The upcoming Yuffie Episode DLC for Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade involves her hunt for the "ultimate Materia," but what exactly is that? In the original FF7, Yuffie is a Materia hunter who steals the party's entire supply before fleeing to Wutai.
Wutai, Yuffie's homeland, was the last nation to defy the Shinra Corporation. There was a long and costly war between Wutai and Shinra, but the victor was clear from the start, as Shinra had the power of SOLDIER and the likes of Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth on its side. When the war was over, Wutai was reduced to a resort town. Yuffie wants to restore her homeland to its glory, so she scours the world for powerful Materia to help her accomplish that goal.
In FF7 Remake, a new conflict between Shinra and Wutai is brewing. This initially seemed like propaganda on the part of Shinra, but the new DLC chapters in FF7 Remake Intergrade show Wutai agents sneaking into Midgar. According to the official FF7 Remake Intergrade website, Yuffie teams up with Avalanche in order to steal the aforementioned "ultimate Materia" from Shinra Headquarters, but it's not clear what this Materia is or why Shinra hasn't used it yet, if it's so powerful.
Yuffie's Ultimate Materia In FF7 Remake - Ultima & Zirconiade
The fact that it's called "ultimate" instantly suggests it's the Ultima Materia. Ultima is a recurring spell throughout the series, and it's often one of the most powerful attacks in each Final Fantasy game. In FF7, the Ultima Materia is in the possession of a young boy in North Corel and can only be acquired by stopping the train from crashing into the town. Zack can also acquire Ultima Materia in Crisis Core by stealing it from enemies. It's possible Shinra has a piece of Ultima Materia that is being saved for the potential coming war with Wutai. The FF7 Remake Intergrade Yuffie DLC might also explain how it got out of Midgar and ended up in North Corel.
Another strong candidate for the ultimate Materia is the summon Materia for Zirconiade. In the Japan-exclusive FF7 prequel, Before Crisis, Avalanche manages to acquire this summon Materia, which has the power to wipe all life from the planet. A scientist named Fuhito sacrifices his life to summon Zirconiade, but it's stopped by the Turks. The battle against Zirconiade takes place in Midgar, so would make sense for Shinra to have acquired the Materia after Zirconiade was defeated. Perhaps the company then sealed it away in the depths of its Headquarters building. This would also explain why Shinra hasn't used this "ultimate Materia" yet; Zirconiade is far too powerful to risk unleashing, especially when Shinra already has an army at its disposal.
It's also possible that there is no Materia, however, and Yuffie is being sent on a wild goose chase. Fans will know more soon, as the FF7 Remake Intergrade Yuffie Episode DLC will be released this summer.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is coming to PlayStation 5 on June 10, 2021.
Source: Square Enix