Materia are an essential element of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's gameplay, serving as the party's means of boosting stats, casting spells, and accessing a variety of special actions in combat. Materia usually begin at level 1 when acquired, which allows an equipped character to use the weakest form of that Materia's power. AP is earned for all equipped Materia when defeating enemies, which will eventually cause the Materia's level to increase.