LogFAQs > #923877015

DevsBro posted...

Zaltera posted...

After falling into the Lifestream, Sephiroth absorbed an enormous amount of knowledge concerning the world and history. He eventually became able to bend Jenova to his will and used it to manipulate Cloud and the rest of the clones into acquiring and delivering the black materia for his plan.

Sephiroth was in control.

This, plus the other way around doesn't make sense for the structure of the story anyway. If Jenova were in charge and Seph her pawn, why would Seph be the final boss instead of Jenova? I guess it could work ifwe had further indication that Seph had completely lost it (a la X6 Sigma) after Jenova's defeat but we don't see any indication that it affected him at all.

Of course we also don't see any indication that Jenova was ultimately destroyed then either.

Official 'Word of God' agrees with you two, that Sephiroth somehow maintained his autonomy here. I still think the inverse theory, that Jenova has been controlling him from jump, is better supported by the plot of the game itself. He's not acting in ways one ought were they last surviving Cetra (like Aeris, post Temple of the Ancients); but he's executing Jenova's original plan to a T, down to draining the lifeforce of the planet and seeking out other worlds to infect with Jenova.

Worse, I think it's kind of obvious. The Ancients went to great lengths to seal away Jenova's Black Materia, and know how to summon Holy to deflect Meteor, and they knew it from experience because they had already defeated Jenova in the past. Every action Sephiroth takes in the main game has him staring down a lot of circumstantial evidence that contradicts the story he believes about himself, Jenova, and their heritage. But he's still 100%, committed to a plan that isn't really even his. And he's been that way ever since his trigger snapped in the basement of Shinra Mansion.
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