President Shinra



President Shinra (プレジデント神羅, Purejidento Shinra) is, as his name implies, President of the Shinra Electric Power Company in Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-, Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, and Final Fantasy VII. However, he plays a relatively short supporting role and is not seen in Crisis Core, only mentioned in emails and some dialogue. President Shinra has two sons, the latter of them illegitimate, Rufus Shinra and Lazard Deusericus, both of whom are made high-ranking executives in Shinra.

Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-
President Shinra makes his first chronological appearance in Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-. He is first seen by the player Turk in Junon where he is giving a speech. However, the eco-terrorist group, AVALANCHE attacks. The President escapes, but is shot by the AVALANCHE scientist, Fuhito. Surviving, President Shinra calls in Sephiroth to attack the AVALANCHE commander, Elfé.

Later, President Shinra begins to suspect there is a traitor within Shinra. This thought is fueled by his son, Rufus, suggesting the same. The President wrongfully accuses the Turk leader, Veld, and replaces him with Shinra's incompetent military head, Heidegger, for a mission based in Junon to eradicate AVALANCHE. Heidegger's position as the Turk leader proves to be only temporary however, as the President replaces him with Veld, after Heidegger's strategy at Junon almost destroys the entire city and Veld blackmails President Shinra with classified information, possibly about the Deepground project.

President Shinra would later find out that the real Shinra traitor is his own son Rufus, who had been funding AVALANCHE in order to have his father killed so he would be able to take over the company. The Turks capture and use Rufus as leverage with President Shinra so that they can save their commander Veld, and his daughter, Elfé, AVALANCHE's commander. Afterward, Rufus is neither killed nor stripped of his title despite being a traitor. President Shinra merely orders him to be placed under house-arrest in Junon. Rufus's absence is explained by claiming that he is on an "extended assignment overseas".

Final Fantasy VII
President Shinra is first seen during AVALANCHE's attack on the Sector 5 Mako Reactor. Having foreseen the attack, he has prepared an ambush. He engages in a short conversation with Cloud, before he sets Air Buster on them and leaves by helicopter.

During the Shinra Headquarters infiltration, the party overhears a conversation between Shinra and some of his top executives, including Heidegger and Professor Hojo. He plans to leave Sector 7, which the Turks destroyed as a counter-attack to finish off AVALANCHE, as it is.

The party meets the president again in person when they are brought before him after being captured while trying to escape with Aeris. After a brief conversation the President sends the party away to be locked up.

President Shinra is encountered one more time when the party arrives at his office, where he lies impaled by a large sword. Palmer, who was hidden during the assault, claimed that it was Sephiroth who killed him. After President Shinra's death, Rufus takes his place as the company's president.

Hoshi wo Meguru Otome
President Shinra makes a small appearance in the novel, Hoshi wo Meguru Otome (roughly translated as The Maiden Who Travels The Planet), which chronicles Aerith Gainsborough's travel through the Lifestream after her death at the hands of Sephiroth. Aerith finds a blank place in the Lifestream where it does not flow properly, and finds President Shinra there. The President is joyous to have met her and tells Aerith that he would have given her a life of luxury if she had cooperated with Shinra instead of living in the slums. He tells her how he took Shinra to where it was and became a king over Midgar with his control over Mako and the people's dependency on it, and asks Aerith if she does not consider her life miserable in comparison to his as they have both ended up to the same place. Aerith realizes the President is clinging to the ambitions and wealth he had in life and this is why the Lifestream cannot take him.

Trivia

 * Both of President Shinra's known sons were made high-ranking executives in the company, however neither were loyal to their father. Rufus funded the first AVALANCHE insurgency, and Lazard secretly supported Genesis Rhapsodos and Dr. Hollander's escape and their war on Shinra.
 * In On the Way to a Smile: Case of Shinra, it is stated that President Shinra always had the same passkey for unlocking anything within the Shinra Building. The passkey was Rufus's birthday.

Presidente Shinra