Summary
- Lance Bass, the original voice actor for Sephiroth in Kingdom Hearts, admits he's never beaten the tough superboss in the game.
- The first Kingdom Hearts game made waves as a Disney and Square Enix crossover, introducing the pairing of Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy.
- Sephiroth's portrayal in Kingdom Hearts by Lance Bass sparked a debate among fans about whether he was a good fit for the iconic character, but regardless, his performance as the character is memorable.
The original voice actor for Kingdom Hearts' version of Sephiroth, Lance Bass of boy band NSYNC, reveals that he's never beaten the superboss in the game. While it's a common name nowadays, the original Kingdom Hearts broke a lot of ground by being a semi-crossover of Disney and Square Enix properties, set in its own interconnected universe. Released in 2002, Sora teams up with Donald Duck and Goofy to combat the Heartless threatening their worlds, meeting the likes of Final Fantasy 8's Squall Leonhart and Final Fantasy 7's Aerith Gainsborough. One of the most notable aspects of the original game was its superbosses, giving players the chance to fight FF7's big bad, Sephiroth.
The Kingdom Hearts version of Sephiroth is infamous among fans, with the boss battle against him in the first game being considered one of the hardest fights in the entire series. Sephiroth is a secret boss that can only be fought when the player is close to beating the game by sealing the keyhole at Hollow Bastion and returning to the Olympus Coliseum. The other notable aspect about this portrayal of Sephiroth is his voice actor, Lance Bass, who is the bass singer of NSYNC. There is a debate on whether Bass was a good fit for Sephiroth, depending on the fan. Bass has only ever portrayed Sephiroth in the first Kingdom Hearts, and is aware of the boss' reputation.
Tetsuya Nomura Shares Details About Kingdom Hearts Pitch
Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura gives insight into how the idea to combine Disney and Final Fantasy into a 3D experience first came to be.
In a Reddit AMA hosted by Lance Bass and his husband Michael Turchin (this AMA was originally done in 2015, but was recently uncovered by GamesRadar), Bass was asked about if he had ever played Kingdom Hearts and if he ever defeated the character he voiced. Bass answered that he was "badass" as the character, but noted that Sephiroth is also one of Kingdom Hearts' most difficult bosses, stating that he's never beaten Sephiroth before. "No, I've never been able to kill my own character. He is so hard! But definitely one of the biggest surprises, when I tell people I voiced Sephiroth," said Bass.
Why Lance Bass' Sephiroth Struggles Aren't Surprising
Sephiroth has earned his reputation as being one of Kingdom Hearts' hardest boss fights, with his speed and power making him a formidable opponent. If players manage to defeat him, they are treated to a special cutscene that shows Cloud and Sephiroth about to clash, just like in their home game. Sephiroth would then become a secret boss in Kingdom Hearts 2, continuing his rivalry with Cloud. However, he wouldn't return for Kingdom Hearts 3, and his story with Cloud seems to have been put to a quiet end after their last confrontation.
Following Lance Bass' one-time portrayal in Kingdom Hearts, George Newbern would become the English voice for Sephiroth, starting with Kingdom Hearts 2. Sephiroth was recast again for the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, where he's voiced by Tyler Hoechlin.
- Released
- September 17, 2002
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Cross-Platform Play
- android, ios
- Cross Save
- yes
- Franchise
- Kingdom Hearts
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
WHERE TO PLAY
Kingdom Hearts follows a young boy named Sora and a cast of beloved Disney icons like Donald Duck, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse, as they fight back against the forces of the Darkness and the Heartless.
- Platform(s)
- PS2
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 29 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
