How to steal Tonberry King’s Crown in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

To steal the Tonberry King’s Crown in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, you need to complete a series of steps during the side quest ‘The Saga of the Seaside Inn‘ involving Johnny. This quest can only be completed starting from Chapter 9, even though it initiates in Chapter 7. Below, you’ll find detailed instructions on how to locate the Tonberry King, obtain the Pristine Crown, and defeat the Tonberry King.

Finding the Tonberry King

The Tonberry King can be found in the southern area of Corel, which becomes accessible in Chapter 9. To summon the Tonberry King, you must first visit and complete four Lifespring locations in the southern part of Corel. Once you do this, the Tonberry King will appear on your map as ‘Classified Intel: Heavy Lies the Crown’. If his location doesn’t appear, consider checking the two Lifespring locations in northern Corel as well.

Specifically, the Tonberry King is located near the eastern coast of the southern section of Corel, north of a Mogstool, and directly south of Johnny, who gives you the task of retrieving the crown.

To find Lifesprings efficiently, activate the southern Corel Remnawave Towers, as these will show additional World Intel locations when you engage their red switches. You may need to use the Grapple Hook to access some of these towers.

How to Obtain the Tonberry King’s Crown

Similar to obtaining other rare items in the game, the Tonberry King’s Crown can only be acquired after unlocking its location on your map by visiting the Lifesprings and then summoning the King for battle. However, there are a few additional steps to secure the Pristine Tonberry King Crown, which involves using the Steal Materia.

Steps to Acquire the Tonberry King’s Crown:

1. Reach south Corel in Chapter 9.
2. Locate and activate four Lifesprings in southern Corel (if necessary, also activate the two in northern Corel).
3. Head to the ‘Classified Intel: Heavy Lies the Crown’ location.
4. Equip Steal Materia on one of your party members (Yuffie has this by default).
5. Summon the Tonberry King and apply Pressure to make the Pristine Crown drop.
6. Use the Steal ability on the Pristine Crown to collect it.
7. Defeat the Tonberry King to successfully claim the Crown.

Note: If you defeat the Tonberry King without stealing the Pristine Crown, you will receive the Marred Crown instead. While both crowns can be given to Johnny, the Pristine Crown is more visually appealing and will make him very happy.

Strategies to Defeat the Tonberry King

The Tonberry King has 14,220 HP on normal difficulty and does not possess any elemental weaknesses in FF7 Rebirth. The key to defeating him is to inflict damage after he misses an attack to apply Pressure. Save your ATB charges for the moments right after his attacks or during projectile attacks to capitalize on this weakness. Once Pressured, the Tonberry King’s Pristine Crown will drop, allowing you to use the Steal ability if you have it equipped.

Preparation for the Fight

It’s advisable to include at least one ranged character in your party to stay at a safe distance from the Tonberry King and avoid his lethal Chef’s Knife attack. Using Barret is recommended, as his Overcharge and Maximum Fury moves can apply Pressure effectively after the Tonberry King misses an attack. Consider linking Auto-Cast Materia with healing spells, and equipping Auto-Unique Ability Materia on your characters to allow them to use their special abilities automatically, thereby increasing your chances of Pressuring the Tonberry King without needing to time it perfectly yourself.

Ensure that the Steal Materia is equipped if you plan to acquire the Pristine Crown during the battle.

Battle Strategy Against the Tonberry King

First and foremost, keep your distance from the Tonberry King. His Chef’s Knife attack is swift and instantly fatal if you are too close. If you have good dodging skills, attacking from the front is possible, but it carries high risk.

Control Barret for most of the fight to maintain distance while dealing damage. You can switch to characters like Cloud, Tifa, or Red XIII when the Tonberry King is Staggered to quickly deplete his health. Utilizing Synergy Abilities that partition the ATB bar, raise limit levels, or extend Pressure and Stagger is also recommended.

Beware of the Tonberry King’s projectiles, such as Rancor and Doom and Gloom, which can stun or kill your characters. Always dodge to the side to avoid these attacks. Additionally, he can summon regular Tonberry enemies with his Call for Friends ability, which can also eliminate you instantly if you get too close.

Be cautious during the Hopping Mad attack, which rains debris from above. This is a good opportunity to unleash powerful abilities on the Tonberry King after avoiding the falling debris.

Lastly, be patient in your approach. Defeating the Tonberry King may take time, but with careful timing and strategic play, you will emerge victorious, even if you struggle to Pressure him consistently. Good luck in your battle against the Tonberry King!