Game:Sephiroth

Sephiroth is an optional boss in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. 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.

Kingdom Hearts

 * Attacks
 * Quick Sweep (高速なぎ払い): Sephiroth's basic sword slash via an outward draw slash. Covers a long reach and has a wide arc, but can be blocked or jumped over.
 * Step Sweep (ステップなぎ払い): Sephiroth delays a bit and rushes forward with a wide draw (in a more pronounced turn) in a small hop, then leaps back a distance. Tends to be used alongside the first slash, throwing off Sora's block-timing as the move comes out a bit more slower than the other slash.
 * Teleport: The second Sora delivers the finishing combo, Sephiroth will vanish and flashes behind Sora to deliver a Quick Sweep, or even a Step Sweep. Teleport period is approximately about 1~2 seconds. He may also do random teleports when he's advancing towards Sora, and especially when running all around the field (when he enters the phase where he runs instead of walks).
 * Firaga Wall (ファイガウォール): Sephiroth conjures three flame pillars around him. Using a special move like Sonic Blade, Ars Arcanum or Strike Raid will make Sora invincible to this attack, so it is recommended to use such techniques if he get caught in it. Sephiroth in turn is highly vulnerable while performing this move, though he has super armor during it and will not flinch.
 * Heartless Angel (心ない天使): Sephiroth's trademark attack, used when about 70% of his first HP meter is shaved away. Drains Sora's HP to 1 and MP to 0. It can't be dodged, but it can be interrupted if Sephiroth is hit while casting this attack. Sephiroth will say "Descend, Heartless Angel!" before using this attack, so listen carefully for it. It is best to strike him before the halo around him completes, as this will interrupt the casting. If Sora happens to be too far away from Sephiroth while he is performing the Heartless Angel attack, use Superglide to get close to him. Sora could also use the Trinity Limit. If damaged while performing this move, Sephiroth will immediately use Firaga Wall. Once the casting is complete, Sora will be inflicted with an aura that will then after a few seconds upon occurring, will cause the HP-to-1 and 0 MP effect to strike.
 * Wild Dance (乱舞): After the screen darkens as Sephiroth yells out a quote, he does a frenzy of standing and leaping blows in mid-flight, then leaps up and does a finisher, much like the current version of the Omnislash from his home series. Be wary of the last blow, because it does a great deal of damage and sends a perpendicular blast of four shockwaves at once. However, the blows are not entirely consecutive, so Sora can avoid many of them with properly timed guards and dodge rolls. The final slash can also be blocked to also avoid damage from the shockwaves as well, but the shockwaves themselves cannot be blocked. It's also wise to use certain abilities during the attack, especially Ars Arcanum, to damage Sephiroth during his attack (it is ill-advised depending on the timing of this tactic to execute the final commands) and as usual, Strike Raid and/or Sonic Blade works as well. Be careful about using Ragnarok as it carries too much risk. Sephiroth will also track Sora with a dash beforehand and will occasionally flank him from behind and front.
 * Shadow Flare (シャドウフレア): Sephiroth will conjure dozens of dark orbs to surround him. The orbs serve as his shield and a distraction for his Spin Attack. He often uses this move many times in succession.
 * Supernova (スーパーノヴァ): Sephiroth's ultimate attack, his body emits a glowing Dark Aura and he summons several Meteors, which surround and orbit around him. A mass of energy later appears above his head, which later falls upon where Sora is standing. The initial Meteors can be avoided by running around them and the last attack requires quite a bit of timing to dodge.
 * Spin Attack (スピン攻撃): Sephiroth executes a spinning combo of three slashes while leaping into the air (though he remains rather stationary and only takes to the air after the attack, especially if blocked or if he hits Sora). Usually followed by a Quick Sweep, then another Spin Attack. Sephiroth begins to use this attack after Supernova, and is often the followup to a Shadow Flare diversion.

Sephiroth is easily one of the hardest bosses in the original Kingdom Hearts, and a great deal of preparation is needed. First, Strike Raid, Second Chance, Dodge Roll and MP Rage are absolutely essential. Sonic Blade is also a good alternative since like Strike Raid, as both of those abilities render Sora completely invincible, though Strike Raid compared Sonic Blade often deals more damage, and at least from a distance as well. If possible, equip two MP Rage, meaning (unless Sora chose the staff in the beginning of the game) he will have to be at level 66 to earn the second MP Rage. Otherwise, being above level 55 is best. Do not equip any other special abilities like Ragnarok or Ars Arcanum (however, the latter is fine only if the finisher is not performed), mainly due to losing invincibility at their ending periods. Don't equip more than one "Combo Plus" and "Air Combo Plus" abilities. Equip any other abilities to boost Sora's power like Berserk and Critical Plus. Scan is useful, as it lets Sora see Sephiroth's HP and know when he's about to enter the next phase of the battle, but there are other signs to let one know this.

If possible, equip the Ultima Weapon, but otherwise equip weapons to boost Sora's MP and magic abilities. Oathkeeper, Lionheart or Lady Luck work for this by increasing Sora's max MP while still giving a strong attack. Also equip as many Elixirs as possible, or Megalixirs (if out of Elixirs), and be sure to get Curaga from Aerith in Hollow Bastion. Be sure to have Curaga as one of the Spells equipped for Shortcut options. Equip whatever variation of Aero available as a Shortcut to reduce damage from Sephiroth's attacks. Finally, equip accessories to boost Sora's defense and HP. Gaia Bangles or Omega Arts work for this. Also note that all of Sephiroth's attacks except for Firaga Wall count as the dark element, so equipping armor to resist Dark will help greatly. A good start would be a Crystal Crown, an Omega Arts, and a Gaia Bangle. Also, be very wary of trying to block Sephiroth's slasing attacks, for all of them can easily deflect most of Sora's normal keychains into a stagger, so Ultima Weapon tends to be an even better choice, or Divine Rose for a similar matter.

For the first part of the battle, Sephiroth walks around the arena and may occasionally advance towards Sora, performing his Quick Sweep and Firaga Wall attacks, usually using the former when Sora is close. It is possible, by leaping towards him to avoid his Quick Sweep, to hit Sephiroth with a combo. However, he may use his Step Sweep in tandem with his Quick Sweep, which may mess up timing in intercepting him. After suffering three to four hits from a combo, Sephiroth will teleport and attempt a Quick Sweep. Sora can either jump away or use Dodge Roll to evade the attack. Also note that in the short period after he teleports and before he reappears, Sora can lock on to him and see where he is going to appear. At this time, simply chip away at Sephiroth's HP with normal attacks, and heal when needed as MP Rage will restore MP when Sora is attacked. It is important to note that while Sephiroth has six health bars; only five will show up, so Sora's first attacks will only appear to do no damage. Once Sephiroth's red health bar is depleted and the yellow bar is showing he holds out his hand and says "Come", signaling he is entering his second phase of attack.

Sephiroth will then begin to run around the arena and towards Sora at times for his main form of movement, frequently using teleportation and Quick Sweep. His first move upon entering this phase is to teleport and cast Heartless Angel, especially if he runs towards Sora with a feinting teleport. It is vital to hit him with Strike Raid at this time. The casting animation for Heartless Angel involves a halo appearing around Sephiroth. If Sora can attack him before the halo completes, he can stop the casting. Even if Sephiroth successfully starts to casts it, continue to attack him. If Sora is hit while casting Heartless Angel, Sephiroth will run up to him in an attempt to finish him off with an attack. If Sora can't hit Sephiroth in time, his only chance is to quickly heal himself with an Elixir right before he is struck by Heartless Angel. If timed right, the Elixir will refill Sora's HP and MP right after Heartless Angel damages him. Sephiroth uses this attack periodically during this phase, so listen carefully for him to call the attack and stop him. An alternative strategy to stop Heartless Angel is use Superglide, get close to him and hit him before he can finish announcing the attack.

Sephiroth's other tactics are to simply run around the arena using teleportation and Quick Sweep frequently. His other new move, Wild Dance, hits very quickly and can be difficult to survive. Sora can cast Curaga during the attack, but Sephiroth will likely attack him and stop him before he can cast it. A better option is to hit him with Strike Raid when he calls out the attack, as Sora is invincible during Strike Raid and thus can become immune to his many slashes. Otherwise, repeatedly use Dodge Roll or well-timed Guards. Sephiroth's final attack in Wild Dance is to pierce the ground, sending a shockwave in every direction, but it can be avoided by Dodge Rolling directly away from his frontal area. After using Wild Dance, Sephiroth immediately teleports and uses Heartless Angel.

Always have at least two MP so Sora can use Strike Raid and keep his HP high. With MP Rage, Sephiroth will be causing Sora massive damage, but this will help restore Sora's MP quickly so keeping his MP up should not be a problem. When Sephiroth is down to his yellow health bar, he will summon a green and black "Dark Aura", signaling the final phase of the battle.

Sephiroth's final phase begins with him casting Supernova. The Meteors can be dodged with moderate difficulty. When Sephiroth begins the attack's end, target him and use Strike Raid—this will not damage him as Sephiroth is invincible while using Supernova, but will make Sora immune to the attack's final hit. The final hit can also be dodged with proper timing by Dodge Rolling behind Sephiroth as he uses it. Though if Sora is hit, it won't do too much damage. Sephiroth will also begin using Shadow Flare quite often and start erratically teleporting while spinning and slashing, leaving Shadow Flares in his wake. Although this seems daunting to avoid, during this time, Sephiroth is vulnerable. Instead, Sora can use Strike Raid, both avoiding damage and hitting him at the same time. This is perhaps the opportune moment to hit Sephiroth.

Sephiroth also retains all the attacks from his previous two phases. He still casts Heartless Angel, but no longer calls out the name of the move, making it vital to keep him targeted to know when he's casting it. Sephiroth also still uses Wild Dance and may even use it twice in a row. He still uses Firaga Wall when interrupted while casting Heartless Angel.

Although this is easily Sephiroth's most dangerous form, the damage all of his moves can be minimized with deft dodging and usage of Strike Raid to exploit its temporary invincibility. Since Sephiroth may still be landing hits on Sora quite often, his MP should be high throughout the phase, so healing and attacking should be no trouble. Focus on getting in hits whenever possible, while surviving his attacks using Curaga and Strike Raid and Sephiroth will eventually fall.

In the Final Mix and HD 1.5 ReMIX versions, there are more options, especially with the new Leaf Bracer ability. Sora can time Curaga right to avoid most of Sephiroth's blows and powerful finishers. Thus Sora can also avoid and heal at the same time, so if a powerful attack is coming, don't hesitate to heal, though make sure to time it right in order to phase through the incoming attack. Ultima Weapon is an even more favorable choice due to the increase in attack compared to the original version, and having Diamond Dust can also be favorable if the player prefers effective use of magic for conserving and having enough MP along with a stronger Curaga. though one should be aware of trying to block his attacks with it due to it having more recoil Ultima Weapon. Equipping Hurricane Blast is also a solid choice, so that Sora's aerial combo finisher can hit Sephiroth on a vertical angle much more consistently. Sliding Dash is also great if Sora needs a gap-closing attack to get him out of moves like Heartless Angel, if Supergliding isn't enough. As usual, equip Sora with the best/your favorite ground combo finishers of your choice for noteworthy damage. Slapshot works wonders at close-quarters for landing hits for a quickly and for a critical hit too if possible.

Kingdom Hearts II

 * Attacks
 * Flash: The screen darkens and Sephiroth says "That's enough." before dashing past Sora, who is then hit multiple times. It can be avoided quite easily by using the Reaction Command; otherwise it is virtually impossible to avoid except with deft jumping, using Reflect, or simply blocking it with Guard. Sephiroth always opens the battle with this. It should be noted that Sora has a very short window of opportunity to activate the Reaction Command before Sephiroth executes the attack. The Reaction Command cannot be used while jumping.
 * Cut Combo: Sephiroth charges forward, unleashing several quick damaging slash attacks (eight in total). These can be avoided simply by keeping at a distance, leaping over them, using Guard (the animation for blocking an attack can last through the whole move if done during his later slashes), or simply flying around with Glide (although Sora might get hit sometimes). Later in the battle, Sephiroth dashes behind Sora before starting the series of slashes. Counterguard can be used to reverse this assault, or Sora can quickly guard again after his blocking animation is almost finished. Be warned, for Sephiroth covers great distance during this attack and can cover even more distance during later phases, where he can easily slip behind Sora and slash him from behind if he's not careful.
 * Aerial Cut Combo: Sephiroth only uses this move when Sora is in the air and attacks him multiple times, after which he teleports. Sephiroth often uses this attack three or more times in a row. They can be avoided by using Aerial Dodge and counterattacking when Sephiroth reappears. If this follows his teleport slash, it can also be countered with Retaliating Slash to prevent the combo and start one of Sora's own if timed correctly. Sora can also use Aerial Recovery soon enough and immediately hit Sephiroth when he reappears to perform this attack, interrupting him with a good combo.
 * Upward Slash: Sephiroth teleports behind Sora and attacks, knocking him high into the air. This is followed up with Aerial Cut Combo. This move is difficult to detect and avoid, but can be blocked with Guard and fast reflexes. Even if Sora is hit, the follow-up combo (as stated above), can be countered easily. This move is also Sephiroth's main forceful counterattack if he hits his retaliation point upon being in the air.
 * Shadow Flare: Sephiroth summons several dark orbs around Sora that follow him around briefly before hitting him. They can be deflected back at Sephiroth or any direction using the Keyblade or Reflega.
 * Heartless Angel: Sephiroth flies into the air, glows and calls out "Descend... Heartless... Angel!". A halo appears over Sora's head, which after a delay, depletes all of Sora's MP and leaves him with 1 HP. This can be stopped by attacking Sephiroth before the halo appears, or by timing Curaga to heal Sora just after the attack finishes casting (equip Leaf Bracer for better insurance). The MP depleting effect can be blocked by hitting Sephiroth with a well timed spell (Thundaga being the best option) just before the attack hits. At any rate, if it's successful, Sephiroth will immediately follow this with Flash. However, once the casting is done, the HP-to-1 and 0 MP effect occurs much faster than the original version, and Sephiroth will take a while to attack Sora once that happens, so trying to bypass it with defensive exploits such as the Leaf Bracer/Curaga combo or timing an item can be much more effective.
 * Firaga Wall: Sephiroth draws Sora via a vacuum effect towards him and summons many flame pillars around himself. These can be avoided by running away from Sephiroth, using Quick Run, or using Reflega if Sora is caught in them. Unlike the previous version, the fire pillars rise up and dissipate at an inconsistent rate as opposed to the same time.
 * Meteor: Sephiroth floats into the air in front of the chasm and summons meteors to hit Sora. These can be avoided with a combination of Aerial Dodge, Reflega and deft moving.
 * Running Slash: Sephiroth may perform a wide clearing spinning slash as he slides to a break. Only done during the final phase where he flies around for movement instead of walking or running.

Equip Sora with as much equipment to increase his defense as possible. Ribbons work well for this. The Ultima Weapon is the best to use due to MP Hastega ability—otherwise, Circle of Life is a suitable substitute. Decisive Pumpkin is also a good choice. Equip Sora with the following abilities; Guard, Counterguard, Aerial Recovery, High Jump, Aerial Dodge, Glide, Slide Dash, Combo Boost, Air Combo Boost, Finishing Plus, Leaf Bracer, Defender, Second Chance and Once More. If he is at a higher level, MP Haste, MP Rage, Berserk Charge and Retaliating Slash are also helpful. Also equip any other abilities to power up Sora's combos, such as Explosion, and give him as many Elixirs or Megalixirs as possible. Equip Reflega, Curaga, the Elixirs and Megalixirs to Sora's shortcut menu. Level-wise, he should be at least at level 50, but being at a higher level naturally helps. For armor, equip Ribbons and Petite Ribbons, as they have high defense and elemental resistance and will greatly reduce the damage Sephiroth inflicts. Cosmic armor are also good choice. Accessories should be used to boost Sora's Strength for the fight. It should also be noted that Trinity Limit can be used alone and can be a great help to use in the fight if one wishes to use items to heal instead of magic.

Sephiroth always begins the battle with Flash, so hit as soon as the fight begins, then target Sephiroth. Flash leaves Sephiroth open for a while, so hit him with Slide Dash and unleash a combo until he teleports. It can also be helpful if Sora has Berserk Charge to use Trinity Limit on him right after he finishes the Flash attack, then hit him with as many hits as possible until he teleports. After this, Sephiroth will unleash a Cut Combo if Sora is in close range of him. Use Guard and Counterguard to deflect and interrupt the attack and counter with a combo. Sephiroth will only teleport once the finisher is used—if Sora uses a combo but does not use the finisher, Sephiroth will leap back and perform Cut Combo again, which can be easily countered. This is an effective way to defeat Sephiroth in his first phase without having to deal with his other attacks; as long as Sora does not use the finisher, Sephiroth will only use Cut Combo. As another counter, Sora can use Reflega to block the attacks and deliver massive damage to Sephiroth. While using Guard to block the slashes, cast Reflega towards the last couple of slashes in Sephiroth's Ground Combo. While Sephiroth is receiving the backlash damage of Reflega, Slide Dash towards Sephiroth and follow up with a combo.

If Sora is a far distance from Sephiroth, he will usually hit Sora with his Upward Slash and follow up with Aerial Cut Combo multiple times. If timed quickly enough, Sora can use Guard or Reflega to block the Upward Slash. Be warned that doing this will result in Sephiroth going into either another Upward Slash or a Cut Combo so be prepared in both instances to defend and counterattack. If Sora does get hit by the Upward Slash, quickly use Aerial Recovery when Sephiroth teleports and attack him when he reappears to minimize the damage. Or when he reappears, use Retaliating Slash to deal damage and open up an opportunity to use an aerial combo on him. If Sephiroth uses Flash again, simply use the Reaction Command to avoid it. If Sora is in the air and cannot use the Reaction Command, a well-timed Reflega can be used to avoid damage. Curaga should be the main method of healing in this phase. The ability Berserk Charge will effectively disable Sora's finisher during MP charge, allowing him to attack Sephiroth more than he would with the finisher enabled, allowing his MP to charge while he is being attacked. Be aware, that Sephiroth will teleport away after Sora performs several combo strings on him with Berserk Charge. However, if he's on the ground, it is possible for Sora to miss an attack during "Berserk Charge", giving Sephiroth an opportunity to counterattack. If Sora's doing an aerial combo during "Berserk Charge", Sephiroth could teleport and use Flash.

Sephiroth's moves in this phase can all be easily countered if one can recognize the signs of which attack he is using. After losing four and a half bars of his health bar, Sephiroth will say "Know your place", signaling he is entering his second attack phase.

Next, Sephiroth will begin using Shadow Flare. Sora can hit the attacks back at Sephiroth with the Keyblade or Reflega—since the Shadow Flares appear surrounding Sora, the latter option is advised. Sephiroth will also sometimes use Shadow Flare, then follow up with Flash—using the Reaction Command in this case will reflect both Sephiroth's attacks and the Shadow Flares. Sephiroth will still use his various slashing attacks from his first phase, so react accordingly. His Cut Combo has greater reach and speed in this phase so using Guard, Counterguard, and Reflega against him will be trickier during the attack. Sephiroth will also start utilizing his Firaga Wall, summoning multiple flame pillars around him while drawing Sora towards him. Run, jump and glide away to avoid them, or if Sora is caught in them, use Reflega for protection and to deal heavy damage to Sephiroth. Sephiroth can be attacked with a combo as he finishes the attack, but it is difficult to do so.

Sephiroth also begins using his trademark Heartless Angel attack. Watch and listen for the signs he's casting it—he will rise into the air and say "Descend... Heartless Angel". Use High Jump and Aerial Dodge to reach and attack him before he completes the casting. If Sora has MP, he can also use Trinity Limit. Sephiroth floats high into the air while using this attack, so these two abilities are a must to reach him quickly and attack, as it is impossible otherwise to stop him. If he casts it successfully, Sephiroth descends back to the ground and uses Flash or Upward Slash. Sora has the option to either quickly heal with an Elixir before the next attack is cast or defend and counterattack Sephiroth with a Reaction Command or Guard and ground combo before using an Elixir as Sephiroth recovers from the counterattack. Curaga's lag between casting and it healing can also be exploited here; if the spell is cast so it starts before Sora's MP is depleted, but finishes after the attack, Heartless Angel can be neutralized at the cost of MP. Sometimes, Sephiroth will summon Shadow Flares then use Heartless Angel. If so, remember that the Shadow Flares are just a distraction so focus on getting to Sephiroth in time.

Sephiroth in general becomes much more aggressive in this stage, so Sora will need to heal more often. After losing nine and a half bars of health, Sephiroth will summon a Dark Aura and begin his final attack phase.

In the final phase, Sephiroth retains all his previous attacks, but performs them much more quickly and is much faster in general, as well as flying around low to the ground at a fast speed as opposed to walking or running. Healing will be difficult this phase as Sephiroth's attacks come so fast that finding a safe opportunity can take some time. Typically, attacking after Sephiroth performs one of his moves from his first phase is a safe choice. However, his Cut Combo now involves him leaping erratically between slashes, so while it can still be blocked with Guard, it is unlikely that Counterguard will hit him. Sephiroth will also dash behind Sora and attack him before using Cut Combo, so if he zooms towards Sora be sure to leap away to avoid the attack. If Sora is quick enough to evade, he can also jump in on Sephiroth with an aerial combo while he is in the middle of his dash attack. Shadow Flare also tends to summon more orbs of dark energy than it did in Phase Two and Sephiroth will occasionally use Shadow Flare up to three times in a row. Being in the corner can also help ensure Sephiroth does not cover too much distance with his Cut Combo to hit Sora from behind. He also gains a new move where he slashes in a spin as he slides to a stop.

Sephiroth's new attack is to rise in front of the castle in the background, out of reach of Sora's attacks, and use Meteor. Meteor hits multiple times and although the damage is negligible individually, the sum damage of the attacks is potentially fatal. Through the use of High Jump, Aerial Dodge, and deft running, Sora should be able to avoid the majority, if not all, of the attack.

At this point, it is mostly the same as Sephiroth's second phase, except that he attacks faster, making counterattacking harder. Nevertheless, all his moves still have a specific counter to avoid or minimize the damage, so be patient until he is vulnerable to attack. Guard and Reflega will be very helpful to survival.

In all phases, Sephiroth will forcefully counter with his Upward Slash after a teleport if knocked into the air as he reaches retaliation point.

In Final Mix and HD 2.5 ReMIX, more options are available. The new Keyblades and armor/accessories work well as equipment if needed, and using Limit Form also works onwards as a solid saving tool. As usual, Ars Arcanum works great in combos due to all blows save for the final Reaction Command preventing any rise to retaliation point. Sora's combo finishers in Limit Form also work well in inflicting heavy damage if he gets the chance to land them. Though in Limit Form, one needs to be mindful about having no access to magic and thus, needs to remember to pack plenty of healing items of any sort and rely on landing Limits to heal up. The Limits like before should be used with more caution, since unlike the first Kingdom Hearts game they are arguably less safer. An example would be delaying Strike Raid via its Reaction Command inputs will cause some moments where the invincibility will not occur, and Sephiroth also moves much faster than in the first game as well, which prompts Sora to be ready to guard and counter as well as being on the move if needed. However, landing Limits on Sephiroth without reaching his retaliation point tends to make using limits in the first place quite worth it.

Trivia

 * There is a possible glitch in Kingdom Hearts II that leaves your MP as it is, but only if Sora has Heartless Angel casted on him with 1 HP. The attack will act as normal if Sora is above 1 HP.
 * The strategy guide for Kingdom Hearts mistranslates Sephiroth's quote for his Heartless Angel attack as "Sin Harvest".