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*Information taken from the manual of Final Fantasy VII. ©Squaresoft
"Sephiroth was brilliant....Perhaps too brilliant...." - President Shinra
Sephiroth is probably the most mysterious (and definitely the coolest!) out of all the characters in Squaresoft's masterpiece RPG, Final Fantasy VII. Although Sephiroth is somewhat misguided (I know, I know...what an understatement!!! ^_^;;), there are still many good points about his character. An incredibly strong warrior and very skilled in the use of Materia, Sephiroth can decimate many foes with a single blow with his massive katana, the legendary Masamune. (The sword probably got its name from its maker, a Japanese swordsmith by the name of Masamune. hehe....studying and collecting swords is a favorite pasttime of mine.) The ingenuity and depth of intricate detail in his plan and his determination are also admirable. The cause he fights for, however, is somewhat dark.
Born from a beautiful woman named Lucretia--a human laboratory experiment--Sephiroth was created by Professor Gast of Shinra, Inc. Sephiroth believes himself to be the son of Jenova, supposedly a being from over 2000 years ago. He came to this conclusion five years before the stage of Final Fantasy VII, when he traveled with Cloud to Nibelheim, Cloud's hometown. Sephiroth went to Nibelheim on a mission from Shinra: to investigate the source of the monsters that had been appearing near the Nibelheim reactor on Mt. Nibel and exterminate them. By this time, he had known Cloud for many years in SOLDIER, and they had become "war buddies."
Together, Sephiroth and Cloud, led by their young guide Tifa, scaled the mountain to get to the reactor. When they reached the center of the reactor, Sephiroth noticed the deformed bodies of many monstrous beings being held in containers within the reactor. They had once been human, he explained to Cloud, but mutated into these creatures from overexposure to Mako energy. Sephiroth then came to the realization that he had always been somewhat different from the others around him. (Aa...that part was heartwrenching! T_T) He then became infused with a determination to uncover the truth about his past.
Madly, he searched through the libraries in the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim, reading every book in every shelf, until he came across the information he sought. Sephiroth learned that Jenova was his mother, and he was of Cetra, not human, blood. He also uncovered the fact that although humans sprang from the Cetra (also called the Ancients), the number of Cetra eventually shrank to the point of almost-extinction, dominated by the humans. This angered Sephiroth, and he vowed revenge on the human race, swearing to wipe out all mankind from the face of the earth. In a rage, he burned down the village of Nibelheim, killing almost everyone living there. From then on, Cloud and Sephiroth were enemies.
As Sephiroth traveled, uncovering more secrets along the way, he formulated a plan. He would make Jenova whole again, and using the Black Materia, summon meteors to crash into the earth and send the human race into extinction forever...and in the process, injure the Planet so badly that he would merge with the Planet's energy and become one with the Planet, becoming a God.
I must admit, I don't really admire Sephiroth's "new" character (I DID NOT rejoice when Aeris died!!! Poor Aeris (;_;)....Just because I'm a Sephiroth fan doesn't mean I don't like Aeris. How untrue! Take a look at the Memory Stone!)....However, I did like his old self, even though Sephiroth-sama was a bit stiff and serious, before he was led down the path of evil by his new knowledge. The information above, in the Background section, does not tell everything about Sephiroth. Believe me, there is a lot more to tell...
The Truth About the Real Sephiroth. Firstly, Sephiroth is not really Cetra. The Sephiroth that you meet in the game up until the Reunion is actually a clone--another body created by Hojo carrying some of Jenova's cells and carrying out the real Sephiroth's will. (That means it was the clone who killed Aeris!) The real Sephiroth "died" 5 years before the setting of Final Fantasy VII and is lying dormant in a cocoon in the Promised Land. It is the real Sephiroth who uses the Black Materia to summon Meteor.
Jenova. Jenova was not truly one of the Cetra. She is actually the "crisis from the sky," the Planet's nemesis. While Jenova is on the Planet, it cannot completely heal its wounds. Jenova can be looked upon as a sort of disease. When her cells, when implanted, can cause a being to go mad and transform into a monster. She is also able to change the form of that being into any likeness she wishes. Jenova is the source of the virus that wiped out most of the Cetra.
The Reunion. The Reunion is the joining of Jenova's dismembered pieces back into one. Hojo of Shinra, Inc. was the one who separated Jenova's cells and inplanted them into many Sephiroth-clones. The purpose of the experiment was to see what would happen when the time for the Reunion came. His original hypothesis was that the clones would travel to the Shinra building, where Jenova was stored, and the Reunion would take place there. However, instead, Jenova itself moved, and all the clones gathered at the Promised Land.
A Note About Cloud. Cloud is actually an experimental "puppet" put together by Dr. Hojo. The memories that he carries are not really his own, but those of Zack. He is a "failed" Sephiroth-clone, made out of Jenova's cells and Mako energy, but was not given a number by Hojo like the other clones because he was considered a failure. Jenova then created him from Tifa's memories and merged him into them. This is why he is controlled by Sephiroth's will.
The Cetra. Two thousand years ago, the Cetra heard the cries of the Planet. The first ones to hear its cries were the Cetra living at Knowlespole, the snowy area to the north. The Cetra then had a "planet-reading," or a conversation with the Planet. They discovered that Meteor, the Ultimate Destructive Power contained in the Black Materia that Sephiroth seeks, had wounded the Planet. Thousands of Cetra gathered and tried to heal the Planet, but it could only heal itself after many years. As for the one who called Meteor, he gave the Cetra a virus, which transformed them into monsters. This virus is of Jenova, the "crisis from the sky."
Weapon. Weapon is supposedly a weapon created and used by the Planet. It cannot be summoned. Weapon comes from the Planet itself, and is used by the Planet when it is in critical danger. It is an ancient monster. The Planet once called forth Weapon to destroy Jenova, but by that time, the remaining Cetra had quarantined it, so Weapon was no longer necessary. Weapon never disappears; it merely lies dormant until it is needed. Weapon, sleeping in the depths of the Promised Land, awoke at the Reunion when Meteor was summoned by Sephiroth.
This is Sephiroth's "theme song," I guess you could call it. It's also the BGM playing on this page (you need a Java-enabled browser to hear it). It sounds absolutely awesome on the soundtrack! BANZAI! to Uematsu Nobuo (that's last name first, first name last), who composed this excellent piece! Anyway, here are the lyrics (credits go to Rob Dowers, who came up with correct Latin lyrics and translation; and Kouryuu-chan, who sent them to me ^_^. Arigatou!)...
Estuans interius ira vehementi Estuans interius ira vehementi Sephiroth Sephiroth Estuans interius ira vehementi Estuans interius ira vehementi Sephiroth Sephiroth Sors immanis et inanis Sors immanis et inanis Estuans interius ira vehementi Estuans interius ira vehementi Sephiroth Sephiroth {Interlude} Veni, veni, venias, Ne me mori facias Veni, veni, venias, Ne me mori facias Veni, veni, venias, Ne me mori facias Veni, veni, venias, Ne me mori facias (Glorioso generosa) Veni, veni, venias, Ne me mori facias (Glorioso generosa) Veni, veni, venias, Ne me mori facias (Glorioso generosa) Veni, veni, venias, Ne me mori facias (Glorioso generosa) Veni, veni, venias, Ne me mori facias (Glorioso generosa) Veni, veni, venias, Ne me mori facias (Glorioso generosa) Sephiroth Sephiroth {Repeat}
Translations:
In the words of Kouryuu-chan: "Aren't they SO perfect for Sephiroth-sama? ^_________^" Sou desu ne!
The Cetra are an old and indigenous race to the world of Final Fantasy, called the Ancients by the humans. Although from the outside, it is practically impossible to tell a Cetra apart from a human, the Cetra have the ability to communicate with other Cetra who have "returned to the Planet" and have special talent with magic--the manipulation of Mako energy; in other words, the Planet's energy. For more details, see the More About Sephiroth and Additional Notes section.
Believe it or not, the Cetra do exist...as an role-playing Internet guild on America Online. However, you do not necessarily have to be a member of AOL to join. To join or get more information, e-mail me.
I have created a mailing list for other Sephiroth and Final Fantasy VII fans on the Internet. Just in case you're not familiar with this term, a mailing list is a convenient system which allows members to post messages which are sent to all other members on the mailing list. Our topics range from Final Fantasy VII strategy/storyline or help to the question "Is Sephiroth really evil?!" We, however, do have some rules: 1) Absolutely no flaming! and 2) Stay on the subject! If you are interested, please e-mail mahamari@aol.com.
BGM: "One-Winged Angel" from FFVII
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