Final Fantasy 7 features one of the most iconic villains in gaming history. Sephiroth, the game's primary antagonist, is emblematic of the challenging gameplay and complex narrative that define Final Fantasy 7, gaining widespread popularity since the title's release in 1997. Famed animator Butch Hartman recently drew Sephiroth, garnering appreciation from fans of the JRPG series.
Hartman is best known for producing popular series on Nickelodeon, such as Danny Phantom and The Fairly OddParents. On occasion, the creator will take to social media to post artwork of characters from other well-known properties. Now, Sephiroth is on the receiving end of this treatment, with Hartman sharing a video of himself drawing the famous villain.
Sephiroth looks delightfully cartoonish in Hartman's style, with a mischievous smirk and sidelong glance. His sharp, angular facial features are still very much present, a stark contrast to the round designs of Hartman's trademark characters. Of particular note is the character's hair, which is still larger than life; the huge bangs framing his face are a signature part of his design, which Hartman took care to emulate. He wears his standard attire in Hartman's artwork, complete with his pauldrons and leather suspenders, also critical aspects of his appearance.
Though Hartman's piece does paint Sephiroth in a less intimidating light, the piece is no less impressive. His singular wing is intact, which Hartman has drawn to be a bit fluffier than his original iteration. The dark shadows covering either corner highlight his nature as an antagonist, giving off a sinister impression.
Much of the video Hartman shared is a lead-up to his completed piece, showing the painstaking process of creating lineart and adding in small details, as well as tracing over the work with ink. It makes the final reveal of Sephiroth in his entirety much more satisfying, clearly conveying the work required to create even cartoon-like pieces such as Hartman's.
While Hartman's cartoonish art style might seem to clash with Final Fantasy's more realistic designs, the piece occupies an easy middle ground between both. In this reimagining, it's hard to picture Sephiroth to be as evil as his original incarnation, but it still communicates his role as a villain. Most importantly, it is unmistakably Sephiroth; no matter how drastic the change in art direction, he is just as recognizable to fans, who have left nothing but rave reviews in the video's comments section. Artwork like Hartman's leaves room for other artists to recreate Final Fantasy characters in new ways that are sure to be a hit to those who enjoy the series.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now on PS4 and PS5.