Chapter 12 - A Golden Key - Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Guide - IGN (2024)

Chapter 12 of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth sees the party returning to the Gold Saucer via Costa Del Sol as they search for the keystone, and Cloud goes on a special date with one of his closest friends before fighting in the arena against some unexpected opponents.

This page acts as a comprehensive walkthrough of Chapter 12 within FF7 Rebirth.

Looking for something specific? Click one of the links below to jump to...

• Chapter 12 - A Golden Key
  • Loveless
  • Fight for Naming Rights
  • Abzu Boss Fight
  • Elena and Rude (Gold Saucer) Boss Fight
  • Rufus Boss Fight

Chapter 12 - A Golden Key

After a period of Cid making repairs, the hull of the Bronco Airlines plane is converted into a watercraft. Accelerate forward with R2 and follow the linear path up along the waterway to eventually arrive back at Costa Del Sol. Dock at the harbour and the group will disembark.

While you can trek your way back up Mt. Corel to reach the Gold Saucer, the fastest way is to open up your Region Map and Fast Travel there!

Upon arrival the party will split up to search for Dio, but Cait Sith keeps Cloud behind to inform him that legend suggests those that enter the temple never leave.

Approach the guide moogle nearby and use it to fast travel to Battle Square, where you'll meet with Aerith who'll point out a poster advertising an upcoming fight between Dio and Corneo. Follow Aerith through into the arena where you find Dio battered and bruised from his fight with the Turks.

Asking Dio for the keystone, Dio grants the wish but only if they participate in the Fight for Naming Rights event the next day. After agreeing, leave the arena and use the guide moogle to travel to Ghost Square, interacting with the front desk inside and then agreeing to rest until tomorrow.

As Cloud settles down to rest, he sees Aerith in her bed in Sector 5 with Marlene watching over her as he falls asleep. In Sector 5, Elmyra asks for you to head upstairs and take care of Cloud. Walk up the steps and go into the room on the right to speak with Marlene who pleads for Zack to make Cloud better, as Aerith will die if she wakes up and Cloud isn't there to save her.

Later, in Aerith's flower garden, Zack lets Elmyra know he has to go for a while to speak with someone about Cloud, namely Hojo, though he chooses not to disclose that information. Before leaving, Zack pleads Elmyra to not let Aerith leave if she wakes up.

Head north and go up the steps, following the path around to reach a motorbike. As he prepares to ride off, he spots a note from Biggs on the handlebar informing Zack about a plan to strike Reactor 6. Panicking, Zack runs back to tell Elmyra.

Cloud wakes up in the Haunted Hotel two hours later, hearing a knock at the door. Who is there depends on which relationship you've nurtured and improved the most. For more information on how to get your desired date, check out our full Romance guide! For the purpose of this walkthrough, we'll be using Tifa as the assigned date for the evening.

Loveless

After opening the door, Tifa invites you to join her for a performance of Loveless. Go down the corridor and interact with the elevator button to enter and ride it down to the lobby. Exit the hotel and use the guide moogle to travel to Event Square.

Once there, head down the corridor and speak with the usher at the far end to enter the theater. After taking their seats, Aerith runs out and is offered to sing the song herself as the closer for the performance. Upon watching a fantastical ballet/interpretive dance number, the party themselves get virtually drawn into the retelling of a fantasy tale.

Waking up in a cell, look left with the right analog stick to begin the performance, or look to your right to practice. This is a simple QTE input minigame akin to the Junon Parade, but there are no held inputs - just simple presses or repeated tapping of buttons.

Whether you practice or not, interact with the cell door and Tifa (playing the role of Rosa) will free you. Teleporting into a colisseum, Barret (playing the role of Dragon Lord Varvados) and Red XIII (playing the role of Garm) confront you.

You'll then be able to select your opponent for the "first act" of the performance; the easiest of the QTE sequences. With the conclusion of each act (QTE sequence), you'll receive a grade based on your performance. If you manage to get an S overall, you'll unlock the Critically Acclaimed trophy. If you see the input on screen with the circular ring and the marker jutting out of the side (like in the image below), you simply need to repeatedly tap the input and ensure the bar fills beyond that line before time runs out.

After the first act concludes, you'll be able to pick between Varvados and Rosa to learn about their fate from Cait (playing the role of the Fool). Regardless of your choice for Act 1 or the divination, you'll confront whichever foe is left for Act 2, with slightly more speedy QTE inputs required.

After Act 2 concludes, you'll then be able to pick your beloved which, in the case of this walkthrough, should clearly be Tifa/Rosa, but the choice remains yours. Regardless of your choice, Varvados triggers the final Act with Rosa joining to help the fight. One unique QTE towards the end of this section involves all 4 buttons which you can press any/all of simultaneously repeatedly to fill up the bar as Rosa summons Phoenix.

As the play concludes, Aerith then takes to the stage to sing "No Promises To Keep" as everyone watches on. Upon completing the song, Aerith sees Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge manifested which makes her emotional. Your relationship with the whole party deepening depending on your performance, they all take a celebratory bow together.

As Tifa exits the theater with Cloud, they overhear an announcement calling people to the Skywheel. Head out into the lobby and use the guide moogle to travel to Skywheel Square, then head forward to speak with the attendant across the room, confirming your Skywheel ride when asked.

Through awkwardness they speak with one another as various holograms and fireworks race around them, and depending on how strong your relationship is, they will either hug or kiss one another before disembarking. The next day, in the skies above Corel, Elena, Rude, and Tseng discuss how the temple and the promised land are likely the same as they ferry Rufus to the Gold Saucer.

Fight for Naming Rights

Go up the steps (after setting your party, including your date which is locked) and speak with the receptionist, agreeing to participate in the match when prompted. As the event begins, Dio is interrupted by Corneo's hypemen, Scotch and Kotch who perform a rap about how Dio is going to lose.

The first round of the event is you against a large number of Corneo Jockeys. Despite them having dozens of people as an advantage, these lackeys can easily be crowd-controlled, air juggled, and quickly staggered meaning that you'll breeze through these opponents without even needing to use any potent abilities or items.

The second round consists of 3 special Cactuars which will frantically rush around the arena, with you unable to lock on to or actively damage the Cactuars.

You'll have to wait for them for them to stand in place and perform an attack like the "Spine Spew" melee or the ranged "1,000 Needles", which you can then capitalise on and quickly build up their stagger.

After defeating the Cactuars, 2 Tonberry and one larger Donberry take to the arena for Round 3. Target the Tonberry first but be careful of their attacks as "Chef's Knife" in particular can down you in one-hit.

Once you defeat these enemies, Corneo rises from the center of the arena on the back of a hulking beast called Abzu. After Corneo acts particularly sleazily, a boss fight begins.

Abzu Boss Fight

Abzu is a large bipedal bull-like creature that performs a lot of charging attacks and relies solely on melee. A basic melee attack is "Flail" in which Abzu will whip its arm around to backhand you.

Another is "Ground Pound", a self-explanatory attack where Abzu raises both hands into the air before slamming them into the ground in front of itself, sending out a shockwave.

"Charge" is aptly named, as Abzu will dart to one section of the arena, line up and face in your direction, before charging at you and whipping its head up to flip you into the air as it reaches you.

You'll need to dodge out of the way partway through the charge (assuming Abzu is aiming itself at you) to zip out of the way completely and not get caught. "Ready to Rampage" is a prelude to this when Abzu enrages later in the fight, where it ramps up into the charge, messing with your timing for dodges.

Much like the Galian Beast, Abzu is capable of performing an automatic counterattack should you try and be offensive as it performs "Counterpose".

Any up close attack you initiate during this state will result in "Reversal", where Abzu will smack/slam you down into the ground. "Bash" is essentially an identical fist slam into the ground as an individual attack.

"Enrage" sees Corneo pouring a fluid into Abzu's mouth, raising its Bravery but also afflicting Abzu with Deprotect. Whilst in this enraged state Abzu can perform "Bash and Smash" which consists of three consecutive punches into the ground as Abzu pursues you, with the third and final punch being on a slight delay.

An attack to definitely avoid is "Pounce" where Abzu crouches down on all fours as it would for a charge, but instead springs through the air in your direction in an attempt to grab you. Dodge just after Abzu leaps and it'll sail past you and roll onto the floor, immediately becoming Pressured.

At around 50% health, Abzu becomes enraged all on its own and its attacks augment as a result. "Ferocious Charge" has Abzu perform 3 consecutive charges as it will have done throughout the fight thus far, but they are much faster in their charging speed, as well as the recovery time between each one, so be sure to dodge repeatedly until Abzu gets back up on two legs. There is also a chance where the third charge will cause Abzu to run into one of the walls of the arena, smashing its head and causing it to become Pressured, which you can then capitalise on.

The very basic "Flail" from the first phase now becomes a frantic spinning attack where Abzu keeps its arms outstretched while spinning across the arena towards you, meaning you'll have to maintain distance and keep moving as it will actually slowly pull you in.

"Upheaval" causes Abzu to begin radiating its red energy as it raises its fists into the air. After holding them there for a number of seconds, Abzu will slam down and send out a shockwave of this red energy that'll cover the entire arena and damage you upon contact. The easiest way to avoid this is to get up into the air and stay there by executing attacks until the wave has been sent out.

Near death, Abzu will activate "Frenzy" which makes it even more aggressive, speeds up its attacks, and grants it abilities like "Belly Flop" (another self-explanatory attack).

Attacks like Bash and Smash also become extended in longer combos, so be ready in general to dodge and/or block more with each incoming attack.

• 4,680 EXP, 10 AP, 975 Gil, 50 Party EXP, Phoenix Down

Upon defeating Abzu, Corneo retreats after being humiliated and intimidated by the party, with Dio celebrating and thanking you for your efforts. Just as he is about to present you the keystone, the lights go out and Elena rushes in and grabs it.

Playing a frantic game of throw and catch with Rude, they maintain possession of the ball and chuck it to Cait Sith who inexplicably assists them, running out of the arena. Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith face off against Elena and Rude once more while the others pursue Cait.

Dio brings in a Rest Bench and vending/Folio machines that you can use before speaking with him again to initiate the showdown.

Elena and Rude (Gold Saucer) Boss Fight

The majority of the attacks that Elena and Rude will employ throughout this fight is identical to the first time you fought them in the Mythril Mines, so there won't be much need to rehash explanations.

Elena liberally throws out "Stun Grenade" which can shock and temporarily stun you, as well as "Grenade Kick" which ultimately accomplishes the same goal. Elena is likely the best target to prioritize first with her tendency to use ranged attacks with her grenades and pistols, but either Turk will work fine. Elena does appear to be considerably easier to Pressure and therefore Stagger.

Both Turks perform minor combos with their acrobatic fighting style, incorporating basic punches and kicks into their movements, though they shouldn't be of much concern to you.

Rude makes continual use of his "Shockwave" attacks which send the beam of energy in your direction, either via a single bolt or a triple shockwave variant, though both can be easily sidestepped or avoided with simple adjustments to where you're standing. He also uses "Spirit Geyser" to summon several spouts that erupt from the floor underneath your current location.

Partway through the fight Elena and Rude will unite in the middle of the arena in a similar fashion to their move in the Mythril Mines, with Elena using "Nadefield" as she chucks out grenades in every direction continually, as Rude uses "Shockwave" which actually emits multiple beams at a time in various directions.

They will both then begin a charge-up attack; "Turk's Vengeance" for Elena and "Turks' Two-Step" for Rude. If they manage to execute, Rude punches the ground and propels everyone into the air, where Elena jumps around and delivers a potent kick.

As you'll likely down Elena first, Rude has other potent attacks including "Whirlwind" where he kicks up a mini tornado that can whip you into the air, or "Spinning Axe Kick" where he does a vertical downward slam with his leg.

• 7,020 EXP, 20 AP, 5,850 Gil, 50 Party EXP, Mega-Potion

Upon defeating Elena and Rude, they get ready before another round before Rufus Shinra himself makes a grand entrance into the arena. Rufus dismisses Elena and Rude, and Cloud ushers Tifa and Aerith away for a 1v1 showdown.

Rufus Boss Fight

Rufus is an incredibly difficult opponent to deal with as he is immune to all elemental damage and will counter you with almost any attack that you perform. More so than any other fight you'll have participated in thus far, this is an eye for an eye encounter where you'll need to strike at specific times to even land a hit. You'll need to attack with an ATB attack as Rufus is using "Reload" to get some damage in without being countered. If you played FF7 Remake, this fight overall will be largely familiar to you.

Rufus has some unique attacks like "Bad Luck" where he fires out a purple gaseous orb that slowly tracks towards your location before eventually dissipating or detonating should it make contact with you. An ATB attack like "Braver" is ideal here if executed in the right window as it'll reliably make contact with Rufus and expedite the fight without struggling too much.

At around 50% health, Rufus will be joined by his hound Darkstar which is actively linked to him. If you manage to break this visible link, Darkstar will become automatically Pressured which you can capitalise on to Stagger it fully and deal heavy damage. Darkstar should be your priority target in general as it'll be relatively easy to kill as you can exploit the Pressured state repeatedly by rebreaking the link as it reappears.

By defeating Darkstar you'll earn 3,900 EXP, 10 AP, and 1,950 Gil. Continue the fight with Rufus as normal, where he can deploy attacks like "Divebomb" which is self-explanatory with a launch into the air and slam down, alongside "Up in Smoke" where Rufus will deploy a smokebomb which will temporarily stun you, letting Rufus get in close and blast you with his gun.

• 3,900 EXP, 10 AP, 1,950 Gil, 50 Party EXP

Upon defeating Rufus, he'll vacate the arena in a cloud of smoke while Tifa and Aerith rejoin you and refocus on tracking down Cait Sith. Head into the shop to the right and you'll find Cait Sith on the circular toy display.

Chase Cait out of the area and use the tunnel tracks to arrive back out into the main hub of the Gold Saucer. On the ground level, head southeast to find two Moogles on a bench. Interact with the one on the right to find Cait hiding once again.

As he bounds off down the sidepath nearby, pursue him through the corridors being sure to loot the obvious chest on the path to receive a Crystalline Cross for Yuffie.

Continue along the path and outside to reach the helipad where Cait gives the keystone to Tseng before he departs on a chopper. Everyone chastises and turns their back on Cait Sith, who apologises but explains it was always going to end this way as he leaves the party for good.

As the group angrily debate what they're going to do now, Vincent reveals he can track the Turks helicopter, and Cid offers the radio on his plane/boat to tap into the frequency. When you're ready to leave the Gold Saucer, open your Region Map and Fast Travel back to Costa Del Sol. Head forward and down to the dock, speaking with Cid to start testing the radio.