It takes a long time. Honestly, that’s the first thing anyone remembers. You sit there, controller in hand, watching thirteen different knights take turns beating the absolute life out of a boss while a choir chants in the background. It’s glorious. It’s also kinda tedious if you’ve seen it a thousand times. But in 1997, Final Fantasy Knights of the Round wasn't just a spell; it was a status symbol. If you had this materia, you weren't just playing Final Fantasy VII—you had conquered it.
Getting it was a nightmare. You couldn't just find it in a chest or buy it at a shop in Midgar. No, you had to engage in the most notoriously addictive and frustrating minigame of the PlayStation era: Chocobo breeding. You needed a Gold Chocobo. Without that bird, you were never reaching that circular island in the northeast corner of the map that didn't even show up on the radar. It was hidden. Secret. Powerful.
The Ridiculous Math Behind the Ultimate Attack
Let’s talk numbers because that’s where the "game-breaking" part comes in. Most summons in the game hit once. Maybe a few times if you’re looking at Neo Bahamut. But the Final Fantasy Knights of the Round materia summons thirteen different knights. Each one deals heavy non-elemental magic damage.
The math is basically terrifying for any enemy on the receiving end. If your Magic stat is high enough, each knight hits for 9,999 damage. Multiply that by thirteen. You’re looking at nearly 130,000 damage in a single turn. Considering the final boss of the game, Safer-Sephiroth, has roughly 80,000 to 400,000 HP (depending on your level and if you killed the Jenova arms), one or two casts basically ends the story.
It’s overkill. Pure, unadulterated 32-bit overkill.
But wait, it gets worse for the monsters. Or better for you. If you pair this materia with the W-Summon materia, you can cast it twice in one go. That’s twenty-six knights. If you use the Mime materia afterward, your other characters can copy the move without spending any MP. You can effectively lock the game into a twenty-minute loop of cinematic destruction where the enemy never gets a turn. Square Enix (then SquareSoft) basically gave players a "win" button, provided they were willing to spend hours racing birds in the Gold Saucer.
The Arthurian Legend Connection
Square didn't just make up these guys. They are based on the myth of King Arthur. You can see it in the design of the final knight—Arthur himself—who wields the Ultimate Excalibur. He’s the one who delivers the final, crushing blow after his twelve companions have softened the target.
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Interestingly, the animation for Final Fantasy Knights of the Round is one of the longest in the entire franchise. It clocks in at around 1 minute and 20 seconds. Back then, we didn't have a "skip" button. You watched it. You lived it. You probably went to the kitchen to grab a snack while the knights were doing their thing. It was a technical marvel at the time, pushing the PS1's hardware to show thirteen distinct character models and unique spell effects in a single sequence.
Why People Still Obsess Over This Materia
Is it the power? Sorta. But it’s mostly the journey.
To get the Gold Chocobo required for the island, you had to:
- Catch Great and Wonderful Chocobos.
- Farm Carob and Zeio Nuts from specific enemies like the Vlakados.
- Race them until they reached S-Class.
- Breed a Blue one, then a Green one, then a Black one.
- Finally, cross the Black with a Wonderful Gold-rated Chocobo.
It was a literal grind. But that grind made the reward feel earned. When you finally stepped off that golden bird onto Round Island and picked up that red orb, you felt like a god. Gaming today often puts powerful items behind DLC or RNG loot boxes. In 1997, it was behind a wall of effort and secret knowledge.
Does it hold up in the Remake and Rebirth?
This is where things get controversial among the fanbase. In the modern Final Fantasy VII Remake project, the developers have had to balance the game differently. You can’t just have a summon that ends the fight instantly while the player goes to make a sandwich.
In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the "Knights of the Round" aren't a standard summon in the way they were in the original. The developers shifted the "ultimate" feel to other entities, though the legacy of the Knights remains a massive part of the lore. Fans are still speculating how the full thirteen-knight onslaught will be handled in the final part of the trilogy. Will it be a cinematic finishing move? A multi-stage boss fight? Square knows they can't leave it out, but they also know it’s a balancing nightmare.
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Tactical Reality: When NOT to Use It
Believe it or not, there are times when using the Final Fantasy Knights of the Round is a bad idea.
Take the Emerald Weapon fight. Emerald is one of the "Superbosses" underwater. It has a move called Aire Tam Storm. This attack deals 1,111 damage for every piece of materia you have equipped. If you're carrying a fully decked-out set of Master Materia and the Knights, you’re basically walking into a death trap.
Also, if you use it on certain bosses that have a "counter" mechanic, you might trigger a response that wipes your party before the animation even finishes. It’s a tool, not a total safety net. You have to be smart. Even with 130,000 damage on the table, the game can still bite back if you're lazy.
The "Mime" Strategy
If you really want to see the game's engine struggle, you link Knights of the Round with HP Absorb. This ensures that every time the knights hit, Cloud (or whoever) heals to full HP. Then, you have the next character use Mime.
- Character 1: Casts W-Summon (Knights x2).
- Character 2: Mimes (Knights x2).
- Character 3: Mimes (Knights x2).
That’s six casts. Nearly eight minutes of animation. Roughly 780,000 damage. There is nothing in the original game—not even the Ruby Weapon—that can comfortably sit through that kind of punishment without feeling the heat.
Finding the Island (The Non-Chocobo Way)
Technically, you don't need the bird. There is a "glitchy" or rather, extremely difficult way to get there using the Highwind (your airship), but it involves pixel-perfect landing that most players can't pull off.
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The intended "other" way is to defeat the Emerald Weapon. When you beat Emerald, you get the Earth Harp. You take that harp to the traveler in Kalm, and he gives you a set of Master Materia, including a version of the Knights. But here’s the kicker: to beat Emerald Weapon easily, you usually need the Knights. It’s a classic RPG catch-22.
Most people just stick to the bird breeding. It's safer.
The Cultural Footprint
You see the Knights pop up in other games too. They appeared in Final Fantasy XIV as the "Heavens' Ward," a group of thirteen knights led by King Thordan. That fight is a direct love letter to the original PS1 summon. The music, the moves, the "Ultimate End" attack—it's all there. It proves that this specific group of characters isn't just a powerful spell; they are a core part of what makes the series iconic.
They represent the peak of the "Summon" era of JRPGs.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re booting up the original FFVII on Steam, Switch, or PS5 today, here is the most efficient way to handle this:
- Don't start breeding too early. Wait until you have the Highwind and access to the Chocobo Sage’s house in the northern snowy area. You need his expensive greens.
- Win the races. Don't just breed and pray. Take your Chocobos to the Gold Saucer and get them to S-Class. It significantly increases the odds of getting the right color for the next generation.
- Pair it with MP Turbo. If you have the MP to spare, this makes the Knights even more disgusting.
- Get the Command Counter materia. Link it with Mime. If an enemy hits you, you might just automatically trigger a Mime of the last thing you did (which should be the Knights). It's a hilarious way to win fights while being AFK.
The Final Fantasy Knights of the Round is a relic of a time when games weren't afraid to let the player become completely, hilariously overpowered. It’s a reward for the obsessive. It’s the ultimate "thank you" for spending twenty hours racing yellow birds. Even now, hearing those first few notes of the summon music sends a chill down the spine of anyone who grew up in the 90s.
Go get that Gold Chocobo. The island is waiting.