When do you get Red XIII in FF7 Rebirth?

The canine-like Red XIII appeared in Final Fantasy VII Remake, but only toward the end and not as a playable party member. In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, he’s finally promoted to fully functioning team member, but when does he join?

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth starts with a prologue followed by a flashback that takes place in Nibelheim 5 years before the beginning of the narrative. Directly after that, at the same time that you get everyone else in your party, Red XIII is available.

He joins as a standard party member that you can take control of and customize. His weapon is a variety of collars that can be slotted with materia. He fights with his claws, and most of his abilities involve some form of acrobatics, somewhat similar to Tifa. His special stance is Vengeance mode. Essentially, as you block attacks, the Vengeance mode button slowly fills up. You don’t have to wait for it to be full, but once you choose it, it begins depleting. The rate can be affected by skill upgrades.

Personally, I love Red XIII as a character, especially because of his interactions with Barrett. Because of that, I was excited to have him in my party. However, after some time utilizing him, I decided to trade him out. I simply don’t like his combat style and find his attacks to be somewhat boring and unreliable. Not the worst character you could put in your party, but for me, I prefer others.

That’s just personal preference, though. I still like him as a story character. There are also moments in the game where the party becomes separated, and you have to play with a more limited group that may include Red XIII.

Still, the important takeaway here is the Red XIII is available immediately starting in Chapter 2.