Final Fantasy 8: The Fates Of Every Playable Character

A lot of hate gets thrown in Final Fantasy 8‘s way, which some people may find to be unfair. Sure, the game’s experiments with the Junction system made it way easier to spam the Draw command and get 99 units of every piece of magic, but this was a small complaint in a game that boasts a ton of amazing things for players to enjoy. The main characters of the game are pretty memorable in their own right, even if some of the plot contrivances linking their fates together can be a bit hard to stomach.

The adventure these people go on to save the world makes for a great time, full of some time-traveling twists and turns. The ending of the game is full of ambiguity, making most people wonder what happens after the game ends. Sure, there’s a final CG cutscene that shows that everyone had a fairly happy ending, but players can’t be faulted for wanting a bit more closure when it comes to one of the most over-hated and under-appreciated Final Fantasy games of all time.

WARNING! Spoilers ahead.

6 Squall Leonhart

The Protagonist Who Transforms From An Unsure Loner To A Reliable Leader

Squall is a main character everyone loves to hate, citing his aloof nature and rude personality to be a huge turn-off that makes many people actively revile this protagonist. This is a shame since the game makes it clear that Squall actually harbors feelings of self-loathing and a lack of confidence that slowly get resolved over the course of the adventure.

While most people may like to believe that Squall’s adventures after being impaled by Edea’s ice spike were nothing more than a fever dream moments before his demise, the truth is that he escaped the time compression and returned back to his timeline, where he finally sealed the deal with Rinoa in the final shot of the game. While some people may not consider the events of Kingdom Hearts to be canon, Squall does make an appearance in this game, helping Sora in his battle against the Darkness after his home was consumed by them.

5 Rinoa Heartilly

Squall’s Love Interest And A Member Of The Rebellion Who Has Her Trusty Dog By Her Side At All Times

When Rinoa was introduced, most people weren’t huge fans of her unnecessarily bubbly personality. Squall himself found this resistance fighter to be a bit too overbearing, and it didn’t help that she shared a history with Seifer. So, when players see shades of a romance blossoming between the two, they can’t help but find the pairing to be quite endearing. It helps that both Rinoa and Squall develop as characters over the course of the adventure, making this romance believable.

After defeating Ultimecia, Rinoa and her friends manage to come back to their timeline. The romance between her and Squall is cemented with a kiss at the end of the game. There’s a popular fan theory that Rinoa and Ultimecia are the same person, but Yoshinori Kitase himself has rejected this theory. The more logical conclusion to make is that Rinoa and Squall probably spent the rest of their days as a happy couple… well, at least in the timeline where the Darkness from Kingdom Hearts didn’t take over this world.

4 Zell Dincht

The Goofy Best Friend Archetype Who Uses His Fists To Wallop Enemies Into Submission

Zell takes over the character archetype of being Squall’s best friend, both annoying and helping him out every step of the way. His Limit Break can be used in a tactical manner to unleash a ton of damage in no time, making him one of the best brawlers in the game.

While most people assumed that his romantic endeavors were non-existent, the end of the game clearly shows Zell trying to put the moves on the library girl who’d been affectionate with him over the course of the game. Sure, he does this while stuffing his face with hot dogs to the point of choking on them… but, in a way, that’s perfectly in line with his character.

3 Selphie Tilmitt

A Bit Of An Airhead, But Has Her Heart In The Right Place

Out of all of Final Fantasy 8‘s party members, most people aren’t huge fans of Selphie as a character. She barely has any character development barring a scene where she happens upon her previous Garden, which has been completely decimated and destroyed. It’s a powerful moment, but the only one that really adds any depth to his character.

After the events of Final Fantasy 8, Selphie can be seen enjoying a great time with her friends as she records their shenanigans at the post-victory party at Balamb Garden. A scene where she gets jealous of Irvine’s flirtatious nature makes it seem like she has feelings for him, which are left up to the player’s interpretation as the game draws to a close.

2 Quistis Trepe

A Young Instructor In Balamb Garden Who Regains Her Confidence After A Grueling Adventure

Quistis is a young instructor who becomes quite conflicted as she accompanies Squall and the rest of the party members on their adventure. It’s not until the plot twist that she figures out why she was so protective when it came to the students, especially Squall. This quells the doubts in her mind that her feelings for Squall were romantic when it was just her inner big sister coming out.

After redeeming herself and saving the world, it can safely be assumed that Quistis became a respected instructor in the Garden again, guiding numerous students to become effective SeeD operatives.

1 Irvine Kinneas

A Sharpshooter With A Flirty Side Who Reminds The Main Party Of Their History Together

The final character to join the party is a sharpshooter with a heart of gold who fancies himself to be a bit of a ladies’ man. However, during the mission to assassinate Edea, Irvine shows a vulnerable side of his character that gets nervous when people rely on him… although this comes at the detriment of the mission and leads to Squall being injured.

Thankfully, the party members forgive him soon enough, and he’s the only one who remembers and reminds everyone about the history they shared at the orphanage. During the victory party at Balamb Garden, Irvine is seen being his usual flirty self, which irritates Selphie to no end. This hints at a relationship between the two, although the exact details of the same are left to the player’s imagination.