Super Smash Bros. Ultimate may have introduced a new boss character for its World of Light single-player campaign. In Smash's The Game Awards 2020 DLC character reveal, newcomer Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7 instantly made his presence known by slicing Galeem in half, disintegrating him and his army of Hands with a single stroke. As Galeem faded away, all that was left was Sephiroth, staring down at the cliffside of gathered heroes from Smash Ultimate's World of Light.
Sephiroth stands as a special addition to the ever-expanding world of Super Smash Bros. Final Fantasy 7's lead antagonist is the first major villain to enter the game as DLC, with the other antagonists being part of either Smash 4 or Ultimate's default roster. His introduction puts him at odds with the rest of the Smash roster, as his trailer showed him fending off the fighters before coming to blows with Cloud, continuing their battle and standing as his nemesis once again.
The trailer also showed Sephiroth's moveset in Smash Ultimate in full effect, with techniques paying homage to his numerous game appearances and showcasing the skill that made him so feared in his home franchise. The last shot of his debut trailer, however, revealed that Sephiroth is bringing more with him than his swordsmanship and magic. As Cloud landed his Omnislash Version 5, Sephiroth encased himself within his wing before transforming into his Safer Sephiroth form. This transformation and his conflict with the Smash Ultimate cast could be a hint of more to come with Sephiroth.
SSBU: Is Sephiroth The Key To A Story Expansion?
Sephiroth's instantaneous impact in his Smash Ultimate debut may play a role in opening a door for further World of Light story expansions. While the Hero from Dragon Quest confronted Dharkon's forces in his trailer, Sephiroth decimated Galeem's army in front of the heroes. After Galeem faded, Sephiroth took his place in the antagonist role throughout the trailer, fighting off numerous heroes before taking on Cloud. Sephiroth's complete destruction of Galeem lends itself to the possibility that Sephiroth may play a role in Smash Ultimate's narrative, perhaps following Giga Bowser and Ganon as a transformed boss versions of a roster character.
Sephiroth's transformation at the end of his trailer could be exactly that. Surrounded by a glowing, rainbow aura, Sephiroth took on his form from the final battle of FF7's story. The aura hints that this may be part of his Final Smash, but as shown with Bowser and Ganondorf, a transformation Final Smash that also serves as a boss character is not entirely out of the question. DLC content has never added to Smash Ultimate's World of Light narrative, but a possible Smash Sephiroth boss could be a very special case.
Sephiroth's reputation precedes him as one of gaming's most infamous villains. By entering Smash Ultimate as he did, fans of both Final Fantasy 7 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate can speculate about his role in the game's overall narrative, possibly serving as a new single-player boss character. Players can expect to get their answers on December 17, as Smash director Masahiro Sakurai will lead a special presentation to detail what awaits fans when the One-Winged Angel arrives in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.