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The Shinra Logo.

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) 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 the tyrannical rule of Shinra, 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 Employees

Shinra was originally a small weapons company known as the Shinra Manufacturing Works. When they discovered how to use Mako energy from the Lifestream as an electrical energy source, they exploded in power. They began spreading power to the entire world, setting up Mako Reactors to refine Lifestream energy all over, and expanding rapidly, 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 unofficial President of 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 began ruling 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 News Logo

Shinra constructed the metropolis Midgar, which housed the headquarters for all their actions as well as 8 large Mako Reactors. It ultimately has control over the city and lives of its people, although it 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.

Downfall

Shinra infantryman, artwork by Tetsuya Nomura

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 began to desert as they discovered the truths of the company, such as 1st class SOLDIERs Zack,Genesis, Sephiroth, and Angeal. Anti-Shinra groups such as AVALANCHE and the Wutai Crescent Unit began springing up to combat the army and the Turks, though never had large effect.

• SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis Rhapsodos:Genesis was MIA on a mission in Wutai and with him, many 2nd and 3rd class SOLDIERs and making a Genesis Copy army that causes rebellion in the Planet. He is ultimately defeated in the underground caves in his hometown, Banora Village, by Zack Fair, a SOLDIER 1st Class that wields the Buster Sword after Angeal Hewley, a famous SOLDIER 1st Class. Genesis did not died, thanks to the Goddess Minerva, he was cured from his degradation and dwells in an underground cave beneath Midgar. He appeared again in Dirge of Cerberus in a secret ending, if Vincent Valentine managed to get 3 G Reports.

• SOLDIER 1st Class Angeal Hewley: Angeal went missing after a successful mission in Wutai, he then appeared helping his old friend and partner, Genesis in his hometown. he then appeared to Zack to help him against Genesis. In Modeoheim, Angeal appeared in the Bathhouse and gets his clones, the Angeal clones, that has his genes traits to join with him, creating Angeal Penance. He was then killed and passed the Buster Sword to Zack Fair.

• SOLDIER 1st Class Sephiroth: Best friend of Angeal and Genesis. In Nibelheim, he found out experiments on Jenova products and he himself is a product of a project codenamed Project S. Genesis tells him that "JENOVA" was his "Mother"; in fact his real mother was Lucrecia Crescent, a Shinra scientist working on the Jenova Project. Falling to insanity, he acts a vendetta on mankind by first razing Nibelheim and goes to the reactor to find his "Mother". Tifa Lockhart, a resident and Cloud Strife's friend is wounded easily by Sephiroth and Zack, being a SOLDIER 1st Class, managed to hold for sometime before defeated. Cloud, then a Shinra infantryman, uses Zack's sword and stabs Sephiroth. Cloud is then stabbed back by Sephiroth's sword, but uses it as a pulley to lift him up and throw Sephiroth to a mako pool. Seemingly killed, he appeared again in Final Fantasy VII as an antagonist, still in his madness, and wants to rule the planet as a god. And to achieve that goal, he used the Black Materia to create a wound in the planet and go in the wound, making himself a god. He is defeated but appeared again and in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and Advent Children Complete, using the Geostigma plague to rule to planet as a god; still on the same goal.

• SOLDIER 1st Class Zack Fair: Student of Angeal and inheritor of the Buster Sword. He was a "specimen" or a test subject of Hojo's Jenova Reunion Theory alongside Cloud and the survivors of Nibelheim. He escaped after 4 years in captivity of S cells and was escaping to Midgar to meet Aerith, but was killed while protecting Cloud from a Shinra army, gunned down by 3 remaining soldiers. Inherits the Buster Sword to Cloud.

Shinra's final downfall came with Sephiroth's successful casting of Meteor and the arrival of the WEAPONS, the Planet's defense mechanism. In an attempt to destroy the WEAPONs, they fire 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 is seemingly killed in the explosion, but is shown to have survived after a daring rescue and evacuation process by Vincent Valentine and Yuffie Kisaragi in the Continuation. This scene never occurred in the original game. As Meteor fell on the city, it proceeded to rip apart what remained of Midgar and their army. When the Lifestream ejected itself from the Planet, 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 Healin Lodge in Advent Children Complete, it is revealed that some Shinra employees are still dedicated to Shinra, and return to the remnants of the company 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 executives. From left to right: President Shinra, Scarlet, Heidegger, Hojo, Palmer, and Reeve.

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:

• The Space Exploration Department: Led by Palmer. The Space Exploration Department planned on using rockets to launch men into space, their first being the ever-willing Cid Highwind. However, they cut the funding right before Cid was to be launched, and thus his dream was crushed.

• The 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 Gelnika.

Shinra Hierarchy.

• The 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 (birthplace of Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis), and Deepground. Other scientists include Professors Gast, Hollander, Lucrecia, and the late Grimoire Valentine.

• The Urban Development Department: Led by Reeve Tuesti. Reeve designed the city of Midgar from this department, and now runs the day-to-day affairs of the city.

• The Public Safety Maintenance Department: Led by Heidegger, this is basically the Shinra army and police force. Within this branch are the two special organizations within Shinra, including:
  • The Investigative Division of General Affairs Department: Also known as the Turks, led first by Verdot and later by Tseng, with members Elena, Cissnei, Rude and Reno, as well as 8 unnamed members featured in Before Crisis & Last Order, and Elena's older sister. Many years ago, Vincent Valentine was a member of the Turks before being turned into a monster by Hojo.
  • 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, this previously independent organization was brought into the Public Safety Maintenance Department under Heidegger. SOLDIER operatives are divided into three Classes, depending upon skill and success in the field. There are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Class SOLDIERs, all with different uniforms. Several very famous "Firsts", such as Sephiroth, are allowed to wear whatever they please.
  • Security Department: No explicit details are ever given on this Shinra department, which is 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 makes up the majority of Shinra's military force, and is deployed far more often than SOLDIER. The department seems to have somewhat of a rivalry with SOLDIER and has been known to extend challenges in the form of training sessions. The Security Department also serves as a fallback for SOLDIER hopefuls who are deemed unfit to go through the Mako infusion procedure that all SOLDIER members must go through. The leader of this Department has not been identified, although it may simply be run by Heidegger himself.

Experiments

The Makonoids of the Nibelheim Reactor

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 after prolonged exposure, these experiments created the Makonoids seen inside the Nibelheim Reactor. These monsters, though horrible looking, were too weak to survive when let free from their capsules. The creatures return as enemies in Crisis Core.

Professors Hojo and Hollander competed in the Jenova Project in creating the perfect soldier; Hojo injecting an embryonic Sephiroth with Jenova cells (in Jenova Project S), while Hollander injected Jenova's cells into Gillian Hewley, then placing her cells into a fetal Genesis Rhapsodos and impregnating her which resulted in Angeal Hewley, in Jenova Project G. The results of Project G did not get complete Jenova genes, and thus degraded, while Sephiroth was the perfect hybrid of Human and Jenova.

Hojo also performed shape-shifting experiments on Vincent Valentine, after he had been shot by Hojo. This gave Vincent a nearly indestructible body, allowing him to house the Chaos gene, given to him by Lucrecia Crescent in order to save his life along with the Protomateria to control it. These experiments allow him to change his form into many different creatures.

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 the Birth of Genesis. This madhouse where experimentation went on without the interference of morality produced such monstrosities as Azul the Cerulean, Rosso the Crimson, Shelke the Transparent, Nero the Sable, and Weiss the Immaculate.

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

Musical Themes

The theme song 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 sinister and heavy beat. This track may have inspired Immoral Melody from Final Fantasy IX, as the two songs share strikingly similar beats.

Etymology

Shinra comes from the first two characters of Shinra Banshou (神羅万象, lit. "Everything Covered by God"), a Japanese four-character idiom 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.