Characters of Final Fantasy VII
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Square's Final Fantasy VII was one of the first major console role-playing games released for the Sony PlayStation and was Square's largest game at the time. A major critical and commercial success, the game remains arguably the most popular title in the series,[1][2][3][4] and is often credited with allowing console-style RPGs to achieve mainstream success outside Japan.[2] The ongoing popularity of the title led Square Enix to produce a series of sequels and prequels under the collective title "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII". As of September 2004, Final Fantasy VII has sold more than 9.5 million copies worldwide, earning it the position of the best-selling Final Fantasy title.[5]
The game's story centers on a group of adventurers as they battle a powerful megacorporation called Shinra, which is draining the life of the planet to use as an energy source. As the story progresses, conflicts escalate and the world's safety becomes the central concern as new forces, such as rogue scientists, ancient creatures and legendary soldiers emerge to challenge the original group. The main characters in Final Fantasy VII are Cloud and Sephiroth, while the sequels and prequels focus on two other major characters from the original game, Vincent and Zack; all men whose fate is someway intertwined closely with the workings of the Shinra Company. Each of these characters' story is explored in their own game, other than Sephiroth who is expanded upon in tandem with Cloud. The original Final Fantasy VII game had seven companions who journeyed with Cloud and Vincent, who was an optional character in the original game, and these nine are viewed by many as the main characters of the Compilation series. Their roles are however minor outside the original game. Nevertheless, each character has become extremely popular.
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[edit] Cast creation and influence
When looking at the story of the original Final Fantasy VII, character designer Tetsuya Nomura decided it was very dark and needed characters who reflected that. Thus Cloud's original character design called for slicked back black hair with no spikes, intended to serve as a contrast to Sephiroth's long, flowing silver hair.[6] However, to give Cloud a unique feature that would emphasize his role in the game as the main character, Nomura changed the design to feature Cloud's now trademark shock of spiky, bright blond hair.[6] For Tifa's design, Nomura has admitted to facing a difficult decision in choosing to give her a miniskirt or pants. With input from other members of the game's development staff, he eventually selected a dark miniskirt, contrasted by Aeris' long, pink dress.[6] Vincent's character developed from horror researcher to detective, then to chemist, and finally to the figure of a former Turk with a tragic past. It has been explained that his crimson mantle was added to symbolize the idea of carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders associated with death. Nomura has indicated that Cid Highwind's fighting style resembles that of a Dragon Knight, a character class chosen because his last name is the same as that of two previous Dragon Knights featured in the Final Fantasy series, Ricard Highwind of Final Fantasy II and Kain Highwind of Final Fantasy IV.[6]
Although the game was Nomura's favorite Final Fantasy project, he felt that Final Fantasy VII was hindered by graphical limitations, and that his designs were, consequently, very plain in comparison to his "true" style.[6] He was however able to find other means of expressing some of his ideas. This "dark" theme described by Nomura is continued throughout the Compilation with characters such as the Tsviets of Dirge of Cerberus, Kadaj and his gang in Advent Children, and characters in all parts of the series. Producer Yoshinori Kitase stated that voice acting was one of the topic to which the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII team paid close attention. The voice actors which debuted in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children were kept for all the other titles of the project, besides Mena Suvari. As Cloud and Vincent have similar personalities, care was taken to differentiate them and their lines.[7]
[edit] Central characters
[edit] Cloud
Cloud Strife (クラウド・ストライフ Kuraudo Sutoraifu?) is the game's primary protagonist and a self-proclaimed ex-SOLDIER-turned-mercenary employed by AVALANCHE. Initially, Cloud is confused and conflicted with an occasionally arrogant attitude and a cool disposition, until a traumatic experience in the Lifestream helps him discover lost memories of his true self. He wears a purple/dark blue SOLDIER uniform and is distinguished by his glowing blue eyes (a sign of having been exposed to a large amount of mako). He has spiky blond hair. He wields an over-sized sword in combat.
Cloud's romantic involvement with both Tifa and Aerith is unclear. During his youth, Cloud admired Tifa from afar and in Advent Children he lives with Tifa and helps her take care of orphans, however, the nature of their relationship is never explained. During the original game Cloud appears to also display strong feelings for Aerith which may be seen as romantic, which would also explain his interactions with her in Advent Children, but again the precise nature is intentionally unclear as these could just as well be from his assimilation of Zack's memories. Thus Cloud's relationship with the two is unclear at best and open to interpretation.
[edit] Sephiroth
Sephiroth (セフィロス Sefirosu?): Sephiroth is known to be the most powerful member of SOLDIER ever, and rose to a prominent rank at an early age. After a traumatic incident in which he learned of what he assumed to be his true origins, he left SOLDIER and indeed civilization altogether with plans to become a god-like power by wounding the Planet with Meteor and absorbing the entirety of the Lifestream sent to heal the damage. He manipulates Cloud (and the party, by extension) over the course of the game, as well as killing Aerith.
Sephiroth is also a member of the party for a very short period (during a flashback sequence), however he is totally controlled by the computer during combat and the player cannot change his equipment and materia. He is personified by his primary weapon; the powerful Masamune sword which he uses to inflict large amounts of damage.
Cloud destroys Sephiroth at the end of the game; however, he returns for a short time in the sequel Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children where he is reborn through the body of Kadaj and subsequently defeated once again by Cloud. He warns Cloud that he will "Never be a memory".
Sephiroth was injected in the womb with Jenova cells, though he is actually the son of Lucrecia and Hojo. He believes that his mother is Jenova because that is what Hojo told him when Sephiroth was a child; it is unclear whether he knows that Lucrecia even exists. [8]
[edit] Vincent
Vincent Valentine (ヴィンセント・ヴァレンタイン Vinsento Varentain?) is a dark, brooding, and sardonic man whose heart has been numbed by a tragic love. He loved Lucrecia Crescent, who saved him after he was shot by Hojo when Vincent discovered that Lucrecia was part of an experiment (the Jenova project, from which Sephiroth was born) implanting in his body the most lethal weapon, Chaos, and the protomateria into Vincent with which to control Chaos. Vincent is a former Turk gunman who was experimented on by Hojo approximately thirty years before the start of the game,[9] and consequently failed to age and developed superhuman abilities and characteristics. After the numerous experiments and help of the protomateria, Vincent is able to transform into other demons while having nearly complete control. Cloud and the others eventually discover him sleeping inside a coffin in the basement of the Shinra Mansion, where he joins them in their quest. Vincent also starred in two games, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII for the PlayStation 2 and the mobile game Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode: Final Fantasy VII.
[edit] Zack
Zack Fair (ザックス・フェア Zakkusu Fea?) is a non-player character from the game Final Fantasy VII, and the protagonist of its prequel, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. He also appears with Aerith in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children and plays a significant role in Last Order: Final Fantasy VII. In the original game, he appears only in flashback sequences, which portray him as almost identical to Cloud Strife (the game's main playable character) in physical appearance except for his black hair. When strung together, the sequences explain a great deal about Cloud's past and his connection to Sephiroth, the game's arch-villain. He also wielded the Buster Sword before Cloud.
Zack was born in the town of Gongaga, where he lived until he left to join Shinra's militant force, SOLDIER. He eventually fell in love with Aerith Gainsborough after falling into the slums. While on the hunt for the rogue SOLDIER Genesis, Zack becomes a first class SOLDIER a short time before defeating his former mentor and original owner of the Buster Sword, Angeal. Angeal passes the sword onto him while dying. Soon after, Zack went to Nibelheim to investigate the nearby Mako reactor which had been malfunctioning. However, during the investigation Sephiroth discovered the truth behind his origins and went on a rampage, destroying the Nibelheim village. Zack confronted Sephiroth in a duel only to be defeated. Following the battle, both he and Cloud were used by Hojo as test specimens. However, Zack managed to escape after four years and carried the incapacitated Cloud with him to freedom. The two were spotted riding the back of a truck headed to Midgar, with Zack putting Cloud in hiding as he fought the numerous Shinra soldiers. After fighting several Shinra infantrymen and being shot multiple times, Zack dies with the surviving Cloud at his side. It is after this that Cloud takes Zack's words of him being his "living legacy" seriously, adopting Zack's personality traits, memories, even habitual gestures, as his own.
[edit] Other major characters
[edit] Aerith
Aerith Gainsborough (エアリス・ゲインズブール Earisu Geinzubūru?) (romanized as Aeris Gainsborough in the original Final Fantasy VII game but as Aerith in later publications) is a flower girl on the streets of Midgar, sought after by Shinra's research department because she is the last of the Cetra. She asks Cloud to be her bodyguard after a run-in with the Turks, and subsequently joins AVALANCHE. Aerith has long brown hair she keeps in a braid with pink bows and vivid green eyes, and wears a red mini-jacket with a pink dress.
While with AVALANCHE Aerith realizes that she is the one who must stop Sephiroth's plot and save the planet. Sephiroth realizes that Aerith is a danger to him and kills her in the forbidden city as she prays. However Aerith's spirit remains in the life stream and she maintains her cognitive powers. Summoning Holy at the end of the game, she saves the planet.
In Advent Children Aerith is seen to be a totally sentient force, albeit dead, she has the ability to communicate with the living, in this case Cloud, and maintain her living form. Aerith releases her final limit break The Great Gospel at the end of the movie to cure the people of geostigma.
[edit] Tifa
Tifa Lockhart (ティファ・ロックハート Tifa Rokkuhāto?) (originally romanized as Tifa Lockheart) is a childhood friend of Cloud and a skilled martial artist. She is one of the lead members of AVALANCHE and convinces Cloud to join them in their rebellion against Shinra. She has long black hair tied back in a loose pony-tail and reddish-brown eyes. She has deep, unrequited feelings for the main hero, Cloud, due to a promise made by the two of them as children.
In the original game Tifa journeys with Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE across the world to fight Shinra and save the world from Sephiroth. As the journey progresses Tifa appears more and more attracted to Cloud- when he has a mental breakdown she stays with him and helps him through it. It is here the player learns of Tifa and Cloud's childhood and the events surrounding the burning of Tifa's hometown.
In Advent Children she is found to be living with Cloud, Denzel and Marlene at her bar, Seventh Heaven. She describes this unit as a "family" in the film.
[edit] Yuffie
Yuffie Kisaragi (ユフィ・キサラギ Yufi Kisaragi?) is an optional playable character and self-proclaimed "Materia Hunter" who joins the party hoping to steal their Materia, with the intention of restoring her country, Wutai, to its former glory. Although a skillful ninja, Yuffie is prone to sea and air sickness and shows signs of kleptomania. She has grey eyes and black hair which is always tied back. She is voiced by Yumi Kakazu in the Japanese releases of her appearances. In the English-speaking territories, she is voiced by Christy Carlson Romano in Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy VII Advent Children; she is voiced by Mae Whitman in all of her other appearances. In other countries, she is voiced by Ilona Otto (German) and Caroline Combes (French).
The player can encounter Yuffie during random battles in forests. If she is defeated, she may join the party depending on the player's dialogue choices. An incorrect answer causes her to steal some of the party's money and flee. Near the end of the game's first disc, it is possible for the player to set Cloud Strife up on a date with either her, Aerith, Barret, or Tifa. During the date with Yuffie, she kisses Cloud in an awkward sequence. If the Wutai continent is visited after acquiring Cid and before the party's raid in Midgar, Yuffie steals the player's materia and flees to the town of Wutai, where she plays several tricks on the party to get rid of them. In the end, she gives the materia back after being saved from Don Corneo. In another sidequest, she must prove herself to her father Godo by beating the bosses of Wutai's five-story Pagoda, including her father himself. If successful, Godo asks Cloud to take Yuffie with him on his quest, and the party receives the Leviathan materia. Due to her nature as an optional character, Yuffie is absent from the game's FMV ending. However, her absence is later retconned in Dirge of Cerberus, where it shows that she was actually helping out in evacuating Midgar shortly before Meteor fell, during which she manages to rescue Vincent—having returned to the Sister Ray's controls in order to confirm Hojo's death—with a hover craft as Meteor begins to fall onto Midgar.
In Advent Children, she goes to Midgar in search of the kidnapped children and joins the other characters in their fight against Bahamut SIN. In "Reminiscence", an extra scene featured in the film's DVD edition, Yuffie attempts to contact Cloud to visit Barret and gives Cloud a gift: a "closed for business" sign to be used for his shop. The staff of the film admits in the DVD's audio commentary that the box of materia that Cloud keeps in the church is indeed Yuffie's. In the novella "Case of Barret", part of On the Way to a Smile, it is mentioned that Yuffie teaches wushu to the children in Wutai in the period between Final Fantasy VII and Advent Children. In Dirge of Cerberus, Yuffie joins the World Regenesis Organization and assists Vincent several times throughout the game, most notably infiltrating the Mako Reactor Zero in the ruins of Midgar and shutting it off while Vincent defeats the members of Deepground. Yuffie also appears in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII during a sidequest and a short stint in the story where Zack meets her in the Wutai temple.
Yuffie so far appears in three games of the Kingdom Hearts series. In the first game, Yuffie is first seen in Traverse Town after the battle between Sora and Leon. Along with him, Cid and Aerith Gainsborough, she fights to defeat the Heartless who had destroyed their world. She also makes an appearance in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories as a remnant of Sora's memories of Traverse Town. Yuffie also appeared in the Olympus Coliseum in an optional fight with Leon or alone. In Kingdom Hearts II, Yuffie aids Leon and the others as part of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, this time appearing in her Advent Children attire. She also appears in the Olympus Coliseum once more, with Leon. During the ending credits, we see Yuffie giving a sea-salt ice cream to Cid, while Yuna, Paine and Rikku immediately stole hers, prompting the ninja to run after them.
Yuffie is a secret playable fighter in the PlayStation version of Ehrgeiz along with Tifa, Cloud, Sephiroth, Vincent and Zack. Yuffie also makes an appearance in Itadaki Street Portable along with Cloud, Aerith, Tifa and Sephiroth.
[edit] Barret
Barret Wallace (バレット・ウォーレス Baretto Wōresu?) is one of the main characters in Final Fantasy VII. He is voiced by Masahiro Kobayashi in the original Japanese publications of the Compilation and by Beau Billingslea in the English dubs. In Final Fantasy VII, Barret starts out as the leader of the paramilitary organization known as AVALANCHE. He is opposed to the use of Shinra’s mako technology, which he believes to be killing the planet. After the group disbands, Barret chooses to continue his mission to save the planet by joining with Cloud in the battle against Sephiroth. As the game proceeds, Barret maintains his hate for Shinra and what it is doing to the planet, but he also begins to regret his actions as the leader of AVALANCHE and mourns the loss of its members in Midgar. Following the defeat of Sephiroth, Barret travels the world aiming to rebuild the planet's infrastructure and find new power sources to replace Mako, which is shown to be oil in Advent Children.
Originally, Barret advocates cooperating with Shinra to build a mako reactor in his hometown of Corel before the events of the series. After AVALANCHE attacks the reactor, Shinra eradicates the town and its villagers, including Barret's wife, Myrna. Barret, his best friend, Dyne, and Dyne's daughter, Marlene, are some of the only survivors. Soon after, Barret and Dyne are attacked by Shinra troops led by Scarlet. Though Barret survives, his right forearm is hit by gunfire and rendered useless when he tries, in vain, to prevent Dyne from falling off a cliff. Assuming Dyne to have been killed, he adopts Marlene, and then travels to Midgar. He also has a gun prosthetic grafted to his arm and begins seeking revenge on Shinra, eventually becoming the leader of the second incarnation of AVALANCHE, while remaining ignorant of the first groups involvement in Corel.[10].
[edit] Red XIII
Red XIII (レッドXIII Reddo Sātīn?), whose real name is Nanaki, is a large and powerful lion-like creature, coated with fire red fur. His species possesses great longevity, which surprises the party when they learn that his 48 years only amounts to adolescence by his species' standards. Though his real name is Nanaki, he is given the name Red XIII by Hojo, and the name sticks when the party rescues him from Hojo's laboratory. In Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, he is voiced by Liam O'Brien in English releases and Masachika Ichimura in Japanese releases. Red XIII plays minor roles in Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus.
Red XIII joins Cloud's group while they are rescuing Aerith Gainsborough from the Shinra building, where Hojo is attempting to breed Aerith with Nanaki in order to preserve what he believes to be two endangered species of animal.[11] Red XIII believes that his father, Seto, had been a coward who abandoned Cosmo Canyon during a war with the now-extinct Gi Tribe, leaving the tribes to fight on their own. As such, he was deeply ashamed of being Seto's son. When the group later visits Cosmo Canyon, they meet the village elder, Bugenhagen, whom Red XIII refers to as his "grandfather." Here, Red XIII learns the truth about his father, Seto, who sacrificed himself to save the village. Finally knowing the truth of his proud heritage, Red XIII, with some encouragement from Bugenhagen, gains the courage to rejoin Cloud's party for the rest of their journey, during which he proves himself to be a valuable asset and friend. He is shown to be alive 500 years after the series along with his mate, Dinne, and two children looking down at the overgrown ruins of Midgar.
[edit] Cait Sith
Cait Sith (pronounced Kett Shee[12], and named after the mythological Cat Sìth) is a robotic talking cat who is friendly, but often unreliable.[13] He rides on the back of a stuffed moogle which he "magically brought to life"[14]. The Moogle does all of the pair's fighting while Cait Sith orders it with a megaphone. In subsequent publications, he's usually been seen on his own two feet. As a robot, he is able to be rebuilt and replaced, which happens several times throughout the series. He is controlled by Reeve Tuesti, whose original intent during Final Fantasy VII is to infiltrate Cloud's group and sabotage their resistance efforts on behalf of his employers[15]. After Cait Sith joins Cloud's group initially, under the guise of a traveling fortuneteller, he travels with them, steals the keystone to the Temple of the Ancients, and hands it over to the Turks. Afterwards, Reeve has a change of heart, and by revealing that he has Marlene in his custody, Cait Sith is allowed to stay.
Cait Sith appears within other games of the series. He plays a small role in Advent Children by helping to fight. The toy moogle was cut due to the extra amount of work that would have been required to animate it[citation needed], and overall, the creators already disliked animating both Cait Sith and Red XIII due to the level of detail required for their fur.[citation needed] He is also given a Scottish accent that he retains during Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus. Cait Sith plays a small supporting role along with Reeve in Dirge of Cerberus, and he acts as a playable character during one mission. In Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, he is used by Reeve to support the Turks. Cait Sith also makes various cameos, such as a Dressphere costume in Final Fantasy X-2, a weapon for Lulu in Final Fantasy X, a character in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, and also Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.
[edit] Cid
Cid Highwind (シド・ハイウインド Shiddo Haiuindo?), part of a long tradition of Final Fantasy Cids, is thirty-two years old and the most uncouth of the protagonists, constantly swearing,[16] losing his temper and chain-smoking cigarettes. Despite this rough appearance, he has a good heart, and is voted temporary leader of AVALANCHE at one point when Cloud Strife is incapacitated with Mako Poisoning. The residents of Rocket Town all call him "the Captain," where he serves as something of an honorary mayor. Shinra's airship maintenance crew considers him a legend and were easily convinced to mutiny in stealing the Highwind for him. The party first meets Cid when in Rocket Town, where he waits, hoping that Rufus has agreed to restart the space mission. However, he is displeased to learn that Rufus has only turned up to requisition a prototype airplane, the Tiny Bronco, and jumps on board the plane when the party attempts to take off in it. Realizing that he is finished with Shinra, Cid joins the party.
Since childhood, Cid dreamed of becoming the first human in space. However, just as the rocket was about to launch, Cid realized that an engineer named Shera had defied orders and run a last-minute double-check of the rocket's oxygen tanks. Cid aborted the launch to save her life. In the wake of this disaster, Shinra concluded that space exploration was not financially viable and withdrew funding from the project altogether once they had discovered that Mako energy was a far more profitable venture. Shortly afterwards, Cid's beloved airship, the Highwind, was confiscated by Shinra.[17][18] The hot-tempered Cid blamed Shera for destroying his dream. After the incident Shera devoted herself to doing whatever she could to atone for her "mistake," and Cid continued to treat her abominably, verbally abusing her.[19] However, her concern over the oxygen tanks is eventually proven to have merit when an explosion of the oxygen tank she was checking during the original launch temporarily traps Cid in orbit during a later successful attempt to launch the rocket into space. After this, Cid finally forgives Shera, realizing that she probably saved his life by performing the investigation.[20] As a result, he has a newfound respect for Shera and her work.
It was Cid who, along with his airship crew, saved Tifa Lockhart and the party from Shinra at Junon and took them on board the Highwind. Because of his role as captain of that ship, he is made temporary leader of AVALANCHE during the Huge Materia missions at Fort Condor and North Corel; Cloud, the leader up to that point, is incapacitated after falling into the Lifestream and contracting Mako Poisoning. Once Cloud returns, Cid continues to play an active role within the group and will often ask Cloud for a chance to play the snowboard game or ride the chocobos at the Gold Saucer (provided he is in Cloud's battle party). Aside from his ambitions as an astronaut, Cid designed a number of aircraft and is also a great pilot. Among his designs were the propeller plane, named the "Tiny Bronco", and the Highwind airship. Later, he became the pilot and captain of an unearthed airship of unknown ancient origin and christened it the "Shera" (the successor to the Highwind seen in both Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus, named in honor of Shera—in the Japanese releases it is called the "Sierra", which is simply the Japanese phonetic equivalent of Shera.
By the time of Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, one year after the events of Advent Children, he is a legendary airship pilot. He has become the leader of an airship division with support from the World Regenesis Organization (he arrives in the game aboard the Shera, with other airships nearby). He leads the attack against the DeepGround Soldiers in Midgar from behind the controls of his airship. At the end of the game, he does his part in defeating Omega WEAPON by destroying a Shinra reactor, cutting off the monster's power. Other reactors are destroyed by fellow AVALANCHE members and the WRO. Cid is married to Shera at this time (he even mentions that she has been worried about Vincent[21]).
In Kingdom Hearts, Cid fled his hometown of Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden and ended up in Traverse Town where he worked as a store attendant. Together with Aerith, Yuffie, and Leon, he aided Sora in his battle against the Heartless. Cid later gave up his job as a store attendant and, true to his love of flying, started selling Gummi ship parts. In the ending credits of Kingdom Hearts, Cid is seen reuniting Cloud Strife with the other Final Fantasy characters, and mainly Aerith. In Kingdom Hearts II Cid operates from the wizard Merlin's House in Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden as a member of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, where a large computer has been customized for his use. While Sora and the other heroes are fighting the Heartless in the canyon it is Cid and Merlin who are left to defend the city of Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden. The two do not get along during the game, due to Cid favoring science over magic. Cid gains a speaking role in the sequel. In both games, Cid's infamous foul mouth is devoid of any kind of swearing, and his smoking is replaced by a long toothpick-like piece of wood that he chews on. His outfit is also different than the Final Fantasy versions. If anything, his costume is most similar to his "Final Fantasy VII" costume, but without the blue jacket.
[edit] Rufus
Rufus Shinra (ルーファウス神羅 Rūfausu Shinra?) is a non-player character. He is voiced by Tōru Ōkawa in the original Japanese publications and Wally Wingert in the English dubs. His appearance is marked by neatly-groomed blonde hair, blue eyes and a white three-piece suit with a distinctive double-breasted jacket. In Final Fantasy VII, Rufus is depicted as callous, cold-hearted and ruthless.[22] His views on how Shinra should conduct its rule over the world — through fear and intimidation rather than money — were considered dangerous by his father, and great care was taken to prevent them from influencing the company's inner workings.[23][24]But by Advent Children, it seems Rufus has reformed and is dedicated to helping the regeneration of the planet. He appears to enjoy subterfuge as much as he finds it useful, with his concealment of Jenova's head and use of deception in an attempt to overthrow his father. [25]
At the beginning of Final Fantasy VII he is the Vice-President of the Shinra Electric Power Company, a monopoly corporation and "de facto" world government. After his father's death, he becomes the president of the company. He begins running his company through fear and intimidation whilst very sure that Shinra is capable of solving the various crises facing Gaia. However, towards the close of the game he has a change of heart so he and Cloud's group put their differences aside to fight their common foes, Meteor and Sephiroth. Rufus' actions led to many positive things towards the end of the game, actions that benefited the world, such as removing Sephiroth's energy barrier and destroying two WEAPONs. However, Rufus is thought to have died when his office in Shinra Headquarters was hit by an energy blast from Diamond WEAPON.
In Advent Children, however, Rufus returns with the intention of repairing the damage his company had caused to the world, despite being in a wheelchair due to the disease Geostigma. However, it was revealed that the wheelchair was just a façade, [26] as he was easily capable of standing to toss Jenova's head off the side of a building, then leaping off as Kadaj dove after it. He plays a significant role in the story, having come into possession of Jenova's remains. In his intent to repay the planet, Rufus is hinted as being the main, but anonymous, funder for the World Regenesis Organization.[27]
Rufus also makes sporadic appearances in Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII where Rufus is seen supplying funding and information to AVALANCHE as an "anonymous benefactor," while suggesting to the Turks that there may be a leak in the company. He intended to use AVALANCHE to kill his father so that he could become President of the Shinra Company. The plan failed, though Rufus continued scheming. Another instance of Rufus in Before Crisis shows him in attendance at Rocket Town with his father, he and the President argue about Shinra's direction causing serious tension within the company.
[edit] Turks
The Turks (タークス Tākusu?) are a group that perform covert operations on behalf of Shinra, including espionage, kidnappings and assassinations. They also scout for potential candidates for Shinra's elite military unit, SOLDIER, and serve as bodyguards for the Shinra executives. The group's full name is the Department of Administrative Research. Within the game, the Turks Reno, Rude, Elena, and their leader Tseng serve as recurring antagonists throughout, although they are not above forming temporary alliances with AVALANCHE, the game's group of central protagonists.[28]
Final Fantasy VII's prequel, Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, focuses exclusively on the Turks in the years leading up to the events of Final Fantasy VII. They also appear in Advent Children, set two years after the original. Here, they serve as allies of AVALANCHE, as well as bodyguards to Rufus Shinra and aid in his self-appointed mission to restore the world's vitality.
[edit] Tseng
Tseng (ツォン Tson?) is the stern but polite and calm leader of the Turks. He has long, black hair and what appears to be a tilak in the middle of his forehead. Though he is young, he has been an active member of the Turks for more than 10 years,[29] under the wing of the previous Turk leader Verdot. One of Tseng's first missions as team leader was aiding Zack, whom he befriended during the Genesis incident. Tseng attempted to retrieve Zack and Cloud in a nonviolent matter, but the presence of Shinra soldiers did not allow it. Prior to his promotion to leader, Tseng also met Aerith Gainsborough — for whom he seems to have had romantic feelings[30][31].
Tseng is the only Turk not fought at any point during Final Fantasy VII. He is wounded by Sephiroth during an investigation of the Temple of the Ancients. It is in fact assumed that he dies there since Aerith starts crying and he is never seen in the game again; however, Elena remarks that he is alive, though hospitalised, later in the game. He re-appears in Advent Children , wherein he and Elena retrieve Jenova's remains from the Northern Crater before being attacked and captured by Kadaj's gang. After enduring torture at the villains' hands, he is rescued — along with Elena — by Vincent Valentine, and the two of them later show up in Edge to rescue Rufus. The only other time he appeared before that in Advent Children was on the picture of his I.D. Card, splattered with blood, which Kadaj dropped in front of Rufus and when he and the other Turks are witnessing the recovery of Rufus from Geostigma near the end of the movie.
Tseng plays a prominant role of Crisis Core, befriending and working alongside Zack Fair. Zack relies on him to protect Aerith while he had been dispatched to Nibelheim and collects letters from Aerith to eventually send to Zack. When Shinra sends military units to destory Zack, Tseng makes an effort to save his life by sending out multiple Turks, though it proved to be unsuccessful. Tseng is voiced by Junichi Suwabe in the Japanese version of the film and Ryun Yu in the English version.
[edit] Reno
Reno (レノ?) is a prominent member of the Turks, ranking directly below Tseng. He sports a lanky physique, and unkempt red hair terminating in a long ponytail. In Final Fantasy VII he has two symmetrical red tattoos across his cheekbones. He is always seen wearing goggles on his forehead. He is also much less attentive to dress code than his colleagues. He wears the Turks uniform but with his jacket unzipped and his shirt untucked and open-necked without a tie. He uses a retractable, metallic stun baton, called an Electro-Mag Rod, as a weapon. He is characterized as cocky, cynical, and somewhat lazy, but is highly skilled and takes pride in his work. Reno also has a penchant for gossiping and is a competent helicopter pilot. In the Japanese version of Final Fantasy VII and Advent Children, he is portrayed as being somewhat less cynical, clumsy and more of a comical character. Although his fighting skills are far above the level of a normal human, he is defeated with relative ease by Loz and Yazoo.
Reno is first encountered in Final Fantasy VII when he enters a derelict church in the slums of Midgar's Sector 5 in an attempt to capture Aerith (where he instructs his subordinates to be careful not to step on the flowers after stepping on them himself). Not long after, he activates the bombs that blow up the Sector 7 support pillar before having a brief battle with Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart and Barret Wallace. This fight leaves him temporarily incapacitated. He later reappears outside of Gongaga with his long-time partner, Rude, having been assigned to intercept AVALANCHE. Despite the rivalry between the two groups, he is not beyond teaming up with Cloud and his companions in Wutai, where both parties had to work together after each had a member kidnapped by Don Corneo. After this incident, Reno's group receives new orders to search for Cloud but Reno decides not to fight Cloud on the pretext of being off duty. Near the end of Disc Two of Final Fantasy VII, the player has the option to fight Elena, Reno, and Rude, or refuse the battle. In either case the Turks survive, so there is no clear canonical outcome to this situation.
Reno has a prominent role in Advent Children. Consistent with his attitude at the end of the original Final Fantasy VII, Reno possesses no true hostility towards his former enemies[1]. As of Advent Children, the Turks are on the same side as AVALANCHE and join the fight against the film's villains. Reno and Rude primarily serve as the film's comic relief. His comical role in Advent Children includes being locked out while Cloud and Rufus have an important talk, bringing out his weapon and accidentally hitting Rude in the head, being knocked back several hundred feet by Yazoo and landing on Rude, climbing a building to save Rufus and using Rude's head as support, stepping on and crushing Rude's trademark sunglasses, having a child stick his fingers up his nose while rescuing him from Bahamut SIN, and apologizing to Loz and Yazoo for insulting Jenova before realizing what he said.
He is voiced by Keiji Fujiwara in the Japanese version of "Advent Children" and "Crisis Core" with Quinton Flynn voicing him in the English versions.
[edit] Rude
Rude (ルード Rūdo?) is a tall, naturally bald[32] man with a slight goatee. In relation to the real world many fans believe Rude is of African descent, when in fact, Tetsuya Nomura stated he intended for Rude to look more South American than anything else.[citation needed] He always wears sunglasses and carries a number of spare pairs with him. Rude is rarely seen without his long-time partner, Reno, and is rather taciturn, tending to relegate the talking to Reno. He also becomes uncomfortable when brought into a conversation, as seen during the meeting with Cloud and later when meeting Yazoo and Loz in the Advent Children movie. Rude is a superb physical combatant and prefers to use his fists in battle (however, in his first scenes in Advent Children it is revealed that he carries an impact baton). In one of his rare lines of dialogue in Final Fantasy VII, he reveals to Reno that he has a crush on Tifa Lockhart, a skilled martial artist like himself, though no close relationship develops between them. Near the end of Disc Two of Final Fantasy VII, the player has the option to fight Elena, Reno, and Rude, or refuse the battle.
Rude has a prominent role in Advent Children always seen with his partner Reno. They are mainly used for comical effect, with Reno normally injuring Rude or when fighting Loz, a rather large road sign drops on him after Reno is kicked into it. During his confrontation with Loz he seems to put up a better fight than Reno against Yazoo, landing several punches. In the end, he and Reno use a massive explosion to take out Loz and Yazoo. Loz and Yazoo somehow survive the explosion and make appearance just after Cloud defeats Kadaj. Rude and Reno also survive the explosion and are shown standing around Rufus after Cloud's fight with Kadaj. He is voiced by Taiten Kusunoki in the Japanese version of Advent Children and Crispin Freeman in the English version.
[edit] Elena
Elena (イリーナ Irīna?) is a junior member of the Turks, and the only female member seen in the original Final Fantasy VII. She is a young woman with short, blonde hair and brown eyes. In Before Crisis, she was a high school student whose father was a teacher in the Shinra Military Academy and whose older sister was a member of the Turks. Though she resented her sister and the other Turks for outperforming her in their status, a later encounter with them convinced her to join the group. Elena obtained her position as the newest recruit after Reno sustained injuries battling AVALANCHE in Midgar during Final Fantasy VII.
Elena is shown as naive, impetuous and somewhat overeager, with a loose tongue that sometimes causes her to inadvertently reveal secret information. She takes her work much more seriously than Reno and Rude do, and also became quite frustrated with their laid-back attitudes.[33] She also has a crush on Tseng and temporarily holds Cloud's party accountable for the injuries he suffered while investigating the Temple of the Ancients. Near the end of Disc Two of Final Fantasy VII, the player has the option to fight Elena, Reno, and Rude, or refuse the battle. In either case the Turks survive, so there is no clear canonical outcome to this situation.
Elena appears briefly in Advent Children, wherein she is voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi in the Japanese version and Bettina Bush in the English version. Her role is less prominent than that of her colleagues, Reno and Rude, spending most of the movie off-camera recovering along with Tseng after being tortured by Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz. The first time she appears in the movies is on her bloodied I.D. card, which Kadaj drops in front of Rufus Shinra after Cloud's visit with Rufus, the second time she appears is when she and Tseng both save Rufus when he falls pursuing Kadaj and when she and the other Turks witness the recovery of Rufus from Geostigma near the end of the movie.
[edit] Professor Hojo
Hojo (宝条 Hōjō?): Shinra's resident mad scientist with a God complex, Hojo undertook radical experiments without any regard for ethics or the potential consequences of his research on his test subjects.[34] Hojo regards the subjects of his experiments as mere "specimens," though most are human or otherwise sentient. It is revealed later on that he is Sephiroth's father, being responsible for the Planet's crisis to see the results of his greatest experiment. He is voiced by Paul Eiding (English) & Nachi Nozawa (Japanese) in Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core.
Hojo's notoriety begins approximately thirty years prior to the start of the game in Nibelheim, where he was sent by Shinra to assist Professor Gast and Lucrecia with the Jenova Project, a project headed up by Gast and intended to produce modern day humans with the abilities of the Cetra, which Jenova - in actuality, a world-devouring alien entity - was mistakenly believed to be a member of. It was believed that this goal may be realized by testing the effects of Jenova cells on an unborn child. Thus, the three Shinra scientists — with Lucrecia and Hojo's complete cooperation — injected some of Jenova's cells into the womb of Lucrecia, who was pregnant with Hojo's child at the time. The child that would come of this experiment was Sephiroth. But prior to Sephiroth's birth, Hojo used Vincent's body for experiments. Hojo later managed to take Professor Hollander's position as head of Shinra's Science Department during the events of Crisis Core, using its resources to set up his Jenova Reunion theory, with Zack and Cloud among the people injected with Jenova's cells. During the storyline of the game, Hojo left Shinra to oversee his theory, though confused that only a "failing experiment", Cloud, made it to where Jenova was. Once Meteor began to descend toward the planet, Hojo grew bored of experimenting on others and injected himself with Jenova cells; however, Hojo succumbed to Jenova and mutated into a monster as he willingly attempted to give Sephiroth the power of the Planet with the Sister Ray so that he could witness his most esteemed experiment reach its ultimate stage of development. While attempting to carry out this process, he was mortally wounded by AVALANCHE and was left for dead.
Nevertheless, as revealed in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Hojo managed to barely return into his body for a brief moment to upload his mind into the World Network as a backup before it was destroyed during Meteorfall. However, due to Meteor, his conscious mind was fragmented. It would be three years before Hojo's mind was able to have its "reunion" upon the World Network's restoration. Deciding to finish what he started, Hojo took over the body of the 'in-stasis' Deep Ground SOLDIER commander Weiss. However, upon Weiss' defeat, Nero appeared and merged into Weiss's body, "defiling" Hojo's host and forcing Hojo to leave Weiss' body as all traces of himself were eliminated.
[edit] Jenova
Jenova (ジェノバ Jenoba?) is one of the major antagonists in the game. The character also appears in a retelling of a section of the game in the original video animation Last Order: Final Fantasy VII, and in flashbacks in the movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. Jenova is indicated to be an extraterrestrial lifeform, composed of strange cells that carry her will and power even when separated. The Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω Guide states that Sephiroth's will and ambition were great enough that he was allowed to control Jenova's cells.[35]
Jenova has a major role in the continuity of Final Fantasy VII plot. In the game, many of the main characters, including Cloud Strife and Zack, have been injected with Jenova cells at some point in their lives. All members of SOLDIER were also given Jenova cells, as were the "Sephiroth clones" in Nibelheim. Additionally, all these individuals were infused with mako. This procedure leaves its subjects stronger and more resilient to physical attacks, but the cells and mako can also have various effects on one's mind, some beneficial (improved magical ability) and others detrimental (insanity). Sephiroth's case is more advanced as he was injected with Jenova cells while in the fetal stage, becoming more powerful than any other subject as a result. As explained by Ifalna to Professor Gast, when it first crashed on Earth Jenova began infecting the Ancients with its cells, transforming them into monsters under its control. She refers to Jenova as "the virus", an evil entity that infects others with its cells and mutates them for its own use.
Throughout the game, Jenova is often referred to as a "she", although the character's gender is not definitively confirmed. Furthermore, through Ifalna's description of Jenova's approach to the Cetra and Sephiroth's statements concerning—and his use of—Jenova's abilities, it is known that Jenova's cells can change their form, even from male to female appearance.[36][37] (Note: Ifalna calls Jenova "he" in the Playstation version of the game, yet refers to the creature as "it" in the PC version.) This concept is also confirmed by the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω guide.[38]
Jenova's full form is first revealed in a flashback, seen preserved in liquid in a large glass tank in the Mt. Nibel mako reactor. Here, Jenova appears to be human-sized and is in the shape of a nude, blue skinned woman. Of note, when seen here, she is wearing a helmet that exposes her brain at the top and, in the front, bears a plaque inscribed with the word "JENOVA" and the words "all rights reserved 1999" beneath.
Jenova fights the party several times in various forms. Interestingly, before fighting Jenova takes the form of Sephiroth, however the Ultimania explains that Jenova is being controlled by Sephiroth. [39]
[edit] Supporting cast
[edit] AVALANCHE
Three minor AVALANCHE members assist Cloud, Barret, and Tifa in the game. Biggs (ビッグス Biggusu?) is a slightly cocky and arrogant member who gradually comes to respect Cloud. Wedge (ウェッジ Wejji?), his close friend, is on the contrary very warm-hearted and kind to others, but he easily loses his composure when nervous.[40] Jessie (ジェシー Jeshī?) is an explosives and fake IDs technician fascinated with gadgetry and other "flashy stuff".[41] She gives Cloud a lesson on the Midgar rail system and the structure of the city itself. The player is given the option to have Cloud flirt with her a few times. All three characters are eventually killed by Shinra in the bombing of the Sector 7.
[edit] Bugenhagen
Bugenhagen (ブーゲンハーゲン Būgenhāgen?), Red XIII/Nanaki's adoptive grandfather,[42] is an eccentric old man who moves about, floating on a green ball. Formerly a Shinra worker, he retired to his home of Cosmo Canyon — where he is the elder of the Bugah Tribe[43] — to pursue the Study of Planet Life, and where he finds a peaceful harmony between technology and nature. He has an observatory at the top of Cosmo Canyon, and provides vital information to AVALANCHE regarding how to stop Sephiroth and Meteor. Like Heidegger, Bugenhagen is also apparently named after a German philosopher, Johannes Bugenhagen (1485–1558).
[edit] Dio
Dio (ディオ?): Manager of the Gold Saucer, well-known for his extremely buff, muscular physique and his tendency to show it off by only ever wearing what appears to be a thong. When he hears that reports of a man with a gun for an arm has murdered several Shinra soldiers in the Gold Saucer, he arrests Barret's group and places them in Corel Prison, but releases them after learning that Dyne was at fault instead. Later, he lends the Keystone to them that will open the Temple of the Ancients. His favorite attraction in the Gold Saucer is the Battle Arena, where he makes Cloud fight for the Keystone. The Battle Arena is also the location of Dio's personal museum where he has his collection of unusual and bizarre possessions on display.
[edit] Don Corneo
Don Corneo (ドン・コルネオ Don Koruneo?) is a perverted crime-boss of lower Midgar who resides in Wall Market and has a penchant for asking multiple-choice questions. After being confronted by Cloud, Tifa and Aerith — who all threaten to castrate him — he reveals Shinra's plan to destroy Sector 7's support pillar. He then becomes a target of Shinra for having released this information. Later, after hiding out from the Turks who were ordered to kill him, Corneo kidnaps Yuffie and Elena in Wutai with the intentions of forcing one of them to be his bride. After a brief alliance between AVALANCHE and the Turks, he is killed by a long fall off a mountain. The Don had two "pets", Aps and Rapps, both of which he set against AVALANCHE. His name may be a parody of Don Corleone of The Godfather fame.
Don Corneo has two lackeys: Kotch & Skotch, known as Kocchi and Socchi (コッチとソッチ?) in the original Japanese. Their Japanese names, taken together, essentially mean "Here & There."
[edit] Dyne
Dyne (ダイン Dain?) was Barret's best friend and the father of Marlene. He was believed dead after Shinra attacked his hometown of Corel, though he survived, and similarly to Barret, had his severed left forearm replaced with a gun prosthetic. Going insane, Dyne blamed Barret for the death of his wife and the destruction of his town, eventually becoming the "Boss" of Corel Prison beneath the Gold Saucer. He had become a twisted, self-loathing man with a lust for killing. Several years later, he was finally reunited with Barret in the prison and insisted upon a duel with him. Afterwards, he made Barret promise to take care of Marlene and — unable to live with what he had become — committed suicide by jumping off a cliff.
[edit] Elmyra
Aerith's adoptive mother, Elmyra Gainsborough, or Elmina Gainsborough (エルミナ・ゲインズブール Erumina Geinzubūru?), discovers Aerith and the dying Ifalna after their escape from Shinra headquarters. Ifalna asks Elmyra to care for her daughter before dying, and Elmyra adopts Aerith as her own, raising her and becoming aware of the young girl's developing Cetra abilities. Elmyra later takes care of Marlene while Barret is pursuing Sephiroth, but both are subsequently taken into custody by Reeve Tuesti and relocated to Kalm. Reeve, however, ensures their safety and they are later released. He later has the sad duty of informing them of Aerith's death at the hands of Sephiroth.
[edit] Professor Gast
Gast, known in Japan as (ガスト・ファレミス Gasuto Faremisu?), is the former head of Shinra's Science Research Department and Aerith's father. Gast seems to be a noble man who pursues knowledge for its own sake, rather than for the power it can bring. Gast finds Jenova during an excavation in the Northern Crater. After Jenova is transported to Nibelheim for further study of her origin and nature, Gast comes to the incorrect conclusion that the creature is a Cetra, and Shinra sends Hojo and Lucrecia to assist him. Believing that they may be able to produce a modern-day Cetra, the scientists inject Jenova cells into the womb of the pregnant Lucrecia, who was carrying Hojo's child.[44] At some undisclosed point in time, Gast leaves the project with a guilty conscience, although he doesn't officially leave Shinra. Gast continues his research on the Ancients alone and meets Ifalna — one of the last surviving members of the Ancients' race — at Icicle Lodge. There, Gast carries out a series of interviews with Ifalna, and in time, they fall in love and have a child together: Aerith.[45] However, shortly after Aerith's birth (twenty days, to be exact), Hojo killed Gast during the attempt to capture both Ifalna and Aerith for further study.
[edit] Ifalna
Ifalna (イファルナ Ifaruna?) is Aerith's birth mother and the last full-blooded Cetra. Found by Professor Gast in Icicle Lodge, they recorded a series of interviews together. The two fell in love, resulting in the birth of Aerith. Twenty days after Aerith's birth, Hojo had Gast shot and Aerith and Ifalna apprehended, and then taken to the Shinra headquarters in Midgar. Ifalna escaped seven years later with Aerith, and they managed to get as far as the Sector 7 train station in Midgar. Exhausted and wounded, Ifalna entrusted Aerith's care to Elmyra Gainsborough and died.
[edit] Johnny
Johnny (ジョニー Jonī?): A young man from Sector 7 who has had a crush on Tifa since their childhoods in Nibelheim. He leaves Midgar and moves to Costa del Sol, turning up in several other locations along the way. In the short story "The Case of Denzel", a part of the novella On the Way to a Smile, Johnny decides to open his own cafe in Edge City, Johnny's Heaven, after being inspired by Tifa's decision to build a new Seventh Heaven pub in the city. He would often tell his customers about how Tifa inspired him and would unknowingly lose most of his potentially regular customers to Seventh Heaven by doing so.
[edit] Godo
Godo Kisaragi (ゴドー・キサラギ Godō Kisaragi?): Yuffie's father, and the leader of Wutai. Wutai was the enemy Shinra fought in a war that occurred around the time of Sephiroth's early life. As a condition of its surrender, Wutai was not allowed to possess any materia and was reduced to a tourist town. Like his daughter, Godo has a bit of an obsession with materia--he is just able to hide his obsession better than Yuffie.
[edit] Lucrecia
Lucrecia Crescent (ルクレツィア・クレシェント Rukuretsia Kureshento?): Lucrecia is a female scientist who worked on the Jenova Project, alongside Professor Hojo and Professor Gast. She was Vincent’s love interest as well as Sephiroth's biological mother.
Lucrecia is estimated to have been born around 60 years before the events of the game. She worked as a Class A biotechnologist for the Shinra Electric Power Company under the direction of Grimoire Valentine, Vincent Valentine's father. Her thesis on Omega and Chaos had suffered much criticism and she was anxious to prove her colleagues wrong. During one of her investigations she happened upon the suspected location of the dormant Chaos.
During the events before Final Fantasy VII, Lucrecia was assigned as an assistant to Professor Faremis Gast alongside Professor Hojo in the town of Nibelheim. They were to investigate the excavated specimen (later known as Jenova) from the Northern Crater which was suspected to be an Ancient (Cetra). Upon analysis they falsely believed it to be a Cetra and attempted to extract its cellular DNA in order to artificially produce soldiers with the Cetra's abilities. She used her unborn child as the subject of the Jenova Project's first in vivo experiment despite objections from Vincent Valentine. During pregnancy, Lucrecia began receiving visions of the horrors her unborn son would commit, and in an untimely encounter, discovered Vincent shot by Hojo. Fearing for his life, Lucrecia exposed him to the stagnated mako, causing the being known as Chaos to be absorbed into his body. Though his life was saved, he was left in a feral madness. Disgusted with all that she had done to those she cared about and the changes Jenova's cells had wrought in her own body, she attempted to kill herself. However, she was unable to easily die because of the presence of Jenova's cells in her body, and, thus, she isolated herself in a cave and trapped herself within mako crystals. During the events of Final Fantasy VII, she is discovered by Vincent and the others, and she asks if Sephiroth had died yet. Vincent, hoping to help her rest in peace, falsely tells her that he had.
[edit] Marlene
Marlene Wallace (マリン Marin?) is the young daughter of Barret's friends, Dyne and Eleanor. Adopted by Barret after Eleanor's death during the burning of Corel and left with Elmyra during the game, she is kidnapped by Reeve. At the end of the game, she has been sent to Kalm by Reeve to keep her safe. She is voiced by Miyu Tsuzurahara in the Japanese version of Advent Children and Grace Rolek in the English version. In Advent Children, she appears to live with Cloud, Tifa and an orphan named Denzel, while Barret is away searching for new power sources. Her hair in Advent Children is styled similarly to Aerith's, it is assumed that the ribbon Marlene wears in her hair is in fact Aerith's.
[edit] Seto
Seto (セト?): Red XIII's/Nanaki's father. He was believed to be a coward by Red XIII but later revealed to be a great hero who sacrificed his own life for the safety of Cosmo Canyon by keeping the Gi Tribe at bay. The poison arrows of the Gi Tribe turned Seto's body to stone. As Red XIII and Buganhagen visited his body, tears fell from Seto's stone eyes.
[edit] Shera
Shera, or Sierra (シエラ Shiera?) in the original Japanese, is a soft-spoken and calm methodical scientist working on the Shinra No. 26 who ultimately caused Cid to cancel its launch: she feared one of the oxygen tanks was malfunctioning and refused to leave when Cid ordered her to. To save her life, Cid stopped the launch, but resented her for this, believing that she had cost him his dream of being the first man in space. Due to the guilt she felt for destroying his dreams, Shera subsequently devoted her life to Cid and pandered to his every whim, often while taking all kinds of verbal abuse and endless insults from him. However, he later came to have great respect for her after finding out that she had been right all along about the oxygen tank. Shera also saved his life on the later successful rocket launch by helping to remove debris trapping Cid on the rocket, as well as by repairing the emergency escape pod so that the party could escape the doomed rocket. In the novella On the Way to a Smile, Shera had began work drilling oil in some badlands just east of Rocket Town, hoping to use oil as an alternative to the now-feared Mako energy and the almost primitive coal power. It is also revealed that she has contracted Geostigma during this time, although mention of her in future titles seems to indicate that she was cured of Geostigma by the lifestream infused water called forth by Aerith before she could die. Cid named the airship seen in Advent Children after her and is revealed in Dirge of Cerberus to have also married her.
[edit] Shinra executives
President Shinra (プレジデント神羅 Purejidento Shinra?) is the first President of the Shinra Company. He built it from a simple weapons development company to a corporation that controlled the world in a single generation. He was a remarkably capable manager who excelled at the science of predicting human nature and guiding public opinion. It was his theory that one could control the world by grasping the masses' hearts with money. He found the opinions of his son, Rufus, dangerous and ensured that they were kept away from company affairs by assigning him duties in "far away" lands. The President dedicated a large amount of Shinra Inc's resources and money into research of the Cetra with the hope of finding "The Promised Land" and building a powerful Mako Reactor there. President Shinra listens to Joseph Haydn's Oratorio, The Creation as the Sector Seven Plate collapses. When Shinra Inc finally managed to capture a living Cetra, President Shinra was murdered by Sephiroth.
Other executives of Shinra include Professor Hojo, as well as:
- Heidegger (ハイデッガー Haideggā?, IPA: [ˈhaɪdəgɐ]): Head of Shinra's Public Safety Maintenance Department, which is simply a euphemism for Shinra's military, the elite SOLDIER unit and the Turks. Heidegger has a strong personality of his own but is generally seen as little more than a toadyish yes-man who sucks up to President Shinra and Rufus. It was he who masterminded the destruction of Sector 7 and the subsequent public relations exercise that implicated AVALANCHE with the crime. He attempted to assume control of the Shinra company after the WEAPON attack on Midgar that presumably kills Rufus but died shortly afterward when the Proud Clod (a mecha that he and Scarlet were piloting) exploded after a battle with AVALANCHE. Nicknamed as "Gya ha ha" by Reeve, for his horse-like laugh. He often punches any unlucky soldier nearby whenever he is angered. Possibly named after the German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889–1976), or after the protagonist of the same name in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment".
- Scarlet (スカーレット Sukāretto?): Head of Shinra's Weapons Development Department. Aspires to make the perfect weapon, but doesn't trust Heidegger to use it properly. Scarlet is one of the more evil-minded Shinra executives and was directly responsible for the destruction of Barret Wallace's home town of Corel and for the loss of Barret's forearm. She helps in creating a large mako cannon, Sister Ray, used to fight WEAPON. Like Rufus, she is both cunning and ruthless. Nicknamed as "Kya ha ha" for her peculiar laugh by Reeve. She died along with Heidegger in the explosion of the Proud Clod.
- Reeve Tuesti (リーブ・トゥエスティ Rību Tuesuti?, IPA: [ɹiv tuɛsti]): Head of the Urban Development Department, a job which in his own words makes him responsible for both the building and running of Midgar, hence his concerns about damages and rebuilding costs after Shinra collapsed the Sector 7 plate (concerns his colleages did not share). He has the job of overseeing the construction of upper Midgar and recognising the greater architectural vision of the Shinra regime (It is unclear as to whether or not he actually designed the city). He used Cait Sith as a way for him to spy on — and later aid — AVALANCHE. Along with Mayor Domino, he is one of the few officials in Shinra who has a genuine concern for the common people. He is briefly arrested by Heidegger's men after the apparent death of Rufus but is released in time to organise the evacuation of Midgar's population before the arrival of Meteor. Reeve later founded the World Regenesis Organization (WRO), an organization devoted to the environmental reclamation of the planet after the collapse of the Shinra Company. Reeve plays a significant role in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and has a voice-over cameo in Advent Children provided by Jamieson Price (English) & Banjō Ginga (Japanese).
- Palmer (パルマー Parumā?): The incompetent head of Shinra's seemingly defunct Space Exploration Department who has, nonetheless, managed to retain his place among the company's top ranking executives even though he serves no visible role in the company. Palmer is a bouncy, overweight man with some childlike behavior. He goes with Rufus to Rocket Town to steal Cid's plane, the Tiny Bronco. Although he is hit by a truck as he tries to escape Cloud and company, he — along with Reeve and Rufus — is one of the few Shinra executives to survive the events of Final Fantasy VII. However, he has yet to make any further appearances in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.
- Mayor Domino: The Mayor of upper Midgar in name only. In practice Domino is little more than a figurehead and a puppet of the Shinra, with the real responsibility of running the city being in the hands of Reeve and Heidegger. Due to his lack of power and responsibilities he does not have a place in Shinra's executive cabinet and spends the majority of his time in his office on the 62nd floor of the Shinra building and, in the words of Heidegger, "feeding his face". Domino's deputy and sidekick, Hart is often with him and stands guard outside his office. Despite his cushy job with the company, Domino has little respect or admiration for his superiors and, like Reeve, shows concern about the welfare or the people within Midgar.
Lastly, the Shinra Manager is a middle manager in the Shinra company, who is mistreated and trodden upon by higher-ups such as Heidegger and Rufus. He is dedicated to the company, but his life is miserable. He wears a burgundy business suit and is encountered in the two train rides in Midgar, then sleeping in a bed in Junon. Later he visits Costa Del Sol, and in the end, he is back at the bed in Junon. Near the end of the game, if the player speaks to him, he will reveal that if all of the corporate heads indeed died when AVALANCHE attacked the Sister Ray, essentially, he would now be the president.
[edit] WEAPON
- See also: Weapon (Final Fantasy)
The WEAPON (ウェポン Wepon?) are immense, biomechanical entities created by the Planet as a defense mechanism against threats to its survival. Six of the eight WEAPON serve to exterminate everything that threatens the Planet, including humans.[46] Chaos is thought to be a WEAPON as mentioned in Dirge of Cerberus even though its being is small enough to fit into a human body, Chaos is a counter measure for the complete summon of the final WEAPON, Omega WEAPON. Unlike the other WEAPON, Omega acts as a last resort that only activates should the Planet be beyond saving, sucking up the Lifestream, becoming an Ark and leaving for another world to repopulate. In Before Crisis, the Jade WEAPON was first to be evoked with the Diamond, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, and Ultima WEAPON awakened when Meteor was summoned. However, though they are unable to get Sephiroth, due to the barrier he erected around the Northern Cave, the combat-based WEAPON turn their attention on humanity. "WEAPON" is used as both a singular and plural term.
[edit] Zangan
Zangan (ザンガン?) is Tifa's martial arts instructor, and rescued her after she was wounded by Sephiroth. In Final Fantasy VII, his letter to Tifa (found in her piano) shed light on the events following the burning of Nibelheim and the coverup that ensued. Zangan was quite active and possessed some ability with magic, using Cure spells on Tifa as he transported her to Midgar.
[edit] Before Crisis characters
The main characters of Before Crisis are all Turks. The player chooses from eleven unnamed characters (five young men, five young women and one "legendary" Turk), each with his or her own backstory, personality, strengths and weaknesses. Six of these Turks also appear in Last Order, where they act as support for Tseng, Reno, and Rude, but they are not given proper names and few have dialog. The female Turk with the short blond hair has been identified as Elena's older sister, however she has no canonical name and is only referred to as "Turk (Gun)" based on her weapon of choice. The female Turk identified as "Turk (Shuriken)" has been shown to appear in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII where she goes by the name "Cissnei", though she later remarks that it isn't her true name. After barely surviving the pre-Final Fantasy VII events of Before Crisis, they make an appearance along with Verdot in Midgar during the coming of the Meteor disaster and assist the other Turks in evacuating civilians. Their whereabouts during the majority of Final Fantasy VII's events are currently unknown.
During most of Before Crisis, Verdot is the non-playable leader of the Turks. He is very particular on matters relating to succeeding in missions and very unforgiving when it comes to failure. Tseng considers him a role model and eventually succeeds him. Though many of his subordinates are intimidated by his severity, they all deeply respect him. When Heidegger usurps his position at one point during the story, Verdot blackmails President Shinra into returning it. Formerly a resident of the town of Kalm, he had a daughter and wife that he believed perished when the town was razed due to his own misinterpreted commands. In actuality, his daughter survived, and is eventually revealed to be the leader of AVALANCHE, Elfé. He cares very deeply for the Turks, and does not wish for them to suffer any events similar to what he has; he also cares very much for his daughter, defecting from Shinra when he discovers she is alive. Verdot appeared only in Before Crisis, but is mentioned in Last Order: Final Fantasy VII.
[edit] Advent Children characters
- Further information: Final Fantasy VII Advent Children#Plot
The main playable characters of Final Fantasy VII reappear in Advent Children, with a focus on Cloud. The Turks also make appearances; as does Rufus, who was thought to have died in the original game. The three antagonists of the film are the "Sephiroth Remnants", the silver-haired remains of Sephiroth's will and spirit in physical form, whose goal is to retrieve Jenova's cells to resurrect Sephiroth. They are able to summon monstrous embodiments of tainted Lifestream called "Shadow Creepers".
Kadaj (カダージュ Kadāju?) is 16 years old and the medium-haired. Cruel and vengeful young leader, he fights with a double-bladed katana called "Souba" (possibly meaning "twin blade" in Japanese; "sou" meaning "twin" and "ba" meaning "blade"), and has a materia embedded in his arm, with which he summons the Bahamut SIN. Kadaj serves as Sephiroth's avatar when he acquires and absorbs Jenova's cells into his body.
Loz (ロッズ Rozzu?) is 20 years and the short-haired. Broad and violent Remnant who fights primarily with a pile bunker called "Dual Hound". He duels Tifa in Aerith's church. He and Yazū die in an explosion of excessive materia atop the Shinra headquarters
Yazoo (ヤズー Yazū?) is 18 years old and the long-haired. Calm Remnant who specializes in firearms, wielding a "Velvet Nightmare" gunblade. He shoots Cloud, intending to bring him to the Promised Land with them, before he and Loz die in an explosion of excessive materia atop the Shinra headquarters.
The film also features Denzel (デンゼル Denzeru?), a young brown-haired boy. While his role in the film is minimal, he is the focus of a part of the tie-in series of novellas On the Way to a Smile. Denzel's parents, a Shinra worker named Abel and a woman named Chloe, are stated to have died during the Sector 7 destruction in Final Fantasy VII; before dying, Abel entrusted Denzel to an inhabitant of Sector 5 named Arkham, and was subsequently raised by Ruvie Tuesti, Reeve's mother. When Ruvie dies in the chaos resulting from the Lifestream burst at the end of Final Fantasy VII, Denzel settles in the Midgar ruins with Rix, a new friend, helping to collect material for the construction of the new town, Edge. Rix eventually leaves Denzel, who wanders and is eventually found by Cloud.
[edit] Dirge of Cerberus characters
Dirge of Cerberus is a first and third person shooter which centers on the back story of Vincent Valentine. Another character previously mentioned in the article who appears in the game is Reeve Tuesti, the former head of Shinra's Urban Development Department. In the game he leads the World Regenesis Organization and works with Vincent through the game. Hojo returns as well in flashbacks, and he then reappears in the penultimate moments of the game. The playable characters of Final Fantasy VII make cameo appearances, notably Cait Sith, who is controllable for a brief sequence. A new WEAPON is also introduced, Omega Weapon, which serves as an "ark" for the planet's Lifestream when a calamity arises. Genesis first appears in Dirge of Cerberus, but is only referred to as "G".
- Shalua Rui (シャルア・ルーイ Sharua Rūi?) is a female character, who first appeared in a small role in Before Crisis. She is a WRO scientist and is a supporter and aide to Vincent.
- Grimoire Valentine (グリモア・ヴァレンタイン Gurimoa Varentain?), Vincent Valentine's father, is introduced in Dirge of Cerberus. He appears in the game's flashbacks with Lucrecia Crescent, serving as her mentor.
- The Tsviets (ツヴィエート Tsuviēto?) are the highest ranking elite squad within Deepground and its chain of command.All of the members of the group are named after colors from different languages, hence the group's name, which is based on цвет, the Russian word for color.[citation needed] Five members appear in the single player mode of the game, and at least one more member appears in the online mode. They include, Weiss, Nero, Rosso, Shelke, Azul and Argento.
[edit] Crisis Core characters
- Further information: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII#Characters
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII focuses on Zack, whose full name is given as Zack Fair. The game also introduces Angeal Hewley, Lazard, Dr. Hollander, and Cissnei, a woman who first appeared as a generic unnamed Turk in Before Crisis. Luxiere and Kunsel, two SOLDIER friends of Zack, also are introduced. Genesis, a character who appears briefly as "G" in the Dirge of Cerberus secret ending sequence, is involved more prominently in Crisis Core. The goddess Minerva makes an appearance as a secret boss during a mission.
[edit] Lazard
Lazard (ラザード Razādo?) is the director of Shinra's SOLDIER department, Stefan Marks in the English release of Crisis Core. Lazard is also Rufus Shinra's older illegitimate half-brother, his mother being a woman from the slums who President Shinra abandoned. Lazard entered Shinra and received promotions at an exceptional speed to attain his present status within the organization, baring ill will towards Rufus and their father. As a result, Lazard secretly funded Hollander's research.
But when Hollander is found out to be a traitor also seeking revenge on Shinra, Lazard flees and ends up being infected with Angeal's cells and slowly turns into an Angeal copy--his desire for vengeance slowly turning into Angeal's desires to help Zack and the planet. In the end, Lazard dies after being attacked by the Shinra army while protecting Cloud outside the ruins of Banora.
[edit] Angeal
Angeal Hewley (アンジール・ヒューレー Anjīru Hyūrē?): A SOLDIER 1st Class who acts as a mentor to other, lower ranking SOLDIERs, particularly Zack to whom he seems to have become something of a patron. He is voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue in the original Japanese version and by Josh Gilman in the English dub. He is a respected 1st Class and is well known for his sense of responsibility and wisdom and is a companion to Sephiroth and Genesis, the latter of whom he grew up with in the rural village of Banora. Angeal is the original owner of the Buster Sword, which was purchased for him by his late father using all the family's savings. He tends not to use the weapon, as it represented his honor and pride, claiming that "use brings about wear, tear and rust".
After going on a mission to Wutai in order to locate Genesis, he does not return, leading Sephiroth to question his loyalty. Angeal's loyalty comes under even more scrutiny, when Angeal pretends to aid Genesis in the hopes of being able to convert him. Angeal abandons Genesis soon afterwards and faces Zack at the Midgar plate interior, revealing that he was the result of being born from his mother who was genetic manipulated through Project G, bearing two white wings on his right shoulder. He considers them the trait of a monster though Zack believes it to be "a wing of an angel". He also can assimulate the genetic structure of others into his body, using it on four monsters to become Angeal Penanace to force Zack to fight him so can not live as the monster he thinks he is. As he dies, Angeal gives Zack his Buster Sword and tells him to keep his honor as a Soldier. Angeal's surname is derived from the Greek word hyle which is translated as materia in Latin.[47]
[edit] Gillian
Angeal's mother by Hollander, though Hollander was not her husband. Forced to live in Banora with the other traces of Jenova Project G. She met Zack shortly before killing herself so that Hollander and Genesis wouldn't be able to use her in their plots. She had been the only person in Banora spared by Genesis.
She is voiced in English by Takayo Fischer, with Masako Ikeda providing her voice for the Japanese version.
[edit] Hollander
Professor Hollander (ホランダー Horandā?) was originally head of Shinra's science division until Hojo took it from him, never forgiving for it. He is voiced by Shinya Ohwada in the original Japanese version and by Sterling Young in the English dub. Hollander is the father of Angeal and the creator of Project G, named after his wife who was injected with Jenova cells and her DNA structure copied unto Genesis. He sides with Genesis originally, serving to halt his degredation, until Genesis had no more use for his services. But Genesis let him live since he injected himself with the G cells, resulting with Hollander growing a small black wing and his body begins to deteriorate quickly. He dies trying to steal Cloud from Zack.
[edit] Cissnei
Cissnei (シスネ Shisune?) is a female Turks' member whose place of birth is unknown, wielding a crimson Shuriken called "Rekka" in battle as her weapon of choice. Cissnei is not her real name according to her in-game dialogue, but she goes by it just the same.
She is beautiful and warm-hearted, and has a mothering side which can border on bossy, which often manifests in how she looks after her colleagues. While still in an orphanage at a young age, the Turks expressed an interest in recruiting Cissnei. In the history of the Turks, she is the youngest member to join. She was originally referred as Shuriken (Female) in Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII until her appearance in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.
She befriends Zack and ends up helping him escape from the Shinra Army when they are being chased for escaping Hojo's Sephiroth Copy Project.
She is voiced in English by Carrie Savage, and by Asumi Nakata in Japanese.
[edit] Genesis
Genesis Rhapsodos is a mysterious first Class SOLDIER, said to have rebelled against Shinra and disappeared during the Wutai war. His birth is similar to Sephiroth, though he was infused with the cells of Gillian, Angeal's mother, who had been infused with Jenova cells by Hollander. He became best friends with Angeal when they were young, both joining SOLDIER together. It was only until after a sparring match with Sephiroth that Genesis started to show signs of having white hair and became weaker than he ever was. It was during the Wutai war that Genesis abandoned Shinra and kidnapped Dr. Hollander to help him stop his degradation. They used a machine stolen from Shinra to create copies of Genesis using his cells on suspected to be the Second- and Third-Class SOLDIERs who disappeared with Genesis at the beginning of Crisis Core.
Both Sephiroth and Genesis possess a single black wing, with Genesis' coming from his left shoulder, and Sephiroth's coming from his right. His weapon is a rapier, though reminiscent to a single-handed longsword.
He carried a book on his person called Loveless, quoting lines of the goddess Minerva. Eventually, Genesis saw his chance of survival in Jenova's cells to stop his degradation. However, the Nibelheim incident removed any chances of that (he did attempt to tempt Sephiroth into joining himself and Angeal, but failed) until he learned of Cloud and Zack being injected with Jenova's cells, recovering a few strands of Zack's hair. Though he might have stopped the degeneration, Genesis was defeated by Zack, weakened to the point of being taken by Weiss. Soon after, records of Genesis' existence are erased and his fate unknown other than that his genetic makeup was emulated in the creation of the Deepground organization seen in Dirge of Cerberus and that he turned down Weiss' offer to join Deepground, instead sealing himself away until the planet needed to be protected. In the epilogue of Dirge of Cerberus, Genesis appears to carry Weiss away while saying "its not time for slumber, we still have much work to do, my brother".
Genesis' appearance was modelled after that of the Japanese singer Gackt, who voiced him also in the Japanese versions of Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core, and sang 'Redemption', the theme song for Dirge of Cerberus. He is voiced in English by Robin Atkin Downes in the secret ending of Dirge of Cerberus. Oliver Quinn provided the voice for him in the English version of Crisis Core.
[edit] Reception and legacy
The characters of Final Fantasy VII have been overall well-received by critics. In late 2007, Dengeki PlayStation named Cloud Strife the best character of all time in their retrospective awards feature about the original PlayStation.[48] Aerith placed fifth and Tifa placed eighth and three other characters placed in the top 50: Sephiroth at fourteenth, Reno at fifteenth, and Yuffie at forty-second.[48] Sephiroth remains one of the most popular villains in video game history, unanimously voted number one by the staff of Electronic Gaming Monthly in their "Top 10 Video Game Bosses" list in October 2005.[49] During spring of the same year, Sephiroth won GameFAQs' best villain contest.[50]
Due to their popularity, several characters from Final Fantasy VII have made cameo appearances in other Square Enix titles, most notably the fighting game Ehrgeiz and the popular Final Fantasy-Disney crossover series Kingdom Hearts.
[edit] References
- ^ Final Fantasy Retrospective Part V [GameTrailers.com feature]. GameTrailers.
- ^ a b Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. Find Articles; originally published in 1UP.com (October, 2003). Retrieved on 2006-08-10.
- ^ 'Dirge of Cerberus' defies expectations, for better and worse. USA Today (2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
- ^ GameSpot Editorial Team (2006). 'The greatest games of all time". GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ SQUARE ENIX ANNOUNCES RELEASE DATE OF FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN (2005-05-05). Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
- ^ a b c d e Khosla, Sheila (2003). Tetsuya Nomura 20s. FLAREgamer. Retrieved on 2006-04-13.
- ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2005-06-10). Yoshinori Kitase Talks Final Fantasy VII. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
- ^ http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/file/197341/42137
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 46. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 582. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ Cloud: "What do you think you're doin'?" / Hojo: "Lending a helping hand to an endangered species... Both of them are on the brink of extinction... If I don't help, all these animals will disappear."(Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ Final Fantasy VII: Top 10 Characters. ign.com (May 12, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
- ^ Final Fantasy VII Game Manual Character Description page (PAL version) Page 6,
- ^ ibid
- ^ Final Fantasy VII: "I was a spy. I was hired by the Shinra." (PAL Version)
- ^ Cid: "Shut up! Sit your ass down in that chair and drink you [sic] goddamn TEA! Arggggggh! DAMN, I'm pissed! Shera! I'll be in the backyard tunin' up Tiny Bronco! AN' make sure to serve them some tea! All right!?"(Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ Cid: "And finally we get to the day of the launch. Everything was goin' well... But, because of that dumb-ass Shera, the launch got messed up. That's why they became so anal! And so, Shinra nixed their outer space exploration plans. After they told me how the future was Space Exploration and got my damn hopes up... DAMN THEM! Then, it was all over once they found out Mako energy was profitable. They didn't even so much as look at space exploration. Money, moola, dinero! My dream was just a financial number for them!"(Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ Shera: "He pushed the Emergency Engine Shut Down switch, aborting the mission, to save my life. After that, the Space Program was cut back and the launch was canceled."(Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ Shera: "It's my fault his dream was destroyed... That's why... it's all right. I don't care what the Captain says, I'll live my life for him."(Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ Cid: "Tank Number 8 blew up...... So Tank Number 8... really was malfunctioning...... Shera... You were right."(Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ Cid: "Even Shera's been worried about you. And you know how she gets." (Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus)
- ^ Barret: Execution!? What're ya gonna get by executin' us? / Rufus: You are to be executed for causing this situation. People are ignorant. They'll feel better as long as someone is punished. / Barret: I take back what little praise I had for this damn jackass! / Rufus: Well, enjoy your last moments together. (Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 56, 58. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ Rufus: ...Old man tried to control the world with money. It seems to have been working. The population thought that Shinra would protect them. Work at Shinra, get your pay. If a terrorist attacks, the Shinra army will help you. It looks perfect on the outside. But, I do things differently. I'll control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my old man. (Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ Kadaj: Please, sir, is that your excuse for going after mother yourself? You don't seem all that sorry. / Rufus: Sorry? Why, I've never had this much fun. (Final Fantasy VII Advent Children)
- ^ Kazushige Nojima: The wheelchair he's in is actually part of his ruse, but on the other hand he did sustain a lot of injuries in the game, so he's not exactly in perfect shape. (2006) Final Fantasy VII Advent Children -Reunion Files- (in Japanese). Square-Enix.
- ^ Rufus Shinra I acknowledge that Shinra owes the planet a lot. It goes without saying that my company and I are the ones who put the world in the sorry state it’s in. Therefore, it’s our responsibility to set things right. (Final Fantasy VII Advent Children)
- ^ Teresa Dun, "Complete Final Fantasy VII Character Guide," PlayStation the Official Magazine 3 (February 2008): 60.
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 58. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 58. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ Reno: "But, poor Elena. She.... you......" / Rude: "No, she likes Tseng." / Reno: "I never knew that! But Tseng likes that Ancient..."(Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 58. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 58. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ Teresa Dun, "Complete Final Fantasy VII Character Guide," PlayStation the Official Magazine 3 (February 2008): 60.
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 53, 211, 213. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ Ifalna: "It looked like... our... our dead mothers... and our dead brothers. Showing us spectres of their past."
- ^ Sephiroth: "The ability to change one's looks, voice, and words, is the power of Jenova."(Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 210. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ Yuffie: "What?! You mean that wasn't Sephiroth? All that time I was following this...thing?"(Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 60. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ Jessie: "I like this kinda stuff. Bombs and monitors... you know, flashy stuff."(Final Fantasy VII)
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 63. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 217. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 210. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Ω (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 210. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ (2005) in Studio BentStuff: Final Fantasy VII Ultimania (in Japanese). Square-Enix, 215. ISBN 4-7575-1520-0.
- ^ Crisis Core Article from Dengeki PS2 3/9. Crisis-Core.net. Retrieved on 2007-03-07.
- ^ a b Gantayat, Anoop (2007-11-22). Nomura Talks FFXIII. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
- ^ (2005) in Editors of EGM magazine: Electronic Gaming Monthly October, 2005 (in English). Ziff Davis, 72–73.
- ^ GameFAQs Site Staff (2005). Spring 2005: Got Villains?. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
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