Sephiroth (Dissidia 012)

Sephiroth

General	Starter Guide	Combos	Strategy	Frame Data
Matchups	Builds	Match Videos	Gallery	Resources

Info
Name	Sephiroth (セフィロス)
Original game	Final Fantasy VII
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)
Fastest BRV	15F (Transience)
Fastest HP	43F (Octaslash, Heaven's Light)
1-Hit HP	Yes (Multiple)
HP Links	Yes (Combos only)
Command Block	Yes (Scintilla)
Weapon	Greatswords, Katanas
Armor	Chestplates, Gauntlets, Heavy Armor, Helms, Light Armor, Shields
Exclusive weapons	Masamune Blade, Masamune, One-Winged Angel
Unlock
Alignment	Chaos
Voice Actor (JP)	Toshiyuki Morikawa
Voice Actor (ENG)	George Newbern

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.

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.

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

	Base Damage	45 (2, 1 x 5, 10 > 2, 1 x 6, 10 > 3, 1 x 5, 2)
	Startup Frame	21F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Low
	EX Force	93
	Effects	Chase
	Cancels	Dodge
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Close] Katana slash. Delay combo to boost hit times.	Unlocked at level 1	Mastered at 100 AP

Reaper is a three-stage combo attack, and Sephiroth's high damaging ground punish move. It starts up quickly and has decent active frames on the first part, but Sephiroth can only transition into the two follow-ups on hit. Sephiroth transitions into the next follow-up whenever Circle is pressed. Pressing the button early reduces the number of hits and thus, the damage dealt. To ensure Sephiroth gets the maximum number of hits, it's recommended to press Circle after a barrage of hits ends. The input window for a maximum delay is not very long, but consistent with a bit of practice.

Reaper leads to assist combos when stopped at the second part. Sephiroth can also use walls to reduce Reaper's knockback when finished for an assist combo. Although Reaper is fairly fast, Sephiroth has to dodge cancel it to make it safer on whiff. Sephiroth is stationary during this move, but the hitbox reaches its maximum range quickly once active.

In practice, Reaper is a serviceable close-range punish move with decent reward, and it may work occasionally as an offensive poke. Sephiroth fights in the air most of the time, so Reaper may not see much use purely for that reason.

	Base Damage	35 (5, 4 x 5 > 1 x 3, 7)
	Startup Frame	27F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Low, Ranged Low
	EX Force	30
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels	Dodge
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Long] Shockwaves from sword. Delay combo to boost hit times.	Unlocked at level 32	Mastered at 100 AP

A linear stream of projectiles. Fervent Blow can be used as a mid-range whiff punish tool, whether its reactively or as a callout. Its active duration covers attacks that have gaps between their hits, such as Prishe's Raging Fists. Fervent Blow can start an assist combo with the projectiles or after confirming a wall rush, which is good for a punish move.

However, Sephiroth may not get many opportunities to capitalize on this move because he fights in the air often. What's also worth noting is that Fervent Blow's long recovery, lack of tracking and Ranged Low priority makes it vulnerable to sideways movement, Ground Dash and Free Air Dash. Only the close-range sword swing has melee priority, but this move is not typically used close to opponents. Therefore it's not particularly effective as a poke.

Sephiroth has a functionally similar move in the air, which is Godspeed. It may see more use just because of its nature as an aerial attack.

	Base Damage	each (3)
	Startup Frame	45F
	Damage Type	Magical
	Priority	Ranged Low
	EX Force	0
	Effects	-
	Cancels	Dodge, Block, Attack
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Long] Generate 4 spheres of darkness surrounding opponent.	Unlocked at level 1	Mastered at 80 AP

Shadow Flare is one of Sephiroth's character-defining braveries for it's zoning capabilities. However, its grounded version is flawed in a few ways the aerial version is not; This version leaves Sephiroth airborne, so it cannot be repeated ad nauseam to harass opponents and build assist gauge. That creates an interesting niche for Sephiroth, because he can safely leave the ground without deactivating a Pre-Jump booster with a strong x1.5 multiplier.

Grounded Shadow Flare shares many of its traits with the midair variant, including the early cancel window for various actions. A ground Shadow Flare can be cancelled into an aerial Shadow Flare, while aerial Shadow Flare cannot be cancelled into itself. It's a small footnote in Sephiroth's overall strategy, but worth noting regardless.

Overall, this version of Shadow Flare is not used often, but it's great for builds with a Pre-Jump booster .

	Base Damage	20 (1 x 7, 13)
	Startup Frame	15F
	Damage Type	Physical (1st hit) Magical (other hits)
	Priority	Melee Low
	EX Force	30
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels	Dodge (hit / whiff) Block & Attack (whiff only)
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Close] Quick upward sword slash. Short reach, but fast.	Unlocked at level 8	Mastered at 80 AP

Transience acts as a close-range poke for Sephiroth. It has the hallmarks of a conventional, effective poke in Dissidia 012; Fast startup, decent base damage and short recovery that can be cancelled quickly. This is great for Sephiroth in theory, because these kinds of moves form the basis for offense and defense alike, including filling assist gauge safely.

However, Sephiroth's air-centric gameplay means that Transience is often unavailable. His other moves usually work better just outside Transience's range, so Sephiroth may struggle to find opportunities to use Transience specifically. Transience also has low reward on hit, but it can be converted into an assist combo if it wall rushes. It has decent knockback, so it could theoretically work as a physical keepout move.

If Sephiroth is on the ground, Transience can be whiffed repeatedly to build assist gauge faster. Sephiroth doesn't have two fast pokes he can quickly rotate to keep assist gain fresh, but having one move for this purpose is better than nothing.

Aerial

	Base Damage	40 (2 x 8, 9, 4, 1 x 5, 6)
	Startup Frame	17F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Low
	EX Force	87
	Effects	Chase
	Cancels	Dodge
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Mid] Nigh-instant slices. Delay combo to boost hit times.	Unlocked at level 1	Mastered at 100 AP

Sudden Cruelty is a two-stage combo attack, and Sephiroth's high damaging aerial punish move. It's similar to Reaper in a few ways, including the delayable follow-up and the disjointed hitbox quickly extending to its max reach. This is Sephiroth's go-to offensive poke in close-range, and it's good for starting assist combos and racking up damage during them. He can even poke through high priority projectiles, given the right positioning. If the opponent gets hit by Shadow Flare, Sudden Cruelty is a consistent way to convert that into a combo if they are close to Sephiroth.

The startup is fast enough to be unreactable, but Sephiroth remains stationary for a moment before he can dodge cancel the move. The hitbox also stays active during this time, which can make it difficult to punish him without moving into it and using a command block. This is generally good for Sephiroth, since command blocks are not very common in the roster. But it also has a weakness, which is the tracking; Sephiroth does not move much towards the opponent during start-up, and completely stops when the move is out. As a result, Sudden Cruelty is not very consistent at catching evasive movement, namely Ground Dashes. But if opponents attack or dodge into Sephiroth with no coverage, Sudden Cruelty can punish them for doing so.

	Base Damage	35 (5, 4 x 5, 1, 2, 7)
	Startup Frame	23F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Low, Ranged Low
	EX Force	33
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels	Dodge
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Long] Shockwaves from sword. Delay combo to boost hit times.	Unlocked at level 16	Mastered at 100 AP

A linear stream of projectiles. To maximize damage, Sephiroth can delay the follow-up by pressing Circle after all projectiles have connected. Just like Fervent Blow, Godspeed can be used as a mid-range whiff punish tool, whether its reactively or as a callout. This works because of Godspeed's startup speed and active frames. It can contest moves with gaps in them, such as Tifa's feints. Once Godspeed hits, Sephiroth can wall rush on the ground and start an assist combo.

Godspeed is also linear like Fervent Blow. When Sephiroth performs this move, it has no horizontal or vertical tracking whatsoever. The projectiles will continue to go in a relatively straight line whether they hit or miss. That makes Sephiroth vulnerable to assist punishes, but this is not a huge concern when Sephiroth often build assist gauge reliably with Shadow Flare. Furthermore, Godspeed competes with Oblivion for the third bravery slot, which boils down to the matchup and player preference. Oblivion has better vertical range and lower damage, whereas Godspeed has better lateral range and more damage.

The close-range sword swing is melee priority, while the projectiles are ranged low priority. These can be dashed through and it cannot be cancelled early, so it's not as effective for zoning as Shadow Flare is. However, if the projectiles hit from a distance on a grounded opponent, Sephiroth can attempt to combo with landing lag by dodge cancelling into Sudden Cruelty. The dodge cancel timing is much later into the animation on hit though, which can make it difficult to use without practice.

	Base Damage	25 (6, 1 x 9, 10)
	Startup Frame	27F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Low
	EX Force	30
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels	Dodge
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Mid] Light-speed movement continuously damaging foe.	Unlocked at level 4	Mastered at 100 AP

Sephiroth passes through the opponent and inflicts a series of blows afterwards. This move wall rushes the opponent downwards, which is good for assist combos on the ground, but the reward on hit isn't outstanding otherwise. Oblivion is Sephiroth's melee bravery with longest vertical reach, as it moves him closer to the opponent during its startup. This is good for punishing careless opponents below or above Sephiroth, and poorly placed assists, but it is reactable otherwise.

If the opponent gets hit by Shadow Flare, Oblivion has an easier time following up compared to other braveries. In that sense, Oblivion supports Sephiroth's gameplan, but it doesn't serve as the endpoint. When used appropriately, Sephiroth can get more damage in situations that required a bigger risk or where he could've missed the extra damage entirely. Due to its slow start-up and average reward without wall rush, it is not well suited for starting offense. The audio cue is somewhat subtle, but the move can be easier to see if Oblivion is done from a distance due to its movement. If Sephiroth is already at equal height when using Oblivion, he won't move nearly as much during startup.

If Sephiroth is locked off and Oblivion is set to Circle , he can use Oblivion to move in any direction he faces. This can be done to build assist gauge more safely.

	Base Damage	each (3)
	Startup Frame	45F
	Damage Type	Magical
	Priority	Ranged Low
	EX Force	0
	Effects	-
	Cancels	Dodge, Block, Attack
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Long] Generate 4 spheres of darkness surrounding opponent.	Unlocked at level 24	Mastered at 80 AP

Sephiroth's character-defining projectile. Shadow Flare comprises of four long-range projectiles that surround the opponent and then hit at the center. It has good reach, it can be quickly cancelled into other actions and it can even start combos. This move is at the core of Sephiroth's zoning, where it represents a threat and encourages the opponent to approach and stop it. Sephiroth has excellent HP attacks and whiff punish tools to work with afterwards, which round out his core defensive strategy.

Because of Shadow Flare's short recovery and cancel options, Sephiroth can repeatedly use this move to quickly harass opponents from a distance. It can be effectively used to hinder characters who need time to set up their gameplan, like Kefka and Ultimecia. As an attack, Shadow Flare also builds assist gauge faster. If the opponent cannot respond to Shadow Flare on a moment's notice, it can overwhelm them in no time. The projectiles have a bit of tracking before they start closing on the opponent, so poorly timed dodges can create more trouble for them instead. Each projectile's damage is low and the hit stun is short, but it's just enough for Sephiroth to follow up on a combo if he knows Shadow Flare will hit. That makes Shadow Flare a relatively dangerous move to get hit by, as it can escalate depending on Sephiroth's positioning.

Shadow Flare has a few weaknesses. For one, it is a Ranged Low priority move, which means opponents can dash through it. Even though the projectiles have tracking, it stops once the projectiles become active. The travel speed during its active period is not instant either, so opponents can move vertically with jumps and fall speed to avoid it. Furthermore, Shadow Flare does not protect Sephiroth's body, so it is not well suited for close-range keepout. And lastly, Shadow Flare is a telegraphed projectile, which makes certain counter moves (Firion's Shield Bash, Exdeath's Omni Block) easier to use against Sephiroth. Bravery Boost on Dodge builds can greatly impact Shadow Flare's effectiveness, as using it frequently gives the opponent bravery without risk.

Overall, Shadow Flare is a staple move for Sephiroth that synergizes well with his other moves and the game's mechanics in general.

HP Attacks

Ground

	Base Damage	3 x N (max charged)
	Startup Frame	63F, 101F, 201F
	Damage Type	Magical
	Priority	Ranged High
	EX Force	0, 0, 6
	Effects	Wall Rush, Absorb (if max)
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

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

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

	Base Damage	2 x 6, 4 (16)
	Startup Frame	43F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee High
	EX Force	21
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

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

	Base Damage	4, 1 x 6 (10)
	Startup Frame	45F, 1F-42F (block)
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Block Mid, Melee High
	EX Force	30
	Effects	Wall Rush, Block
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

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

Aerial

	Base Damage	2 x N
	Startup Frame	55F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee High
	EX Force	60 + 3 x N
	Effects	-
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

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

	Base Damage	2 x 6, 4 (16)
	Startup Frame	43F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee High
	EX Force	21
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

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

	Base Damage	4, 1 x 6 (10)
	Startup Frame	45F, 1F-42F (block)
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Block Mid, Melee High
	EX Force	30
	Effects	Wall Rush, Block
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

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

	Base Damage	-
	Startup Frame	43F
	Damage Type	-
	Priority	Melee High
	EX Force	0
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

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

{{{dataBRV}}} {{{dataHP}}}

Bravery attacks
Ground	Aerial
HP attacks
Ground	Aerial

indicates a "Gear" extra ability or the use of CP / Equipment glitch. The total CP cost will assume the glitch is done.

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

{{{dataBRV}}} {{{dataHP}}}

Bravery attacks
Ground	Aerial
HP attacks
Ground	Aerial

indicates a "Gear" extra ability or the use of CP / Equipment glitch. The total CP cost will assume the glitch is done.

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.

Wiki Roadmap (012 Sephiroth)

Please edit this page's roadmap template when relevant additions and changes are made.

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Page	Completed	In progress	To-do	Score
General			Add images for attacks.	1 / 5 / 86
Pros / Cons	Done.		Edit if necessary.	5 / 5 / ?
Overview / Character Data	Done.		Edit if necessary.	5 / 5 / 2
Bravery Attacks	Ability info. Short description for Shadow Flare (ground).		Overviews.	1 / 5 / 5
HP Attacks	Ability info.		Overviews.	1 / 5 / 5
EX Mode	Basic info.		Overview / detailed info.	1 / 5 / 3
Combos			Add solo and assist combos with video example.	0 / 5 / 7
Builds	1 build.		Add more builds with overviews (see Tifa's page).	1 / 5 / 10
Assist	Assist data.		Overviews for commonly used assists.	1 / 5 / 3
Matchups			Create page. Matchup analysis and tips.	0 / 5 / 32
Frame Data				/ 1
Starter Guide			Create page. Concise pvp guide with core concepts and essentials.	0 / 5 / 8
Strategy			Create page. Strategies and counterplays.	0 / 5 / 10