Editing Sephiroth 0 You are not logged in. {{sideicon|VIIBC|VIICC|prime=FFVII|FFVIIR|HwMO|OtWtaS|VIIAC}} {{FA|October 1, 2006}} {{infobox character |name=Sephiroth |release=FFVII |japanese=セフィロス |romaji=Sefirosu |aka=The Man in the Black Cape, One-Winged Angel |image=Sephiroth FFVII Remake render.png |portrait=[[File:FF7 - Sephiroth Portrait.png|42px]] <!--Biographical info. Only if information exists from a source, regardless of how obvious it may seem always cite that source in a reference--> |home=[[Nibelheim]]<ref name="ffvii10aniulti-081">{{Refbook|[[Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania]]|081}}[http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/523/sephiroth-character-profile-p76-81]</ref> |age=Approximately 20 years old at the start of ''Crisis Core''<ref name="timeline">{{Refwebsite| page url = http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/107/complete-timeline-of-the-compilation-of-ffvii/| page name = Complete Timeline of the Compilation of FFVII| site url = http://thelifestream.net| site name = The Lifestream| access time = 19:32, May 14, 2020 (UTC)}}</ref><br/>Approximately 27 years old in ''Final Fantasy VII'' |occupation=[[SOLDIER]] 1st Class |race=[[Human]] |gender=Male |height=185 cm<ref name="viieumanual-p06">{{Refbook|[[Final Fantasy VII/Manual/Europe#p06|Final Fantasy VII EU manual]]|06}}</ref> (6' 1"<ref name="viinamanual-p06">{{Refbook|[[Final Fantasy VII/Manual/North America#pg10|Final Fantasy VII NA manual]]|10}}</ref>)<!--DO NOT CHANGE HEIGHTS WITHOUT PROOF. Always cite your reference(s)--> |laterality=Left-handed |ffvii type=guest |ffvii weapon=[[Final Fantasy VII weapons#Masamune|Masamune]] |ffviir=Boss |viibc type=npc |viicc type=boss |designer=[[Tetsuya Nomura]] |japanese voice actor=[[wikipedia:Shinichirō Miki|Shinichirō Miki]] (''[[Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring]]'')<br/>[[Toshiyuki Morikawa]] (''[[Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-|Crisis Core]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children|Advent Children]]'', ''[[Last Order -Final Fantasy VII-|Last Order]]'', ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)|Dissidia]]'', ''[[Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy|012]]'', ''[[Kingdom Hearts|Kingdom Hearts II]]'') |english voice actor=[[wikipedia:Lance Bass|Lance Bass]] (''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'')<br/>[[George Newbern]] (''[[Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-|Crisis Core]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children|Advent Children]]'', ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)|Dissidia]]'', ''[[Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy|012]]'', ''[[Kingdom Hearts|Kingdom Hearts II]]'')<br>[[Wikipedia: Tyler Hoechlin|Tyler Hoechlin]] (''[[Final Fantasy VII Remake|Remake]]'') |party member 1=Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII party member) |party member game 1=FFVII |boss page =Bizarro∙Sephiroth |final boss page =Safer∙Sephiroth |cinematic enemy page =Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII boss) |other appearances=true |dissidia=true |dffnt=true |dffoo=true |theatrhythm=true |ffrk=true |ffbe=true |gallery=true }} {{Quote|There was one SOLDIER named Sephiroth, who was better than the rest, but when he found out about the terrible experiments that made him, he began to hate Shinra. And then, over time, he began to hate everything.|Marlene Wallace, ''Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children''}} '''Sephiroth''' is the main antagonist of ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy VII Remake]]'', and one of the major antagonists in its [[Compilation of Final Fantasy VII|extended universe]]. In spin-off appearances, Sephiroth is depicted as [[Cloud Strife]]'s archenemy, and is seen as a symbol of Cloud's troubled past that haunts him. Sephiroth is a former renowned [[SOLDIER]], who became twisted. Before his fall from grace, Sephiroth was one of the most lauded success stories of the [[Shinra Electric Power Company]]'s SOLDIER program. His successes in the field of battle during the conflicts surrounding Shinra's bid for global domination led to his status as a celebrity war hero and the poster boy for both the Shinra Military and the company's SOLDIER program. Learning of his true origins drove him insane, causing him to be driven by a desire to destroy the world. Sephiroth is briefly a [[party]] member during a flashback in the original ''Final Fantasy VII'', and is both the [[Bizarro∙Sephiroth|penultimate]] and [[Safer∙Sephiroth|final boss]]. ==Biographical data== As Sephiroth's records were sealed by Shinra, most guides do not give any personal details on him. The European and North American manuals give his details as "unknown," except his job as a top ranking SOLDIER officer, that he fights with Long Swords, and his height.<ref name="viieumanual-p06"/><ref name="viinamanual-p06"/> Japanese manuals omit even these details. The ''[[Final Fantasy Art Museum Trading Card Collection|Final Fantasy Art Museum]]'' cards from 2001, and the ''[[Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega]]'' released in 2005, also give these details as "unknown," and do not list a height.<ref name="viiuo-p052">{{Refbook|[[Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega]]|052}}</ref> His birthplace is listed as unknown. The ''[[Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania]]'' gives his birthplace as a "?"<ref name="ffvii10aniulti-076">{{Refbook|[[Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania]]|076}}</ref>, but later in his section states he was born in [[Nibelheim]]<ref name="ffvii10aniulti-081"/>. Volume 2 of the ''[[Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive|Final Fantasy 25th Memorial Ultimania/Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive]]''<ref name="25memulti-p54">{{Refbook|[[Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive|Final Fantasy 25th Memorial Ultimania vol.2]]|54}}</ref> released in 2012 lists his birthplace as Nibelheim. It is unknown where the height from the localized manuals originated. This is the same for [[Red XIII]] whose height is absent in all the aforementioned Japanese publications, but present in the English manuals. Although Sephiroth's exact age has never been stated, it can be approximated with evidence from the [[Final Fantasy VII timeline|timelines]]. ==Profile== ===Appearance=== [[File:Sephiroth-FFVIIArt.png|thumb|left|Original artwork by [[Tetsuya Nomura]].]] Sephiroth is a tall man with a muscular build. He wears a long black coat with silver pauldrons, black boots and black trousers. The top of his coat is open to reveal his chest, with his leather SOLDIER suspenders crossed over it. Sephiroth's long silver hair has bangs parted to either side of his face. In ''[[Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-]]'', the bangs are shorter. Sephiroth has green cat-like eyes and wields the [[Masamune (Final Fantasy VII)|Masamune]], a seven-foot long katana he is rarely seen without. His battle stance with the sword is to hold it over his left shoulder with the blade curving downward, known in the Japanese sword stance as [http://www.akban.org/wiki/Te_Ura_Gasumi_No_Kamae,_Japanese_Sword_stance ''Te Ura Gasumi No Kamae''], which is primarily used in Ninjitsu and [http://www.akban.org/wiki/Tenshin_Sh%C5%8Dden_Katori_Shint%C5%8D-ry%C5%AB_(%E5%A4%A9%E7%9C%9F%E6%AD%A3%E4%BC%9D%E9%A6%99%E5%8F%96%E7%A5%9E%E9%81%93%E6%B5%81 ''Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū''], the latter of which is one of the oldest extant martial arts. Sephiroth usually wields the Masamune two-handed. In later appearances a single black [[Wing (term)|wing]] emerges from his right shoulder. Sephiroth is left-handed, but has been depicted wielding his sword in his right hand in many pieces of art and merchandise. In the ''[[Compilation of Final Fantasy VII]]'', Sephiroth's uniform remains the same as in ''Final Fantasy VII'', but his coat has several buckles instead of just one, and the original SOLDIER logo in his belt is replaced with the redesigned version for the ''Compilation''. According to a ''Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-'' fan letter [[Mail (Crisis Core)|mailed]] to Zack, Sephiroth uses an entire bottle of both shampoo and conditioner to wash his hair. Both are provided by the Shinra Company and are scented with thirteen kinds of perfumes.<ref>''Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-'' script:<br/>Dear members of the Silver Elite: In this update, we present another piece of Sephiroth trivia—the secrets to his beautiful long hair. The hair products he uses are of the highest grade, made and supplied by the Shinra Company. He seems to use one whole bottle of both shampoo and conditioner every time he washes his hair. They are scented with thirteen kinds of perfumes, including Rose and Vanilla. Apparently, the scent in the air after Sephiroth tosses his hair changes daily!</ref> In ''Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-'', a Sephiroth fangirl in Midgar mentions she would "love to see him stripped to the waist," a reference to how he appears during the final scripted battle in ''Final Fantasy VII''. In the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' series, Sephiroth retains his core design of silver hair and a black coat, but his clothing is given red linings and is of different shape. His sleeves have small red wings, and he bears a dark blue and black wing over his right shoulder. He bears two additional wings underneath his coat in ''Kingdom Hearts II'', alluding to his [[Safer∙Sephiroth|boss form]] from ''Final Fantasy VII''. Unlike his other appearances, Sephiroth has blue eyes, and other characters comment he looks like [[Cloud Strife/Other appearances#Kingdom Hearts series|Cloud]], as the ''Kingdom Hearts'' incarnation is implied to be an embodiment of Cloud's inner darkness. In ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)|Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'', [[Sephiroth/Dissidia (PSP)|Sephiroth's]] design in his base outfit is similar to his ''Final Fantasy VII'' design, but his pauldrons are changed to resemble [[Yoshitaka Amano]]'s artwork of him, and his coat is closed by a belt as in [[Tetsuya Nomura]]'s design. Beneath his coat are two white sashes with lavender on the edges, a reference to both Amano's artwork of Sephiroth and his wings as [[Safer∙Sephiroth]]. ===Personality=== [[File:Sephiroth Portrait.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Portrait by [[Tetsuya Nomura]].]] Prior to his madness, as shown in ''Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-'', Sephiroth maintains an outwardly professional demeanor during his time at Shinra. While his cold exterior and professional attitude turn people away, he is not anti-social and can act humane and caring in contrast to his reputation, valuing his friendship with [[Angeal Hewley]] and [[Genesis Rhapsodos]]. Sephiroth is intelligent and respects those he deems worthy—he considers [[Gast Faremis|Professor Gast]] a great scientist, but scorns [[Professor Hojo]]. Well-spoken and graceful, Sephiroth is calm, collected, and in control, and has a dry sense of humor. Rarely, he can be frustrated and caught off-guard. As the strongest SOLDIER alive, Sephiroth is confident to the point of arrogance, yet has no interest in personal glory, as he tells Genesis, who envies Sephiroth's reputation, that he can have it. After learning of the experiments that led to his birth, Sephiroth falls into insanity, becoming murderous, ruthless and vengeful yet retaining his calm and cold demeanor. He develops a [[wikipedia:Messiah complex|messiah complex]], proclaiming to be "the chosen one" destined to lead the [[Gaia (Final Fantasy VII)|planet]]. He becomes sadistic and enjoys mentally torturing Cloud. Sephiroth is devoted to [[Jenova]] and her cause, even though her body serves as little more than his avatar. He has become an agent carrying out Jenova's will.<ref>''Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy'': Museum: Sephiroth: ''Final Fantasy VII'' "Once learning of his origin, he refers to the Calamity that fell from the skies, Jenova, as his mother, and acts as an agent to carry out her will."</ref> In the Japanese releases, Sephiroth uses the pronoun ''{{w|Japanese pronouns|ore}}'' prior to his insanity, a common masculine pronoun used by confident males. Following the [[Nibelheim Incident]], he begins to use ''{{w|Japanese pronouns|watashi}}'', a more formal pronoun that is genderless in formal context, likely because he now sees himself as superior to everyone else. This post-madness mannerism carries into his spin-off appearances, such as ''Dissidia Final Fantasy''. In the ''Remake'', Sephiroth uses ''{{w|Japanese pronouns|ore}}'' at the ending, as he states he will not let himself end, though all other interactions has him use ''{{w|Japanese pronouns|watashi}}''. In the ''[[Final Fantasy VII Remake]]'', Sephiroth beckons Cloud to join him and his cause to "save the planet," and implies he wants to alter his destiny. He still torments Cloud, but encourages him to gain strength from his loss. Rather than killing Cloud, Sephiroth spares him and gives him a hint, letting him continue on his journey. ===Abilities=== {{Quote|Sephiroth's strength is unreal. He is far stronger in reality than any story you might have heard about him.|Cloud Strife to his party}} [[File:Cloud VS Sephiroth.png|thumb|left|Sephiroth versus Cloud in ''Advent Children''.]] The full extent of Sephiroth's abilities is unknown. The official book ''Reunion Files'' states that the Sephiroth seen in ''[[Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children]]'' has "ascended to a new level of existence" and is stronger than before. Though Cloud and others have battled him competently, it is implied that in most of these fights Sephiroth was not fighting at his full potential, his power being somehow limited or he was holding back. Sephiroth is the greatest SOLDIER 1st Class of all time and the strongest swordsman.<!--Cloud says so in Mobius--> He is regarded as unbeatable and is said to be the only one capable of effectively wielding his [[Masamune (Final Fantasy VII)|Masamune]], a nodachi that is longer than he is tall, which he uses effortlessly with a single hand to outmatch the likes of [[Zack Fair|Zack]], [[Cloud Strife|Cloud]], Angeal and Genesis. Although rarely shown, he is proficient in hand-to-hand combat.<!--effortlessly reacting to Tifa's surprise attack and disarming her of the Masamune with a single hand and punching Cloud in the shoulder and kicking him to a wall in their fight in ''Advent Children''--> In his boss battles in ''Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-'' and ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'', he can teleport and cast powerful blades of energy by swinging the Masamune and empower the blade with energy. Though preferring swordsmanship, Sephiroth had perfected [[magic (term)|magic]] use via [[Materia (Final Fantasy VII)|materia]] even before his immersion in the [[lifestream]] and had the ability to manifest materia to fight alongside him, but after absorbing the knowledge of the [[Cetra|Ancients]], he no longer needs materia to use magic. {{spoiler}} After gaining the [[Black Materia (Final Fantasy VII)|Black Materia]], he can use the most devastating destructive magic of all: [[Meteor (Final Fantasy VII)|Meteor]]. In the ''Remake'', Sephiroth appears to summon a meteorite even without the Black Materia and can perform elemental infusion to cast powerful spells and resist elemental magic and create black force-fields that paralyze and damage his foes. His special attack is [[Supernova (ability)|Supernova]], which has been described as his [[Limit (Final Fantasy VII)|Limit Break]].<!--Dissidia etc--> His use of Supernova is powered by despair, and it can even affect multiple dimensions.<!--Dissidia 012 description--> Sephiroth even has the power to seal [[Holy (Final Fantasy VII)|Holy]], preventing it from launching and destroying his Meteor. Sephiroth had great resilience even before his ascension to something of an immortal being. Even after his physical body is destroyed, his will persists. Having been injected with Jenova cells while still a fetus, and thus exposed to pure Jenova cells undiluted by human DNA, the abilities Sephiroth gained from such a direct method of exposure make him the superior specimen of the [[Jenova Project (Final Fantasy VII)|Jenova Project]]. His success inspired Shinra to create SOLDIER, his power still vastly surpassing all who came after him. As his genome cannot be broken down, Sephiroth does not [[Degradation|degrade]], but he also cannot be copied as a result. However, Genesis believes Sephiroth can pass on his immunity to degradation to cure him. After overpowering Jenova's will Sephiroth gained the ability to exert his influence through her cells, able to construct avatars in his likeness, as well as other eldritch entities, enabling him a physical presence in the world of the living and attaining a sort of immortality. He can remotely control Jenova cells inside living organisms, control the thoughts and actions of those injected with her cells, and in severe cases can outright puppeteer their bodies. In ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'', he can shapeshift others with Jenova cells into his visage and transform them into monsters.<!--Sephiroth shapeshifts Marco, who he transforms into Jenova Dreamweaver and another Sephiroth Clone into himself--> His ability to project his will through these avatars is limited, but is compounded by the subject's willpower (or lack thereof), and intensifies over shorter distances, being strongest at the [[North Crater]] (the site of his physical body). Being immersed in the lifestream has granted Sephiroth psychic powers, allowing him to read others' minds, making him adept at emotional manipulation, preying on his opponents' dark emotions. He can communicate with others telepathically and project illusions. He can levitate objects and even people, and manipulate matter in ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'' by breaking down debris and fusing it. He can fly even without his wing, an ability he already displayed in ''Crisis Core''.<!--He flies down to engage Zack in a lower platform after knocking him down--> Sephiroth can summon the Masamune at will and erect an impenetrable energy barrier to cover an entire crater. In ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'', he can warp reality, as he slices a dark tornado caused by the [[Whispers (VII Remake)|Whispers]] to create an entrance to the "singularity." He takes himself and Cloud to the Edge of Creation in a flash of light. However, how much the surreal experiences Cloud goes through in his battle against Sephiroth are illusions projected by the latter is ambiguous. ==Story== ===Original continuity=== ====Birth and early life==== {{Quote|I knew ever since I was a child, I was not like the others. I knew mine was a special existence. But this is not what I meant!|Sephiroth in ''Final Fantasy VII''}} Sephiroth was born to Professor Hojo and [[Lucrecia Crescent]] approximately twenty-seven years before ''Final Fantasy VII'' (exact date of birth unknown<ref name=timeline/>). Hojo and Lucrecia were working as assistants to Professor Gast, Shinra Electric Power Company's top scientist, on the [[Jenova Project (Final Fantasy VII)|Jenova Project]] that studied the remains of an extra-terrestrial entity. Jenova was mistaken as one of the [[Cetra]], an [[Ancient civilization|ancient people]] who had the power to "talk to the planet." Hojo injected cell samples from Jenova into the pregnant Lucrecia and her unborn baby. She carried Sephiroth to term, his fetal form merging with the Jenova cells as he developed. After the baby was born, he was taken by Shinra scientists and Lucrecia never had a chance to hold him. Sephiroth never gained the ability to talk to the planet, as he is not a Cetra descendant, but his exceptional physical prowess was noticed by Shinra, who raised him to be a super soldier. Sephiroth's success still advanced the Jenova Project, leading to the creation of SOLDIER. Shinra told him nothing of his true parentage, and he grew up believing his mother's name was "Jenova." Sephiroth felt different from other children, but didn't know of the experiments that had created him. Sephiroth came to respect Professor Gast, deeming him a great scientist, but despised Professor Hojo, considering him a hack scientist compared to Gast and a "walking mess of complexes." During the [[Wutai War]] Sephiroth was instrumental in ensuring Shinra's dominance. He rose to the rank of SOLDIER First Class and was admired and respected as a great war hero, while those in Shinra considered his strength unequaled even by other First Class SOLDIER members. Many young men, including Cloud Strife and Genesis Rhapsodos, idolized Sephiroth, and sought to join SOLDIER to become heroes like him, making Sephiroth useful for Shinra as a propaganda tool. ====Genesis war==== [[File:BCVIISephiroth.jpg|right|100px]] {{Quote|Whether your words... are lies created to deceive me... Or the truth... that I have sought all my life... it makes no difference. You will rot.| Sephiroth to Genesis}} Near the end of the Wutai War Sephiroth had two close friends within SOLDIER, Angeal and Genesis, the three being the most famous SOLDIERs in First Class. They would visit the training room when the Second Class SOLDIERS were off to access the [[Virtual Reality System|virtual reality]] [[Junon]] for training purposes.<ref>''Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-'' script<br/>'''Sephiroth:''' When all the 2nd Class were away we would all go fool around: Genesis, Angeal and me.</ref> Their training sessions involved one of them having an [[Banora White|apple]] on their head while the others would throw their swords to pierce the fruit, with Sephiroth always winning.<ref>''Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-'' script, fan club email: Sephiroth is known to value his private life, but there was a time when he had two best friends. We'd like to share a story of this threesome guaranteed to raise a smile. The SOLDIER trio would use the training room exclusively as their playground, but in order to retain their 1st Class dignity, they would sneak in only after the 2nd Class members had gone home. Then they would proceed to have one of the three stand with a dumbapple on his head, while the other two would throw their swords at the apple to pierce it! Sephiroth always won, his Masamune always striking every dumbapple dead center.</ref> In one particular training session, Genesis challenged Sephiroth one-on-one, using powerful magic to enhance his weapon, but Sephiroth remained stronger. The fight ended inconclusively when Angeal intervened before either hurt the other too badly. The small wound Genesis took did not heal and Sephiroth offered his blood for a transfusion, but was told it was not compatible. In the months after the war the anti-Shinra group [[Avalanche (group)|Avalanche]] intensifies its actions, raiding [[Junon]]. Sephiroth engages the Avalanche leader, [[Elfe]], who asks if he fights for a reason, which has a profound effect on Sephiroth; the results of Sephiroth choosing to fight for a reason would one day threaten the planet's existence. During the assault on [[Fort Tamblin]], Sephiroth saves Zack Fair, Angeal's student, from [[Ifrit]], dispatching it with one blow, and discovers Genesis has defected with a Shinra scientist [[Hollander]], creating an army using [[copy technology]] to graft Genesis's cells onto other traitor SOLDIER members with which to rebel against Shinra. Angeal goes rogue torn between his loyalties, and Angeal and Genesis are both declared killed in action. As Sephiroth participates in the [[AVALANCHE Insurgency]] and [[Genesis War]], his loyalties and emotions continue to be thrown into turmoil, leading to him refusing missions concerning Genesis and Angeal. When Genesis and Angeal attack the [[Shinra Building]], Sephiroth and Zack allow them to escape. Sephiroth searches the Shinra archives for information on "Project G," having learned of it when he and Zack confronted Hollander and Genesis, but before his search amounts to anything, Zack is forced to kill Angeal and apparently Genesis as well, though the latter resurfaces several months later. Sephiroth participates in a mission to "rescue" Professor Hojo who had almost defected with the Avalanche forces attacking the Shinra Building. In [[Final Fantasy VII timeline|September of 0002]], Sephiroth tells Zack he is considering retiring from Shinra, and their next mission together will likely be his last. ====Nibelheim Incident==== {{See|Nibelheim Incident}} On [[Final Fantasy VII timeline|September 22nd 0002]], Sephiroth arrives at Nibelheim to investigate a [[Monster (term)#Final Fantasy VII|monster]] outbreak near the [[Nibel Reactor|town's mako reactor]]. He arrives with a small entourage, including Zack and two [[Shinra Public Security Division|Shinra infantrymen]], one of whom is the sixteen-year-old Cloud Strife. Sephiroth asks Cloud how it feels to be back in his hometown, as he lacks one. When questioned by Zack about family, Sephiroth explains his mother, Jenova, died during childbirth, but stops short of mentioning his father before proceeding with the mission. In ''Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-'', Zack is suspicious upon hearing that Jenova is Sephiroth's mother, having learned about the Jenova Project in the creation of Genesis and Angeal. At the [[Mako Reactor|mako reactor]] Sephiroth finds several pod-like chambers containing [[Makonoid|monstrous creatures]] who used to be human, mutated by exposure to mako. He finds a chamber labeled "JENOVA" containing a feminine-looking creature. When Zack suggests a connection between SOLDIER and the creatures in the tanks, Sephiroth flies into a rage, horrified the reason he is "different" may be because he was created similarly to the monsters in the pods. In ''Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-'' Genesis plays a part in inciting Sephiroth's madness by revealing Sephiroth was born from the Jenova Project, its goal to produce the "perfect monster." Sephiroth rejects Genesis's request for Jenova cells from him. Disturbed by the creature in the reactor having the same name as his "mother," along with the once human monsters in the pods and Genesis's words, Sephiroth makes his way to the [[Shinra Manor|manor]] that had been occupied by Shinra researchers. For several sleepless days he pores over the research notes in the basement [[library]] wondering why he was never told the truth of his origins. He comes to believe Jenova is a Cetra, and therefore he, as Jenova's "son", is the last Cetra survivor. He comes to believe the human race had betrayed the Cetra 2,000 years ago leaving them alone to defend the planet from a calamity (eventually revealed to have been Jenova itself), and resolves to take vengeance for his "ancestors." [[File:Sephiroth.jpg|thumb|left|Sephiroth during the burning of Nibelheim.]] On [[Final Fantasy VII timeline|October 1st]] Sephiroth destroys Nibelheim, setting the town on fire and killing many of the townspeople, before returning to the reactor to claim Jenova's remains. He is pursued by [[Brian Lockhart|Tifa's father]], [[Tifa Lockhart|Tifa]] herself, Zack, and Cloud. Tifa, a girl living in the town who had been Sephiroth's group's guide up the mountain, takes up Sephiroth's Masamune from beside her father's corpse and attacks him, but he disarms her and cuts her down. {{Q|Mother, let's take back the planet together. I... I had an epiphany... Let's go to the promised land, mother. […] Mother, they're here again. You should have ruled this planet. You were stronger, smarter. But then they came. Those inferior dullards. They came and took this planet away from you. But don't be sad, mother. I am with you now.|Sephiroth converses with his "mother" Jenova during the Nibelheim Incident.}} Shortly after Sephiroth enters Jenova's chamber, Zack arrives to confront him. Sephiroth only keeps talking to his "mother," saying they will reclaim the planet and head to the [[Promised land (Final Fantasy VII)|promised land]]. He tears off the effigy blocking Jenova's remains and ejects Zack out of the chamber, continuing to declare himself "chosen" to rule the planet. Cloud enters with Zack's [[Buster Sword]] and impales Sephiroth from behind through the abdomen. The severely wounded Sephiroth decapitates Jenova and stumbles across the room, and is again attacked by Cloud. Sephiroth stabs him with his Masamune, but Cloud uses it as a lever to hurl Sephiroth into a pool of mako below the reactor. Sephiroth vanishes with Jenova's head still in his grasp, apparently falling to his death. In ''[[Last Order -Final Fantasy VII-]]'', Sephiroth jumps into the pool of mako willingly, having noted he is unable to defeat Cloud. Shinra seals the records on Sephiroth, declaring him killed in action, and rebuilds Nibelheim to cover up the incident, populating it with Shinra employees paid to act as the villagers. Sephiroth fell into the lifestream, his willpower too great to allow himself to be consumed. Over the next several years Sephiroth traveled the lifestream, the planet's life energy and the [[afterlife]] for its spirits that contains the summation of the cognition its inhabitant have accumulated. Growing in power and knowledge, the fragments of his body congregate at the [[Northern Cave (Final Fantasy VII)|Northern Cave]] inside the [[North Crater]], joining to recreate Sephiroth's physical form in a cocoon of mako. Sephiroth's new goal is to merge with the lifestream and seize control of it to become [[Divinity in Final Fantasy|a god]]. Though his physical body is encased in mako, Sephiroth can control Jenova's cells as an extension of his body and thus act out his plans through the remains of Jenova's body. Hojo has injected Zack, Cloud and the other survivors of Nibelheim (save for Tifa who was rescued by her mentor [[Zangan]] before Shinra found her) with Sephiroth's cells, turning them into [[Sephiroth Clone|Sephiroth-clone]]s: people whose wills have been over-ridden with Sephiroth's will. Hojo believes the Jenova cells within Sephiroth would call for a "[[Reunion Theory|reunion]]" of those who share its cells, and wishes to see his theory put to test. ====The reunion==== Approximately five years after his supposed death, in [[Final Fantasy VII timeline|December 0007]], Sephiroth enacts his plan and puts out the call for the reunion to summon the Sephiroth-clones to the North Cave. Jenova's remains, which had been moved to the Shinra HQ in [[Midgar]], shapeshift into Sephiroth's form and break out of containment. Jenova/Sephiroth releases Cloud (who had escaped Shinra Manor with Zack but has [[Amnesia (term)|forgotten many details about it]]) and the members of the second reincarnation of Avalanche, who were being held prisoner. Sephiroth kills [[President Shinra]] after declaring Shinra should never acquire the Cetra's fabled promised land. Cloud, seeing Sephiroth's Masamune left at President Shinra's murder site, surmises Sephiroth is alive, and sets out with Avalanche to find him and settle the score for what happened to Nibelheim. However, what Cloud doesn't know is that his drive for pursuing Sephiroth is compounded by the Jenova cells calling him toward Sephiroth to reunite with the main body as per Hojo's "Reunion Theory." [[File:Sephiroth-hibernation.jpg|thumb|left|Sephiroth's true body hibernating in the Northern Cave.]] The party finds Sephiroth on the [[Cargo Ship (Final Fantasy VII)|cargo ship]] headed to [[Costa del Sol (Final Fantasy VII)|Costa del Sol]], where he alludes to the reunion and leaves Jenova's arm behind that transforms into [[Jenova∙BIRTH]]. He appears some time later in the Nibelheim Shinra Manor basement, where he mentions the reunion and calls for Cloud to follow him. At the [[Temple of the Ancients]] Sephiroth reveals the full extent of his plans—the planet relies on the lifestream to heal itself when wounded, and the North Crater, where the lifestream is abundant, is where Jenova fell two thousand years ago. ====Meteorfall==== Using the [[Black Materia (Final Fantasy VII)|Black Materia]], Sephiroth plans to call the Ultimate Destructive Magic—[[Meteor (Final Fantasy VII)|Meteor]]—to injure the planet and place himself at the center of its impact zone as the lifestream emerges to heal the planet's wound. Sephiroth plans to merge with the lifestream, becoming a god. Cloud acquires the Black Materia first, but Sephiroth exerts his influence over the Jenova cells within Cloud's body and takes control of him, forcing Cloud to hand the Materia over. [[Aerith Gainsborough|Aerith Gainsborough]], the true last survivor of the Cetra and a member of Cloud's party, uses the [[White Materia]] to summon [[Holy (Final Fantasy VII)|Holy]], the only power able to counter Meteor. During her prayer Sephiroth (or rather, Jenova transformed into his image) impales her with his sword, [[Aerith's death|killing her]]. Though Aerith had successfully called Holy, Sephiroth holds it back within the planet. Cloud and his allies continue tracking Jenova's remains in Sephiroth's form to the North Crater. Cloud and his party kill Jenova in Sephiroth's form and reclaim the Black Materia. Cloud entrusts it to a party member for safekeeping while he and Tifa continue deeper into the crater and find themselves in an illusion of Nibelheim's destruction that Sephiroth conjured. Sephiroth wants to break Cloud by making him believe he is but a simulacrum created by Professor Hojo with false memories. Sephiroth deceives Cloud into thinking he is a mere cluster of Jenova cells that assumed the identity of a boy named "Cloud" from Tifa's childhood. Tifa tries to tell Cloud Sephiroth is lying, but cannot deny that she never saw Cloud at Nibelheim during its destruction. Tifa's words along with Sephiroth's manipulations take their toll and shatter Cloud's fragile mind. Sephiroth projects an illusion of Tifa before the party members left behind to bring the Black Materia to Cloud. Once Cloud takes back the Black Materia he hands it over to Sephiroth's true body residing within a mako cocoon. Sephiroth summons the Meteor, which awakens the planet's defense mechanism, the [[Weapon (Final Fantasy VII creature)|Weapons]]. The walls of the area crumble as the Weapons, colossal monsters, arise from their slumber, and Sephiroth's mako cocoon falls into the crater. Cloud's allies flee with [[Rufus Shinra]], the new president of the Shinra Company, on the [[Airship (term)|airship]] ''[[Highwind (Final Fantasy VII)|Highwind]]'' while Sephiroth erects an energy barrier over the crater to keep the Weapons from detecting him. Sephiroth is mentioned frequently in ''[[Hoshi o Meguru Otome]]'', as the deceased Aerith's spirit observes the effects Sephiroth's actions are having on the lifestream and the planet. Sephiroth begins shapeshifting his body into a form befitting a god, awaiting Meteor's arrival. Cloud recovers upon discovering the truth about his past. In late [[Final Fantasy VII timeline|January 0008]], Shinra fires the Mako Cannon, known as the [[Sister Ray]], at the North Crater, piercing Sephiroth's barrier and allowing Cloud and his allies to enter the crater and reach Sephiroth. They find Sephiroth at the planet's core, blocking Holy. Emerging from his [[Bizarro∙Sephiroth]] form upon defeat, Sephiroth becomes the angelic Safer∙Sephiroth, a being with seven wings. Cloud and his allies destroy him, but his mind endures. Pulling Cloud into a metaphysical final battle, Sephiroth attempts to take control of him, but Cloud's mental defenses have grown, and he defeats Sephiroth who dissolves into the lifestream, seemingly destroyed. With Sephiroth gone, Holy is released from the planet's core and Aerith helps the lifestream emerge and keep the Meteor at bay for Holy to destroy it. ====Post-crisis==== Sephiroth is the focus of the ''[[On the Way to a Smile]]'' "Lifestream: Black" chapters where he uses the lifestream's emergence to fight Meteor to infect the planet with [[Geostigma]], dispersing his memories among the lifestream to spread the disease. Sephiroth avoids dissolution into the lifestream by focusing on his hatred of Cloud, which allows him to maintain a core sense of being and remain separate from the other spirits. With his peripheral memories, including those of his personal appearance, stripped away over time, he uses memories of how others in the lifestream see him to craft his [[Remnants of Sephiroth|avatars]] and sends them to find Jenova's remains to reform a true body for himself. ====Geostigma crisis==== {{Quote|Good to see you, Cloud.|Sephiroth}} During the events of ''[[Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children]]'' in [[Final Fantasy VII timeline|0009]], Sephiroth remains an active force terrorizing the planet. Geostigma has spread throughout the world, afflicting many with extreme fatigue and skin sores. The plague is caused by Jenova's remaining consciousness in the lifestream, and primarily affects children due to their weaker immune systems. Cloud has also contracted the disease and experiences visions of Sephiroth. The now-reclusive Cloud finds himself confronted by a trio of silver-haired men who are physical manifestations of Sephiroth's will. The three, [[Kadaj]], [[Loz]] and [[Yazoo]], believe they are guided by their "mother" Jenova, but rather, it is Sephiroth himself who forces their actions. The three seek Jenova's cells to be reunited with her, unaware of Sephiroth's ultimate plan to recreate a new body for himself using Jenova's last remnants. When Kadaj absorbs Jenova's cells Sephiroth exerts his power over Jenova to shapeshift Kadaj's body into his own visage, restoring him to life. Sephiroth faces Cloud and, disappointed his adversary was cured of Geostigma, reveals his plan to taint the lifestream with those dead of the disease to the point he can control it. Sephiroth plans to use the planet as a vessel to travel space and find a new planet to rule. [[File:Acsephiroth.png|thumb|"I will... Never be a memory".]] Sephiroth and Cloud fight in the ruins of [[Midgar]] that was never rebuilt after being ravaged by the Meteor, with Sephiroth dominating and severely injuring Cloud, but Cloud is reinvigorated by memories of his friends and family and destroys Sephiroth. When Cloud demands he stay in his memories, Sephiroth only replies "I will... never be a memory." His black wing folds around him and he fades away leaving a weakened Kadaj to die and fade into the lifestream as Aerith's spirit calls [[Great Gospel (ability)|healing rain]] to cure the planet of Geostigma. ====Sephiroth's legacy==== Chronologically, ''Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children'' is Sephiroth's final appearance in [[Final Fantasy VII timeline|the ''Final Fantasy VII'' timeline]], and his current status is unknown, though it is likely, given his past tenacity, that he continues to exist within the lifestream. Although Sephiroth himself does not appear during the events of ''[[Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-]]'', he is mentioned in a flashback with Lucrecia, who, while pregnant, experienced a vision as to what her child would become. The second mention is from [[Weiss|Weiss the Immaculate]], when explaining he is actually Hojo possessing his body. In another flashback when Lucrecia is trying to save [[Vincent Valentine]], she demands that Hojo give back her baby (Sephiroth). ===Remake continuity=== When Cloud and Avalanche blow up [[Mako Reactor 1]], Cloud sees a black feather, and experiences a psychic disturbance. After Cloud escapes to the streets of Midgar in the wake of the bombing, Sephiroth appears to him and warps Cloud's surroundings to resemble the burning Nibelheim. Sephiroth taunts Cloud over the razing of Nibelheim and Sephiroth's murder of [[Claudia Strife|Cloud's mother]]. He does not deny Cloud's claims of having killed him, even calling it the crowning moment of their time together. He asks Cloud to leave Avalanche and live to fight for the planet. When Cloud attacks him, clearing the illusion, Sephiroth telepathically tells Cloud to hold on to his hatred. When Cloud meets Aerith on the streets of Midgar, Sephiroth returns and mocks Cloud for being too weak to protect anything, even himself. Later on, [[Marco (VII Remake)|Marco]]—a Sephiroth-clone—is taken over to attack Cloud, with Cloud seeing Marco as Sephiroth. Cloud nearly kills Marco, but Tifa stops him. When Cloud later falls to the slums, Sephiroth appears in his dream and says that he is Cloud's everything, but Aerith wakes Cloud up before he is able to do anything. Aerith takes Cloud around the [[Sector 5]] slums where they run into another Sephiroth-clone, who collapses and attracts Cloud and Aerith's attention. Cloud sees the man as Sephiroth who tells him to not fear the reunion, before the clone walks away. After the destruction of [[Sector 7]], Sephiroth appears to Cloud to mock him for failing again, but encourages him to gain strength from the loss. Later, Sephiroth traps Cloud, Tifa and [[Barret Wallace|Barret]] in an illusion in the Shinra VR theater where several Sephiroth-clones attack them while a meteorite falls onto Midgar, though Barret is left believing it was an intended part of the presentation. Sephiroth later shapeshifts Marco into himself to attack President Shinra: he walks past a horrified [[Palmer]] and then appears before Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret and Red XIII at the Jenova container. Smirking at Cloud who struggles to walk forward, Sephiroth tells him to stop fighting and embrace him. Cutting the bridge down, sending Tifa, Aerith, Barret and Red XIII plummeting down, he blocks Cloud's attack and tells him it is a touching reunion before sending him flying as well. [[File:President Shinra killed by Sephiroth from FFVII Remake.jpg|thumb|Sephiroth kills the president.]] Sephiroth seemingly lets President Shinra escape. After Avalanche corners the President, Marco—controlled by Sephiroth—kills him and stabs Barret before transforming into [[Jenova Dreamweaver]], a being said to induce hallucinations. After Marco is defeated, another clone appears masquerading as Sephiroth to carry Jenova's body that has been released from the tank, and leaves as Shinra backup arrives. Pursued by Cloud, the clone jumps off the Shinra Building as Cloud is distracted by the Whispers. After Avalanche escapes from Shinra, Sephiroth approaches them on the Midgar Expressway and explains he plans to "protect" the planet and all of its creatures. He claims Avalanche can see nothing but shadows due to their clouded judgment. As the Whispers create a massive cloud of darkness, Sephiroth cuts it with his sword to create an entrance, and challenges Cloud to enter. Aerith denotes it a doorway that would lead them to breaking free of the fixed destiny that the Whispers are trying to enforce upon them. After Cloud and his friends fight through many monstrous Whispers, they face Sephiroth himself who yet persists and flies off, leaving Avalanche to fight off the Whispers. When Cloud once again confronts him, Sephiroth takes them both into a metaphysical dimension/illusion that he describes as "the edge of creation." He claims that the planet will become a part of it, but that he will not let himself or Cloud end. He asks Cloud to lend his strength so together they can defy destiny, but Cloud refuses, and the two fight with Sephiroth defeating Cloud. He spares Cloud, saying that the latter has 7 seconds left before the end and leaves as Cloud appears back in Midgar. With Sephiroth far from being defeated, Cloud and Avalanche embark on a journey to defeat him, Aerith believing that the future ahead of them is now unknowable. ==Gameplay== ===''Final Fantasy VII''=== [[File:Sephiroth-ffvii-battle.png|100px|right|Battle model.]] ====Boss==== {{main|Bizarro∙Sephiroth|Safer∙Sephiroth|Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII boss)}} Sephiroth is fought three times as parts of the [[List of final bosses|final battle]]. He is first encountered in a "pupa" form as Bizarro∙Sephiroth, where the player can command as many as three [[party|parties]] to bring all of his parts down. He is then fought in his "god" form as Safer∙Sephiroth. The battle is known for [[One-Winged Angel (theme)|its battle music]] and [[Supernova (ability)|cinematic attack]]. A final cinematic confrontation is fought against Sephiroth in the lifestream where he duels a one-on-one with [[Cloud (Final Fantasy VII party member)|Cloud]], but it is impossible to lose the [[Battle (term)|battle]]. ====Party member==== {{main|Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII party member)}} Sephiroth also appears as an AI-controlled [[guest]] character during Cloud's flashback. His [[Materia (Final Fantasy VII)|Materia]] are mastered, and neither his Materia nor equipment can be removed. While he cannot [[level]] up, he has set [[Final Fantasy VII stats|stats]] with [[stat growth]]. Sephiroth is invincible and his attacks always [[Critical hit|critical]]. ===''Final Fantasy VII Remake''=== {{Main|Sephiroth (VII Remake boss)}} Sephiroth is the final boss. He has over 65,157 HP and a plethora of powerful melee attacks, many of which resemble his ''Dissidia'' techniques. He uses Aeroga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, Firaga, Shadow Flare, and Heartless Angel, and can infuse himself with the elements of fire, lightning, air and ice for powerful elemental attacks. ===''Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-''=== ====Boss==== {{main|Sephiroth (Crisis Core boss)}} Sephiroth is fought as a boss twice in the [[Nibel Reactor]], and can be challenged again in [[Missions (Crisis Core)|missions]]. [[Experiment No. 124]] is a facsimile of Sephiroth that serves as the final opponent in the [[Missions (Crisis Core)/Hojo's Laboratory|"Hojo's Laboratory"]] series of missions. ====Digital Mind Wave==== [[File:Sephiroth-ccvii-dmw.png|right|120px|Sephiroth's DMW icon.]] Sephiroth is part of [[Zack Fair/Gameplay|Zack's]] [[Digital Mind Wave]] since start of the game, allowing Zack to use Sephiroth's Limit Break, Octaslash, if his picture comes up in the slot reels mechanism during modulating phase. Octaslash deals eight physical attacks against one enemy. {{clear}} {{endspoiler}} ==Musical themes== {{audio|filename=FFVII Those Chosen By The Planet.ogg|title="Those Chosen by the Planet"}} Sephiroth is the focus of three pieces of theme music written by the series composer [[Nobuo Uematsu]]. His official theme in ''Final Fantasy VII'' is "Those Chosen by the Planet," a piece using chimes, low drums, a deep chorus, and rising guitar strings. An abridged version only including the chimes and low drums from the first part is used for both the scripted battle against the dragon and the [[Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII boss)|final battle]] against Sephiroth, and to a lesser extent when Cloud arrives at the Nibelheim mansion up to Sephiroth leaving to "see [his] mother." "[[Bizarro∙Sephiroth#Musical themes|Birth of a God]]" accompanies the battle against Bizarro∙Sephiroth, the first of Sephiroth's final two forms. The most noteworthy piece (and a lingering fan favorite) is the song that plays during the confrontation with Safer∙Sephiroth, "[[One-Winged Angel (theme)|One-Winged Angel]]". In ''Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-'', a slightly altered version called "The World's Enemy" plays, and another version called "Advent: One-Winged Angel" plays during the battle between Cloud and Sephiroth in ''Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children''. In ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'', a new version of "One-Winged Angel" plays in the final boss fight, divided it into three variations, the second of which retaining the most dedication to the original. "One-Winged Angel's" appearance in every release in which Sephiroth appears has made it more widely recognized as Sephiroth's theme, as opposed to "Those Chosen by the Planet." "FINAL FANTASY VII Symphony in Three Movements" is a symphony arranged and orchestrated by Jonne Valtonen for the [[Final Symphony]] concert series. The first movement, titled "Nibelheim Incident," is based on Sephiroth. The three-note motif of Sephiroth is used throughout the first movement as an element of structural integrity. In the final phase "The One-Winged Angel" emerges before distorting as all of the earlier themes are gradually built on top of each other. This distortion is a reflection of Sephiroth's internal chaos as he becomes aware of his past. At the end of the movement, things slow down. As Sephiroth is reborn, the familiar pulse is heard "in almost spiritual context."<ref>{{Refwebsite| page url = http://www.gameconcerts.com/en/konzerte/final-symphony/| page name = Final Symphony / Game Concerts| site url = http://www.gameconcerts.com| site name = Game Concerts| access time = Feb 23 2015}}</ref> ==Other appearances== [[File:DFF2015 Sephiroth CG.png|thumb|right|Appearance in ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy NT]]''.]] {{main|/Other appearances|t1=Sephiroth other appearances}} Sephiroth has appeared in the following games throughout the [[Final Fantasy series|''Final Fantasy'' series]]: *''[[/Other appearances#Final Fantasy V|Final Fantasy V]]'' as a loading screen cameo. *''[[/Dissidia (PSP)|Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'' as a playable character. *''[[/Dissidia (PSP)|Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy]]'' as a playable character. *''[[/Dissidia NT|Dissidia Final Fantasy NT]]'' as a playable character. *''[[/Opera Omnia|Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia]]'' as a playable character and boss. *''[[/Theatrhythm|Theatrhythm Final Fantasy]]'' series as a playable character. *''[[/Other appearances#Pictlogica Final Fantasy|Pictlogica Final Fantasy]]'' as a playable character. *''[[/Other appearances#Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade]]'' as a summonable [[Legend (Airborne Brigade)|Legend]]. *''[[/Other appearances#Final Fantasy Artniks|Final Fantasy Artniks]]'' as a series of [[Final Fantasy Artniks cards|cards]]. *''[[/Record Keeper|Final Fantasy Record Keeper]]'' as a playable character & boss. *''[[/Brave Exvius|Final Fantasy Brave Exvius]]'' as a summonable vision. *''[[/Other appearances#Mobius Final Fantasy|Mobius Final Fantasy]]'' on cards, as a boss, and as an Ultimate Hero. *''[[/Other appearances#World of Final Fantasy|World of Final Fantasy]]'' as a summonable Champion. *''[[/Other appearances#Final Fantasy Trading Card Game|Final Fantasy Trading Card Game]]'' as a series of [[Final Fantasy Trading Card Game cards|cards]]. *''[[/Other appearances#Triple Triad|Triple Triad]]'' as a series of cards. *''[[/Other appearances#Final Fantasy Brave Exvius|Final Fantasy Brave Exvius]]'' as a summoned character. ===Non-''Final Fantasy'' guest appearances=== [[File:SephirothKH1Cropped.PNG|thumb|right|Appearance in ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]''.]] {{main|/Other appearances#Guest appearances|t1=Sephiroth non-Final Fantasy appearances}} Sephiroth has made key guest appearances in the following non-''Final Fantasy'' games: *''[[/Other appearances#Kingdom Hearts|Kingdom Hearts]]'' as a boss. *''[[/Other appearances#Itadaki Street|Itadaki Street]]'' as a playable character. *''[[/Other appearances#Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring|Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring]]'' as a playable character. *''[[/Other appearances#Puzzle & Dragons|Puzzle & Dragons]]'' as a playable character. *''[[/Other appearances#Monster Strike|Monster Strike]]'' as a playable character. *''[[/Other appearances#Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble|Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble]]'' as a playable character. {{clear}} ==Other media== [[File:FFTClockwork City of Goug.png|right|thumb|[[Cloud Strife|Cloud]] uttering Sephiroth's name in ''Final Fantasy Tactics''.]] While Sephiroth himself does not appear in ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics]]'', when [[Cloud Strife/Tactics|Cloud]] is transported to [[Ivalice (Tactics)|Ivalice]] by a device called the Celestial Globe, the first thing he says is, ''The heat! Inside my skull... No, stop... Sephiroth---no!'' A black-caped swordsman is also mentioned in one of the [[Errands]]. One of the enemies, Marquis [[Messam Elmdore]], bears a resemblance to Sephiroth and wields a [[Masamune (weapon)|Masamune]] in battle. In ''[[Final Fantasy XIV]]'' an NPC may say the following to the player: ''Why, if it isn't Sephiroth! Or was it Sephiross? Setirophx? xXxSephirothxXx?'' referring to Sephiroth and common variations used to name characters on MMOs (and by proxy, ''Final Fantasy XIV'' itself). The main antagonist of the [[Final Fantasy XIV/Legacy|1.0 version of ''Final Fantasy XIV'']], [[Nael van Darnus]], refers to Sephiroth. In "United We Stand", after wounding the player, Nael takes his leave similarly to that of Sephiroth in the Nibelheim burning scene. Nael seeks to destroy [[Eorzea]] and purify it by using forbidden magicks to summon the moon [[Dalamud]], similar to how Sephiroth attempts to destroy Gaia. In ''[[Final Fantasy Dimensions]]'' Chapter 4, the Mask mentions a spell called Meteo and when the group questions him [[Alba]] says: "You don't mean to summon a meteor so the lifestream comes together so you can be reborn a god, do you!?" Seraphimon from ''Digimon'' has a DigiCode on his breechcloth which translated to Japanese reads {{j|全ては我と共に|Subete wa ware to tomoni|All shall be one with me}}, a quote of Sephiroth's. A Sephiroth costume was announced to be available as downloadable content for the character Sackboy in the [[PlayStation 3]] game [[wikipedia:LittleBigPlanet|LittleBigPlanet]], but was never released. On July 4th, 2011, the Sephiroth costume, along with costumes of Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and Vincent, was instead released on July 13th 2011 for the sequel, ''[[wikipedia:LittleBigPlanet 2|LittleBigPlanet 2]]''. Sephiroth's costume was released in November 2014 for ''Gunslinger Stratos 2''. As part of a [[w:c:monsterhunter:Square Enix|collaboration]] between Capcom and Square Enix, Tetsuya Nomura was asked to design various new armor types for the playable characters, and their feline companions, in ''[[w:c:monsterhunter:Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate|Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate]]''. The weapon that comes with this collaboration set, the [[w:c:monsterhunter:Wing of Judgment|Wing of Judgement]], is based on Sephiroth. His face can be seen on the shaft of the weapon, where the handle stops and where the blade begins. The blade is a single bloodied wing, fitting his title of the one-winged angel. Sephiroth appears in a ''Final Fantasy VII''-themed update to the mobile game ''Rampage Land Rankers''.<ref>{{Refwebsite| page url = https://youtu.be/qn1SmwzfYxM| page name = 『ランページ ランド ランカーズ』レジェンドダンジョン：ファイナルファンタジーVII編| site url = https://Youtube.com| site name = YouTube| access time = Dec 20, 2015}}</ref> Sephiroth's attire is available as a costume in ''[[Mobius Final Fantasy]]''. Although Sephiroth himself does not appear in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' unlike his rival Cloud, he, alongside his actions in the Nibelheim Incident, are referenced in the latter's All Star Mode congratulations message, where Cloud watches as [[w:c:KidIcarus:Palutena|Palutena]] walks through flames in a similar manner to Sephiroth's iconic scene. Sephiroth and his plans with Meteor are referenced in the Omnislash trophy description in the ''Wii U'' version. Additionally, in Cloud's reveal trailer, Cloud's defeat of Sephiroth with Omnislash is recreated with Ike standing in for Sephiroth (Ike is also wearing his black alternate costume to further resemble Sephiroth). <gallery> SephirothLBP.jpg|Sackboy's unreleased Sephiroth costume for ''LittleBigPlanet''. Lbp2 ffvii sephiroth.jpg|The Sephiroth costume as it appears in a ''LittleBigPlanet 2'' advertisement. GS2_Sephiroth.png|Costume in ''Gunslinger Stratos 2''. MH4U Collab Diabolos Rage Armor.png|Diabolos Rage Armor in ''Monster Hunter'' RaLaRa Sephiroth.jpg|Sephiroth in ''Rampage Land Rankers'' MFF Sephiroth Outfit.png|Costume in ''[[Mobius Final Fantasy]]''. </gallery> ==Behind the scenes== ===''Final Fantasy VII'' development=== [[File:Sephiroth 2012 Amano Art 2.jpg|left|thumb|Yoshitaka Amano artwork of Sephiroth drawn especially for the September 2012 issue of the Japanese art magazine, ''Illustration''.]] Sephiroth was designed by [[Tetsuya Nomura]], who wanted a story where the player would chase him. Following a moving enemy had not been done before in the ''[[Final Fantasy series|Final Fantasy]]'' series, and Nomura thought that chasing something would help pull the story along. Director [[Yoshinori Kitase]] has later named Sephiroth as his favorite ''Final Fantasy'' villain, whom they had created to be "kind of like a mystery novel" to create the impression of an evil force.<ref>{{Refwebsite| page url = http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/04/29/final-fantasy-masterminds-reminisce-about-their-favorite-moments.aspx| page name = Final Fantasy Masterminds Reminisce About Their Favorite Moments| site url = http://www.gameinformer.com| site name = Game Informer| access time = Apr 29, 2016}}</ref> Aspects of Cloud and Sephiroth's rivalry, particularly their showdown and their weapons, were inspired by the legendary swordsmen [[wikipedia:Sasaki Kojirō|Sasaki Kojirō]] and [[wikipedia:Miyamoto Musashi|Miyamoto Musashi]].<ref name=interview>{{Refwebsite| page url = http://thelifestream.net/weekly-famitsu-issue-no-1224-tetsuya-nomura-interview/| page name = Weekly Famitsu Issue no. 1224: Tetsuya Nomura Interview| site url = http://thelifestream.net/| site name = The Lifestream| access time = Mar 08, 2020}}</ref> Sephiroth's long hair was tricky to make with polygons at the time, and Nomura wanted to show a contrast between Cloud and Sephiroth in their designs. According to the ''[[Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega]]'', Sephiroth's relationship with Aerith was changed numerous times during [[Final Fantasy VII development|production]]. At some phases they were to be lovers, in others siblings. As a sign of their implied connection, Nomura gave the two similar hairstyles.<ref>{{Refwebsite| page url = http://andriasang.com/con11g/ffvii15/| page name = Nomura, Kitase and Nojima Discuss Final Fantasy VII's Development| site url = http://andriasang.com| site name = Andriasang| access time = May 16, 2012}}</ref> In early drafts Cloud was meant to be more directly controlled by Sephiroth. As Sephiroth fell to his death in the Nibel Reactor, his strong will to live would have manifested itself in Cloud as he needed a body that could move freely to bring him the Black Materia. It would be told that Cloud's memories are a phantom created by Sephiroth himself out of his emotions when he was "killed" in the Nibel Reactor. Cloud would later have discovered that due to the SOLDIER process, Sephiroth was directly trying to take control of him, and that Cloud's own complexes combined with Sephiroth's willpower created his alternate persona that obscured who Cloud really was. This version was altered after the introduction of Jenova and the fleshing out of Zack's story. Sephiroth's will was to be used to create an army of monsters born out of crystallized mako. In another deleted point, when Sephiroth's true body is first seen in the Northern Cave, it would have the contours of a female.{{Citation needed}} According to ''Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega''<ref>{{Refwebsite| page url = http://thelifestream.net/final-fantasy-vii/4469/early-material-files-worldview-terminology-p-523-525-of-the-final-fantasy-vii-ultimania-omega/2/| page name = Early Material Files Worldview & Terminology – p. 523-525 of the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega| site url = https://thelifestream.net| site name = The Lifestream| access time = Aug 11, 2009}}</ref> in the early story drafts Sephiroth was planned as a man whose "Jenova" element was artificially awoken using the power of mako energy. His base personality was to be brutal and cruel, with a strong interest in destruction and slaughter. He was to possess a powerful will and ego, calm judgment, and a sharp mind. In the original story drafts Sephiroth would succumb to mako addiction and suffer withdrawal symptoms, and while a normal person would have been crippled, Sephiroth was an exception: only his madness would be amplified while he would retain his composure. ===''Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children'' development=== [[File:AC-Sephiroth-Concept.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Concept artwork.]] In ''the Reunion Files'', scenario writer [[Kazushige Nojima]] has stated that Sephiroth's goal is to take revenge on Cloud. His revival had been decided on early in the project, but not the exact reasons or means of ''how'' he would be revived. Among several other ideas discussed, one was that Sephiroth would return, but only Cloud would be able to see him. Sephiroth's dialogue was made to sound profound, as "he thinks on a level higher than humans," and his hair and eyes were difficult to animate. His hair was animated by hand to ensure it looked as real as possible, and his eyes were almond shaped and slanted upwards, designed to strike a balance between realistic and otherworldly. Various other minor details emphasize Sephiroth's character as an ascended being: he never blinks, almost never grunts or breaths, and even in the heat of battle keeps his voice calm and controlled. Co-director [[Takeshi Nozue]] stated the developers wanted Sephiroth to have a sense of allure and charm, and gave him "an attractive nose and thin lips. It's a face you'd never see in real life."{{Citation needed}} ===''Final Fantasy VII Remake'' development=== In the original telling of the story, Sephiroth doesn't appear until later and his goals are not immediately apparent as the story unfolds as a mystery. When making the remake, however, the fans of the series would already be familiar with him as the main villain, and therefore Sephiroth has a bigger role in the early story. The developers wanted to highlight that his presence dominates throughout the series as a foil to Cloud.<ref>{{Refwebsite| page url = https://www.gameinformer.com/afterwords/2020/05/21/final-fantasy-vii-remake-creators-answer-our-questions-about-summons-combat| page name = Final Fantasy VII Remake Creators Answer Our Questions About Summons, Combat, And Dance Scenes| site url = https://www.gameinformer.com| site name = Game Informer| access time = 14:57, May 24, 2020 (UTC)}}</ref> ===Voice=== {{Quote|His voice evokes fear even when speaking normally, and although he's not deliberately trying to be overbearing, he has this tremendous strength.|Tetsuya Nomura, ''The Reunion Files''}} {{audio|filename=Sephiroth Voice Sample.ogg|dialogue=I am the chosen one. I have been chosen to rule this planet.|title=George Newbern as Sephiroth}} In ''[[Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring]]'', Sephiroth is voiced by Shin'ichirō Miki who would later supply the voice of [[Edgar Roni Figaro/Opera Omnia|Edgar Roni Figaro]] in ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia]]'' as well as [[Cid (Chocobo series)|Cid]] in ''[[Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon]]''. In all subsequent Japanese voiced appearances, he has been voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa. On directing ''Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children'', Tetsuya Nomura said that when creating Sephiroth, his appearance was set, but he had trouble deciding what kind of voice he should have—once Morikawa auditioned, Nomura knew he was exactly what he wanted. Morikawa noted that, with Sephiroth's on-screen presence, he knew his final lines had to be done properly, and with input from the director, gave Sephiroth's iconic final words a sense that "he's not done yet".{{Citation needed}} In the original ''Kingdom Hearts'', Sephiroth is voiced by [[wikipedia:Lance Bass|Lance Bass]], a former member of the 1990s boy band [[wikipedia:NSYNC|NSYNC]]. As he was not added until the Western release, he has no Japanese voice actor for the first game: the ''Final Mix'' release uses the English voices (barring the release of ''HD 1.5 ReMix'', where he has a re-recorded Japanese voice). In ''Kingdom Hearts II'', [[George Newbern]] voices him in the English release after fans criticized Bass's performance, and has voiced Sephiroth in all subsequent appearances until ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'', where Sephiroth's role is taken over by [[wikipedia:Tyler Hoechlin|Tyler Hoechlin]]. ==Merchandise== [[File:Seph-statue.jpg|thumb|The Sephiroth Statue.]] {{See|Sephiroth/Gallery#Merchandise|t1=Merchandise gallery}} Many models and action figures of Sephiroth have been released. [[Final Fantasy Play Arts Action Figures|Play Arts]] has released figures of Sephiroth as he normally appears, as well as Safer∙Sephiroth and Sephiroth's appearance in ''Kingdom Hearts''. Among these figures are Sephiroth himself, Sephiroth standing atop Meteor, and a figure featuring Sephiroth in the Shinra Building ruins {{Show image|SE-Adniversary FFVIIAC-CloudSephiroth-PlayArt.jpg}} based on his battle with Cloud in ''Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children''—a partner figure to this one features Cloud in a similar environment. A new ''Advent Children'' Play Arts figure {{Show image|FFVIIAC-Play-Arts-Sephiroth.png}} was released in December 2016. A cold cast statue {{Show image|Cold-cast-cloud-vs-sephiroth.jpg}} of the final show-down of Cloud vs. Sephiroth made by Kotobukiya limited to 1000 pieces is considered a very rare collectible. It is modeled a statue in Ganryujima depicting the legendary swordsmen Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojirō, who were also inspiration for the characters of Cloud and Sephiroth for ''Final Fantasy VII''.<ref>{{Refwebsite| page url = http://shmuplations.com/ff7/| page name = Final Fantasy VII – 1997 Developer Interviews| site url = http://shmuplations.com| site name = shmuplations| access time = 19:32, May 14, 2020 (UTC)}}</ref> A "Static Arts Bust" {{Show image|Sephiroth-Static-Arts-Bust-FFVIIR.png}} of Sephiroth as he will appear in the ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'', casting Meteor, was released October 2017. One of the most expensive official merchandise is the Sephiroth theme Seiko watch that was priced at $2,500. Other Sephiroth-related items include pendants and rings with the theme of his single wing and/or the Black Materia, cold cast statues and even a [[Final Fantasy perfumes and fragrances|fragrance]]. A life-sized statue of Sephiroth hibernating in the Northern Cave was housed in the floor of the Square Enix Character Goods Show Case in Tokyo, Japan. {{clear}} ==Gallery== {{main|/Gallery|t1=Sephiroth gallery}} ==Etymology and symbolism== {{spoiler}} [[File:Sephiroth Advent Children Complete.png|thumb|200px|Sephiroth's single wing.]] {{Etym|Sephiroth}} These traits refer to Sephiroth's simultaneous existence in the lifestream and the planet, and his manifestations through Jenova. The counting aspects may allude to the Sephiroth-clones. Sephiroth's penultimate form, Bizarro∙Sephiroth, is a mistranslation, and "Rebirth Sephiroth" would be more apt. {{Etym|Bizarro}} It is often believed the name Safer∙Sephiroth is a mistranslation, similar to how [[Helletic Hojo]] should have been translated as "Heretic Hojo." A common belief is that "Safer" is a misspelling of "[[wikipedia:Seraph|Seraph]]" (שרף) due to Safer∙Sephiroth's angelic appearance. A Seraph (plural "Seraphim", שְׂרָפִים) is described in the Hebrew Bible as being a humanoid angel with six wings. Safer∙Sephiroth could easily be seen as a Seraph, with a seventh wing in place of his arm. However, the origin of the name Safer∙Sephiroth is Hebrew; 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." {{Etym|Sepher}} Thus, Safer Sephiroth (Sefer Sfirot) translates to "Book of Numerations," possibly linked to the mathematical formulae that appear during his Supernova attack. However, it more likely refers to the Sefirot, the ten aspects of creation according to Jewish Mysticism. Sephiroth having one black wing as Safer∙Sephiroth specifically refers to a fallen angel. In the non-canonical pseudepigraphical work, the [[wikipedia:Testament of Solomon|Testament of Solomon]], a one-winged demon named [[wikipedia:Abezethibou|Abezethibou]] is summoned by King Solomon. Abezethibou has a single red wing, this mutilation symbolizing his fall from heaven, following his betrayal of God to serve the Prince of Hell, Beelzebub. Sephiroth's plan in ''Final Fantasy VII'' to ram a meteorite into the planet and use the overflow of lifestream to become a god refers to a concept in Zohar regarding the Tree of Life, where it is said that if someone tries to fill all of humanity into a vessel, the vessel will break, alongside the universe, causing life to flow erratically yet in a familiar pattern. Sephiroth considering Jenova to be his mother, yet also being implied to have become one with her, may allude to the Christian belief of Jesus Christ being the Son of God, yet also being one and the same with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit via the blessed trinity. {{Endspoiler}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External Link== *[[wikipedia:Sephiroth (Final Fantasy)|Sephiroth's Wikipedia page]] {{navbox compVII}} {{navbox characters FFVII}} {{navbox VIIAC}} {{navbox characters VIIBC}} {{navbox characters VIICC}} [[de:Sephiroth]] [[es:Sefirot]] [[fi:Sephiroth]] [[fr:Séphiroth]] [[it:Sephiroth]] [[ja:セフィロス]] [[pt-br:Sephiroth]] [[ru:Сефирот]] Loading editor Characters in Final Fantasy VII Characters in Final Fantasy VII Remake Antagonists Guest characters Characters in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Characters in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Insert: – — ° Ω ≈ ≠ ≤ ≥ ± − × ÷ ← → ∙ § ☆ ★ ⭐ α Sign your username: ~~~~ Wiki markup: {{}} | [] [[]] [[wikipedia:]] [[Category:]] {{J|}} #REDIRECT [[]] <ref></ref> {{Reflist}} {{-}} {{-|left}} {{-|right}} <del></del> <sup></sup> <sub></sub> <small></small> <pre></pre> <code></code> <onlyinclude></onlyinclude> <includeonly></includeonly> <nowiki></nowiki> <nowiki/> <gallery></gallery> <!-- --> This field is a spam trap. 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