Tetsuya Nomura Confirms Masamune’s Length Changes Depending on the Title
- ⚡Xe⚡
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Tetsuya Nomura has shared new insights about Sephiroth’s iconic sword, the Masamune. In an interview with Polygon, Nomura addressed the weapon’s variable length, its origin within the FFVII universe, and its evolving portrayal across different titles.
Nomura explained that the Masamune was chosen specifically to reflect Sephiroth’s status within the series and referenced its legacy in Final Fantasy games.
“The Masamune has appeared throughout the Final Fantasy series as the strongest sword. When thinking about equipping Sephiroth with a sword that is a worthy match for him, I figured there was no better option than Masamune.”
He also shared the concept behind contrasting Cloud’s and Sephiroth’s weapons, which was influenced by historical swordsmanship and visual dynamics.
“Each time Cloud went through a tweak in design, the accompanying buster sword seemed to grow larger. Reason being, I thought the juxtaposition between Cloud wielding a giant ‘sword’ and Sephiroth, who is far more powerful, wielding a skinny ‘katana’ would be quite interesting. Additionally, the contrast between a wide broadsword and a long Japanese katana is also inspired by the rivalry of two famous Japanese swordsmen, Musashi and Kojiro.”
Nomura confirmed that no alternative sword designs for Sephiroth were considered, as the Masamune was always the intended choice.
Regarding combat design in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and other titles, Nomura clarified that the length of the Masamune has always been adjusted to suit gameplay needs, rather than adhering to a fixed specification.
“Sephiroth has appeared in many different titles before, and with each appearance, the length of his sword is adjusted based on the title’s specifications. In other words, we didn’t design the scene based on the length of the sword, but rather, designed the length of the sword based on the game design.”
He added that while the length is roughly estimated at 10 feet, this has never been consistent.
Nomura further described the sword’s fluid nature during gameplay and cutscenes, citing a specific example from Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis.
"The Masamune’s blade has an organic quality to it, lengthening and shortening as needed. In the recently released second season of The First Soldier arc in Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis, there actually is a scene in which the Masamune grows longer for the first time. I would love for you to check it out.
The interview also delved into the previously unrevealed origin of the Masamune within the FFVII universe. Young Sephiroth is initially seen with a Shinra military sword in Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis's which Nomura considers more of a a ceremonial item that Sephiroth likely customized for combat.
I mentioned The First Soldier arc in Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis a moment ago, but if you look at season one, when young Sephiroth first appeared, you will see that he is equipped with a Shinra military sword. That means it won’t come as a surprise if other people were also equipped with it. That said, I personally think that a military sword is more of an accessory for ceremonial purposes, and so Sephiroth would probably be the only person who would actually wield it after customizing it to be more suited for combat.
He also confirmed that the backstory of the Masamune is being explored further in Ever Crisis, including the introduction of the blacksmith who forged it.
“In the aforementioned second season of The First Soldier arc of Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis, you will experience the episode in which young Sephiroth obtains the Masamune, as well as meet the blacksmith who created the sword, so we’ll be diving deeper into the lore of the Masamune for the first time.”
The development of this new storyline involved direct collaboration between Nomura, Motomu Toriyama, and Kazushige Nojima.
“The settings and background were brewing in my head, but in order to depict this in the game, I consulted Motomu Toriyama, the Co-Director of the Final Fantasy VII remake series and Director of Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis, and we decided to ask Kazushige Nojima, Scenario Writer for the Final Fantasy VII series to write this for us.”
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-⚡Xe⚡