This story was originally published in the fourth edition of The Lion’s Tale (February 7, 2021).

During the game awards of 2020 Nintendo revealed their latest character to join their popular fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as part of Fighter Pack Vol. 2. The trailer starts off similar to the “World of Light” trailer in which characters from different franchises battle against Galeem and an army of Master Hands. Yet mysteriously, out of nowhere, Galeem is sliced in half and the one-winged angel himself: Sephiroth descends into the battle.

Main antagonist of Final Fantasy Vll, Sephiroth has been helmed as one of gaming’s most threatening and recognized villains, appearing in other games such as Kingdom Hearts. ‘The One-Winged Angel’ now acts as the third Square Enix character – second of which from the Final Fantasy franchise – added to the roster, the other two being his rival Cloud Strife and Dragon Quest XI protagonist ‘The Hero’.

On December 17, SSBU director Masahiro Sakurai further showed off the mechanics of Sephiroth. Though being much taller then standard fighter, Sephiroth is a lightweight and fast fighter. Dealing damage with the ‘Masamune’, a katana-like blade which gives players incredibly long-ranged attacks, Sephiroth is able to cast explosive fireballs and channel dark energy to hone in on opponents.

Sephiroth was released on December 22, though many people got to play him early through an unique, special event which allowed players to battle the One-Winged Angel in an attempt to unlock him early. Along with Sephiroth and his stage: ‘Northern Cave’. are new Mii Fighter costumes. These include Barret (Gunner), Tifa (Brawler), Aerith (Swordfighter), and Chocobo (hat for all classes) from the Final Fantasy franchise, and Geno (Gunner) from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

Many fans were surprised with the antagonist’s arrival, seeing as little was handed over to Nintendo with Cloud’s inclusion back in Smash 4. But this surprise is a welcome one, as Sephiroth was a niche but widely requested villain for the fighting game. And now with him and Steve from Minecraft, the next 3 characters from Fighters Pass Vol. 2 could be anyone from the vast gaming world.