Final Fantasy VII’s primary antagonist Sephiroth has haunted players with his threatening presence for decades. He appears throughout most of the story in ominous flashbacks or having just departed the scene of some awful act of violence, leaving behind trails of gore in eerily abandoned buildings or the mutilated corpse of a giant serpent in a swamp. The mention of his name alone often reduces the game’s protagonist Cloud to a shaking, terrified wreck.
And yet, it isn’t until now that Sephiroth was capable of assuming his most terrifying form of all: A digital Ronald McDonald cosplayer.
Sephiroth’s striking new look has arrived thanks to the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake on computer late last year. As shown in a video of his entrance to the story, the power of PC game has allowed the despicable clown to appear in hallucinogenic flashes, speaking ominously of death and despair as flames roar all around him.
“You’re not real,” Cloud says in disbelief as he looks upon his foe for the first time.
But, unfortunately for all those who look upon him, McSephiroth, resplendent in yellow trench coat and bright red hair, is all too real indeed.
He was created by the kind of ingenious modders who, in the past, have brought us strange, fascinating visions like “Resident Evil monster in a thong,” “Adult man faceswapped with baby,” “Horror geese,” and “Bernie Sanders as a Skyrim dragon.” Now, in reference to an old cosplayer meme and probably also just because technology has made such a thing possible, a modder who goes by Crandif has ushered the greasy, hamburger-hocking villain they dub “Sephironald” into existence.
All those who dare to face him for themselves can download the Final Fantasy VII Remake mod file over here. God help us all if some enterprising modder works Grimace into the game next.
[via Polygon]
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