Sephiroth ( Final Fantasy VII ) Sephiroth is the main antagonist of " Final Fantasy VII " , and one of the major antagonists in its extended universe . Before his fall from grace , Sephiroth was one of the most lauded success stories of the Shinra Electric Power Company ' s SOLDIER program . A great warrior idolized by the public and infantrymen alike for his strength and discipline in combat , Sephiroth ' s many successes in the field of battle during the conflicts surrounding the Shinra Electric Power Company ' 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 . 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 his life . Profile . Appearance . 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 than in his earlier appearances . Sephiroth has green cat - like eyes and wields the 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 . Sephiroth usually wields the Masamune two - handed . In later appearances a single black 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 of the logo for the " Compilation " . 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 a 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 " , acting as a subtle reference to his boss form from " Final Fantasy VII " . Unlike his other appearances , he has blue eyes , and it is commented by other characters Sephiroth looks like Cloud , as the " Kingdom Hearts " incarnation of Sephiroth is implied to be an embodiment of Cloud ' s inner darkness . In " Dissidia Final Fantasy " , 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 . 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 , as he values his friendship with his only friends Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos , and willingly tells Zack and Tifa about Mako and Materia on Mt . Nibel . At times , Sephiroth acts more humane and caring than his reputation would suggest , disobeying orders due to conflict of interest if it would impact his friends , and offering his blood for a transfusion to help Genesis when he was injured . Later he even offers Genesis his title of " hero " , to help curb his jealousy . Sephiroth is intelligent and respects those he deems worthy — he considers Professor Gast Faremis a great scientist , but scorns Professor Hojo . Well - spoken and graceful , Sephiroth is calm , collected , and in control , and he 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 . Despite this , he has no interest in personal fame or glory , as he tells Genesis , who envies Sephiroth ' s reputation as a hero , that he can have it . Following his fall into insanity , Sephiroth retains most of his personality traits , but becomes murderous , ruthless , and vengeful . He develops a , proclaiming he is " the chosen one " destined to lead the Planet . He becomes sadistic , as he enjoys mentally torturing Cloud . Sephiroth is devoted to Jenova and its cause , even though its body serves as little more than his avatar . It is also stated he is now an agent carrying out Jenova ' s will . " Dissidia Final Fantasy " hints Sephiroth may have some sadness as Cecil Harvey tells Sephiroth " there is sorrow in [ Sephiroth ' s ] wintery eyes . " In both " Dissidia " games , when he is defeated , Sephiroth calmly remarks , " I ' ll fall into the shadows , " implying he either accepts defeat , or does not care . When he is defeated by the Warrior of Light , he asks if the Warrior fights in the war because he enjoys battle , implying Sephiroth himself enjoys it . This is further reinforced in " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " , when Kefka mentions that " [ Sephiroth ] was made for combat . " In the Japanese releases , Sephiroth uses the pronoun " ore " prior to his insanity , a common masculine pronoun used by confident males . Following the Nibelheim Incident , he begins to use " watashi " instead , a more formal pronoun with no attached gender . This post - madness mannerism is used in his spin - off appearances , such as " Dissidia Final Fantasy " . Abilities . The full extent of Sephiroth ' s abilities is unknown . It is stated in the official book " Reunion Files " that the Sephiroth seen in " " has " ascended to a new level of existence " and is stronger than before . " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " producer Yoshinori Kitase has said , " Sephiroth ' s existence and will is extremely powerful . There is nothing stronger , nothing above him . " Though Cloud and others have been able to battle Sephiroth competently , it is implied in most of these fights that Sephiroth was not fighting at his full potential , his power being somehow limited or he was holding back . As a human prior to the Nibelheim Incident , Sephiroth possessed superhuman strength , speed , agility , endurance and reflexes . He is a master swordsman and can produce beams of energy by swinging his Masamune , can swing faster than the human eye can see , and cut through solid metal and concrete . In his boss battle in " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " he can teleport , his only shown instance of doing so in the " Final Fantasy " series . Even after being stabbed by the Buster Sword from behind , Sephiroth remains strong enough to fend off Cloud . Following his assimilation of Jenova and his immersion in the Lifestream , Sephiroth ' s powers increase dramatically . He can cast magic without the need for Materia , can fly , levitate , project illusions into the minds of other beings , and manifest the Masamune at will . Through his control over Jenova , Sephiroth can shapeshift her cells into his visage and other forms , and act through them as though they were his own body . This allows Sephiroth to remain " alive " even when dead , by morphing Jenova ' s cells into a new body to act through from within the Lifestream , but his ability to do this is limited . He can mentally manipulate creatures that contain Jenova ' s cells in their body , and if their mind is weak enough , can exert total control over their bodies , and can control the " negative Lifestream " composed of those who died of Geostigma . Sephiroth ' s signature attack is Supernova , his ultimate attack when fought as Safer∙Sephiroth in " Final Fantasy VII " . The " Kingdom Hearts " series depicts Supernova as his strongest attack , and " Crisis Core " and " Dissidia " refer to it as his Limit Break . His other trademark attacks are Heartless Angel , a move that drains the opponent ' s HP to a single point ; Octaslash , a sequence of eight sword attacks ; and Shadow Flare , a barrage of dark energy orbs . In " Kingdom Hearts " and " Dissidia " , he can use variations of Meteor through his command of the Black Materia . Story . Birth and early life . Sephiroth was born to Professor Hojo and Lucrecia Crescent approximately twenty - seven years before " Final Fantasy VII " ( exact date of birth unknown ) . Hojo and Lucrecia were working as assistants to Professor Gast , Shinra Electric Power Company ' s top scientist , on the Jenova Project that studied the remains of an extra - terrestrial entity known as Jenova . Jenova was mistaken as one of the Cetra , an 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 away by Shinra scientists and Lucrecia never even had a chance to hold him . Sephiroth never gained the ability to talk to the Planet , as he is not a true Cetra descendant , but Shinra found another use for him and raised Sephiroth to be a super soldier . They told him nothing of his true parentage , instead saying his mother ' s name was " Jenova " and telling him nothing of his father . Sephiroth felt different from other children but didn ' t know of the experiments that had created him . Sephiroth came to respect Professor Gast until he left Shinra , and considers Professor Hojo a hack scientist in comparison . Sephiroth joined SOLDIER , and during Wutai War 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 SOLDIERs . 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 . Near the end of the Wutai War Sephiroth has only two close friends within SOLDIER , Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos . When Genesis and Sephiroth duel in the virtual reality Junon , Sephiroth seems to be the strongest , but the fight ends inconclusively . Angeal stops the fight before either hurt each other too badly , although the small wound Genesis takes does not heal . Sephiroth offers his blood for a transfusion , but is told it is not compatible . Shortly before the Wutai War ends , Genesis vanishes and is declared missing in action . In the months after the war , the anti - Shinra group AVALANCHE intensifies its actions , raiding Junon . Sephiroth engages the AVALANCHE leader , Elfé , who asks whether he wants to " fight 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 . Meanwhile , it is discovered 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 the two are 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 , and on a later assignment he allows them to escape . Zack Fair , one of Sephiroth ' s SOLDIER First Class comrades , kills Angeal and apparently Genesis , but 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 Headquarters . In September of 0002 , Sephiroth tells Zack he is considering retiring from Shinra , and their next mission together will likely be his last . Nibelheim incident . On September 22nd 0002 , Sephiroth arrives at Nibelheim to investigate a monster outbreak believed to be connected to Genesis near the town ' s Mako Reactor . He arrives with a small entourage , including Zack and two Shinra infantrymen , one of whom is the sixteen - year - old Cloud Strife . Upon arrival 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 learning that Jenova was Sephiroth ' s mother , due to having learned about Jenova and her role in the creation of Genesis and Angeal . At the Mako Reactor Sephiroth finds several pod - like chambers containing 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 . " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " shows an expanded version of events at the Nibelheim Incident , and Genesis plays a part in inciting Sephiroth ' s madness by telling Sephiroth he was born from the Jenova Project , its goal to produce a " monster . " Sephiroth rejected Genesis ' s request for Jenova cells from him , and claims the latter will " rot " due to horror at the discovery of his own conception . Disturbed by the creature in the reactor having the same name as his " mother , " along with the once human monsters in the pods , Sephiroth makes his way to the Shinra Manor that had been occupied by Shinra researchers , and 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 falls into insanity and 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 . " On 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 Tifa ' s father , Tifa , Zack , and Cloud . At the reactor , Tifa , a girl living in the town who had been Sephiroth ' s group ' s guide up the mountain , takes up Sephiroth ' s Masamune from her father ' s corpse and attacks him , but he disarms her and cuts her down . Shortly after Sephiroth enters Jenova ' s chamber , Zack arrives and attacks him . Zack fights Sephiroth but is defeated and tossed out of the chamber . Cloud reenters , picks up Zack ' s Buster Sword , and rushes after Sephiroth . Caught off - guard , Sephiroth is impaled from behind through the abdomen and collapses . As Cloud leaves to tend to Tifa , Sephiroth slices off Jenova ' s head and stumbles from the room . Cloud attacks him again , but Sephiroth impales him with the Masamune . Out of sheer force of will Cloud pulls the sword out of his chest and 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 - " the scene depicts Sephiroth jumping into the pool of Mako willingly , having noted he is unable to defeat Cloud . Following the Nibelheim Incident , 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 travels the Lifestream , the Planet ' s life energy and the afterlife for its spirits that contains the summation of all the cognition its inhabitant have ever accumulated . Growing in power and knowledge , the fragments of his body congregate at the 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 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 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 s : people whose wills have been over - ridden with Sephiroth ' s will . Hojo believes the Jenova cells within Sephiroth would call for a " reunion " of those who shared its cells , and wishes to see his theory put to test . The reunion . During " Final Fantasy VII " , approximately five years after his supposed death , in 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 Headquarters 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 forgotten many details about it due to amnesia ) 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 the scene of President Shinra ' s death , suspects Sephiroth is alive , and sets out with AVALANCHE to find him and settle the score for what happened to Nibelheim . The party finds Sephiroth on the cargo ship headed to Costa del Sol , where he alludes to the reunion and leaves an arm of Jenova behind that transforms into Jenova∙BIRTH . He appears some time later in 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 , Sephiroth plans to call the Ultimate Destructive Magic — 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 Jenova ' s cells within Cloud ' s body and takes control of him forcing Cloud to hand the Materia over to Jenova . Aeris Gainsborough , the true last survivor of the Cetra and a member of Cloud ' s party , uses the White Materia to summon Holy , the only power able to counter Meteor . During her prayer to call forth the Ultimate White Magic , Sephiroth ( or rather , Jenova transformed into his image ) impales her with his sword , killing her . Though Aeris 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 . " 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 to Sephiroth ' s true body residing within a Mako cocoon . Sephiroth summons the Meteor , which awakens the Planet ' s defense mechanism , the 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 " Highwind " while Sephiroth erects an energy barrier over the crater to keep the Weapons from detecting him . Sephiroth is mentioned frequently in " Hoshi wo 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 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 larval Bizarro∙Sephiroth form upon defeat , Sephiroth becomes the angelic Safer∙Sephiroth , a being with seven wings . Cloud and his allies destroy Sephiroth , 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 Aeris 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 " novella " Case of the Lifestream - Black " 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 avatars and sends them to find Jenova ' s remains to reform a true body for himself . Geostigma crisis . During the events of " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " in 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 reveals his plan to taint the Lifestream with those dead of Geostigma to the point he is able to control it , and use the Planet as a vessel to travel space and find a new Planet for him to rule . Sephiroth and Cloud fight in the ruins of Midgar that was never rebuilt after being ravaged by the Meteor . Sephiroth gains the upper hand before Cloud is reinvigorated by memories of his friends and family and destroys Sephiroth with Omnislash Version 5 , utilizing his Fusion Swords to assault him from all directions . Sephiroth ' s final words are " 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 healing rain to cure the Planet of Geostigma . Sephiroth ' s legacy . Chronologically , " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " is Sephiroth ' s final appearance in 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 a few times . The first mention is in a flashback with Lucrecia , who , while pregnant , experiences a vision as to what her child would become , which shows Sephiroth destroying Nibelheim . The second mention is from Weiss the Immaculate , when explaining he is actually Hojo possessing his body . In another flashback when Lucrecia is trying to save Vincent Valentine , she also demands that Hojo give back their baby ( Sephiroth ) . Gameplay . In " Final Fantasy VII " Sephiroth is fought as a boss three times in succession as part of the final battle . First , he is fought with multiple playable parties in a large fight with Bizarro∙Sephiroth . Later , he is fought as Safer∙Sephiroth with a single party in the most challenging boss fight . Finally , he is fought as a cinematic boss fight in which the player can win in a single turn . Sephiroth also appears as an AI controlled non - player character during Cloud ' s flashback . All of his Materia are mastered , and neither his Materia nor equipment can be removed . While he cannot be leveled in the game , he still has set stats with stat growth . In " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " , Sephiroth appears both as a boss and as a Digital Mind Wave option . Creation and development . " Final Fantasy VII " . Sephiroth was designed by Tetsuya Nomura . It was Tetsuya Nomura ' s idea to have a story in " Final Fantasy VII " where the player would chase Sephiroth . Following a moving enemy had not been done before in the " 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 . Aspects of Cloud and Sephiroth ' s rivalry , particularly their showdown and their weapons , were inspired by the legendary swordsmen and . 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 production . At some phases they were to be lovers , in others siblings before their relationship was finalized . As a sign of their implied connection , Nomura gave the two similar hairstyles . In a deleted plot point , Sephiroth was to have created the " Cloud " the player controls during the game out of his emotions and will when he was defeated during the Nibelheim Incident . The being was but a phantom of the real Cloud , and Sephiroth would be able to take complete control over it and talk through its mouth . Sephiroth ' s will was to be used to create an army of monsters that would be 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 . According to " Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega " , 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 " . In " The Reunion Files " for " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " , scenario writer Kazushige Nojima has stated that Sephiroth ' s true goal in the film is take revenge on Cloud . His revival had been decided to occur early on in the project , but not the exact reasons or means of " how " he would be revived , and these details were decided at later dates . 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 were made to emphasize Sephiroth ' s character as a sort of ascended being : he was never made to blink , almost never grunted or breathed , and even in the heat of battle kept 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 . " Voice . In " Ehrgeiz : God Bless the Ring " , Sephiroth is voiced by Shin ' ichirō Miki . In all subsequent 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 " . In the original " Kingdom Hearts " , Sephiroth is voiced by , a former member of the 1990s boy band . As he was not added until the Western release , he has no Japanese voice actor for the first game : the " Final Mix " release of the game 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 . Musical themes . 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 utilizing chimes , low drums , and a deep chorus , which accompanies Sephiroth ' s appearances throughout the game . " 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 one that plays during the confrontation with Safer∙Sephiroth , " One - Winged Angel " . In " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " , a slightly altered version called " The World ' s Enemy " is played , and another version called " Advent : One - Winged Angel " is played during the battle between Cloud and Sephiroth in " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " . " One - Winged Angel ' s " appearance in every release in which Sephiroth appears has made it become 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 of the symphony , 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 . In the end of the movement things slow down . As Sephiroth is reborn , the familiar pulse is heard " in almost spiritual context " . Other appearances . Sephiroth has appeared in the following games throughout the " Final Fantasy " series : Non - " Final Fantasy " guest appearances . Sephiroth has made key guest appearances in the following non - " Final Fantasy " games : Other media . While Sephiroth himself does not appear in " Final Fantasy Tactics " , when Cloud is transported to 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 game ' s Errands . One of the game ' s enemies , Marquis Messam Elmdore , bears a resemblance to Sephiroth and wields a 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 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 , 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 , 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 , " " . Sephiroth ' s costume was released in November 2014 for " Gunslinger Stratos 2 " . As part of a 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 " Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate " . The weapon that comes with this collaboration set , the 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 it self has the appearance of a single bloodied wing , fitting his title of the one - winged angel . Sephiroth appears in a FF7 - themed update to the mobile game " Rampage Land Rankers " . Merchandise . Many models and action figures of Sephiroth have been released . 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 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 is to be released December 2016 . 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 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 . Etymology and symbolism . 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 . 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 rumor is that " Safer " is a misspelling of " " ( 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 " . 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 , a one - winged demon named 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 .