In Chapter 7, “Those Left Behind,” of Final Fantasy 7 (FF7) Rebirth, players will be able to start a Johnny-centric quest called “The Saga of the Seaside Inn,” during which they’ll be tasked with finding and beating the Tonberry King, so here’s how to do that and get his crown.
Jump To:
Where to Find the Tonberry King in FF7 Rebirth
Although Johnny’s doppelganger will task you with getting a Pristine Crown from the Tonberry King in Chapter 7 of FF7 Rebirth, you can’t actually face the special enemy until after you’ve gotten the Buggy in Chapter 9. He’ll also only do that after you’ve collected the various refurbishment materials from near the ziplines near Costa del Sol. Once you’ve gathered enough Intel in the Corel Region, Chadley will contact you with “Classified Intel: Heavy Lies the Crown.” This will reveal the Tonberry King’s location, which you can see on the map above. Travel there to start battle with the enemy.
How to Prepare for the Tonberry King Boss in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
The Tonberry King is a pretty difficult boss to take on in FF7 Rebirth. My recommendation is that you use Cloud, Tifa, and one of your ranged characters, such as Barret or Aerith. Equip the ranged character with the Revival and Item Economizer Materia, because you’re going to get knocked down a ton. That’s just what it means to fight a Tonberry. You may also benefit from giving them the ATB Boost Materia, since it’ll make using magic easier later. Additionally, make sure to equip a Steal Materia. That’s necessary for getting the best outcome for the quest.
How to Beat the Tonberry King & Get a Pristine Crown in FF7 Rebirth
Personally, I prefer using Tifa for the fight against the Tonberry King in FF7 Rebirth, as I find that she’s able to do a lot of damage easily. The trick is to land a few blows on the Tonberry King and then to dodge backwards. Pretty much any single hit from the Tonberry King can kill you, so if that happens, use one of your remaining characters to revive the one who went down.
Don’t worry about healing except for reviving your downed party members. Overall, the Tonberry King and whatever other Tonberries he summons do too much damage to make healing worth it.
Outside of his stabbing attacks, the Tonbery King has an ability called Rancor, which will shoot projectiles at you. This isn’t always deadly, and it’s relatively easy to dodge. You may, though, end up getting hit by his Bone-Deep Grudge attack, which will freeze your character in place. If that happens, switch to someone else.
Eventually, you’ll do enough damage to the Tonberry King that he’ll lose his crown. Use Steal on it, and you’ll get the Pristine Crown in FF7 Rebirth. From there, continue to pelt the Tonberry King with attacks, moving in and out of battle as necessary to avoid getting hit. The fight is a grind, and the only real solid strategy is to dodge as best you can and revive when your best isn’t good enough. Once the Tonberry King is down, you’ll be good to finish “The Saga of the Seaside Inn” quest.
What You Get for Finishing Saga of the Seaside Inn
Although it’s technically optional, “Saga of the Seaside Inn” is one of those FF7 Rebirth quests that you should really finish. Basically, it’ll give you the Seaside Inn as a fast travel point that you can sleep at to recover HP and MP, which is really nice. You’ll also get the option to donate the various collectibles that you’ve been picking up across the map.
If you’re looking for more, check out our complete map of the Corel Region in FF7 Rebirth.
Update: This article was updated on 3/4/24 to include additional information about how to find and beat the Tonberry King and get his crown in FF7 Rebirth.
