His parents killed by Shinra, Shears has grown up with a hatred for the Company and has sworn revenge on them. Hailing from Cosmo Canyon, he grew up with a reverence for the Planet. He learned many things from Bugenhagen, an ex-Shinra scientist who called the Canyon home. He learned that taking Mako from the Planet was killing it. Shears made it his life’s mission to stop Shinra but he was misguided by hatred and anger. He lacked direction and focus. And so he hit Shinra the only way he knew how; with violence.

He gathered an army of bandits and would raid unsuspecting supply trains in Midgar. They did not leave survivors. On one such occasion, Elfé and Fuhito happened upon the bandits as they had just taken over and stopped a rerouted train. They were busy tearing the supplies from the cars when the two were stopped by Shears’ men. Thinking them Shinra operatives, Shears ordered them taken into custody.

Elfé suddenly burst into action and quickly dispatched Shears’ men. Still wanting them taken down, Shears moved to fight them himself. Fuhito suddenly produced a gun and shot one of the Soldier prisoners in the head. “Would Shinra operatives kill their own people?” he asked Shears.

Taken aback by the move, Shears decided to let them go. But Fuhito had bigger ideas. Shears and his men were just what he needed. A bunch of misguided thugs who looked for leadership. If he could get Shears to follow him, the men would follow Shears. Fuhito struck up the bargain; let him guide their operations and they could look for success beyond stealing supplies in the night. With his clout, and Shears’ men, they could bring the Shinra Electric Power Company to its knees. Shears readily accepted and that was the day that Avalanche was reborn.

Shears comes to care for Elfé a great deal. He sees her as a great leader, but also feels that Fuhito takes advantage of her. He feels Fuhito knows more about her than he lets on, even more than Elfé herself knows.