Shadow Sephiroth

[Jiro]

If the real Sephiroth is in the Northern Cave, and it is actually Jenova that we see around the world, what in the actual fuck are these projections? Are they in Cloud's head, or is a true "flashback" or what? I have never understood this. It's almost as spastic as the same warped crap with Rinoa in Final Fantasy VIII. I think SE just really liked this effect.

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[Jinx]

Well, it looks like the others see it as well, so I assume they're real.

Maybe Shera put something in their tea.

[Gamblet]

Maybe Shera put something in their tea.

Sit your ass down in that chair and drink your goddamn TEA!

[silentenigma]

One of the main characteristics of Jenova is its ability to adjust its appearance based on others' memories.

Or do you mean just with this scene, when Sephiroth is doubled and transparent?

[Jiro]

Just with this scene! It's perplexing.

[silentenigma]

Hmm. I always thought it was more of an atmospheric effect than a literal appearance. It's just a little later that they use the same effect on Cloud to signify mind/body (or, mind/consciousness) dissonance. Perhaps in this case it's signifying Sephiroth's unhinged state of mind at this time as well, as he approaches discovering the secret of Meteor.

Though now that I think about it, perhaps it's not just a symbol, but rather an actual spectral representation one's consciousness being out of sync with, or displaced from, the body. A more-extreme example, then, would be the scene where Cloud gives the black materia to Sephiroth for the first time, and Little Cloud has been completely blocked out. Or even when Cloud's consciousness is shown thrusting itself outward for the final Sephiroth battle.

I would believe these are true out-of-body experiences, but what do you think? Is the consciousness or soul really traveling away from the body, or is this a symbol in itself?

Edit: I had intended to mention that, of course, the spectres would only be visible to the player, not to any of the characters... with the exception of Tifa during the Lifestream sequence.

[Mercen-X]

Senovroth throughout the game chooses to isolate its appearance to be based solely on Cloud's memories of Sephiroth as he was the very last person to see him before the supersoldier plummeted toward "certain" doom at the bottom of that reactor. The scene in the Temple is the first time that Jephiroth loses focus due to being so close to the Black Materia.

[Sephiroth]

Both is true. It is Sephiroth and it is not Sephiroth.

Generally it is Sephiroth since it is his will who wanders around inside that body and you hear his words after he has activated the reunion. When it comes to the body however, it is just JENOVA's body formed to a replica of Sephiroth's.

The Sephiroth body you see is a newly formed body. He is not really transparet or anything, those are effects to show his supernatural powers of being able to teleport, to appear like some ghost, even though he is not really a ghost - the "Shadow" you have called him is very accurate, actually since it is always like you follow his shadow.

Sephiroth explains it. It is one of his and JENOVA's abilities. They can form JENOVA cells to change their appearance. And that is what was important for Sephiroth to appear as if he would run around with his original body. It is very close to what he did in Advent Children. He needs to know what a body looks like (and what he did forget about his own body in on the Way to a Smile) and can use JENOVA cells to change his appearance then. So through the memories of Cloud and the others in Advent Children he newly experienced what he looked like and then he was able to come back again with a newly formed body.

Maybe some people here think Sephiroth as you see him in Final Fantasy VII is just a product of his illusion ability but this is a seperate ability. Of course he wanted to run around with a "cloned" body of himself. And it has nothing to do with Cloud's memories when it comes to that. It is true Sephiroth holds a grudge against Cloud but during the time Sephiroth begins to run around he was in some "awakening"-state and did not even really remember Cloud. At least not at that time.

[Chris]

Sephiroth obviously used Double Team.

[Sephiroth]

Sephiroth obviously used Double Team.

Ah, ha, ha, ha. Yeah, that must be it.