Rufus Shinra
Rufus Shinra is a non-playable character in Square Co., Ltd.'s RPG Final Fantasy VII. At the beginning of the game he is the Vice-President of the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company, a monopoly corporation and de facto world government.
Before Crisis
Though not appearing often, Rufus was secretively supplying funding and information to AVALANCHE as an "anonymous benefactor," intending to encourage them to kill his father so he could become President of Shin-Ra Co.; this plan failed, though Rufus continued scheming.
Final Fantasy VII
When news of his father's death reached him, Rufus arrived via helicopter at Shin-Ra headquarters in Midgar and greets Cloud Strife and his companions. While there he quickly delivers his opening address as the new President, promising a change in his father's policies. Cloud then fights Rufus because he does not agree with Rufus' vision, while the other party members escape via the elevator. Rufus escapes by helicopter after conceding defeat to Cloud. His weapon of choice is a double-barreled shotgun.
Later in the game, one of the WEAPON guardians of the planet, Diamond Weapon, appears from beneath the sea near Northern Crater and approaches Midgar in an attempt to stop the Sister Ray (a Mako-powered weapon) from firing. The WEAPON fires several shots at the city from an unknown weapon, and several of these hit the presidential tower Rufus is in, completely destroying it.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Rufus makes an appearance in the Final Fantasy VII movie sequel to Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, produced by Square Enix. Rufus managed to survive the Diamond WEAPON's attack in Final Fantasy VII, although he has since come down with the disease 'Geostigma'. He attempts to recruit Cloud Strife to act as a bodyguard to protect him from Kadaj and his brothers. His ulterior motive, inopportunely revealed by Reno, appears to be the rebuilding of Shin-Ra inc., which was left in tatters after the events of Final Fantasy VII. Cloud, already hesitant about his bodyguard proposal rejects him outright when this comes out. Rufus spent most of his time confined in a wheelchair with a white sheet blanketed over his body and hiding the effects of his condition from others. Allegedly he was suffering from the final stages of Geostigma and hovering near death, but he later proved to be far more resilient than he was letting on. Even suffering from a crippling illness he was still gutsy enough to take on Kadaj with his trusty shotgun as the two tumbled from the top of a building near the movie's climax. Like everyone else suffering from Geostigma, Rufus was cured at the end of the movie by the Planet’s healing rain. Whether Rufus will return for the “grand finale” of Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII is as yet unknown.