You know that feeling when you've finally reached the end of a hundred-hour journey? You’re standing there, staring down a god-like entity, and you just want to end it with the biggest possible bang. That’s where Knights of the Round FF7 comes in. It isn't just a spell. Honestly, it’s a cultural milestone for anyone who grew up with a PlayStation controller in their hands. It’s absurd, it’s beautiful, and it takes so long to animate that you could probably make a sandwich before the final blow lands.
But getting it? That’s a whole different story.
Back in 1997, there was no "easy mode" for finding the ultimate Materia. You didn't just stumble upon it. You had to commit your life to the Chocobo Stables. You had to understand the intricate, frustrating, and oddly rewarding science of Chocobo breeding. Most people remember the summon itself, but the actual journey to that hidden island in the northeast corner of the map—the one that doesn't even show up on your radar—is what separated the casual players from the true completionists. It's legendary for a reason.
The Absolute Chore of Breeding a Gold Chocobo
If you want Knights of the Round FF7, you need a Gold Chocobo. Period. There is no other way to reach Round Island unless you happen to defeat Ruby Weapon first, but let’s be real: most people want the Knights to beat Ruby Weapon, not the other way around.
Breeding that bird is a nightmare of RNG and Carob Nuts. You start with Great Chocobos. You move to Wonderful Chocobos. You pray to the RNG gods that the game gives you a Blue one and a Green one of opposite genders. If you get two males? Reset the console. It was a tedious cycle of racing at the Gold Saucer just to increase your "rank" so the offspring would have better stats.
Then came the Black Chocobo. Then, finally, the Gold one. That shimmering bird was your ticket. It could run over mountains and cross deep oceans. When you finally landed on that tiny patch of forest in the middle of nowhere and walked into the cave, the music didn't even change. It was quiet. You just picked up the red Materia and suddenly, you were the most powerful person on the planet.
What Happens During the Ultimate End Animation
Let’s talk about the animation. It’s nearly two minutes long. In a modern game, people would complain about the pacing, but in Final Fantasy VII, it was a victory lap. Thirteen knights. Each one comes out with a specific weapon—axes, maces, spears, and eventually, King Arthur himself with the Excalibur.
Each hit deals massive damage. Because the game caps damage at 9,999 per hit, the only way to kill bosses with millions of HP was to hit them multiple times. Knights of the Round FF7 hits thirteen times. If you pair it with the W-Summon Materia, you’re watching that animation twice. That’s 26 hits. If your magic stat is high enough, you’re looking at nearly 260,000 damage in a single turn.
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It broke the game. Literally.
Square Enix (or just Square back then) knew exactly what they were doing. They created a "win button" that felt earned. You didn't just find it in a chest before the final boss. You earned it through hours of racing birds and managing stable space. There's a certain kind of respect the game shows you by giving you such a broken ability after you've put in the work.
The Math Behind the Destruction
In the original code, the summon costs 250 MP. That’s a staggering amount when you consider most characters max out at 999. Without the MP Turbo or Magic Plus Materia, you might only get a few casts. But the real pros used the Mime Materia.
Here’s the trick:
- Character A summons Knights of the Round.
- Character B uses Mime.
- Character C uses Mime.
Suddenly, you’ve unleashed the ultimate attack three times for the cost of one. It’s the strategy everyone used to melt Emerald Weapon under the ocean. It turned the hardest boss fights in RPG history into a waiting game. You just sat back, watched the knights do their thing, and waited for the "Victory Fanfare" to play.
Why the Remake and Rebirth Handle it Differently
When Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth came out, everyone wondered how they would handle this specific summon. In the modern trilogy, summons work as autonomous allies that fight alongside you. They aren't just a "one-and-done" cutscene.
The developers at Square Enix, specifically Naoki Hamaguchi and Yoshinori Kitase, have spoken about the challenge of balancing nostalgia with modern gameplay. In Rebirth, we haven't seen the full-scale Knights of the Round FF7 yet in its traditional "thirteen-knight" glory, as the game's power scaling is being saved for the final entry in the trilogy.
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However, the legacy is there. The summons we have now, like Gilgamesh, hint at the complexity they might bring to the Knights later. There's a weight to these entities. They aren't just spells anymore; they are ancient legends. When the Knights finally arrive in the third part of the Remake series, you can bet it won't just be a menu selection. It will be an event.
Common Misconceptions About Round Island
Some people think you can fly the Highwind to the island. You can’t. The island is surrounded by jagged rocks and deep water that prevents the airship from landing.
Others believe you can "glitch" your way there. While speedrunners have found ways to bypass many parts of the game, for the average player, the Gold Chocobo remains the only legitimate path. There was an old rumor in the 90s—the kind you’d read on a sketchy GeoCities site—that said if you used the summon 1,000 times, you’d unlock a secret "14th Knight." Obviously, that was fake. But it goes to show how much mystery surrounded this Materia. It was the stuff of playground legends.
How to Optimize Your Summon Build
If you’re playing the original on PS5, Switch, or PC today, you want to maximize the efficiency of this Materia. Don't just slap it on Cloud and call it a day.
- Pair it with HP Absorb: This is the ultimate survival move. Every time the knights hit, you gain health back. Since the damage is so high, you’ll basically refill your entire HP bar every time you attack.
- Link it with MP Absorb: This helps mitigate that massive 250 MP cost. You’ll get a chunk of MP back for every cast, making it sustainable for longer fights.
- The Mime Strategy: As mentioned before, pairing this with Mime on your other two party members is non-negotiable for the Superbosses.
It’s also worth noting that the summon is non-elemental. This is huge. Unlike Ifrit or Shiva, who can be resisted or even absorbed by certain enemies, the Knights deal "pure" damage. Nothing stands in their way. It is the ultimate equalizer.
The Cultural Impact of the Knights
Why do we still talk about a bunch of polygon knights from 1997? Because it represented the peak of "The Ultimate Reward." In modern games, ultimate abilities are often handed to you as part of the story. They are cinematic beats.
But Knights of the Round FF7 was a secret. It was a reward for exploration and mastery of a secondary system (Chocobo breeding) that had nothing to do with the main plot. It made the world of Gaia feel vast and full of hidden power. It rewarded curiosity. When you saw that final blow from King Arthur, and the screen flashed white, you felt like you had truly conquered the game's systems.
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Practical Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re planning to dive back into the OG Final Fantasy VII, don't rush the process. The hunt for the Knights is best enjoyed as a late-game side quest.
First, head to the Chocobo Sage’s house in the northern icy continent. He’ll give you the clues you need, even if he is a bit forgetful. Buy some Sylkis Greens. Lots of them. You’ll need them to max out your birds' stamina and speed so they actually win races at the Gold Saucer.
Second, make sure you have the Long Range Materia equipped if you’re using someone like Cloud or Tifa in the back row while you grind for the items needed for breeding.
Finally, once you have your Gold Chocobo, fly the Highwind to the northeast corner of the map. Look for a tiny, circular island covered in forest. Land nearby (on the water or grass with your bird) and walk in.
The Materia is sitting right there. No boss fight. No puzzle. Just the reward for the long road you traveled to get there. It’s a moment of pure gaming bliss. Once you have it, go find Emerald Weapon. Show him what thirteen angry knights can do. It’s a rite of passage every RPG fan needs to experience at least once.
Next Steps for the Ultimate FF7 Experience:
Check your inventory for the Bahamut ZERO Materia before heading to Round Island. You’ll need high-level summons to deal with the late-game trash mobs while you're grinding for Chocobo Nut drops. If you haven't started breeding yet, go to the Chocobo Farm near Midgar and rent out all six stables immediately; you’ll need the space to manage the different generations of birds required for the Gold Chocobo. Also, ensure you have the Underwater Materia from the traveler in Kalm if you plan on testing your new Knights against Emerald Weapon, otherwise, you'll be fighting against a 20-minute timer that makes the long summon animation a liability rather than an asset.