Enough expository banter! Now we fight like men! And ladies! And ladies who dress like men! For Gilgamesh…it is morphing time!

Final Fantasy V (FF5) was the starting point of the franchise's most iconic boss, Gilgamesh. Since then, the legendary swordsman has traversed through dimensions, encountering numerous protagonists across the Final Fantasy universe. And now Gilgamesh makes yet another appearance in FF7 Rebirth, which is something that does not exist in the original game.

Who is Gilgamesh in FF7 Rebirth?

"An untethered soul; Adrift in the void of time; This bridge his makefast. The singular item that you now hold is possessed of a power beyond your kin! You will deliver it unto me!"

Gilgamesh's first confrontation with Cloud in FF7 Rebirth

Gilgamesh, the Eccentric Swordsman, is an optional boss you can challenge in FF7 Rebirth. To fight him, you must go through an extensive questline that is as long as the main story itself. For long-time Final Fantasy fans, Gilgamesh's appearance in FF7 Rebirth is a huge celebration.

This anti-hero, who has been in multiple Final Fantasy titles, returns once again with his whimsical, prideful and otherworldly demeanor. And his theatrics, akin to a Kabuki performance, adds depth to his already amusing character. In FF7 Rebirth, Gilgamesh fights against Cloud over his lost treasures, or rather his Genji arsenal. Find his arsenal through a series of side quests, mini games and challenges from the Protorelics quest. Defeat him and unlock high value rewards in FF7 Rebirth.

How to get to the Gilgamesh boss fight in FF7 Rebirth

The following are the steps you need to take to track Gilgamesh down throughout FF7 Rebirth:

Protorelic
Location
Description
Beck's ProtorelicBeck's Protorelic - GrasslandsGrasslandsChase Beck and his goons throughout the Grassland's region to recover the stolen Protorelic. Eventually, you need to spend 2,000 gil to buy it off of Beck.
Fort Condor Protorelic
Fort Condor Protorelic - Junon
JunonObtain the Protorelic by completing Fort Condor mini games across Junon.
Cactuar Fight Protorelic - Pt. I
Cactuar Fight Protorelic Part 1 - Corel
CorelObtain the Protorelic by completing Kid G's Cactuar Fight minigames across Corel. At this time only two are available.
Shinra's Protorelic
Shinra Training Facility Protorelic - Gongaga
GongagaObtain the Protorelic by completing combat challenges through Shinra's training facilities across Gongaga.
Gears & Gambits Protorelic
Gears and Gambits Protorelic - Cosmo Canyon
Cosmo CanyonObtain the Protorelic by completing the Gears and Gambits minigames across Cosmo Canyon. You will battle a weaker version of Gilgamesh for the first time.
Robed Travelers' Protorelic
Robed Travelers Protorelic - Nibel
NibelFollow the black-robed travelers at Nibel to discover and obtain the Protorelic in the region. You will battle Gilgamesh for the second time.
Cactuar Fight Protorelic - Pt. 2
Cactuar Fight Protorelic Part 2 - Kid G boss fight - Corel
CorelComplete Kid G's final two Cactuar Fights available at the end of Chapter 12. Defeat Kid G to acquire the Protorelic.
Summons Protorelic
Final Protorelic quest - Summon duos boss fight - Meridian Ocean
Gilgamesh IslandsUse the Tiny Bronco to get to Gilgamesh Islands on Meridian Ocean. He will task you to defeat three challenging duo-summon boss fights before you can face him.

How to defeat Gilgamesh

"But hope springs anew; for the Genji is made whole; perfect and sublime! So for Gilgamesh... it's morphin' time!"

The last verse to Gilgamesh's Haiku in FF7 Rebirth

Your efforts throughout an arduously long journey have finally paid off. With the Protorelics whole, you can now challenge Gilgamesh at his full power—a clash of fates on his private gardens. But not before he recites a Haiku and transforms himself like a Sailor Moon. And with that, let the battle begin!

Phase one

Gilgamesh has a wide array of abilities that deal considerable damage. Throughout the fight, he will summon his arsenal one at a time as his Masamune or Rune Axe. He moves swiftly, making it difficult to block a lot of his attacks. However, successfully blocking his attacks will cause him to drop his weapons and pressure him. He can also use Genji Shield and gain multiple buffs. When the shield appears, destroy it quickly to pressure him and reduce his defense.

Phase two

Once you have dealt enough damage, Gilgamesh will move to his second phase. In this phase, he summons what he thought to be his Excalibur. Except, it is actually his inferior all-time classic Excalipoor. But do not underestimate it. Because with Excalipoor, Gilgamesh can shred you with Sloppy Sword, dealing one-damage attacks over 2,000 slashes.

Eventually, Gilgamesh will cast Swordsman Supreme where he instantly summons all of his weapon arsenal. From there, he will use his strongest ability, Ultimate Illusion, and start a countdown. Once the counter hits zero, Gilgamesh will summon his Excalibur and unleashes a spinning cleave attack that deals massive damage.

The best way to defeat Gilgamesh is to quickly pressure and stagger him. Try your best to block his attacks or simply destroy his Genji Shield to pressure him. Have Tifa in your party as she is the only character that can easily increase the stagger using her Unbridled abilities and True Strike. Equip a Healing and Magnify Materia to consistently keep your team at full health.

You can also equip Reraise Materia or Phoenix Materia to cast Reraise. This will ensure you survive instant death from Gilgamesh's Ultimate Illusion by automatically reviving upon death. You should already be able to purchase Reraise Materia from Chadley using the Meridian Ocean data points.

Rewards for defeating Gilgamesh

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Defeating Gilgamesh will net you some of the best rewards in FF7 Rebirth. The first reward is the Gilgamesh Materia, which allows you to summon him in battle. More importantly, you can now craft Genji accessories with your Item Transmuter. One of them is the revered Genji Gloves. With Genji Gloves, your attacks are no longer capped at the 9,999 limit.

However, in order to craft the Genji accessories, you must first reach craftmanship level 16 by crafting every single Item Transmuter recipes once. You also need to gather resources that are only available in Hard Mode. The Genji recipes are as follows:

Genji Accessory
Recipe
Genji Gloves5 Exquisite Beast Hide
1 Sinister Quetzalcoatl Talon
1 Slimy Malboro Tendril
6 Pirate Jetsam
Genji Earrings5 Ash Wood
1 Vile Mindflayer Crown
1 Heavy Jabberwock Horn
6 Pirate Jetsam
Genji Ring10 Moonstone
1 Tonberry King's Wretched Robe
1 Argent King Zu Feather
6 Pirate Jetsam
Pirate Jetsam are obtainable from treasure chests across Meridian Ocean

Farewell Gilgamesh

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"'Tis time I took my leave of you—and your world. May we meet again upon the field of battle, should the fates allow. I shall pray for it. O valiant souls! I bid you good health, good fortune, and goodbye!"

Gilgamesh bids farewell

At the conclusion of a long and epic bout, Gilgamesh bids you farewell with utmost honor and grace, marking the end of the Protorelic quest. But right before he jumps into the portal that leads to wherever, he declares "Prepare yourselves, Warriors of Light!"

He is most likely referring to Bartz Klauser, his first rival and main protagonist of FF5. Or perhaps he may also be referring to the Warriors of Light from FF14. Who knows what goes inside the mind of the quirky dimension dweller. Better to put it at rest and look forward to another day of exchanging swords with the great Gilgamesh.


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