Sephiroth vs Kefaka-winner is...
I actually found this peice at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sephiroth_(Kabbalah)
Sephirah, also Sefirah (סְפִירָה "enumeration" in Hebrew); plural: Sephiroth or Sefirot סְפִירוֹת.
In Judaism
Sefirot (or Enumerations), in the Kabbalah of Judaism, are the ten attributes that God (who is referred to as the Or Ein Sof "light [that is] without end") created through which he can project himself to the universe and man. These emanations manifest not only in the physical part of the universe, but also in the metaphysical one. Kabbalah distinguishes between four different "worlds" or "planes":
1. Atziluth (אֲצִילוּת), or "World of Emanations", on this level the light of the Ein Sof radiates and is still united with its source.
2. Beri'ah (בְּרִיאָה) or "World of Creation", on this level the first concept of creation ex nihilo however without any shape or form. This is also where the Highest Ranking Angels are to be found.
3. Yetzirah (יְצִירָה) or "World of Formation" on this level the created being assumes shape and form.
4. Asiyah' (עֲשִׂיָּה) or "World of Actions", on this level the creation is complete, however it is still in a spiritual level. At a later stage there is the 'phyisical Asiyah' comprising our phyisical world with all its creatures.
Each of these worlds are progressively grosser and further removed from any revealed Godliness, however the ten Sephiroth manifest in all of them.
The Sephiroth constitute the Kabbalistic tree of life, and are aligned in three columns, with each Keter connecting its 'world', with the Malkhuth of the 'world' above it.
The names of the Sephirot are:
1. Keter ("Crown"; כתר)
2. Chokhmah ("Wisdom"; חכמה)
3. Binah ("Understanding"; בינה)
4. Chesed ("Mercy"; חסד)
5. Gevurah ("Severity"; גבורה)
6. Tiphereth ("Glory"; תיפארת)
7. Netzach ("Eternity/Victory"; נצח)
8. Hod ("Majesty"; הוד)
9. Yesod ("Foundation"; יסוד)
10. Malkhut ("Kingdom"; מלכות)
(end)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safer_Sephiroth
I thought that i would share it as it seems to be a great point as to where square came up with the best villian in Final Fantasy history (cough)
If the name "Safer Sephiroth" comes across as a strange, even nonsensical, name for a final boss, it's because the name that appears in the English version of Final Fantasy VII is not the correct name. Like Helletic Hojo and many other Final Fantasy names, Safer Sephiroth is an unintentional mis-romanization of the original Japanese name.
A common rumor is that "Safer" is a misspelling of "Seraph", because of Safer Sephiroth's angelic nature. Although this rumor is false, Sephiroth does bear many similarities to a seraph, as seraphim are described in the Hebrew Bible as being humanoid angels with "six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew." Safer Sephiroth can easily be seen as a seraph missing one of its two flying wings - an imperfect, incomplete seraph. Still, as a source for the word "Safer," "Seraph" is incorrect.
The actual, intended name of "Safer Sephiroth" is "Sepher Sephiroth." "Sepher" is Hebrew for "Book," and "Sephiroth" is Hebrew for "Numbers," so the boss's name translates to "Book of Numbers" (ignoring Hebrew grammar, anyway). It is one of the many Kabbalistic references in Final Fantasy VII. The Sepher Sephiroth is a Kabbalistic treatise concerning the evolution God from a being of inactive rest to one of active creation. It relates to the ten Sephiroth, a central concept of the Kabbalah. This may relate to the origins and purpose of Jenova or the Lifestream, and the concept of "numbers" most obviously alludes to Sephiroth's many forms and the numbers tattooed on his clones.
Safer Sephiroth is also known as the "One Winged Angel" (despite having a total of five wings in this appearance) because of the extra wing he has on one side, and "One Winged Angel" is the name of the famous song which accompanies the battle with Safer Sephiroth. The title is also significant to Sephiroth's character because it drives home his "fallen angel" role, simultaneously capturing his power and glory and with his flawed, insane psyche. In Sephiroth's cameo appearance in Kingdom Hearts, although he looks nothing like Safer Sephiroth, he does have a single, large, feathered black wing behind his right arm, dramatically alluding to the "One Winged Angel" title.
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And Kefka recieves this description on the same page:
(summary)
Kefka is an insane, egomaniacal villain who starts out as a mere lackey but eventually acquires godlike powers. He is perhaps best remembered for his dedicated sound effect sample?, a shrill maniacal cackle, and his undying passion for revenge.
Kefka, as a character, has had a profound impact on the Final Fantasy series as well as role-playing games, and story-driven video games in general. Beyond his popularity with fans of the game, his presentation as a character was radically different from other final bosses, who were often large, demonic figures with no bearing on stories in video games other than to serve as a final challenge. Kefka broke this tradition, not only for his portrayal as a largely humorous character, but also plotwise, beginning the game as a low-level yes-man, gaining influence and power before finally becoming a global threat.
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about:
Kefka PalazzoKefka's full name is Kefka Palazzo, although this is not actually mentioned in the game. His first name is believed to be derived from the name of the author Franz Kafka. There seems to be a nod to the author in the fact that a song, "Metamorphosis," played during Kefka's actual transformation, shares a title with "The Metamorphosis."
Kefka, though a profoundly unique individual from the series, is not as prominent as one would expect among Americans, due to the fact that the Final Fantasy series' popularity in the United States only took off after Final Fantasy VII.
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Kefka rules over the planet for approximately one year, before the heroes of the game regroup and attack his stronghold. During their final battle, Kefka reveals to the heroes that he has developed a nihilistic revelation, explaining that life is meaningless and his goal is now the destruction of everything.
During the final battle with Kefka, the player must fight through several forms of the character, as is traditional with final bosses in role-playing games. Several of these forms are interpretations or parodies of Renaissance art, including Michelangelo's Pietà, with an image of Kefka replacing that of Jesus; as well as the character's final form, as an Angel of Death and an ironic reference to Lucifer (the 'fallen angel') by bearing the appearance of an angel.
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Which do you think is cooler? The insane Kefka wanting to destroy everything in the form of the anticrist as taken from revelations.
or
Sephiroth the artificial god, the form that Lucifer lusts for?
To me they are both very alike, with very deep religious roots - sephiroth in judism, and kefka in christianity.
I for one vote kefka as my favorite - as he is a monster, and a change and a well worked character imo. He doesnt have many famous quotes, but his intentions were raw and mallice - giving him my overall vote.
what do ya think of this info - found again at http://en.wikipedia.org They did thier good research there! :)
Bipper GOES
