Sephiroth's Legs: Gone.

[Squall of SeeD]

I realize this discussion is already dead, but I thought I would add that Sephiroth's body wasn't wearing clothes at all in the Mako crystal. It, in fact, didn't even have a lower half:

Linkage 1.
Linkage 2.

[Destai]

I always thought he was bare chested but was wearing skin tight black pants like in the final battle. I cant explain the second one.

[Captain Maxx Power]

What haven't you seen Six Million Dollar man? (recently updated to six billion dollar man due to inflation). Jenova has the technology, she can rebuild him. Be sure to listen for the "chikachikachika" sound effects in the final battle.

[Weimar Pluto Knight VII]

Hmm, now I do believe he doesn't have a lower half. You can see rocks behind him where his abdomen should be.

Maybe the FMV artists didn't have enough time to finish him or thought, "The scene goes by so fast, they won't notice. Their attention will be drawn to Sephiroth's face and chest." It worked on me. I rarely watch the beautiful FFVII FMV outside of the game, and I usually have not analysed them frame by frame.

[TheSpoonyBard]

Destai, please explain the second one. I would be entrigued to discover at exactly which point Sephiroth became an uber-cephalopod.

[Weimar Pluto Knight VII]

I think that's a typo. Destai probably meant he couldn't explain the 2nd one.

[TheSpoonyBard]

Shame. I was looking forward to hearing about Sephiroctopus.

I guess after being thrown around in the Lifestream for years on end and then being encased in Mako for equally as long his body began to change, much like the 'SOLDIER members' discovered in the Mt. Nibel reactor

[Destai]

Destai, please explain the second one. I would be entrigued to discover at exactly which point Sephiroth became an uber-cephalopod.

Sorry but I dont get what you mean. I was saying the first time I saw the FMV I thought he was dressed the same as he was in the one on one showdown between Cloud and him. Ube-cephalopod?
Edit: Oh right, Can"T"

[Camanche]

To me, I don't think the FMV should be taken so literally. If there is nothing below the torso, why would they make his hair sweep forward to cover his nether regions? I can see how it doesn't look like there's anything there period, but I'll just guess that this was Square hurrying things up, and deciding to not fully animate every part of Sephiroth's nekkid body when they can just "obscure" it in dark mako crystal, shadows and hair. The FMV's were groundbreaking at the time, yes, but not perfect. I think it was just a way to save time. Most wouldn't catch Sephiroth's appearent handicap unless studying the FMV frame by frame, which it was never intended to be.

[Chocobilly]

Camanche is probably right, it does seem like they were just trying to be fast about it.....but still.... it almost looks like hair is coming out of his abs or something....
My personal opinion is that Sephi had been in that materia soooo long that he was starting to degrade or something. Knowhatimean guys? I think that he may look like that because of his degredation process, but that wouldn't explain why his upper body is still intact..... hmm... maybe....

Wait wait! Invisible pants!!!!

[Mindflare]

I think it was just something they did to avoid showing him naked, as they obviously couldn't do that.

[Chocobilly]

I think it was just something they did to avoid showing him naked, as they obviously couldn't do that.

That would certainly make sense.... but why did they have to take them all the way off??? couldn't they just like... you know..... show a definitionless lowerbody?

[Luthien Rogue]

Camanche:

To me, I don't think the FMV should be taken so literally. If there is nothing below the torso, why would they make his hair sweep forward to cover his nether regions?

What're you talking about? His hair doesn't move at all during the FMV, go watch it again. The hair you see in the screnes Squall provided is behind his body.

I can see how it doesn't look like there's anything there period,

You can see hair where his lower body should be, meaning his lower body is gone.

but I'll just guess that this was Square hurrying things up, and deciding to not fully animate every part of Sephiroth's nekkid body when they can just "obscure" it in dark mako crystal, shadows and hair.

But they didn't. You have two solid objects, one right in front of the other: Layer one (the back layer) is Sephy's hair. Layer two (in front of Layer one) is where Sephy's lower body should be. Explain why you can see Layer one, but not Layer two?

The FMV's were groundbreaking at the time, yes, but not perfect. I think it was just a way to save time.

You say they animated his hair to flow in front of him and cover his... his lower anatomy. :P And used lighting and the Mako to hide it. How is animating his hair, using lighting and shadows, and adding more Mako going to save more time than creating Sephy with a lower body in a non-animated scene? o_O

Chocobilly:

My personal opinion is that Sephi had been in that materia soooo long that he was starting to degrade or something. Knowhatimean guys? I think that he may look like that because of his degredation process, but that wouldn't explain why his upper body is still intact..... hmm... maybe....

It's more likely that this happened when he fell into the Reactor. Mako would preserve his body.. and, as you said, it doesn't make sense that his entire lower body would deteriorate, while his entire upper body is in perfect condition.

[PhoenixAsh]

Do you ever actually see Sephiroth's legs after that FMV? I can't remember, but I suspect the only verion of Seph after you see that with legs is the 'image' version. He doesn't have legs in the final battle to my recollection...

[Chocobilly]

So he coooooooooooould have no legs in general.... interesting development. He was born without legs... all the kids made fun of him, but he showed them didn't he.