Summary
The original voice actor forKingdom 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 originalKingdom Heartsbroke 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 ofFinal Fantasy 8’s Squall Leonhart andFinal Fantasy 7’s Aerith Gainsborough. One of the most notable aspects of the original game was its superbosses, giving players the chance to fightFF7’s big bad, Sephiroth.
TheKingdom Heartsversion ofSephirothis 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 firstKingdom Hearts, and is aware of the boss' reputation.
In a Reddit AMA hosted by Lance Bass and his husband Michael Turchin (this AMA was originally done in 2015, but was recently uncovered byGamesRadar), Bass was asked about if he had ever playedKingdom Heartsand if he ever defeated the character he voiced. Bass answered that he was “badass” as the character, but noted thatSephiroth is also one ofKingdom 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 ofKingdom 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 becomea secret boss inKingdom Hearts 2, continuing his rivalry with Cloud. However, he wouldn’t return forKingdom 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 inKingdom Hearts, George Newbern would become the English voice for Sephiroth, starting withKingdom Hearts 2.Sephiroth was recast again for theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy, where he’s voiced by Tyler Hoechlin.
Kingdom Hearts
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.
