Sephiroth (Final Fantasy) - Musical Themes

Musical Themes

In Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth is the focus of three pieces of music written by series composer Nobuo Uematsu. His primary theme is "Those Chosen by the Planet" (星に選ばれし者, Hoshi ni Erabareshi Mono?), a piece utilizing bells, low drums, and a deep chorus, which accompanies Sephiroth's appearances throughout the game. In the final battle, "Birth of a God" (神の誕生, Kami no Tanjō?) plays while the player combats Sephiroth's first form, "Bizarro Sephiroth" (also known as "Reverse Sephiroth"). The most well-known piece is "One-Winged Angel" (片翼の天使, Katayoku no Tenshi?, lit. "An Angel With a Wing on One Side") which is played during the final confrontation with Sephiroth. In an interview featured on G4's Game Makers (formerly Icons), Uematsu revealed that this piece was designed to be a fusion of the musical styles of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky and rock musician Jimi Hendrix. The song revolves around his character, as this was what Uematsu was thinking about when writing it. Two official covers have been done of this song. The first is a different orchestration found in Kingdom Hearts, the second is found in Advent Children, which plays throughout the battle between Cloud and Sephiroth, and features the progressive metal stylings of Nobuo Uematsu's band The Black Mages, as well as orchestral elements and new lyrics. There is also a fourth version titled "The World's Enemy" that plays in Crisis Core.