*Note: images below come from YouTube.

*Please read Final Fantasy and the Bible Part 1: Sephiroth-Another Jesus before continuing.

Sephiroth is one of the most popular video game villains of all time. He is also a clear illustration of the concept of “another Jesus (as described in our first article about Sephiroth):”

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)

Since the first article, we’ve discovered that some of the best evidence for Sephiroth being “another Jesus”  is found in (arguably) Final Fantasy’s most iconic theme song-One-Winged Angel.

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*Note: Translations provided by the FFWiki community.

There are several remixes of the song One-Winged Angel (OWA). However, we’ll look at what Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu (creator of the song) considered the definitive version-that in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

The original:

The Advent Children version:

A vital look into the creation of this song is shown in Mr. Uematsu’s April 2009 interview with Destructoid:

“Colette [one of the two interviewers]: The song “One Winged Angel” is very popular among game music fans, as is the character Sepithroth. Did you ever think you were writing such an important piece of music when you composed it. Why do you think fans focus on that particular piece of music so much?

Uematsu: I don’t know why it had the effect it did. Obviously, every time you make music, you won’t know what the outcome is going to be. I didn’t know it would be that dynamic. I compose on a computer, and in this case I experimented with several ideas, putting them together and trying different things. When I’m writing, I’m actually making music in the computer. I’m not actually thinking about the orchestration when I’m only focused on composing. Does it sound weird to you?

Colette and Dale: No, not at all!

Uematsu: I had Sephiroth in my mind when I started creating the music, so the song revolves fully around the image of him. [emphasis added]”

Mr. Uematsu says that the song One-Winged Angel “revolves fully” around the image of Sephiroth. Curiously, in Advent Children, both the song and the image of Sephiroth change dramatically.

According to the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Reunion Files art book, by that point in the Final Fantasy VII (FFVII) universe, Sephiroth has “ascended to a new level of existence.” As FFVII Director and Advent Children producer Yoshinori Kitase says, “Sephiroth’s existence and will is extremely powerful. There is nothing stronger, nothing above him.”

In this article, we will look deeper into the image of Sephiroth through the lens of God’s Word and Advent Children’s version of One-Winged Angel.

There is a bit of controversy surrounding Advent Children’s version of OWA, because the official and literal translation of the Latin lyrics do not match. We’ll look at each translation, and see what the Bible can show us about both:

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Official translation:

Won’t remain, remain in memory
Won’t remain, remain in memory
Sephiroth, Sephiroth

Raging anger, anger and misery
Raging anger, anger and misery
Sephiroth, Sephiroth

Fierce, terrible fate

Won’t remain, remain in memory
Won’t remain, remain in memory
Sephiroth, Sephiroth

Come, my son. Come, my son
Come here, give me death once more
Come, my son. Come, my son
Come here, give me…

Won’t remain in memory
Raging anger and misery
Fierce, terrible fate
The second advent

My son, come, come, come, my son
My son, come, come, come, my son
My son, come, come, come, my son
My son, come, come, come, my son

My son, come, come, come, my son
(By death’s invitation)
My son, come, come, come, my son
(Painful tainted birth)
My son, come, come, come, my son
(Won’t call the name)
My son, come, come, come, my son
(The second advent)

Sephiroth, Sephiroth
Sephiroth

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This translation is Biblically interesting due to the word “advent.”

The definition of the word “advent” is “coming” or “arrival,” and is often used in relation to Jesus Christ and and his birth (see advent calendars). The word advent is also used in relation to Jesus Christ’s second coming. So the phrase “second advent” in OWA literally means the “second coming”… of Sephiroth.

In Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth is killed. In Advent Children he-like Jesus-rises again. This is the second advent:

However interesting this detail may be, the Biblical messages found in the literal translation are simply shocking.

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Literal translation provided by FFWiki community:

Don’t remain, remain in memory
Don’t remain, remain in memory
Sephiroth, Sephiroth

Fierce anger, anger and pain
Fierce anger, anger and pain
Sephiroth, Sephiroth

Wild, terrible fate

Don’t remain, remain in memory
Don’t remain, remain in memory
Sephiroth, Sephiroth

Come, my son. Come my son
Come here, give me death once more
Come, my son. Come my son
Come here, give me…

Don’t
Remain
In memory
Fierce
Anger
And pain
Wild
Terrible
Fate
That [Man]
Once again
Will come

My son, come, come, come, my son
My son, come, come, come, my son
My son, come, come, come, my son
My son, come, come, come, my son

My son, come, come, come, my son
He who invited death
My son, come, come, come, my son
[Was] born with an ill-fated punishment
My son, come, come, come, my son
Don’t call his name
My son, come, come, come, my son
That [Man] will come again

Sephiroth
Sephiroth

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As you can see, the differences between translations are pretty minor (e.g. “Don’t remain, remain in memory” instead of “Won’t remain, remain in memory“)-until we get to the last stanza. Let’s examine it line by line:

My son, come, come, come, my son

Now, you have to ask the question: Who is calling Sephiroth son? The answer is Jenova.

Jenova is an alien being that crash-landed on Gaia (“the Planet” of Final Fantasy VII). It has two notable powers:

1. Jenova can absorb and mimic the traits and appearance of various beings.
2. Jenova can also implant it’s cells into a target, with effects ranging from turning victims into monsters, to controlling their minds and bodies.

Jenova used these abilities through millennia to completely destroy the people of a planet, then use that planet as a vessel to “hop” onto another one. However, these tactics did not work on Gaia.

After being brought to the brink of destruction, the Cetra (precursors of FFVII’s humans) managed to seal Jenova away inside the North Crater (Jenova’s original crash site). Thousands of years pass and nearly all is forgotten…

In an ironic plot twist, Shinra Electric Energy Company ends up unearthing Jenova and mistaking it for a Cetra. An explanatory scene from Final Fantasy VII:

As explained in the cutscene above, in an effort to create another Cetra, Shinra implanted some of Jenova’s cells (no one knew of Jenova’s true origins at this time) into the unborn Sephiroth. This made him into something…Not quite human.
There are two ways to look at this.

1. GIANT

Being (technically) a “descendant” of Jenova gave Sephiroth incredible abilities such as the strength to cut through almost any substance (even slicing through an entire building in Advent Children). He can act through and manipulate those who also contain Jenova’s DNA, fly, teleport, project thoughts and images into people’s minds, etc.

Not surprisingly, he becomes feared, respected, and loved by the people of Gaia (this was before Sephiroth’s betrayal).

Sephiroth inspires many to join (or at least strive to join) the SOLDIER program (SOLDIER is the elite arm of the Shinra military). A fan club is launched in his honor known as the “Silver Elite,” which discusses facts such as what shampoo he uses (a custom blend consisting of, “thirteen kinds of perfumes, including Rose and Vanilla. Apparently, the scent in the air after Sephiroth tosses his hair changes daily!“) As he gains fame and renown, Sephiroth comes to be literally idolized.

Look at what happens when fallen angels mate with human women and produce offspring:

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God [this is another biblical name for angels, see Job 1] saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose [of course these angels are fallen, which is interesting considering Jenova crash landed onto Gaia]. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men [check!] which were of old, men of renown. [double check!]” (Genesis 6:1-4)

This is one way to look at Sephiroth-as a fallen angel hybrid (this explains his single black wing and Jenova’s angelic covering…).

The second viewpoint is just as valid, and much more dangerous.

2. “MESSIAH”

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (the prequel to FFVII) effectively remixes and expands the scenes in the original FFVII. This installment especially focuses on the circumstances surrounding Sephiroth’s birth:

At this point, Sephiroth catches himself, and begins laughing:

After Sephiroth walks away, Zack Fair (the hero of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII) still wonders…

Later, the pair head to Mako Reactor 1, the facility where Jenova is contained.

Sephiroth then begins to explain the things Zack is seeing, such as the “pods.”

After Zack says this, Sephiroth cries out and begins to stumble around clutching his head.

Zack dashes over trying to help, but is pushed away.

Sephiroth then begins to fully consider the implications of what he has just witnessed.

Sephiroth goes into a short speech, contemplating these ‘new’ revelations (the full knowledge of which will soon drive him insane).

Sephiroth speaks this next line while a pod opens, fully exposing the monster inside.

In the cutscene, Sephiroth says he knew he was “not like the others” and that he had a “special existence.“

Considering what we’ve seen so far, it’s not surprising that this special existence closely mirrors that of Jesus himself. A closer look:

• Like Jesus is the son of God (who is also known as Jehovah), Sephiroth is the son of Jenova:

“Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:” (Isaiah 26:4)

“That men may know that thou [God], whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” (Psalm 83:18)

• Two quotes from Sephiroth are:

1. “I am the ruler of the planet!“
2. “I am the chosen one. I have been chosen to rule this planet.“

This is what the angel Gabriel said to Mary concerning Jesus before he was born:

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not [have not ‘been with’] a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. [How many times have we been shown that Jenova is a replacement of God, with Sephiroth as her son?]” (Luke 1:30-35)

• After talking about his ‘special existence,’ Sephiroth asks the fatal question: “Am I…a human being?“

Genesis (the villain of Crisis Core: FFVII) suddenly appears, answers Sephiroth, and provides more information about the Jenova Project (which greatly contributes to Sephiroth going over the edge).

And this is where things begin to get REAL interesting.

Genesis tempts Sephiroth to help him-offering an apple.

Sephiroth then does something a bit unexpected.

Sephiroth strikes the apple out of smiling Genesis’ hand.

This exchange goes right back to the Garden of Eden:

While tempting Sephiroth, Genesis offers an apple. The apple is commonly depicted as the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil:

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made [Genesis is also a master of subtlety]. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil [Just like Satan, Genesis offers knowledge, to proverbially ‘open’ Sephiroth’s ‘eyes.’ Also like Satan’s knowledge, this revelation brings death and suffering to all involved].

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” (Genesis 3:1-7)

So we’re basically seeing Genesis as a representation of Satan. Let’s go to a chapter depicting Satan tempting Jesus, and see if there are any similarities to the exchange we just saw:

“And when the tempter [Satan] came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread [Here’s Satan using desire as a temptation (like Genesis), as Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights before this meeting]. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” (Matthew 4:3-11)

Sephiroth, like Jesus, rebuffs the temptation and throws the failure in Genesis’ face. And like Satan, when confronted with failure, Genesis departed.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

However, UNLIKE Jesus, the damage had already been done to Sephiroth’s psyche and he went on to commit horrible crimes like the Nibelheim Incident.

• Finally, here is a scene from the birth of Jesus:

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12)

Sephiroth’s final form is known as Safer∙Sephiroth.

This is translated in German andSpanish as:

• Spanish: Salvador Sefirot – Saviour Sephiroth

• German: Retter Sephiroth – Saviour Sephiroth

However, Sephiroth cannot immediately launch into this form. First, he must become Bizarro∙Sephiroth.

The soundtrack for this form is Birth of a God.

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From the examinations above, we can clearly see that Sephiroth, the son of Jenova (a replacement of God), is “another Jesus.” As well as a false Christ, false savior, false god-the Devil (first explained in the conclusion of Final Fantasy and the Bible Part 1: Sephiroth).
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Come back next time for the conclusion of this series, One-Winged Angel Part 2!

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*More articles about video games and the Bible.