Sephiroth (Sefirosu) is the game's main antagonist, and is known to be the most powerful member of SOLDIER ever, rising to a prominent rank at an early age. After a traumatic incident in which he learned of what he assumed to be his true origins, he left SOLDIER and indeed civilization altogether with plans to become a god-like power by wounding the Planet with Meteor and absorbing the entirety of the Lifestream sent to heal the damage. He manipulates and tortures Cloud over the course of the game, including killing Aerith at the Forgotten City. Cloud destroys Sephiroth at the end of the game; however, he returns for a short time in the sequel Final Fantasy VII Advent Children where he is reborn through the body of Kadaj and subsequently defeated once again by Cloud. Sephiroth is also a member of the party for a very short period during a flashback sequence, but is controlled by the computer during combat and the player cannot change his equipment and materia.
