Final Fantasy: 25 Greatest Villains 

Rufus is one of the few villains in the series that wouldn’t be out of place in the real world. Boasting no powers other than a bottomless wallet, he and the Shinra Corporation are the embodiment of corporate greed and everything that is perceived to be wrong with unchecked capitalism, as their continuously growing levels of wealth and power come through the exploitation of the planet and the people that populate it.

They’re as impactful today as they were in 1997 given that income inequality has grown rather than shrunk as a problem facing society and the continued fleshing out of Rufus and his supporting underlings like Scarlet and Heidegger in the next instalments of VII Remake will certainly make them all the more fascinating to uncover.

Rufus’ character is enhanced by his drive to eclipse his father, having covertly funded attempts to challenge his power before his death. Set on ruling by fear and playing by nobody’s rules, his apparent death, at the hands of something he couldn’t defeat through money or might, was a powerful metaphor.

Rufus obviously came back in Advent Children (with a questionable explanation for his flight from seemingly inescapable death), nullifying some of his former tyranny through his transition into an individual seeking remorse for his past actions. His freefall gunning scene is a huge highlight.