the Sephiroth that's walking around, showing Cloud and company the flashbacks and everything...that's his spirit, right? and the real sephiroth was defeated by zack, encased in some materia, then somehow made it to the northern crater?

I think I have it all right...it's just bugging at the back of my head, so I just want someone to clarify it.

The Sephiroth we see is not him, no. Each 'Sephiroth' has a part of Jenova with him, and considering even the smallest of particles is technically Jenova, she manipulates things around her, and bends it to her will. The body of clones to create a replica of Sephiroth, for example.

Sephiroth was not defeated by Zack. We see that Cloud is the person who impales Sephiroth and hurls him into the Mako Reactor. He was then transported towards the Northern Crater, and there he resided within a tomb of Lifestream energy.

ah. thanks.

The Sephiroth you chase in the first half of the game, is Jenova's body shapeshifting in his appaerance. The clones are people from Nibelheim that cannot shapeshift. This is well explained in the official book released by Square-Enix.

And yes, the Sephiroth that show the flashbacks/illusions in the Northern Crater, is his spirit.

Here's an interesting idea: Why did Sephiroth want Cloud to remember everything? What purpose did it serve for Sephiroth? Or for Jenova?

I think because cloud was the only survivor of the last mako infusions (down in nibelheim mansion's basement), or the like; my memory of it all is sorta fuzzy. I remember something like zack and cloud were in the lab, in the mako chambers...and it had something to do with sephiroth and/or jenova. I dunno. like I said, my memory is cloudy, since it's been so long since I've actually played it.

that's what I thought. it struck me as odd at first, but then it became a bit clearer.

this does free up a few tings for me

thanks everyone!

I did after you posted, and it cleared a lot of stuff up. thanks!