There are few themes more iconic in video game history than “One-Winged Angel” from Final Fantasy 7. The lyrics of the song are sung in Latin and many fans aren’t aware of what they mean, outside of chanting “Sephiroth” over and over again. “One-Winged Angel” is played during the penultimate battle in FF7, as Sephiroth descends from the air in his monstrous Safer-Sephiroth form.

“One-Winged Angel” has become associated with Sephiroth, to the point where it was his theme during his Super Smash Bros. Ultimate announcement trailer. It gained its reputation from the fond memories that many fans share of first hearing it. FF7 was released at a time when lyrics in video games was only just becoming commonplace thanks to the extra memory that CD-ROMs provided. FF7 doesn’t feature any songs with lyrics until the moment when Sephiroth descends and it came as a huge shock, especially when the choir starts chanting his name. “One-Winged Angel” is one of the highlights of FF7 and it has been rearranged a number of times over the years.

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The lyrics of “One-Winged Angel” are sung entirely in Latin. These have been translated into English by a number of sources over the years, including Square Enix Music Online, and they offer insight into what the song is about.

The English Lyrics For FFY’s One-Winged Angel

Burning Inside

with violent anger.

Burning Inside

with violent anger.

 

Sephiroth

Sephiroth

 

Burning Inside

with violent anger.

Burning Inside

with violent anger.

 

Sephiroth

Sephiroth

 

Fate – monstrous

and empty.

Fate – monstrous

and empty.

 

Burning Inside

with violent anger.

Burning Inside

with violent anger.

 

Sephiroth

Sephiroth

 

Come, come, O come.

do not let me die

Come, come, O come.

do not let me die

 

Come, come, O come.

do not let me die

Come, come, O come.

do not let me die

 

Glorious

Noble

Glorious

Noble

 

Glorious

Noble

Glorious

Noble

 

Sephiroth

Sephiroth

 

FF7: What Does Sephiroth’s Theme Mean?

“One-Winged Angel” is about Sephiroth’s fall from grace, which ties into his angelic theme. The (false) revelation that he was a member of the Cetra and that his people were wiped out by humanity is what drives him mad with hatred and causes him to massacre the people of Nibelheim. Sephiroth was killed when Cloud threw him into the Nibel Reactor (or he jumped in, depending on the version of events), yet he was able to survive. Sephiroth’s nature as an unnatural lifeform is what allowed him to maintain his consciousness in the Lifestream. The versions of Sephiroth that are seen throughout FF7 are actually manifestations of his consciousness through bits of Jenova’s body, at least until Cloud finds his true body in the North Crater. Sephiroth manages to cheat death and becomes even stronger.

Sephiroth’s ultimate goal in FF7 is to use Meteor to cause a wound that is so big that a lot of Lifestream essence will be gathered. He will arrive in the center of the wound and absorb the energy of the Lifestream, allowing him to become a god. This will leave Sephiroth as the last living being in known existence, which is likely what the monstrous and empty fate he faces is referring to. Despite all this, Sephiroth still believes his goals are just, due to what humanity did to his “mother”, which is what the glorious and noble lines are referring to. “One-Winged Angel” is Sephiroth’s story, of his tragic past and the dark future that will arrive if he succeeds in his plan to absorb the Lifestream.

Source: Square Enix Music Online

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Scott Baird
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Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz.
A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early ‘90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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