It's very rare that games feature antagonists that are as fleshed out and memorable as the heroes. It's easy to see why this is the case — after all, most developers find it easier to make the main villain a morally defunct human being that is the very epitome of villainous itself. It's harder to construct a villain whose actions are actually understandable and don't fall in the realm of the nonsensical or the bizarre. We can recount a large number of video game villains that fall under this spectrum, but the major focus of this particular list is a popular white-haired swordsman by the name of Sephiroth.
Ever since he made an appearance in Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth has become one of the most popular video game antagonists of all time. As if his calm and cool demeanor weren't enough as is, his sheer strength and limitless power made him one of the most imposing villains in video game history. When One Winged Angel plays during the final battle against Safer Sephiroth, you know you're about to participate in a battle for the ages. There are very few villains that have this impact on you in any medium of entertainment, but Sephiroth definitely fits the bill.
During the course of Final Fantasy VII, there are many weird things about Sephiroth's body that aren't exactly explained properly. These can range from something mundane to the downright bizarre, but one thing that these facts have in common is that not a lot of people are aware of it. Here are 30 weird things about Sephiroth's body you should definitely know.
30 Sephiroth Perished At The Hands Of Cloud In Nibelheim
What better way to kick this list off than to mention that Sephiroth's body wasn't even functioning before the events of Final Fantasy VII?
Cloud managed to fatally wound the mad SOLDIER in Nibelheim.
This incident occurred after Sephiroth took care of Tifa with a single slash of his sword. Cloud, angered by this turn of events, took Zack's Buster Sword and speared Sephiroth through, effectively stopping his motor functions there and then.
29 He Is Able To Stay Corporeal Through Sheer Will
However, Sephiroth was too tough to let this slight hiccup delay his plan of revenge. After all, the man was a genetically-superior warrior, which meant that his fortitude was also the stuff of legends.
Simply put, he was able to hold his consciousness after "passing away" through sheer will.
Any man would've lost his head after being engulfed in the Lifestream, yet Sephiroth still managed to keep his twisted end goal in mind — even after receiving a fatal wound from Cloud.
28 Sephiroth Could Conjure Multiple Images Of Himself After Being Engulfed In The Lifestream
One might argue that falling into the Lifestream after being stabbed actually worked in Sephiroth's favor, since he managed to stay alive even after receiving such a mortal wound.
In fact, getting submerged in the Lifestream provided him with way more powers than before.
Free from the restrictions imposed by the mortal coil, Sephiroth was able to utilize a whole host of impressive powers. One of these powers included the ability to form multiple images of himself with little to no effort.
27 He Also Gains The Power Of Flight
Of course, it would be remiss to bring up Sephiroth's new list of powers and not mention the most subtle one that most people don't even realize. Specifically, the power we're talking about is the ability of fight.
There are multiple times when we see Sephiroth fly out of Cloud's reach right after causing his fair share of problems. This, coupled with the fact that he's actually levitating before the last battle, serve as proof enough of the fact that Sephiroth has unlocked the potential to fly.
26 He Is Technically Immortal After Being Engulfed
Honestly speaking, there was no way that Sephiroth would've been able to survive after his altercation with Cloud. For all intents and purposes, his mortal life had ended — however, this monumental event also signaled the start of his journey to attain immortality.
Combining with the JENOVA cells in the Lifestream helped the lifeform mend Sephiroth's body and provide him with a level of physicality that essentially meant that the iconic villain wouldn't pass away by natural causes.
25 The Fragments Of His Body Were Collected At The Northern Cave Inside The North Crater
Of course, it's not like everything was smooth sailing for Sephiroth. The fall into the Lifestream ended up damaging his body quite extensively, which was already in a pretty sorry state following Cloud's attack.
However, the JENOVA cells he carried with him fused with his flesh and brought the fragments of his body to the Northern Crater, where he was subsequently reassembled in a cocoon of Mako.
24 The Party Sees Sephiroth In The Flesh For The First Time At The End Of The Game
Now, this is a fact still blows the mind of many gamers to this day.
Remember when we talked about how Sephiroth was able to conjure additional forms of himself that could appear anywhere on the face of the Planet? This has an additional implication — the villain never really needed to be physically present to govern the actions of the party.
Thus, he chose not to inconvenience himself and sent clones in his stead to impede Cloud's journey. The only time that the party witnessed his true form — save for the flashbacks — was at the very end of the game in the Northern Crater.
23 The Health Of His Final Form Can Differ Based On Various Factors
The final fight against Sephiroth is one of the most iconic final video game boss battles of all time. The buildup, coupled with a dangerous threat and one of the best music pieces in the history of video games provided gamers with an unforgettable moment.
In fact, if you wish, you can actually increase the length of this battle by activating certain triggers that raise Safer Sephiroth's hitpoints. Everything from having level 99 characters to using the Knights Of The Round summon can have varying effects.
22 He Bears Two Additional Wings Underneath His Coat In Kingdom Hearts II
Sephiroth is one of the most iconic characters that Square Enix has under its belt. So, obviously, they would try and milk this persona as much as they possibly can. A great example can be seen in Kingdom Hearts II, where he bears an iconic design that harkens back to the character's past.
The form of Safer Sephiroth had two wings, which are actually present under his coat as a hidden design of sorts in Kingdom Hearts II. It's a clever way to remind players about Sephiroth's imposing legacy.
21 Safer Sephiroth Was Basically Sephiroth’s God Complex Personified
Imagine finding out that — even after becoming one of the most accomplished human beings of your era — your existence has no meaning. It will destroy the mind of any strong-willed individual, and cause them to think on a completely different tangent.
This is exactly what happened to Sephiroth. In order to bring some meaning back to his life, Sephiroth took the safe route... and promptly thought of himself as the Planet's God.
We can't help but feel this to be a tad too extreme.
20 He Could Leave Afterimages Of His Masamune In His Victims
We've already mentioned the fact that Sephiroth could make additional copies of himself after his tryst with the Lifestream, but one thing we failed to mention was that these copies weren't just limited to the villain's body.
Sephiroth also had the ability to form extra copies of his Masamune as well, further cementing himself as an all-too-real threat. One might argue that Sephiroth's sword had technically become an extension of his own body, but that's an argument for another time.
19 Sephiroth Was So Strong That He Could Wield The Masamune In One Hand
There's a reason why most people believe that the Masamune was the perfect weapon for Sephiroth — the fact of the matter is that the One-Winged Angel was so adept at using this weapon that he could wield it in one hand with little to no effort.
Of course, most depictions show Sephiroth wielding the Masamune with two hands, but that still doesn't discount the fact that the ex-SOLDIER was powerful enough to use such a massive sword in just a single hand without even breaking a sweat.
18 He's Left-Handed, But Uses The Masamune In His Right Hand Several Times
It has been established beforehand that Sephiroth's dominant arm is his left hand, but how would this legendary being attain this status if he wasn't ambidextrous as well?
If there's one thing that Shinra can be given credit for, it's that their experimentations with Sephiroth were a roaring success. They had created the perfect warrior, with incredible strength and skill unlike anything ever seen before. The fact that Sephiroth could wield something as cumbersome as the Masamune in both hands with relative ease speaks volumes.
17 Sephiroth's Design Was Inspired By The Legendary Samurai Sasaki Kojiro
Time to delve into the annals of Japanese history and fish out Sephiroth's inspiration.
There are many legendary Japanese samurai that have etched their names into history, and one such swordsman that has attained this fame is Sasaki Kojiro — one of the most renown and skilled samurai of his time.
Sephiroth's design was based on this swordsman, who was also known for carrying an unusually long nodachi — similar to Sephiroth's oversized katana.
16 Sephiroth Has Cat-Like Eyes
Now, this is something straight out of The Witcher.
Character design is a complex process, and there are times when an entire's character's personality and backstory can be figured out with one good long look at their posture, demeanor, and anything else of the sort.
In the case of Sephiroth, Tetsuya Nomura decided to bestow cat-like eyes upon him. There are many reasons why he might've chosen to go down this route — everything from giving Sephiroth a cunning edge to simply playing with the design can be considered.
15 In Crisis Core, Sephiroth's Bangs Are Shorter
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core is one of the few decent spinoffs that Square Enix has managed to churn out. The game is genuinely a great romp that any Final Fantasy VII fan should play. It features new characters and fleshes out existing ones, including — you guessed it — Sephiroth.
The One-Winged Angel is somewhat younger by the time the game's events come into play, which might be the reason why Sephiroth's hair — his bangs, in particular — are shorter than usual.
14 He Valued His Previous Friendships Before Going Insane
If there's one thing that Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core showed, it's that Sephiroth wasn't a completely heartless individual. While he might've grown up without the comfort of parents, he was still capable of feeling... something.
This could be seen in his mannerisms whenever he talked to Genesis or Angeal. It was clear that he valued his friendships before discovering the truth about his existence and going insane.
13 Genesis Plays A Part In Inciting Sephiroth's Madness
However, regardless of what the dynamics of the friendship between Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal might've been, the fact of the matter is that insanity can cause even the strongest of bonds to falter — something that happened between Sephiroth and Genesis.
Genesis was jealous of Sephiroth and his widespread fame, compelling him to reveal the fact that Sephiroth was the perfect lab experiment, while he himself was degrading. This information, coupled with Sephiroth's own research into his origins, served as the starting point of Sephiroth's descent into madness.
12 Sephiroth Never Crossed The 30-Year Mark
Ain't that something?
Japanese games are generally known for having young and relatable protagonists, which is why most forms of mainstream entertainment feature either teens or young adults.
You'd assume that someone like Sephiroth would be somewhat old, but you couldn't be further away from the truth. We say this because he is just 27 years old when Final Fantasy VII kicks off!
Talk about a misleading appearance indeed.
11 Even After Learning The Truth About His Existence, He Still Wears His Soldier Gear
The trauma that Sephiroth went through after realizing that his entire existence was meaningless must've been absolutely mind-breaking. While his actions simply could not be excused, learning something so big about your existence would make anyone do terrible things.
However, even after finding out everything that Shinra made him go through, Sephiroth still chooses to wear the SOLDIER uniform he had been provided with. Perhaps after entering the Lifestream, Sephiroth didn't really care about such material things anymore.