Nero (VII Remake boss)

Nero is the final boss of "Episode INTERmission", the DLC episode that is a part of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. Yuffie and Sonon encounter him in the Observation Facility of Shinra Building's Advanced Weaponry in "Dread". Nero is a mysterious man with powers of darkness who belongs to Deepground, Shinra Electric Power Company's secret SOLDIER program.
==Stats==
Being a DLC-exclusive enemy, the stats are not listed in the official guide book, and thus are unknown.
==Battle==
Nero has no elemental weaknesses and is agile and durable, and cannot be knocked back by most attacks. In the first phase, his attacks are primarily melee-focused, and he is capable of flying. His Sweeping Darkness can be blocked. Nero is capable of grappling Yuffie with Binding Talons; if Sonon has ATB when Nero grabs Yuffie, the player can command him to use an ability on Nero. Binding Talons can be avoided by moving too far away from Nero to grab Yuffie.
After Nero's HP is reduced to 3/4, he becomes more deadly and bestows himself with Haste. When Yuffie and Sonon become covered in darkness, their HP is sapped rapidly, but Nero's attacks are now telegraphed by dark purple energy. Chaotic Pulsars can be dodged by avoiding the pulses in the ground, while Dark Torrent can be guarded against. Nero's Binding Talons attack will now KO Yuffie if she is not synergized with Sonon. Chthonic Surge summons dark energy from the floor in front of Nero, but is avoidable and blockable. Eldritch Celerity damages everything near Nero and will interrupt and knock Yuffie and Sonon back if they are within its radius. Soul Erosion has Nero briefly charge and then unleash an unblockable attack, but attacking him during the charge will cancel it.
When Nero falls to half HP, the third phase begins. More dark energy seeps into the battle arena and touching it deals damage. Nero can now teleport through the arena for surprise attacks, disappearing from the player's targeting. Dark Ferocity is a flurry of strikes, but can be avoided by dodging its first hit. When he flies, Nero may use Salvo to blast Yuffie and Sonon with his guns from up high. His Dark Matter covers the battlefield with darkness, sapping Yuffie and Sonon of health.
With a quarter of health left, Nero summons abyssal wings. He gains more range and some new attacks, but crippling the wings makes Nero easy to stagger and thus defeat.
===Strategy===
Both Yuffie and Sonon should have access to healing abilities; paired with is good. is a useful spell. can be crucial in the battle. Other good materia to bring include and . can be good on either/both Yuffie and Sonon, as guarding is often helpful in this battle. is good with an attack materia on Sonon, causing him to fire off a free spell whenever Yuffie uses an ATB ability on Nero. and are good pairings for synergy, as their spells will always hit.
A good setup for Yuffie is Chthonian Armlet + Gozu Drive, where she will deal increased damage the higher her HP is; Sonon can help along by boosting Yuffie's health while she is the main damage-dealer. Kindred Cord can be a good accessory for Sonon, as the player will likely be synergizing often. Another good accessory is Ribbon, as though Nero does not use status ailments, Ribbon lets the wearer withstand interruption when spellcasting.
Synergized Art of War is powerful against Nero at the first stage, as the only objective is to deal as much damage as possible. Sonon can also use Fighting Spirit to draw Nero's attention away from Yuffie. When Nero is pressured, Sonon can use Twirling Lunge to rapidly build stagger. Simply attacking with when the pair is synergized and Nero is pressured also builds stagger.
In the second battle phase after Nero loses 25% of his health, it is useful to keep up and use Throw + Windstorm to attack from a safe distance, while avoiding or healing from his attacks. The player should focus on staggering him. If enough damage is sustained, a limit break can be used to pressure him easily, making him vulnerable to damage. If the player staggers Nero, using Synergized Windstorm on him increases stagger bonus damage. In most circumstances, one should prioritize healing and avoiding damage over attacking Nero; it is better to use for a quick heal than risk being interrupted casting . When Nero is pressured, Synergized Art of War can be used to deal as much damage as possible until he is no longer pressured, at which point the party can resume defensive stance.
When Nero brings out his wings, his range lengthens but the player can cripple them to easily stagger and thus finish him off. It may be best to save Ramuh, and possibly limit breaks, to the final and hardest battle phase. If the player has DLC available, Carbuncle is another good option. Whenever Yuffie has Banishment charged up, it is good to use it.
===Hard mode===
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It is best to try conserve MP until this point, though Yuffie's upgraded regenerates MP rapidly, and is thus a recommended weapon for this battle. 
With two , one should be paired with a healing materia to grant Regen often, and another should be paired with a time materia to cast , or with barrier materia. on Yuffie can be helpful to grant ATB to Sonon for synergized skills. Both party members should have , preferably two each. Chthonian Armlet + Gozu Drive is still good for Yuffie.
Nero is just as difficult as before, and Brumal Form will be helpful to avoid his attacks. Guarding and staying back will be needed in his later phases, along with frequent healing. If synergized limit breaks are unlocked from Sonon's weapon passive, they can be even more potent.
One trick is also to keep Yuffie airborne with Throw→Retrieve→2–3 normal attacks→Throw→Retrieve→normal attacks...
Defeating Nero in hard mode earns 10 SP books for Yuffie and Sonon.
==Gallery==
Nero uses Dark Torrent from FFVIIR INTERmission.png|Dark Torrent.
Nero uses Umbral Shell from FFVIIR INTERmission.png|Umbral Shell.
Nero uses Disembowel from FFVIIR INTERmission.png|Disembowel.
Nero uses Salvo from FFVIIR INTERmission.png|Salvo.
Nero uses Veil of Woe from FFVIIR INTERmission.png|Veil of Woe.
Nero uses Chthonian Surge from FFVIIR INTERmission.png|Chthonian Surge.
Nero uses Sweeping Darkness from FFVIIR INTERmission.png|Sweeping Darkness.
Nero uses Dark Matter from FFVIIR INTERmission.png|Dark Matter.
Nero uses Soul Erosion from FFVIIR INTERmission.png|Soul Erosion.
Nero uses Tenebrous Talons from FFVIIR INTERmission.png|Tenebrous Talons.
Category:Bosses in Final Fantasy VII Remake