Sephiroth undoubtedly stands as one of the most iconic antagonists in the Final Fantasy franchise, and gaming as a whole. Even after committing despicable acts like impaling one of the most beloved characters and wreaking havoc on the game world, a significant number of players remain strangely drawn to this formidable villain – a fandom horniness that perplexes one of Sephiroth’s “dads”.
Tetsuya Nomura, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth creative director and veteran developer for Square Enix, wasn’t content with quietly observing these bourgeoning hormones. He recently asked a question that has puzzled him for 27 years: why do players find Sephiroth attractive?
In a recent interview with Shack News, Nomura discussed Sephiroth’s impact on the upcoming installment of Final Fantasy 7 and the team’s approach regarding the story and gameplay. According to the creative director, Sephiroth will have a more prominent presence in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth when compared to the original game.
He also shared that the villain “really moves the story along in a very immense and impactful way.” Nomura teased that players need to experience how Sephiroth impacts the narrative by playing “until the end of Rebirth.”
After talking about Sephiroth’s impact, the creative director questioned why Sephiroth is extremely popular among fans of the game. Nomura is sure that Sephiroth’s appearance, with his long following hair, slender physique, and extremely long katana has something do to with his appeal. However, he is curious to know what other aspects of the character make him iconic and a fan-favorite.
“As far as Sephiroth being this extremely popular character, frankly, I’m very curious as to what makes him so attractive to users, because I hear this opinion very often,” Nomura asks. “His appearance, firstly, I’m sure, but also perhaps there is something about his background that brings about a particular appeal to so many of the players that makes him this iconic character. And so, for Rebirth, I would think that besides Cloud, Sephiroth is also a protagonist that we can think of for this title.”
In the original game, Sephiroth is alluded to but not seen for most of the first few hours which adds to the mystery and excitement. He makes his first appearance when he (spoiler!) assassinates President Shinra. One other iconic scene that fans remember, and even bigger spoiler, is Aerith’s death by Sephiroth’s sword.
Sephiroth also has an interesting backstory which has been tackled throughout the Final Fantasy 7 media. His relationship with both Cloud and Zack, as well as being a demi-god with very strong magic does add to his appeal. His fight scenes from Advent Children were also considered some of the best in the series even if its otherwise divisive, to say the least.
If his tragic backstory and timely appearances don’t appeal to you, the mere fact that he wields an extra-long samurai sword should. Sephiroth is just one cool-looking dude who happens to be really bad and powerful.
