Characters

The taciturn hero of Final Fantasy VIII, Squall thinks of himself as a loner. After being thrown into a position of responsibility, however; he displays unsurpassed leadership qualities, inspiring fierce loyalty in those around him.

A skilled gunblade master, Squall is the most promising SeeD Cadet to be trained at his military school, Balamb Garden. He is rarely challenged by his training partner, Seifer Almasy, who considers Squall his equal, and rival. Being more resposible and level headed then Seifer, Squall never resorts to unfair means in order to reach his objective. He usually displays little or no pride in his achievements and tries to suppress any feelings that could bind him to others.

A SeeD candidate with outstanding fighting abilities and Head of the Disciplinary Committee, Seifer has issues with authority and is extremely arrogant. He is very ambitious and is not one to let others stop him from pursuing his dreams.

A courageous young warrior striding through life with a cocky attitude, Seifer continually clashes with his training partner and rival, Squall Leonhart. While he is a brilliant soldier, his wilful lack of discipline paired with a certain ruthlessness make him an unlikely SeeD candidate. Seifer tends to make a point of having his own way which often lands him in hot water. While his risqe fighting style is admired by all, he is far from popular in Balamb Garden.

A beautiful and open-minded young woman, Rinoa captivates people where ever she travels. She belongs one of several resistance groups opposed to the invasion of Timber by the forces of Galbadia. Hence, placing her in a personal and professional war against her own father.

Rinoa is a natural and talented fighter and a true friend. Loyalty and freedom are very important to her. Having a strong sense of justice, she is often outspoken and her strong unrelenting will sometimes clashes with others. She is never one to set a personal ambition above the higher cause at stake. Due to her undeniable charm, and caring disposition, nobody can hold Rinoa’s sincerity against her.

Marginally older than most of her senior Cadets, Seed Instructor Trepe is however a tranquil authoritative figure. She is an excellent fighter and is described as having been a ‘child prodigy’. Quistis has a crush on Squall, but due to her position as an Instructor, she doesn’t let her feelings show.

At the age of 15, Quistis applied at Balamb Garden to get away from her adoptive parents. Passing her SeeD exams with flying colors, she stayed on to teach. Although an expert whip-cracker on the battle field, Quistis is of a superior disposition and always tries to maintain her calm. But beneathe her cool exterior, she frets alot about the little things and worries about how people percieve her.

Selphie is an effervescent young exchange student from Trabia Garden. Her high spirits and carefree manner always manage to lighten her friends’ hearts and often catches her enemies off guard. For all her exuberance, Selphie should not be underestimated in battle.

An energetic and vivacious girl, Selphie’s petite frame and sweet face are only a facade to the girl within. Selphie is a born leader and is extremely adept with mechanical devices, missiles, spaceships, you name it. Selphie’s most oustanding feature is easily her constant desire to use explosives and ‘kick ass’.

A hot tempered, easily riled young man, Zell is adept at martial arts. Raised in nearby Balamb Town, Zell enlisted at the Garden at the age of 13, wanting to become a soldier like his grandfather.

His fighting prowess is beyond doubt, however, his temperament causes him to act without thinking of the consequences. Due to his restless nature, Zell becomes the prime targer for Seifer´s ridicule. His unstoppable drive might often endanger him and others, yet his honesty and friendliness are endearing and his heart is in the right place.

A self confessed consummate ladies man, Irvine is the best Sniper rifleman of all of the three military Gardens. Dressed in trench coat and hat, his western cowboy appearance is matched by his laid back swaggering charm.

Though he appears self assured and honed, he is far from being cold. A man who pours his whole soul into every bullet, he loves the company of women, in particular, that of his childhood sweetheart. Even when his demeanour seems to crumble, his dedication and loyalty comes to the fore to stay true to the party’s objective.

Edea is the beautiful and cold sorceress whom through her sorcery and false truths of peace, becomes the President of Galbadia. Through this tactical ploy, she gains control of Galbadia Garden, and all it´s armed forces. As a sorceress, she is aloof, calculating and seems to have a general disdain for mortals.

However, her human guise is in total contradiction to her sorceress side. A caring woman who runs an orphanage, Edea is called Matron by her children. A caring woman who sacrificed herself to a great sorceress from the future, in order to save any of her beloved orphans from inheriting the terrible, great power of a sorceress.

Laguna is a man of undeniable charm, and endears everyone he meets. A dicated, somewhat goofy soldier, he has an undying loyalty to his close friends. He lives by his ideals and morals and in everything he does, he tries to make life a little better for everyone around him.

Quixotic and romantic, he spends his young adult years in the army pining over a beautiful pianist. Hopelessly embarrassed around women, his natural, no strings attached attitude wins the heart of more then one lady. A talented soldier and fighter, he is also first and fore mostly a family man. Giving up his life of travelling and freedom to marry the woman closest to his heart in a quiet little town.

A strong, determined, independent woman, Raine lives a quiet life alone with a young Ellone. The owner of the Winhill Pub, she to the point, but has a softer more gentle side too.

A dedicated woman, Raine adopts Ellone and takes care of the critically injured Laguna for six months until he well, at which time she appoints him the protector of Winhill. Falling in love with the soldier, they are married in a quiet field together and Raine gives birth to a son. But disaster strikes, Ellone is kidnapped, Laguna leaves to rescue her and Raine tragically dies shortly after giving birth to our hero.

A young woman with a mysterious talent, Ellone is orphaned after her parents are killed in the Sorceress Wars. The kind Raine adopts Ellone and brings her into her home, raising her, but never forces her to forget the memory of her parents, instead encouraging her to remember them.

A somewhat fragile girl, Ellone’s special talent to take people’s consciousness into the minds of people she has met in the past, makes her the target of Adel. Living a quiet life with Raine at first, Ellone is then finally captured by the feared sorceress, who wishes to use her, and experiment on her. Laguna however, being her beloved ‘Uncle Laguna’, comes to her aid.

A terrifying sorceress, with a very masculine appearance, Adel was the founder of Estar city. The largest and most technologically advanced city in the world.

Corrupted by her own sorceress powers, she became somewhat of a monster to her people, being the main cause of the great Sorceress’ Wars. Finally, she was tricked and captured, and sent off into outer space by Laguna; so that she could never cause hurt again. But when the Lunar Cry occurs, she returns to Estar. Kidnapping Rinoa.

The beautiful and lonely, black winged, all powerful sorceress from the future who tries to manipulate time, by causing Time Compression. Ultimecia, after no-one-knows how many lifetimes, lives in her castle, which she built above Edea’s orphanage where Rinoa and Squall promise to meet.

Due to the fact that her Sorceress Knight died, Ultimecia’s power corrupted her, as happens with all sorceress who lose their Knight. Pining over what she has lost, she vows to take over time, to find some way to start over. Though she is the main ‘villain’ of the game. She only does what she does, to find a way to make things, in her own mind, right again.

An elegant and talented pianist, Julia plays the piano in the Galbadia hotel lobby most nights. A serene woman whose inner turmoil is hidden by a sweet smile and gentle hand. Every night she plays, she sees a certain soldier in the crowd.

This soldiers face, his emotions, inspires her to do what she had never really contemplated, write and sing her songs. As it turns out, she is the beautiful singer who sings and wrote the theme song, Eyes on Me, after having fallen for Laguna… unfortunately Laguna goes to war and she marries General Carway, giving birth to a young Rinoa, and dying in a car accident when Rinoa is only five years old.

Kiros is an eccentric, skilled and deadly opponent in close range combat. A friendly, and good humoured soldier, Kiros has known Laguna for many years.

Being independant, Kiros knows he is not suited to serving in the army, but does so regardless, so that he might stay, and fight along side his two greatest companions. Seeking out truth and justice, he is loyal to Laguna even when the situation seems completely hopeless and all chance at survival lost.

Ward is a hefty, well built soldier whose stature intimidates even the bravest. With a lethal harpoon, he has perfect aim and will fell anyone who threatens his friends.

Despite his bulk, Ward is a gentle and considerate man, though often one of few words. During a desperate escape from some Estar soldiers, plummeting to the sea with his fellow companions, Ward survived, but lost his voice permanently, his friends being the only ones able to decipher what he wants to say through his facial expressions.