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AVALANCHE (always fully capitalised) is a fictional rebel and Eco-terrorist organization from the Square-Enix RPG '' Final Fantasy VII ''. It is their mission to save the world in which the game takes place from the conduct of the Shin-Ra Company , a multi-conglomorate industry which effectively controls that world. The fictional corporation earns its profits by draining the life force of the Planet, a subterranean ethereal substance called "Spirit Energy," the origin of which is a large collective of said energy known as "the ''' Lifestream '''." This energy dwells within the Planet, flowing through it, and is drawn out by large industrial reactors called "'''mako reactors'''," which then artificially condense Spirit Energy into a liquid form known as "'''Mako Energy'''."1'''Bugenhagen:''' "Everyday Mako reactors suck up Spirit energy, diminishing it. Spirit energy gets compressed in the reactors and processed into Mako energy."(''Final Fantasy VII'') From this form, it can be used as fuel and to supply electricity. It is from this latter use especially that the company has derived the majority of its profits, and for which the public has become dependent on Shin-Ra.23 While Shin-Ra deems AVALANCHE a group of terrorists, it is also made clear within the game that the Shin-Ra are going to destroy the world — and all living things — if left unhindered.Bugenhagen: "Spirit energy is efficient BECAUSE it exists within nature. When Spirit energy is forcefully extracted, and manufactured, it can't accomplish its true purpose." ... / Bugenhagen: "All living things are being used up and thrown away. In other words, Mako energy will only destroy the Planet..."(''Final Fantasy VII'') An unknown individual partook of the '''Study of Planet Life''' (a philosophy devoted to studying the Planet's workings in an organized fashion) at Cosmo Canyon , and there he came to understand that the effect of draining a Planet's Lifestream will eventually cause all life on the Planet to die out, and the physical material of the world itself to crumble in space. Thus, he founded AVALANCHE, who take it upon themselves to rid the world of the mako reactors and Shin-Ra at any cost.4'''Barret:''' "Cosmo Canyon... This's where AVALANCHE was born..."(''Final Fantasy VII'') '''' '''' stands as a Prequel to ''Final Fantasy VII'', and expands upon many previously untouched aspects of the continuity. It is revealed that the incarnation of AVALANCHE that existed prior to the one led by Barret Wallace early in ''Final Fantasy VII'' was far more militant and ruthless, and that its leader was a woman named "Elfé". The core leadership of this incarnation of AVALANCHE consisted of the following individuals:
Raised from a young age by AVALANCHE, she was chosen to be their leader after the founder passed away. She wields a katana, and her superb fighting capabilities have earned her much respect among the organization. Over the course of the story, she is revealed to be getting gradually weaker despite her superhuman strength, both of which came as a result of the presence of a mysterious summon materia — called "Zirconiade" — within her body and Fuhito's ambitions. This summon beast is drawn from her when Fuhito summons Zirconiade in an incomplete form. Elfé is somewhat quiet, decidedly taciturn, and surprisingly non-charismatic. She is eventually revealed to be Felicia, the daughter of , leader of The Turks prior to Tseng . At one point, it was rumored among the fandom that she may be a descendant of the Cetra due to Aerith Gainsborough (a Cetra herself) saying that Elfé's voice sounded nostalgic. However, what Aerith was recognizing was the voice of the Cetra memories that were within the materia housed inside Elfé's body at that time.
A powerful field leader of AVALANCHE and second strongest member of the organization in physical terms (second only to Elfé), he had excellent hand-to-hand combat skills and often took charge of executing operations and formulating battle strategies. He is completely devoted to Elfé and even once asks the player-controlled Turks member to defend her if he should die. His and Fuhito's respective personalities clash frequently, and they are very unfond of one another.
The intellectual force behind AVALANCHE, Fuhito excels in scheming. Highly knowledgable in not just matters of science, but also in terms of tactical warfare, he is helpful with conceiving tactical solutions and providing support from a strategic vantage. However, he is very treacherous, planning to not only destroy Shin-Ra, but he's also been using Elfé in a plot to summon a creature called "Zirconiade" to fulfill his true ambitions: killing all life on the Planet so as to remove all potential threats to it, while also revitalizing it. Fuhito creates the genetically enhanced AVALANCHE force known as "the Ravens," who serve as his personal attack squad, and he is shown to have no tolerance for failure, casually killing one of his subordinates for being beaten by the Turks. He is also shown to have no patience with Shears. ''Final Fantasy VII'' Early in ''Final Fantasy VII'', AVALANCHE's headquarters are located in Midgar , the center of Shin-Ra's industry and power. The city is constructed in a massive circular design made mostly of metal. It possesses eight towering mako reactors along its circumference, each of which feed power to one of the eight districts of the city to which they're adjacent. Each part of Midgar sectioned off by the reactors was once a town to itself, each with its own name, but they are now all simply referred to as "Sectors 1-8."Jessie: "The 8 Reactors provide Midgar with electricity. Each town used to have a name, but no one in Midgar remembers them. Instead of names, we refer to them by numbered sectors.(''Final Fantasy VII'') Pollution began to mount as production increased, and a new level was added to the city, blocking all light to the sections below, leaving them as unsanitary places to live. These sections on the lower level soon came to be known as "the slums" and are inhabited by the poor residents of Midgar, many of whom are malnourished and unhealthy. Shin-Ra does nothing to aid the citizens who live in these conditions, instead favoring those rich enough to live on the upper level (called "the upper plate").'''Barret:''' "Look... you can see the surface now. This city don't have no day or night. If that plate weren't there... we could see the sky." ... / '''Barret:''' "The upper world... a city on a plate... It's 'cuz of that &^#$# 'pizza', that people underneath are sufferin'! And the city below is full of polluted air."(''Final Fantasy VII'') It is in the slums of Sector 7 where the second inarnation of AVALANCHE made their home, in a pub called "7th Heaven." At the beginning of the game, Barret Wallace is the leader of the second AVALANCHE. Tifa Lockhart is also a member of the resistance, being the owner of the 7th Heaven bar. She convinces her childhood acquaintance, Cloud Strife , to accept a bombing mission at the start of the game and join with AVALANCHE. Cloud claims to be a former member of SOLDIER, Shin-Ra's elite military force, and displays the phenomenal strength and skill to support his claim. The other members of AVALANCHE at this point in the storyline are three individuals by the names of "Jessie," " Biggs " and " Wedge ." AVALANCHE plans to begin its mission to defeat Shin-Ra by bombing the eight mako reactors that surround the eight sectors of Midgar. Cloud and his companions manage to destroy two of these reactors in this way before their base of operations is discovered by Shin-Ra. In an attempt to destroy AVALANCHE, Shin-Ra blows up the pillar that supports the upper level of Sector 7, in the hopes that crushing the entire sector would kill all the members of AVALANCHE, as well. This act kills many civilians in Midgar, as well as Jessie, Biggs and Wedge. After this, the three surviving members of AVALANCHE move on with greater determination, and their cause ultimately leads Cloud to a confrontation with the legendary Shin-Ra hero , a flower seller who lives in Midgar's slums; the lionesque Red XIII ; a teenage ninja named " Yuffie Kisaragi "; an animatronic cat called " Cait Sith " that is actually controlled by Shin-Ra executive Reeve Tuesti ; Vincent Valentine , a former member of Shin-Ra's covert unit The Turks ; and Cid Highwind , an embittered pilot with dreams of journeying into space that were left unrealized because of Shin-Ra's greed. Working together, they forge bonds of friendship while resolving their respective pasts and saving the Planet. Barett Wallace was the original leader of AVALANCHE in ''Final Fantasy VII'', but after leaving Midgar to escape from Shin-ra and find Sephiroth early on Disc 1, it was decided that Cloud should be the leader of their journey. Later in Disc 2, Barett realizes that he isn't fit to be the leader of AVALANCHE. With Cloud and Tifa (both of whom had served as leaders prior to this point) absent at the time, Barett elects Cid the temporary leader of the group. All nine major members of the AVALANCHE featured in ''Final Fantasy VII'' appear in '''', while the spirits of Jessie, Biggs and Wedge make an appearance in '' The Maiden Who Travels The Planet '' (a novella written by Benny Matsuyama of Studio BentStuff ), featured in the ''Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega'' guidebook, an official publication of Square-Enix. REFERENCES SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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