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Final Fantasy VII Remake Manuscripts List & Locations

by RPG Site Staff on 30 June, 2022

Manuscripts are some of the most important items in Final Fantasy VII Remake, especially if you're playing on hard mode. Each Manuscript is a key item for upgrading each of the cast's six different weapons - granting extra Skill Points (SP) in order to help you buff weapons to their maximum potential.

Your pool of SP will naturally increase as your characters level up, meaning you'll have a constant flow to spend on upgrades for each character's weapons to raise their raw stats, unlock buffs, and even increase the number of materia slots. SP is doled out evenly, too, which means you don't have to make hard choices and only upgrade one best weapon for each character - you can upgrade everything, and take advantage of the unique strengths and weaknesses of each upgraded piece of gear as you wish.. However, once you hit the level cap, you'll notice you don't have enough SP to max out any given weapon. This is where finding all of the FF7 Remake Manuscripts comes in.

This page explains the various different FF7 Remake Manuscripts available for each character, plus locations of where to find every single manuscript in the game. Once you've got them all, you'll be able to max out every weapon for every character. Let's mosey: 

FF7 Remake Manuscripts List

Tifa's Manuscripts, which like the other characters unlock extra weapon upgrade resources.

As mentioned above, leveling up naturally increases your SP pool for weapon upgrades, but to max out every weapon you'll need the Final Fantasy VII Remake Manuscript items. These key items each give you 10 SP to every weapon of the character they relate to, and by getting all of them for every character you'll be able to max out the potential of every Sword, Gun, Glove, and Staff in the game. 

In addition to this, each character also has one 'Legacy' Manuscript - which is special, as it unlocks their Level 2 Limit Breaks, as detailed in our FF7 Remake Limit Breaks guide. We also list their locations and unlock conditions here, but for more information, you can hit up that separate page.

Ultimately, every manuscript in FF7 Remake is acquired in three ways: For sale in the Moogle Emporium for Moogle Medals, via side quest Completion, and for defeating bosses in Hard Mode. In fact, in Hard Mode (which is FF7R's equivalent of New Game Plus), manuscripts will likely be your main progression, as you'll likely hit the level cap, or get very close to it, on normal mode or very early into your hard mode play-through. .

We've divided the rest of this guide up into sections based on each character's manuscript items:

Spoiler Warning: Since most Manuscripts are obtained by replaying chapters on Hard mode, note that boss names will be listed for later chapters and could potentially contain spoilers for those yet to finish the game a first time.

In order to spend on the Weapon Upgrade screen, you'll need to get every Manuscript.

Cloud Manuscript locations:

Cloud's FF7 Remake Manuscripts are relatively easy to obtain, though to get them all you will have to replay a particular chapter a couple of times.

Specifically, Volumes VIII through X of Cloud's Art of Swordplay manuscripts require completion of the quests The Price of Thievery’, ‘Shear’s Counterattack’, and ‘A Dynamite Body’ in Chapter 9. Chapter 9 has the branching side quests that you either do for Chocobo Sam or Madame M - and these quests are on either side of that path. That means you’ll have to do the chapter twice on Hard mode -- once per set of sidequests available in the chapter. This will let you fight both the Bombs as well as the Grungy Bandit and Jury-Rigged Cutter.

The rest of the Cloud manuscripts are quite simple, all obtained through relatively basic means:

  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. I: Buy from The Moogle Emporium for 5 Moogle Medals
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. II: Earn from ‘Cloud vs Shinra Thugs’ in the Corneo Colosseum
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. III: Earn from ‘Corneo’s Secret Stash’ side quest, which can only be finished come Chapter 14
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. IV: Defeat The Huntsman (Chapter 2) in Hard mode
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. V: Defeat Doomrats during Chapter 3's 'Rat Problem' side quest in Hard mode
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. VI: Defeat Roche (Chapter 4) in Hard mode
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. VII: Defeat Reno (Chapter 8) in Hard mode
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. VIII: Defeat Grungy Bandit during 'The Price of Thievery', a Chapter 8 side quest, in Hard mode
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. IX: Defeat Jury-Rigged Cutter during 'Shear's Counterattack', a Chapter 8 side quest, in Hard mode
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. X: Defeat Bombs during the Chapter 8 side quest 'A Dynamite Body' in Hard mode
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. XI: Defeat Hellhound during Chapter 8's 'Tomboy Bandit' side quest in Hard mode
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. XII: Defeat Specimen H0512 (Chapter 16) in Hard mode
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. XIII: Earn from ‘Cloud vs. 3-C SOLDIER Candidates’ in the Shinra Combat Simulator
  • The Art of Swordplay Vol. XIV: Defeat Rufus (Chapter 17) in Hard mode
  • Legacy: Ascension: Complete the Corneo Colosseum Battle Challenge 'Cloud vs. Wild Animals', which unlocks after Chapter 9.

Barret manuscript locations:

Barret's set of FF7 Remake Manuscripts are called The Sharpshooter's Companion, though honestly we're not too sure he's that much of a sharpshooter with a gattling gun. Most of his manuscripts are obtained by beating various bosses throughout hard mode, though a few are tied to side quests. 

  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. I: Buy from The Moogle Emporium for 5 Moogle Medals
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. II:  Earn from ‘Barret vs. Shinra Thugs’ in the Corneo Colosseum
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. III: Earn from ‘The Power of Music’ side quest, which requires you to nab certain Music discs
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. IV: Defeat Scorpion Sentinel (Chapter 1) in Hard mode
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. V: Defeat Crab Warden (Chapter 5) in Hard mode
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. VI: Defeat Airbuster (Chapter 7) in Hard mode
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. VII: Defeat Reno & Rude (Chapter 12) in Hard mode
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. VIII: Defeat Failed Experiment (Chapter 13) in Hard mode
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. IX: Defeat Tonberry during the 'Malicious Goons' side quest, available in Chapter 14, in Hard mode
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. X: Defeat Type-0 Behemoth during 'Subterranean Menace', a Chapter 14 side quest, in Hard mode
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. XI: Defeat Rust Drake during 'Chocobo Search', a Chapter 14 side quest, in Hard mode
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. XII: Defeat The Valkyrie (Chapter 15) in Hard mode
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. XIII: Earn from ‘Barret vs. 3-C SOLDIER Candidates’ in the Shinra Combat Simulator
  • Sharpshooter’s Companion Vol. XIV: Defeat Whisper Harbinger (Chapter 18) in Hard mode
  • Legacy: Catastrophe: Complete the Corneo Colosseum Battle 'Barret vs. Wild Animals', which is available to Barret in Chapter 14. 
The Manuscripts don't need to be used in the menu - once acquired, you automatically get the SP upgrade.

Tifa manuscript locations:

Tifa's Way of the Fist Manuscripts are boss-focused, but not quite as much as in the case of Barret. You'll also have to tackle a bunch of side quests, mostly in Chapter 14, in order to get every one of her FF7 Remake manuscripts and fully upgrade each pair of her gloves to maximize combat damage.

  • Way of the Fist Vol. I: Buy from The Moogle Emporium for 5 Moogle Medals
  • Way of the Fist Vol. II:  Earn from ‘Tifa vs. Shinra Thugs’ in the Corneo Colosseum
  • Way of the Fist Vol. III: Earn from ‘Wavering Heart’ side quest, which can be tackled in Chapter 14
  • Way of the Fist Vol. IV: Defeat Wrath Hound during Chapter 3's 'On the Prowl' side quest in Hard mode
  • Way of the Fist Vol. V: Defeat Enigmatic Spectre in Hard mode
  • Way of the Fist Vol. VI: Find in a chest in Chapter 6 Hard Mode near where you originally find Chocobo & Moogle materia, which is detailed in our Materia list
  • Way of the Fist Vol. VII: Defeat Abzu (Chapter 10) in Hard mode
  • Way of the Fist Vol. VIII: Defeat Eligor (Chapter 11) in Hard mode
  • Way of the Fist Vol. IX: Defeat Abzu & Abzu Shoats (Chapter 14) in Hard mode
  • Way of the Fist Vol. X: Defeat Phantoms during the Chapter 14 side quest 'Missing Children' in Hard mode
  • Way of the Fist Vol. XI: Defeat Trypapolis during 'Chocobo Search', a Chapter 14 side quest, in Hard mode
  • Way of the Fist Vol. XII: Defeat Sahagin Prince during the 'Corneo's Secret Stash' side quest in Hard mode, available in Chapter 14
  • Way of the Fist Vol. XIII: Earn from ‘Tifa vs. 3-C SOLDIER Candidates’ in the Shinra Combat Simulator
  • Way of the Fist Vol. XIV: Defeat Jenova Dreamweaver (Chapter 17) in Hard mode
  • Legacy: Dolphin Flurry: Win the Corneo Colosseum battle 'Tifa vs. Wild Animals', which you can tackle in Chapter 14.

Aerith manuscript locations:

To get the most out of Aerith's FF7 Remake manuscripts, the Telluric Scriptures, you'll actually need to replay the game a third time - you won't unlock several of her SP books until the very final chapter of the game, and even completing the final boss of the game. Getting them all will let you upgrade each of her staffs, however.

  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. I: Buy from The Moogle Emporium for 5 Moogle Medals
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. II:  Earn from ‘Aerith vs. Shinra Thugs’ in the Corneo Colosseum
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. III: Earn from ‘Secret Medicine’ side quest in Chapter 14
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. IV: Defeat Rude (Chapter 8) in Hard mode
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. V: Defeat Mark II Monodrives during Chapter 8's  'Weapons on a Rampage' side quest in Hard mode
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. VI: Defeat Hedgehog Pie King during the 'Kids on Patrol' side quest, available in Chapter 8, in Hard mode
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. VII: Defeat Chromogger during the Chapter 8 side quest 'The Angel of the Slums' in Hard mode
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. VIII: Defeat 3x Venomantis during 'Paying Respects', a side quest in Chapter 8, in Hard mode
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. IX: Defeat Hell House (Chapter 9) in Hard mode
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. X: Defeat Ghoul (Chapter 11) in Hard mode
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. XI: Earn from ‘Aerith vs. 3-C SOLDIER Candidates’ in the Shinra Combat Simulator
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. XII: Defeat Swordipede (Chapter 17) in Hard mode
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. XIII: Defeat the Arsenal (Chapter 17) in Hard mode
  • Telluric Scriptures Vol. XIV: Defeat the Final Boss in Hard mode
  • Ascension: Planet's Protection: In the Corneo Colosseum, win the 'Aerith vs. Wild Animals' battle. You can do this late in Chapter 9, before getting your dresses and going to Corneo's mansion.

Yuffie & Sonon manuscript locations:

Though their story in Intermission is separate, Yuffie and Sonon both have a complete set of FF7 Remake manuscripts to unlock.

While the story told in the additional 'Intermission' story is entirely separate and siloed off from the main; Final Fantasy VII Remake, protagonists Yuffie and Sonon are fully-developed characters with a range of weapons to equip and a full character progression suite.

That, of course, includes FF7 Remake Manuscripts, which are scattered throughout the DLC story. Many of these are tied to mastery of Fort Condor, the Intermission-exclusive mini-game. The following are only available for Yuffie's INTERmission DLC episode available for Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade:

  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. I: Defeat Kyrie in Fort Condor in Hard Mode
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. II:  Defeat Shinra Middle Manager in Fort Condor in Hard Mode
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. III: Defeat Johnny in Fort Condor in Hard Mode
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. IV: Defeat Jessie in Fort Condor in Hard Mode
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. V: Defeat Roche in Fort Condor in Hard Mode
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. VI: Defeat Wedge in Fort Condor in Hard Mode
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. VII: Defeat Chadley in Fort Condor in Hard Mode
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. VIII: Defeat the Horned Cripshay in Hard Mode.
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. IX: Defeat Levrikon in Hard Mode.
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. X: Defeat Gigantipede in Hard Mode.
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. XI: Defeat Deathwheel in Hard Mode.
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. XII: Defeat The Crimson Mare in Hard Mode.
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. XIII: Defeat the Diabolic Creation in Hard mode
  • Secrets of the Ninja/Staff Vol. XIV: Defeat the DLC's Final Boss in Hard mode

After more FF7 Remake help? Check out some of our other guides including guide to enemy skills, plus where and how to get the summon materia. We've also got a full choices and consequences guide covering all the story branches.