Originally posted by SeanFThomas
Yes, he is an antagonist, but he isn't a bad guy! It's just I see these things people say where they depict him as a villain. Here are my reasons.

1. Everything he does in the game, he does for the good of the people. He tries to defeat Sephiroth because he's trying to destroy the world.
I don't think he does anything for anyone, really. Obviously if Sephiroth wins, then he loses. I doubt he's thinking of anyone but himself. I didnt see him doing anything like helping his people, or the like.

2. (Here comes a spoiler if you are new in the game or you suck) He's also trying to get Sephiroth for a personal vendetta because hey, Sephy DID kill Rufus's dad.
I doubt that, Rufus didnt seem to care much that papa was dead. He didnt seem to like his father at all, and Sephiroth actually did Rufus a favorite by killing the president.

3. Rufus also goes after Weapon when it's doin' its thing, again, because Weapon is a danger to the people.
He goes after Weapon because Weapon is a danger to HIM. And to his investments. If Weapon destroys Midgar, not only does he die if he's still there, but he loses all the military equipment Midgar now doubt has. If he cared so much about his people, he would have cared about the other weapons roaming about.

4. (Spoiler) The Huge Materia things, he's just trying to destroy Meteor before it destroys the population.
Indeed. If it kills everyone, who is he going to rule over?

5. During his brief skirmish with Cloud, he was defending himself! Here was Cloud, this insano with a huge sword, prepared to kill Rufus just because he was the President of Shinra!
If he was only defending himself and not trying to win, he wouldnt have attacked.

6. Rufus fled at the end of the fight not because he's a coward, but because who would lead Shinra if he died? Heidegger? Scarlet? I don't think he wanted those idiots running the world.
He ran to live. Simple.

7. When he says he'll control the world with fear, he doesn't mean in a Hitler way. I think it may be a misunderstood translation, but listen to what he says after that. "Work at Shinra, get your pay. IF A TERRORIST ATTACKS, the Shinra Army will help you." He'll control the world by being the savior of people's fears.
I highly doubt that. He's ruling the world with sheer military force, as opposed to pretty politics and money like his father had done.

8. Rufus never actually says that he wants Cloud's death as an objective. If you do the Yuffie sidequest (spoiler) and the Turks have just done away with Don Corneo, Reno gets a call from HEIDEGGER to find Cloud. Not Rufus.
Heidegger works for Rufus, you know. Rufus was using Cloud and the others, since they had the same goal of stopping meteor. That's why he didnt attempt to kill Cloud, and that's also why everytime the Turks ran into them, they didnt try and kill them.

9. (big spoiler) When Rufus takes the Junon gun, or Sister Ray*, and puts it in Midgar, you see his objectives? He's not trying to kill Cloud! He inadvertantly HELPS Cloud by destroying the barrier! So in my opinion, Rufus doesn't deserve the dogging he gets!
His main objective was to destroy the barrier. That's why they aimed there. Why would they use such a massive weapon to kill a person?