Shinra Headquarters

The Shinra Headquarters, also known as Shinra Building, is the head office of the Shinra Electric Power Company in Final Fantasy VII. The most dominating sight in the Midgar skyline, this building is the staging ground of many of the major events in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

In addition to housing the headless body of Jenova after the Nibelheim Incident, all of the company's department heads maintain their offices here. It acts as the army headquarters and nearly all of Shinra's scientific research.

Entrance
The city entrance to the building is located in Midgar's Sector 0. Only two methods of reaching the building exist during Final Fantasy VII - climbing up from Wall Market during disc 1, or through the underground rail passage on disc 2. Regular civilians are permitted to enter the lobby, where two mirror-image staircases lead up to an elevator shaft.

The ground floor houses a help desk, a directory-like information panel, and doorways to the Exhibit Room. On the entrance's upper level, several bistro tables sit for guests. In Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, a woman stands in the lobby, handing out Potions for a small fee to guests (free for Shinra employees). During Final Fantasy VII, the player is given two choices of entering the building: either sneaking in via the fire-escape stairway, or frontal assault on the building's entrance.

Structure
The Shinra Headquarters consists of no fewer than 70 floors with all floors above 59 requiring special clearance in the form of keycards. Generally only Shinra employees are permitted on the elevator to floors higher than the entrance level and Exhibit Room.

Basement Levels
The headquarters has a number of basement levels, visited during the course of side missions in Crisis Core and the main plot of Dirge of Cerberus. They consist of a network of steel corridors twisting through the plate interior.

Floors 1-3
The first three floors consist of the entryway and shopping area. The front desks and two elevators that access all floors of the building are situated in the foyer. Through doors on either side of the front desk is an Exhibit Room displaying vehicle models designed by the Shinra Inc., including the Hardy-Daytona motorcycle and a photo of the airship Highwind.

Sometime before Final Fantasy VII the partition was removed, and the entrance foyer and the Exhibit Room were merged into one. Cloud and the party steal vehicles from the room before breaking out of the building. President Shinra's private entrance to Deepground is also located here, concealed beneath a display platform.

On the second floor is the Shinra item shop, which includes a video screen that showcases various Shinra products, including automobiles. The third floor has little except a set of elevators that grant access to the 59th floor, which it shares in common with the second floor.

Floor 45
Floor 45 first appeared in Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII- in "Special Episode of Reno". It appears to serve as the buildings archives, where all the important documents are kept. It is here that Dr. Hollander steals some classified documents, which Reno and Rude are sent to investigate.

Floor 49
Introduced in Crisis Core, this floor is known as the "SOLDIER Floor". Located on this floor are the SOLDIER Training Room, Materia development room, known as Materia Room, mission Briefing Room and a lounge area for off-duty SOLDIER operatives.

The Training Room activates a holographic image of a pre-programmed surrounding, complete with digital enemies to fight. Health experts also train and supervise the Mako-enhanced SOLDIER members. The floor's residents get free equipment from the company for missions and sign up for extra missions in the Briefing Room antechamber.

Floor 51
This floor holds the SOLDIER Director's office. Although it is never openly stated, the Director's office is known to be on this floor since "Floor 51" is printed on a wall within the office. The office holds the Director's work station as well as a small library. The floor is accessible at will by SOLDIER 1st Class members, and is used by Sephiroth after Director Lazard Deusericus goes missing.

Floor 59
A mundane, open area that has two sets of elevators (one leading back down to the bottom floors, the other that allows access to the higher floors) and access to the stairway. From this floor on, special keycards are required to ascend the building.

Floor 60
A sort of "buffer" floor under heavy guard during the time of Final Fantasy VII. It is unknown if this floor was ever used for any other purpose. During the game Cloud and friends have to sneak past unnoticed and getting spotted ends in a battle, after which the player has to try again from the beginning of the floor. If the party get caught four times they dispose of all the soldiers.

Floor 61
A break area made for Shinra employees. Features numerous tables and a large tree in the center of the area.

Floor 62

 * See for the solution to the Mayor's puzzle.

The Midgar government offices and Shinra research library are located on this floor. The library is separated into four rooms each of which is categorized by one area of research conducted by Shinra. Mayor Domino's office is in this floor, but he is just a powerless figurehead in the Midgar/Shinra structure, and actually decides to help the party by giving them his keycard, and an Elemental Materia if they solve his puzzle.

Floor 63
Floor 63 is a storage area containing many rooms. Access to these rooms is done through a security process that allows a single person to enter.

In Final Fantasy VII the player can get up to three items from this area on disc 1. To get the items, the player must open the first door on the top and the third door from the right, get into the first room and grab the Coupon A. To get to the other room the player has to climb into the air duct to grab the Coupon B. After this the player can open the door blocking the middle room to get Coupon C. The computer in the room allows the player to exchange the coupons for these items: Star Pendant, a Four Slots, and an All Materia. The player may also wish to conserve the coupons for being unique items.

When visiting Shinra Headquarters in disc 2, the player can find the Grow Lance for Cid Highwind from this room. Curiously, the room in disc 2 also contains dummied out treasures in the other rooms, which can only be found by modding the game. The other is two Megalixirs (although the game incorrectly identifies the treasure as an All Materia), and the other is two Hourglasses.

Floor 64
The Shinra company recreational area includes a gym, locker room, showers, restrooms, and a rest area for employees. The player party can find interesting items in the lockers (Ether and Phoenix down) and vending machines, run on the treadmill and rest for free. During the raid on Disc 2 the player can find Cait Sith's ultimate weapon here in the locker area. It can be found earlier, but Cloud will disregard it and it will not be obtained.

Floor 65
The major feature of this area is the scale replica of Midgar, perhaps suggesting it is the headquarters of the Urban Development department. The floor is a large puzzle, where players must find the missing pieces of the Midgar model to open up the door to the next floor.

Floor 66
This floor contains the Shinra executive offices and meeting room. The only other known restroom in the building is in this floor, aside from Floor 64.

Floor 67
Floor 67 is the Shinra science department headquarters. Once headed by Professor Gast Faremis, and later by Professor Hojo, many primary experiments for important studies, and some studies themselves, are carried out here. Several prison cells occupy the floor. There is also a specimen containment unit, which houses Jenova's headless body, an office for data storage, and elevators for personnel and specimen transport.

Floor 68
The 68th floor houses the science department's main laboratory. There is a specimen containment unit and a control room. Access to floor 69 is only possible by passing through three security fields. Zack meets Professor Hojo in Floor 68 in Crisis Core, who seems unconcerned with the attack, and continues his work.

Floor 69
This is yet another foyer area, and also an office space. Only the highest Shinra officials can gain access to this floor as there is no separation of the 69th and 70th floors by a security device.

Floor 70
The topmost floor of the Shinra building houses the company president's personal office. It is decorated with red carpeting. There is an access door to an open air balcony that overlooks the city of Midgar.

Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-
In Episode 10 AVALANCHE, a terrorist organization out to destroy Shinra, infiltrates the building and releases monsters from Professor Hojo's laboratory. Because the monster research is highly classified, SOLDIER cannot be used, and the Turks are called in.

Fuhito, a commander of AVALANCHE, uses the monster infestation as a diversion to visit his hero, the fellow mad scientist Hojo. Fuhito wants to show off his creation, the modified SOLDIER members known as the Ravens. Hojo is more than willing to betray Shinra and join with AVALANCHE caring for nothing other than his research, but he is "rescued" by Sephiroth.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
The Shinra Headquarters serves as Zack's "home base" and the Headquarters is still under construction. Zack is given assignments, and challenges at the Shinra Building, which also has virtual training areas. Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth use the training room during a flashback to the times the three were close friends. The building is attacked by Genesis's copies but the damage inflicted is minimal.

Final Fantasy VII
Four years later, the Shinra Headquarters is the target of a second AVALANCHE's rescue attempt of Aeris. They eavesdrop on a Shinra executives' staff meeting where President Shinra announces Sector 7 will not be rebuilt, as the old city of Midgar will be abandoned to make way for Neo Midgar to be built in the fabled Promised Land, hoping for Aeris to lead the way.

Professor Hojo tells him that Aeris's lifespan is too short to be of use to Shinra; thus he plans on breeding her with the near-immortal Red XIII. Cloud and his party follow Hojo up to his lab, and along the way see Jenova encased in a pod. They free Aeris and Red XIII, but as they try to escape, Rude captures them on the elevator.

The team is imprisoned in the 67th floor jail cells. Not long after the team finds themselves freed in a monster infested building following a path of blood leading from Jenova's containment pod to the 70th floor office. They discover the President murdered by Sephiroth, as is evidenced by the Masamune sticking out of the corpse and Palmer's testimony. Rufus Shinra succeeds his father's position and on the balcony engages Cloud in combat with the aid of his pet, Dark Nation.

After being defeated, Rufus retreats by B1-Alpha Helicopter. Cloud meets up with Tifa and the two rejoin Barret, Aeris, and Red XIII, who have battled the Shinra's Heli Gunner in the elevators. The group makes their escape — Cloud on a motorcycle and Barret, Tifa, Aeris, and Red XIII in a truck.

After the Meteor has been summoned Rufus plans Shinra's assault against Sephiroth in the Northern Cave inside the North Crater. With the Sister Ray relocated to Midgar so it may be powered by the city's seven remaining Mako Reactors, AVALANCHE assaults the city to stop Hojo from destroying Midgar. The cannon fires and impacts the barrier surrounding Sephiroth while simultaneously destroying the Diamond Weapon. A moment before its destruction a barrage of energy is unleashed by the Weapon that destroys the Shinra Headquarters' upper levels, Rufus Shinra getting caught in the blast.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
The headquarters is a defunct ruin seen from the distance of the city of Edge. The building works as a weapon for Sephiroth in his battle against Cloud; Sephiroth cuts off chunks of the building's debris and sends them hurtling down toward Cloud.

In Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, the building takes a larger role in the battle: Cloud and Sephiroth find themselves locked in combat in the top floor of Shinra Building (the presidential office), though it is only identifiable by its luxurious carpeting. Aside for the absence of the iconic presidential desk, the office lacks any sign of Diamond Weapon's attack.

Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-
The Shinra Headquarters is Deepground's home base during the battle between them and the World Regenesis Organization. The building is the only way of access into Deepground. Vincent Valentine ends up at its remains after he defeats Rosso the Crimson, and must go through President Shinra's private entrance through to the headquarters' basement.

Making his way through the corridors, Vincent takes a lift down to the building's lower areas where secret research was carried out, and where the top-secret Deepground files are. There are many crystals and Materia in display cases and during his time collecting the files and making his way through Deepground soldiers, Vincent faces off one final time against Azul the Cerulean on the lift before arriving in Deepground.

Entering Shinra Headquarters
When entering the building the player has two options: either to go through the main entrance, or via the staircase at the back. Barret wants to go through the doors, but Tifa prefers the sneaky route. If the player takes the stairs, they come out at the 59th floor. The stairs have no random encounters, and the fifth set of stairs has an Elixir.

If the player goes through the main entrance they will have to fight set battles and make their way to the elevators. When taking an elevator the player must fight battles until they reach Floor 59. The elevator always starts at Floor 6 and when Cloud presses a button it will advance 7-15 floors; the chance for it to advance 7-13 floors is 12.5%, and the chance for it to advance 14 or 15 floors is smaller, at 6.25%. Usually the player encounters 4-5 battles in the elevator and the enemies depend on which floor the player ends up in. In the floors 29, 38, 47 and 56 there is no battle, but the party runs into a Shinra employee instead.

Turtle's Paradise Flyer
Turtle's Paradise #2 is found in the first floor on a bulletin. There are two chances to read it: During the first visit, and during the return when the party parachutes back into Midgar.

Passing the guards
In Floor 60 Cloud, Barret and Tifa must sneak past some guards unnoticed by hiding behind posts while they are looking at the hallway. There are guards at the top and the player must cross the areas between the posts when the guards are looking away. The guards are continually moving in a set pattern; the left guards are slower than the right guards. The player moves Cloud with the directional buttons from the left side of the screen the right, and signals to Barret and Tifa with the confirm button to follow when it is safe. Cloud goes first, then Barret, then Tifa. Tifa is slightly slower than the others. Getting spotted ends in a battle against Mighty Grunts, after which the party has to try again from the beginning. If the party gets caught four times they dispose of all the soldiers and do not need to complete the sneak-in, and Barret complains about Cloud's sloppiness.

Mayor Domino's Password
In Floor 62 Mayor Domino offers the party to guess the word he is thinking to get his keycard, a puzzle which is solvable with clues found in the library. If the player guesses correctly on the first try, Domino gives an Elemental Materia along with the keycard. If the player guesses the password on the second try, they get an Elixir, on the third time they get an Ether, on the fourth try a Potion, and if it takes more than four guesses to get the password, the player gets no item reward, just the keycard. In the English and Japanese versions one of four passwords is randomly chosen each game, although ORBS and HOJO are never the correct answer. In other localizations MAKO is always the correct answer.

The Mayor has moved books into sections in which they do not belong, in a vindictive if pretty harmless attempt at vandalism. All of the books, including the misplaced ones, have a number before the title; together, the number and title give a single-letter clue. Given the example of a misplaced book called "5 Midgar City Map", the clue it would give would be "A", A being the 5th letter in the title.

Any of the following books are correctly placed in the "Urban Dev. Research Library"; if they are found elsewhere, they are clues.
 * An illustrated guide to City Planning
 * Midgar City Map: Sectors 0-4
 * Midgar City map: Sectors 5-8
 * New plans for Urban Planning
 * Problems with Plate construction in Midgar
 * Reactor Construction Chart

Any of the following books are correctly placed in the "Scientific Research Library"; if they are found elsewhere, they are clues.
 * Data on experimental animals living near Midgar
 * File on Dr. Gast, Biologist
 * Final evolutionary stages in land dwelling life
 * Mako energy and the rise in life forms
 * Report on high Mako levels in living beings
 * The Ancients in History

Any of the following books are correctly placed in the "Peace Preservation/Weapon Dev. Research Library"; if they are found elsewhere, they are clues.
 * Breakdown of SOLDIER members by class
 * Economic report: anti-Shinra activities
 * Heidegger's Shinra peace keeping law
 * Materia production and its military uses
 * Plan for new land weapons
 * Ranks and extended use of Mako weaponry

Any of the following books are correctly placed in the "Space Dev. Research Library"; if they are found elsewhere, they are clues.
 * Diminishing Mako energy and Planet movements
 * Economic report: Space Dev Program
 * Modern history of Midgar space program vol. 1
 * Modern history of Midgar space program vol. 2
 * Results of the failed space mission "YA-79"
 * Shinra rocket space travel

So with the full list, the task is easy. Without it, the puzzle is equivocal. Still solvable, if the player keeps a record of all the possible solutions, but by no means straightforward.

The fastest solution of all, suitable for speed playthroughs, is to memorize four titles and their corresponding solutions: One of these is always found as the left book in the middle rack of the green shelves in the top right room: the 'Space Dev. Research Library'.
 * 2 Economic report: Space Dev Program : BEST
 * 1 Results of failed space mission "YA-79" : KING
 * 1 Breakdown of SOLDIER members by class : BOMB
 * 10 New plans for urban planning : MAKO

Alternatively, the player can simply run out of the building and save, run back to the 62nd floor, and reload and run back repeatedly to guess again at the answer.

ORBS and HOJO are never the correct answer.

Floor 63 - Exchanging Coupons for Items
In this floor the player can collect three treasures. The computer in the lower right room grants access to open three doors and to get the items the player must open up the right combination of doors. The player should first walk all the way up around the right and go left and open the first door that blocks the hall. The player should continue left, and open the second door below, grab the 'A Coupon' from the room to the left, and enter the air duct. At the other end of the air duct the player can grab the 'B Coupon' and walk out and open the door to the last treasure, then crawl back in the air duct to exit.

The coupons can be exchanged for items. A Coupon gives a Star Pendant, B Coupon gives a Four Slots and C Coupon gives an All Materia.

Date Mechanics
There are multiple points where the player can get affection points toward a date sequence in Gold Saucer later in the game. First is at the entrance where Cloud can favor either Barret's or Tifa's method of infiltrating the building (it doesn't matter which way the player ultimately chooses, only answer given to the dialogue option matters).

When the party first meets Red XIII the player can either assign Tifa or Barret to look after Aeris while the others fight a boss. If the player chooses Tifa she loses points, and if they choose Barret he will gain points. Once the party splits up, if either Barret, Aeris, or Tifa are in the party they get a small boost.

Later while imprisoned, the player can either cheer up Tifa or not (as many times as they want), and choose who to talk to first.

Returning to Shinra Headquarters in Disc 2
In Disc 2 when the party parachutes back to Midgar, the player has an option of returning to Shinra Headquarters and pick up new items that were not available earlier. In the staircase the player can find the Behemoth Horn weapon for Red XIII, and the Elixir if it wasn't picked up earlier. The player has another chance to read the Turtle's Paradise flyer on the bulletin.

In the second floor item shop the player can pick up the Pile Banger and Master Fist weapons for Barret and Tifa. In 63rd floor the player can find the Grow Lance for Cid. In the 64th floor gym the vending machine gives a Mind Source and a Speed Source and Cait Sith's ultimate weapon, the HP Shout, is found in the lockers.

Items in the locker
At the start of chapter Zack can inspect the locker in the SOLDIER Floor and find new items. If the player fails to collect an item from the locker before the end of chapter, the item will be lost.

Floor 67 - SP Recovery Devices
During Chapter 4 when Shinra Headquarters is being attacked by Genesis's forces, Zack can find Professor Hojo in his lab. There is a device in the room, the 'SP Recovery Device'. A counter initiates and shows the rhythm up to three whereupon the player must count down and press the button at 0. If timed correctly, the player can earn 10-100 SP. If not timed correctly, the player will lose 50 SP.

The sample tube in the middle will give several options and the player earns SP based on their answers.

Floor 67 - Stealing Keys
For this the player must have the Steal Materia equipped. The player must head down and battle the six Experiment No. 97s in the Cell Area. The player can steal a Key from each ad use the keys to open the six cells, which hold three treasure boxes per cell. There is a timer of three minutes which does not count during battles.


 * The first cell has an Ether, a Silence Materia, and an ATK Up Materia.
 * The second cell has a Cure Materia, 2000 gil, and 500 gil.
 * The third cell has a Potion, an HP Up Materia, and a Blizzard Materia.
 * The fourth cell has a Hi-Potion, 2 gil, and a Remedy.
 * The fifth cell has a Fire Materia, a Potion, and a Hi-Potion.
 * The sixth cell has a Soma, a Thunder Materia, and 3000 gil.

Squats Minigame
In Chapter 6 the player can play a squats minigame at the Training Room where the player must perform as many squats as possible within a time limit. This mimics the minigame played in Final Fantasy VII at the Wall Market, where Cloud is trying to win a wig off "Beautiful Bro". The most the player can do within the time limit is 58 squats.

The player must tap when Zack is going down. After five squats he will become faster, until he reaches max speed after gaining speed for three times. If the player misses one, their speed slows down again. The items obtained from the minigame are used to make a flower wagon for Aerith later. The player needs 21 squats for Shinra Lunch Cart Specs, 29 squats for Shinra Ceramic, 41 squats for Shinra Treads and 52 squats for Shinra Solder. Each opponent is faster than the one before.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
In Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- shops can only be visited from the menu. Shinra Building Shop is available since the start of the game.

Outside Main Doors

 * 2x Grenade Combatant
 * 3x Grenade Combatant

Floor 1

 * 2x Grenade Combatant
 * 3x Grenade Combatant
 * 2x Grenade Combatant (Ambush)

Floor 2

 * 2x Grenade Combatant
 * 3x Grenade Combatant
 * 1x Mighty Grunt

Floor 3

 * 2x Grenade Combatant
 * 3x Grenade Combatant
 * 1x Mighty Grunt

Floor 59

 * 1x Mighty Grunt
 * 2x Mighty Grunt
 * 3x Mighty Grunt
 * 2x Grenade Combatant (Ambush)

Floor 65

 * 1x Hammer Blaster
 * 1x Sword Dance
 * 2x Hammer Blaster
 * 2x Sword Dance
 * 3x Sword Dance
 * 2x Hammer Blaster (Ambush)

Floor 67 (Before Capture)

 * 1x Warning Board
 * 1x Moth Slasher
 * 2x SOLDIER:3rd
 * 2x Moth Slasher
 * 1x Moth Slasher (Back attack)

Floor 67 (After Capture)

 * 2x Brain Pod
 * 1x Brain Pod
 * 3x Vargid Police
 * 1x Brain Pod, 2x Vargid Police (Back attack)

Floor 68 (Before Capture)

 * 2x Warning Board
 * 3x Moth Slasher
 * 3x SOLDIER:3rd
 * 1x Moth Slasher, 2x SOLDIER:3rd
 * 2x SOLDIER:3rd (Back-attack)
 * Sample:H0512, 3x Sample:H0512-opt (Boss)

Floor 68 (After Capture)

 * 2x Zenene
 * 1x Vargid Police, 1x Zenene
 * 2x Brain Pod, 1x Zenene

Floor 69

 * 1x Zenene
 * 2x Vargid Police
 * 1x Vargid Police, 1x Zenene
 * 2x Brain Pod, 1x Zenene
 * 2x Zenene (Back attack)
 * 3x Vargid Police (Back attack)

Floor 70 (Outside)

 * Rufus, Dark Nation (Boss)

Elevator

 * Hundred Gunner (Heli Gunner) (Boss)

Development
The password guessing game is slightly different in the Japanese version of Final Fantasy VII, where instead of picking a word of four letters, the player picks a sentence, each made up of four kanji characters. In the English and Japanese versions the correct password is randomized, although ORBS and HOJO (and the corresponding sentences in the Japanese version) are never the correct answer. In the French, German or Spanish versions of Final Fantasy VII, however, MAKO is always the correct answer.

Unused data salvaged from the game disc reveals that Mayor Domino's puzzle was originally going to be more difficult, with 256 different possible answers. In the original version, the player would have had to construct the entire sentence (or word in the overseas versions) themselves, instead of picking from six different options as given in the final game. Multiple different responses to wrong passwords are also found within the game data.

In this more difficult version, Hart, Domino's deputy, would have had the option of giving out the password if the player paid him 70,000 gil. In another discarded scenario, if the player were to ask Hart hints until he has no more hints to give, he would be so fed up with the player's hopelessness he would give the party his own key card. In this version, the hints would have been much more costly, the price going from 2,000 gil for the first hint, 5,000 for the second hint and 15,000 for the final hint; doing this would still have been cheaper than paying 70,000 up front for the password, but if the player were to get the key card from Hart they would miss out on the Elemental Materia from the mayor. If the player were then to tell the mayor they got the card from Hart, he would be disheartened and reveal his own key card also doesn't allow access beyond floor 65, so the player may as well use Hart's key card. In the final version, Hart will just repeat his last hint if the player pays him again after hearing all the hints.

Additionally, the game has some books that exist in the game data, but which cannot be read. Confusingly, some of them are available in English that weren't in Japanese, and vice versa, and there are also books that are missing from both versions. Interestingly, Gast's full name was mentioned in one of the books available in the Japanese version, but is never mentioned anywhere in the English version.

There is unused dialogue found in game data that would have taken place outside the Shinra Headquarters, before the party head in for the first time. Barret would suggest that Cloud knows the place well, to which Cloud would have answered it to be his first time there. Barret would then have said that he has been at the headquarters before, back when he still had both his hands. This bit was cut off the final game and nothing in the finished version suggests that Barret would have ever visited the Shinra Headquarters before.

Musical themes
In Final Fantasy VII, the background music for the outside of the headquarters is "Shinra Company", and in the inside the music is "Infiltrating Shinra". After Jenova escapes her capsule and the party escapes the prison, the background music switches to "Trail of Blood" on the field and in the battle screen.