Shinra Electric Power Company


 * For the group of Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- missions, see Missions (Crisis Core)/Shinra Electric Company.

The Shinra Electric Power Company (神羅電気動力株式会社, Shinra Denki Dōryoku Kabushiki-gaisha), also known as Shinra Inc. (神羅カンパニー, Shinra Kanpanī) and sometimes spelled Shin-Ra, is a company in the world of Final Fantasy VII. It is primarily a power company, supplying Mako energy to the world and making electricity efficient and easily available. However, Shinra also operates in genetic engineering, space exploration, and has a strong military power including the elite group SOLDIER. This military power, combined with their monopoly of Mako energy, effectively gives Shinra a measure of control over the world populace.

Nearly every central character in the entire Compilation has been negatively affected by Shinra's tyrannical rule, even many who work under its banner. The main characters of Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII- and Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- work for the company.

Story
Shinra was originally a small weapons manufacturer known as the Shinra Manufacturing Works. When they discovered how to refine Lifestream into Mako energy as an electrical energy source, they exploded in power. The company spread power to the entire world, setting up Mako Reactors, quietly taking over every aspect of The Planet. With their ever-increasing finances, they began expanding into many areas, including space exploration, weapon development, etc. As people became more dependent on Shinra's power and supplies, President Shinra, company owner and leader, became the de facto President over much of the world.

Starting its own private army, using Mako energy to power the elite SOLDIER class and funding an undercover corps called the Turks, Shinra ruled with an iron fist. They even began performing human experiments to create supersoldiers. When the people of Wutai disagreed with setting up Mako Reactors, Shinra sent in their army to overwhelm them and force their influence.

Shinra constructed the metropolis Midgar, which housed the Shinra Headquarters for all their actions as well as eight large Mako Reactors. It ultimately has control over the city and lives of its people, although the company introduced a figure-head mayor. It obtained control of much of the world's information and broadcasting services, and created a propaganda news service called "Shinra News". The main purpose of this propaganda machine was to declare those considered disloyal to Shinra dead and to considerably distort events to Shinra's favor. Though, in protest to Shinra's lies, an anti-Shinra news service called "Shinra Truths" appeared. Both of these can be viewed as E-mails in Crisis Core.

Shinra eventually begins pursuing the Promised Land, a land famous from Cetra legends that is said to be very fertile; Shinra believes the land to be full of Mako energy, and plan relocate their center of operations there in a plan named Neo Midgar. Shinra goes through great lengths to create a person with Cetra's power who could lead them to the Promised Land, but in the end, Neo Midgar is never built.

Downfall
Dissent had long been felt amongst the people under Shinra's rule. As the Mako Reactors destroyed wildlife and outcast villages, people began to despise their work. Many began researching Mako, and realized that Shinra was ripping life out of the Planet. Some Shinra employees deserted as they discovered the truths of the company, such as First Class SOLDIERs Zack Fair, Genesis Rhapsodos, Sephiroth, and Angeal Hewley. Anti-Shinra groups such as AVALANCHE and the Wutai Crescent Unit sprung up to combat the army. The Turks themselves at a point, had mutinied over their leader's unfair treatment and the immense amounts of human rights abuse, causing a major fallout of many members.


 * SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis Rhapsodos: Genesis went MIA on a mission in Wutai and with him, many second and third class SOLDIERs. The catalyst of his desertion is the discovery of the truth of his birth, leading him to hate the world.
 * SOLDIER 1st Class Angeal Hewley: Angeal disappeared after a successful mission in Wutai.
 * SOLDIER 1st Class Sephiroth: Sephiroth, after finding the truth behind his past, abandons the company and sets the gain the rulership of the Planet himself. He goes missing in the Nibelheim Incident's aftermath.
 * SOLDIER 1st Class Zack Fair: Fought against Sephiroth during the Nibelheim Incident, but lost and was made a "specimen" of Professor Hojo's Jenova Reunion Theory alongside Cloud and the one of the few survivors of Nibelheim. He escaped four years later, but Shinra eventually hunts him down.

Shinra's final downfall comes with Sephiroth's successful summoning of Meteor and the arrival of the Weapons, the Planet's defense mechanism. In an attempt to destroy the Weapons, Shinra fires the Sister Ray, destroying Diamond WEAPON. Diamond fires off a salvo of energy before dying, and causes heavy damage to the Shinra Building. President Rufus Shinra, thought to have been killed in the explosion, is shown to have survived after a daring rescue and evacuation process by Vincent Valentine and Yuffie Kisaragi in the Continuation. As the Meteor falls on the city, it rips apart what remained of Midgar. When the Lifestream ejected from the Planet to stop the Meteor, the people realized how important the Lifestream was, and Shinra could no longer use it popularly as an energy supply.

In a conversation between Reno and Rude in Healen Lodge in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, it is revealed that some Shinra employees are still dedicated to the company, and return to the company remnants to help atone for their past sins. Whether this refers only to the Turks or other employees as well has yet to be seen.

Hierarchy
Shinra was led by President Shinra (who after his death was replaced by his son Rufus Shinra) and its multi-affairs were divided into several departments:
 * Weapons Development Department: Led by Scarlet. It developed most of Shinra's weapons of war. Some weapons developed by the department include the Sister Ray, the Proud Clod, and the Sunken Gelnika.
 * Science Department: Led by Professor Hojo, who eventually vacates this position during Final Fantasy VII. The Science Department was the main manufacturer of the army's Materia. It also conducted secret human experiments, heading the Jenova Project, and Deepground. Other scientists include Professors Gast Faremis, Hollander, Lucrecia Crescent, and the late Grimoire Valentine.
 * Urban Development Department: Led by Reeve Tuesti. Reeve designed the city of Midgar from this department, and ran the city's day-to-day affairs.


 * Public Safety Maintenance Department: Led by Heidegger, this is basically the Shinra army and police force. Being charged with the responsibility over all of Shinra's armed forces, this department consisted of a few different sub-branches:
 * The Investigative Division of General Affairs Department: Also known as the Turks, this department was headed up by Veld. Officially speaking, the purpose of the Turks was to seek out potential SOLDIER recruits, but in reality, the Turks were highly skilled special agents used by Shinra for gathering intelligence, providing additional security, and protecting the company's secrets no matter what the cost. Membership in the Turks seemed to have be somewhat exclusive, having just over ten members towards the end of the conflict with the original AVALANCHE. As a result of various factors such as the desertion of Veld, the Turks going rogue against the company, and the desertion of several Turks at the end of the conflict with AVALANCHE, the Turks numbers were reduced down to three members and they were kept on a tight leash by Heidegger. Tseng took over leadership responsibilities, having proved his loyalty by executing Veld for his betrayal, and Shinra allowed for an additional member to join the Turks, Elena.
 * SOLDIER: Previously led by Lazard Deusericus. This department dealt with Shinra's elite branch of warriors, SOLDIER and their battle strategies. After a rash of defections and betrayals, including that of Director Lazard himself, Heidegger assumed full control over SOLDIER. SOLDIER operatives are divided into three classes, depending upon skill and success in the field.
 * Security Department: No explicit details are ever given on this Shinra department, which was in charge of Shinra's non-Mako infused infantrymen. Although hardly having as much of a reputation as SOLDIER, the Security Department's infantry still made up the majority of Shinra's military force, and was deployed far more often than SOLDIER. This department seemed to have somewhat of a rivalry with SOLDIER and was to extend challenges in the form of training sessions. The Security Department also served as a fallback for SOLDIER hopefuls that are deemed unfit to go through the Mako infusion procedure that all SOLDIER members had to go through. The leader of this department has not been identified, although it may have simply been run by Heidegger.
 * Space Exploration Department: Headed up by Palmer, the Space Exploration Department planned on using rockets to launch men into space, their first being the ever-willing Cid Highwind. After the failed launch of Shinra No. 26, funding for the department was pulled, but it still remained apart of Shinra over the following years.

Experiments
Shinra has been involved in many immoral human and animal experiments during the course of their existence. They were directly involved in the creation of monsters for military use. These experiments led to the increase of monsters seen on the Planet in Final Fantasy VII. They also experimented on the effects of Mako energy on human subjects. In small doses, it led to enhanced warriors called SOLDIER, but prolonged exposure created the Makonoids seen inside the Nibelheim Reactor.

Professors Hojo and Hollander competed in the Jenova Project in creating a human with Cetra's powers. Hojo also performed shape-shifting experiments on Vincent Valentine. After the Nibelheim Incident, Hojo injected Zack Fair, Cloud Strife, and the other Nibelheim survivors with Jenova cells and Mako to test his Jenova Reunion Theory. The results of this experiment were the Sephiroth Clones.

The Deepground underground medical facility also slowly transformed into an experimental soldier site after Genesis's birth. In this madhouse experimentation went on without the interference of morality and produced such monstrosities as Azul the Cerulean, Rosso the Crimson, Shelke the Transparent, Nero the Sable, and Weiss the Immaculate.

Hojo also experimented on Red XIII, planning to cross-breed his species with the Cetra to increase their life-span for study.

Development
Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega sheds some light in what Shinra's history was like in the game's early drafts. Old Midgar (before the plate was built) was intended as the company's capital, where Shinra would have developed and constructed weapons, practically monopolizing the defense industry. The Ultimania states that Shinra would have made profit from a long-lasting war with an unnamed nation, where they secretly exported weapons to the enemy country as well. The traces of the secret trade were meant to be visible in various towns and cities, and characters such as Barret Wallace would have noticed.

Further, Ultimania tells that at the start of the previously mentioned war, the company would have already begun using Mako energy, and towards the end of the war, Shinra would have created the SOLDIER. Due to SOLDIER, the country on Shinra's side would have managed to win the war and after the war's end, due to the company's monopoly on Mako energy, Shinra would have gained economic control of said country.

Musical Themes
The theme most commonly associated with Shinra in Final Fantasy VII is titled "Shinra Company", a slow piece featuring ominous piano (and, later, choir and digital effects) against a sinister, heavy beat. This track may have inspired "Immoral Melody" from Final Fantasy IX, as the two songs share strikingly similar beats. A slightly more upbeat remix, called "Mako Monopoly", plays in Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII -.

Etymology
Shinra comes from the first two characters of Shinra Banshou (神羅万象, lit. "Everything Covered by God"), a Japanese and homophone variant of Shinra Banshou (森羅万象, lit. "All-Covering Forests and Ten Thousand Things"), a Buddhist idiom which has come to mean "All of Nature" or "All of Creation". This refers to the Shinra Company's status as global superpower, monopolizing industry and governing most of the Planet.