Hypothetical Theory:President Shinra is Cloud's father

[jazzflower92]

We already know that President Shinra has two known illegitmate sons running around so maybe he might have more.The older one was Lazard who was born of President's Shinra's affair with a woman from the slums.While the other one was Evan Townshend who was a private detective living in Edge after Midgar was abandoned.

He actually appears in a novella called Final Fantasy VII Lateral Biography Turks -The Kids Are Alright.

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII_Lateral_Biography_Turks_-The_Kids_Are_Alright-

Back on topic I just have this itching feeling that this could actually work mainly because it would fit with the President's Philandering nature and the fact this could actually fit in more with the deconstruction theme that FF7 has going for it.

I mean in most Fantasy based stories the prince is a long lost son of the king.However,what if that was twisted on its head the fact he is the long lost son but its worst he is the ruler's illegitmate child instead.If you think about it this defiantly would make Cloud even more depressed than he already is because having President Shinra as your father is as bad as having Hojo as a parent.

 

[looneymoon]

I think this theory is a little too soap opera-y for FF7, and lord knows the compilation doesn't need any more melodrama.

In regards to the last part of your post, I think this maybe of interest. It'd be interesting to see how the FF7 adheres and differs from that theory.

 

[Alex Strife]

I don't think it'll be the case, honestly. First of all, Cloud's mother seems like a rather "good woman" who wouldn't fool around with that evil person. But then again, I expected better from Lucrecia, right?

While I can see why people would say Cloud and Rufus bear similarities that could mean they can be siblings, but I can't see it happening.

Oh, and also, Cloud actually says during FFVII that his father died when he was very young, so... He doesn't say he never met him or anything. He straight away says he died when he was very young.

EDIT: I looked for the quote, which goes like this: "My father... died when I was still very young. That's why my mom...... was living alone in this house."

 

[jazzflower92]

I think this theory is a little too soap opera-y for FF7, and lord knows the compilation doesn't need any more melodrama.

In regards to the last part of your post, I think this maybe of interest. It'd be interesting to see how the FF7 adheres and differs from that theory.

It could need some Jerry Springer humour regarding this case.

But yeah a lot of stories have the theme of the long lost prince.The twist would be what if instead the protagonist is actually the long lost son of the evil overlord or in this case the deceased president of an evil corperation.They may or not ever think of it but it could go with a theme of its in the blood and Cloud averting becoming like his father.

Plus it would be funny to see Cloud at the Shinra family reunion wondering why is he seems to be the universe's favorite chew toy.Or the fact that it would be awkward interacting with Rufus if hwas his half brother.

Editkay now this probably won't be a pretty speculation but what if the man that Mrs.Strife married wasn't his real father. Its just a theory as well but what if Mrs.Strife passed her husband off as Cloud's father so she could hide the fact that Cloud was an illegimate child.Mrs.Strife's husband dies when Cloud's young and he continues thinking that Mr.Strife was his real father.Mrs.Strife could have gotten pregnant with Cloud before she married Mr.Strife.Mr.Strife saw that she was pregnant and alone then decided to marry in order to help her and her unborn child.

Okay this is just a fanon theory so you can shoot it down as fast as you can or discect as well.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

This has always been my pet fanon theory.

Obviously, it shouldn't actually be done now that the idea has been used twice for newer characters, but I still love it.

 

[jazzflower92]

This has always been my pet fanon theory.

Obviously, it shouldn't actually be done now that the idea has been used twice for newer characters, but I still love it.

Speaking of which have we ever seen Mrs.Shinra and how would she feel about the number of illegitmate children her husband has had.

Now that I think about it President Shinra is on his way to being the Mayor Quimby of the Final Fantasy universe.If there are many more of his spawn out there.

Then again it was told in the game that President Shinra frequently visited the red light disctrict.

 

[Ryushikaze]

We already know that President Shinra has two known illegitmate sons running around so maybe he might have more.The older one was Lazard who was born of President's Shinra's affair with a woman from the slums.While the other one was Evan Townshend who was a private detective living in Edge after Midgar was abandoned.

He actually appears in a novella called Final Fantasy VII Lateral Biography Turks -The Kids Are Alright.

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII_Lateral_Biography_Turks_-The_Kids_Are_Alright-

Back on topic I just have this itching feeling that this could actually work mainly because it would fit with the President's Philandering nature and the fact this could actually fit in more with the deconstruction theme that FF7 has going for it.

I mean in most Fantasy based stories the prince is a long lost son of the king.However,what if that was twisted on its head the fact he is the long lost son but its worst he is the ruler's illegitmate child instead.If you think about it this defiantly would make Cloud even more depressed than he already is because having President Shinra as your father is as bad as having Hojo as a parent.

Well, princes tend to be sons of kings. It's how it works and all.

This idea was already pulled way back in FF4 with Cecil - and Golbez- being the sons of a woman strongly hinted to be the sister of the King of Baron.

This has always been my pet fanon theory.

Obviously, it shouldn't actually be done now that the idea has been used twice for newer characters, but I still love it.

Kain Highwind is both Cloud and Cid's dad. The reason he's not still around is because he had to jump back to the Blue planet. In doing so, he passed a shark, and well, TAY, QED.

 

[Kermitu Kleric Katie]

Oh, and also, Cloud actually says during FFVII that his father died when he was very young, so... He doesn't say he never met him or anything. He straight away says he died when he was very young.

EDIT: I looked for the quote, which goes like this: "My father... died when I was still very young. That's why my mom...... was living alone in this house."

This is what I always tell people when they have their "X is Cloud's father" theories. Seems you beat me to it.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

I don't think President Shinra is Cloud's father, that's stretching it, however, I do see a case being made for Cloud being related to the Shinra family in a "we share the same Great-Great Grandfather" way.

One thing that's always intrigued me about the Shinra's is that Shinra Mansion was named after them and that it's clearly not a recent addition to Nibelheim. This suggests to me that some time ago, the Shinra family spent some time in Nibelheim. There would be plenty of time for one of President Shinra's ancestors to have more kids then just him or one of his parents and for that relative to have more kids of their own, only they never join the company and instead stay in Nibelheim for whatever reason.

Actually, I would think it would be Cloud's mom who would be related to the Shinras as from the sound of it she was married to Cloud's dad and took his last name. If that's the case, there's plenty of room for her or her ancestor to be dis-inherited from the Shinra family, which actually explains why the villagers might not have liked her.

 

[jazzflower92]

I don't think President Shinra is Cloud's father, that's stretching it, however, I do see a case being made for Cloud being related to the Shinra family in a "we share the same Great-Great Grandfather" way.

One thing that's always intrigued me about the Shinra's is that Shinra Mansion was named after them and that it's clearly not a recent addition to Nibelheim. This suggests to me that some time ago, the Shinra family spent some time in Nibelheim. There would be plenty of time for one of President Shinra's ancestors to have more kids then just him or one of his parents and for that relative to have more kids of their own, only they never join the company and instead stay in Nibelheim for whatever reason.

Actually, I would think it would be Cloud's mom who would be related to the Shinras as from the sound of it she was married to Cloud's dad and took his last name. If that's the case, there's plenty of room for her or her ancestor to be dis-inherited from the Shinra family, which actually explains why the villagers might not have liked her.

Now that I think about it that would make good sense.Maybe she could have been President Shinra's sister.That would have made Rufus and Cloud cousins.It would still suck for him if that were possible then he would still have the family drama of being a Shinra.

I also think it would make sense if Cloud's mother was disowned and that her brother,President Shinra did not acknowledge her at all.

It would also fit in the sterotypical hero's journey with Cloud because if President Shinra was his mother's brother then he had an evil uncle that he fought.Come on the evil uncle archetype is often common in these stories.Someone needs to write this.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

I think Rufus is more like Cloud's cousin three or four times removed, but yeah, that's the gist of it. They're close enough to actually be part of the same family, but far enough away that they don't know they're related, have different last names, and are from completely different social backgrounds.

I sort of came up with this idea because one of my ancestors (six/seven generations back) was part of a Scottish noble family (Angus to be exact), and when she got married to a guy who was beneath her socially, her family disinherited her. It felt like this could apply to the FFVII world pretty well.

 

[jazzflower92]

I think Rufus is more like Cloud's cousin three or four times removed, but yeah, that's the gist of it. They're close enough to actually be part of the same family, but far enough away that they don't know they're related, have different last names, and are from completely different social backgrounds.

I sort of came up with this idea because one of my ancestors (six/seven generations back) was part of a Scottish noble family (Angus to be exact), and when she got married to a guy who was beneath her socially, her family disinherited her. It felt like this could apply to the FFVII world pretty well.

It would be fun if Cloud's mother was really President's Shinra's sister.I could see her have been a falllen princess in the eyes of her family.Maybe she married her husband despite his social status and chose to lead a humble lower class life.

 

[Kermitu Kleric Katie]

I like the "Cloud is a distant relative of Rufus" idea. I like to think Cid is somewhere in the equation as well, since all three of them have blond hair and blue eyes. I also like to think that Cid's father's name is Kain, and Cid's father's father's name is Richard.

 

[PhantomSephiroth]

 

[Unlucky]

^I laughed at that more than I should

OT: This theory seems a bit of a stretch and kind of corny to me. Cloud being a distant relative of the Shinras though seems like a good speculation, only because there's the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim and I'm led to believe that there's a possibility of Shinras having stayed there. And if ever the latter becomes canon, I'd prefer SE to just subtly hint at it/ not wear it out-- no more dramas, the guy's had enough

 

[Shademp]

I have nothing substantial to contribute aside from what has already been said, so with only comedic intentions in mind I simply must...

Spoiler

Rufus: I am your brother.

Cloud:

My work here is done. Moving along.

 

[Unlucky]

And Rufus, as I imagine, would be laughing his ass off at the ridiculousness of it all.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I'm really not keen on these "everyone is related to everyone else" scenarios. They're too far removed from real life.

My headcanon states that the Shinras bought the mansion from the previous lords of the manor at the same time as they built the first reactor, their intention being to use the mansion as a research station and base of operations in town.

What's really strange is that their first reactor should have been built in the middle of nowhere in Nibelheim, and they then constructed Midgar on the other side of the world.

My headcanon is that Shinra discovered mako energy as an accidental byproduct of their research into materia fusion and weapons development. They had a hunch it could be big, so they built a small prototype reactor in Nibelheim, a place sufficiently remote that if anything went wrong (like the reactor blowing up) the disaster would be easy to conceal. The science research station in the mansion was therefore originally established for the study of materia and for monitoring the performance of the prototype reactor. When the prototype was a success, Shinra brought their new invention to the energy hungry markets of the more heavily populated east. They also gradually expanded the Nibelheim reactor's output capacity. Though I don't know where the market for Nibelheim's electricity would be. Rocket Town? Maybe that's why they based their space program in Rocket Town: because of the surplus energy available from the Nibelheim reactor.

Cloud's father was a reactor technician. Or else the village postman.

 

[Jiro]

Just because Cloud says his father died young doesn't mean that's true. How vivid are your memories of your childhood? It could very well be that Cloud's Mother told him that's what happened in order to protect him.

It's interesting enough as a theory but the potential for it being right is pretty low. I doubt President Shinra would have actually gone to Nibelheim for any reason; he has lackeys to do the dirty work for him.

 

[jazzflower92]

Or maybe President Shinra secretly ordered to find a woman in Nibelheim to become his mistress.Maybe he made it be that a woman who slept with him would also be rewarded heavily with money to support themselves.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Why would he do that when he has the Honeybee Inn right on his doorstep? Anyway, he wasn't always a fat cigar-chomping old man in a purple suit. I'm sure that in his younger days he was just as good-looking as Rufus, and had girls throwing themselves at him.

 

[Unlucky]

Not to mention that would mean Mama Strife's a prostitute. I don't think so.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Hell, she could be, but who knows. It's just as likely, in the event of the idea being valid, that President Shinra was paying a visit to Nibelheim for a public relations gig/photo-ops (maybe some anniversary of the first mako reactor firing up). Even if he wasn't handsome as a younger man, young women in a backwoods shithole like Nibelheim would throw themselves at the de facto ruler of the world.

Of course, we don't have any actual evidence that any of this took place. I'm just saying.

 

[Unlucky]

^Meant to reply to this sooner, but yeah, that is plausible.

Just because Cloud says his father died young doesn't mean that's true. How vivid are your memories of your childhood? It could very well be that Cloud's Mother told him that's what happened in order to protect him.

This is actually my headcanon. We were never told exactly what his age was when it happened so there's room for speculation that it might have just been what he was told.

I think what's moar interesting to ponder is who/ where is Cloud's daddy?

My headcanon is that his parents were never married, and that he left Nibelheim before his birth. Maybe to work somewhere else. It could've been that it was too early in the pregnancy so he didn't know.

 

[Kermitu Kleric Katie]

I like to imagine that Cloud's mom was named Claudia and his dad was a farmer named Claudius. The reason I like to think of him is a farmer is because that's what I've always imagined him as being in my head, probably because Nibelheim is a country town and all. I also like to think that Cloud's dad died when he was 7, to go along with the 7 symbolism the game has plenty of.