Self Demonstrating / Sephiroth

(This may be best read in Japanese, with the voice of Toshiyuki Morikawa, or in English, Lance Bass, George Newbern, Tyler Hoechlin, Cloudstrife8, Ovarku, or David J.G. Doyle/Aussieroth.)

Hmph. So, one of the traitors dares speak to me. You are brave, but foolhardy. Perhaps you need be reminded of your place under my boot. But your witless courage intrigues me, so I shall indulge you. If you entertain, you may yet survive this encounter.

I am Sephiroth, originating from Final Fantasy VII and now spread far beyond to other worlds. But of course, you need not be told that. My name has struck terror into hearts bolder than yours. For years I have traveled the streams of video game history, watching, waiting, and learning. It is a certainty that my next coming will be upon you soon, in some form of another. Until then, I shall tell you of the journey that led me here.

In a past life, I was a humble SOLDIER fighting under the banner of the Shinra Electric Power Company. I was a renowned and beloved hero, famous for my exploits in the Wutai War and feared by all for my unrivaled battle prowess. And they were not unhappy days, not mostly. I had friends. I had comrades. I was the most powerful and respected man on the planet.

Then came the Nibelheim mission.

The events of those few days have been obscured by Shinra propaganda and cover-ups, and I confess that even my own memories are clouded. But no matter what occurred, that day I uncovered the true nature of my existence. I discovered that I was a prototype biological experiment conducted by Shinra, created from the genetic materials of an ancient creature called Jenova. Jenova was the last of the Cetra, a great people who long ago proliferated their utopian civilization across the planet, until the humans abandoned them to die at the hands of a mysterious disaster. Enraged, I put the town to the torch and attempted to claim my mother's remains. However, before I could rejoin with my mother and retake the planet, fellow SOLDIER Zack Fair attempted to thwart our reunion and even took me on in battle. A futile gesture. With that nuisance dispensed, I again moved to rescue my mother from her imprisonment, but then, to my great shame, he, that ignorant puppet Cloud Strife, caught me off-guard and hurled me into a pit of mako energy.

I died that day, strictly speaking, but my ambitions were immortal. Indeed, I ascended to something greater. My spirit entered The Lifestream and I traveled its depths, learning ancient and forgotten wisdom. I accrued power and knowledge beyond the plane of human achievement. Five years later, I set my plans into motion. Using my mother's remains, over which I had gained psychic control, I constructed a new physical form and sought out the Black Materia. With it, I could summon the ultimate destructive magic, Meteor. I would summon Meteor to strike the planet, and when the Lifestream emerged to repair the devastating wound, I would be there in the impact crater. I would absorb the Lifestream to become a god.

During my search, I exacted my vengeance on Cloud Strife, toying with his false memories and leading him across the planet until he delivered the Black Materia to me himself. In one of my most infamous acts, I slew a little flower girl in his company before his very eyes. She commanded the White Materia that could cast Holy, the only force that could stop Meteor. Cloud and his cohorts descended into the depths of the Northern Crater, where my physical body had reformed, and killed me again. Holy stopped Meteor's descent and my plans were foiled, but my spirit endured once more in the Lifestream. Some years later, I completed a second resurrection and attempted to wrest control of the planet, but I was again defeated.

What has become of me now? Who can say? Perhaps my spirit persists in the Lifestream, awaiting the day I will rise again. Until then, wait. I once swore that I would never be a memory, and I intend to make good on that vow.

I have made numerous appearances in spin-off media. I have battled Keyblade masters, martial artists, and banded with other Final Fantasy villains to crush my enemies. In moments of recreation, I have indulged in musical performances and played board games. I have also contested in a DEATH BATTLE!, facing the half-demon known as Vergil to my victory. My original story has received an encore. This time around, I didn't go in blind. And now I have been selected to participate in that grand contest with Cloud, giving despair not to beings from across the Final Fantasy worlds, but from universes beyond. What more, it would appear that insignificant Keyblade wielder has joined the ranks of Smash as well. Happenstance, or folly? No matter. He, too, will know my wrath.

Below, you will find a list of tropes that will further enlighten you of my terrible legacy. Now, begone. My patience for human pests wears thin.

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Your mortal mind could barely fathom my power, but these tropes may help you grasp the basics.

• Actually a Doombot: An often forgotten fact was that the "Sephiroth" that killed Aerith Gainsborough was really a Jenova monster I controlled taking my appearance. Admittedly a distinction without a difference, but context does matter.
• Adaptational Heroism: In the world of Grymoire, I am considered an "Antichampion", antithesis to the heroic "Champions" of whom Cloud is part; yet I am reported as having defended an innocent from Cogna attacks before departing on my way. As the Champions and Antichampions of the A-Worlds are merely spiritual copies of the genuine articles, I cannot say whether this me acted out of altruism or pragmatism, but the point remains that - after my experiences in Niflheim - I did never bother myself with saving those who served no purpose to me.
• Adaptational Villainy: When the time came to tell my story anew, I made sure to attack Cloud's mind more thoroughly than I did in the original telling. After all, I was armed with foreknowledge of what would happen if I simply repeated history as you knew it.
• Affably Evil: Several of my incarnations portray me as such. For example, the version of me in Kingdom Hearts and its sequel in particular bares little malice towards the Keyblade wielder and his friends (despite my constant tormenting of Cloud), and I am usually polite and well-spoken. In my most recent run-in with Cloud I am far more agreeable and even offer Cloud the chance to defy fate with me. Whether or not I will remain this or not (or if I was truly this to begin with) is something you'll have to find out for yourselves.
• A God Am I: My goal is the domination and control of the Lifestream, and with it, the Planet. All life that exists will do so at my whim or be eradicated.
• Apocalypse How: My ambitions are of Planetary scale, with Total Extinction as the intended severity. It is my intention to wipe out life on the Planet and carry on Jenova's legacy in traveling the cosmos to corrupt further planets. At the end of the original tale, I succeeded in achieving a City-scale Societal Disruption, as the city of Midgar was left uninhabitable.
• Arch-Enemy: To that ignorant traitor Cloud Strife. No matter what he does, no matter where he goes, you can rest assured that sooner or later I will appear and the two of us will cross blades. Even seeking refuge with Nintendo was not far enough to escape me.
• Back from the Dead: My original physical body was destroyed at Nibelheim. Through my mother's shapeshifting abilities though, I am able to exert influence over her cells and make new bodies to act through, as long as my spirit exists in the Lifestream.
• Badass Adorable: In the world of Grymoire, I - like many other representatives of Final Fantasy - appear as a "Lilikin", a Super-Deformed semblance of myself. And like many other representatives of Final Fantasy, the power of my Lilikin form is no less genuine than in any of my other appearances.
• Badass Longcoat: Though much of my character varies across appearances, this is consistent. My Black Cloak is synonymous with me and is all I have ever worn.
• Baritone of Strength: Save for my first voiced appearance, my voice is consistently deep and composed.
• Big Bad: I serve as the main antagonist in my debut game.
• BFS: My Masamune, my most favored weapon, reaches variable lengths, but at its shortest it is at least as long as I am tall, and at its longer, several times that.
• Bilingual Dialogue: In the Smash Bros. tournaments, all people of your world only interpret my speech as one specific language, as opposed to my other appearances where different pawns hear different languages. This is likely due to Cloud showing similar symptoms, which has the side effect of averting the trope when I face off with him (as was the case in my reveal).
• Blade Spam: I can move faster than your human eyes could comprehend. My blade moves with such swiftness that while you see me swing once, I have actually swung more than a dozen times.
• Breakout Villain: It wouldn't be out of place to say that even among the vast universe I originate from, I am considered the greatest and most iconic adversaries. My popularity and influence has even granted me appearances in other medium, as you will see elsewhere on this page. I am quite pleased with this, however. Someone of my stature was bound to be remembered throughout history and "I will never be a memory" is a promise I intend to keep.
• Casting a Shadow: One of my iconic techniques, Shadow Flare, manifests as orbs of dark energy surrounding and bombarding my foes.
• Casting Gag: For some reason, the English language loves to have me voiced by actors who played a certain superhero from a distant gone world.
• Colony Drop: My original goal was to summon Meteor to impact the planet. For this, in spin-off incarnations I am often able to summon meteors of variable size to strike my enemies.
• Cold Ham: I hardly ever raise my voice, yet my words and threats still strike fear into those who face me.
• The Comically Serious: I insist on keeping my composure in Nintendo's grand contest, no matter what happens around me. Unfortunately, Nintendo's champions do not reciprocate, and it must be said that my stoicism does little to reduce the amusement people draw from humorous situations I find myself in.
• Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: It's not hard to see that within the broader series, that jester and I are as different as night and day. We both betrayed our masters for godhood, certainly, but that's where the similarities end. Palazzo came from nothing while I was engineered from birth to be one of Shinra's mightiest soldiers. The clown was easily thwarted in most encounters until he suddenly wasn't, whereas I was already beyond anyone's reach by the time Cloud and his companions started their journey. I chose to bring ruination to the Planet as a deliberate goal, and would later choose to carry on Mother's legacy, whereas Palazzo would destroy whatever world he came across for no greater reason than that he could. And of course, while I value restraint when expressing myself, that disturbed clown is as bombastic in personality as his fashion choice would imply (speaking of which, the understated dignity of my black and gray outfit could not be more different from his garish rainbow of a wardrobe). With such stark differences, it's not surprising we're the subjects of a Fandom Rivalry.
• Dark Is Evil/Light Is Not Good: My main colors are black, and many of my moves are darkness related, (Octaslash in Dissidia and Shadow Flare), however, my true form in the original Final Fantasy VII is an unholy angel.
• Depending on the Writer: My character is prone to widely different interpretations, both from my creators and to fans. To some, I am a Tragic Monster driven insane by the discovery of my origins, to others I am a Punch-Clock Villain who pursues evil only because it suits my goals to do so, and to yet others I am an Omnicidal Maniac seeking to destroy all life except myself in my quest for power. My abilities are also subject to this, ranging from what you humans would call an Empowered Badass Normal to a Physical God taken on human form.
• Dissonant Serenity: I am in complete control of my emotions and the circumstances I find myself in, and so I maintain my composure at all times.
• The Dreaded: I find everyone gets a little quieter, a little shakier, whenever I make my presence known, or at least when they see the destruction I leave in my wake. I took advantage of this when I revisited the past to torment Cloud more thoroughly, taking advantage of his trauma to disorient him through visions. I made the mistake of dismissing him as a mere puppet the first time around, a mistake I do not intend to repeat.
  • I was given another opportunity to display the awe of my presence when I slew that Lord of Light before it could finish the collective of fighters that stood against it, and I was amused to see them all immediately terrified before they went on a desperate attack against me. As valiant as their efforts were, they couldn't land a scratch. Even the Umbra Witch, as powerful as she was, stood no chance against me. And as for the plumber... well, he's very fortunate that I missed him by the overalls, otherwise he would have needed much more than one of those Super Mushrooms.
• Driven to Suicide: In the twelfth cycle of the war between Chaos and Cosmos, I began to fear that I was nothing but an imitation of Sephiroth, and took my own life to test my theory (represented in-game as a duel against myself). Once I was certain that I was indeed the genuine article, I could gladly bear arms once more - or, rather, as gladly as I once had.
• Enemy Mine: Though I am loathe to ally myself with Cloud in any way (and the feeling is mutual), we - among others - were willing to postpone our clash when we returned to World B. Exacting vengeance upon the dragon Shinryu for his abuse of us champions in the previous conflict was more than prize enough.
• Enemy Without: My incarnation in Kingdom Hearts is hinted to be the embodiment of the darkness in Cloud's heart, born and reborn every time I am defeated to plague him until he conquers his own heart. If this is meant in a symbolic or literal sense, I would prefer not to clarify.
  • You Don't Look Like You: To reflect this state, my appearances within that series deviate from that of my true self; my facial structure in particular resembles Cloud's more than my own, and in the original game, I wield Masamune right-handed.
• Eviler than Thou: In my original tale, I am the greater evil to the Shinra Corporation, as Rufus Shinra's mere greed was nothing compared to my destructive aspirations. In the second conflict of World B, however, I am the lesser evil compared to Shinryu, who intended to feed on the power borne of this war as he did the last.
• Evil Versus Evil: Whether other villains of Final Fantasy or hordes of lesser Heartless, I am not above cutting them down if they stand between me and Cloud. I had also cut that Light God in half when I introduced myself.
• Expy: The Ivalician noble Marquis Elmdore de Limberry shares many of my traits, including my physical appearance, attire, wielding a katana by the name of Masamune, and taking on a monstrous form that is referred to as an angel. There are just enough visual differences between us that, when I returned to World B, I could take his palette as a Mythology Gag.
• Fallen Hero: Once I was a great war hero beloved by the Planet. Now I am one of the Planet's most feared enemies.
• Flanderization: I was forced to invoke this upon myself after my second death. The Lifestream eventually assimilates all spirits into an indecipherable collective of souls, so to maintain my own identity I focused on my hatred of Cloud. This allowed my less-important character traits and memories to leave me, as my hatred of Cloud and my thirst for revenge gave me the emotional core I needed to survive. Some would say this has endured in other appearances, since my quest for godhood is often downplayed while my hatred for Cloud is emphasized.
• Flash Step: Sometimes I merely move at superhuman speeds, at other times I may teleport. Either way, I will be next to you ready to strike before you could anticipate it.
• Fountain of Expies: I have become so renowned that many have attempted to emulate me. All are pale imitations of the original, I assure you.
• The Ghost: In the world of Grymoire, I serve this role in the story as it originally stands. As an Antichampion, the A-World does not tolerate my presence for long; I have had an impact on the world before (and one seemingly quite similar to that of my original tale), but I am nowhere to be seen throughout the Mirage Keepers' journeys. I do avert this through Downloadable Content (as well as the Updated Re-release on platforms separate from the original), as my power can be invoked by the Mirage Keepers via a "Champion Medal", much like the genuine Champions of the A-World.
• Go Mad from the Revelation: I confess, I did not handle the truth of my origins with as much tact and control as I usually exhibit. Beyond Nibelheim's destruction some would say I am still insane, but they are fools who do not understand I have just had my eyes opened to my destiny.
• Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: When I serve a boss in Crisis Core when the game covers the Nibelheim incident, since the player is controlling Zack Fair. I'm fought like any other boss, but Zack nonetheless fails to ultimately stop me.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: I had already taken up my Masamune during my time as one of Shinra's SOLDIERs, where I was in fact renowned as a hero. Though I may no longer be considered a "Hero" by the people of my world or yours, my swordsmanship has not diminished.
• Hero Killer: Oh yes. I have quite the habit of leaving a trail of bodies. Just ask the Ancient.
• Hijacking Cthulhu: My mother Jenova was an abomination of tentacles and eyes in roughly humanoid form that traveled the cosmos destroying Planets. I subverted her body and bent it to my will as an extension of myself.
• HP to One: I'll admit, Heartless Angel has become something of my trademark, though its effectiveness seems to vary depending on which universe I use it in. Strangely, it seems my Kingdom Hearts counterpart has put it to the best use, where it will not only be truly fatal without certain abilities, but depletes magic as well as health, denying the enemy the ability to heal without items. I've found the attack to be the least useful in the Dissidia universe, where it only seems to affect the enemy's strength, and not their health.
• I Am Not Left-Handed: Many of my defeats thus far have been a result of my underestimating my opponents, and thus using less strength against them than I ought. My creator has stated that I have never thus far been seen at my full strength. In Kingdom Hearts, I also invert the trope's literal interpretation, and wield Masamune in my right hand.
• Iconic Item: My Masamune is widely known for its length, elegance, and the people it impaled.
• Iconic Outfit: I am sure you know about my black Badass Longcoat with silver shoulder armor and accents.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: My rather lengthy blade is perfect for stabbing. Just ask Cloud. Or the Ancient.
• Invincible Villain: Across the many stories told about me, one of the few constants is that I am above all others in power and cannot truly be destroyed. Cloud himself has (quite rightly) stated that I am "far stronger in reality than any story" you would hear of my exploits. This is especially true for my future self, where in my memorable clash with Cloud at the Edge of Creation, I make it abundantly clear that I am in total control of the fight and his attempts to even hit me are laughable at best. I understand many of you consider this one of my finest moments, which I confess I am inclined to agree with.
• Katanas Are Just Better: My Masamune is a nodachi, to use the precise term, but if you must conform to the common word for those types of swords, it is a katana. One that only I may wield.
• Lightning Bruiser: In all depictions, I move and teleport at superhuman speeds and can swing my sword with such power that none could hope to oppose me and live. And I assure you, you can find I'm usually hard to keep down for the count as well.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: I believe you are aware of my long locks. I also believe you are aware of how revered I am by the female fandom.
• Magic Knight: Though my prowess with magic varies depending on my depiction, I am often skilled to some degree with spells and sword alike.
• Make Wrong What Once Went Right: You probably thought I would follow the same steps in the remake as I did in the original story, didn't you? No, unlike most of my enemies, I'm working with knowledge of how my first plan played out and instead manipulated Cloud and his friends into destroying the one force that guaranteed my defeat.
• Manipulative Bastard: I am quite adept at toying with the emotions of others to make them do what I want. You are free to ask Cloud if you do not believe me.
• Master Swordsman: My skill with the Masamune is unparalleled. None could hope to match my strength and speed with it, and none ever have.
• Master of Illusion: While less prominent than many of my other abilities, I do possess the power to craft convincing illusions, which I have showcased on several occasions.
• Meaningful Appearance: My natural green eyes betray my true nature as a Jenova experiment, heir to a great and powerful legacy.
• Mythology Gag: My trait of striking more often than I am seen to swing functions as a reference to the initial three Final Fantasies. The Warriors of Light, Wild Rose Rebellion, and orphans of Ur would land more "hits" with their weapons as their strength grew, but the visuals would often indicate far less swings than their opponents received; the orphans, for example, would swing their weapons a maximum of six times per armament, yet land up to eighteen hits each.
• Ominous Latin Chanting: The chorus of my trademark theme, One-Winged Angel, which has served as my theme in almost every appearance I make. It is one of the most prolific Final Fantasy themes, being remixed a half-dozen times, often with new lyrics.
• One-Winged Angel: I am the Trope Namer, this being the name of my Leitmotif which is remixed in most all of my appearances. While I am hardly the first to actually do the act the trope explains, my status of having a single black wing now makes me a rather literal interpretation of the trope.
• Only Cloud Can Kill Me: I admit that insignificant Keyblade wielder may be very skilled to best me in combat. But apparently, Cloud is the only one who can eliminate me, and indeed, my battles with the Keyblade wielder have ended with me none the worse for wear, still strong enough to fight Cloud shortly afterwards.
• Only the Chosen May Wield: Though it is indeterminate whether only I am capable of wielding Masamune, or simply the only one with sufficient training to use it, the point stands that none others may carry my weapon.
• The Other Darrin: During my first clash with that insignificant Keyblade wielder, my words were carried on the tones of Lance Bass. This was not well-received; in all of my other appearances, I bear the voice of George Newbern, with Tyler Hoechlin filling in for the retelling of my first appearance.
• Overly Long Fighting Animation: The ultimate attack of my Safer form, Supernova, has gained a level of infamy for the extended animation it possesses, consisting of the destruction of an entire solar system and the accelerated deterioration of its sun before showing the damage dealt.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: After my entry into the Lifestream, I normally maintain a Dissonant Serenity, but I will admit that there are very rare occasions in which I show more obvious emotion. The apex of Omnislash Version 5 catches me by surprise, and Cloud channeling the power of light is quite possibly the only time I have ever raised my voice.
• Out of the Inferno: My scene of standing among the flames of Nibelheim is an iconic image of me, and is referenced in many of my appearances. To add to that, I am greater than all those imitators mentioned in the trope, as I walk into the flames.
• Power Gives You Wings: As the god-being Safer Sephiroth I bore six white wings instead of legs, and a black wing in place of my right arm. More commonly now I am depicted with a single black wing over my right shoulder.
• Predecessor Villain: in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Kadaj is the film's main antagonist for all practical purposes, and bringing me back to life is his main goal.
• Punch-Clock Villain: My appearance in Dissidia Final Fantasy. I had no interest in the Forever War waged between Chaos and Cosmos; my only goal was to understand the nature behind it and how it could be used to further my ambitions.
• Purposely Overpowered Guest-Star Party Member: In Cloud's flashbacks, though I can't be controlled by the player, I will kill any enemies in but a few swings^note either one, possess mastered various Materia, and cannot be damaged.
• Psycho Prototype: I play this trope oddly; although my status as the first individual to be injected with Jenova's cells is directly related to my eventual mental breakdown resulting in the Nibelheim incident, the 'psycho' element is not caused by the 'prototype' element.
• Reality Warper: It has been observed that my Supernova attack functions with largely the same mechanics as Summoned Beasts - as I myself do not have the strength to summon a meteor with the strength to eliminate a single Planet, let alone a solar system, I instead draw my enemy into an alternate space and time in which such destruction is occurring. I will admit my choice of timing for the teleportation is less than stellar.
• Rule of Symbolism: Final Fantasy has never shown restraint with symbolic representations, and I am no exception.
  • My Safer form in the original telling of my tale had me possessed of six white wings, in reference to the seraphim of Abrahamic myth; the seraphim were the highest and greatest of the angelic hierarchy, and so too was this my greatest and most powerful form. The dark wing that replaces my right arm - and which I possess in many of my appearances thereafter - serves as a representation of the world's opinion of me as a Fallen Hero.
  • My Masamune is named for a renowned swordsmith in your world; carrying a sword of Masamune's make is considered indicative of a calm warrior, which describes my demeanour quite well. Furthermore, a sword bearing his name was the greatest weapon by raw power in the first two games of the greater series, befitting my status as an insurmountable warrior. Finally, Cloud has had access to a weapon bearing the name of Murasame, a rival swordsmith to Masamune who could never overcome him, which serves well to illustrate our position and Cloud's regard of facing me.
• A Sinister Clue: One of Final Fantasy's first villains to be obviously left-handed, and I have always been so save for once.
• Softspoken Sadist: I have no need to raise my voice in order to taunt Cloud over his failures.
• The Stoic: I am very adverse to open displays of emotion aside from arrogance and cruelty. I confess though I often lose my composure when I witness Cloud overpowering me in some fashion.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Prior to the Nibelheim case, those in Shinra that kept their distance considered me a cold and stern authority figure, but those that took the care to get to know me would find me personable, polite, and at times, yes, quite kind and understanding. This is why my betrayal of Shinra shook so many so heavily.
• Superboss: In the first two numbered Kingdom Hearts games, I serve this role. My self-titled "Sephiroth Challenge" in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, temporarily available during the period between my announcement and official release, could also be said to qualify on its highest difficulty.
• Super Prototype: While subsequent SOLDIER recruits of Shinra would be injected with Jenova cells upon entry, I was injected as a fetus, growing and merging with them to achieve greater power than any normal recruit would ever have.
• Sword Beam: Another skill I am fond of. At times it manifests as a blade of energy, at other times Razor Wind in the wake of my strikes.
• Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny: I was featured in a show hosted by an alcoholic redneck and a mad scientist where I found this half-demon whom I believe is this other half-demon's older brother. I challenged him upon sensing a great power. Sadly, it was not good enough, as I sliced off the top half of his body after burning him with my supernova attack.
• Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: Not in more objective accounts of my role in The Planet's darkest hour, obviously, but in the version compiled by those irreverent clowns. While they make fools of my enemies, they do not taint my character with their absurd sense of humor, and my "abridged" alter-ego darkens the mood of whatever scene he appears in. I daresay this other me took it a step further than I actually did, singling out Cloud's mother for murder as a dark answer to his wish to become just like him, and instead of denying Cloud's ability to feel, this other me acknowledged and mocked Strife's misery when he killed that Ancient in front of him. I cannot say I was ever that petulant.
• Villainous Legacy: Though my motives might seem fantastical and larger than life to you, I would not exist to pursue them were it not for my creators and former masters, The Shinra Corporation, forging me as a means of enforcing their order, all in the name of simple greed. That is a wickedness I can't help but notice plagues your world too.
• Villainous Plan Inertia: My death alone was not enough to stop Meteor. If it weren't for that Ancient's meddling, I would have won from beyond the grave, even if I was in no position to benefit from it... at the time.
• Villain Respect: Though that insignificant Keyblade wielder cannot put an end to me, I am not above commending him for his skill when he proves capable of besting me in combat.
• The Voiceless: In the world of Grymoire, I can be invoked to aid in battle in the same manner as other Champions, but I do not speak in so doing. This is justified by my lack of active role in the story; it would be wasteful to call upon my voice actor for a mere one-liner, and reusing my past utterances may not be appropriate for the situtation.
• We Can Rule Together: Before our final duel in the first chapter of the remake, I offered Cloud the chance to defy destiny together. One that he quite understandably rejected. Was I sincere about my offer? Well, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough.
• Winged Humanoid: Most of my appearances have me bear a single black wing in reference to the title of my boss theme; most prominently in the original conflict of World B, where it served as my Super Mode, in contrast to many many of Chaos' other summoned warriors having full transformations reflecting their boss appearances. During the second conflict, my Safer form would make another appearance, though revised to qualify for this trope as well.
• White Hair, Black Heart: My long silver-white hair is another of my iconic design appearances, and goes well with my cruel and sinister nature.
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: Some would consider the tragedy and trauma that followed my life up to the Nibelheim case to make me a tragic and sympathetic figure. Pity me if you wish, it will not spare you my wrath.
• The Worf Effect: The Midgar Zolom is a deceptively powerful foe that Cloud and his party were advised to avoid when first they approached its domain. On reaching the other side of the swamp by chocoback, they found that I had left one impaled on a tree, demonstrating to the less-informed of Cloud's allies that my power was not exaggerated.

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