The Cosmo Canyon simulations are easy for the most part, with the exception of fighting Bahamut Arisen and a rematch with the Great Malboro. Each simulation has to be unlocked by defeating enemies in the region, and upon completion, you will receive Materia. The guide below goes over how to unlock every Cosmo Canyon simulation in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and gives you tips on completing them.

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Bahamut Arisen is the major fight for the Cosmo Canyon simulation.

Summon Entity: Bahamut Arisen¶

Bahamut Arisen is not an easy fight that will trip up even seasoned players in the beginning. Bahamut is able to do both close and long-ranged damage, making him a versatile foe. Bahamut Arisen doesn’t have any obvious weaknesses at first, and choosing which party members to use is a bit confusing. You do have the option to attack his wings. This will stop some of his most powerful attacks, like Whirlwind Slash. The wings will become vulnerable when Bahamut Arisen uses Particle Charge. You will want to focus on attacking Bahamut’s Wings when at this point and watch out for the particles he drops on the field as they can be a major source of damage.

The particles will attach to party members and inflict damage when he gathers them back. To stop this process and pressure Bahamut, you will need to use synergy abilities. Two of the best characters to use together for synergy are Tifa and Cloud. You can bring in Aerith for a bit of healing, or if you have a good handle on Cait Sith and his luck-based buffs, use him to power up your team. Make sure to use as many abilities as possible between whichever trio you choose to build synergy. The Haste Materia can help you build charges quickly, and the ATB Boost Materia can help you double your charges when used. Keep in mind that you will need to switch between the characters equally to ensure you are building synergy as quickly as possible. For beating Bahamut Arise, you will receive the Bahamut Arisen Materia. This will allow you to summon it into battle to fight alongside your party.

Cosmo Battle Intel: Flower of Destruction¶

Flower of Destruction is a three-round battle that will unlock once you have defeated Drohdroh and Bashfulisk. Like most simulations that require you to beat enemies in order to unlock them, the main focus here will be Drohdroh and Bashfulisk in round three. Drohdroh can be pressured by avoiding their Fury Bomber attack. Just keep moving, and this should be easy to do. Red XIII is a great choice for easy dodging. Bashfulisk is a bit harder as they change their weakness throughout the battle. If you’re unsure of the current phase weakness, use Assess and then hit them with their weakness. During the second round of this battle you will also have to fight a Gigant Bomb and defeat it before it explodes. Luckily, this enemy is weak to Ice so just equip an Ice Materia. Your reward for completing this simulation is the First Strike Materia.

Cosmo Battle Intel: Nature’s Vengeance¶

Nature’s Vengeance is a three-round battle unlocked after beating the Pyrowire and Elder Golem. The Pyrowire is easy to pressure as he’s weak to Ice; just make sure to equip one of your characters with an Ice Materia. The Elder Golem will naturally pressure itself as it attacks throughout the battle, so dodge and block until you are able to stagger the enemy. For completing this simulation, you will obtain a Level Boost Materia.

Cosmo Battle Intel: Antediluvian Memories¶

Antediluvian Memories is another three-round battle that is unlocked once you defeat Sahagin Warrior and Shirdal. The Sahagin Warrior is another easy enemy, as you simply need to equip an Ice Materia to pressure it. Make sure to have a Cleansing Materia so that you can use Ensuna to counter Petrify. Shirdal is weak to lighting, so equipping a Lighting Materia will make the fight quick and easy. For completing this simulation you will get the Magic Up Materia.

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(1 of 3) Bahamut Arisen attacks the party with particles that can only be destroyed with synergy moves.

Cosmo Canyon Region Intel: Level 1¶

Once you have battled 15 enemies in the region, you will unlock the level 1 Intel for Cosmo Canyon. This is a five-round battle that takes you through several enemies, many of which are from Cosmo Canyon. A good rule of thumb here is to give your party several different elemental Materia so that you can hit a variety of weaknesses. Overall, this isn’t a hard fight, and you will get the two-star Barrier Materia upon completion.

Cosmo Canyon Region Intel: Level 2¶

You can unlock the level 2 Cosmo Canyon intel once you complete level one and defeat 22 enemies in the region (which requires you to be on Chapter 12). The strategy is much the same as level 1; just make sure you have a well-rounded team, and you will do fine. For completing this you will get the two-star MP Up Materia.

Biological Intel: That’s the Smell¶

That’s the Smell will unlock once you assess 15 enemies in Cosmo Canyon, have defeated the Great Malboro in the Gongaga region, and have a three-star Enemy Skill Materia. This fight is rather tricky as you can’t heal yourself during it, something that is greatly helpful when fighting the Great Malboro in Gongaga. Luckily, you can still use Esuna to take off status effects so be sure to equip the Cleansing Materia to your party. This will greatly reduce the damage you take if you’re hit by Bad Breath or Rancid Breath. During this fight, you will also be doing a lot of dodging to avoid taking damage. The Great Malboro isn’t a hard enemy as long as you dodge and keep your distance when it uses Fetid Haze.

We highly recommend using a ranged character that can easily keep out of the way of the breath attacks. Having the Cleansing Materia on them will ensure that you can quickly use Esuna if your close-range allies get hit. The Great Malboro is weak to Ice magic, so be sure to equip an Ice Materia. This will allow you to quickly stagger him, limiting how much damage he can inflict on your party. For more tips on how to beat the Great Malboro, check out our guide here. Once That’s the Smell has been completed, you will gain the Enemy Skill: Rancid Breath.