Giving developers a voice means having the opportunity to discover more about the behind-the-scenes of their favorite games, but also sometimes to get answers to questions that may be bothering fans. Very recently, for example, we saw this with Neil Druckmann, creator of The Last of Us, who put an end to a mystery surrounding the ending of the first opus for twelve years. And we have further proof with Tetsuya Nomura, director of FF7 Remake, who made big revelations about the character of Sephiroth.
A Final Fantasy 7 mystery finally solved
The main antagonist of FF7, Sephiroth quickly became an iconic character in the franchise, sometimes going beyond its borders to appear in other games. Recently, he naturally made a notable comeback in the game's remake, before taking on an even more prominent role in its sequel, FF7 Rebirth. Since then, however, one detail in particular has begun to raise questions among fans: the length of his sword. As the most observant among you will have undoubtedly noticed, it has a strange tendency to vary from one game to another.
When asked about this by the media outlet Polygon, Nomura, who is the original creator of the character, confirmed the information. But contrary to the assumptions put forward by some players, it turns out that this has nothing to do with any technical constraints. On the contrary, it is a deliberate choice on the part of the teams, who constantly adapt according to their desires depending on the games. "With each appearance, the length of his sword is adjusted based on the specifications of the title," the developer reveals.
"I have a rough guideline that his sword should be around three meters long, but it's never really been consistent in any of his appearances, including FF7 Rebith, or in any merchandising, etc." he then adds. And the fact is that it goes even further, since Nomura finally specifies that they made this detail a recognized specificity of the sword in the game universe. "The blade of the Masamune has an organic quality, lengthening and shortening as needed.".
The behind the scenes of the creation of Sephiroth
"In the second season of The First Soldier arc of FF7: Ever Crisis, which was recently released, there is a scene in which the Masamune lengthens for the first time," Nomura specifies. This is why he is taking the opportunity to ardently encourage fans to dive into it, going into more depth on how the young Sephiroth was able to obtain it, and especially on how it was forged.
Decidedly fascinating, this interview with Polygon was also an opportunity for him to return to the reasons which pushed him to attribute such a sword to the character. "The Masamune has appeared throughout the Final Fantasy series as the most powerful sword. When I was thinking about how to equip Sephiroth with a sword worthy of him, I thought there was no better option than [this one].".
An idea that became even more obvious to him when he saw the contrast it created with Cloud, the hero of FF7: "Every time Cloud underwent a design change, the buster sword that accompanied him seemed to get bigger. That's why I thought the juxtaposition between Cloud wielding a giant 'sword' and Sephiroth, who is much more powerful, wielding a 'katana' would be quite interesting." Fascinating, we tell you!
Source: Polygon
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