Sephiroth's Apparent Ambidexterity

I suspect my SO has already given me the answer to why this is, but I wondered if any of you have a real answer, or better theories.

In the OG, Sephiroth is right-handed. For a while after realising this, I thought it to be because most of the time one encounters "Sephiroth" in the OG, it's actually Jenova being controlled by him. So maybe Jenova is right-handed, forcing Seph to work with it that way. Then I realised that in the very final battle (you know, that really easy one where Cloud omnislashes him), he is also right-handed. Theory up in smoke.

So Benj reckons they simply didn't put any thought into, and decided later that he ought to be left-handed, because right is good and left... is... bad. Or something?

Edit: I went looking for images of times when we know it's Sephiroth, and I am genuinely confused again. Second theory up in smoke (Pun intended)

I think (don't have official word on that) that Sephiroth was always meant to be left-handed. He is left-handed in all the FMVs and CG stills. His model for normal field scenes is right-handed but I honestly think that's an oversight. Either way, Sephiroth is meant to be this "super awesome character" so it wouldn't surprise me if he is technically ambidextrous, only he chooses to use his left.

(You will see that while Sephiroth ends up holding the Masamune with his right hand when he loses the battle against Cloud in the lifestream, Sephiroth is left-handed in the FMV that plays before the battle.)

Shademp, you beat me to it by minutes

I think the real question is simply, why was he right-handed in the final battle? Also, why was he right-handed during all the other encounters?

A) I reckon simple oversight, and B) either the same as A or just that Jenova was more in control and was right-handed. As Rufus said, it is merely my speculation.

Blargon said:

As Rufus said, it is merely my speculation.

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^fixed. (See our smilie list to find that gif)

Wahahaha, thanks, I didn't know that one existed.

Shademp said:

Either way, Sephiroth is meant to be this "super awesome character" so it wouldn't surprise me if he is technically ambidextrous, only he chooses to use his left.

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That is also a logical assumption, as a left-handed fighter can sometimes gain an advantage in combat due to his opponents being unused to the change. Although he technically exposes himself to the same openings that his right-handed opponent is exposed to, he knows how to exploit them whereas the regular right-handed fighter doesn't.

So it could have been a conscious choice which only served to increase his power and thus his reputation.

Shademp said:

(You will see that while Sephiroth ends up holding the Masamune with his right hand when he loses the battle against Cloud in the lifestream, Sephiroth is left-handed in the FMV that plays before the battle.)

Click to expand...

Yeah, I re-watched it now and noticed that.

My strongest association with right-handed Sephiroth is after he kills Aeris and stands there waiting for/hearing an applause. Is it possible that they were limited programming wise, which is why most of the in-game animations has him right-handed? Or is my Jenova theory possibly true?

I like the he-just-dat-badass one. That's my new headcanon for this.



In my mind, this gif is "Bitch, I'm fabulous".

Watch him fight Cloud in AC/C, he switches which hand he's swinging with more than once if I remember right (both in terms of single arm techniques and which hand is dominant in a two handed grip), even if he does mostly stick with his left. Dude is shifty.

That is a truth fact - and it lends credibility to the ambidextrous/left-handed-by-choice theory...

I don't see what the big deal is, I would imagine that being ambidextrous would actually be a good thing for a swordsman like Sephiroth. You know, in a tactical way?

That being said, I like to imagine that Sephiroth writes with his left hand and has terrible handwriting.