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Tonberry King with his crown in FF7R
Screenshot by Dot Esports

FF7 Rebirth: How to beat the Tonberry King boss fight

Half human, half fish, but green and trouble all the way through.

Tonberries are a classic Final Fantasy symbol, and FF7 Rebirth doesn’t shy away from plastering it in your face right, left, and center.

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In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, whether you’re zapping cardboard cutouts or battling epic bosses, Square Enix ensures you won’t leave without knowing Tonberry’s importance. Chapter Nine ramps up the challenge with a showdown against the formidable Tonberry King. In this guide, I outline the best team against Tonberry King, how to counter its moveset, and the best strategy to beat it.

How to get the Tonberry King’s Pristine Crown in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

To get the Tonberry King’s crown in FF7R, engage the Tonberry King in battle during Chapter Nine and steal it from it.

Before defeating it, dodge one of its attacks and damage it right after to pressure Tonberry King. When pressured, its Pristine Crown will fall to the ground. This is when you should cast Steal to snatch the crown for yourself.

Tonberry King boss fight in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Best team

Yuffie targetting Tonberry King FF7R
Prepare accordingly. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The best team to defeat Tonberry King in FF7R consists of Tifa, Yuffie, and Cloud. Tonberry King can incapacitate or take down a party member with just one hit, and most of the status ailments it inflicts can’t be cured with Esuna. Having a healer like Aerith in the party won’t do you any good. Instead, focus on keeping your offensive up and taking Tonberry King down as quickly as possible.

Make sure to equip the Ennervation Materia to cast deprotect and the Steal Materia to cast Steal on the Tonberry King’s Pristine Crown.

Tonberry King’s moveset

Most of Tonberry King’s moves in FF7R are unblockable. Look for the red triangle-shaped sign next to the move’s name when it casts an attack. This symbol means the move can’t be blocked. It can only be dodged or endured.

Move nameDescriptionHow to counter
Royal TreatmentSlows down the party’s ATB gauge charge speedThis move is unblockable and unavoidable.
Bone-Deep GrudgeUnleashes an explosion around it, damaging and freezing anyone at melee distance.Step back when Tonberry King casts this move.
Hopping MadDrops empty cans above a character, dealing damage with each one.Continuously dodge to prevent any empty can from falling on your head.
Call for FriendsSummons a smaller Tonberry to the arena.Tonberry King casts this spell several times throughout the battle, and the arena can get pretty crowded unless you take each Tonberry down as soon as possible.
Doom and GloomCasts a smoke that inflicts Doom upon contact.Dodge away from danger.
RancorShoots two clouds of smoke at a character, dealing damage and rendering them immobile.Dodge sideways twice to avoid danger.
TantrumTargets a character and deals enough damage to take them down.Revive and heal as necessary.

Strategy

Tonberry King casting Royal Treatment FF7R
Pressure it. Screenshot by Dot Esports

To defeat Tonberry King in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, focus on trying to pressure it. Since it has no elemental weaknesses, rely on the following strategy:

  1. Dodge one of its attacks.
  2. After it misses, inflict as much damage as possible to pressure it.
  3. When pressured, Tonberry King drops its Pristine Crown to the ground.
  4. Cast Steal with a character to get the Pristine Crown in FF7R.
  5. Cast Deprotect to lower its defenses and focus on staggering it.
  6. When staggered, deal as much damage as possible to defeat it.

With the Pristine Crown in your possession, you can now craft the Karmic Cowl with the Transmutation system and complete The Saga of Seaside Inn. Interested in completing more side content from Costal del Sol? Here’s how to complete every card puzzle in Queen’s Blood Carnival.


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Author
Image of Cande Maldonado
Cande Maldonado
Though Cande started her journey in the video game industry as a localization specialist six years ago, she soon realized that her true calling was to annoy NPCS and smash virtual pottery. Under Nintendo and Square Enix's chokehold, she will willingly pour hours upon hours into reaching 100% completion in the longest roleplaying games ever made. But hey, who needs fresh air and sunlight when you can just live in Ivalice?