Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Challenger Pack 8: Sephiroth (DLC)

Challenger Pack 8 adds Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster, and the character is a genuinely distinct addition rather than another cookie-cutter swordie. He plays like a keep-away zoner who punishes aggression from a distance, then pivots into explosive close-range burst damage when the moment is right. If you've ever wanted to slowly snap your fingers and watch five orbiting Shadow Flare projectiles detonate on a panicking opponent, this pack delivers exactly that fantasy. The Masamune is the longest sword in the entire game, giving Sephiroth reach that lets him bully opponents and cover ledges without committing to risky approaches. His neutral special Flare can be held to charge up into the slow, screen-eating Gigaflare, which is genuinely capable of KO-ing opponents at zero percent if they don't respect the threat. Up special Blade Dash snaps to the ledge for clean recovery, and if you hold the input, it extends into Octaslash, a multi-hit flurry that covers serious distance but punishes hard if the opponent reads it. Down special Scintilla is a counter that works even against undamaged attacks, and its success hitbox is large and kill-capable. The toolkit rewards players who like playing mind games and conditioning opponents rather than rushing in headfirst. The elephant in the room is that Sephiroth is fragile and slow on his smash attacks. All his smash moves carry over 20 frames of startup, and forward smash plus up smash are heavily negative on block, meaning opponents who close the gap and read those commitments will make your life very difficult. He's also on the lighter side for a big sword character, so early kills against him are real. The Winged Form comeback mechanic, which activates around 80 to 90 percent damage and grants a third jump, super armor on smash attacks, and a 1.3x damage multiplier, partially offsets this, but some competitive players noted it felt like one comeback mechanic too many in a roster that already had several. For couch play, though, that wing popping out and completely flipping a stock is the kind of dramatic moment that gets the whole room yelling. The pack bundles in the Northern Cave stage, pulled from Final Fantasy VII's final act, and nine music tracks including the one everyone bought this for. It's a clean, well-built stage without gimmicks that disrupt competitive play. Classic Mode gives Sephiroth a boss-focused route that fits the character. The content-per-cost ratio is in line with every other Challenger Pack, and if you already own Fighters Pass Vol. 2 this is included. For FF7 fans who've been waiting to live out that one specific power fantasy, Sephiroth's Winged Form and Supernova Final Smash hit exactly the right dramatic notes. For competitive players, the high ceiling on Shadow Flare setups and edgeguard reads provides a long mastery curve that holds up well past the honeymoon period.

Riley · Scout Team

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