Characters

Main article: Characters of Final Fantasy X

The seven main playable characters in Final Fantasy X are Tidus, an energetic and upbeat blitzball star; Yuna, a reserved and soft-spoken summoner who always puts others before herself; Kimahri Ronso, an exile of the Ronso tribe who remains silent for most of the game and is devoted to protecting Yuna above all else; Wakka, an amiable blitzball player and devout follower of the Yevon order, who has been a friend of Yuna’s since childhood; Lulu, an often cynical and harsh, but well-meaning Black Mage; Auron, a taciturn and matter-of-fact ex-warrior monk; and Rikku, a perky Al Bhed girl with extensive knowledge of machinery.

The primary antagonists of the game are maester Seymour Guado and the other maesters of the Yevon religion, while the rampaging Sin serves as the primary source of conflict. In addition, there is a vast supporting cast of named characters, who — along with the main characters — feature voice talents complementing their principle roles, as well as the myriad incidental characters that have traditionally populated the worlds of Final Fantasy.

Character designer Tetsuya Nomura took particular care in each of the characters’ designs. For example, Nomura based Yuna’s overall design on Okinawan kimonos. When he learned that the character was to perform the sending dance, he wanted to give her outfit something that would flow. For this reason, the specific style of kimono he chose for her was a furisode, a kimono bearing long sleeves. Additionally, he adorned her dress and necklace with images of the flower also called Yuna (Hibiscus tiliaceus), and her name carries the meaning of “night” in the Okinawan language, a direct contrast with Tidus’ Japanese name, Tīda, the Okinawan word for “sun”. Nomura has explained that while all these subtle details may be unnecessary, he does not want his designs to be without explanation.[14]

For minor characters, sub-character chief designer Fumi Nakashima’s focus was to ensure that characters from different regions and cultures bore distinctive characteristics in their clothing styles, such that they could be quickly and easily identified as members of their respective sub-groups. For example, in her words, the masks and goggles of the Al Bhed give the group a “strange and eccentric” appearance, while the attire of the Ronso lend to them being able to easily engage in battle.[4]

Characters

Main article: Characters of Final Fantasy VIII

The six main playable characters in Final Fantasy VIII are Squall Leonhart, a loner who keeps his focus on his duty to avoid vulnerability; Rinoa Heartilly, an outspoken and passionate young woman who follows her heart in all situations; Quistis Trepe, an instructor with a serious, patient attitude; Zell Dincht, a martial artist with a passion for martial arts and hot dogs; Selphie Tilmitt, a cheerful girl who loves vehicles and flies the spacecraft Ragnarok; and Irvine Kinneas, a marksman and consummate ladies’ man.[5] Playable supporting characters include Laguna Loire, Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac, who appear in “flashback” sequences, and antagonists Seifer Almasy and Edea Kramer.

During the game’s pre-production, character designer Tetsuya Nomura suggested that the game be given a “school days” feel. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima already had a story in mind in which the main characters were the same age; their ideas meshed, taking form as the “Garden” military academies. Nojima planned that the two playable parties featured in the game (Squall’s present day group and Laguna Loire’s group from the past) would be highly contrasted with one another. This idea was conveyed through the age and experience of Laguna’s group, versus the youth and naïveté of Squall’s group.[14]

To maintain the game’s theme of a foreign atmosphere, the characters were designed to have predominantly European appearances. The first Final Fantasy VIII character designed was Squall. Desiring to add a unique angle to Squall’s appearance and emphasize his role as the central character, Nomura gave him a scar across his brow and the bridge of his nose. As there was not yet a detailed history conceived for the character, Nomura left the explanation for Squall’s scar to Nojima. Squall was given a gunblade, a fictional revolver–sword hybrid that functions primarily as a sword, with an added damaging vibration feature activated by use of its gun mechanism,[15] and his design was completed by a fur ruff along the collar of his jacket, incorporated by Nomura as a challenge for the game’s FMV designers.[14]

Nomura ended up altering each character’s appearance before they reached the final design stage, which required sacrificing his original intentions. For instance, he had originally wanted Seifer Almasy to be involved in a love triangle with Rinoa and Squall. As another example, Quistis was to originally be designed with a skirt, but in the end was given a long skirt worn over pants. With Rinoa wearing a mini-skirt over shorts, this led to a conflict with the intended notion that one of the female characters would wear a skirt. A compromise was made in this regard with Selphie’s design: she was originally intended to be wearing overalls, but Nomura decided that her outfit should be something of a combination of the two. Finally, when designing Rinoa, Nomura decided to avoid the temptation of FMV technology by making her “cute” and full of personality, instead of “too beautiful”.[14]

With Final Fantasy VIII came the inclusion of some designs Nomura had previously drawn, but had not yet used in a Final Fantasy game. These were the designs of Edea, Fujin and Raijin. The latter two had originally been designed for use in Final Fantasy VII, but with the inclusion of the Turks characters in that game, it was felt that Fujin and Raijin were unnecessary. Edea had been a design that Nomura created prior to even Final Fantasy VII’s development, based on the style of Yoshitaka Amano.[14]

Professor Hojo

Hojo (宝条, Hōjō?): Shinra’s 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. Hojo regards the subjects of his experiments as mere “specimens,” though most are human or otherwise sentient. He was Sephiroth’s father. Hojo’s insanity and experiments are the reason for the meteor crisis in FF7, and thus he could be considered a major villain. He was voiced by Paul Eiding (US) & Nachi Nozawa (Japan) in Dirge of Cerberus.

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 killed Vincent and used his body for experiments until Lucrecia brought Vincent back to life with the G Substance. Hojo later managed to take Dr. 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. Once Meteor began to descend toward the planet, Hojo grew bored of experimenting on others and injected himself with Jenova cells to prepare himself for Omega WEAPON as a super-being. However, Hojo succumbed to Jenova and mutated into a monster as he willingly attempted to give Sephiroth the power of the Planet 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.

However, 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.

Once incorrectly believed to be an Ancient, the remains of Jenova (ジェノバ , Jenoba?) were found by Professor Gast and became the subject of extensive research and experimentation by Shinra. The creature is, in actuality, an extraterrestrial life form that crashlanded on the Planet some 2,000 years before the events of Final Fantasy VII. The creature is an instinctual being that seeks to destroy.[2] The few Cetra that survived succeeded in sealing Jenova deep within the Northern Crater, where it would be discovered two thousand years later.

Rufus Shinra (ルーファウス神羅, Rūfausu Shinra?) is a non-player character in Square’s Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. He is voiced by Toru Ohkawa 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.[3] 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.[4][5]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. [6]

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 crisis 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 Final Fantasy VII 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 (although it was revealed that the wheelchair was just a facade, [7] as he was easily capable of standing to toss Jenova’s neck off the side of a building, then leaping off as Kadaj dived 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.[8]

Rufus also makes sporadic appearances in Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII were 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.

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. Sephiroth is also personified by his primary weapon the powerful Masamune sword which he uses to inflict large amounts of damage.

Sephiroth is destroyed by Cloud at the end of the game, however, he returns for a short time in the sequel Advent Children where he takes over the body of Kadaj only to be defeated by Cloud again. However he warns Cloud that he will “Never be a memory” indicating that he will return once more to challenge Cloud.

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 Investigation Division of the General Affairs Department of the Shinra Electric Power Company, translated as the Department of Administrative Research in the English localization.

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. 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 Final Fantasy VII 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.

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 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. Years later, he 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 eventually confronted Sephiroth in a duel only to be defeated easily. 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. While on the run Zack is shot to death by Shinra soldiers, while Cloud is left for dead just outside Midgar. Throughout most of the game, Cloud adopts Zack’s memories and character traits as his own.

Zack met Aerith five years before the game began, and was her first crush. It’s possible that they may have been dating for as many as two years, however, the specifics of their relationship are still unknown.

Zack re-appears in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children mostly in flashbacks but later as a part of the lifestream alongside Aerith.

AVALANCHE

See also: Recurring character names of Final Fantasy#Biggs and Wedge

Three minor AVALANCHE members assist Cloud, Barret, and Tifa in the game. Biggs (ビッグス, Biggusu?) is a slighly cocky and arrogant member who gradually come 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.[9] Jessie (ジェシー, Jeshī?) is an explosives and fake IDs technician fascinated with gadgetry and other “flashy stuff”.[10] 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.

Bugenhagen

Bugenhagen (ブーゲンハーゲン, Būgenhāgen?), Red XIII/Nanaki’s adoptive grandfather,[11] 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[12] — 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).

Dio

Dio (ディオ, Dio?): Manager of the Gold Saucer. 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.

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. After being confronted by Cloud, Tifa and Aerith — who all threaten to neuter 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 an homage to Don Corleone of The Godfather fame, although this would probably not be considered a homage.

Don Corne has two lackeys: Kotch & Skotch, known as Kocchi and Socchi (コッチとソッチ, Kocchi and Socchi?) in the original Japanese. Their Japanese names, taken together, essentially mean “Here & There.”

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.

Elmyra Gainsborough

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.

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.[13] 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.[14] 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.

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.

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. 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 S

Godo Kisaragi

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, Yuffie, Godo has a bit of an obsession with materia.

Lucrecia Crescent

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 and was mother of Hojo’s child, Sephiroth.

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 Omega.

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 which had been named “G Substance,” 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 trapping herself within mako crystals located in a remote location. 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 died.

Marlene

Marlene (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.

Seto

Seto (セト, Seto?): Red XIII’s/Nanaki’s father. 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, amazingly, tears fell from Seto’s stone eyes.

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. 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.

Shinra executives

See also: Gaia (Final Fantasy VII)#Shinra Electric Power Company

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 Franz 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: [ˈhaɪ.də.gɐ]): Head of Shinra’s Public Safety Maintenance Department, which is simply a euphemism for Shinra’s military, the elite SOLDIER unit and the Turks. He died when the Proud Clod (a mecha he and Scarlet were riding in) 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. The Shinra executive responsible for the destruction of Barret Wallace’s home town of Corel and for the loss of Barret’s forearm. 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, 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. 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 failed Space Exploration Department, 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.

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.

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. Each WEAPON serves to exterminate everything that threatens the planet, including humans.[15] however they are corrupted by Sephiroth to defend himself while he gains power and waits for meteor. Though the WEAPON have specific official names (Diamond, Ultima, etc.), these names appear in Final Fantasy VII only during battle. “WEAPON” is both a singular and plural term.

Zangan

Zangan (ザンガン, Zangan?) 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.

Before Crisis characters

Main article: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII#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 and has been given the name “Shisune”. 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, a position held by Tseng during Final Fantasy VII. 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, Elfé, defecting from Shinra when he discovers she is alive.

Advent Children characters

Further information: Final Fantasy VII Advent Children#Story

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 the medium-haired, cruel and vengeful young leader. He fights with a double-bladed katana called “Souba”, 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 the short-haired, broad and violent Remnant who fights primarily with a pile bunker called “Dual Hound”. He duels Tifa in Aerith’s church. Lastly, Yazoo (ヤズー, Yazū?) is the long-haired, calm Remnant who specializes in firearms, wielding a “Velvet Nightmare” gun. 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 red-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 Tifa.

CLASS/JOB: AVALANCHE member
AGE: 20
WEAPON: Glove
HEIGHT: 5″5
BIRTHDATE: May 3
BIRTHPLACE: Nibelheim
BLOOD TYPE: B

Bright and optimistic, Tifa always cheers up the others when they’re down. But don’t let her face fool you, she can decimate almost any enemy with her fists. She is one of the main members of AVALANCHE. She and Cloud were childhood friends, and although she has strong feelings for him, she will never admit it.

JOB: Mercenary (ex-member of SOLDIER)
AGE: 21
WEAPON: Sword
HEIGHT: 5′7″
BIRTHDATE: August 19
BIRTHPLACE: Nibelheim
BLOOD TYPE: AB

The main character of Final Fantasy VII. Originally a member of SOLDIER, he is now a mercenary who will take any job. After being hired by AVALANCHE, he gradually gets caught up in a massive struggle for the life of the planet. His enormous sword can cut almost anything in two.

JOB: Leader of Avalanche
AGE: 35
WEAPON: Gun-arm
HEIGHT: 6′5″
BIRHTDATE: December 16
BIRHTPLACE: Corel Village
BLOOD TYPE: O

Head of the underground resistance movement, AVALANCHE. He’s fighting the mega-conglomerate, Shinra, Inc. which has monopolized Mako energy, building special reactors to suck it out of the planet. Barret depends on brute strength and his “Gun-arm” to see him through. His wife died in an accident several years ago, and he now lives with his daughter Marlene.

JOB: Flower Seller
AGE: 22
WEAPON: Rod
HEIGHT: 5′3″
BIRTHDATE: February 7
BIRTHPLACE: Unknown
BLOOD TYPE: O

Young, beautiful, and somewhat mysterious, Aeris meets Cloud while selling flowers on the streets of Midgar. She decides to join him soon after. Her unusual abilities enable her to use magic, but she seems more interested in the deepening love triangle between herself, Cloud and Tifa.

JOB: Beast
AGE: 48
WEAPON: Headdress
HEIGHT: – - -
BIRTHDATE: – - -
BIRTHPLACE: Cosmo Canyon
BLOOD TYPE: – - -

Just like his name says, he is an animal with fire-red fur. But under this fierce exterior is an intelligence surpassing that of any human’s. His sharp claws and fangs make him good at close-range fighting, but other than that, not much else is known about him. It’s not even certain “Red XIII” is his real name. A real enigma.

JOB: Toysaurus
AGE: ?
WEAPON: Megaphone
HEIGHT: 3′3″
BIRTHDATE: – -
BIRTHPLACE: Unknown
BLOOD TYPE: – -

Cait Sith rides around on the back of a huge stuffed Mog he magically brought to life. Megaphone in hand, he’s always shouting orders and creating dopey attacks. When his slot machine attack works, the enemy camp looks like an overturned toy box. His hobby is fortune-telling, but like his personality, it’s pretty unreliable.

JOB: Pilot
AGE: 32
WEAPON: Spear
HEIGHT: 5′8″
BIRTHDATE: February 22
BIRHTPLACE: Unknown
BLOOD TYPE: B

Cid is a tough talking, warm-hearted old pilot who hasn’t forgotten his dreams. There’s no better pilot who ever flew either on air or by sea. He believes someday he’ll fly to the ends of the universe. With his hand-made spear and knowledge of machinery, he throws himself into any attack regardless of the danger.

JOB: Materia Hunter (ninja)
AGE: 16
WEAPON: Knife, boomerang, origami
(for throwing)
HEIGHT: 5′2″
BIRTHDATE: November 20
BIRTHPLACE: Wutai
BLOOD TYPE: A

Although you’d never know if you looked at her, Yuffie comes from a long line of ninja ancestors. She forced herself into the group just to get a certain something… She’s sneaky, arrogant and “way” selfish. But with her super shuriken and her special skills, there isn’t anyone else you’d rather have on your side in a fight.

JOB: Unemployed
AGE: 27
WEAPON: Gun
HEIGHT: 6′ 0″
BIRTHDATE: October 13
BIRTHPLACE: Unknown
BLOOD TYPE: A

A mystical man, stern and upright while at the same time dark and mysterious. His past connection with Shinra is what made him join Cloud and the others. He may seem frail at first glance, but hidden inside his body lurks a fearsome power.

CLASS/JOB: Summoner, White Mage (FFX)
Gunner (FFX-2)
WEAON: Staves(FFX)
Pistols (Final Fantasy X-2)
SPECIAL ABILITY: Staves(FFX)
Pistols (Final Fantasy X-2)
OVERDRIVE: Grand Summon
RACE: Half Al-Bhed
HOME: Besaid

WEAPON: Longswords
SPECIAL ABILITY: Time magic
OVERDRIVE: Swordplay
RACE:Human: Dream of the Fayth
HOME: Dream Zanarkand

WEAPON: Blaster Edge
LIMIT BREAK: Combine,Angel Wing

WEAPON: Revolver (Gunblade)
LIMIT BREAK: Renzokuken (連続剣, Renzokuken?)