Eyes on Final Fantasy Forums > Final Fantasy: The Quickening > Final Fantasy VIII > Ultimecia and Squall's parents musings

[Noctiluca]

Sorry if this has been brought up before! And don't read this if you haven't beat it, but I think the spoiler warning has officially expired.

Why does Ultimecia do all she does? Why is she compressing time and hating on everyone? Does she somehow remember seeing herself defeated by Squall because it's in Edea's memory, so she's trying to kill SeeD before they kill her, not knowing that's why they kill her in the first place? But nothing is ever mentioned of sorceress's memories being passed on from on to the other, nor would she have any reason to possess Edea in the first place without any knowledge of what's going on...Time travel stuff hurts my head haha! Maybe I should just accept she's evil because she's like that and let it be.

Also, are Laguna and Raine squall's parents? I base this only off they never really tell you much about his 'rents, he had to get that ring from someone and Laguna gives a ring to Raine in the end, and the fact Raine looks like Squall's female twin in CG style. Does she have a baby that gets taken to the orphanage when Ellone does? That would leave an awful lot unexplained though...But Laguna could have got her pregnant without ever knowing it and then left before she knew it herself I guess. Or maybe not, it's been a while since I played this sucker and I forget all the story details... So why I'm thinking of all this now is beyond me.

Oh no, I've become one of those fans that reads everything from nothing and makes up theories!
*Dark Vader NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*

[Noj_R]

Ultimecia is Ultimecia. No one else, and dont let any one tell you differently. Ultimecia is simply an evil witch hellbent on world domination. She doesnt have a motive, she is just insane. When you add insanity to the Ulti equation, everything makes sense then.

Also, Squall IS indeed the son of Raine and Laguna. There is tons of evidence supporting this in the game besides the fact that SquareEnix actually confirmed it themselves.

Anyway, hope that helped.

[Sir Bahamut]

I think you should be a bit careful to simply write away Ultimecia as a purely insane villain with no motive. True, there is obviously a level of 'insanity' in her, but there's certainly a lot more BEHIND that insanity.

For an account of what is in my opinion the best theory on Ultimecia(not made up by myself, mind you), please check out the "Time/Ultimecia Plot FAQ" found here:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/game/197343.html

The relevant section is "An Ultimecian Analysis - The Unjust Persecution".

For those too lazy to read it all, the brief summary is as follows:

The destructive events (ie. Galbadian War, near completion of Time Compression, Lunar Cry etc.) were certainly huige enough to be recorded as history. Ultimecia, too, would have been recorded. However, since Ultimecia was from the future, everyone would KNOW that it was inevtiable that she would some time be born. Ultimecia, having together with Adel, permanenly ruined the reputation of sorceresses, would have been anticipated and feared. People would root out sorceresses from birth, searching for Ultimecia, thinking naively that they could stop her from rising to power, and stop all the countless deaths she caused.

In doing so, Ultimecia would have been persecuted from birth, even without yet having done anything evil. She would thus have been set alone against the world, and would have become twisted, seeking revenge and retribution: Ultimecia is born. The rest is straightforward.

But really, read what I referred to. It's much more thorough.

EDIT: And all the proof that Laguna is Squalls father follows:

1) Laguna = Lagoon. Raine = Rain. Squall = Brief windstorm, usually with snow or rain.

All these names are connected, they are all to do with water.

2) Raine and Laguna had a child together. That child was sent to the orphanage

The children in the orphanage at that time were as we all know, Squall, Seifer, Ellone, Quistis, Zell, Irvine and Selphie. Ellone is the adoptive sister to that newborn child, and spends a significant part of her life trying to get Laguna back to Raine and this child. Coincidentally, who is the one person in the orphanage who Ellone is closely attached to? Squall.

Also notice how none of the other children are paid attention to at all when it comes to this plot question, and seeing as how it is a very relevant part of the game, you'd think Square didn't just decide to drop it completely.

3) In the Ragnarok, Laguna tellls Squall that "Ellone has told me everything" and "We'll talk when this is all over".

Since Ellone had just stopped her quest to get Laguna to see his newborn child, one would expect her to tell all about the child to Laguna, and it seems rather farfetched that she refused to give him the true identity. This would also have been basically the most important thing Ellone would tell Laguna, so it seems plausible that he is going to talk to Squall on the same issue.

4) Talk to Kiros and Ward in the Ragnarok, and Ward will say "Good thing you don't look like your father" in a joking manner, Kiros says "you look more like your mother". Kiros and Ward know the parents, and the father well enough to make fun of him jokingly. Who fits into this description then?

5) The tutorial tells us that Moombas recognize people by licking their blood.

In jail, a Moomba calls Squall "Laguna" many times. This means Squalls blood was so similar to Lagunas that it fooled the Moomba. That kind of scene isn't just put in there for randomness, nor to prove that Moombas are mentally unstable.

[Mr. Burns]

Did Ward know Raine? I though he was working as a janitor at that point.

[Noctiluca]

Thanks a lot! Man I was sooo sketchy on details in the plot, and I totally missed all the obvious signs that Laguna is Squall's pops.

I like the theory on why Ultimecia is like she is. It just always sort of bothered me that she was evil just because she can be...Now I can sleep at night, victory! And for the record, I didn't mean to imply I thought Ultimecia WAS anyone else (this whole Rinoa is Ultimecia thing is craziness in a box), just trying to understand her better.

But that still leaves two unanswered questions to which I cannot find the answer: If everyone grew up in the orphanage together and had very similar childhoods, why did only Squall turn out to be a prickface? And number 2: Why doesn't Irvine get to do and say more beyond a basketball court scene and not being a good assassin. Where has he been? What has he been doing? Did someone adopt him too? I love Irvine Square, LOVE, give me something!

[HowlingMonkey]

Ultimecia has no clear motivation. She is simply Ultimecia. In short, she's a badly developed character who doesn't even qualify as being two-dimensional, let alone three.

[Shin Gouken]

Originally Posted by HowlingMonkey

Ultimecia has no clear motivation. She is simply Ultimecia. In short, she's a badly developed character who doesn't even qualify as being two-dimensional, let alone three.

I don't think she was badly developed. I think she is the way they intended her to be. They didn't give her a huge back up story because it wasn't nessessary to story plot or squall and rinoa. It also gave her a huge mystery and made you fear her because you knew nothing about her. She speaks very little, but what she says is in the script to confirm that she is just an insane bitch hellbent on world domination.

[Sir Bahamut]

Originally Posted by HowlingMonkey

Ultimecia has no clear motivation. She is simply Ultimecia. In short, she's a badly developed character who doesn't even qualify as being two-dimensional, let alone three.

Did you read the analysis on Ultimecia I referred to?