Sephiroth is up to his old tricks in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, but one thing that has changed about the enduring villain is his voice. Tyler Hoechlin previously voiced the One-Winged Angel in Final Fantasy 7 Remake and its first sequel, Rebirth, but Revelation features anime veteran Travis Willingham as the voice of the antagonist.
Following an interview with game director Naoki Hamaguchi, streamer Maximilian Dood confirmed that Willingham had stepped in to replace him. Due to a scheduling conflict, Hoechlin couldn’t return to voice Sephiroth. As for Willingham, he has numerous credits in anime series, having provided the voices for fan-favorite characters like Roy Mustang in Fullmetal Alchemist and Portgas D. Ace in One Piece. Willingham has a long history in video games, having recently provided the voices for Thor and Dr. Doom in Marvel Rivals.
His name might also ring a bell for tabletop fans, as he has been a cast member of Critical Role since 2015, the Dungeons & Dragons web series that Vincent Valentine’s voice actor, Matthew Mercer, served as Dungeon Master on for its first three campaigns.
Hoechlin’s Sephiroth was a big hit during his appearances, as, similarly to George Newbern’s spin on the character, he provided a calm, cool, and collected performance. Both actors have also portrayed Superman in various forms of media, with Newbern providing the voice of the character in various DC animated series and movies, while Hoechlin played the Man of Steel in the CW’s live-action Supergirl series and Superman & Lois. Before either actor landed the role as Final Fantasy 7’s big bad, NSync’s Lance Bass was the original voice actor for Sephiroth.
After its reveal at Summer Game Fest Live this week, Square Enix confirmed that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth won’t be a PlayStation timed exclusive when it launches in 2027. It’ll also be available on PC, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S the same day. The final chapter in the Remake saga picks up shortly after the events of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, and it follows Cloud Strife and his companions on their quest to stop Sephiroth from attaining godhood.
