limit break by the time this is done, you can do it now if you want. It should only take a little more than a half an hour. Repeat this process to get her 3rd level limit break. This'll make it easier when you want to get her last limit break.
To get the Level 4 manual, you need to talk to the sleeping man in a cave near Junon (North East). He'll tell how many battles you've been in. When the two last digits of the battle count are the same and odd (i.e. 11, 33, 55, etc.), he'll give you a piece of Mythril. This can then be traded for the Great Gospel manual at the blacksmith on the Peninsula east of Gongaga after the events of Rocket Town. The blacksmith will give you two boxes to choose from, the "big one" and the "small one." Choose the small one. The small box is located up the stairs in a grey safe. (You can get more than one Mythril from the sleeping man, and open both chests.)
You can do this any time after getting out of the Corel Desert prison and before going to the Temple of the Ancients. Take the buggy given from Dio, go to Costa de Sol, and take the boat back to Junon. It will allow you to cross the river to get to the cave. Note: It will cost you a minimum of 110gil. You must drive the buggy into Costa de Sol then run to the boat you arrived on and bribe the sailor standing there 100gil to get to Junon with the buggy. To return to Costa de Sol with your buggy you must drive the buggy into Junon. Once inside it will cost you again to get back to the boat but this time it's only 10gil for an elevator ride. Bribe the guard at the elevator to take you back up and there you go.
Red XIII
| Name | Level | Effect | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sled Fang | 1 | Damages one enemy | Red XIII starts with it |
| Lunatic High | 1 | Support: Casts haste on the party | Use Sled Fang 8 times |
| Blood Fang | 2 | Attack & Support: Drains HP and MP from one enemy | Kill 72 enemies |
| Stardust Ray | 2 | 10 random attacks | Use Blood Fang 7 times |
| Howling Moon | 3 | Support: Casts haste, berserk and strength-up on Red XIII | Kill 72 more enemies (144 total) |
| Earth Rave | 3 | 5 random attacks | Use Howling Moon 6 times |
| Cosmo Memory | 4 | Damages all enemies | Defeat Lost Number in the Shinra Mansion to obtain the manual. |
Cait Sith
Cait Sith only has two limit breaks.
| Name | Level | Effect | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dice | 1 | Damages one enemy for 100 times the sum of the dice | Cait Sith starts with it |
| Slots | 2 | Random effects | Kill 40 enemies |
Dice
Cait Sith will throw anywhere from 2 to 6 dice, depending on your level.
- Level 01 - 29: 2 dice
- Level 30 - 39: 3 dice
- Level 40 - 49: 4 dice
- Level 50 - 59: 5 dice
- Level 60 - 99: 6 dice
Damage to enemies is calculated by multiplying the greatest number of dice that come up the same (1 to max number of dice) by the sum of all the dice, and then by 100. Here are some examples:
Level: 10
- Number the same: 1 (one 5 or one 3)
- Sum of dice: 8
Level: 55
- Number the same: 2 (two 2s)
- Sum of dice: 15
Level: 99
- Number the same: 3 (three 4s)
- Sum: 24
Slots
Cait Sith's Slots limit is dependent on how the three reels line up. There are specific limit breaks for getting certain groups of items in any order, and random limit breaks from the Toy Box for not getting one of the groups. The Toy Box limits will use random items to inflict damage at anywhere from two to five times normal damage.
| Reels | Effect | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Hearts | Support | Lucky Girl bonuses the party for 255% chance to hit with physical or magic attacks. Physical attacks also do double damage. |
| 3 Stars | Support | This heals the entire party. |
| 3 Mogs | Support | Combines entire party into a giant Cait Sith with everyone's HP and MP. Cait Sith gets all experience if he wins and the whole party dies if he loses. |
| 3 Crowns | Attack | Toy soldiers attack enemies for 5 times normal damage. |
| 3 Bars | Attack | A random summon is performed using no MP. |
| 3 Cait Sith | Attack | Your party automatically wins. |
| 2 Cait Sith, 1 Bar | Bad! | Your party automatically dies. |
| Anything else | Attack | An attack from the Toy Box. |
Cid
| Name | Level | Effect | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boost Jump | 1 | Damages one enemy | Cid starts with it |
| Dynamite | 1 | Damages all enemies | Use Boost Jump 7 times |
| Hyper Jump | 2 | Damages all enemies | Kill 60 enemies |
| Dragon | 2 | Attack & Support: Drains HP and MP from one enemy | Use Hyper Jump 6 times |
| Dragon Dive | 3 | 6 random attacks | Kill 76 more enemies (136 total) |
| Big Brawl | 3 | 8 random attacks | Use Dragon Dive 5 times |
| Highwind | 4 | 18 random attacks | Use the submarine to reach the sunken Gelnika (airplane wreck found in one of the bays). The manual can be found in the cargo hold. |
Yuffie
| Name | Level | Effect | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greased Lightning | 1 | Damages one enemy | Yuffie starts with it |
| Clear Tranquil | 1 | Support: Heals party | Use Greased Lightning 8 times |
| Landscaper | 2 | Damages all enemies | Kill 64 enemies |
| Bloodfest | 2 | 10 random attacks | Use Landscaper 7 times |
| Gauntlet | 3 | Damages all enemies | Kill 64 more enemies (128 total) |
| Doom of the Living | 3 | 15 random attacks | Use Gauntlet 6 times |
| All Creation | 4 | Damages all enemies | Defeat Godo at the top of the Wutai Pagoda and finish Yuffie's subquest to obtain the manual. |
Vincent
Vincent, unlike all the others, has only one limit break per limit level, and his limit breaks involve morphing into another creature. You cannot control Vincent while he is morphed, and one of two possible effects is picked randomly for each attack.
| Name | Level | Effect 1 | Effect 2 | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galian Beast | 1 | Berserk Dance: --- Damages one enemy |
Beast Flare: --- Fire damage to all enemies |
Vincent starts with it |
| Death Gigas | 2 | Giga Dunk: --- Damages one enemy |
Livewire: --- Lightning damage to all enemies |
Kill 40 enemies |
| Hellmasker | 3 | Splattercombo: --- Damages one enemy |
Nightmare: --- (Debuff) Status ailments to one enemy |
Kill 56 more enemies (96 total) |
| Chaos | 4 | Chaos Saber: --- Fire damage to all enemies |
Satan Slam: --- Attempts instant death, then does fire damage to all enemies |
Waterfall by the lake. |
To get the level 4 manual, go to the waterfall on the northern side of the round lake on the second continent. You need either a colored chocobo or the submarine to reach it.
If you go to the waterfall with Vincent in your party, a cutscene follows. Exit the cave, go to the mainland, fight ten battles, re-enter it, and talk to Lucrecia to get the final limit.