He was also the subject of analysis as a Final Fantasy villain who lost his humanity upon learning of his alien heritage, and how he attempts to corrupt Cloud by exploiting his mental weaknesses.

In regards to his characterization, the character does not see himself as an evil being but instead a chosen man to accomplish a goal; changing the world throughout his chaos will reach the Promised Land, which is the opposite of what Cloud's group wants.

Nomura has stated that Sephiroth was made to be a contrast to the game's main protagonist, Cloud, who was originally designed to have slicked-back, black hair.

[5] His character and role as main antagonist existed from the earliest stages of development, as originally, Nomura thought that the game's plot would deal exclusively with Cloud Strife pursuing him.

[9] Yoshitaka Amano, who had handled character illustrations for previous Final Fantasy titles, noted a contrast between Cloud, a "young, passionate boy", and Sephiroth, a "more mature and cool" individual, as "intriguing", though not unusual as a pairing.

[13] Jason Greenberg, the only artist working on the original PC port, recalled a crash bug that happened during Sephiroth's Super Nova (スーパーノヴァ, Sūpānova) technique.

[19] For Final Fantasy VII Remake, Yoshinori Kitase wanted Sephiroth to have more scenes than in the original game due to his popularity, and compared him with the build of the film Jaws.

His primary theme is "Those Chosen by the Planet" (星に選ばれし者, Hoshi ni Erabareshi Mono), a piece utilizing bells, low drums, and a deep chorus, which accompanies his appearances throughout the game.

[24] In an interview featured on G4's Game Makers (formerly Icons), Uematsu revealed that the piece was designed to be a fusion of the musical styles of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky and rock musician Jimi Hendrix.

The second is used in Advent Children, which plays throughout the battle between Cloud and Sephiroth and features the progressive metal stylings of Nobuo Uematsu's former band The Black Mages, as well as orchestral elements and new lyrics.

[26] It is revealed over the course of the game that Sephiroth was once the most powerful member of SOLDIER, Shinra's elite military division, who was celebrated as a heroic veteran of the Shinra-Wutai war.

[27] After the war, Sephiroth was sent on a mission to the village of Nibelheim, where he discovered that he was the product of a biological experiment that combined a human fetus with tissue from the extraterrestrial lifeform Jenova.

Sephiroth makes several cameo appearances in the Final Fantasy VII prequel, Before Crisis, in which he supports Shinra in their battle against the eco-terrorist organization AVALANCHE.

[37] He is mentioned in Dirge of Cerberus, a game set one year after Advent Children, in which his biological mother, Lucrecia Crescent, discusses the experiments which gave birth to him.

[15] He is one of the main characters in the Final Fantasy VII prequel Crisis Core, in which he and protagonist Zack Fair search for two missing SOLDIERs, Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley,[38][39] This game also depicts the Nibelheim incident, where Sephiroth appears as a boss.

While his role as a presumed dead Shinra SOLDIER remain similar, Sephiroth now appears in the early hours of the game as an illusion to taunt Cloud and warn him to leave the Planet.

When Aerith attempts to stop him by summoning Cloud into an alternate reality, Sephiroth appears behind and swiftly kills her, prompting the party to avenge her.

[42] A redesigned Sephiroth also appears in the North American and European versions of Kingdom Hearts as an optional boss character in Olympus Coliseum.

[63] Despite being officially released on December 22, 2020, he was made available five days prior for a limited time via an event called the Sephiroth Challenge, in which the player must defeat him in a Final Fantasy-themed stamina match.

[84] Professional wrestler Kenny Omega wore a Sephiroth-style ring outfit with a "One-Winged-Angel" entrance at Wrestle Kingdom 17,[85] and additionally sported the attire as part of a downloadable content bundle in the 2023 remake of the 2014 game Like a Dragon: Ishin!.

[89] AnimeFringe called him "the most notorious villain in the entire Final Fantasy series" and "quintessential bishōnen in the eyes of many fans -- male and female", comparing him with Kefka and praising his complexity.

GamesRadar+ called him "the biggest cock blocker in the gaming world", as writer Shane Patterson found Aerith's character to be appealing, and due to the fact Sephiroth killed her, players were no longer able to use her.

[92] Also referring to the scene as a shocking moment, GameSpot suggested that the FMV sequence of Sephiroth appearing in front of the Nibelheim fire "might be one of the most recognizable cutscenes ever to grace video games".

[99] GameSpy editor Ryan Scott called Sephiroth the "King of Overrated Characters" during its villain feature for Dissidia Final Fantasy, arguing that gamers were impressed by him only because of his design and him murdering Aerith.

[101] Kotaku saw the focus on Midgar's ruins as a parallel with psychological trauma due to how its survivors are suffering from Geostigma, a disease that cannot be fought physically, in contrast to Cloud's fights with Sephiroth.

[102] Yoshinori Kitase stated that the popularity of the fight between Cloud and Sephiroth caused Japanese gamers to do a remake of it for Dissidia Final Fantasy and expected that Western fans would also emulate it.

[103] In relation to Crisis Core, IGN AU said that "even Sephiroth gets his moments in the sun", praising the depth in his backstory, which would later make his boss battle more entertaining.

[117] AnimeFringe stated that only advanced gamers would be able to defeat Kingdom Hearts's Sephiroth, as the player has no backup and his "devastating attacks can kill in seconds".

[119][120] In Reverse Design: Final Fantasy VII, it was noted that Sephiroth's desire for world domination makes him come across as simpleminded, but the lack of humanity in his background serves as the cause for this characterization.

[121] In the book The World of Final Fantasy VII: Essays on the Game and Its Legacy, it is stated that Sephiroth's realization of his connection with Jenova and his descent into villainy caused him to lose his humanity makes him comparable to Satan.