"Sephiroth isn't cool he's pathetic 😡"
Yes. He is. That's the point. He is outwardly a stoic stone-cold badass. And inwardly, he is a broken science experiment who is pathetically lovesick for a mother he never knew. He is strong and competent as a threatening antagonist. But at his core, he is sad and weak and just barely clinging to life.
Conversely, Cloud is also outwardly badass and strong, but is secretly vulnerable and soft-hearted on the inside. The difference is that, in embracing his softer qualities and accepting his reliance on his friends, Cloud ultimately becomes a strong leader and a worthy hero within the narrative. His spirit ultimately cannot be broken. He embraces his softness and his fragility and uses it as a means of strengthening his desire to protect his loved ones. He recognizes his own humanity. And uses it as his weapon and shield.
Sephiroth isn't pathetic in a traditional sense. He is a narrative FOIL to Cloud. And to Aerith as well (though for entirely different reasons). He's pathetic because, unlike Cloud, he fails to reconcile with the humanity that inherently existed within himself. He regresses into anger and bitterness and insanity. He doesn't choose to forge a new path for himself. He chooses to burn it all to the ground while wallowing in mindless rage and violence.
That's entirely the point of his arc as a villain in contrast to Cloud's hero's journey.
