Cerberus ( weapon ) The Cerberus is Vincent Valentine ' s weapon of choice in both " " and " Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII - " . It is a powerful handgun capable of shooting three bullets at the same time . While it first appears in " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " , the gun also appears in the movie ' s prologue despite not being mentioned in the original " Final Fantasy VII " , possibly indicating that the Cerberus has been retconned to have been his default weapon , replacing Quicksilver . Profile . Cerberus is a triple - barreled , triple - cylindered revolver , ornamented with scrollwork patterns , a small dog ' s head in place of the iron sights on each barrel , and a silver chain in the shape of a three - headed dog with a wing hanging from the end of the grip . Both the keychain and the gun itself are derived from Ancient Greek mythology , where Cerberus , the three - headed hellhound , guarded the gates to Hades ' s underworld . The Cerberus is a semi - automatic , break loading revolver with three barrels and three cylinders . It is initially capable of holding 18 shots at once , having six chambers per cylinder . The gun is reloaded by a breaking mechanism that tilts the barrels and cylinders at an angle , allowing the ejection of spent cartridges and the placement of fresh rounds , ending with a flick of the wrist that snaps the barrels back into place . Three bullets are fired at once , allowing for only six shots per reload . With in - game customization in " Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII - " , Cerberus can become lighter , more powerful , or hold more ammunition . A Materia slot can be equipped on a chain , allowing the use of different Materia to cast spells from its barrels . Accessories , such as a scope for accuracy and automatic reloading mechanisms , can also be equipped for added dependability . Appearances . The Cerberus first appears when Vincent arrives in a ghost - like form to save Cloud Strife . From the swirling cloak , bullets are continuously shot at Kadaj , three at a time . It is not until the battle with Bahamut SIN in Edge that the gun is fully seen , which is put to good use in the battle . At one point in the battle , Vincent can be seen stopping on the top of a spire to reload the Cerberus . Vincent carries his gun in a holster attached to his right thigh . " Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII - " . The Cerberus is Vincent ' s default weapon . Although no explanation is given about the weapon ' s appearance , more information is given about the gun itself in the customization screens . It can be fitted with short , normal , and long barrels , with the normal barrel as the standard length . As opposed to " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " , Vincent carries an arsenal of mysterious guns , including the Hydra , a bolt - action rifle , the Griffon , a Thompson - style machine gun , and a new version of his ultimate weapon from " Final Fantasy VII " , the Death Penalty . The Cerberus is best for close to mid - range shooting , but equipping a long barrel will enable it to shoot at long distances with ease . During the Training Program , a plain silver Cerberus with no decorations is used by a young Vincent Valentine . It is described as a " Standard Shinra Handgun " . Unlike the Cerberus , this gun is modified to shoot only one bullet at a time . " Final Fantasy XV " . Firearms can be equipped by Noctis and Prompto . " Final Fantasy Trading Card Game " . The Cerberus weapon appears on cards . One of Vincent ' s cards bears an ability named " Powered Cerberus " . For the discard of another Vincent card and one Earth CP , Powered Cerberus makes Vincent Active and grants him + 4 , 000 power until the end of the turn . Merchandise . Cerberus has appeared in Final Fantasy Master Arms that includes iconic " Final Fantasy " weapons . In Vincent ' s " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " Play Arts action figure he is also holding the Cerberus . Etymology . Its incarnation as a firearm is a likely reference to the 2002 video game and anime series , " " .