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. Meanwhile, in HD 1.5 ReMIX, Combo Master is also great to make sure Sora is able to continue hitting Sephiroth at any angle.

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 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 Berserk Charge, MP Haste, MP Rage, and Trinity Limit. Defender, Combo Boost, Air Combo Boost, Finishing Plus, Retaliating Slash, and a stock of 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.

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.

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 intoning the telegraph, "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 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.

Trivia

 * The strategy guide for Kingdom Hearts mistranslates Sephiroth's quote for his Heartless Angel attack as "Sin Harvest".