User blog:Riolu-San/Useful Notes: Kefka vs Sephiroth

Kefka
"Read my lips—mercy is for wimps! There's a reason "oppose" rhymes with "dispose"...If they get in your way, kill them!"

Sephiroth
"I knew ever since I was a child, I was not like the others. I knew mine was a special existence. But this is not what I meant!"

Kefka
Kefka is thirty-five years old and Emperor Gestahl's right-hand man. At least sixteen years ago [2] , Kefka was the first experimental Magitek Knight, which gifted him magical power, but shattered his sanity as the process had not been perfected yet. [3]  Kefka became a cruel, destructive madman, and acquired a reputation as one of the most dangerous men in the Gestahlian Empire. About six years after the procedure, the imperial military was restructured with Kefka and  Leo Christophe being involved. Kefka used a slave crown to control  Terra Branford—a half-human half-esper girl the emperor had kidnapped from the  Esper World when she was but a baby who can use  magic naturally—as a test of whether its enslaving effects were effective, Kefka had her burn fifty imperial soldiers alive.

Kefka sends Terra to Narshe to acquire the recently discovered frozen esper, Valigarmanda, sending   Biggs and Wedge<span style="color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;line-height:22px;">  <span style="color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;line-height:22px;">with her. Espers are magical beings who were thought to have become extinct long ago, and with them, magic use fell into legend. The mission fails when Valigarmanda awakens, dispatches Biggs and Wedge, and damages the slave crown, restoring Terra's free will but leaving her with <span style="color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;line-height:22px;">  amnesia<span style="color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;line-height:22px;">.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Kefka comes to Figaro Castle seeking Terra under orders from Gestahl and presumably as part of a reconnaissance mission. He complains about Figaro's location amid a desert and makes his soldiers to wipe his boots from sand. King Edgar, who is sheltering Terra in the hopes she will join the Returners against the empire, conceals her whereabouts. Kefka doesn't believe Edgar and sets the castle on fire. When the castle burrows under the desert, Kefka has his bodyguards attack the fleeing Edgar, Terra and Locke Cole. The trio dispatches them and leaves Kefka fuming.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;"><span style="color:(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;">Kefka comes to the kingdom of  Doma<span style="color:(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;"> as part of a battalion led by General Leo Cristophe. It is rumored Kefka will replace Leo as the general of the imperial military, to which at least one soldier declares he'd quit if Gestahl ever let it happen. Although Leo wants to win  the siege<span style="color:(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;"> with minimal casualties, Kefka plots to poison the river and kill the castle's population. After Leo is called away by Emperor Gestahl, Kefka orders the imperials to dump the poison. One soldier is reluctant as there are captured imperials within the base and Edgar's brother Sabin Rene Figaro and his assassin accomplice  Shadow<span style="color:(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;">attempt to stop him, but Kefka dumps the poison himself, killing everyone in the castle except for  Cyan Garamonde<span style="color:(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;"> and a Doma Sentry, all the while musing about the music of the unified screams of hundreds of voices.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;"><span style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);">As the Returners reunite in Narshe, Kefka leads an imperial force to the clifftops above Narshe to claim Valigarmanda. Kefka persuades his reluctant forces to slaughter everything to get the esper, but the Returners guard it and,  after fighting off his troops<span style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);">, confront Kefka in battle. Defeated, Kefka flees, but swears revenge.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;"><span style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);">Terra, who has joined the Returners after escaping her predicament as a tool for the empire, confronts Valigarmanda, and is transformed into an esper herself and flies off. Tracking her down, the Returners meet the esper  Ramuh<span style="font-weight:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);">, who tells them the true source of magic:  magicite<span style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);">, an esper's remains, which can teach magic at a higher concentration than  Magitek<span style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);">, the magic technology the empire had devised to project its power and take over the world. The Returners use  Setzer Gabbiani<span style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);">'s  airship<span style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);">, the  Blackjack<span style="font-weight:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);">, to fly to  Vector<span style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);"> and release the espers imprisoned by the empire they had captured during their raid of the Esper World many years ago.

Sephiroth
<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Sephiroth was born to Professor Hojo and Lucrecia Crescent approximately twenty-seven years before Final Fantasy VII (exact date of birth unknown<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-timeline_1-1">[2] ). Hojo and Lucrecia were working as assistants to Professor Gast, Shinra Electric Power Company's top scientist, on the Jenova Project that studied the remains of an extra-terrestrial entity known as Jenova. Jenova was mistaken as one of the Cetra, an ancient people who had the power to "talk to the Planet." Hojo injected cell samples from Jenova into the pregnant Lucrecia and her unborn baby. She carried Sephiroth to term, his fetal form merging with the Jenova cells as he developed. After the baby was born, he was taken away by Shinra scientists and Lucrecia never even had a chance to hold him.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Sephiroth never gained the ability to talk to the Planet, as he is not a true Cetra descendant, but Shinra found another use for him and raised Sephiroth to be a super soldier. They told him nothing of his true parentage, instead saying his mother's name was "Jenova" and telling him nothing of his father. Sephiroth felt different from other children but didn't know of the experiments that had created him. Sephiroth came to respect Professor Gast until he left Shinra, and considers Professor Hojo a hack scientist in comparison.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Sephiroth joined SOLDIER, and during Wutai War was instrumental in ensuring Shinra's dominance. He rose to the rank of SOLDIER First Class and was admired and respected as a great war hero, while those in Shinra considered his strength unequaled even by other First Class SOLDIERs. Many young men, including Cloud Strife and Genesis Rhapsodos, idolized Sephiroth, and sought to join SOLDIER to become heroes like him, making Sephiroth useful for Shinra as a propaganda tool. Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-<span style="color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;line-height:22px;"> shows an expanded version of events at the Nibelheim Incident, and Genesis plays a part in inciting Sephiroth's madness by telling Sephiroth he was born from the Jenova Project, its goal to produce a "monster." Disturbed by the creature in the reactor having the same name as his "mother," along with the once human monsters in the pods, Sephiroth makes his way to the  Shinra Manor<span style="color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;line-height:22px;"> that had been occupied by Shinra researchers, and pores over the research notes in the basement  library<span style="color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;line-height:22px;"> wondering why he was never told the truth of his origins. He comes to believe Jenova is a Cetra, and therefore he, as Jenova's "son", is the last Cetra survivor. He falls into insanity and comes to believe the human race had betrayed the Cetra 2,000 years ago leaving them alone to defend the Planet from a calamity (eventually revealed to have been Jenova itself), and resolves to take vengeance for his "ancestors."

<p style="font-weight:normal;margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">On October 1st, Sephiroth destroys Nibelheim, setting the town on fire and killing many of the townspeople, before returning to the reactor to claim Jenova's remains. He is pursued by Tifa's father, Tifa, Zack, and Cloud. At the reactor, Tifa, a girl living in the town who had been Sephiroth's group's guide up the mountain, takes up Sephiroth's Masamune from her father's corpse and attacks him, but he disarms her and cuts her down. Shortly after Sephiroth enters Jenova's chamber, Zack arrives and attacks him.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Zack fights Sephiroth but is defeated and tossed out of the chamber. Cloud enters and picks up Zack's Buster Sword, rushing after Sephiroth. Caught off-guard, Sephiroth is impaled from behind through the abdomen and collapses. As Cloud leaves to tend to Tifa, Sephiroth slices off Jenova's head and stumbles from the room. Cloud attacks him again, but Sephiroth impales him with the Masamune.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Out of sheer force of will Cloud pulls the sword out of his chest and uses it as a lever to hurl Sephiroth into a pool of Mako below the reactor. Sephiroth vanishes with Jenova's head still in his grasp, apparently falling to his death. In Last Order -Final Fantasy VII- the scene depicts Sephiroth jumping into the pool of Mako willingly, having noted he is unable to defeat Cloud. Following the Nibelheim Incident, Shinra seals the records on Sephiroth, declaring him killed in action, and rebuilds Nibelheim to cover up the incident, populating it with Shinra employees paid to act as the villagers.

Kefka
<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Although initially Kefka seems lighthearted, his true nature is maniacal, short-tempered, flamboyant, destructive, and cruel. He is a psychopath with no regard for human life nor remorse for the atrocities he commits, and revels in the suffering of others. He cracks dark jokes, breaks out into hysterical laughter upon causing mayhem, and his only joy is causing death and chaos. His bio in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy states he lacks self-control.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">When the Returners infiltrate the Magitek Research Facility Kefka claims he is all-powerful, and intends to become a god, suggesting Kefka suffers from megalomania. According to the Final Fantasy VI creation guide, he is narcissistic, being fascinated with the image in the mirror and dressing up for mirrors. This is implied inDissidia with Kefka's mirror match quotes being compliments on the other Kefka's appearance. Kefka is a manchild, referring to fighting as "playing" and treating Terra as a doll to be toyed with. In the Japanese versions of Final Fantasy VI and Dissidia Final Fantasy, Kefka frequently uses the first-person pronoun boku-chin when referring to himself, a pronoun usually reserved for young boys.

Sephiroth
<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Prior to his madness, as shown in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, Sephiroth maintains an outwardly professional demeanor during his time at Shinra. While his cold exterior and professional attitude turn people away, he is not anti-social, as he values his friendship with his only friends Angeal Hewleyand Genesis Rhapsodos, and willingly tells Zack and Tifa about Mako andMateria on Mt. Nibel. At times, Sephiroth acts more humane and caring than his reputation would suggest, disobeying orders due to conflict of interest if it would impact his friends, and offering his blood for a transfusion to help Genesis when he was injured.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Sephiroth is intelligent and respects those he deems worthy—he considers Professor Gast Faremis a great scientist, but scorns Professor Hojo. Well-spoken and graceful, Sephiroth is calm, collected, and in control, and he has a dry sense of humor. Rarely, he can be frustrated and caught off-guard. As the strongest SOLDIER alive, Sephiroth is confident to the point of arrogance. Despite this, he has no interest in personal fame or glory, as he tells Genesis, who envies Sephiroth's reputation as a hero, that he can have it.

Kefka
<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Kefka grows more powerful as the story progresses. He attacks Sabin in theImperial Camp with a simple Morning Star, and could be injured by any attack (although he remarks after the second battle he was holding back). In Narshe, he knows strong spells for that point in the game, but they are overall weak in the scope of the entire spell list—his strongest spell at this time is Blizzara.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Kefka acquires more power by absorbing the espers' strength, and by the time he arrives in Thamasa, he can project illusions, single-handedly kill dozens of espers while being immune to their powers, and presumably can use Banish. He can disable the espers' powers, an ability strongly implied to result in the destruction of anyone in close proximity, as evidenced by the disappearance of the three Magitek Armor troopers who accompany him when he uses it. He is still vulnerable at this point, as Celes stabs him aboard the Floating Continent, although he seems more angry than hurt.

<p style="font-weight:normal;margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Following his taking control over the Warring Triad, Kefka becomes the God of Magic and his strength increases exponentially. He exploits the abilities of warping reality: elemental manipulation, power bestowal, and magical absorption. He utilizes telekinesis, and can project a pyramid-shaped magical field around him, although it is not specified whether it was intended to be a magical barrier, or a projection of his power. Now knowing the most powerful magical attacks, includingUltima, Kefka levitates debris from around the world to form his tower. He usesLight of Judgment to smite those who do not acknowledge his rule, and at least half a dozen towns are devastated.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Kefka creates various new monsters to guard his tower, including the revived, but weakened, Warring Triad themselves. Kefka creates a new magical spell called Forsaken, (known as "Goner" in the original U.S. SNESrelease) his signature attack with a magic power of 220, the highest in the game. However, Forsaken does not ignore defense, limiting its potential power. Kefka can use his wings for offense, appropriately referred to asHavoc Wing. In Dissidia Final Fantasy Kefka can use Havoc Wing in his regular form in addition to his god form, although he needs to partially transform into his god form to sprout the wings. He can summon angels to sap others of their strength, called Fallen One (Heartless Angel in the GBA remake).

Sephiroth
<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">The full extent of Sephiroth's abilities is unknown. It is stated in the official book Reunion Files that the Sephiroth seen in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children has "ascended to a new level of existence" and is stronger than before. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children producer Yoshinori Kitase has said, "Sephiroth's existence and will is extremely powerful. There is nothing stronger, nothing above him." Though Cloud and others have been able to battle Sephiroth competently, it is implied in most of these fights that Sephiroth was not fighting at his full potential, his power being somehow limited or he was holding back.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">As a human prior to the Nibelheim Incident, Sephiroth possessed superhuman strength, speed, agility, endurance and reflexes. He is a master swordsman and can produce beams of energy by swinging his Masamune, can swing faster than the human eye can see, and cut through solid metal and concrete. In his boss battle in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- he can teleport, his only shown instance of doing so in the Final Fantasyseries.

<p style="font-weight:normal;color:(0,0,0);font-size:14px;line-height:22px;">Following his assimilation of Jenova and his immersion in the Lifestream, Sephiroth's powers increase dramatically. He can cast magic without the need for Materia, can fly, levitate, project illusions into the minds of other beings, and manifest the Masamune at will. Through his control over Jenova, Sephiroth can shapeshift her cells into his visage and other forms, and act through them as though they were his own body. This allows Sephiroth to remain "alive" even when dead, by morphing Jenova's cells into a new body to act through from within the Lifestream, but his ability to do this is limited. He can mentally manipulate creatures that contain Jenova's cells in their body, and if their mind is weak enough, can exert total control over their bodies, and can control the "negative Lifestream" composed of those who died of Geostigma.