Sephiroth Clone The Sephiroth - clones are a group of test subjects used in the Project S portion of the Jenova Project in " Final Fantasy VII " . The test subjects were injected with Jenova ' s cells by Professor Hojo to test Jenova ' s ability to recall her scattered cells into a " Reunion " , in what he called the " Jenova Reunion Theory " . There are at least fourteen known test subjects , but Hojo rejected many as failures , leading the exact number of people mutilated by this experiment to be unknown . In the original Japanese script , the clones are known as Sephiroth Copies . " Clone " is a misnomer ; subjects were infected with Jenova cells to reproduce a similar effect to that of Sephiroth — who eventually exerts control of the subjects as his puppets — rather than being " genetic " copies . Story . After the events of the Nibelheim Incident , Professor Hojo rounded up the survivors of Sephiroth ' s rampage , with the exception of Tifa Lockhart who was rescued by Zangan before Shinra ' s arrival . He injected them with Jenova cells and exposed them to Mako energy , similar , if not identical , to the creation of a SOLDIER . Those people who were not the finest in physical and mental health , and thus could not retain their personalities , became shades of Jenova . Since Jenova was a puppet of Sephiroth , the Clones also became fanatics who would do anything for their master . Those who turned into mindless slaves were engraved with a number somewhere on their body , but those who failed and kept some shred of their ego were left to die . Cloud Strife ' s status , had Zack Fair not intervened and rescued him from the Shinra Manor , is debatable . Zack , also a Sephiroth Clone , was a complete failure : he was not mentally affected by the experiment due to previously being unaffected by the identical SOLDIER procedure . The twelve successful Sephiroth Clones become the group of fanatics that follows Sephiroth around in " Final Fantasy VII " . The Sephiroth Clones do not migrate to Jenova as Hojo has predicted , rather , the twelve head into North Crater and hunt for the Black Materia for Sephiroth . Jenova herself breaks out of the Shinra Headquarters and moves towards Sephiroth in his form and under his complete control . Cloud is influenced by both the unconscious need for the Reunion , and his drive to avenge Nibelheim . After arriving at the North Crater , Sephiroth , using Jenova ' s body to shapeshift into his form , kills several of them before fighting Cloud and AVALANCHE as Jenova∙DEATH . Only Cloud survives the journey to the North Crater , and thus becomes the only " success " of the Sephiroth Clone experiment ; Cloud has his own mind and ego , but Sephiroth can still take control of him at will , although at times Cloud manages to resist Sephiroth ' s influence . At the North Crater , when Sephiroth reveals Cloud is a slave and claims his past is an illusion , Cloud breaks down and hands Sephiroth the Black Materia before falling into the Lifestream . Later , with the help of Tifa inside his subconscious , Cloud rebuilds his psyche and is restored to normal humanity . After the battle with Safer∙Sephiroth , Sephiroth tries one last chance to take over Cloud ' s mind , but is easily defeated thanks to Cloud ' s strengthened will power . Sephiroth can no longer exert his power over him , and the Sephiroth Clones are finished . In the novel " Final Fantasy VII Lateral Biography Turks - The Kids Are Alright - " , it ' s revealed that Annette Townshend had been assigned to recover the missing test subjects . Her dead body , along with those of the copies , is discovered by her son , Evan Townshend , in a mako cavern beneath the Great Glacier to the north of Icicle Inn . Among the possessions found on her body is a small piece of Jenova ' s still - living flesh wrapped in a handkerchief , which was being pursued by Kadaj ; Evan kicks it into the Lifestream and Kadaj leaps in after it , dissolving . In the film " " , the children infected with Geostigma each carry a small portion of Jenova ' s cells . Kadaj tells Rufus Shinra that " [ his ] brothers and sisters who share Mother ' s cells will all assemble " as part of the Reunion he and the other Remnants of Sephiroth are planning . Thus , while those infected with Geostigma are different from , and are never referred to as , Sephiroth Clones , their role is roughly the same . List of Known Sephiroth Clones . Below is a list of every Sephiroth Clone revealed in " Final Fantasy VII " . This list is missing several Clones , for the fate of many numbered Clones is never revealed . The Ex - SOLDIER who runs a weapon shop in Junon begins to wear a robe like the other Sephiroth Clones when visited after disc 1 . He states that a while ago , he felt the urge to dress like this , indicating the procedure that produced the Sephiroth Clones is the same treatment given to the members of SOLDIER . Development . In an early version of the game script , the Sephiroth Clones were not people , but , rather , parts of Jenova floating in the air covered by their cloaks . During important plot points they would reveal themselves to be pieces of Jenova ' s body : her right arm , heart , etc . They also replaced Sephiroth in several scenes , such as the pivotal one in the Forgotten Capital .