: Sephiroth Analysis

: Introduction : 🪽

Hello, and thank you for reading my post if you are seeing this! I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings on Sephiroth and his character today since I just played through the Nibleheim scene for the third time or so.

I hope you enjoy this reading, but please these are my thoughts and feelings. If you disagree, you can share respectfully, but please don't be mean

Also, keep in mind this will have spoilers for the games

☆ミ

: Start : 🪽

Sephiroth was born to Lucrecia and an unknown father as part of an experiment, including Jenova. He was raised by Hojo and Shinra to be a war weapon, which succeeded as he became the strongest SOLDIER in Shinra's possession.

Ultimately, he grew up with the want to follow his command and be the hero he was set out to be.

At this point in time, Sephiroth, to me, was in a balance between wishing he was like the other children around him who grew up normal, but also knowing he was "special."

The word special is important. Usually, when people feel different or unliked due to "abnormalities," they pick more negative words like alien, other, etc. Instead, Sephiroth spends his time thinking he is special, different, but in a better way.

: Mentality : 🪽

Sephiroth, in my eyes, has always viewed himself as a special person, better than those around him, and therefore has the duty to aid those weaker or more helpless than he is.

His difference, however, made him want to be normal, though not entirely. He wanted to be human and share in common experiences, but he did not want to lose what made him "special."

Sephiroth yearns for the feeling of home, of family, people he can connect to emotionally. He wants to feel that deep connection others feel.

When he found out he was the "son" of Jenova, he became unable to find a path to that human connection. So, he was only left with the specialness he felt. His ego overpowered whatever senses he had, Jenova used that to its advantage and broke down his walls. That's what we are left with at the end.

: External : 🪽

The outside world also affects Sephiroth in many ways. People's views on him, their insistence that he is different in an emotionally distancing way, is why he is always against the fan behaviour. He wants to walk around town and feel like he belongs there even if he inherently is better than them.

Other than the general populace, others who are close to him effect him the most. Angeal, Genesis, and Zack are all people that have shaped him. Angeal and Gensis gave him that human connection he yearned for, a taste for what he always wanted while Zack gave him someone to be a mentor to, a superior too who he can teach.

: Outro: 🪽

Sephiroth is an outsider wanting to live with humanity while not becoming it, he is full of ego yet he is full of care. Once poked, he has a tendency to fall apart easily. He isn't a good person at all. But that's what makes him interesting.