I was a top ranking SOLDIER officer, the most powerful and skilled fighter there ever was, many people admired me. My final mission for Shinra was to investigate a Mako reactor in the Nibelheim mountains. I got to the reactor and inside I discovered capsules containing monsters, I saw that they were once human, but have been exposed to a large amount of Mako energy, so they mutated. the same way that Shinra SOLDIERs are given small doses of Mako energy to give them more power. Aswell as the capsules there was a chamber at the top with 'Jenova' written above it,I realisd that it is the same name as my mother's, I started to think. I wasn't a standard SOLDIER, I was the most powerful and the strongest SOLDIER in the Shinra army, this made me wonder if I was 'created' in the same way as the monsters in the capsules (since Jenova was kept in a chamber next to them), was I an experiment? My files were secret, kept locked away somewhere. Somehow I knew of the hidden library in the Shinra mansion (back in Nibelheim) and decided to go there and find out my origins
I disappeared for days in the Shinra Mansion library, reading everything I can find that might be connected with who I really am. I found out two major things, about the Ancients and the Jenova Project. I learned that I was created through the Jenova Project, and that Jenova was my mother. Here's a bit more on that project...
It began when scientists found an organism, 2000 years old which they identified as being one of the Ancients (Cetra).It was named, Jenova.A Crisis struck the planet, it put the lives of everyone and ultimately the entire planet in danger. Some of the Cetra fled from the danger, leaving the rest to die whilst saving the planet. The cowardly Cetra were the ancestors of humanity. The Cetra were an Ancient race of people who lived on the planet before humans did. They had special powers and could communicate with the planet. When they died they would go to the promised land, a place which Shinra decided would be full of Mako energy, so of course they wanted to find it. They appointed three scientists to work on the Jenova project, where they would recreate the Cetra using the cells of Jenova. Shinra wanted the recreated Cetra to lead them to the promised land. And it was through this project that I was created.
Since I was the son of Jenova, I believe that I am the rightful heir to the planet, and as the humans were traitors (since their ancestors were the Cetra who ran away from the crisis) they should be punished for what they did and I must return the planet to it's rightful owners, me and my mother, Jenova.
The meaning of my name:
If you look up information on the word "Sephiroth" you will see that it comes from the teachings of the Kabbalah. In the Kabbalah's teachings there are 10 Sephiroth (plural: Sephirah) symbolised in the Tree of Life. Each Sephiroth represents a path of ideas, attributes and concepts that one must realise and understand within oneself. Once that is done a person will have reached divine perfection, realised their Inner Christ and so forth.In relation to me, as throughout the game I'm striving to become like a god, to reach that perfection, and to go to the Promised Land. I have given you an [accurate] insight into the meaning behind myname. I am no expert on the Kabbalistic teachings, what I have written is only a [very] brief summary. My name, also might probally came from: The angel Sephious, one of the three angels that was banished to hell with Lucifer. He begged god not to send him to hell because he didnt deserve it. So god plucked one of his wings, but barred him from heaven. He was the angel of death and life, and was forced to keep the balance of good and evil
Where the name One-Winged Angel came from:
In one of my battles with Cloud, I took the form of an Angel. I had 6 white angel wings which supported me from beneath my body ( or my torso as it were), and then I had the dominant dark, strange looking wing coming from my right arm/shoulder (I presume this is the wing that gave me the title of "One-Winged Angel") making a total of 7 wings. However, as stated before, The angel Sephious one of the three angels that was banished to hell with Lucifer. Had begged god not to send him to hell because he didnt deserve it. So god plucked one of his wings.
The Masamune:
The Masamune is the name of my sword. It's an extremely long, curved (having the sword slightly curved gives it more strength to witdthstand battles) sword. It could be a No-Dachi, a six-foot war sword. And probably originated from Japan's Old Sword Period (called Koto) which was their Golden Age of swordmaking. This was when they forged blades with a curve to make them stronger and they also made long swords which were over four feet in length (which my masamune certainly is)."Mune" is the japanese name for the back of a sword, and there are all different kinds of classifications like "kakumune", "mitsu-mune", "mune-hikushi" etc. Which all mean different things about the backs of the sword, eg, mitsu-mune is a double back on a sword. 'Masamune' translates to 'straight back'/'straight backridge'. That's just a little bit about the Masamune and it's name literally. But most likely the name of Masamune comes from the Japanese swordsmith of the same name. One of the most reknowned Japanese swordsmiths of all time. Masamune lived during the Kamakura Era in Japan (late 1200s - early 1300s) and had an immense talent for sword-making. His swords were believed to have spiritual attributes to them, and some stories say only those with a pure soul could wield them.
Jenova:
At The "Knolespole", Jenova fell from the skies and wounded the planet. The cetra gathered there to Heal the wound she had caused with her arival, but the engery it took to heal the planet had made it wither. So the planet told them to leave. As they gathered to flee the knolespole, Jenova appeared to them,to toy with them. Jenova showed them their dead mothers and brothers. At first though, she approached as friend. Then, Jenova gave them a virus. It made them go mad and turn into monsters. Jenova found other cetra clans and did the same. A few survived and managed to seal Jenova away within the Planet. While Jenova lived with the Cetra she learned about a location known as "The Promised land". A location full of mako energy. Two thousand years later, Professors Gast and Hojo found Jenova's body and mistakenly believed it to be that of a true Cetra. Fortunately for Jenova, this meant that she was released from the geological stratum in which the Cetra had sealed her in. Jenova was used in many experiments. Her cells were used to Create me.
My Brothers:
Yazoo, Loz and Kadaj are embodiments of my will, as manifested through my divided Spirit Energy...... and that of some extra tainted Spirit Energy from the Lifestream. Being part of my spirit, if They come into contact with Mother's cells, I can become my host, recreating me. You may click on each of their images to go to their profiles.
Geostima:
When I was defeated at the Northern Crater, Mother's cells entered the Lifestream, creating Geostigma Syndrome. Mother sent my will and thoughts into: Yazoo, Loz and Kadaj, planting in Their minds thoughts of the Reunion. The locations of all of Mother's parts are unknown, yet a part of her was discovered by the Shin-Ra Company. Children tend to show signs of Geostigma first, though adults are susceptible to the disease as well. Symptoms of Geostigma include: mental weakness, pain and even death.
Lucrecia:
Lucrecia is my biological mother. Though she may have been the one to birth me, I consider Jenova to be my real mother. Lucrecia was a tool used to bring me to life so that I could do the work of my true mother Jenova. Having read the project files on Jenova I discovered this while I was in the mansion. Even though she may have birthed me, she is still not the one I consider mother.