Bryan is a writer who first fell in love with JRPG’s with titles like Breath of Fire II and Secret of the Stars. After his family fell under some hard times, he had no connection to video games or way to enjoy them except vicariously. That was until one Christmas morning when two things popped up under a tree. A Sony PlayStation and the game Final Fantasy VII. At the time, it was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen, every square polygon and cut scene, every story beat. He’d been transported into the future. Here we are more than twenty years later and several FF titles under his play-through belt and now Final Fantasy VII: Remake reminds him that no matter how far things advance, the best stories last forever.
This Tifa Lockhart guide is something I’ve been itching to write for a long time. There’s a lot of ground to cover. Final Fantasy 7 is not just a game that is vast in story. Its tale spans multiple titles and as well a film. Tifa is a large part of these.
Tifa is a woman who fights with her fists and tickles the fancy of many who find her character design attractive. So much so that it may be forgotten Final Fantasy 7 is as much her story as it is Clouds. I’ll explain why this is true by telling you her tale.
You’ll get the lowdown on Tifa’s gameplay so you can take full advantage of the powerhouse she is during a fight.
This is a complete, comprehensive guide on Tifa Lockhart.
Bottom Line Up Front: This article will explore why Tifa is best used as a physical attacker. It will dive into deep details about her story and connection to Cloud. Not to mention, we’ll help you get her the best equipment.
Character Info
Age: 20 in FFVII (22 in Advent Children)
Height: 167cm or 5.6″
Character Type: Brawler/Monk
Character Build: Athletic
Weapons: Gloves/Knuckles
Playable: Yes
SPOILER WARNING
The article will begin with the story section, so to avoid spoilers skip ahead to the heading: FF7 gameplay.
It will show how to find all of Tifa’s equipment in the original and Remake. It will discuss suggested materia combos, including combat tips in those games and the Dissidia series. That section and those that follow it will have no storyline spoilers.
The story section about to come up will go over her complete tale in the overall FFVII tale. If you wish to experience these for yourself, head to the gameplay portion.
Tifa’s Story
A Rocky Childhood
Tifa was born in Nibelheim along with her future teammate Cloud Strife. Her father was Brian Lockhart, and her mother was Thea. She had charisma to her, and other kids would flock around her.
Her life was full of joy until she was eight years old. Then…her mother passed away.
Tifa convinced herself her mother was atop Mt. Nibel, unable to accept the death. A dangerous peak near Nibelheim with a harrowing, long wooden bridge leading up to it.
She rallied her friends to join her as she braved the mountain to find her mother. Cloud noticed this and followed to ‘protect’ her.
When things got scary, her friends abandoned her; Cloud didn’t. One misstep on that old bridge, and Tifa went tumbling down. Cloud reached out, his hand grasping for her.
The bridge gave out on him, and he wrapped around her as they both fell. Somehow they survived.
Tifa was in a coma for seven days. Her father blamed Cloud for the incident, and the usually quiet boy didn’t speak up in defense. In his mind, he had failed to protect her. He gets like that.
Everybody Loves Tifa
As she grew into a young teenager, even boys from her town often chased her. Not Cloud, though.
Tifa started to find herself a little enamored with the quiet rebel.
When Cloud rallied up the courage to ask her to a water tower and divulge his plan to become a SOLDIER, she was both happy and sad.
On the one hand, he had finally talked to her.
On the other hand, he was leaving.
Cloud wanted to become a great hero like Sephiroth, a First Class SOLDIER. He wanted to be stronger. He hadn’t forgiven himself for Tifa’s fall. That was his character.
Tifa made him make a promise, perhaps her way of hoping he would return. She made him swear that if she was ever in danger, he would rescue her.
He promised.
Sephiroth
Years went by. Tifa began training in hand-to-hand combat with a martial artist called Zangaan.
Tifa has always been ready to fight her own battles and wanted the strength to do so. She quickly became Zangaan’s best student.
Tifa had taken up a job as a tour guide for Mt. Nibel. Yes, she not only braved the mountain, she conquered it.
Shinra was akin to the largest government force in the world. They were the company that made SOLDIER. One of their MAKO reactors was built on Mt. Nibel.
Shinra sent the infamous Sephiroth to inspect some issues in Nibelheim, including the reactor. A new First Class SOLDIER, Zack, and a few senior officers would join him.
Tifa would be their guide. With a cowboy hat and as talkative and charming as ever, she showed Sephiroth and Zack around. The officers mostly kept their helmets on, their faces hard to see.
Unbeknownst to her, one of them was Cloud. He didn’t want her to find out because he was embarrassed he hadn’t made it as a SOLDIER.
They both had a more serious looming issue than running into one another.
Sephiroth had begun to go insane. He began to connect himself with an old entity named Jenova, whose cells were infused with his DNA. He called Jenova his mother and grew angry at humans.
Sephiroth set the whole town ablaze, killing many. Tifa’s father was one of a few townspeople who tried to follow and stop Sephiroth. Zangaan used his skills to rescue people from fires, unable to keep track of his student.
Tifa ran after Sephiroth. She found her dead father along the path up to the Mt. Nibel reactor. Tifa was going to get revenge.
She raced up to the reactor, only to arrive at the end of a fight between Zack and Sephiroth. A fight Zack had lost. Even seeing a First Class SOLDIER being thrown aside wouldn’t stop her. She grabbed up a sword to kill Sephiroth.
He cut her down with ease. Leaving her out cold and bleeding.
As he was going to finish his work, Cloud Strife showed up. Again, following the girl up the mountain.
Cloud was nowhere near a match for Sephiroth, but he would not let Tifa die. He took a stab from Sephiroth’s sword into his own stomach so he could get close enough to grab the villain. He then tossed the war hero’s body into the abyss, where the reactor pierced the Earth. Killing him, but likely dying himself.
Zangaan arrived, picking up Tifa and taking her to safety. He knew Shinra would want to cover this up, so he had to get her far away. Anyone else was left behind.
Tifa’s entire world was lost in a single night.
A Second Life
Tifa found a second life in Midgar. Midgar is the largest city in this fantasy world. It’s also a town run by Shinra.
The headquarters of Shinra makes for the centerpiece of the satellite city. A lower undercity where smog and poverty run rampant lies beneath an upper plate where wealthier members of society can see the sky.
What powers the city? MAKO energy. Where does it come from? The same kind of reactor as Niibelheim. It draws this energy up from the planet, slowly killing the world.
Someone who wanted to fight back for the planet became her new best friend, Barret Wallace. Like Tifa, Barret had been hurt by Shinra.
Together they were AVALANCHE.
Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs were the ragtag group that frequented Tifa’s bar. They helped her clean up, helped Barret raise his daughter Marlene, and gave Tifa friendship. They were the other members of AVALANCHE.
This was her new home. The Slums of Sector Seven. Tifa was an eco-terrorist and a bartender.
Tifa’s charm and looks made her an ideal bartender. The bar she tended, Seventh Heaven.
She and her friends practically lived in this bar. Together they kept Barret’s kid, Marlene, out of trouble. Tifa often babysat her, an aunt to the child.
Just as they planned to get more serious as a group and destroy the part of a reactor that sucks up the Lifestream of the planet, Tifa found a familiar face.
Cloud Strife. The man just can’t seem to die.
A Hopeless Romance
Tifa found him at the train station in the Sector 7 slums. He was having difficulty recalling who he was. Instantly, Tifa did whatever she could to help him.
As he got back his memories to some extent, he let her know he was an Ex-SOLDIER. He had achieved his dream, but it didn’t amount to anything.
He was a lot stronger but needed some cash. Tifa offered him some work with AVALANCHE. They did have a dangerous job coming up. A former SOLDIER would be great against Shinra.
Tifa was not aware he saved her in against Sephiroth. As far as she knew, Cloud had just been training to be exactly the man before her.
Cloud accepted the job.
Shinra
Shinra set up AVALANCHE by making their first Reactor bomb larger than Jessie had intended. Purposely killing people and blaming the group.
AVALANCHE decided to continue forward. The reactors need to be stopped. Cloud took some convincing, though; Tifa was key to making him choose to go with them.
Shinra set them up.
During the mission, Shinra attacked the ‘terrorists’ on live TV to expose them. Barret, Cloud, and Tifa won a massive fight on a bridge, but it caused an explosion.
Tifa and Cloud faced one another at the precipice of death by falling again. This time, Cloud was the one hanging by a thread, and Tifa was unable to save him. She watched in horror as he fell toward the slums below the upper plate.
Shinra lost the battle, but Tifa lost Cloud.
AVALANCHE No More
Instead of talking with the others about how losing Cloud made her feel, Tifa focused on the next problem.
A Kingpin named Don Corneo had been trying to get her to join his harem, and she learned he had some inside information on Shinra. She knew their lives were in danger since she and AVALANCHE’s identity was exposed.
Dressing up in her most provocative outfit and playing the damsel in distress, she tried to infiltrate Don Corneo’s mansion. She’d play at being a bride until she could get him alone.
Cloud hadn’t died, though. He ended up in a young woman called Aerith’s care. He and Aerith saw Tifa getting taken by Don’s men, and Cloud rushed off to save her. Once again, ‘the boy followed the brave girl up the mountain.’
Eventually, the three of them confronted Don Corneo. They learned Shinra would drop the entire top of Sector 7, crushing the slums below to eradicate AVALANCE.
Tifa and Aerith hit it off instantly. Sometimes joining in a laugh at Cloud’s tough-guy attitude. Aerith admired Tifa’s will to fight, and Tifa Aerith’s kind heart and strength.
With Aerith’s help, Tifa could save Marlene from the coming threat. Tifa and Cloud could join up with AVALANCHE to fight Shinra while Aerith got Marlene to safety.
Aerith got Marlene out but was captured by Shinra.
All of AVALANCHE, along with Cloud, fought Shinra on the Pillar. The large beam that stabled most of Sector 7’s upper plate. Jessie and Biggs died in the scuffle. Tifa had lost two more friends. Wedge was injured but was helped to escape.
The battle was won, but Shinra was playing chess, not checkers. The self-destruct was initiated despite the victory. Sector 7’s upper plate came tumbling down onto the slums below.
Barret, Tifa, and Cloud barely escaped via a zip line. Tifa’s bar and her new home were buried in rubble and fire.
Instead of mourning, she pressed forward. Bringing Barret to see his daughter and letting Cloud know she would go with him to save Aerith. Barret would come too. After all, Aerith saved his daughter.
The three of them went to rescue Aerith from Shinra. Learning she was something called an Ancient or a Cetra. Supposedly able to lead people to a Promised Land. Shinra wasn’t wrong.
Relentless
When rescuing Aerith from Shinra, someone else returned. It wasn’t just Cloud that came back from Tifa’s past. It was the man who killed her father, Sephiroth.
He was planning on awakening the old power of Jenova to find the Black Materia and summon Meteor to end the world. The enemy of Jenova was the Cetra.
Aerith is the last of them. If she could summon Holy, Sephiroth’s plans would fail.
The team would escape Shinra but still deal with them occasionally. The company was a secondary issue now.
Their new goal was Sephiroth. They had to stop him from finding the Black Materia and ending the world with Meteor.
Another Loss
The journey would lead the team to the Promised Land, but Aerith would run off alone. The team rallied to try and find her.
Aerith was silently summoning Holy to save the planet when they located her. Cloud went to check on her over a crystal water lake while the others watched.
In what may be the greatest swerve a videogame has ever pulled, it was revealed Sephiroth had some control over Cloud, moving him like a puppet. Forcing his sword to slay Aerith, while Cloud resisted dealing the final blow, it didn’t stop the inevitable.
Sephiroth was there. His blade came down through Aerith, killing her in front of Cloud and everyone.
The one being that could stop Meteor had died.
Tifa wept at the body of yet another of her friends, but grieving would have to wait again. If they couldn’t stop Meteor, they had to kill Sephiroth before he summoned it.
It went terribly. Cloud’s memories were shown to be a lie. He was never a SOLDIER. He had been remembering Zack’s life instead of his own. Tifa was called out for knowing this and not speaking up. She began to doubt herself and her choices.
Then, Cloud gave up, giving the Black Materia to Sephiroth. It was over.
Barret urged Tifa to flee, and they all had no choice but to run. Sephiroth was summoning Meteor, and giant Weapons rose from the planet. The world was doomed.
Cloud had fallen to the influence of MAKO and become a catatonic mess. Again Tifa would have to start from nothing. But she would rally because no matter how often she falls, Tifa gets back up.
Forward On
Tifa would be a bit of a default leader for a time. The team is now chasing down Huge Materia to destroy the giant Meteor hurling to the Planet at Sephiroth’s behest. Aerith’s Holy could have stopped it, but only a Cetra could use it, and Aerith was dead.
Tifa eventually decided to take time out to care for Cloud as he lay speechless in a wheelchair. Finally, after battling one of the great Weapons summoned from the planet, she and Cloud fell into the Lifestream.
There they saw the true memories of what happened in Nibelheim, and for the first time, Tifa learned Cloud was there. She learned he had saved him at the cost of himself.
When they managed to escape the Lifestream, Cloud was cured. It was time to fight Sephiroth again.
No More Falling
In a glorious last battle, everyone gave it their all. The many forms of Sephiroth falter at their hands until his Jenova cells fail him, and his great power evaporates. That isn’t the end, though.
When the power subsided, the crater started to fill with the Lifestream, and the human form of Sephiroth remained. His long sword out, fully regenerated with the same smile he had when he burned Nibelheim.
The team was fleeing, but Cloud stayed. He wouldn’t let Sephiroth live. In a final one-on-one confrontation, Cloud killed Sephiroth. But the ground beneath Cloud faltered, and the fall would be forever this time.
Cloud was sinking into the Lifestream, lost in a trance before he snapped out of it to Tifa calling and reaching for him from a ledge.
It was Tifa, and she would fall with him or save him this time. Like the bridge long ago, the cliff gave out on her. She fell into his arms, but this time they didn’t tumble downward. With Tifa in his arms, Cloud pushed off a collapsing stone and made it to a ledge.
They had saved each other.
Advent Children
Aerith had managed to summon Holy before she died. The great magic passed over the planet and repelled Meteor. It also destroyed everything that was poising the planet, reactors included.
Two years later, places like Midgar were in shambles. A disease from the rain was affecting the inhabitants. Tifa was doing her part to help. She and Cloud had begun to care for the orphans as Aerith had.
It turns out the disease was related to Jenova. Sephiroth was trying to resurrect himself. Cloud was still pretty detached, barely around most days even though he and Tifa lived together.
He still blamed himself for what happened to Aerith and couldn’t focus on what he had.
Tifa faced some tough problems in the film, getting attacked and nearly killed. The team rallied, fought back Behemoth, and Cloud killed Sephiroth again.
At last, Cloud could let go of Aerith and focus on the woman whose hand he wanted to hold his whole life. The strongest person he’s ever known.
Tifa Lockhart.
Gameplay
FF7 Tifa
Leveling up, like equipping materia in the original FFVII title, is relatively similar for all characters. You can make anyone anything and still beat the game. Base stats do make Tifa a better physical attacker.
Suggested Equipment
Ultimate Weapon: Premium Heart(stronger, but no AP growth) or God’s Hand(if you want AP growth)
Armor: Minerva Band (while not as high in defense as others, it also nullifies fire, cold, holy, and gravity damage). Mystile is a better overall option but lacks the immunities.
Armor Slots: x6 Heal+ALL. Double Cut+Luck Plus. HP Up +Speed Plus
You can replace HP Up or Speed Plus if you ever pass the maximum without it. (9999HP or 255Speed).
Auto-life with Revive+Final Attack in a linked slot as a good backup.
Glass Cannon Build
If you want to live dangerously, give her the Chocobobracelet and keep your limit gauge full(Premium Heart does more damage with a full Limit Gauge). Replace Speed Plus with Luck Plus if Speed is maxed.
Weapon(Premium Heart). Double Cut+HP Plus. Long Range+Luck Plus Added Effect+Contain Revive+Final Attack
Armor(Chocobobracelet): Luck Plus, Speed Plus, Speed Plus, Luck Plus
Accessory: Sprint Shoes
How do I Get Tifa’s Ultimate Weapon?
You must find the Midgar Key by digging around in the mini-game at Bone Village. Return to Midgar and visit Wall Market. Make sure Tifa and Cid are in your party for a special cut scene. The machine that shot at you when you first visited now sells Tifa’s Ultimate Weapon, Premium Heart.
Where do I Get the Master Fist?
When you go back to Midgar in the story, go the wrong way in the tunnel. Characters will try and tell you not to, but lots of stuff can be found. Keep going, and you’ll get to the Shinra building. The Master Fist can be found at the item shop on the second floor.
How do I Date Tifa?
You can get Tifa to be your date in the Gold Saucer if you choose only favorable answers to questions she asks you throughout the game. You must also choose the opposite for others, such as not buying a flower from Aerith.
Limit Breaks in FF7
Her Limit Breaks are all combo moves and require you to hit slots accordingly. Here’s how to unlock them.
Use Beat Rush 9 times to get Somersault.
96 Kills unlocks Waterkick.
Use Water Kick 7 times to get Meteodive.
96 more Kills after getting Waterkick unlocks Dolphin Blow.
Use Dolphin Blow 6 times to get Meteor Strike.
Tifa can make a full 7 attacks when she uses her Final Limit Break, Final Heaven.
How do I Get Her Final Limit Break?
That was one of the most grueling tasks I ever endeavored as a youth, but I’m terrible at music puzzles. Luckily the Internet is your friend now, and I’m here to help.
The code needed to play to unlock her Final Limit Break
Go back to Nibelheim after Tifa has rescued Cloud from his catatonic state. Tifa must be in your party. You’ll want to play the piano in her house. Here is a diagram of what to play.
Quick Tip: Missing the “Yeah!” on her final limit slots is easy. Consider just aiming for the hit. Final Heaven does 11x her normal damage without the critical, but missing will cancel it completely.
Tifa in FF7: Remake
In this game, she excels at physical attacks more than any other character. You can utilize the Mythril Claws for more magic-based damage or Feather Dusters for a more rounded build.
I like the Feather Dusters because of that 70% Chi buff and the look, but Metal Knuckles make gameplay easier.
Suggested Equipment
Weapon: Metal Knuckles. Focus on Attack and then Materia Slots
Armor: Chain or Cog Bangle
Accessory: Transference Module
Suggested Materia
Weapon: x6(if Maxed) HP UP+ATB Stagger, ATB Assist+Skill Master Materia, Parry/Chakra+Luck Up
Armor: X3(4with Chain) Warding+(Time,Binding,Subversion) HP Up +(Luck Plus if you have the chain)
You can switch out the Warding Materia based on the battle you’re about to enter. Otherwise, keeping Binding there is a safe choice.
Her Gloves
Because the game lets you replay chapters after finishing it, you can get all her gloves. Some you miss picking up will become available for purchase in later Chapters.
The Leather Gloves, Metal Knuckles, and Mythril Knuckles are acquired through the story.
The Sonic Strikers are found in Mako Reactor 5 during Chapter 7. Make sure to explore the corridors. The chest it’s in will glow purple and rests at the far left of a hall.
The Feathered Gloves can be found in the Sewers in Chapter 10. If you miss these, you can buy them later in Chapter 16. They have arguably her best skill. Try not to miss them! When you open one of the floodgates, they will be in a chest on the floor behind it.
Purple Pain is the weapon that gives her the most HP. You can find this in Chapter 16 when you are controlling Tifa. When crossing the handlebars, you will see a ladder that leads to a higher platform. Instead of taking this ladder, continue crossing handlebars until you get the chest with this weapon.
All the skills from her weapons can be mastered by using their skill. Make sure to master each one to make the best out of your Tifa.
Quick Tip: I like to equip First Trike Materia and the Whistlewind Scarf to start each battle with one ATB gauge filled.
Remake Limit Breaks
You only get two Limit Breaks in FF7: Remake, for part one at least. You start with her first one right out of the gate. It builds up by taking damage and staggering enemies. You can also equip items to help increase the rate at which it grows.
Where can I Get Dolphin Flurry?
To get her second Limit Break, go to the coliseum at Wall Market. Take the elevator down and participate in the required fights there. Tifa must be in your party. You must do this in Chapter 14! Or you could end up having to wait until the game is over.
It is a powerful attack, major stagger. Make sure to pick it up.
Dissidia 012: Stay Close
On the PSP version of Dissidia 012, Tifa comes in with an added bit of story. She is summoned like the others but does not have her memories. She fights alongside the secondary cast called up, such as Yuna and Kaan. Eventually, battling Ultimecia.
To get the best out of Tifa, you must be good with feint attacks. Press the enemy and feint, then launch a magic attack to distract them or charge in again.
To make a feint attack, press x when attacking. Her magic is pretty crap, as is her range, but using it after feinting to switch up your patterns is a good way to keep your enemy on their toes. This way, they cannot predict you, allowing them to counter/block your follow-up attack.
Dissidia NT Tifa
In Dissidia NT, her fighting style is close quarters. She does not have good range damage, meaning you need to be aggressive.
She has a special ability called Fever Time. The more you land attacks, the more it builds up. It starts to deplete when you aren’t landing hits. When her EX Skill goes off, she can get extra Limit Break attacks if her Fever Time bar is built up.
Use her speed and charge to get her Bravery Attacks off quickly before her Fever Time depletes. She is a better overall character in this game than in the previous installment.
Some Notable Appearances
Ehrgeiz. Tifa is a playable fighting character in a hidden gem. (PS1 game)
Answer: Yes. There are mods for it on the PC for Remake. Also, in Dissidia, you can do so by purchasing them in the shop.
Question: How to Use Omnistrike on Tifa?
Answer: After activating Unbridled Strength, use Omnistrike as a strong attack. It is a shoulder tackle, so it’s useless against flying enemies. Tifa will do more damage when Unbridled Strength is active with all her attacks. So, using another move while it’s active is better than rushing to Omnistrike. If you wait for two ATB gauges and use Unbridled Strength twice, you can get Rise and Fall, an even stronger attack.
Question: How is Tifa so Strong?
Answer: A martial art concept of chi is often used to an extreme in fantasy games. Where characters like Tifa train to increase this inner force/strength/ki. Tifa has done it to such an extent she can seemingly break steel with her fist, and tank hits from monsters and bullets without appearing overly muscular.
That’s Our Guide
That is our guide on Tifa Lockhart. We hope you found what you were looking for and maybe even noticed some story beats to endear you to her a little more.
Tifa is a rare character whose important story beats get overlooked because of aesthetics. She is arguably the strongest of the group in more ways than one.
