FF7 Rebirth Best Chocobo Gear & Loadout Explained

Beating optional secret bosses is great and all, but we all know the true endgame of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is chocobo racing. And to that end, you need the right equipment. Here’s everything you need to know about the best chocobo gear in FF7 Rebirth.

How to Get the Best Chocobo Gear in FF7 Rebirth

As always, we’ll preface this by saying that there really isn’t a right or wrong answer when it comes to picking the best chocobo gear in FF7 Rebirth. A lot of it comes down to your own play style and comfort zone. That being said, from our own experiences with chocobo racing, we’ve found the loadout below to perform the best across all of the races.

Here’s our take on the best chocobo gear in FF7 Rebirth:

• Chocobo: Piko
• Head: Shinra Avian Helmet, Hyperion’s Helm, Treasure Hunter Visor
• Torso: Gi Cloak, Hyperion’s Armor, Treasure Hunter Saddle
• Legs: Scorpion Greaves, Hyperion’s Shin Guards, Treasure Hunter Gaiters

We’ve also listed their individual locations down below, in case you need some assistance getting them:

Which Chocobo Is Best for Racing in FF7 Rebirth?

First off, Piko seems to be the best chocobo option for all the races in FF7 Rebirth thanks to its all-rounder stats, making it great and versatile for virtually any situation. I found that the other chocobos tended to be a bit too niche, or would only fit into specific play styles –which is fine if you can make it work– while Piko is just the easiest and most straightforward option for most players.

FF7 Rebirth Best Chocobo Loadout Explained

The underlying factors that you should look for when selecting what gear to equip your chocobo with are speed and the maintenance of speed. Though Piko has the speed burst ability, the gear to increase your ride’s base speed and reduce the amount he slows down is vital to retain that edge in a race. As the game progresses and rarer gear becomes available, focus on gear that continues to improve the speed and ability gauge to tap into the speed burst more often.

Chocobo Starter Build

This is what I like to call the FF7 Rebirth chocobo racing starter kit. The main goal here is to keep your speed up, while also minimizing the downsides when you screw up and make a mistake during the race. The Shinra Avian Helmet can be obtained very early on in the game, and it helps keep your speed up.

The other two pieces in the loadout allow you to also keep your speed up even when you get knocked around, or knocked off-course. These are crucial for getting you back on track, and this build should help you stay in the running and recover easily.

Chocobo Midgame Build

The Treasure Hunter set can be purchased from the chocobo ranch in the Gongaga region, and it serves as a pretty good step-up and intermediate build once you’ve mastered the basics of chocobo racing. This build is a lot more technical, and the idea is to get you to use your chocobo’s abilities more often, while keeping your speed as you round corners. The latter bit becomes crucial once you get into the later races, as you’ll need to be able to take on corners easily and without slowing down as much as you normally would.

Chocobo Endgame Build

The Hyperion set is, without a doubt, the best endgame chocobo gear you can get in FF7 Rebirth. Moreso than speed, being able to increase your dash duration is pretty crucial for overtaking your opponents in the later races. This build also ensures that you’ll always have a leg up over everyone else in the final lap, though you do need to at least try to keep pace with your opponents in the early laps.

And that’s everything you need to know about the best chocobo gear in FF7 Rebirth.

The above article was updated on April 6, 2024 by Escapist Editorial to include additional chocobo gear details.