Safer∙Sephiroth

Safer∙Sephiroth is the final boss in Final Fantasy VII. Being the last of Sephiroth's forms, this is his most powerful transformation. This battle is penultimate, but is considered the last challenge in the game, as it is followed by a plot-related battle that cannot be lost. The song "One-Winged Angel" plays during the battle against Safer∙Sephiroth; a reference to Sephiroth's right arm being replaced by a single dark wing.

Battle
Safer∙Sephiroth's base stats are listed in the table, but they change depending on many variables:
 * For every character at Level 99 (not counting Aeris), 30,000 maximum HP, 2 Attack, 20 Defense, 5 Magic, and 16 Magic Defense are added to Safer∙Sephiroth's stats.
 * If Knights of the Round was cast on Jenova∙SYNTHESIS, Safer∙Sephiroth receives an extra 80,000 maximum HP.
 * For every time Bizarro∙Sephiroth's head was killed during the previous fight, Safer∙Sephiroth's maximum HP is reduced by 100, up to a maximum reduction of 24,900 HP.

Considering all these, Safer∙Sephiroth's maximum stats (bracketed in the table) are:
 * 400,000 maximum HP, 246 Attack, 260 Defense, 140 Magic Power, and 308 Magic Defense.

Safer∙Sephiroth's attacks follow an eight turn cycle, allowing the player to predict his next attack and prepare accordingly.

In all versions apart from the original Japanese version, the cycle is as follows:
 * 1) Wall or DeSpell (usually alternates per cycle, starting with Wall and using DeSpell on the party, but DeSpell is always used on himself if under Slow status).
 * 2) Deen (if DeSpell on the party was cast on his previous turn) or Shadow Flare (otherwise).
 * 3) Unnamed physical attack.
 * 4) Safer∙Sephiroth flies up into the air; becomes Long Range.
 * 5) Pale Horse
 * 6) Super Nova
 * 7) Break (if Safer∙Sephiroth's HP > 25%) or Heartless Angel (if Safer∙Sephiroth's HP < 25%)
 * 8) Safer∙Sephiroth drops back down.

Safer∙Sephiroth's MP is restored to full at the beginning of every one of his turns, meaning he cannot ever run out.

Safer∙Sephiroth's opening move is Wall, setting Barrier and MBarrier on himself. This cuts the damage the party does, so DeBarrier should be cast right away. He then casts Shadow Flare, a single-target attack capable of 7,500 damage against a level 65 character. Next he uses Pale Horse that is a single-target attack that inflicts some damage and always inflicts Sadness, Frog and Small, and a simple but powerful physical attack, which causes always Paralyze and Darkness.

His other attacks he may use include Break, which is yet another single-target attack which may cause Petrify, a weak attack named Deen, DeSpell, and Super Nova, which is an attack that reduces the player's HP by 15/16 and may cause Confusion, Silence and Slow. Perhaps his most dangerous spell is Heartless Angel, which will reduce the HP of the entire party to 1, but can be blocked and Safer∙Sephiroth will not use it until his HP is low. Furthermore, since it can never defeat the party and the player is likely to have a large number of Megalixirs thanks to the W-Item duplication bug, they can simply use Heartless Angel as a chance to heal up from the effects of Super Nova.

Safer∙Sephiroth may rise into the air, becoming a Long Range enemy. He cannot be hit by close range physical attacks during this time, but is limited to using Pale Horse, Super Nova, Heartless Angel or Break.

In the original Japanese version, the battle is slightly different. Sephiroth opens the battle with Slow instead of Wall and uses regular Flare instead of Shadow Flare. Pale Horse deals percentage based damage, and Super Nova, which as a different animation, does not deal percentage based damage, and can thus kill the party. In addition, Sephiroth will cast Doom in place of Heartless Angel.

Strategy
As this is the final battle, the party should go all out with their best Materia and equipment. Ribbons are strongly suggested as Safer∙Sephiroth can inflict dangerous status effects. Mastered Restore and Revive Materia are also recommended and any Elixirs and Megalixirs can come handy. Level 4 Limit Breaks make quick work of Sephiroth, but are not necessary.

The party should use Big Guard or Wall to stay protected. Safer∙Sephiroth's Super Nova charges the party's Limit Breaks quickly; this is especially useful if the party has Level 4 Limit Breaks. If the party has Knights of the Round, the summon can kill Safer∙Sephiroth in a few uses.

As all of Sephiroth's attacks, with the exception of Deen, either cannot KO the victim, or only hit one target, if the player is in great excess of Phoenix Downs, they can simply have one character attack, allow the second person to be KO'd, and the third to use a Phoenix Down on the second. This can fail if Super Nova inflicts Confusion, or if Sephiroth gets enough turns to use Deen.

AI script
AI: Setup { Turn off Death Handling for Safer*Sephiroth TempVar:CharLv99 = GlobalVar:CharLv99 TempVar:BzHeadDeaths = GlobalVar:BzHeadDeaths If (GlobalVar:JenovaKoR == 1) Then {   TempVar:JenovaBonus = 80000 } Else { TempVar:JenovaBonus = 0 } TempVar:Stat = 320000 TempVar:Stat = TempVar:Stat - 30000 * (8 - TempVar:CharLv99) Safer*Sephiroth's Max HP = TempVar:Stat + TempVar:JenovaBonus Safer*Sephiroth's HP = Safer*Sephiroth's Max HP - (TempVar:BzHeadDeaths * 100) Safer*Sephiroth's Att = Safer*Sephiroth's Att + 2 * TempVar:CharLv99 Safer*Sephiroth's Def = Safer*Sephiroth's Def + 20 * TempVar:CharLv99 Safer*Sephiroth's MAt = Safer*Sephiroth's MAt + 5 * TempVar:CharLv99 Safer*Sephiroth's MDf = Safer*Sephiroth's MDf + 16 * TempVar:CharLv99 Choose Self Use  on Target Use  on Target } AI: Main { Safer*Sephiroth's MP = Safer*Sephiroth's Max MP  Count = Count + 1 If (Count == 1) Then {   If (Self has Slow Status) Then {     Choose Self Cast DeSpell on Target } Else If (TempVar:MoveSet == 1) Then { Choose All Opponents Cast DeSpell on Target TempVar:MoveSet = 0 } Else { Choose Self Cast Wall on Target TempVar:MoveSet = 1 } } Else If (Count == 2) Then { If (TempVar:MoveSet == 0) Then { Choose All Opponents Use Deen on Target } Else { Choose Random Opponent Use Shadow Flare on Target } } Else If (Count == 3) Then { Choose Random Opponent with Highest HP   Use < > (Physical Attack) on Target } Else If (Count == 4) Then { Choose Self Use <> (Fly Up) on Target Stage = 1 Safer*Sephiroth's IdleAnim = Flying High Safer*Sephiroth's HurtAnim = Flinch (Flying High) Safer*Sephiroth's Range = 16 } Else If (Count == 5) Then { Choose Random Opponent Use Pale Horse on Target } Else If (Count == 6) Then { Choose All Opponents Use Super Nova on Target } Else If (Count == 7) Then { If (Safer*Sephiroth's HP > 25% of Safer*Sephiroth's Max HP) Then {     Choose Random Opponent Use Break on Target } Else { Choose Random Opponent Use Heartless Angel on Target } } Else { Choose Self Use <> (Fly Down) on Target Stage = 0 Safer*Sephiroth's IdleAnim = Flying Low Safer*Sephiroth's HurtAnim = Flinch (Flying Low) Safer*Sephiroth's Range = 1 Count = 0 } } AI: Counter - Death { Choose Self If (Stage == 0) Then {   Use <> on Target } Else {   Use <> on Target } } AI: Counter - 13 { Remove Self }

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
Safer Sephiroth appears as boss class enemy in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. He is fought during the Battle Music Sequence: "One-Winged Angel".

Pictlogica Final Fantasy
Safer∙Sephiroth appears as an enemy.

Final Fantasy All the Bravest


Safer∙Sephiroth appears as an enemy and is fought on the Outskirts of Midgar and uses Supernova. He gives Death Penalty as loot.

Etymology and symbolism
The boss's name as written in Japanese is "セーファ・セフィロス", or "Sēfa Sefirosu"; "safer" can also be transliterated as "sefer", "sapher", and "sepher". Thus, Safer Sephiroth (Sefer Sfirot) translates to "Book of Numerations" likely referring to the 10 Kabbalistic Sefirot, the ten aspects of creation according to Jewish Mysticism.

Safer∙Sephiroth could be seen as a Seraph – a celestial or heavenly being with colossal wings that literally means Burning Ones, hence the translation of "One-Winged Angel"'s lyrics meaning "burning inside with violent anger" – with a seventh wing in place of his arm.

The dot between the words is an used in Japanese to indicate that a full proper noun is two separate words. It appears in Final Fantasy VII in the boss names of Jenova's parts and Sephiroth's boss forms.

Names in other languages

 * Spanish: Sefirot Dios - God Sephiroth
 * German: Retter-Sephiroth - Savior Sephiroth
 * Italian: Seraph Sephiroth

Trivia

 * Safer∙Sephiroth having seven wings may be an allusion to the number seven, a common theme in games taking place in the Final Fantasy VII universe.

Related enemies

 * Bizarro∙Sephiroth
 * Sephiroth

Safer∙Sephiroth