| “ | These days, all it takes for your dreams to come true is money and power. | „ |
| ~ President Shinra |
President Shinra is the president of the Shinra Electric Power Company (better known as Shinra Inc.) and the overarching antagonist of Final Fantasy VII. Despite playing a relatively short supporting role within both games, he is indirectly responsible for the most of the event of the game, as he is responsible for both the pollution of the world and the creation of Sephiroth, Final Fantasy VII's main antagonist. President Shinra has two sons, Rufus Shinra (biological) and Lazard Deusericus (illegitimate), both of them were made high-ranking executives in Shinra.
History
Before Crisis - Final Fantasy VII
President Shinra makes his first appearance in Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-. He is first seen by the player Turk in Junon where he is giving a speech. The eco-terrorist group, AVALANCHE attacks. The president escapes, but is shot by the AVALANCHE scientist Fuhito. He survives and calls in Sephiroth to attack the AVALANCHE commande, Elfé.
Later, President Shinra begins to suspect there is a traitor within Shinra. This thought is fueled by his son, Rufus, who suggestst 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 temporary, 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.
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. 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. 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 his death, Rufus takes his place as president of Shinra.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
In the remade version of Final Fantasy VII, Shinra plays more of a villainous role in this retelling. Here, he is noticeably more of a direct threat to Avalanche, denouncing them as Wutai-funded terrorists in the effort to further ensure the loyalty of Midgar's citizen to Shinra, Inc. The President later personally orders the targeted assassination of Cloud's party via airstrike during Avalanche's bombing of Mako Reactor 5.
After ordering an overseeing the destruction of Sector 7 out of spiteful revenge, President Shinra discusses his plan of reshaping Midgar with his board of directors via the aid of the captured Aerith, the last of the Cetra. Shinra gives permission to Hojo to do what he pleases with the Cetra, as long as he is able to provide results.
Much like in the original game, Cloud and his party are brought before the president after they attempt to rescue Aerith. However, in the remake, Shinra manages to avoid Sephiroth's initial attack, instead managing to escape only to end up in the custody of Avalanche. Barret manhandles Shinra, determined in making him confess the wrongdoings of Shinra, Inc and disprove the Wutai-Avalanche alliance. Shinra refuses and instead manages to hold Barret at gunpoint, where he callous voices his disregard for morality and lack of remorse, scoffing that his hostage's determination to "save the planet" from Shinra is weak if he is only asking him to clear Avalanche's name over stopping all mako production. President Shinra is killed when Sephiroth stabs him from behind.
He was voiced by James Horan.
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