Characters of Final Fantasy VIII

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Final Fantasy characters
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Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
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Square Co., Ltd.'s bestselling console role-playing game Final Fantasy VIII deals with the activities of an elite group of mercenaries called "SeeD", as well as a number of soldiers, rebels and political leaders of various nations and cities. Thirteen weeks after its release, Final Fantasy VIII had earned more than US$50 million in sales,[1][2] making it the fastest selling Final Fantasy title. Additionally, Final Fantasy VIII was voted the 22nd-best game of all time by readers of the Japanese magazine Famitsu.[3] The game's characters were created by Tetsuya Nomura,[4] and are the first in the series to be realistically proportioned in a consistent manner. This graphical shift, as well as the cast in general, has received generally positive reviews from gaming magazines and websites.[5]

The main playable characters in Final Fantasy VIII are Squall Leonhart, a loner who keeps his focus on duty and avoids letting himself care for others to avoid vulnerability; Rinoa Heartilly, a passionate young woman who follows her heart in all situations and does not hesitate to speak her mind; Quistis Trepe, an instructor with a serious, patient attitude; Zell Dincht, a martial artist with a passion for hot dogs and fighting; Selphie Tilmitt, a cheerful girl who loves vehicles and flies the spacecraft Ragnarok; and Irvine Kinneas, a marksman and consummate ladies' man with an interest in Selphie.[4] Playable supporting characters include Laguna Loire, Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac, who appear in "flashback" sequences, and antagonists Seifer Almasy and Edea Kramer. Other characters make appearances throughout the story; their significance and backstories are revealed as the game progresses.

Cast creation and influences

Tetsuya Nomura's designs of three of the female protagonists: Selphie (left), Rinoa (center) and Quistis (right)

Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima stresses the dynamic of players' relationships with the main character in Final Fantasy games; thus, he puts significant thought into how that relationship will develop. With Final Fantasy VII, protagonist Cloud Strife's reserved nature led Nojima to include scenarios in which the player can select Cloud's responses to certain situations and dialogue. With Final Fantasy VIII, which also features a reserved lead protagonist in Squall, Nojima wanted to give players actual insight into what the protagonist is thinking, even while other characters remain uninformed.[6]

Character designer Tetsuya Nomura — while exchanging e-mails with director Yoshinori Kitase during the period between the development of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII — suggested that the game should bear a "school days" feel. Because Nojima already had a story in mind in which the main characters were the same age, the idea worked. Thus, they created the concept of military academies, called "Gardens", in which students would train to become "SeeD" mercenaries. Nojima also planned for the two playable parties featured in the game — Squall's present day group and Laguna Loire's group of twenty years in the past — to highly contrast with one another. On one hand, Laguna's group consists of characters in their late twenties and have a lot of combat experience. They are also close friends who have fought together for a long time and trust one another. On the other hand, Squall's party is young and inexperienced, and Squall himself does not initially understand the value of friendship.[7]

FMV depictions of Laguna (left) and Squall (right), two of the main protagonists

As a result of Kitase's desire to give the game a foreign atmosphere ("foreign" being in relation to Japan), the objective with the character designs was to create largely European appearances. The first character Nomura designed specifically for use in Final Fantasy VIII was Squall,[8] initially giving him longer hair and a more feminine appearance. However, Yoshinori Kitase did not feel that this design worked and asked Nomura to shorten his hair and make him look more masculine, which lead to the design seen in-game. When designing Cloud Strife, Nomura gave him distinctly spiky, bright blonde hair to emphasize his role as that game's protagonist. With Squall, Nomura wanted to try a unique angle to establish his role, giving him the characteristic gunblade scar across the bridge of his nose. A complete history was not yet conceived, so Nomura left the explanation for Squall's scar to Nojima. Squall's design was completed by a feather motif along the collar of his jacket, included for the purpose of challenging the game's FMV designers. This is but one example of the demands he has consistently extended to the programmers of the Final Fantasy titles as technology has advanced.[7]

In a Famitsu Weekly interview with Kitase, Nomura and Yuusuke Naoi, the team agreed that Final Fantasy VIII reflects Nomura's preferred technique, as opposed to Final Fantasy VII, which featured characters that "weren't really his style".[8] The team also decided to use realistically proportioned characters. The higher level of FMV technology would have otherwise created an inconsistency between the in-game graphics and the higher definition FMV graphics. Additionally, Kitase explained that the main logo of the game — Squall and Rinoa embracing — was inspired by the team's efforts to express emotion through body language.[8]

Main playable characters

Squall Leonhart

Squall Leonhart
Squall Leonhart
Main article: Squall Leonhart

Squall Leonhart (スコール・レオンハート, Sukōru Reonhāto) is the main protagonist and a young student at Balamb Garden, identifiable by the scar on his face that Seifer inflicted. He rarely speaks and has the reputation of being a lone wolf.[4] As Squall's story progresses, he becomes fascinated with and falls in love with Rinoa,[4] despite never outwardly expressing such until the ending.[9] Squall is characterized by forlorn memories of standing out in the rain at the orphanage where he grew up, wondering where "Sis" (Ellone, an older girl he saw as a sister-figure) went.[10][11] Squall's weapon is a gunblade, a sword that uses components of a revolver to send vibrations through the blade when triggered.[12] His Limit Break is a series of sword strikes called Renzokuken.[13]

Rinoa Heartilly

Rinoa Heartilly
Rinoa Heartilly
Main article: Rinoa Heartilly

Rinoa Heartilly (リノア・ハーティリー, Rinoa Hātirī) is the main female protagonist, the seventeen year old[4] daughter of General Caraway, a high-ranking officer in the Galbadian army, and Julia Heartilly, a successful pianist and singer. Rinoa is a member of the Forest Owls, a small resistance faction seeking to liberate the small nation of Timber from Galbadian occupation. When the party helps the resistance movement fight Galbadia, Rinoa decides to stay with them. She gradually falls in love with Squall,[9] despite never physically displaying so until the final cutscene. In battle, she uses a weapon called a Blaster Edge,[14] which consists of an arm holster and a projectile that returns like a boomerang. In her Combine Limit Break, she attacks in unison with her dog, Angelo.[13] When Rinoa gains Sorceress powers, she acquires a second Limit Break, Angel Wing, which increases her spell-casting ability.

Laguna Loire

Laguna Loire
Laguna Loire

Laguna Loire (ラグナ・レウァール, Raguna Rewāru) is a man whose past and relation to the main characters are revealed slowly throughout the game. Most of the sequences involving Laguna appear in the form of "dreams" experienced by the protagonists. He attacks with a machine gun and his Limit Break, Desperado,[15] involves a swinging rope, a grenade and a lot of bullets. During the dream segments, he is a twenty-seven year old soldier in the Galbadian army who travels with his companions, Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac.[4] He is also an aspiring journalist whose weapon of choice is writing.[4]

During the first two dream segments, he and his team are shown getting lost and visiting the hotel where singer Julia Heartilly, Laguna's romantic interest, performs.[16][17] After a scouting mission at Centra, the three soldiers are separated and Laguna is injured. A young woman named Raine takes him to Winhill where he is nursed back to health.[18] He falls in love with and marries her. However, he is drawn away from his new home when a young girl in their care, Ellone, is kidnapped. Laguna tracks her down in Esthar, where he helps liberate the people of Esthar from the despotic rule of Sorceress Adel. The people of Esthar elect Laguna as their president and Ellone is sent back to Winhill without him.[19] After Raine dies, her child (who Ward and Kiros imply to be Squall in a conversation aboard the Ragnarok) and Ellone are sent to an orphanage.[20] Laguna is unable to leave his post to visit her and remains president of Esthar to present day.[21] Ellone and Laguna are reunited in space,[22] and Laguna helps the party prepare for their fight against Ultimecia.

The concept of two main characters was planned since the beginning of the game's development. Nomura tried to create a contrast between Laguna's and Squall's occupations; thus, Laguna became a soldier and Squall became a mercenary student. The designers intended Laguna to be more similar to the previous protagonists in the series to complement Squall, who is different from previous main characters.[7]

Seifer Almasy

Seifer Almasy
Seifer Almasy

Seifer Almasy (サイファー・アルマシー, Saifā Arumashī) is a classmate and rival of Squall. He acts as a mirror to Squall in many respects, having dated Rinoa before she met Squall,[23] and assuming a leadership position among his friends.[24] Like Squall, Seifer wields a gunblade which he calls "Hyperion".[25] His Limit Break is Fire Cross > No Mercy, although he will later develop the more powerful techniques Demon Slice and Bloodfest. Seifer has a short temper and is often depicted as a bully[26] who desires attention.[27] He is also fiercely independent and is often punished for his recklessness.[28] He is the leader of Balamb Garden's disciplinary committee with his friends Fujin and Raijin.

During the introduction sequence, Seifer cuts Squall across the left side of his face with his gunblade, leaving a scar. Squall retaliates with a backhand slash that leaves Seifer with a mirrored scar. At the following field exam in Dollet, Seifer acts independently from his teammates Squall and Zell; consequently, he is punished and is not promoted to SeeD.[28] Spurred by dreams of a brighter future, he defects to Sorceress Edea so he could be her "knight".[29] From his point of view, Squall and the others are "evil" and he recognizes himself as the hero.[30] As Seifer is brainwashed by the sorceress, he alienates himself from his friends. Eventually, Fujin and Raijin abandon him and he is defeated shortly afterward.[31] At the end of the game, Seifer is seen fishing and having fun with Fujin and Raijin again.

Nomura had originally intended Seifer not only as Squall's rival, but also as part of the love triangle between him, Squall and Rinoa. Although this concept was not thoroughly explored in the final script, Seifer remains Squall's rival and his appearance was designed to contrast with Squall's. Not only do they have equivalent but mirrored scars on their faces, but their jackets are of opposing color and length. Both characters also use gunblades; Squall's gunblade is larger and requires two hands, while Seifer's gunblade is lighter and can be wielded with one hand.[7] Outside of Final Fantasy VIII, Seifer makes an appearance in Kingdom Hearts II as a member of the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee.[32] In the English version, he is voiced by Will Friedle.[33]

Quistis Trepe

Quistis Trepe
Quistis Trepe

Quistis Trepe (キスティス・トゥリープ, Kisutisu Turīpu) is an eighteen year old instructor at Balamb Garden, where Squall, Zell, and Seifer are students.[4] She uses a chain whip in battle,[34] and her Limit Break, Blue Magic, allows her to imitate monsters' attacks.[13] Emotionally, Quistis is insecure and prone to depression, although she has a calm persona.[4] Early in the game, Quistis is discharged as an instructor because she "[lacks] leadership qualities".[35] Afterwards, she maintains a more informal relationship with the other characters as a fellow member of SeeD.

As a child, Quistis lived at an orphanage with most of the main characters. She then lived with foster parents, with whom she never developed any intimacy, before moving to Balamb Garden at age ten.[36] She became a SeeD at fifteen and an instructor two years later.[37][4] Quistis initially joins Squall to prepare him for his upcoming field exam. She later takes Squall into her confidence and tells him personally about her demotion.[38] When Irvine refreshes the main characters' memories about the orphanage, they remember that Squall's antisocial behavior began when Ellone, an older sister figure to Squall, left the orphanage unexpectedly. As a result of these revelations, Quistis recognizes that her feelings for Squall are more sisterly than romantic.[39] Later, she criticizes Squall when he nearly abandons Rinoa, his romantic interest.[40]

When designing the characters, Nomura had wanted at least one female character to wear a skirt. Quistis was originally supposed to fill this part, but Nomura decided a long skirt worn over pants would look better. The role was eventually passed to Selphie. Nomura was surprised when the writers cast her as a teacher, despite being around the same age as the rest of the group.[7]

Selphie Tilmitt

Selphie Tilmitt
Selphie Tilmitt

Selphie Tilmitt (セルフィ・ティルミット, Serufi Tirumitto) is a student at Balamb Garden who recently transferred from Trabia Garden. She is active and energetic, although slightly clumsy.[4] She participates in many extracurricular activies, such as planning the Garden Festival[41] and running the school's website. She wields nunchaku in battle,[42] and her limit break is Slot, which allows the player to cast a random spell numerous times.[13] In addition to battle, she pilots the Ragnarok starship.[43]

Selphie first appears when running into Squall while late for class. She asks Squall to show her around because she recently transferred. During the Dollet exam, Selphie joins Squall's team after Seifer abandons them.[44] She becomes a SeeD with Squall and Zell, and the three are assigned to the same team. When Galbadia launches missiles at Trabia Garden, she reacts with outrage and helps destroy the missile base.[45] Throughout the game, she revisits her childhood closeness with Irvine,[46] who serves as her copilot on the Ragnarok.

Selphie was the second character that Nomura drew, after Squall, intentionally giving her an impractical hairstyle. When he first designed Selphie, Nomura drew her in overalls; however, he realized that none of the characters would be wearing a skirt. In the end, he gave Selphie a mini-skirt and let Quistis have pants.[7] In the Kingdom Hearts series, Nomura included a younger version of Selphie as a resident of Destiny Islands.[47] In the English version, she is voiced by Molly Keck.[33]

Zell Dincht

Zell Dincht
Zell Dincht

Zell Dincht (ゼル・ディン, Zeru Din) is a student at Balamb Garden with Squall and Seifer. Seventeen years old,[4] Zell is a martial artist; his weapons are gloves,[48] and his Limit Break, Duel, requires the player to input button combinations on the controller to deal damage.[13] Zell is slightly impulsive and overconfident in his own skill; however, he is loyal to his friends.[4] Zell is often used as comic relief; Seifer gives him the nickname "chicken-wuss" and other characters begin using it as well.[49] He also has a passion for hot dogs; a recurring gag is that they are always sold out by the time he reaches the cafeteria.

Zell lived at the same orphanage as many of the other protagonists; this is where Seifer first began to bully him. He was later adopted by the Dincht family in the town of Balamb.[50] His motivation for enrolling at Garden is to live up to the memory of his grandfather, a famous soldier.[4]

Zell was designed to look and act like the main character of a shōnen manga (Japanese comic books intended primarily for boys);[7] his neighbors in Balamb describe him as a "'comic-bookish' type of hero".[51] The inspriration for the tattoo on his face came from an MTV music video that featured a man with a full body tattoo.[7]

Irvine Kinneas

Irvine Kinneas
Irvine Kinneas

Irvine Kinneas (アーヴァイン・キニアス, Āvain Kiniasu) is a student at Galbadia Garden, one of the three mercenary academies in the game. He is one of the Garden's elite sharpshooters,[52] always carrying his rifle.[53] His Limit Break is Shot, which deals damage and inflicts status effects depending on the type of ammunition.[13] Irvine is depicted as a cowboy, tall and fair-skinned with long brown hair that he wears pulled back in a ponytail.[7] He also enjoys flirting with the female characters,[54] being known as well for his marksmanship as his charm.[53] He acts like a carefree, but misunderstood loner;[55] however, this is merely a façade to hide his lack of confidence.[56]

When Sorceress Edea gains a high-ranking position in the Galbadian government, Balamb and Galbadia Gardens order Squall's team to assassinate her; Irvine is introduced as the sniper for the mission. Moments before the assassination attempt, he explains to Squall that he always chokes under pressure.[56] At Trabia Garden, Irvine reveals that he and most of the other party members had lived in the same orphanage, run by Cid and Edea Kramer. However, the others were not able to remember this because of their use of Guardian Forces (GF), magical beings who cause severe long-term memory loss as a side effect.[57] Because Irvine had not used GF until he joined the party, he is able to remember his past.[58] Moreover, Irvine gradually draws closer to his teammate Selphie,[59] acting on the feeling he has had since living with her at the orphanage.[46]

With Irvine, Nomura tried to strike a balance between not overshadowing Squall and not becoming too homely. In the end, he gave Irvine a handsome appearance, but a laid-back and casual personality, hoping that this would make him less attractive than Squall. Keeping with this idea, Nomura gave him goggles; however, this idea was abandoned in favor of an American cowboy-like appearance to set him apart from other goggle-wearing characters in the Final Fantasy series.[7]

Kiros Seagill

Kiros Seagill
Kiros Seagill

Kiros Seagill (キロス・シーゲル, Kirosu Shīgeru) is Laguna's close friend and comrade in the Galbadian Army. He fights with dual blades attached to his arms called "katal", with which he repeatedly slices his enemies in his Limit Break, Blood Pain. Following the disastrous mission in Centra, Kiros is separated from Laguna and Ward. He heals quickly and decides to leave the Galbadian army, but soon finds that life without Laguna lacks excitement. He resolves to find Laguna, a search that brings him to Winhill after nearly a year.[60] When Laguna is forced to leave Winhill to find Ellone, Kiros accompanies him, helping him earn money as an amateur actor to fund the expedition.[61] Kiros remains by Laguna's side throughout his adventures in Esthar, earning a place as Laguna's advisor when he becomes president. Like Ward, Kiros' interactions with Laguna are based on the staff's interactions during development.[7]

Ward Zabac

Ward Zabac
Ward Zabac

Ward Zabac (ウォード・ザバック, Wōdo Zabakku) is Laguna's other close friend. An imposing man, he wields a large harpoon in battle and in his Limit Break, Massive Anchor, he uses it to crush his opponents from above. During the incident at Centra, he loses his voice in a battle with Esthar soldiers.[62] After being separated from Kiros and Laguna, he becomes a janitor at D-District Prison. When Laguna becomes president of Esthar, Ward joins Kiros as an advisor, directing affairs with gestures and ellipses. Laguna and Kiros can understand what he is saying by his reactions.[62] Like Kiros, Ward's interactions with Laguna are based on the staff's interactions during development.[7]

Edea Kramer

Edea Kramer
Edea Kramer

Edea Kramer (イデア, Idea) is initially presented as a power-hungry sorceress who seizes control of Galbadia from President Deling.[63] Her motives are unknown, but SeeD is dispatched to assassinate her. It is eventually revealed that Edea was possessed by sorceress from the future named Ultimecia.[64] When Ultimecia's control is broken, Edea takes the side of the SeeDs in the struggle and joins the party for a short time. However, she accidentally gives her powers to Rinoa, making her a sorceress.[65] Edea is also the wife of Headmaster Cid,[66] and was known as "Matron" to Squall and his friends during the time when they lived with her at the orphanage.[67] Being a sorceress, Edea attacks with magical bursts of energy and her Limit Break, Ice Strike, consists of a magically conjured icicle, hurled like a javelin. This Limit Break is depicted in a cutscene during her coronation as head of Galbadia when Ultimecia commands Edea's body to pierce Squall with it.

Edea is one of three character concepts, along with Fujin and Raijin, to have been created before the development of Final Fantasy VIII. Edea had been designed before even the development of Final Fantasy VII, based on the style of Yoshitaka Amano.[7]

Other major characters

Adel

Adel
Adel

Adel (アデル, Aderu) is a sorceress who rose to power in Esthar and is the initiator of the Sorceress War. As the ruler, she had her soldiers abduct every girl who might serve as her successor, such as Ellone.[20] During the revolution, she was tricked by Laguna and placed in suspended animation in space.[68] Seventeen years later, after losing control of Edea, Ultimecia possessed Rinoa and used her to free Adel to serve as a new vessel.[69] Adel was later revived in the Lunatic Pandora and was defeated by Squall and his party when she tried to absorb Rinoa.

Cid Kramer

Cid Kramer
Cid Kramer

Cid Kramer (シド・クレイマー, Shido Kureimā) is the respected headmaster of Balamb Garden. The loyalty of the Balamb student body is tested when an internal staff conflict is sparked between Cid and the Garden Master, NORG;[70] however, many of the students and faculty remain loyal to Cid and return him to power. Afterward, Cid aggressively confronts NORG, who started the SeeD civil war over financial issues.[71] Cid and his wife, Edea, are estranged for most of the game; they are leaders of opposing factions in the early part of the game, until Ultimecia transfers her conciousness to Rinoa.

As each Final Fantasy title included a character named "Cid" — usually being someone who is knowledgable about the game's airships or some other key element of the plot — Nomura wanted to design someone who was similar to the past Cids in Final Fantasy, but also someone who was markedly different. He decided on giving him the appearance and personality of an older, benevolent character who would watch over Squall's party and offer them advice about things which they didn't know, but with which he was thoroughly affiliated. In the end, Nojima decided that this type of good-natured, kind-hearted character would work best as the headmaster of Balamb Garden.[7]

Ellone

Ellone (エルオーネ, Eruōne) is a mysterious girl who wanders in and out of Balamb Garden, and who knows Squall from his past; she is the missing "Sis" he has been looking for.[11] It is later revealed that she has the ability to send a person's consciousness back in time and into the body of another, so they can watch and sometimes influence the actions of said other. She uses this talent to send Squall and his friends into Laguna's past adventures in the hopes that they will be able to alter the past; however, she eventually concedes that history cannot ever be altered.[72] This power is needed for Ultimecia to achieve time compression, which is why she has Galbadia search the world for her.[73] Ellone's parents were killed by Galbadian soldiers during an occupation, and she then lived with Raine until she was captured by Esthar soldiers.[20] She shares a close relationship with her de-facto "uncle", Laguna.

Fujin

File:Ff8-fujinraijin.jpg
Raijin (left), Fujin (right), and Seifer (center)

Fujin (風神, Fūjin) is a young woman with pale skin, short silver hair, and an eye patch. She is a member of the Balamb Garden Disciplinary Committee with Seifer and Raijin; the three of them form a close "posse",[24] even when Seifer joins with Edea and, later, Ultimecia. Fujin speaks in single-word sentences, which she normally exclaims (such as "RAGE!" and "LIES!"); in the Japanese version of the game, other than when saying certain names, her dialogue is given entirely in kanji, rather than the normal mix of kanji and kana. Towards the end of the game, her speech pattern returns to normal, when she states to Squall and his companions that she is breaking ties with Seifer because of his changes.[74] In battle, Fujin wields a chakram and uses wind-based magic. She shares her name with the Japanese god of wind, Fujin.

Like Raijin, the concept and design of Fujin was initially going to appear in Final Fantasy VII; however, the addition of the Turks made the designers feel that the characters were unnecessary.[7] Additionally, Fujin appears as a member of Seifer's gang in Kingdom Hearts II, going by the name "Fuu". In the English version, she is voiced by Jillian Bowen.[33]

Raijin

Raijin (雷神) is the partner of Fujin. He is a member of Balamb Garden Disciplinary Committee with Seifer and Fujin;[75] together, the three form a close "posse", as he calls it.[24] He always ends his sentences with "ya know" (もんよ, mon'yo, in the Japanese version). Like Fujin, he stands loyally by Seifer even as he turns away from SeeD and Garden and sides with the enemy, the Sorceress Edea. Near the end of the game, Raijin comes to the realization that Seifer is headed down a path that he cannot follow. He stands by Fujin's speech to Squall and the others to help save Seifer from himself.[74] In battle, Raijin uses a long staff with two large battering weights on either end. He shares his name with the Japanese god of thunder, Raijin. In the ending FMV, he is celebrating the fact he caught a large fish until Fujin kicks him off the pier into the water.

Like Fujin, the concept and design of Raijin was initially going to appear in Final Fantasy VII; however, the addition of the Turks made the designers feel that the characters were unnecessary.[7] Additionally, Raijin appears as a member of Seifer's gang in Kingdom Hearts II, going by the name "Rai". In the English version, he is voiced by Brandon Adams.[33]

Ultimecia

Sorceress Ultimecia
Sorceress Ultimecia

Ultimecia (アルティミシア, Arutimishia) is the sorceress that SeeD was formed to defeat, and is the antagonist of Final Fantasy VIII. She is discovered late in the game, as she operates through the body of Edea Kramer before her revelation. While possessing Edea, Ultimecia gains control of Galbadia, and later possesses Rinoa to release Sorceress Adel from her tomb in space. Afterward, Ultimecia abandons Rinoa, leaving her to die in space, but Rinoa is rescued and Ultimecia is soon fought and defeated. A sorceress from the future, Ultimecia is capable of reaching back through time via a special machine to possess other sorceresses, and seeks to cast a spell called "Time Compression," which would cause all eras to merge.[76][77] It is through her desire to alter the past and cheat her fate that she is defeated at the hands of Squall Leonhart and his comrades,[77] and perpetuates the cycle that will lead to the formation of SeeD.[78]

Minor characters

Biggs and Wedge

File:Ff8-bigwedge.jpg
Wedge (left) and Biggs (right)

Biggs and Wedge are members of the Galbadian Army. Biggs is of a higher rank than Wedge.[79] They cross paths with the party on three occasions; the duo are bested by the main characters each time and demoted in rank as a result.[80] The last encounter in the game does not result in conflict. Their names keep with the Square tradition of naming two minor characters in most Final Fantasy games Biggs and Wedge, and they also share their names with two pilots in Star Wars: Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles.

General Caraway

General Caraway is a member of the Galbadian military, who advises the main characters in the game on their mission to assassinate Sorceress Edea. Based on the chain of events, his decision to help SeeD begins immediately after Sorceress Edea's rise as Galbadian ambassador. When Laguna went to war and did not return, Caraway comforted Julia; eventually, they married and bore Rinoa.[81] Caraway and Rinoa have a problematic relationship, in which Rinoa refers to Caraway as "that man"; however, he does not want to see her get hurt, as demonstrated when he attempted to lock her in a room while the assassination plot takes place,[82] as well as his efforts to free her from the Galbadian Desert Prison. After the assassination attempt on Sorceress Edea, he is dismissed of his duties as General.

Vinzer Deling

Vinzer Deling is the President of Galbadia. During the game, Deling appoints Sorceress Edea as a so-called "peace ambassador" to resolve problems Galbadia had with other nations.[83] For protection against SeeD and the Forest Owls resistance group, he uses a body double named Gerogero.[84] However, Deling was killed by Edea during the welcoming ceremony he arranged for her at Deling City, immediately before the assassination attempt on Edea.[63]

Mayor Dobe and Flo

Mayor Dobe is the mayor of Fisherman's Horizon. He and his wife, Flo, detest violence and oppose the Garden's presence in his territory.[85] Squall and his party save the Mayor from certain death when Galbadia invades Fisherman's Horizon.

The Forest Owls

The Forest Owls is a small resistance faction against Galbadia, based in Timber. It comprises Zone as their leader, Rinoa, and Watts; additionally, most of Timber is affiliated with either the Forest Owls or another resistance group.[86]

Julia Heartilly

Julia Heartilly (ジュリア・ハーティリー, Juria Hātirī) is a resident lounge pianist at a Galbadian hotel frequented by Laguna during his days as a Galbadian soldier. After being admired by Laguna from afar for some time, Julia approached him and introduced herself one night.[87] Julia confessed to Laguna that she had always dreamed of writing her own songs and becoming a singer. Some time later, she established herself with the song "Eyes On Me" (which is also the game's theme song).[88] Laguna was shipped out on new orders the following day and ensuing circumstances prevented him from returning. Julia eventually married Galbadian military officer General Caraway and had a daughter, Rinoa.[81] She was killed in an automobile accident just before Rinoa turned five years old. Julia is the only character in the game with a named character theme, Julia, which is a piano arrangement of Eyes On Me.

Raine Loire

File:RaineFF8.jpg
Raine's reaction to Laguna's marriage proposal, as depicted in the ending cutscene

Raine was Laguna's second love, whom he met after she found him lying injured at the bottom of a cliff and brought him back to her home town of Winhill to recover. She was irked at first by Laguna's bad habits and reluctance to express himself outright,[89] but the two eventually married, as is portrayed in the ending FMV sequence. After Laguna became President of Esthar, his duties as President stymied his efforts to return to Winhill, and thus Raine died without Laguna at her side. She died after giving birth to a child, who, along with Ellone, was taken away to Edea's orphanage.[20] It is strongly implied in the game that Squall was that child.

Martine

Martine was the head of Galbadia Garden and was ordered to use SeeD members to carry out the assassination plot against the Sorceress. Squall and his team travel to Galbadia Garden after fleeing Timber, and Martine tells them that it is their responsibility to assassinate the Sorceress in hopes that he would remain safe and place the blame on Balamb Garden's master, NORG.[90] Consequently, his actions helped trigger the conflict within Balamb Garden when Garden Master NORG tried to kill Headmaster Cid to appease Sorceress Edea after the failed assassination plot.[91] Edea, Seifer, and the Galbadian army seize Galbadia Garden and Martine flees to the pacifist city of Fisherman's Horizon.

Minor SeeD members

  • Card Club — the Triple Triad fanatics of Balamb Garden. They consist of: Jack, who is the first to mention the CC Group to Squall; Knight Club, a quiet man; Princess Diamond, who are a pair of female Galbadian students; Prince Spade, who gives Squall his first deck of Triple Triad cards; Queen Heart, who is Xu; Magician Joker, who appears in several locations throughout the game; and Master King, who is Quistis and was formally Dr. Kadowaki.
  • Dr. Kadowaki — the Balamb Garden doctor who tends to Squall's wounds after the fight with Seifer in the opening sequence. She also helps Headmaster Cid after his confrontation with NORG. She is also seen as somewhat of an authority figure in Cid's abscence.
  • Nida — a student at Balamb Garden who passes the SeeD exam along with Squall and later pilots the Balamb Garden mobile base.[92]
  • Xu — a high ranking SeeD who helps Squall throughout the course of the game, such as revealing where Headmaster Cid is during the Balamb Garden civil war.[93] She is friends with Quistis and a member of Squall's staff once he becomes the leader of Balamb Garden.[94]

NORG

NORG, as depicted in the game
NORG, as depicted in the game

NORG is an exiled Shumi residing on the lower B1 floor of Balamb Garden. He lent Cid the money to build and develop the Garden roughly ten years before the game, and took the position of Garden Master on its completion.[95] NORG is more concerned about the revenue acquired by SeeD as a mercenary organization rather than their noble duty of opposing the Sorceress; he is considered a "black sheep" of the Shumi tribe.[95] After hearing about a failed assassination attempt on Sorceress Edea, NORG begins to distrust Headmaster Cid and attempts a coup of Balamb Garden, causing a minor 'civil war' to erupt between factions loyal to the Headmaster and Garden Master. Feigning loyalty to the Sorceress, he attempts to kill the SeeDs who carried out the failed assassination.[91] After he is defeated in battle, he enters a cocoon-like state.

Dr. Odine

Dr. Odine is a scientist and magic researcher whose lab is in the capital of Esthar. It was he who discovered the GFs and Junctioning, and who engineered a machine that mimicked Ellone's power.[76] He developed the necessary technology to allow Laguna to entomb Adel. As a researcher into Lunatic Pandora,[96] he also played a significant role in the attempt to stop it from reaching Tears' Point and initiating a Lunar Cry.[97] Odine also plays a role in the plot to destroy Ultimecia, and explains to Squall and his friends how to survive Time Compression.[77]

Merchandise

File:FF8 Mini Figurines.jpg
Pen cap figures depicting four Final Fantasy VIII protagonists. From left to right: Rinoa, Squall, Zell, and Selphie

The characters of Final Fantasy VIII have spawned action figures, jewellery and other goods in their likeness. In 1999, action figure lineups were distributed in Japan by Bandai, Kotobukiya, Banpresto, and Coca-Cola. Bandai also distributed to the PAL region the same year.[98] In 2004, action figures of Squall, Rinoa and Selphie were distributed in North America by Diamond Comics.[99] Posters of individual characters or a collage of characters are available on fan websites, including Final Fantasy Spirit.[100] Other information available at the aforementioned store include mouse pads, keychains, and pens depicting individual characters or a set of characters.[101]

Reception and criticism

The characters of Final Fantasy VIII have generally been cited as one of the game's better aspects. The Gaming Age reviewer was originally concerned with the shift to consistently realistically proportioned characters, but he found them more appealing.[102] Moreover, the review stated that the character designs and graphical quality allowed the characters to "convey emotions much more dramatically".[102] Game Revolution cited similar praise, agreeing that the change "really makes the graphics impressive".[103] IGN commented that the "low-polygon characters of FFVII are gone, replaced with sometimes surprisingly realistic high-polygon models that only look better the closer they get".[9] For their part, GameSpot agreed with the transition, claiming that "involving, personal, and emotional stories are far more believable when they come from, well, people, not short, bizarrely shaped cartoon characters".[104]

The cast itself has received criticism from some reviews. In terms of character relationships, IGN criticized certain aspects of the manner in which character interactions play out, that "considering that the love story is so integral to everything that happens -- not to mention forming the central image of the box art -- it's incomprehensible why no one says "I love you" to anyone, ever."[9] In terms of Squall, IGN felt that "FFVIII does break one cardinal rule: when your story is character centered, you'd better center it on a character the audience can care about. Squall, unfortunately, just doesn't fit the bill".[9] However, GameSpot felt that Final Fantasy VIII shifts the story from the "epic" concepts of Final Fantasy VII to the "personal", in that "the characters and their relationships are all extremely believable and complex; moreover, the core romance holds up even under the most pessimistic scrutiny".[104] Although the reviewer at Electronic Gaming Monthly agnowledged possible fears over a romantic storyline, they stated that "it's only later in the game, once you are really attached to all the distinct and complex characters, that the more emotional themes are gradually introduced".[105]

References

  1. ^ Sato, Yukiyoshi Ike (1999). "FFVIII Sells Six Million Copies Worldwide". GameSpot. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ IGN staff (1999). "FF8 Breaks Sales Records". IGN.com. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Campbell, Colin (2006). "Japan Votes on All Time Top 100". Next Generation. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Square Electronic Arts, ed. (1999). Final Fantasy VIII North American instruction manual. Square Electronic Arts. pp. 6–9. SLUS-00892GH.
  5. ^ "Final Fantasy VIII at Metacritic". Metacritic. 1999. Retrieved 2007-03-15. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  6. ^ Square-Enix North America Site Staff (2001). "Behind The Game The Creators". Square-Enix North America. Retrieved 12 April. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Sheila (2003). "Tetsuya Nomura 20s". FLAREgamer. Retrieved 13 April. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b c Coxon, Sachi (1998). "Interview with Hironobu Sakaguchi". PlayStation Japan. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b c d e Lundigran, Jeff (1999). "IGN: Final Fantasy VIII Review". IGN. Retrieved 2006-07-12. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help) Cite error: The named reference "ignreview" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  10. ^ Squall: "I was always waiting for 'Sis' to come back." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  11. ^ a b Squall: "Elle...Ellone. So, Ellone was 'Sis'. She was a bit older than us, and we all used to call her 'Sis'. Quistis, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Seifer, Ellone and myself... Yeah... I'm not sure what the meaning behind all this is, but we were definitely together. (Final Fantasy VIII)
  12. ^ Studio BentStuff, ed. (1999). Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania (in Japanese). DigiCube/Square-Enix. p. 43. ISBN 4-925075-49-7.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Square Electronic Arts, ed. (1999). Final Fantasy VIII North American instruction manual. Square Electronic Arts. p. 21. SLUS-00892GH.
  14. ^ "Final Fantasy VIII Characters - Rinoa". SquareEnix.com. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  15. ^ "Final Fantasy VIII Characters - Laguna". SquareEnix.com. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  16. ^ Kiros: "Don't tell me we're lost again." / Laguna: "Anyway... We're goin' home. Deling City, here we come!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  17. ^ Ward: "So, Laguna... Julia should be making her appearance soon. You goin' for it tonight?" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  18. ^ Laguna: "I was bed-ridden for over 6 months. It seemed like every bone in my body was in pieces." / Raine: "I nursed him back to health." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  19. ^ Laguna: "A fierce debate ensued about who should govern this country after Adel was gone. I wasn't paying close attention while they made me up to be this hero of the revolution, and I ended up being president." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  20. ^ a b c d Laguna: "...Ellone was raised by Raine who lived next door. And I came to know her. Then there was another massive hunt for a successor in Esthar again. Elle was taken away..." "...so I rescued her and sent her off to Winhill. Shortly after that, Raine died. And Ellone was sent straight to an orphanage..." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  21. ^ Laguna: "My job kept me busy. I was left here thinking about this and that and before I knew it, all this time had passed." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  22. ^ Laguna: "Ellone followed me out to space. Little Elle was all grown up... Then she told me everything." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  23. ^ Rinoa: "I don't really know. I... I think it was love. I wonder how [Seifer] felt...? ...It was last summer... I was 16." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  24. ^ a b c Raijin: "Seifer has a lot of followers, but we're his only friends... We're a posse, ya know...? The Galbadian soldiers are only listening to Seifer 'cause they fear the sorceress. Without us, Seifer wouldn't have a posse, ya know...?" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  25. ^ "Final Fantasy VIII Characters - Seifer". SquareEnix.com. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  26. ^ Seifer: "NAH-NA-NA-NA-NA-NAH!!!" / Boy Zell: "Stop teasing me, Seifer!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  27. ^ Quistis: "Yes! That's right! Seifer was a kid who always needed to be the center of attention. But Squall always used to ignore him... But eventually they would end up fighting." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  28. ^ a b Headmaster Cid: "Seifer. You will be disciplined for your irresponsible behavior. You must follow orders exactly during combat. But I'm not entirely without sympathy for you. I don't want you all to become machines. I want you all to be able to think and act for yourselves. I am..." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  29. ^ Seifer: "I was hoping you'd be there, Squall. So...how'd I look in my moment of triumph? My childhood dream, fulfilled. I've become the sorceress' knight." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  30. ^ Seifer: "What did you say!? Passed out cold, eh? This is the scene where you swear your undying hatred for me! The tale of the evil mercenary vs. the sorceress' knight... The fun's just started, Squall. Don't disappoint me now!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  31. ^ Fujin: "You're being manipulated, Seifer. You've lost yourself and your dream. You're just eating out of someone's hand. We want the old you back! Since we can't get through to you, all we have now to rely on is Squall!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  32. ^ Gouskos, Carrie. Kingdom Hearts 2 "gamespot.com". Accessed December 15, 2006
  33. ^ a b c d "Kingdom Hearts II (2005) - Full cast and crew". Internet Movie Database, Inc. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  34. ^ "Final Fantasy VIII Characters - Quistis". SquareEnix.com. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  35. ^ Quistis: "They told me that I failed as an instructor. Basically, that I lacked leadership qualities." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  36. ^ Quistis: "I... remember. Yes, I remember now. Things didn't work out too well at my new home. So I came to Garden at the age of 10. That was when I was first noticed Seifer and Squall. Seifer and Squall were always fighting." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  37. ^ Quistis: I was a SeeD by the age of 15, got my instructor license at 17."
  38. ^ Squall: "It's after midnight." / Quistis: "Oh well... I, Quistis Trepe, am no longer an instructor as of now! I'm a member of SeeD now, just like you. Who knows, maybe we'll end up working together." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  39. ^ Quistis: "I couldn't stop thinking about Squall. I thought it was... love. I had to hide my feelings because I was an instructor, but I've come to realize it wasn't. It was my childhood feelings as a big sister that lingered... Oh well..." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  40. ^ Quistis: "Oh! Stop that! What are you talking about!? Why did you go all the way out into space to save Rinoa!? To hand her over to Esthar!? So that you might never see her again!? No, right!? Wasn't it because you wanted to be with Rinoa? You're a fool." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  41. ^ Girl: "I know! I know! It's the Garden Festival! It's going to be great! I'm planning to be on the committee. You wanna help out, too!?" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  42. ^ "Final Fantasy VIII Characters - Selphie". SquareEnix.com. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  43. ^ Selphie: "It just kinda took off! I don't know. It's pretty easy. I think it'll be fine. But there's no guarantee it won't crash!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  44. ^ Girl: "Are you...Squad B? Wait a minute...You're the guy who showed me around, right!? Thanks! I don't get so lost anymore. Oh yeah, I haven't told you my name yet. I'm...a messenger. Name's Selphie, from Squad A." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  45. ^ Selphie: "I'm on the missile base infiltration team! I have to be! They launched missiles at MY Trabia!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  46. ^ a b Irvine: "I really liked this girl, and it made me so happy just talking to her." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  47. ^ ""Kingdom Hearts (at Square-Enix.com)". 2002. Retrieved August 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  48. ^ "Final Fantasy VIII Characters - Zell". SquareEnix.com. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  49. ^ Squall: "...I don't know about that. Perhaps anyone but the Chicken-wuss can make it." / Zell: "WHAT DID YOU SAYYYYY!!!?" / Selphie: "...Hm? Since you're so angry, I guess you're the Chicken-wuss." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  50. ^ Zell: "I don't care if I forget about my childhood, when Seifer used to pick on me. What's important to me now is having the power to protect my parents in Balamb. They adopted me. There's no way I'm lettin' go of that power!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  51. ^ BradyGAMES Staff, ed. (1999). Final Fantasy VIII Official Strategy Guide. BradyGAMES Publishing. p. 16. ISBN 1-56686-903-X.
  52. ^ Martine: "Don't worry about it. Let me introduce an elite sharpshooter from Galbadia Garden. Kinneas! Irvine Kinneas!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  53. ^ a b "Final Fantasy VIII Characters - Irvine". SquareEnix.com. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  54. ^ Irvine: "Call me Irvine. I'm a pretty lucky guy. Hand in hand with two beautiful girls!" / Selphie: "Irvy Kinnepooo! I'll make you happy!" / Squall: (Did I say something terrible? Women... I don't understand women.) (Final Fantasy VIII)
  55. ^ Irvine: "No one understands me... Sharpshooters are loners by nature... We hone our instincts, pour our whole being into a single bullet. The pressure of the moment... An instant of tension... That's what... I have to face alone... ...It's not easy. So like... Just do me a favor, and let me be! You get my drift?" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  56. ^ a b Irvine: "I...I can't...I'm sorry, I can't do it. I always choke like this... I try to act all cool, joke around, but I just can't handle the pressure..." / Squall: "Forget it. Just shoot." / Irvine: "My bullet... The sorceress... I'll go down in history. I'd change the history of Galbadia... Of the world! It's all too much..." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  57. ^ Squall: "...Why is it that we forgot? We grew up together as kids... How's that possible...?" / Irvine: "How about this? ...The price we pay for using the GF. The GF provides us its power. But the GF makes its own place inside our brain..." / Quistis: "So you're saying that the area is where our memories are stored? No...! That's just a rumor the GF critics are spreading." / Zell: "So if we keep relying on the GF, we won't be able to remember a lot of things?" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  58. ^ Irvine: "Then how is it that I remember, while everyone else has forgotten? Well...? In my case, I hadn't junctioned a GF until recently. That's why I remember a lot more than you guys." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  59. ^ Irvine: "Selphie... We're destined to be together!" / Selphie: "Y-Yeah right...!" / Irvine: "A sigh of love?"
  60. ^ Kiros: "Thank you, for taking care of Laguna. I was able to recover in about a month or so. Ever since then... I've been searching for you." / Laguna: "Why?" / Kiros: "After leaving the army... Well, just killing time I guess. Life's pretty boring without you as entertainment, my man." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  61. ^ Laguna: "Why the heck do I have to do this!?" / Kiros: "'Cause we have no money." / Ward: "......" / Laguna: "Alright, I'm sorry!!! Yeah, so it's kinda my fault that we stayed at the hotel so often. But heck, I'm not cut out to be an actor!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  62. ^ a b Kiros: "Oh, and he never got his voice back. You could basically tell what he wants from his facial expressions." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  63. ^ a b Edea: "...Lowlifes. ...Shameless filthy wretches. How you celebrate my ascension with such joy. Hailing the very one you have condemned for generations. Have you no shame? What happened to the evil, ruthless sorceress from your fantasies? The cold-blooded tyrant that slaughtered countless men and destroyed many nations? Where is she now? She stands before your very eyes to become your new ruler. HAHAHAHAHA." / President Deling: (...?) / Edea: "A new era has just begun." / President Deling: "E-Edea... Are you alright...? Ede...!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  64. ^ Edea: "You are SeeDs. You cannot back out of a battle, I know. You were magnificent. However, it is not over yet. At anytime, I may... ...I have been possessed all this time. I was at the mercy of Sorceress Ultimecia." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  65. ^ Squall: (Ultimecia!? The future sorceress is inside Rinoa!? ...Transferred from Edea? Where's Rinoa!!!?" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  66. ^ Laguna: "The owners of the orphanage were Cid Kramer and his wife Edea." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  67. ^ Irvine: "Look alike? Nah, that's not it. Matron's name is Edea Kramer. Matron IS Sorceress Edea." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  68. ^ Narrative: Adel was careless. She may be a sorceress, but after all, she was human. We succeeded... But...we couldn't keep such a dangerous sorceress around as a trophy. We had to do something... So...we decided to send her far, far away... Some place very far... Into outer space..." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  69. ^ Piet: "If that's the case, we definitely have to stop her. If she plans to free Adel, she'll have to go out there. The Level 2 Seal is located on Adel's Tomb." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  70. ^ Raijin: "I dunno. At first, they were sayin' somethin' 'bout roundin' up the SeeDs, ya know!? Now, everyone's either sidin' with the Garden Master or the headmaster and fightin' everywhere, ya know!?" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  71. ^ Headmaster Cid: "Dammit! I should've never trusted you! I wish I could go back ten or so years. To tell myself that you're nothing but a money grubbing son-of-a-bitch! Then I would've never built this place." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  72. ^ Ellone: "You can't change the past. I just found that out. When I was kidnapped, Uncle Laguna went on a journey to find me... But because he did, Uncle Laguna wasn't able to be by Raine's side when she died. Rained wanted to show Laguna her new born baby... Raine kept calling out for Laguna. So no matter what, I wanted Laguna to stay in the village... But it didn't work. I can no longer make it back to that moment... And also... I can only send you inside someone I've met before." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  73. ^ Edea: "Ultimecia's objective is to find Ellone." / Edea: "Ellone's mysterious power... Sending one's consciousness back into the past." / Zell: "So, Ultimecia wants to use Ellone's power, right?" / Irvine: "I get it. Ultimecia wants to send her consciousness from this period further into the past." / Zell: "What's she going to do in the past?" / Edea: "Time compression." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  74. ^ a b Fujin: "POSSE... We are. We always will be. Because we're a posse, we want to help you. Whatever it takes to fulfill your dream, we're willing to do. But... You're being manipulated, Seifer. You've lost yourself and your dream. You're just eating out of someone's hand. We want the old you back! Since we can't get through to you, all we have now to rely on is Squall! It's sad... Sad that we only have Squall to rely on... Seifer! Are you still gonna keep goin'?" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  75. ^ Squall: (Fujin and Raijin tagging along as usual...Guess that makes up the whole disciplinary committee.) (Final Fantasy VIII)
  76. ^ a b Doc Odine: "It may only be a toy right now, but in ze time of Ultimecia, it iz an impressive working machine! Which means there iz a machine which imitates Ellone's power. It iz I who made ze first model of zat machine. I named ze machine 'Junction Machine Ellone'! It iz a vonderful thing to know that my invention is used in ze future!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  77. ^ a b c Doc Odine: "There iz only only one way to defeat Ultimecia. You must kill her in ze future. ...There is no normal way to jump to ze future under normal circumstances. But there iz still a way! It iz because Sorceress Ultimecia plans to compress time. Compressing time with magic... Vat good will it do for ze sorceress to compress time? There may be many reasons, but it doesn't matter. ...In order for Ultimecia to exist in this time, she must take over ze body of a sorceress from ze present. But ze machine must have a limit. Ultimecia probably needs to go back further in time to achieve time compression. Only Ellone can take her back further into ze past. Zat iz why she iz desperately seeking her. We must take advantage of Ellone's power. ...Once Ultimecia iz in ze past, she'll use ze time compressoin magic. ...Ultimecia also goes back to her own world. Vat would be left is ze time compressed world. Past, present, and future will all get mixed together. You will keep moving through ze time compression toward ze future. Once you're out of ze time compression, zat will be Ultimecia's world. It's all up to you after zat." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  78. ^ Edea: "You called me Matron. Who...are you?" / Squall: "A SeeD. A SeeD from Balabm Garden." / Edea: "SeeD? Garden?" / Squall: "Both Garden and SeeD were your ideas. SeeDs are trained to defeat the sorceress." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  79. ^ Guy: "T-These are the prisoners, Lieutenant Biggs, Private Wedge." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  80. ^ Biggs: "I was demoted because of you! I'm only lieutenant now!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  81. ^ a b Kiros: "Heard she recently got married." / Raine: "Oh yeah! To some army general, right? General Caraway or something?" / Kiros: "I'm not too sure." / Raine: "I read in a magazine that her true love went off to war and never came back. General Caraway comforted her while she was feeling down. That's how they got to know each other." (Final Fantasy VIII
  82. ^ Squall: "Where's Rinoa?" / General Caraway: "She has not receive the type of training you all have, and may become a burden. It's for the best that she stays out of this operation." / Selphie: "So you're Rinoa's father?" / General Caraway: "I can't remember the last time she called me that." / Zell: "So the father's a top military officer, and the daughter's a member of an anti-government faction!? That's bad... Really BAD!" / General Caraway: "Yes, indeed. It's a serious problem. But it doesn't concern you. It's our problem." {Final Fantasy VIII)
  83. ^ President Deling: "Unfortunately, there are some trifling problems standing between Galbadia and other nations, and they must be resolved. I plan to convene with other nations' leaders immediately to resolve these problems. At this time, allow me to introduce the ambassador who will be my representative for the conference." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  84. ^ President Deling: "...I'm not the president. I'm what they call...a body double." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  85. ^ Mayor Dobe: "We don't want military organizations in FH. You rely on force to solve problems. That is in direct defiance of our principles." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  86. ^ Rinoa: "She's the leader of the 'Forest Fox'. Almost everyone's a resistance member in this town. But right now, we're the only ones that are really active." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  87. ^ Julia: "Did I interrupt anything?" / Laguna: "N-N-N-Not at all. P-Please, s-sit down." (Oh man, oh man, it's really HER! What do I do!? Kiros? Ward? HELP! What do I say!? But man, she is pretty...) (Final Fantasy VIII)
  88. ^ Raine: "Then the first song she released was 'Eyes On Me'?" / Laguna: "H-How does the song go?" / Raine: "You don't know?" / Laguna: "Well, you never let me hear it!" / Raine: "I didn't think you listened to music. The song's about being in love... I really like it." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  89. ^ Raine: "A guy like that? He was carried in here crying like a baby, and I was the one who had to take care of him... His crude way of speaking... I don't know if his aspirations as a journalist are going to come true... Every time I try to have a serious converation, he avoids it... I can't stand his snoring and he talks in his sleep..." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  90. ^ NORG: "Bujurururu! THAT-SLY-WEASEL-MARTINE-USED-YOU-AS-A-LAST-RESORT-FOR-THE-ASSASSINATION. HE-GAVE-THAT-ORDER-TO-PLACE-THE-BLAME-ON-ME! THAT-THAT-BASTARD." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  91. ^ a b NORG: "Bujurururu! OFFER-THE-SeeD's-HEAD-ON-A-SILVER-PLATTER-AND-PRETEND-WE-OBEY-THE-SORCERESS!" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  92. ^ Nida: "What!? Oh, man, it's me. We passed the SeeD exam together. I can't believe you forgot!" / Squall: "Oh yeah..." / Nida: "Gee... Well, it's just like you to forget. By the way, you know how the FH technicians were fixing the Garden, right? They just finished. Meaning... The Garden's ready to go anytime. Oh yeah. I'll be piloting the Garden. FH technicians taught me everything about piloting this thing. Let me know when you want to go." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  93. ^ Squall: "Where is [Headmaster Cid]?" / Xu: "In his office. We made it look like he's hiding, but he's been there all along. Follow me." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  94. ^ Xu: "We thought you should have a title. So Quistis and I decided on commander." / Quistis: "Sorry to carry things out on our own, but Xu and I assigned duties." / Xu: "I'll take care of all the supplies needed in the Garden."
  95. ^ a b Headmaster Cid: "He is from the Shumi tribe. A black sheep of the tribe, one might say. We met while I was running around trying to find funds to build the Garden. He became interested in building the Garden, and we hit it off. Thanks to his funding, it was completed. However, we needed an enormous amount of funds to run the Garden. So we began dispatching SeeDs around the world as a means of supporting the Garden. NORG's idea was right on the money. An enormous amount of capital began flowing into the Garden. And the Garden began to change. Lost sight of our high ideals, the truth was covered up... That's probably enough. In the end, it was my fault, for giving up control." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  96. ^ Doc Odine: "Oh! You vant to hear my story? Zat iz nice. I would be happy to tell you. I've been investigating ze Pandora since it was excavated." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  97. ^ Doc Odine: "It will not attack us. This city iz not ze target." / Doctor's Assistant: "I hope so... I hope you're right." / Doc Odine: "But Tears' Point...... Hmm?" (Final Fantasy VIII)
  98. ^ (1999) in Square Europe: Final Fantasy VIII Platinum United Kingdom instruction manual (in English). Square Europe. SLES-02080.
  99. ^ Lynch, Elissa. "SQUARE-ENIX PRESENTS DYNAMIC FINAL FANTASY VIII PLAY ART ACTION FIGURES". Retrieved 2007-03-14.
  100. ^ "Posters - Final Fantasy Spirit". Final Fantasy Spirit. Retrieved 2007-03-14.
  101. ^ "Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts Merchandise". FFSpirit.com. Retrieved 2007-03-14.
  102. ^ a b McTague, Bob (1999). "Gaming Age Review - Final Fantasy VIII". Gaming Age. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  103. ^ Liu, Johnny (1999). "Game Revolution Review Page - Final Fantasy VIII". Game Revolution. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  104. ^ a b Vestal, Andrew (1999). "Final Fantasy VIII for PlayStation Review". GameSpot. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  105. ^ Editors of Electronic Gaming Monthly (2004). "Final Fantasy VIII PS Review". 1UP.com. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

See also

External links

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