Manuscripts (VII Remake)

Manuscripts are items in Final Fantasy VII Remake and "Episode INTERmission" used to provide skill points for purchasing weapon upgrades, as well as second level limit breaks. Manuscripts are gained for completing various objectives, including Corneo Colosseum and Shinra Combat Simulator challenges, and by defeating certain enemies in hard mode.
Manuscripts are necessary to fully level up weapons after a character reaches their maximum level 50. There are 56 manuscripts in total in the base game. During an initial playthrough, only 12 can be obtained, and the remaining 44 require hard mode difficulty. There are 14 per character. The mechanic returns in INTERmission for Yuffie and Sonon.
Manuscripts differ for each character. Cloud's are known as The Art of Swordplay, Barret's are known as Sharpshooter's Companion, Tifa's are the Way of the Fist, and Aerith's are Telluric Scriptures.
Limit breaks being learned from books alludes to the original Final Fantasy VII where each party member's final Limit was learned from a manual, which often required doing a sidequest to find.
==Cloud's ==
===Any difficulty===
Edition	Chapter 	Obtained
 	Chapter 8: 
"Budding Bodyguard" 	Purchase from the Moogle Emporium for 5 moogle medals.
 	Chapter 9: "The Town That Never Sleeps"	Complete "Cloud vs. Shinra Thugs" challenge in Corneo Colosseum.
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope" 	Complete "Corneo's Secret Stash".
===Hard mode only===
Edition	Chapter 	Obtained
 	Chapter 2: 
"Fateful Encounters" 	Defeat The Huntsman.
 	Chapter 3: 
"Home Sweet Slum" 	Defeat Doomrats during "Rat Problem".
 	Chapter 4: "Mad Dash" 	Defeat Roche.
 	Chapter 8: 
"Budding Bodyguard" 	Defeat Reno.
 	Chapter 9: "The Town That Never Sleeps"	Defeat Beck, Burke, and Butch during "The Price of Thievery".
 	Chapter 9: "The Town That Never Sleeps"	Defeat Jury-Rigged Cutter during "Shears' Counterattack".
 	Chapter 9: "The Town That Never Sleeps"	Defeat two Bombs during "A Dynamite Body".
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope" 	Defeat the Beastmaster and Hellhound during "Tomboy Bandit".
 	Chapter 16: 
"The Belly of the Beast" 	Defeat Specimen H0512.
 	Chapter 17: "Deliverance from Chaos" 	Complete the "Cloud vs. 3-C SOLDIER Candidates" challenge in the Shinra Combat Simulator.
 	Chapter 17: "Deliverance from Chaos" 	Defeat Rufus and Darkstar.
==Barret's ==
===Any difficulty===
Edition	Chapter	Obtained
 	Chapter 8: 
"Budding Bodyguard"	Purchase from the Moogle Emporium for 5 moogle medals.
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope"	Complete "Barret vs. Shinra Thugs" challenge in Corneo Colosseum.
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope"	Complete "The Power of Music".
===Hard mode only===
Edition	Chapter 	Obtained
 	Chapter 1: "The Destruction of Mako Reactor 1"	Defeat the Scorpion Sentinel.
 	Chapter 5: 
"Dogged Pursuit" 	Defeat the Crab Warden.
 	Chapter 7: 
"A Trap Is Sprung" 	Defeat the Airbuster.
 	Chapter 12: 
"Fight for Survival" 	Defeat Reno and Rude.
 	Chapter 13: 
"A Broken World" 	Defeat the Failed Experiment.
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope" 	Defeat the Tonberry during "Malicious Goons".
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope" 	Defeat the Type-0 Behemoth during "Subterranean Menace".
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope" 	Defeat the Rust Drake during "Chocobo Search".
 	Chapter 15: "The Day Midgar Stood Still" 	Defeat The Valkyrie.
 	Chapter 17:
"Deliverance from Chaos" 	Complete the "Barret vs. 3-C SOLDIER Candidates" challenge in the Shinra Combat Simulator.
 	Chapter 18: 
"Destiny's Crossroads" 	Defeat the Whisper Harbinger.
==Tifa's ==
===Any difficulty===
Edition	Chapter	Obtained
 	Chapter 8: 
"Budding Bodyguard"	Purchase from the Moogle Emporium for 5 moogle medals.
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope"	Complete "Tifa vs. Shinra Thugs" challenge in Corneo Colosseum.
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope"	Complete "Wavering Heart".
===Hard mode only===
Edition	Chapter 	Obtained
 	Chapter 3:
"Home Sweet Slum"	Defeat the Wrath Hound during "On the Prowl".
 	Chapter 4: "Mad Dash" 	Defeat the Enigmatic Spectre.
 	Chapter 6: "Light the Way"	Found in the ventilation fan (where the Chocobo & Moogle can previously be found).
 	Chapter 10: 
"Rough Waters"	Defeat Abzu.
 	Chapter 11: "Haunted" 	Defeat Eligor.
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope"	Defeat Abzu and the Abzu Shoats.
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope"	Defeat the Phantoms during "Missing Children".
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope"	Defeat the Trypapolises during "Chocobo Search".
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope"	Defeat the Sahagin Prince during "Corneo's Secret Stash".
 	Chapter 17:
"Deliverance from Chaos"	Complete the "Tifa vs. 3-C SOLDIER Candidates" challenge in the Shinra Combat Simulator.
 	Chapter 17: 
"Deliverance from Chaos"	Defeat the Jenova Dreamweaver.
==Aerith's ==
===Any difficulty===
Edition	Chapter 	Obtained
 	Chapter 8: 
"Budding Bodyguard" 	Purchase from the Moogle Emporium for 5 moogle medals.
 	Chapter 9: "The Town That Never Sleeps"	Complete "Aerith vs. Shinra Thugs" challenge in Corneo Colosseum.
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope" 	Complete "Secret Medicine".
===Hard mode only===
Edition	Chapter 	Obtained
 	Chapter 8: 
"Budding Bodyguard" 	Defeat Rude.
 	Chapter 8: 
"Budding Bodyguard" 	Defeat the Mark II Monodrive during "Weapons on a Rampage".
 	Chapter 8: 
"Budding Bodyguard" 	Defeat Hedgehog Pie King during "Kids on Patrol".
 	Chapter 8: 
"Budding Bodyguard" 	Defeat Chromogger during "The Angel of the Slums".
 	Chapter 8: 
"Budding Bodyguard" 	Defeat Venomantises during "Paying Respects".
 	Chapter 9: "The Town That Never Sleeps"	Defeat Hell House.
 	Chapter 11: "Haunted" 	Defeat the Ghoul.
 	Chapter 17: 
"Deliverance from Chaos" 	Complete the "Aerith vs. 3-C SOLDIER Candidates" in the Shinra Combat Simulator.
 	Chapter 17: 
"Deliverance from Chaos" 	Defeat the Swordipede.
 	Chapter 17: 
"Deliverance from Chaos" 	Defeat The Arsenal.
 	Chapter 18: 
"Destiny's Crossroads" 	Defeat Sephiroth.
==Yuffie's and Sonon's ==
Yuffie and Sonon's manuscripts are obtained at the same time, and only in hard mode. The manuscripts are gained from the Fort Condor minigame and from defeating bosses. 
Edition	Chapter	Obtained
 	Chapter 1: 
"Wutai's Finest"	Win against Kyrie Canaan in Fort Condor
 	Chapter 1: 
"Wutai's Finest"	Win against Shinra Middle Manager in Fort Condor
 	Chapter 1: 
"Wutai's Finest"	Win against Johnny in Fort Condor
 	Chapter 1: 
"Wutai's Finest"	Win against Jessie Rasberry in Fort Condor
 	Chapter 1: 
"Wutai's Finest"	Win against Roche in Fort Condor
 	Chapter 1: 
"Wutai's Finest"	Win against Wedge in Fort Condor
 	Chapter 1: 
"Wutai's Finest"	Win against Chadley in Fort Condor
 	Chapter 1: 
"Wutai's Finest"	Defeat Horned Cripshay during "Double Back"
 	Chapter 1: 
"Wutai's Finest"	Defeat Levrikon during "Main Pillar Maintenance"
 	Chapter 1: 
"Wutai's Finest"	Defeat Gigantipede during "Save Zhijie"
 	Chapter 2:
"Covert Ops"	Defeat Deathwheel during "The Invitation"
 	Chapter 2:
"Covert Ops"	Defeat The Crimson Mare during "Fateful Confrontation"
 	Chapter 2:
"Covert Ops"	Defeat Projector during "Escape"
 	Chapter 2:
"Covert Ops"	Defeat Nero during "Dread"
==Legacy==
They can be obtained at any difficulty.
Edition	Chapter 	Obtained
 	Chapter 9: "The Town That Never Sleeps" 	Complete "Cloud vs. Wild Animals" challenge in Corneo Colosseum.
 	An item that teaches Cloud a new limit break. 	An item that teaches Cloud a new limit break.
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope" 	Complete "Barret vs. Wild Animals" challenge in Corneo Colosseum.
 	An item that teaches Barret a new limit break.	An item that teaches Barret a new limit break.
 	Chapter 14: 
"In Search of Hope" 	Complete "Tifa vs. Wild Animals" challenge in Corneo Colosseum.
 	An item that teaches Tifa a new limit break. 	An item that teaches Tifa a new limit break.
 	Chapter 9: "The Town That Never Sleeps" 	Complete "Aerith vs. Wild Animals" challenge in Corneo Colosseum.
 	An item that teaches Aerith a new limit break.	An item that teaches Aerith a new limit break.
==Behind the scenes==
Battle system designer Masanori Sato spent some time thinking about what SP-increasing items would look like for the game. Ultimately, manuals were chosen as they were the way that final Limit Breaks were unlocked in the original Final Fantasy VII, and because unlocking a new weapon skill equated to learning the secrets of the associated combat style.
Each character's manuscripts have a unique design when viewed in the inventory. The swords crossing on Cloud's resemble somewhat the basic sword SOLDIER members are issued . Barret's manuscript holds bullets on the cover, while Tifa's has a stylized image that somewhat resembles the shape of a boxing ring. The shapes on the covers of Aerith's manuscripts are her weapons bar the Guard Stick (from top to bottom):
*Mythril Rod
*Bladed Staff (closer to the shape from the concept art rather than from the game)
*Arcane Scepter
*Reinforced Staff
*Silver Staff (closer to the shape from the concept art rather than from the game)
Yuffie's manuscript is green and white closed with a beaded cord, and has her shuriken alongside a swallow insignia. In Japan it is considered good luck to have a swallow nesting in one's house. Sonon's manuscript is red and black with a cherry tree branch in gold. In Japanese culture, cherry trees and blossoms often symbolize renewal and the transience of life.
==Gallery==
Legacy Ascension Manuscript for Cloud from FFVII Remake.png|Legacy: Ascension.
Sharpshooters Companion Manuscript for Barret from FFVII Remake.png|Sharpshooter's Companion.
Legacy Catastrophe Manuscript for Barret from FFVII Remake.png|Legacy: Catastrophe.
Way of the Fist Manuscript for Tifa from FFVII Remake.png|Way of the Fist.
Legacy Dolphin Flurry Manuscript for Tifa from FFVII Remake.png|Legacy: Dolphin Flurry.
Telluric Scriptures Manuscript for Aerith from FFVII Remake.png|Telluric Scriptures.
Legacy Planets Protection Manuscript for Aerith from FFVII Remake.png|Legacy: Planet's Protection.
Secrets of the Ninja from FFVII Remake.png|Secrets of the Ninja.
Secrets of the Staff from FFVII Remake.png|Secrets of the Staff.
==Citations==
Category:Manuscripts in Final Fantasy VII Remake
Category:Gameplay in Final Fantasy VII Remake