Strategy | Limit Breaks

Introduction
All Limit Breaks Listed by Character
Level 4 Limit Break Manual Locations
Tifa's Reels
Cait Sith's Slots
Quick Limit Breaks

Introduction

Limit Breaks are the special abilities unique to each character, which can be triggered during battle when their "Limit" bars are full. With the exceptions of Vincent and Cait Sith, all of the main playable characters each have seven limit breaks: two each of Level 1, 2, and 3 limit breaks, and one on Level 4. The Levels 1-3 limit breaks can be obtained by meeting certain conditions, while the Level 4 ones require the use of special "manuals".

General Conditions for Acquiring Limit Breaks
Each character starts off with their primary Level 1 Limit Break. Level 2 and 3 Limit Breaks each require that that character kill 80 enemies, while secondary limit breaks for Levels 1, 2, and 3 require for their complementary primary limit to be used eight times.

For example, Cloud starts off with Braver. To get his second Level 1 limit break, Cross Slash, he would need to use Braver eight times. Once he delivers the finishing blow to eighty enemies, Blade Beam will be unlocked. Use Blade Beam eight times to unlock Climhazzard, and so on.

Note that primary Level 2 and 3 limit breaks can be unlocked before secondary ones for lower levels. For example, it's entirely possible for Cloud to get Blade Beam, and even Meteorain (primary Level 3) and Omnislash (Level 4) before Cross Slash.

Vincent and Cait Sith
As these characters have less limit breaks than the others, their conditions are slightly different. Vincent only has four limit breaks (all primary, none secondary). To unlock his Level 2 and 3 limits, he must have killed sixty enemies for each of them. Cait Sith only has two limit breaks (both primary); to unlock his second, he must have killed eighty enemies.

All Limit Breaks Listed by Character

Cloud Strife
Level 1 - Braver | Cross Slash
Level 2 - Blade Beam | Climhazzard
Level 3 - Meteorain | Finishing Touch
Level 4 - Omnislash Barret Wallace
Level 1 - Big Shot | Mind Break
Level 2 - Grenade Bomb | Hammer Blow
Level 3 - Satellite Beam | Angermax
Level 4 - Catastrophe

Tifa Lockheart
Level 1 - Beat Rush | Somersault
Level 2 - Waterkick | Meteodrive
Level 3 - Dolphin Blow | Meteor Strike
Level 4 - Final Heaven Aeris Gainsborough
Level 1 - Healing Wind | Seal Evil
Level 2 - Breath of the Earth | Fury Brand
Level 3 - Planet Protector | Pulse of Life
Level 4 - Great Gospel

Red XIII
Level 1 - Sled Fang | Lunatic High
Level 2 - Blood Fang | Stardust Ray
Level 3 - Howling Moon | Earth Rave
Level 4 - Cosmo Memory Cait Sith
Level 1 - Dice
Level 2 - Slots
Level 3 - (none)
Level 4 - (none)

Cid Highwind
Level 1 - Boost Jump | Dynamite
Level 2 - Hyper Jump | Dragon
Level 3 - Dragon Dive | Big Brawl
Level 4 - Highwind Yuffie Kisaragi
Level 1 - Greased Lightning | Clear Tranquil
Level 2 - Landscaper | Bloodfest
Level 3 - Gauntlet | Doom of the Living
Level 4 - All Creation

Vincent Valentine
Level 1 - Galian Beast
Level 2 - Death Gigas
Level 3 - Hellmasker
Level 4 - Chaos

Level 4 Limit Break Manual Locations

To learn Level 4 limit breaks for each character, they must have learned their primary Level 3 limits beforehand. In addition, special items called limit break manuals must be used on them. What follows is a list of the manuals available for each character, and the methods of obtaining them.

Cloud - Omnislash
At the Gold Saucer's Battle Square, trade 64,000 points (Disk 1 only) or 32,000 points (Disks 2 and 3 only) to receive Cloud's manual.

Tifa - Final Heaven
Enter Tifa's house at Nibelheim, and play the following tune on her piano: X, square, triangle, L1 / R1 + triangle, L1 / R1 + square, X, square, triangle, L1 / R1 + X, O, X, square, X. Search the music sheet to find Tifa's Limit Break manual.

Barret - Catastrophe
Visit North Corel late in the game, and a lady in one of the homes there will give it to you.

Aeris - Great Gospel
Southeast of Midgar is a small cave with a sleeping man; note that you will need the Buggy or the Tiny Bronco to reach this cave. When the number of battles you have fought end in the same last two digits (eg. 166, 233, 311), visit the man and he will give you Mythril. With the Mythril, visit the house on the south peninsula near Cosmo Canyon and speak to the blacksmith inside. He'll tell you to choose the large box, or the small one. Pick the small one to obtain Aeris' Limit Break manual.

Red XIII - Cosmo Memory
Visit Nibelheim and enter the Shinra Mansion. Inside should be a safe in one of the rooms. To open the safe, use the following code: right 36, left 10, right 59, right 97. The safe will open to reveal a miniboss named Lost Number. Kill Lost Number, and you'll win Red XIII's manual.

Vincent - Chaos
Obtain Vincent first in disc 1 or 2, and then visit the waterfall in the mountains between Cosmo Canyon and Nibelheim. You will need either a special chocobo or the submarine to reach the waterfall. Once behind the waterfall, Lucrecia will appear and show Vincent's past. Leave, and once on disc 3, revisit the waterfall and Vincent will receive his Limit Break manual.

Cid - Highwind
Cid's manual can be found in one of the chests inside the sunken Gelnika plane.

Yuffie - All Creation
Obtain Yuffie, and visit Wutai. Enter the village's tower with Yuffie in your party, and she'll proceed to challenge its inhabitants. Once Yuffie beats her father, she'll receive her manual.

Tifa's Reels

When Tifa's limit break is activated, all of the limit abilities she has learned thus far can be accessed through slot machine-style selection. A Hit guarantees that the attack will be done, a Yeah! means it'll do critical damage, and a Miss means that it won't be done at all.

Tifa's Reels - Breakdown Chart

Cait Sith's Slots

Cait Sith only has two limit breaks: Dice (Level 1) and Slots (Level 2). However, Slots is really eight limit breaks combined into one. Here are the combinations needed for each of the "Slots" attacks, as well as their descriptions.

Toybox - Any random combination. A non-elemental attack.
Toy Soldiers - Three crowns. A non-elemental attack.
Random Summon - Three bars. Calls forth a random summon monster. Will not work if Cait has the status effect Silence.
Mog Dance - Three stars. Heals your party's HP and MP.
Transformation - Three giant moogles. Increases Cait's size and stats and removes other party members from battle.
Lucky Girl - Three hearts. Makes everyone do critical damage for the rest of the battle.
Joker Death - Two Cait head parts and a bar. Your entire party dies.
Game Over - Three Cait head parts. All enemies die.

Cait's Slots - Breakdown Chart

Quick Limit Breaks

This tip from the Thirteenth Dark Knight provides a quick way of gaining limit breaks up to the third level. Equip a particular character with a Cover materia, and put the character in Fury (by using 'Hyper'). Travel to the forest outside Mideel, and fight random battles. Particularly look for Head Hunters. They are legless insects with green bodies, red eyes and two long claws, usually in groups of 2,3 or 4. Let them attack you repeatedly, but don't kill them. Use only limit breaks as you get them (the character you're training only), healing as required. The character may use limit breaks half a dozen times in one fight. This builds limit breaks really fast. As a bonus, equip your characters with any other materia and gain AP while building your limit breaks.

Fully revised Mar. 2008 by Reeve. Special thanks to CloudANDTidus.
Reference used for reel charts: Final Fantasy VII Complete Dissection, revised edition (Famitsu/Enterbrain)