Editing Sephiroth (SSBU)

|image        = {{tabber|title1=Coat|content1=[[File:Sephiroth SSBU.png|250px|Sephiroth]]|title2=Coatless|content2=[[File:Sephiroth-Alt1 SSBU.png|250px]]}}

{{Cquote|''Sephiroth Descends to Battle!''|cite=Introduction Tagline}}

'''Sephiroth''' ({{ja|セフィロス|Sefirosu}}, ''Sephiroth'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', and the third fighter from [[Square Enix]] after {{SSBU|Cloud}} and {{SSBU|Hero}}. He was revealed on December 10th, 2020 at {{s|wikipedia|The Game Awards 2020}}, and was released as part of Challenger Pack 8 on December 22nd, 2020 as the third downloadable character of {{h2|Downloadable content (SSBU)|Fighters Pass Vol. 2}}. However, Sephiroth could also become playable as early as December 17th, 2020 by defeating him in the limited-time [[Sephiroth Challenge]] that was made available from December 17th-22nd.<ref name=Presents>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwzW9_pTO54 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Mr. Sakurai Presents "Sephiroth"]</ref> Sephiroth is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #78]].

{{iw|wikipedia|Toshiyuki Morikawa}}, who has voiced Sephiroth as of ''Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children''<!--Do not replace with Kingdom Hearts, as Sephiroth was not present in the original Japanese version, and when the Final Mix version, based on the international version, was released, the game used the English voice cast, so he too used his English voice actor. While Morikawa did eventually voice Sephiroth in the first Kingdom Hearts game, this was in Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, an HD port of Final Mix which did include the Japanese voices; Advent Children was the first time Morikawa voiced Sephiroth.-->, reprises his role as the character in all regions.

 

 

 

 

Sephiroth is a tall, lightweight fighter, tied with {{SSBU|Kirby}}, {{SSBU|Mewtwo}}, {{SSBU|Pikachu}} and {{SSBU|Olimar}} as the 7th [[Weight|lightest]] in the game. He has the 14th slowest [[walk]]ing speed, yet his [[dash]]ing speed and [[traction]] are both above-average, with the former being marginally faster than {{SSBU|Hero}}'s. Despite his height, Sephiroth's [[crouch]] is deceptively low. In the air, Sephiroth's overall [[jump]]ing force and [[air acceleration]] are both average, he has slow [[air speed]] and below-average [[air friction]], and yet he has the 11th fastest [[falling speed]] and above-average [[gravity]]. Notably, Sephiroth's short hop is tied with {{SSBU|Steve}}'s for the lowest in the game, which aids him very well in the neutral game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Sephiroth has a unique [[fighter ability]] called the '''[[Winged Form]]'''. While active, it increases his overall damage output by applying a multiplier of 1.3×, improves his mobility by applying multipliers to his attributes, and grants him both a [[Double jump#Multiple double jumps|third jump]] and [[Armor#Damage-based armor|damage-based armor]] to his smash attacks. The following moveset list details the properties of all attacks when the Winged Form is not active. The conditions for the Winged Form to activate can be read [[Winged Form#Technical specifics|here]].

*Sephiroth's sword, the Masamune, possesses extremely long range, yet a generally slow attack speed. It has different sweetspots depending on the attack used.

***For simplicity, if the handle deals 8.5%, the blade deals 10%, the tip deals 11%, and that part of the attack has no other hitboxes, it is formatted on the table as 8.5%/10%/11%.

*Sephiroth's forward aerial can pierce walls and cling to them, similarly to [[Dragon Lunge]] and a misfired [[Green Missile]]. After piercing a wall, Sephiroth can choose to jump and thus boost his recovery by moving up or pressing the jump button/attack button, or let go of the wall by pressing away/down or waiting long enough.

''For a gallery of Sephiroth's hitboxes, see [[Sephiroth (SSBU)/Hitboxes|here]].''

|neutraldesc=A mid-level roundhouse kick, followed by a mid-level side kick, followed by a forward thrust with the Masamune's pommel. It is Sephiroth's overall fastest attack; when coupled with its third hit having slightly above-average knockback and launching at the [[Sakurai angle]], it is decent for setting up [[tech chase]]s and warding off pressure from a nearby opponent. It is based on some of Sephiroth's moves from ''Ehrgeiz'': the kicks resemble the second and third hits of his Jenova Linkage DEATH, while the pommel thrust is almost identical to his Hilt Attack.

|ftiltdesc=An outward slash. The move can be angled up and down. Has rather slow start-up (the slowest of Sephiroth's tilt attacks), but great KO potential at the middle of the Masamune's blade. Thanks to a combination of long range and its ability to be angled, as well as being safe on shield when connecting with the sweetspot, it is one of Sephiroth's most reliable spacing tools. It is almost identical to his Cruel Strike from ''Ehrgeiz''.

|utiltdesc=An upward thrust. Its hitbox reaches very high, able to reach through the top platform of {{SSBU|Battlefield}}, although its very narrow range makes it difficult to land as an anti-air. It has a weak grounded hit that has [[transcendent priority]] and launches opponents into the Masamune's blade, similarly to {{SSBU|Marth}}'s up smash. Its [[tipper]] is stronger than even {{SSBU|Snake}}'s up tilt, and KOs {{SSBU|Mario}} at 85% from Battlefield's top platform, thus making it the 3rd strongest up tilt in the game (surpassed only by {{SSBU|Mega Man}} and {{SSBU|Ganondorf}}'s). It also has a decent number of active frames, making it surprisingly difficult to avoid if the opponent tries to challenge Sephiroth from above. Unique to Sephiroth's stab attacks, the tip and blade hitboxes have higher priority than the sourspot at the handle. Sephiroth's upper body is intangible while the clean hit is active. It is based on a rapid series of upward thrusts a flying Sephiroth performs against an airborne Cloud in ''Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete''.

|dtiltdesc=A [[Wikipedia:Dropkick#Baseball slide|baseball slide]]. Has the fastest start-up of Sephiroth's tilt attacks, propels him a good distance forward, launches opponents vertically, and significantly lowers his hurtbox, allowing him to low-profile many projectiles and even mid-level attacks. However, its combo potential is limited due to the general slowness of Sephiroth's frame data; its only true combos are into up tilt and neutral aerial, both of which often require reads due to requiring specific timing and being dependent on the opponent's DI. All of these traits make it very similar to {{SSBU|Cloud}}'s both aesthetically and mechanically, although its lower overall knockback makes it slightly more effective for setting up aerial pressure compared to Cloud's (especially while his Winged Form is active) at the cost of being slightly slower. It is almost identical to his Slide Charge from ''Ehrgeiz''.

|dashdesc=A lunging, energy-infused palm thrust. Has somewhat slow start-up and moderate ending lag, but it covers a decent distance. The clean hit deals respectable damage and can KO at reasonable percentages, especially while his Winged Form is active. Although it is very similar to {{SSBU|Mewtwo}}'s dash attack both aesthetically and mechanically, it is actually a {{b|magic|type}} attack instead of a [[darkness]] attack.

|fsmashdesc=Spins to perform an inward, horizontal slash. Has the slowest start-up of his smash attacks and considerable ending lag, but the sweetspot boasts powerful knockback and KOs at medium percentages at the edge. It also becomes one of the strongest smash attacks in the game in his Winged form, KOing even the heaviest characters at less than 30% at the edge when fully charged. The tip hitbox is somewhat safe on hit, but the sourspot at the hilt has below-average knockback, not KOing until around 80%. While in Winged Form, this move gains [[Armor#Damage-based armor|damage-based armor]] that has a maximum threshold of 20%. It resembles his Sudden Cruelty, which debuted in ''Ehrgeiz'' and is used throughout the ''Dissidia Final Fantasy'' series.

|usmashdesc=A spinning, overhead arcing slash. Similar to Ganondorf and {{SSBU|Ike}}'s up smashes in terms of functionality. Has fairly slow start-up, but covers an extremely wide area in front, above and behind Sephiroth, making it his best anti-air attack and giving him the ability to cover an entire platform with one move. Despite its incredible range, its relative ending lag is only moderate, which may make it very hard to punish at farther ranges. While in Winged Form, this move gains damage-based armor that has a maximum threshold of 20%. It resembles the second hit of his Heaven's Light from the ''Dissidia Final Fantasy'' series.

|dsmashdesc=A downward thrust. This stab attack is unique, as Sephiroth will pierce the ground in front of himself should there be any, making the move larger, stronger and giving the more powerful hitboxes higher priority. Otherwise, the move's hitboxes will behave normally, with the tip being difficult to land and the hitbox being narrow. Should the move pierce the ground, it deals immense [[shield damage]], having the capability to instantly break a damaged shield if the tip and the debris connect. It also has the fastest startup of Sephiroth's smash attacks, though still slow for a smash attack, although its ending lag is somewhat short in relation to its power and startup; this makes it hard to punish when spaced. While in Winged Form, this move gains damage-based armor that has a maximum threshold of 20%. It is almost identical to the last hit of his Hell Quake Slash from ''Ehrgeiz''. It also resembles the cutscene in ''Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII'' in which Sephiroth stabs a downed Cloud.

|nairdesc=Snaps his fingers to emit a circular burst of energy around himself. Has the fastest start-up and ending lag of Sephiroth's aerials, as well as the lowest landing lag, thus making it his safest aerial. Although its hitbox also covers the entirety of his body, it is his shortest ranged aerial and its hitbox only lasts for 2 frames. Thanks to its launching angle and its overall lag being reasonably low (especially in regard to interruptibility), it is one of Sephiroth's best combo starters: it can combo into forward aerial, up aerial, Shadow Flare and back aerial, with the lattermost being a reliable KO confirm at around 40%-80% depending on the character's weight and DI. It can also combo into itself multiple times without the need to even land on the ground, similarly to Mario's up aerial. It resembles a combination of Heartless Angel's depictions in ''Kingdom Hearts II'' and ''Final Fantasy Brave Exvius'', albeit surrounding Sephiroth instead of the opponent, and is fittingly magical both in [[Magic (type)|type]] and [[Magic (effect)|effect]].

|fairdesc=A forward thrust. Has somewhat slow start-up, but very long range in front of Sephiroth; as with other stab attacks, its hitbox is narrow. The tip can KO at high percentages at the edge. The move is also unique in that it lets Sephiroth pierce walls and cling to them, similarly to [[Dragon Lunge]]. After piercing a wall, Sephiroth can choose to jump by moving up or pressing jump or attack, or let go of the wall by pressing away or down or simply waiting long enough. Sephiroth can pierce a wall this way up to three times before landing on the ground, and the jump option does not use up his double jump. However, the move will fail to pierce a wall below a stage's camera bounds, or any wall that disables wall jumps, or is too close to a floor. It resembles his Sudden Strike from ''Ehrgeiz''.

|bairdesc=Turns around to perform an outward slash behind himself. It has somewhat slow start-up and very high horizontal range like his forward aerial, while possessing more vertical range. Unlike forward aerial, it does not possess a lingering hitbox and its hitbox only lasts two frames. However, it is one of the strongest back aerials in the game, especially in his Winged form, often KOing very early when sweetspotted (it starts KOing middleweights at the edge at around 70%, and the KO confirms into it can happen potentially as low as 40%). However, it has an extremely strict auto-cancel window, only doing so on the first frame of Sephiroth's full hop without his Winged Form, and not at all with his Winged Form active, making it punishable to land with unless if spaced. It resembles his Flying Air Strike from ''Ehrgeiz''.

|uairdesc=A backflipping overhead slash. Very slow start-up at frame 16, but its immense range covers a very wide arc above, in front of and even behind himself, making it exceptionally hard to avoid in the air if the opponent exhausts their landing options. It also possesses high knockback, with the sweetspot KOing at around 110% on Battlefield's top platform. However, it has the highest landing lag out of any up aerial in the game (22 frames), and it cannot autocancel out of anything but a double jump. As a result, while its early and late hitboxes can hit opponents while Sephiroth is landing, it is very punishable as a landing option compared to other aerials.

|dairdesc=A downward thrust. A [[stall-then-fall]] aerial, it powerfully [[meteor smash]]es aerial opponents during its initial frames. The blade extends through the ground, allowing for opponents under platforms and edges to be hit by the move. It has excellent vertical range below Sephiroth, as it is able to pierce through the edges of [[Battlefield form]] stages, and even the entirety of [[Town and City]]. As a result, it can consistently [[2 frame punish]] opponents with good timing and often KO them very early, even without the need to go offstage to land the move. Unlike other stab moves, it deals the same damage at the blade and the tip, making it more consistent. It also emits a unique stabbing sound on hit. Conversely, its landing hitbox is located at Sephiroth's legs and is indicated visually by small fissures of dark energy. It is based on his infamous murder of [[Aerith Gainsborough]] in ''Final Fantasy VII'', while the landing hitbox's fissures are based on the massive fissures of energy that Hell's Gate emits upon hitting the ground in the ''Dissidia Final Fantasy'' series and ''Final Fantasy VII Remake''.

|grabdesc=Reaches out with his right hand, which is infused with energy. It has poor range despite Sephiroth's tall height, and its speed in comparison to other non-tether grabs is slightly below-average.

|pummeldesc=A point-blank burst of dark energy. Average power, but it is marginally slower than other similar pummels due to its higher hitlag. He shares this distinction with {{SSBU|Hero}}. Although it is very similar to Mewtwo's pummel, it is actually a magic attack instead of a darkness attack. It resembles a spark of energy Sephiroth uses to render Cloud unconscious during a cutscene in ''Mobius Final Fantasy''.

|fthrowdesc=A point-blank burst of energy. It gives 13 frames of advantage as well as sending opponents far away, meaning it is not a combo tool. Due to being a [[semi-spike]], it is very useful as a setup into an edge-guard or a tech chase. At medium to high percentages against most characters, Sephiroth has the opportunity to follow up with Octaslash for a KO, which covers nearly every possible option when timed correctly.

|bthrowdesc=Teleports the opponent behind himself, then pumps his fist to hit them with a burst of energy. Unlike the majority of back throws, it forgoes KO potential in favor of possessing combo potential until utilising its 19 frames of advantage and a close proximity until medium to high percentages. Due to it launching vertically instead of horizontally or diagonally, it can combo into forward and back aerials or Shadow Flare until around 70%. If the opponent fails to DI properly in time, Sephiroth can follow up with back aerial at around 50% for a true KO confirm. This combo is especially potent while the Winged Form is active, due to his higher air speed and damage output. It is based on Sephiroth's ability to teleport himself and others in ''Mobius Final Fantasy'' and ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'', although its visual effects resemble the former's depiction.

|uthrowdesc=An upward slash. It has a collateral hitbox useful for fights with multiple opponents. Launches the opponent upward and behind Sephiroth, which using its 16 frames of advantage and close proximity can reliably lead to an up tilt or neutral aerial at low to medium percentages. It also works as a 50/50 KO setup into up aerial at around 110%; the opponent's only escape route out of this combo is to jump out of it, which either gets caught by up aerial's hitbox, or it puts them further into a disadvantage state due to Sephiroth's huge range being able to usually catch their landing afterward. It is almost identical to the second hit of his Heaven's Light from the ''Dissidia Final Fantasy'' series.

|dthrowdesc=Telekinetically slams the opponent onto the ground. Its low damage output and frame advantage of 25 collectively grant it excellent combo potential at low to medium percentages. It can combo into Shadow Flare and forward, back and up aerials at low percentages; at medium to high percentages, Sephiroth can perform a [[reverse aerial rush]] back aerial near the edge as a KO confirm, which is even more effective when the Winged Form is active due to his higher mobility and power. It is also Sephiroth's strongest throw overall, but remains moderately weak as it fails to KO until around 210%. It is based on the cinematic in ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'' at the beginning of phase 3 of the boss fight against Sephiroth, in which he uses his Boundless Void to pin down Cloud and [[Tifa Lockhart]]/Aerith.

|floorfdesc=Performs a legsweep around himself while getting up.

|floorbdesc=Performs a legsweep around himself while getting up.

|edgedesc=Kicks in front of himself while climbing up.

|nsdmg=Flare:<br>3% (hit 1),<br>10.5% (hit 2)<br>Megaflare:<br>3.5% (hit 1),<br>3.7% (hits 2-5),<br>9% (hit 5)<br>Gigaflare:<br>6% (hit 1),<br>3.7%/2.7%/2.0% (hits 2-7),<br>11%/8%/4% (hit 8)

|nsdesc=Charges Flare, an explosive fireball, in his right hand that travels slowly when fired. A chargeable projectile as long as the special button is kept pressed, it can be [[charge cancel]]ed (but the charge is not stored). It has three different variations, each producing incrementally stronger projectiles with larger explosions, but also significantly lowers their travel distance.

*Tapping the button results in Flare, a scarlet flame that travels the most distance, but has the smallest explosion. It has average travel speed and mediocre KO potential, although its high base knockback makes it capable of KOing offstage. Flare is the closest to a "standard projectile" equivalent like [[Fireball]], although its overall lag makes it more effective to use at a distance while approaching a vulnerable opponent.

*Charging for some time results in Megaflare, a blue flame that is more powerful, travels faster, and has a larger lingering explosion, but travels a shorter distance. It is much better at KOing than Flare, at the cost of more risk due to its slow charge.

*Fully charging results in Gigaflare, which causes the background to darken dramatically, and the music's volume to lower; the small, yellow spark fired travels an extremely short distance, but results in an immense explosion with extreme knockback, being capable of KOing most characters as low as 20% near a ledge, or even potentially KOing at 0% if in Winged form. Gigaflare has moderate ending lag, but when it explodes at its farthest ranges, Sephiroth has enough time to follow up with another attack, most notably forward smash which can most likely KO at 0%. Despite Gigaflare being extremely slow to start, its very large hitbox makes it a notoriously effective edge trapping tool, allowing it to simultaneously cover nearly every option when timed correctly; against opponents with a reflector, Sephiroth can simply cancel the charge and punish the attack.

 

|ssname=Shadow Flare

|ssdmg=1.5%-4.5% (surge),<br>6.5% (sphere's explosion),<br>7% (sphere's orbit)

|ssdesc=Snaps his fingers to emit a thin, short-ranged surge of dark energy at the opponent. If it connects, spheres of dark energy will orbit the opponent, then home in on them and explode after the spheres make at least two revolutions around the character. The initial surge can be charged, increasing its damage and range while creating more spheres on hit. An uncharged surge creates only one sphere, charging for at least 17 frames creates two sphere, whereas a fully charged surge (charging for 26 to 34 frames) will create three spheres; up to five spheres can orbit an opponent at once. The surge appears 8 frames after releasing the charge. During the charge, Sephiroth can turn around and unleash the move by holding the control stick down in the opposite direction as soon as the charge is released; quickly flicking at the start allows the move to be used similarly to [[B-reversing]]. The spheres can also hit bystanders while they orbit around the opponent, with each sphere being able to collide twice before disappearing. The spheres can be reflected and absorbed. If [[Pocket]]ed, the sphere is thrown as a standard projectile. In comparison to Sephiroth's other moves, Shadow Flare is very spammable, thanks to its fairly low interruptibility, and it pierces through enemy projectiles without being destroyed, making it capable of negating any projectile within its priority range despite the initial hit's low damage. As a result, it can be used frequently without fear of retaliation, and allows him to set up follow-ups or condition the opponent into picking an option. However, the move has very low safety in close quarters even on hit due to it causing minimal hitstun and shield damage.

 

|usname=Blade Dash / Octaslash

 

 

 

 

Sephiroth English Announcer SSBU.wav|English/Japanese/Chinese

 

===[[On-screen appearance]]===

*Slowly descends onto the stage while emitting a blackish purple aura and losing a few feathers.

SephirothOnScreenAppearanceSSBU.gif|Sephiroth's on-screen appearance.

Due to his status as downloadable content, Sephiroth does not have a legitimate role in World of Light. Instead, he is unlocked for use in the mode after freeing 10 fighters from [[Galeem]]'s control. If loading an existing save file that meets this condition before downloading Sephiroth, he is immediately unlocked.

 

 

 

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|{{Head|Sephiroth|g=SSBU|s=50px}}

|{{Head|Sephiroth|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=CoatlessViolet}}

==[[List of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character trailers#Sephiroth|Reveal trailer]]==

*Sephiroth is the second fighter to be revealed at a non-Nintendo event/presentation, the first being {{SSBU|Joker}}. Both of them were revealed at {{iw|wikipedia|The Game Awards}} (Joker in 2018 and Sephiroth in 2020).

**Oddly, Sephiroth's English trailer shown during The Game Awards is slightly different from the one uploaded subsequently to Nintendo's official channels: the crossover card states ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate × Final Fantasy'' during The Game Awards, whereas in later uploads it displays ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate × Final Fantasy VII'', in line with {{SSB4|Cloud}}'s trailer for ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''.

*According to [[Masahiro Sakurai]], Sephiroth was developed to feel like a [[boss]] character while having boss-like strength for players to enjoy when using him.<ref name=SephBoss>[https://nintendoeverything.com/sakurai-on-implementing-sephiroth-into-smash-bros-ultimate-reveal-trailer-more Sakurai on implementing Sephiroth into Smash Bros. Ultimate, reveal trailer, more]</ref>

**Sakurai also mentioned that the incorporation of the Masamune and making Sephiroth's attacks easy to use were two problems that occurred during Sephiroth's development.

*According to Naoki Hamaguchi, Sephiroth's inclusion was extremely confidential. Neither he nor the ''Final Fantasy VII Rebirth'' dev team knew about this until Sephiroth's reveal trailer.<ref>https://nintendoeverything.com/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-director-says-sephiroth-in-smash-bros-ultimate-was-extremely-confidential/</ref>

*Sephiroth is one of three characters to fight Master Hand and Crazy Hand on a stage other than {{SSBU|Final Destination}} in Classic Mode, with the others being {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} and Joker.

*Sephiroth's introduction tagline is a reference to his leitmotif, "One-Winged Angel". It may also reference one of his battle quotes in ''Kingdom Hearts'' and ''Kingdom Hearts II'' in which he says, "Descend, heartless angel."

*Sephiroth's trailer makes several references to both the original ''Final Fantasy VII'' game, the game's remake, and the CGI-animated film ''Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children'', with much of his and Cloud's dialogue being adapted from the latter, including him nearly impaling Mario using his Masamune. Several shots in the trailer are [https://twitter.com/Kumatora4/status/1337193766973652994 direct recreations] of shots from ''Advent Children''.

**His introduction tagline pose references his [[:File:SSBU spirit Sephiroth.png|official artwork]] from ''Final Fantasy VII''.

*Like Cloud, the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series marks the third time that Sephiroth has been playable in a fighting game/series, with the first two being ''Ehrgeiz'' and the ''Dissidia Final Fantasy'' series.

*Sephiroth's render resembles a flipped version of his [https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/File:Sephiroth_Dissidia_Artwork.png original ''Dissidia Final Fantasy'' render], albeit in 3D and with his wing displayed.

*Sephiroth is the first DLC character who must be unlocked through fighting him, although this is only for early access and not a permanent feature.  

*Sephiroth is the only fighter whose Classic Mode consists entirely of bosses and, by extension, lacks any fighters as opponents.

*Sephiroth is the only DLC character to have a unique quote when winning against certain characters. He is also the second third-party character with this distinction, following {{SSBU|Simon}}.

**Also, Sephiroth is the only character who does not show the other characters on the Victory Screen when he wins in a Team Battle.

*Sephiroth's victory screens load much faster than other characters, likely due to the fiery background being pre-rendered instead of a modeled setting.

 

[[Category:Third-party characters]]

[[Category:Downloadable content]]