Rising Sun (Final Fantasy VII)

The Rising Sung is a weapon for Yuffie in Final Fantasy VII. It is acquired late into the game, and has above average stats. More notably, it has four Materia slots, all linked, with double AP growth, and is one of the strongest weapons available with said trait.
==Obtained==
Rising Sun can be stolen from Diamond Weapon, which is fought later in the game during "Mako Cannon Rampage" before it attacks Midgar.
If not stolen when the fight ends, the weapon cannot be obtained again. Diamond Weapon was not a boss in the original Japanese version, though Rising Sun still existed in the game code as a dummied asset.
==Mechanics==
As the Rising Sun has a base Attack stat bonus of 62, the base damage for physical attacks when it is equipped is in the following formula:
:\text{Base Damage} = \text{(62 + Strength)} + \frac{\text{(62 + Strength)} + \text{Level}}{32} \times \frac{\text{(62 + Strength)} \times \text{Level}}{32}
where "Level" is Yuffie's current level and "Strength" is her Strength stat. The Rising Sun also has an Attack% (Accuracy) of 108%, and grants a +16 bonus to Yuffie's Magic stat.
==Use==
The Rising Sun is acquired late into the game, and is an extremely useful utility weapon due to providing double AP growth for its four Materia slots and still possessing fairly strong stats. This means it outclasses both Wind Slash and Twin Viper, Yuffie's other weapons with double AP growth, and is one of the best weapons in the game for level grinding. Yuffie can equip Rising Sun for grinding, but its relatively strong stats also allow her to use the weapon generally, sacrificing the power of other options like Crystal Cross, Oritsuru, or Conformer for passive AP growth.
Rising Sun's linked Materia slots give Yuffie the opportunity to pair an All Materia on offensive Magic Materia, thus allowing her to clear mobs of enemies quicker. Most of the time, Rising Sun's Materia slots should be dedicated to Materia that the player wishes to level up. If Yuffie wishes to clear mobs of enemies quicker for faster grinding, an All Materia for magic and Slash-All for physical damage are both viable, and can be given to an armor slot if not free on the Rising Sun.
Rising Sun is one of the best weapons in the game with double AP growth. The two closest comparisons are Cid's Javelin and Tifa's Powersoul. Javelin is outclassed overall but has one additional slot, whereas Powersoul outclasses both due to its unique damage mechanic that allows it to deal incredible damage, and because it has an equal number of slots to Rising Sun; although none of Powersoul's slots are linked, Tifa rarely needs a linked slot for farming regardless. There are two weapons in the game with triple AP growth: Cloud's Apocalypse, with only three slots, and Cid's Scimitar, with two linked ones. This means Cloud and Cid are the best for Materia grinding. Though Rising Sun still makes Yuffie a very viable third choice, Tifa's Powersoul makes her an overall better choice.
==Etymology==
Category:Weapons in Final Fantasy VII