Game:Sephiroth

Oh no! The water! I'm in big trouble if I don't fetch it!
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Sephiroth
Japanese	セフィロス
Rōmaji	Sefirosu
Origin	Final Fantasy VII
Games	Kingdom Hearts Kingdom Hearts II Kingdom Hearts Union χ
KH tracks Battle theme - One-Winged Angel (from FINAL FANTASY VII) KHII tracks Battle theme - One-Winged Angel (from FINAL FANTASY VII)

	HP	STR		DEF	MP rec		EXP
Platinum Match	1800	46		46	70		18000
Weapon	Fire		Blizzard			Thunder
x1.0	x0		x0			x0
Percentage	Stop		Stun			Other
x0	x0		x0.5			x0.5
Seed(s)
Platinum Match	• Seed 1: Sephiroth

	HP	STR		DEF	MP rec		EXP
Platinum Match	1800	46		46	70		10000
Weapon	Fire		Blizzard			Thunder
x1.0	x0		x0			x0
Percentage	Stop		Stun			Other
x0	x0		x0.5			x0.5
Seed(s)
Platinum Match	• Seed 1: Sephiroth

Location		HP	Strength		Defense	EXP
Radiant Garden		3000	70		41	0
Physical	Fire			Blizzard
×1.0	×0			×0
Thunder	Dark			Neutral
×0	×0			×1.0
Rewards
Sora: Drive gauge +1
World(s)
Radiant Garden

Sephiroth is an optional boss in Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts Union χ. He was originally the main antagonist from Final Fantasy VII.

In Kingdom Hearts, he appears in Olympus Coliseum's Platinum Match. In Kingdom Hearts II, he is the antagonist of Cloud's side story, and is fought in the Dark Depths.

Strategy

Kingdom Hearts

Sephiroth's attacks are quite powerful, but many of them can be negated using the invincibility frames of Leaf Bracer or Sora's Special Attacks. Sonic Blade and Strike Raid are most reliable for this, and Strike Raid is particularly good at hitting Sephiroth from a distance; in Final Mix, however, Sonic Blade only has invincibility frames through the first thrust. In order to provide for maximum defense and restoration, Second Chance, Dodge Roll, Superglide, at least one MP Rage, and in Final Mix, Leaf Bracer should be equipped. While Guard can be used against several of Sephiroth's techniques, it is not as reliable for defense as using a Special Attack due to Sephiroth's Rapid Mow Down and Stepping Mow Down, which telegraph similarly but require different timing to successfully block. Curaga and Aeroga should be set as shortcuts, as well as several Elixirs or Hi-Potions in order to recover from Heartless Angel. Sora should equip a Keyblade that boosts his MP and magic, such as Ultima Weapon or Diamond Dust, as well as armor that boosts his HP, defense, and resistance to the Dark element, such as Crystal Crown, Gaia Bangle, or Omega Arts. Sephiroth's blockable techniques all have maximum recoil, so dodging or negating them is preferable to blocking unless Sora is equipped with the Ultima Weapon or Divine Rose. Sora should focus on keeping his MP up so that he can quickly heal whenever his HP gets low, and performing a Special Attack to deal damage if he has excess MP. In Final Mix and HD 1.5 ReMIX, Hurricane Blast, Slapshot, and Combo Master are useful for dealing large amounts of damage to Sephiroth, although they do not provide the invincibility frames of a Special Attack.

In the first phase, Sephiroth will walk around the arena, occasionally performing Rapid Mow Down, Stepping Mow Down, or Figa Wall. It is possible to hit him with Keyblade combos by jumping towards him to dodge his Rapid Mow Down, but it is more reliable to focus on Strike Raid or Sonic Blade. If Scan is equipped, Sephiroth's HP Gauge will not appear to deplete at first even though he is taking damage, as he has a full sixth HP bar.

Once Sephiroth's first, red HP bar is depleted, he will enter the second phase, telegraphed by him holding out his hand and saying "Come." In the second phase, Sephiroth will run instead of walk, and more frequently use Rapid Mow Down. His first action will be to cast Heartless Angel, and he will occasionally recast throughout the rest of the phase. He will also begin using Wild Dance.

Once Sephiroth's second, yellow HP bar is depleted, he will enter the third phase, shrouding himself in a dark aura. His first action will be to cast Supernova. He will also begin using Shadow Flare.

Technique		Element	Tech	Power Bonus	Guard?
High-Speed Mow Down (高速なぎ払い, Kōsoku Nagiharai)		None	x0	6	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Swings his blade from left to right.
Step Mow Down (ステップなぎ払い, Suteppu Nagiharai)		None	x0	6	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Jumps forward and swings his blade, then returns to his original position.
Firaga Wall (ファイガウォール, Faiga Wōru, lit. "Figa Wall")		Fire	—	8	—
		Summons three pillars of fire around himself.
		Sephiroth is stationary while performing the technique, making him vulnerable to attack, but will not flinch. Sephiroth often performs this technique when close to Sora, making it difficult to dodge.
High-Speed Mow Down (During Dark Aura) (高速なぎ払い（ダークオーラ中）, Kōsoku Nagiharai (Dāku Ōra-chū))		Dark	x0	8	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Performs High-Speed Mow Down while under the effect of Dark Aura.
Step Mow Down (During Dark Aura) (ステップなぎ払い（ダークオーラ中）, Suteppu Nagiharai (Dāku Ōra-chū)		Dark	x0	8	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Performs Step Mow Down while under the effect of Dark Aura.
Spin Attack (スピン攻撃, Supin Kougeki)		None	x0	10	Repallable (Recoil: 100)
		Jumps diagonally forward while spinning like a drill.
		Only used in the third phase. Frequently used after performing Shadow Flare, and usually followed by Rapid Mow Down or Stepping Mow Down. If Sephiroth hits Sora or is deflected, he will finish the attack while no longer moving forward.
Wild Dance (乱舞, Ranbu)		None	x0	10	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Repeatedly swings his blade while chasing the opponent.
		Telegraphed by the arena darkening. Usually followed with Heartless Angel. If Leaf Bracer is not equipped, Sephiroth will usually interrupt any healing that Sora attempts, so it is more reliable to use a Special Attack.
Wild Dance (Final Blow) (乱舞（最後の一撃）, Ranbu (Saigo no Ichigeki))	Sword	None	x0	12	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
	Shock wave	Dark	x0	12	—
		Jumps up high, and swings his blade while falling down.
Supernova (Meteor) (スーパーノヴァ（メテオ）, Sūpānova (Meteo))		Dark	—	8	—
		Drops meteorites and makes them spin around himself.
		The rings of meteorites have gaps between them, which can be threaded with well-timed running or Dodge Rolls. Although Sephiroth is stationary, he is invulnerable for the duration of the technique.
Supernova (Main Explosion) (スーパーノヴァ（本体爆発）, Sūpānova (Hontai Bakuhatsu))	Explosion	Dark	—	12	—
	Energy	Dark	—	6	—
		Releases energy forward, creating an explosion.
		Can be dodged with a well-timed Dodge Roll, Superglide, or Sliding Dash, or negated using the invulnerability frames of Leaf Bracer or a Special Attack.
Shadow Flare (シャドウフレア, Shadou Furea)		Dark	—	8	Repellable (Recoil: 100)
		Summons pale blue spheres in the air.
		The spheres are summoned in various configurations. Often followed by Spin Attack, while the spheres are still following Sora.
Heartless Angel (心無い天使, Kokoronai Tenshi)		None	—	HP to 1 MP to 0	—
		Makes a halo appear over the opponent's head.
		Only used in the second and third phases. Telegraphed by Sephiroth summoning a halo above himself before transferring it to Sora, sometimes teleporting beforehand to gain distance from Sora. Can be interrupted by attacking Sephiroth in between his telegraph and the halo being transferred to Sora. If interrupted, Sephiroth will perform Firaga Wall.
Guard: Repellable = Can be blocked and interrupted; Returnable = Can be blocked and deflected back; Preventable = Blockable by Goofy's shield only.

Kingdom Hearts II

Sora should have his Defense as high as possible, through the use of equipment such as Ribbon and Cosmic Arts, or by applying Defense Boosts. Ultima Weapon and Circle of Life are useful Keyblades for their MP regeneration abilities, while Decisive Pumpkin is useful for its Combo Boost. For maximum mobility, equip Sora with High Jump, Aerial Dodge, Glide, and Slide Dash; for defense equip Guard, Counterguard, Aerial Recovery, Leaf Bracer, Second Chance, and Once More, and for offense equip MP Haste, MP Rage, and Trinity Limit. Defender, Combo Boost, Air Combo Boost, Finishing Plus, Retaliating Slash, and several Elixirs are also useful, but not as essential. Reflect and Cure should be set to shortcuts, preferably at their Reflega and Curaga levels, as well as any stocked Elixirs and, in Final Mix, Limit Form's Auto Limit.

Sephiroth always opens with Flash, so be prepared to use the "Block" Reaction Command, then use the opportunity to attack with Trinity Limit and Keyblade combos. If Sephiroth warps to use Cut Combo, be prepared to guard or use Reflect, then attack again. Sephiroth will not use the more difficult-to-block Aerial Cut Combo if Sora does not hit him with a combo finisher, so it is useful to forgo using finishers during the first phase unless proficient in using Reflect. Curaga is the best way to heal during the first phase, and can be followed with Berserk Charge to deal lots of damage without Sephiroth breaking free. However, if Sora uses Berserk Charge in the air, Sephiroth will teleport away and perform Flash after several strings of combos, and if Sora uses it on the ground, Sephiroth will still teleport away, and may counterattack if Sora fails to connect with any of his hits. If Sephiroth does Aerial Cut Combo, be sure to use Retaliating Slash to catch Sephiroth and deal an aerial combo.

After losing four and a half bars of his health bar, the battle will shift to its second phase as Sephiroth calls out, "Know your place."

In the second phase, Sephiroth will begin using Firaga Wall and Shadow Flare, often in conjunction with Flash, and his Cut Combo will have greater reach and speed. Reflect will deflect each of these attacks while damaging Sephiroth, and there is a small window of opportunity to attack Sephiroth directly as he finishes Firaga Wall.

Sephiroth will also start using his signature technique, Heartless Angel. As soon as he begins to say, "Descend... Heartless Angel!", ignore any other obstacles like Shadow Flare and use High Jump and Aerial Dodge or Trinity Limit to immediately close in on Sephiroth and hit him. If Sora fails to interrupt the technique, or is too far away to even try, immediately consume an Elixir to recover health, and prepare to deflect Sephiroth's followup attack.

After losing nine and a half bars of health, the battle will shift to its final phase as Sephiroth gains an aura of darkness and calls out, "All shall be one with me."

In the final phase, Sephiroth is much faster, and will fly around low to the ground instead of walking. The best time to heal is after Sephiroth performs one of his basic techniques. Sephiroth will also start using Moving Cut and Meteor, which can be dodged or countered.

If using Limit Form, be sure to use Limits frequently (especially Sonic Rave) to attack and heal, but unless proficient in using Guard, avoid using their final blows to prevent Sephiroth from retaliating. Due to Sephiroth's speed, Strike Raid's invincibility frames may not always occur when needed, so be careful to time the attacks well.

Technique		Element	Power	Guard?
Cut Combo (連続斬り, Renzoku Kiri, lit. "Continuous Slash")		Physical	1.0	△
		Warps close to Sora, then slashes seven times.
		Can be dodged or deflected with Guard and Counterguard, which must be activated more than once throughout the combo, or interrupted with an aerial combo if the initial hits are dodged. In the final phase, Sephiroth will warp behind Sora before slashing to evade Sora's Guard, and leap around after to prevent Counterguard from connecting. Keeping Sora's back to the edge of the arena will help prevent Sephiroth flanking him.
Aerial Cut Combo (空中連続斬り, Kūchū Renzoku Kiri, lit. "Aerial Continuous Slash")	(kiri-age)	Physical	0.25	△
	(aerial)	Physical	1.0	△
		Warps close to Sora, knocks him into the air with a kiri-age, then slashes him four more times in the air.
		Can be dodged or countered, and can interrupted entirely by attacking Sephiroth as soon as he warps in. Sephiroth will generally counterattack with Aerial Cut Combo in response to finishers while in the air, or if Sora is at a distance, and will follow with Cut Combo or another Aerial Cut Combo if blocked. If hit by Aerial Cut Combo, use Aerial Recovery to regain balance, then block Sephiroth's followup attacks. Retaliating Slash is also more useful, as it can easily stun Sephiroth.
Moving Cut (移動斬り, Idou Kiri, lit. "Moving Slash")		Physical	1.0	△
		Moves at high speed while tracing a semicircle with his slash.
		Only performed during final phase, when Sephiroth is flying instead of walking.
Swift Strike (一閃, Issen, lit. "Flash")	(charge)	Physical	1.0	X
	(added)	Physical	0.25	X
		Unleashes a charging slash which inflicts thirteen additional hits if it connects.
		Swift Strike is always the first technique Sephiroth uses in the battle, and leaves him open for Keyblade combos if deflected.
Shadow Flare (シャドウフレア, Shadou Furea)		Dark	0.5	O
		Deploys orbs of pale light to surround Sora, then has them suddenly strike him.
		In the final phase, Shadow Flare generates more orbs. Each orb is targettable, making Sora more likely to use Vicinity Break or Ripple Drive to deflect them.
Firaga Wall (ファイガウォール, Faiga Wōru, lit. "Figa Wall")		Fire	1.0	X
		Raises fifteen pillars of fire around himself, one by one, while drawing Sora toward himself.
		Can be avoided with Quick Run by dashing away from Sephiroth.
Meteor (メテオ, Meteo)		None	0.25	X
		Rains countless meteorites from the sky.
		Used at low HP. Can be avoided with Aerial Dodge or deflected with Reflega.
Heartless Angel (心無い天使, Kokoronai Tenshi)		None	HP to 1 MP to 0	X
		Rises high into the air, then summons a halo over Sora's head that depletes his HP and MP.
		Used below half HP. Becomes immune to any damage but physical. Can be interrupted by attacking Sephiroth before the halo appears, or practically negated by casting Curaga just before the MP depletes, if Leaf Bracer is equipped. The attack can also be negated by using an item before Sora gets hit by the halo, after which the item takes effect. In addition, the MP will sometimes fail to deplete if Sora only has 1 HP when Sephiroth performs the technique. Sephiroth follows with either Firaga Wall if Sora is very close, or Swift Strike if otherwise.
Guard/Block: △ = Can be blocked; O = Can be blocked and interrupted (melee) or deflected back (projectile); X = Cannot be blocked.

Reaction Commands
Reaction Command	Element	Power	Description
Block (ガード, Gādo, lit. "Guard")	—	—	Can be used when Sephiroth performs Swift Strike. Parries all Sephiroth's hits.

Videos

Sephiroth – Kingdom Hearts
Sephiroth – Kingdom Hearts II

See also

• Cloud
• One-Winged Angel
• Fenrir