On January 31 of 1997, SquareSoft released Final Fantasy VII to store shelves and created a global phenomenon. Final Fantasy VII became the gateway to the RPG genre and Final Fantasy series for many children, including me. The expanse of the world and its characters enthralled players even to this day. For me, no character had a greater impact than the One-Winged Angel, Sephiroth.
The former 1st Class SOLDIER, Sephiroth, became one of Square-Enix’s most popular and lucrative characters from the Final Fantasy series. He has appeared in over 13 games and movies since he debuted in Final Fantasy VII. In addition to his multiple appearances, Square-Enix has created multiple pieces of merchandise surrounding Sephiroth. Within the menagerie of Sephiroth merchandise, several toys and figurines exist to entice fans of the character.
On April 10th of 2020, Square-Enix will reintroduce players to the phenomenon with the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake to the PlayStation 4. In celebration of this release, I will be counting down my top 10 Sephiroth toys.
10. 10th Anniversary Trading Arts with Potion
In celebration of Final Fantasy VII’s 10th Anniversary, on November 27, 2007, Square-Enix released a special set of Trading Arts toys packaged along with Potion Energy Drinks. The Potion drinks had 8 different can designs, each representing an aspect of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. Then, there were 8 blind-box figures, known as Trading Arts, based on characters from this series.
The Sephiroth from the 10th Anniversary set is based on the Final Fantasy VII Advent Children film. There is minimal assembly required for this figure. Out of the box, the wing, sword hand, head, body, and base come packaged separately. Once assembled, this figure stands at around 4.5 inches tall. Unfortunately, there is no articulation present.
While this trading arts toy has no articulation, the imposing stance sets this Sephiroth above others in my collection. The colors and stance give this toy a statuesque nature. Further elevating this toy above the others, this Trading Arts holds the honor of celebrating an anniversary year for the series.
9. Trading Arts Mini
If cuteness were the only factor for earning the top ranking in this list, the Trading Arts Mini Sephiroth would easily soar into first place. This figurine debuted in December of 2009 in the 4th volume of the blind-box Trading Arts Miniseries. For the North American release, Square-Enix packaged the figure as a boxed set along with Yuffie, Vivi, and Zidane.
Standing at just under 2.5 inches tall, this toy has a highly stylized design that gives it a childlike a cute appearance. Like the 10th Anniversary toy, this Sephiroth has no articulation, though the sword hand is removable. As seen in the picture, there painting had moments of spillage; however, it does not detract from the figure.
8. Play Arts Kingdom Hearts
In April of 2009, Square-Enix debuted the Kingdom Hearts variant of Sephiroth to their Play Arts toy line. This toy is different in design than those based on the Final Fantasy designs. In the Kingdom Hearts series, SquareSoft modified the designs of their characters to mesh them with Disney aesthetics. Thus, this Sephiroth design was the first to sport the single wing on the right side. Other differences are the bat wing on his right wrist and flared lower coat.
The Kingdom Hearts Play Arts figure stands at around 8 inches tall. This toy has a dynamic of articulation and a pair of alternate hands. While this Sephiroth is capable of several poses, the wing creates balancing issues. Luckily, the toy comes packaged with a stand that aids with posing this toy. Unfortunately, the wing does not move further than on a single pivot point.
Overall, this is a faithful recreation of Sephiroth’s Kingdom Hearts incarnation. Paint application for this design helps him stand out in a collection. Unfortunately, the toy suffers from limitations in articulation, such as his wing.
7. Play Arts Advent Children Version
In August of 2005, Square-Enix introduced their Play Arts line with four figures from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Which makes this Sephiroth one of the first toys ever produced by Square-Enix. Overall, the design from Advent Children mirrored the original design from the game. However, this design does sport longer hair than the original and extra buckles on the lower half of the coat.
Despite being one of the original Play Arts, the toy highlighted the range of articulation that the line became known for. While this figure stands unaided in a variety of poses, the accompanying display stand assists when the feet do not pivot fully. Also, this toy lacks an option for the wing found in the movie’s design.
Being a pioneer to Square-Enix’s toy merchandising lines, the Advent Children Sephiroth has special importance. However, in the years following, Square-Enix has improved engineering. Most notably, the wrist joints clutch onto the hands and may cause stress during removal.
6 Trading Arts Kai Mini
In June of 2013, Square-Enix broke tradition with its Trading Arts line and elevated it to the Trading Arts Kai mini line. This figure stands at just under 3 inches tall. Unlike prior iterations of these toys, this line was no longer a set of PVC figures. Instead, the Trading Arts Kai figures offered three alternate faces, an alternate torso, a pair of signs, and an alternate hand.
While this toy has limited articulation, it still offers a range of display options. The ability to swap out body pieces and faces offers customization. With the poses and customization opportunities, this toy stands out over the prior Trading Arts toys.
Continue to the top 5 spots on this list!