Square Enix’s epic RPG Final Fantasy VII Rebirth isn’t short on activities to do outside of its main story. Each region is home to a number of side-quests you’ll come across by talking to NPCs and checking each town’s job board. But which ones should you play?
Read More: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Should You Focus On Just The Main Story?
If you’re going for a full completionist run, the answer’s obvious. But what if you only want to do a few of them, or just get a good sampling on your first playthrough before going back and finishing off the rest? Not to worry, here you’ll find a curated list of 15 essential quests.
Each of these quests will offer something interesting, be it a tear-jerking moment of character bonding, or lighthearted, goofy humor. Some also contain character weapons you should snag. Whether you’re planning to polish off all the side-quests or only focus on the ones that feature the character you want to date at the Gold Saucer, these are some of the most entertaining moments of Rebirth.
“Flowers From the Hill” | Chapter 2: Grasslands
Party member: Aerith
Note: Pick Red, Yellow, and White flowers to get the most out of this quest
A perfect one for us Aerith fans, “Flowers From the Hill” is a nice call back to events from 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake and features, you guessed it, some flower picking. A sweet side story, it also features Chloe and her brother Chocobo Billy.
Junon’s Protorelic Quests | Chapter 4: Junon
It’s my opinion that you shouldn’t miss any of the protorelic quests as they lead up to some pretty humorous moments and you’ll get the Gilgamesh materia by completing all of them. Junon’s protorelic quests, however, contain the Fort Condor mini-game. Inspired by the Fort Condor mini-game in the original 1997 version of Final Fantasy VII, this is a fun, though challenging, strategy game with some hilarious throwbacks to FF7’s original blocky polygon models in the 1997 game.
“When Words Won’t Do” | Chapter 4: Junon
Party member: Barret
Rhonda will grant you this quest from Under Junon (after you grab it from the job board, of course). You’ll have to escort Salmon, an adorable whippet accompanied by an equally adorable song, to the Crow’s Nest to give Rhonda’s son some money.
Not only is this just a fun trip through Junon, there’s also some amusing banter between Cloud and Barret about parenting and family life, and you’ll get access to the Crow’s Nest at the conclusion. Just be sure to keep Salmon safe!
“Dreaming of Blue Skies” | Chapter 4: Junon
Party member: Tifa
Note: Pick the bovine meat over the other choices when prompted
A solid story set in the world of Final Fantasy VII with a nice moment between Tifa and Cloud, “Dreaming of Blue Skies” is one of those side-quests that feels truly worth pulling yourself away from the main narrative. Not only that, it features a nice connection to a certain large bird from the original game.
“Of Robed Men and Ransoms” | Chapter 7: North Corel
Party member: Red XIII
Note: Keep an eye out for the purple weapon chest in the mine
Someone’s kidnapped some robed men and it’s up to you and Red XIII’s nose to track them down. This is a pretty straightforward quest with somewhat decent subject material, but perhaps most importantly: You’ll earn Red’s Amethyst collar by finding it in the old mine.
“The Saga of Seaside Inn” | Chapter 7: Costa del Sol
Party member: Yuffie
Note: Defeating the Tonberry King alone isn’t enough, you must steal the crow
I get it, no one wants to spend more time around Johnny than any of us have to, but the guy just wants some help setting up his very dilapidated inn. Wrapping this quest is an essential part of completing 100% of Rebirth given what lies at its conclusion. And if you need help snatching that Pristine Crown from the Tonberry King, we got you covered with our guide on the boss battle here.
“The Pursuit of Perfection” | Chapter 8: Gongaga
Party member: Barret
If you ever wanted to learn a bit more about Barret’s gun-arm, this is the quest to play—and you’ll even get a new weapon for Barret upon its completion. I recommend doing this one sooner rather than later. You might end up getting a better weapon than this quest’s reward if you move too far along in the main story, and that can sorta take the wind out of this quest’s sails.
“The Spice of Life” | Chapter 9: Gongaga
Party member: Aerith
Note: You’ll need to pick the right ingredients and perfectly pick mushrooms for the best outcome
“The Spice of Life” is another slice-of-life side-quest that’s pretty humorous too. As it turns out, Cissnei ain’t the greatest at cooking, but maybe you and Aerith can help?
“O Chicken, Where Art Thou” | Chapter 9: Gongaga
Party member: Red XIII
Hear me out: The actual activity of this quest is far from riveting. You’re gonna be luring chickens back to their coop. Yeah, real exciting stuff for a high fantasy RPG, I know. Just get to the end of this one. Trust me. I’ll say nothing more.
“Promises To Keep” | Chapter 10: Cosmo Canyon
Party member: Red XIII
I have a feeling that “Promises To Keep” might be of importance in the eventual third part of the remake trilogy. Featuring Red XIII and the Gi, there’s some interesting dialogue that suggests the expanded narrative of the Gi’s history might not just be exclusive to Rebirth’s telling. It’s also a great moment for Red XIII’s character growth.
“Absence of a Sign” | Chapter 10: Cosmo Canyon
Party member: Aerith
Note: Get at least 80% in every photograph, and be sure to take a photo of Aerith
“Absence of a Sign” is easily one of the best side-quests in Rebirth. Not only does it contain some lovely stargazing, but there are some very nice, human moments shared between Cloud and Aerith here. Do not miss this one.
“Bonds of Trust” | Chapter 10: Cosmo Canyon
Party member: Yuffie
“Bonds of Trust” is important to complete if you wish to gather all of Yuffie’s weapons, but it also teaches you how to navigate the somewhat-tricky environments of Cosmo Canyon via chocobo.
Cosmo Canyon’s Protorelic Quests | Chapter 10: Cosmo Canyon
If you’re only going to do one protorelic quest, it simply must be the one in Cosmo Canyon. Not only is it a fitting tribute to Barret’s original speech at Cosmo Canyon in the original FF7, it contains a few touching flashbacks to a group of special characters from 2020’s Remake.
“My White Haired Angel” | Chapter 11: Nibelheim
Party member: Tifa
“My White Haired Angel” is another escort mission, but this time it’s a cat. And not just any cat, this one has a special connection to Tifa. If you’ve ever wanted a bit of insight into Cloud and Tifa’s childhoods at Nibelheim, this is a can’t-miss quest for sure.
Sorry, Tifa, I didn’t keep my promise
Okay, this guide’s a little light on the Tifa quests. Full disclosure: I’m a bit of a Clereth fan, but Tifa’s quests didn’t stand out as much as the ones I’ve listed here. Not to worry, if you’re all about our punchy childhood friend, check out our romance guide for all of Tifa’s quests.
“Lament of the Damned” | Chapter 12: Nibelheim
Party member: Barret
This quest will net you a new staff for Aerith and a new set of VR battles to engage in. It also features some nice references to Vincent Valentine for those of us who played all of the original game.
Though there are still 21 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth side-quests aside from these (as well as the excellent Queen’s Blood mini-game), you don’t want to miss these ones. That’s not to say the other ones are bad, these are just some of the best side moments in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Which side-quests have you enjoyed?
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