Jenova Jenova is an extraterrestrial life - form in " Final Fantasy VII " that also appears in retellings of sections of the game in the rest of the " Compilation of Final Fantasy VII " . Jenova serves as a major antagonist in the world of " Final Fantasy VII " , and experiments on its cells have produced many of the other antagonists as well , including Sephiroth . Throughout " Final Fantasy VII " Jenova is often referred to as " she , " though Ifalna calls Jenova " he " ( or " it " in the PC version ) . Jenova has a feminine form and is said to be the " mother " of Sephiroth . It is called the " calamity from the skies " or the " crisis from the sky " , or " heaven ' s dark harbinger " by the Cetra . Profile . Appearance . A dormant Jenova appears as a gray - skinned woman ( shown as blue - skinned in " Final Fantasy VII " , or only appearing blue through its container in the Mako Reactor on Mt . Nibel in other games ) . Although Jenova appears feminine its gender is ambiguous , being an extra - terrestrial lifeform whom the Cetra never refer to with a feminine pronoun ; Jenova is known as " calamity from the skies " in the legends , and in " Final Fantasy VII " Ifalna refers to Jenova with either " it " or " he " depending on the version of the game . Jenova is bare ( other than what appears to be an external biological system ) , with something resembling a heart at its feet . Connected to the heart - like organ are a number of tubes that reach to different parts of the body , the largest of which , pinker in color and similar to an umbilical cord , inserts into its abdomen ( or in " Final Fantasy VII " , an apparently empty space in its abdomen ) . On its back Jenova has appendages along with what resembles a wing protruding from its left , and a stub of a wing from its right . Jenova has long silver hair parted through the center . Its left eye glows red and it has no right eye , often being covered by hair . Jenova ' s headgear links to her container and has an inscription which has had a different message between different depictions of the scene . Above the headgear , an exposed brain lies within Jenova ' s cranium . As Jenova bears female anatomy the body has two breasts , the right of which has what appears to be a nipple resembling an eyeball . The pubic area is obscured by the tube from the abdomen . Jenova Doll . At the Nibel Reactor Jenova ' s container is covered by what has been referred to as the " Jenova Cover " or " Jenova Doll " . The effigy is a presumably man - made metal construct that resembles the torso of an angel that obscures Jenova while the wings cover the side of the container . Presumably connected to the roof are cables bearing the appearance of golden hair , offering cover to the higher areas of the container . A tube links from the chamber ' s entrance to the cover ' s mid - point , possibly meant to resemble Jenova who has a similar tube . Whereas Jenova ' s tube leads to a heart - like organ , the area the cover ' s pipe leads to has tubes that resemble ventricles . The tube linking to the cover can be used as a path to reach the container . At the entrance to the chamber lies a sign reading " JENOVA . " Nature . Jenova ' s genetic structure is a two - way conduit : it can both take in the traits of its prey , and insert its own genes to turn other organisms into violent monsters . Once Jenova lands upon a planet it will destroy every form of life it finds . Jenova can absorb its prey ' s memories and form , hiding as their loved ones to destroy them . As stated in Professor Hojo ' s Jenova Reunion Theory , once Jenova ' s cells have been separated from the main body they will seek to reunite . If they are inside a host body they can influence its mind and body to join the Reunion — sometimes so severely the host organism is killed . For an unknown reason organisms affected by Jenova often grow a single wing capable of flight and the pupils of the affected can change into a feline slit , though the rest of the eye remains unchanged . Once Jenova has destroyed a planet it uses it as a vessel to travel the cosmos to another planet . Jenova ' s age is unknown , but since it can lay dormant for millennia if necessary , it might be older than the planet of Gaia itself . Story . Arrival . Approximately two thousand years ago an alien creature landed on Gaia , having traveled through space on a meteorite . The impact created the North Crater . The creature approached the Cetra and used its mimic abilities to destroy them : those who were taken victim were infected with a virus ( hinted to be genetic material from the creature itself ) that mutated them into monsters . The creature would take the form of the fallen Cetra , and so get close enough to destroy their loved ones . Ifalna calls this process as Jenova giving the Cetra " the virus . " In this way , the creature destroyed most of the Cetra civilization . Their daughter race , the human s , hid away while the Cetra were almost eliminated . The few Cetra survivors banded to defeat the creature and quarantined it within the North Crater , where it would lie dormant for millennia . Despite their victory over the " calamity from the skies " the Cetra civilization was lost , and their numbers dwindled to almost nothing while humans spread over the Planet . As time wore on , humanity forgot about the creature and the Cetra fell into legend . Rediscovery . Two - thousand years later almost all memory of the creature has faded . The Shinra Electric Power Company rules the Planet with Mako energy , but is ever seeking a more efficient way to harvest it . The Cetra legend of the Promised Land piqued their interest , and the company delved into research into the race that was thought long extinct . Approximately 30 years before the main events of " Final Fantasy VII " , Professor Gast Faremis exhumed the alien creature ' s remains and mistakenly identified it as a Cetra , naming it Jenova . The Jenova Project became an effort by a number of Shinra scientists to use Jenova ' s cells to create a human - Cetra hybrid who would lead them to the Promised Land . Shinra was , of course , unsuccessful at creating a Cetra with Jenova ' s cells , but those treated with the cells proved to be super - soldiers , which led to the members of SOLDIER , Shinra ' s elite military force , being injected with the cells , as well . Sephiroth , Genesis Rhapsodos , and Angeal Hewley were born from the project during its first stages when Shinra was still trying to create a Cetra . Most of the early research took place in Nibelheim ' s Shinra Mansion , and Jenova was contained within the Mako Reactor at Mt . Nibel . Sephiroth ' s " mother " . Sephiroth , the ultimate SOLDIER who was directly infused with Jenova ' s cells in the fetal stage , was not told of his role in the Jenova Project . His biological father , Professor Hojo , told the young Sephiroth his mother ' s name was " Jenova " and that she died giving birth to him . His real mother being Lucrecia Crescent , it is unknown why Hojo chose to fabricate Sephiroth ' s parentage . Many years later , Sephiroth was sent to the Nibel Reactor along with a fellow SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair and an infantry soldier named Cloud Strife , only to find it filled with Mako - infused mutants , ordinary humans infused with such high levels of Mako they had mutated . Suspecting his origins may be similar , Sephiroth ' s suspicions are confirmed when Genesis ( who had deserted and rebelled against Shinra at that time ) tells him the nature of the Jenova project and how he ( Sephiroth ) was the " perfect monster " to come out of it . Wanting to learn more , Sephiroth , for several sleepless days , ventured into the Shinra Mansion ' s basement to read about the Jenova Project . The strain of these discoveries pushed him into insanity . Believing himself a descendant of the Cetra whom the humans had " betrayed " Sephiroth went on a killing spree . He burned Nibelheim to the ground and returned to the reactor to collect his " mother . " Due to being mortally wounded by Cloud , Sephiroth could only take Jenova ' s head before falling into the Lifestream below the reactor . Shinra forces took over the reactor and gathered the survivors of the massacre ( sparing the local guide girl Tifa , who had been saved by her martial arts instructor Zangan ) for Professor Hojo who would inject them with Jenova cells to test his Jenova Reunion Theory , thus creating the Sephiroth Clone s , people whose psyches would be overriden by Sephiroth ' s will due to the Jenova cells in their bodies . Sephiroth was declared dead , and Jenova ' s headless remains were taken to Midgar and placed in Hojo ' s lab in Shinra Headquarters . Due to the Jenova cells present in his body the Lifestream couldn ' t absorb Sephiroth completely . His will remained sentient and learned everything about Jenova , the Cetra , and the circle of life , formulating a plan to be reborn as a god to rule the Planet . Sephiroth ' s will overpowered Jenova ' s , and he gained the ability to exert his influence on those infected with the creature ' s cells , thus facilitating his plan to have them bring the Black Materia to him that would allow him to use the ultimate black magic spell . In Sephiroth ' s form . Five years after the Nibelheim Incident Sephiroth puts his plans into action by taking control of Jenova ' s main body in Shinra Headquarters , morphing it into a vessel in his likeness , murdering soldiers until reaching the top of the building and impaling President Shinra . From there , Jenova escapes into the outside world . Cloud and his party chase " Sephiroth " across the Planet unaware it is Jenova under Sephiroth ' s control . Cloud follows Sephiroth to exact revenge for Nibelheim ' s torching , but on subconscious level is being guided by the Jenova cells inside him , as unbeknownst to him he is also a " Sephiroth Clone , " albeit considered a failed one by Hojo . Several times throughout the party ' s journey the cells make him mentally unstable , and Sephiroth ultimately exerts his control over Cloud to make him hand over the Black Materia . As the party follows " Sephiroth ' s " trail they run into pieces of Jenova he uses to hinder their pursuit and to keep them from discovering the truth . The first piece encountered , described as Jenova ' s arm , transforms into Jenova∙BIRTH and is fought on the cargo ship . Jenova∙LIFE manifests as Sephiroth when he murders the last Cetra , Aeris Gainsborough , at the altar in the Forgotten Capital . A third battle with Jenova occurs in the Whirlwind Maze with Jenova∙DEATH . As Cloud and his friends defeat the last of Jenova ' s original body Cloud realizes that what they had been pursuing wasn ' t the real Sephiroth . The party finds Sephiroth crystallized in hibernation and under his control , Cloud relinquishes the Black Materia , allowing Sephiroth to summon Meteor . Sephiroth ' s plan is to wound the Planet so greatly the Lifestream would be summoned to heal the area allowing him to absorb it and become a god - like being . Cloud recovers and throws off Sephiroth ' s influence and together with his party descends into the Northern Cave to defeat him . Before the final battle they fight Jenova∙SYNTHESIS , a form of Jenova composed of its remaining cells — this form is considered the creature ' s true form . Once it is defeated the party reaches an evolved Sephiroth and defeats him . Remnants . Even with its main body destroyed Jenova ' s cells remained within the Lifestream and infected thousands who came into contact with them during the time Lifestream washed over the Planet to help destroy the Meteor Sephiroth had summoned . The infection with Jenova cells manifests as the plague Geostigma caused by the body overcompensating to try to eliminate the cells , leading to the development of sores and scars . Not fully diluted in the Lifestream , Sephiroth manifest his remnants into being : Kadaj , Loz and Yazoo . The trio is compelled to find physical remains of Jenova to evoke a second Reunion to restore Sephiroth . Unbeknown to them Rufus Shinra holds Jenova ' s remains all along , having had his Turks retrieve them from the North Crater . When Rufus reveals his ruse he attempts to discard the remains , but Kadaj salvages them . After being defeated by Cloud , Kadaj absorbs the Jenova cells and Sephiroth is reborn in his body . During his fight with Cloud , Sephiroth unveils his intentions to assimilate the Planet and journey to another world to repeat Jenova ' s work prior to arriving on the Planet . Sephiroth is defeated and Kadaj is left on the verge of death . Aerith ' s Great Gospel brings a healing rain upon Midgar and Edge , curing those suffering from Geostigma while Sephiroth ' s remnants cease to be . Due to Jenova ' s high adaptability and previous ability to survive , whether or not this is the true end of Jenova is unknown . Gameplay . In " Final Fantasy VII " Jenova is fought four times . Jenova∙BIRTH is fought on the Cargo Ship . Jenova∙LIFE is fought in the Forgotten Capital at the end of Part I . Jenova∙DEATH is fought at the Whirlwind Maze , and Jenova∙SYNTHESIS is fought at the end of the game in the depths of Northern Cave . Creation and development . According to the " Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega " , in an early version of the " Final Fantasy VII " script the fact the party is chasing Jenova rather than Sephiroth was made more explicit . During the party ' s confrontation with Jenova in Sephiroth ' s form on the cargo ship , " Sephiroth " would open his cape to shoot out a piece of Jenova , its hand . The Sephiroth Clones were not individual people infected with Jenova ' s cells but pieces of Jenova floating in air hiding under cloaks in the shapes of people . Each piece was named to be either its hand , thumb , or heart ; this is why Cloud refers to Jenova∙BIRTH as the " arm " of Jenova upon its defeat . There were also two more boss fights : one between Cosmo Canyon and Nibelheim , and one in the Temple of the Ancients . It has been suggested from the material present in the " Ultimania Omega " that rather than there being several Black Capes , there was just one , Jenova , who was cutting off bits of its body as it journeyed towards Sephiroth until all that remains is a heart . In the original version the party would catch up with the Black Cape in the Whirlwind Maze , and the figure would remove the hood to show it has no face , and then take off the cloak to show it is nothing but Jenova ' s heart floating midair , the final piece , which would then transform into a monster . " Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega " goes further to reveal that in the game ' s early plans Jenova wasn ' t an extraterrestrial being , but rather , a certain region of the human brain , or genes . The name " Jenova " was supposed to have originated from a book written by the Cetra . The element " Jenova " wasn ' t meant to surface under normal conditions , but rarely people were born in whom " Jenova " awakened naturally . The Jenova element could have been awakened through artificial means by exposing the person to Mako energy . The book of Jenova was said to have been written by the Cetra and known in the legends as both the " Book of God " and the " Book of the Devil " detailing everything unknown of the human brain ( or genes ) . " Thaumaturge " was a name given to those whose Jenova had awakened , used to denote those with special senses ordinary humans lack , regardless whether the abilities were innate ( Aerith ) or acquired ( Sephiroth ) . Thaumaturge ' s abilities varied but they shared a common ability to be drawn to and sense one another . Those especially skilled were even sensitive to the thoughts of others . The Turks were planned to be experts at searching out the Thaumaturge . In " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " , though Jenova ' s remains are referred to as " Jenova ' s head , " the film ' s staff have stated the remains are merely random clusters of its cells and the term " head " was used due to a lack of an official term , and it stuck . The staff ensured the cloaked Rufus was never shown to move his left hand leaving viewers to presume he was injured , but the intention was that Rufus was gripping onto Jenova . During development , an early idea tossed around was that Kadaj would eat the Jenova cells to complete Sephiroth ' s reunion . Musical themes . Jenova has two signature themes in " Final Fantasy VII " . One is " J - E - N - O - V - A , " played in fights with Jenova∙BIRTH and Jenova∙DEATH , in the fight against Hojo , and also in the stairway at the end of the game . The second track is " Jenova Absolute , " heard during the fight with Jenova∙SYNTHESIS . In the fight against Jenova∙LIFE , " Aeris ' s Theme " plays instead . Other appearances . " Final Fantasy Record Keeper " . Jenova ' s boss forms appear an enemies in " Final Fantasy Record Keeper " . Etymology and symbolism . Jenova ' s name is a portmanteau of " Jehovah " and " Nova . " " Jehovah " is a widely - accepted romanization of the ineffable Hebrew name ' יהוה ' , the covenantal name of the Abrahamic God . " Nova " is from the Latin feminine adjective for " new . " Thus , Jenova ' s name means " New God , " a point of symbolic significance , although this connection is not seen in the game . The " jen " segment may hint at " genetics , " a theme within the game . In this way , the name can be interpreted as " gene - nova . " Jenova has also been known as the " calamity from the skies . " All of these combine to form a name which alludes to planetary catastrophe ( Meteor ) , genetic traits and experiments ( Hojo ' s creations , Aeris ' s Cetra genes , Jenova ' s genetic " children " ) and the birth of a new god ( Sephiroth ) , making it appropriate . Sephiroth being Jenova ' s " son , " as well as the implication throughout " Final Fantasy VII " that he had become one and the same as her , may refer to the Christian belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God , yet also via the blessed trinity one and the same with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit . " Final Fantasy VII " draws heavily from the Lurian Kabalā ( Jewish Mysticism ) , a medieval Jewish variant of Gnosticism . Both Gnosticism and its Kabbalist branch proclaim that humans have inside their bodies a spark of divine light from the Absolute , which returns there upon death . This Absolute is an infinite wellspring of spiritual energy , knowledge , and goodness , mirroring the function of the Lifestream . The Kabbalah states the Absolute is the Judeo - Christian God , whereas early Gnostics believed him to be an incompetent or malicious false god known as the demiurge ( " artisan " in ancient Greek ) who merely believed himself the uncreated deity because he was shielded from the Absolute by his " mother , " an emanation from the Absolute ( known as an Aeon ) who fell from the skies . This demiurge , trapped in the material world , cannot create anything good , and instead corrupts the sparks of light , just like Jenova ' s corruption of the Lifestream and of human beings .