Similar to my Rufus and Tseng post, I just really want to talk about the awesome dynamic between these two. Once again, it doesn't really matter how you see their relationship, be it merely work related, a great friendship or the next step of it. What matters now is that you focus on them two. But.... ignore their portrait in Advent Children, because Square didn't represent them at all in that movie, those were two completely different Reno and Rude that I watched.
At first glance, Reno will probably look like the one more likely to screw up a job and the more irresponsible of the duo, while Rude looks more stoic, more invested in his work and the one to keep the other in check (this last point is partly true, I suppose). But in reality, it's actually the other way around. Rude is the one that will go against orders to obey his feelings while Reno focus his entire body on getting the mission done. As such, it's interesting to notice how their appearance misleads you into thinking they are someone that turns out to be the other.
The proof of this? There's quite a few through the compilation, and if there's something the Remake is doing of good is showing the Turks true colors that didn't make it to the original game.
But let's start from the beginning. Before Crisis. There's a few examples throughout this game worth talking about. Starting by the fact Reno is the third in charge, followed by Tseng and then Verdot at the top. Of course, once Verdot deserted the company, Reno took the stance of second in command, which for a first timer can, once again, be weird if they also know of Rude to a superficial level. But it's no mistake. Reno is in fact better for leading than Rude; more on it later. Still in Before Crisis, there's an episode where the Player Turk is tasked with spying on Rude, mission that Reno was doing before handing it over. It's a self-given mission of Reno and through the episode, you discover that Rude has been going out with Chelsea, who then turns out to be working for Avalanche (the enemy) and is using Rude to get information. Rude himself seems aware of this, but his feelings cloud his judgement. That is, of course, until Reno and the Player Turk basically slap him with reality and the prejudice that could come from Rude's actions. Rude's first failure at love, this is; probably left quite the scar, and the second attempt is not going to help.
Moving on, let's stop at the Remake really quick. There's two key scenes of Rude to look here. First his fight in Sector 5, where Aerith says "Rude is not a bad person." to which the definition of a Turk comes out of Rude: "Yeah, I'm not bad, but sometimes I have to do bad things.". Now the fight itself, without much context other then you knowing the Turks are after Aerith, will look as Rude simply trying to get her. But I propose the true reason behind this fight is Rude's feelings as he lets in the open so clearly: the fight happens because you had previously beaten up Reno. Rude will say multiple times that he's there as payback for the beat up Cloud gave Reno, basically avenging his colleague. In the end, Rude receives a call from Reno himself calling for a job, and, conflicted, leaves on the helicopter. In other words, this fight happens only because of Rude's feelings. The second moment is during the plate drop segment. Rude is piloting the helicopter and Reno is in charge of the guns. When Tifa becomes Reno's next target, Rude purposely moves the helicopter away, making Reno miss and highly upset, excusing it as a slip of hand, though Reno isn't convinced. This is also a clear reference to the fact Rude states he has a crush on Tifa in the original game (I told you the second attempt at love would be worse compared to the first).
And if that still doesn't convince you on how Rude clearly isn't up for leadership, then the Wutai episode of the original game will have to, because two things: 1. The Turks are on their day off and Reno is not gonna budge from that and 2. Rude trusts Reno's judgement through it all, never once doing something on his own desires, unlike Elena. If you still don't believe me, let me refresh your memory. Starting with when you first encounter the Turks at the pub, Reno expresses he has no interest in fighting, despite Elena's remarks saying they should. Rude, in this all, is silent, but clearly taking Reno's side, if his cheer is anything to go with: "To the Turks. To Reno... Cheers!". Later when the guards come in to call the Turks for work, Reno once again expresses no desire to do as such, Rude taking his side once more, while Elena goes away. Even during the search for Elena and Yuffie, it's Reno that takes the spotlight and leader role, doing all the talk and stuff, while Rude stays bound to his orders and more out of the picture (though that's also partly due to him being a Turk and the secrecy the work functions under). Later on, in Midgar, if you went through this sidequest before the Raid on Midgar, you'll have the option to not fight the Turks when you encounter them. This particular scene resolves around Elena saying them must fight, while Reno purposes the deal of not doing so and claim his day off stolen that other time. Rude, yet again, stays on Reno's side. Rude trusting Reno's judgement in these matters is no mistake or just because Reno is his superior, technically. It happens since his own judgement has failed before, while Reno's hasn't, or at least not too much. Who can say everything these two went through.
So, you see, it's been proven a few times that Rude let's himself be driven by emotion, and this is certainly what makes him a favorite among other characters and possible even the favorite Turk of someone; even when some actions are so small and easily go unnoticed, you can feel in him how he is driven by his heart rather than his brain. Reno, on the other hand, is driven by his brain and works in favor of the mission, not himself, showing a more logical course of action and throwing his emotions and feelings on the matter away. Another clear example, to a certain extent, I suppose, is how after discovering Elena likes Tseng, Reno never attempts to flirt with her, knowing he has no chance (though, then again, Elena appeared when Reno wasn't available. She's literally his replacement). Reno shouldn't be thought as heartless, keep that in mind, as seen during Before Crisis when all Turks are against covering the Nibelheim incident and act as if nothing happened, when he reacts to the loss of his other comardes and the fake assassination of Verdot and Elfe carried by Tseng (he and Rude didn't know it was fake) and during the scene in the Remake in the Turks HQ, where he, Rude and Tseng discuss the morality of the plate drop.
Unrelated to this symbolism between heart and brain, there's another particularity of this duo I find worth mentioning. Reno is known as the fastest of the Turks, while Rude is known as the strongest, the duo being known as unbeatable. In Before Crisis, Shears, a soldier of Avalanche, sorta militar captain, is capable of defeating them both individually, but not together. This reputation certainly makes your multiple fights against them both at the same time in the original game all the more interesting, since you are able to beat them with some relative ease (at least I am).
And like I say in the title, this abilities of them tie into their symbolism as well. As Reno is the fastest and the brain of the duo, it's no zurprise that he does come up with what to do quickly. Seriously, if you notice well, he thinks pretty quick for the most of it. Rude, as the strength and heart, possesses and a strong heart, visible through the fact he has gone through heartbreak more than once, besides other hardships of life, but keeps going and pushing through it all.
I just really wanted to talk and dive into the symbolism of these two, similar to how I did for Rufus and Tseng.
