The title screen for the Sephiroth Challenge

TheSephiroth Challenge was a mode introduced in version10.0.0 ofSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, allowing players to unlock the contents ofChallenger Pack 8 (sans non-fighterspirits) when purchased prior to its official release date. It was announced inMr. Sakurai Presents "Sephiroth", running from December 17th, 2020 until December 22nd, 2020, and would be removed in version10.1.0. The mode uniquely features menus and sound effects based onFinal Fantasy VII.

After selecting adifficulty of Easy, Normal, or Very Hard,Sephiroth must be defeated by any otherfighter in a one-on-oneStamina Mode match inNorthern Cave withitems andFinal Smash Meter turned off. The player had 150 HP, while Sephiroth had 100, 150, and 200 HP in Easy, Normal, and Very Hard respectively. The stage was in its normal form in Easy and Normal, and in itsΩ form in Very Hard. Sephiroth's dealt and received damage were respectively ×0.965 and ~×1.32 on Easy, ×1.325 and ~×1.08 on Normal, and ×1.45 and ~×0.84 on Very Hard.

The player was rewarded upon completing the mode in any difficulty and the challenge could be freely retried. After each victory, a screen showing the difficulty chosen and time elapsed in the match was presented. The player was able to push the Y button to "Share" an automatically taken screenshot of the screen and promptly share it on social media platforms.

The mode'scharacter selection screen playedMain Theme of FINAL FANTASY VII. During the match,One-Winged Angel played on Easy and Normal, whileAdvent: One-Winged Angel played on Very Hard.

Gallery[edit]

• 

  The menu to select the difficulty, with checkmarks besides them to indicate they've been cleared.

• 

  The Sephiroth Challenge cleared on Very Hard.

• 

  The Sephiroth Challenge as seen from the Main Menu.

Names in other languages[edit]

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	セフィロスチャレンジ,Sephiroth Challenge	—
English	Sephiroth Challenge	—
French	Le défi de Séphiroth	Sephiroth's challenge
German	Sephiroth-Herausforderung	Sephiroth Challenge
Spanish (PAL)	El desafío de Sefirot	Sefirot's challenge
Spanish (NTSC)	El desafío de Sephiroth	Sephiroth's challenge
Italian	La sfida di Sephiroth	Sephiroth's challenge
Chinese (Simplified)	挑战萨菲罗斯,Challenge Sephiroth	—
Chinese (Traditional)	挑戰賽菲羅斯,Challenge Sephiroth	—
Korean	세피로스 챌린지,Sephiroth Challenge	—
Dutch	Krachtmeting met Sephiroth	Showdown with Sephiroth
Russian	Вызов Сефироту	Sephiroth Challenge

Trivia[edit]

• Initially, Sakurai planned to have the mode playable once; those who failed would lose the ability to unlock Challenger Pack 8 early. This idea was eventually scrapped.
  • Sakurai stated developing the mode was difficult but a fun challenge.^[1]
• Sephiroth's pose on the Sephiroth Challenge screen slightly resembles his appearance in key artwork ofFinal Fantasy VII Remake.^[2]
• Sephiroth Challenge andChallenger's Approach are the only modes inUltimate that can become permanently unavailable.
• Unlike other single-player modes, such asClassic Mode orWorld of Light, moves for the player and Sephiroth couldstale.
• Following the mode's release,speedruns of it became a minor trend within the community. The fastest known record with video proof is1.50 seconds by djf2564 on Very Hard difficulty, with the usage ofHero'sWhack move, as it has an extremely low chance to instantly KO with damage.

References[edit]

• Modes (SSBU)