The 2020 Game Awards set the stage by leading off with the arrival of Final Fantasy 7's Sephiroth as the latest challenger.
Sephiroth follows Cloud as the Final Fantasy franchise's second representative in the gaming's largest crossover. His debut trailer for Smash Bros. Ultimate showed off and referenced plenty of familiar scenes for fans of Final Fantasy 7, particularly the Advent Children FF7 film. As Sephiroth made with Cloud, the two engaged in a battle very reminiscent of the 2005 film. The conflict resolved in a similar fashion, with Cloud landing his Omnislash Version 5 Limit Break on the villain to bring the battle to a halt. The references in technique extended beyond the CGI trailer, with Sephiroth showing off abilities from his many appearances over the years.
Super Smash Bros. has always maintained a high standard of quality when it comes to translating a character from one source of media into the brawler. Characters like Steve from Minecraft and Banjo-Kazooie maintain elements that make the characters unique to their own home series while also incorporating moves that make them fit right at home in a brawler like Smash Bros. Cloud's leap from FF7 into Smash in the previous title as DLC was further proof of this, with Cloud bringing the Limit Break mechanic with him. Sephiroth's moveset in Smash Bros., likewise, appears to be faithful to his numerous appearances.
Sephiroth in Smash Bros. Ultimate: What His Moveset Looks Like
Among the first displays of Sephiroth's moveset in SSBU is the use of Masamune, his signature sword. Fans of Final Fantasy 7 will be familiar with the blade, and Sephiroth uses it to great effect with long, sweeping strikes that cover a wide distance around and above him with every swing. Sephiroth also showcases the ability to use his sword for leverage as he can stab the blade into the side of a platform before using it to pull himself up with a jump. This gives Sephiroth an added mobility option not unlike Samus's Grapple Beam or Link's Hookshot in of use.
Sephiroth's swordsmanship is among the best in FF7, as the game's lore regards Sephiroth as the "greatest SOLDIER". His swordsmanship appears to be well-represented in Smash Bros. Ultimate, with his techniques carrying several references to previous events in his home franchise. Sephiroth can use a powerful stab that bears a resemblance to the stab used on Cloud during the closing moments of their duel in the original Advent Children movie. A variant of Octaslash finds its way in, allowing Sephiroth to charge and aim a barrage of eight slashes. Sephiroth's Hell's Gate technique also returns from Dissidia: Final Fantasy as a downward stab, openly referencing Aerith's death in one of gaming's most famous moments in story-telling.
Sephiroth is also known to be able to use magic as a SOLDIER First Class, and Smash Bros. Ultimate makes use of this, giving Sephiroth a form of Reflect, batting aside the Dragon Quest Hero's sword slash with a barrier and sending him flying. Sephiroth also shows off magic he's used in previous appearances as well with the swordsman using Firaga similarly to his appearance in FF7 Remake, throwing a small ball of flame at an opponent and detonating it. Shadow Flare also makes a return, sharing characteristics from its appearances in Kingdom Hearts and Dissidia: Final Fantasy by surrounding a target with three orbs before engulfing them.
Sephiroth's repertoire rounds out with his transformation into the One-Winged Angel. Smash Bros. has used transformations in various manners, with the most notable being Persona 5's Joker using a transformation mechanic to summon Arsene into battle and give all of his special techniques an upgrade. One-Winged Angel appears to work in a similar fashion for Sephiroth, landing at home with its appearances in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 and FF7 Remake. With so much of his moveset paying homage to when he was at his most dangerous, fans of Final Fantasy will have plenty to look forward to when the One-Winged Angel descends into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's battlefield.