The Turks

Article by: OmegaMe
Pictured from: Final Fantasy VII
Created by: Square
First appearance: 1997

Bio

In Final Fantasy VII, the Investigation Division of the General Affairs Department of the Shinra Electric Power Company is called "the Turks" for short, though it is never explained why. The Turks are assigned mostly to carry out President Rufus's dirty work, though they also scout out potential recruits for SOLDIER, Shinra's elite military group.

The Turks build an interesting relationship with the main heroes of Final Fantasy VII. Many times they act against orders: once because they are enjoying their vacation too much; another time because they feel that Shinra is a lost cause and want to join forces with the main characters. Although they are Rufus's dogs they are dynamic characters whom many players come to appreciate.

Tetsuya Nomura's design of the Turks, along with all other major characters in Final Fantasy VII, brought him his first wide recognition in the video game industry.

From left to right in the image above, the Turks consist of:

Elena — The only female Turk in Final Fantasy VII, Elena is the newest recruit. She is added to their ranks because of Reno's injuries early in the game. She is rather shallow and inexperienced at her new job.

Tseng — The serious, persistent leader of the Turks.

Rufus — Not actually a Turk, Rufus is the newly appointed president of Shinra following his father's death. He intends to control the world by fear and, in the process, attempts to harvest power out of the very life of the world, the Lifestream.

Rude — A long-time friend of Reno's, Rude has very few speaking moments in Final Fantasy VII. He is noticeable mostly by his sunglasses.

Reno — Reno is the most prominent of the Turks. He is rather arrogant and lazy. He has a vendetta against Cloud Strife and his friends after they leave him injured near the beginning of the game.

Quote

"A pro isn't someone who sacrifices himself for his job. That's just a fool." — Reno

Selected game appearances

PlayStation

• Final Fantasy VII (1997)

Mobile Phones

• Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII (2004)

References

• Wikipedia - "Characters of Final Fantasy VII - Turks"
• Final Fantasy Shrine - "Final Fantasy VII"
• RPGamer - "Final Fantasy VII"