Travis Willingham Discusses His Role as Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII: “The Quiet Villain is the Most Menacing”

At New York City Comic-Con, the cast of Final Fantasy VII Revelation came together for a panel celebrating a decade of portraying one of the most legendary RPG ensembles ever. Many of the actors on stage have been part of Square Enix’s Remake trilogy for years, but one newcomer is stepping in at the end: Travis Willingham, the voice of Sephiroth.

Willingham, recognized for his roles in video games and anime, as well as being the CEO of the tabletop franchise Critical Role, is taking over the iconic role of Sephiroth after Tyler Hoechlin had to bow out due to scheduling issues. This is no small task, especially since Hoechlin delivered a memorable performance and several actors have voiced Sephiroth throughout the franchise’s extensive history. During the panel, Willingham mentioned that long-time Japanese voice actor Toshiyuki Morikawa, who has voiced Sephiroth in both Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts games, served as his guiding inspiration for capturing the character in the trilogy’s final chapter.

Willingham expressed his excitement, stating, “It’s an honor and a privilege to join not just this storied game and franchise, but this incredible cast of talented actors. It’s been amazing studying their work over the past three games and immersing myself in their videos and interviews to understand their portrayals. For me, the North Star of Sephiroth’s voice will always be Morikawa-san, the incredible Japanese actor. I admire how he can be both alluring and dangerously menacing, embodying the ambiguity of Sephiroth. Our fantastic voice director, Kirk Thornton, pointed out that Sephiroth always seems in control, never confused or surprised. To me, the most dangerous villain is the one who doesn’t need to raise their voice to command attention.”

Willingham isn’t the only Critical Role cast member joining the Remake trilogy in Revelation; Marisha Ray was also announced during the panel to join her husband, Matt Mercer, as Polydroid Shiva, an NPC that players will encounter on their adventures when Revelation launches on April 8.