Sephiroth (Dissidia 012)

General	Matchups	Resources	Starter Guide	Strategy

Info
Name	Sephiroth (セフィロス)
Original game	Final Fantasy VII
Weapon	Greatswords, Katanas
Armor	Chestplates, Gauntlets, Heavy Armor, Helms, Light Armor, Shields
Base ATK (LV100)	111 (High)
Base DEF (LV100)	111 (Average)
Run Speed	9 (Slow)
Dash Speed	81 (Below Average)
Fall Speed	85 (Average)
Fall Speed Ratio After Dodge	41 (Below Average)
Exclusive weapons	Masamune Blade, Masamune, One-Winged Angel

Strengths

Weaknesses

Zoning. Shadow Flare can pressure the opponent into taking action and follow a pace that Sephiroth dictates. Aerial combat lets Sephiroth fight comfortably without ground, or relying on it. Damage output is great with high attack stat, damaging braveries and HP wall rushes. Sephiroth can shred through bravery with a single assist combo. Meter generation, Sephiroth builds both EX and Assist meter reliably. Builds provide ample room to optimize and adjust Sephiroth's strengths. Flexible post-dodge defense with three midair HPs providing evasion or instant guard. EX Mode amplifies Sephiroth's damage, but also lets reset the opponent's bravery to 0 with Heartless Angel with an assist. Easy and reliable at all levels of play.

Anti-Zoning. Bravery Boost on Dodge and long range counters such as Firion's Shield Bash and Exdeath's block followups can limit the effectiveness of Sephiroth's zoning. Linearity. Many of Sephiroth's attacks are either telegraphed or have average to poor tracking. No quick air pokes. Sephiroth has attacks with early dodge cancel recovery and fast startup, but not both on a single move. The only exception is Transience which is ground only bravery. Mobility is slightly worse on average overall, encouraging active use of attacks, dodges and dashes to stay on top of the competition.

Overview

Sephiroth is a defensive air-oriented character who operates between close and long range with projectiles and strong punishers. With the infamous Shadow Flare bravery, Sephiroth can execute competent zoning from a safe distance before capitalising on the opponent's mistakes. The utility on his attacks ensure that Sephiroth remains competitive at close range and he also reaps good rewards on hit.

This makes Sephiroth something of a powerhouse. His effective gameplan is easy to execute and difficult to shut down for many characters, especially at low and intermediate levels of play. He does not rely on ground and can often focus on adjusting to his opponent instead of his surroundings. Spellcasters like The Emperor, Kefka and Ultimecia can have a hard time establishing their own advantage due to having lackluster tools for quickly stopping Sephiroth from casting Shadow Flare. Even though Sephiroth dodge cancels frequently, he can fight well from above or below. Catching him requires a good understanding of positioning, dodge punishment and player habits. His HP attacks have defensive properties to dissuade approaches, which can then help him condition the opponent with bravery attacks.

Thanks to good meter generation and high attack stat, Sephiroth works well with a variety of builds. The repeated use of Shadow Flare generates assist meter quickly and reliably, while Sudden Cruelty shreds through bravery with a respectable 87 EX Force output. He has access to a good wall rush HP in Heaven's Light that supports meter drain and additional damage. Sephiroth's combo game is good, if not basic and he works with most competitive assists.

Sephiroth's weaknesses become more apparent once the opponent gets past the initial hurdle of his Shadow Flare pressure. While he has braveries with fast startup, good range and long active duration, he does not have a defacto quick low recovery close range poke such as Squall's Beat Fang. Many of his attacks are telegraphed (HPs, Oblivion), linear (Godspeed, Sudden Cruelty) or don't protect him in close range (Shadow Flare). The reliance on dodge cancels also puts Sephiroth repeatedly in dodge punish situations and choosing poorly at any point can cause setbacks. Dedicated Bravery Boost on Dodge builds will discourage constant Shadow Flare usage, but outside of that, dodge tracking, mid / high priorities and relatively low risk can counter Sephiroth's gameplan when utilised well. His mobility is below average overall and fighting grounded characters with good post-dodge defense at close range may prove to be a tad more difficult.

In competitive play, Sephiroth has been consistently ranked as a high tier character. With an easy reliable gameplan and plenty of favorable matchups, he is a good choice for new and experienced players alike. His frame data and mobility often pushes players towards an action-heavy playstyle with attacks, dashes and dodges which is not necessarily bad in the context of Dissidia 012. In fact, he is one of the easiest characters to use in that way. But it does mean Sephiroth players have to be mindful against adept opponents, lest they get fooled themselves.

Bravery Attacks

Some of Sephiroth's melee bravery attacks require two bravery inputs to complete them. The second input is a finisher which can be done early. Delaying this button press until all preceding hits have connected maximizes the damage dealt. This is what attack descriptions refer to when they say "delay combo to boost hit times."

Ground

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
2, 1 x 5, 10, 2, 1 x 6, 10, 3, 1 x 5, 2 (45)	21F	Physical	Melee Low	93	Chase	30 (15)

[Close] Katana slash. Delay combo to boost hit times.

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
5, 4 x 5, 1 x 3, 7 (35)	27F	Physical	Melee Low, Ranged Low	30	Wall Rush	30 (15)

[Long] Shockwaves from sword. Delay combo to boost hit times.

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
each (3)	45F	Magical	Ranged Low	0	-	30 (15)

[Long] Generate 4 spheres of darkness surrounding opponent.

Shadow Flare is one of Sephiroth's character-defining braveries, but the grounded version is not used often. It leaves him airborne, which is great for builds with a Pre-Jump booster , but not ideal for repeated use on the ground. A decent, supplementary bravery to start off with, but not one to be relied on throughout a fight.

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
1 x 7, 13 (20)	15F	Physical (1st hit), Magical (other hits)	Melee Low	30	Wall Rush	30 (15)

[Close] Quick upward sword slash. Short reach, but fast.

Aerial

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
2 x 8, 9, 4, 1 x 5, 6 (40)	17F	Physical	Melee Low	87	Chase	30 (15)

[Mid] Nigh-instant slices. Delay combo to boost hit times.

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
5, 4 x 5, 1, 2, 7 (35)	23F	Physical	Melee Low, Ranged Low	33	Wall Rush	30 (15)

[Long] Shockwaves from sword. Delay combo to boost hit times.

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
6, 1 x 9, 10 (25)	27F	Physical	Melee Low	30	Wall Rush	30 (15)

[Mid] Light-speed movement continuously damaging foe.

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
each (3)	45F	Magical	Ranged Low	0	-	30 (15)

[Long] Generate 4 spheres of darkness surrounding opponent.

HP Attacks

Ground

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
3 x N (max charged)	63F, 101F, 201F	Magical	Ranged High	0, 0, 6	Wall Rush, Absorb (if max)	30 (15)

[Long] Summon meteors. Hold button to increase size.

Minimum charge time for LV2 is 90F, and 178F for LV3.

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
2 x 6, 4 (16)	43F	Physical	Melee High	21	Wall Rush	30 (15)

[Mid] 8 violent slicing attacks. Strike foe with long reach.

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
4, 1 x 6 (10)	45F, 1F-42F (block)	Physical	Block Mid, Melee High	30	Wall Rush, Block	30 (15)

[Block] Defends, then attacks. Attack even if block fails.

Aerial

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
2 x N	55F	Physical	Melee High	60 + 3 x N	-	30 (15)

[Dive] Freefall lunge. Hold button to keep falling. Aim with the analog stick.

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
2 x 6, 4 (16)	43F	Physical	Melee High	21	Wall Rush	30 (15)

[Mid] 8 violent slicing attacks. Strike foe with long reach.

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
4, 1 x 6 (10)	45F, 1F-42F (block)	Physical	Block Mid, Melee High	30	Wall Rush, Block	30 (15)

[Block] Defends, then attacks. Attack even if block fails.

Damage multiplier	Startup frame	Type	Priority	EX Force	Effects	CP (Mastered)
-	43F	-	Melee High	0	Wall Rush	30 (15)

Powerful rising lunge. Effective when below foe.

EX Mode: Reunion!

Effects:

• Regen
• Critical Boost
• Glide
• Heartless Angel

Glide

[Activate by holding x in midair.] Draws spiritual energy within to move freely through the air.

Heartless Angel

[Activate with R + square] Bravery cannot be gained, but opponent's bravery falls to 1.

Charge time = 5 seconds (297 frames). Early release cooldown time = 40 frames.

EX Burst: Super Nova

A blast of such despair that it can send destructioon even into other dimensions. Repeatedly press circle to raise the gauge.

Damage multiplier (initial)	Damage multiplier (rest)	Type
5 x 5 (25)	5 x 6, 9 x 5 (75) (100 total)	Physical

Builds

Builds here.

Stats
HP	9644
CP	450
BRV	1175
ATK	180
DEF	182
LUK	60
Max Booster	x3.5

Special Effect: Seal of Lufenia

Equipment
Assist	Kuja
Weapon	One-Winged Angel
Hand	Lufenian Dirk (CP Glitch)
Head	Lufenian Hairpin (CP Glitch)
Body	Lufenian Vest
Accessory 1	Hyper Ring
Accessory 2	Muscle Belt
Accessory 3	Sniper Eye
Accessory 4	Battle Hammer
Accessory 5	Summon Unused
Accessory 6	Pre-EX Mode
Accessory 7	Aerial
Accessory 8	Opponent Summon Unused
Accessory 9	Tenacious Attacker
Accessory 10	Glutton
Summon	Rubicante

Equip the Best Dresser extra ability.

Stats
HP
CP
BRV
ATK
DEF
LUK
Max Booster

Special Effect:

Equipment
Assist
Weapon
Hand
Head
Body
Accessory 1
Accessory 2
Accessory 3
Accessory 4
Accessory 5
Accessory 6
Accessory 7
Accessory 8
Accessory 9
Accessory 10
Summon

Assist

Sephiroth's assist data

Type	Attack	Startup	Position	Spawn	Damage multiplier	Effects
BRV	Reaper	21F	Ground	Opponent	2, 1 x 5, 10, 2, 1 x 6, 10, 3, 1 x 5, 2 (45)	Chase
BRV	Sudden Cruelty	17F	Air	Opponent	2 x 8, 9, 4, 1 x 5, 6 (40)	Chase
HP	Octaslash	43F	Ground	Opponent	2 x 6, 4 (16)	Wall Rush
HP	Hell's Gate	55F	Air	Opponent	2 x N	Chase

Assists

Sephiroth works well with most tournament viable assists.