Sephiroth has the Greatest Nipples in the History of Smash Bros.

Publication date of the original Japanese article: 2020-12-18 18:43 (JST)
Translated by. Braden Noyes

On December 18, 2020 (JST), Nintendo added the latest character to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s ever-growing lineup of fighters: Sephiroth. Naturally, the internet was abuzz with excitement after the announcement that such a famous villain would be joining the battle. However, some fans were focused on one part of this character’s design in particular—his nipples.

Just as with other fighters in the game, players are able to choose from a number of alternative costumes for Sephiroth. His final two available outfits are a bit different than the others, showing Sephiroth naked from the waist up. The design allows players to battle using Sephiroth as he appeared during his final showdown with Cloud back in the original Final Fantasy VII all those years ago.

Battling with a half-naked Sephiroth—with his tanned skin, broad chest, and muscular arms—offers players a rare opportunity to properly appreciate this villain’s beautifully sculpted body in all its glory. There is also one thing in particular that should be pointed out, and that is the clearly defined nipples visible on his chest.

The Super Smash Bros. series does not have a history of showing nipples on its characters. Perhaps this is due in part to its CERO A rating in Japan, meaning it must be suitable for all ages. In fact, nearly all of its characters are drawn sans-nipple, whether they be human, animal, or monster.

Take a look at the human characters, for example. You would think there should be at least a small bump visible through that skin-tight suit of Captain Falcon’s, but his nipples are nowhere to be seen. Similarly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ken’s nipples peek out from beneath his loose-fitting shirt from time to time as he jumps around, but they somehow manage to always remain hidden from view, even on a carefully-timed pause screen.

This leads us to the assumption that the developers are intentionally not including them on the character models. They’re even absent from the chests of the many topless animal characters as well. Donkey Kong, Duck Hunt, King K. Rool, Banjo—there’s not so much as a dot in sight. Monsters don’t seem to be exempt from the nipple ban either, as demonstrated by both Bowser and Mewtwo.

There is one exception, however. The only character seemingly exempt from this strict rule before now was Shulk, the main protagonist from Xenoblade Chronicles. Though he doesn’t often run around half-naked, selecting Shulk’s final alternate costume in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will let you battle in nothing but his signature pair of swim trunks from the original game.

The strange thing, however, is that his character model in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition didn’t even have nipples. So why add them now?

And yet, we can’t help but think the addition of Shulk’s nipples was done only half-heartedly. After all, they appear merely as small, circular marks that are barely a shade darker than his regular skin tone. The result is a pair of nipples that are almost unnoticeable unless you are actually looking for them.

“It would look unnatural for him to have no nipples at all, but we don’t really want people to notice them either.” That’s the hesitant feeling these poor, oppressed-looking areolas exude. Making them even a shade or two darker than they are would have given them more presence on Shulk’s character model, but instead it feels as if the designers were attempting to distance players from the nipples.

Sephiroth, however, has completely changed the game. It’s clear his areolas were carefully drawn to be significantly darker than his skin tone—enough so that players can see them even from a distance. Whether he’s jumping, attacking, or simply taunting another fighter, Sephiroth’s nipples are visible front and center.

It’s no exaggeration to say that he can easily be ranked as having the most clearly drawn nipples of any character in the entire history of the Super Smash Bros. series. And if you still have doubts, just try adding the correct filter while the game is paused and you’ll see an even more clearly defined area on his chest. What might those dark circles be, you ask? Those would indeed be his nipples.

So does this mean it’s now acceptable to add nipples to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters after all? And if so, shouldn’t that have affected the game’s CERO rating? That does not seem to be the case, however. Originally, it was believed that the depiction of nipples on Mario’s character is what earned Super Mario Odyssey its CERO B rating (ages 12 and up) in Japan.

However, if Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is able to include nipples on its latest fighter and still maintain its CERO A rating, then it’s most likely safe to assume that the mere presence of nipples had nothing to do with Super Mario Odyssey’s rating. Instead, it’s entirely possible that the color of the nipples was the determining factor for these games’ ratings. After all, Mario’s nipples in Super Mario Odyssey are much more vivid than those of either Sephiroth’s or Shulk’s in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

With Sephiroth’s unique playstyle, the beautiful design of his “Northern Cave” stage, and the new background music, longtime fans of Final Fantasy VII are sure to be satisfied with everything the new Sephiroth DLC has to offer.

And with his nipples in full view, this could set a new precedent for fighters going forward. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is currently available for the Nintendo Switch, and by purchasing the bonus DLC, you too can enjoy Sephiroth in all his glory.