Blade Dash / Octaslash

Blade Dash (, Single Strike) is Sephiroth's up special move. When charged, it becomes Octaslash (, Eight-blade Single Strike).

Overview


Blade Dash is an omnidirectional recovery move, similar to Fire Fox. When used normally, it is a single dashing strike in any direction; if used on the ground, it will not leave edges. While aiming, a small arrow will appear next to Sephiroth, indicating the direction of the dash. As an attack, Blade Dash is very weak, has a small hitbox that only extends very slightly in front of Sephiroth, and is unable to KO, and while it has vertical knockback that can start combos, the move's ending lag and Sephiroth's slow frame data makes followups dependent on reads. Its quick travel speed can be used to mix up Sephiroth's movement like a lesser version of Quick Attack, but ending the move in the air will incur significant landing lag.

Holding the button before the dash begins will turn the move into Octaslash, which instead hits eight times for significantly more damage and knockback, dragging opponents in the direction Sephiroth is moving before sending them in the direction he is facing with the final strike. Just like Blade Dash, Octaslash will stop at edges, with Sephiroth performing any remaining slashes in place. Its ability to move victims closer to the edge allows it to be a capable KO move similar to Skyward Slash Dash, and a turnaround can be input before the move to face Sephiroth in the desired direction for attacking vertically. As a recovery move, Octaslash travels slightly farther then Blade Dash, but does not grab edges on the way up, and inflicts twice the landing lag. Due to its massive hitboxes, it is a very difficult recovery to intercept even with a counter, but its heavy endlag and inability to grab ledges leaves Sephiroth very vulnerable afterwards. Extra caution must be taken when trying to recover to ledges that can be passed through such as those on Delfino Plaza, as its inability to snap to the ledge during travel will cause Sephiroth to pass right through the ledge from any angle unless he has prepared the move from the precise distance to grab it.

When using Octaslash, Sephiroth may say ("Disappear."),  ("Foolish."), or  ("I shall carve terror.")

Origin


Although no attack has been named Blade Dash in the Final Fantasy series, this move resembles and shares its Japanese name with the Flash attack Sephiroth uses in ' and in turn the Oblivion attack used in the first two ' games.

In the Final Fantasy series, Octaslash is a technique used by Sephiroth in multiple games: A technique resembling Octaslash first appeared in , as an unnamed attack used by Sephiroth. Octaslash itself first appeared in , being both a cinematic attack as well as a Digital Mind Wave attack available to Zack Fair if the player rolled on Sephiroth. In the  series (a fighting game series), Octaslash appears as one of Sephiroth's HP attacks. Sephiroth strikes a pose before executing several powerful slashes dealing Bravery damage before the last strike dealt HP attacks. In the first two games, he appears to strike less than eight times, though the last Bravery strike deals a few extra hits. Octaslash later appeared in  as one of Sephiroth's attacks during the third phase of his fight.

The blue arrows in the beginning of the move originate from Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Octaslash
Corte / Octacorte