Sephiroth’s inclusion in Nintendo’s platform-fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, left the scene with a Supernova impact. The latest fighter of Smash’s Fighter Pass 2 left players speechless the moment his theme played in the trailer. While Min-Min and Steve defined the character additions of a newer generation, Sephiroth represents the late-90s legendary JRPG, Final Fantasy VII.

The addition of Sephiroth comes five years after the release of Final Fantasy VII protagonist, Cloud, in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. His inclusion sent shockwaves among the fanbase due both to his popularity and for his exciting fighting style. However, Sephiroth’s inclusion benefits both the game and the fans alike thanks to Square-Enix stepping up with some new content to provide this time around.

5 Sephiroth’s Playstyle

Perhaps the most obvious thing to come to Smash is a new playstyle to enjoy. Sephiroth employs long-ranged attacks from his Masamune blade. However, anyone who played FF7 or Kingdom Hearts knows he’s also quite skilled with magic as well.

Sephiroth has a bit of trouble when enemies stay up in his face. Fox and Pikachu can make short work of him while Terry can just lay down the combos. Sephiroth has a relatively exploitable recovery as well.

However, Sephiroth’s range excels in a way that would make even Shulk and Byleth jealous. Not only do his aerials cover a wide radius but his magic spells deal deadly damage. Flare can be charged up to two times to create a massive explosion. Meanwhile, Shadow Flare can be used as a zoning tool that can set up for delayed attacks. Combine it with a Down Smash and you can break your opponent’s shield.

Ocataslash deals consecutive hits. It’s great for landing or surprising an enemy from midair Meanwhile, Scintilla works as a special counter that not only adds a hit after the counter but can KO early thanks to its immense counter damage. Finally, depending on Sephiroth’s percent and stock count, he can access the One-Winged form which grants him multiple buffs including super armor on his Smash attacks.

4 New Music Tracks

Perhaps the biggest surprise to come out of this release is the addition of new musical tracks from Final Fantasy VII. When Cloud debuted in Smash, he came with two battle themes ripped straight from his home game. Similarly, Dragon Quest’s Hero, from another Square-Enix franchise, also came with a small selection of non-remixed songs.

Fans accused Square-Enix of being stingy. Compared to SNK, Atlus, and other publishers which gave Nintendo use of their music and remixes, Square-Enix gave only the bare minimum. People believed that Square-Enix simply demanded too much money just for their music.

Sakurai explained the trials and tribulations of gaining Square-Enix’s music for use in Smash Bros. during the Sephiroth presentation. However, with that, he also revealed we would gain new tracks. Not only did we get several popular themes from FF7, such as “JENOVA,” but we gained four new remixes: Final Fantasy VII Main Theme, Bombing Mission, Cosmo Canyon, and Aerith’s Theme. These were remixed by Motoi Sakuraba, Yuzo Koshiro, Yoko Shimomura, and NieR: Automata composer Keiichi Okabe, respectively!

3 New Mii Costumes and Spirits

As with previous releases, Sephiroth’s release came with the inclusion of new Mii Costumes. Granted, two of these were already used in Cloud’s feature in Smash 4: Chocobo and Super Mario RPG’s Geno. However, it also featured Mii Costumes of Aerith, Tifa, and Barret. Furthermore, Sephiroth also includes a Spirit Event featuring the major cast of Final Fantasy VII.

Once again, players feel that Square-Enix was being notoriously stingy due to the lack of support for extra content. Fans of Geno, who demanded his inclusion in Smash, once again surely felt let down by his lack of representation. However, a Mii Costume at least brings faith that Sakurai cares about Super Mario RPG as much as the fans do. Possibly, Geno’s lack of inclusion may also come from a disagreement between Nintendo and/or Square-Enix.

2 New Stage Tells the Story of the Final Act of Final Fantasy VII

Sephiroth comes with a new stage, Northern Cave, the final dungeon of Final Fantasy VII. Accompanying Cloud’s stage, Midgar, Northern Cave shares the Final Fantasy VII tracks with the former stage. However, the animations in this stage feature an animated background akin to the Lylat Cruise and Orbital Gate Assault from Smash 4.

It’s honestly hard to describe the stage without spoiling bits and pieces of Final Fantasy VII’s finale. Long story short, the stage’s background takes the player from the overworld to the inside of the game’s final dungeon before launching them out of it. The scene changes to reflect the actions happening in the ending as well while featuring the game’s airship, the Highwind, flying in and out of the cave.

Interestingly enough, the North Cave theme from Final Fantasy VII, “Judgment Day,” does not play in this stage. Nor does Jenova Absolute, the final Jenova theme and arguably one of the best themes in an already legendary soundtrack. Not to be picky, but they would have been fantastic choices if they were added to the stage. On the bright side, the lack of obstacles and the platform placement make this stage an ideal choice for competitive tournament battles!

1 Another Villain

Smash Bros. rarely had representation from villainous characters. SSB64 had none while Melee featured Ganondorf, Bowser, and, depending on how you view his morality in the movie, Mewtwo. Brawl removed Mewtwo but gave players Wario, Wolf, and once again depending on how you view them, Meta-Knight and King Dedede. Note that, in later Kirby games, Meta-Knight and King Dedede are Kirby’s friendly rivals and even team up with him to save Dream Land.

Smash 4 featured Bowser Jr. and anti-hero-turned-ally Dark Pit but did not feature any more core villains. Smash Ultimate, however, surprised everyone with the heralded debut of the long-requested Ridley and King K. Rool, from Metroid and Donkey Kong Country, respectively. It also included Dark Samus as an Echo Fighter while Fighter Pass 1 didn’t include a single villain. With that said, the true antagonists included Bowser, Ganondorf, Wolf, Ridley, King K. Rool, and depending on how you view the greedy protagonist of his own series, Wario. If you count Piranha Plant, as well as the skin swaps of Steve - Zombie and Enderman - then that brings up the number by 3.

Sephiroth adds a new level of flair to the mix in Smash. He’s not just another villain but is one of the most defining and recognizable characters in gaming history. Sephiroth is an intimidating presence that haunts Cloud and the party in Final Fantasy VII and its movie sequel, Advent Children. Sephiroth also appears as the superboss of Kingdom Hearts I and II to fight Sora in a drastically difficult battle. In this series, as well as Dissidia: Final Fantasy, he continues to hunt and torment Cloud. The trailer where he slices Galeem in two and terrorizes the Smash roster does justice to both his level of strength and his intimidation factor. Sephiroth brings the highest possible stock to the villains in the Smash roster. While his inclusion sets a precedent that fans would certainly love more villains in Smash, this reveal might be impossible to top.

NEXT: Ranking Every Fire Emblem Character In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate From Weakest To Most Powerful