The Final Fantasy series is undoubtedly one of the most iconic series of all time, featuring everything from evolving gameplay that somehow manages to stay fresh every single time along with a memorable cast of characters that stay fresh in the mind of gamers long after they’ve finished a particular title in the series.
One of these elements that have made Final Fantasy a household name are its stories, progressing from small beginnings into a high-stakes adventure where the entire world — if not the universe — is at stake. Final Fantasy VIII is a great example of this, featuring a time-bending journey with one of the most convoluted endings of all time.
The story of Final Fantasy VIII is not averse to its own emotional moments, featuring some truly heartwrenching that has stuck with fans long after they finished the game — although replaying the remaster might’ve brought a few of these memories back. Here are 10 of the most emotional and heartbreaking moments in Final Fantasy VIII.
10 Odin Perishing At The Hands Of Seifer
Acquiring Odin after Balamb Garden becomes mobile is a treat in itself, with the Centra Ruins being an absolute highlight of the entire game due to the unique mechanics and enemies that you face in your quest to obtain both this legendary GF, along with the Tonberry King as well.
So, to witness Odin being cleaved in half by Seifer is quite painful to watch. While the entry of Gilgamesh is quite cinematic in its own right, it’s a consolation prize that doesn’t take away from Odin’s loss.
9 Rinoa’s Near-Death In Outer Space
The love story of Squall and Rinoa in Final Fantasy VIII is one of the highlights in the entire game and for good reason. Watching Squall come out of his shell as he slowly starts developing feelings for Rinoa is heartwarming in every sense of the word.
So, during the moment when Rinoa is floating in space and losing air, one can absolutely relate to Squall as he panics and does everything possible to get back the woman he loves.
The fact that he resigns himself to losing his life just so he could spend his final moments with Rinoa is truly breathtaking.
8 Ward Losing The Ability To Speak
The story of Laguna, Kiros, and Ward that play concurrently with the main narrative might’ve been executed in a less-than-ideal fashion — which is understandable, given the short development time of Final Fantasy VIII — but it certainly had its moments.
The saddest part of this story comes from a moment where Ward loses his voice permanently after going through a hectic escape. It’s quite saddening to witness the gentle giant lose something so integral to his personality.
Perhaps if the development time was higher, then this part of the story could’ve been fleshed out even further.
7 Squall’s Sadness After Ellone Leaves The Orphanage
Squall’s descent into being a social recluse wasn’t out of choice, but rather a chain of events that kickstarted with the sudden absence of his adopted sister, Ellone.
While Squall might’ve been an energetic youth with Ellone around, the fact that his sister had to leave him without any prior warning made him feel truly alone. It was this event that prevented Squall from ever wanting to become close to anyone else… that is until Rinoa came into his life.
6 Squall Getting Pierced By An Icicle
The entire notion of Squall being dead is one of the most interesting fan theories in the entirety of gaming, and one need only look at the scene that fuels these rumors to understand why this is the case.
The manner in which Squall is brutally pierced with an icicle while trying to assassinate Edea is hard to watch. This is further heightened by Rinoa’s reaction, making us feel all the more helpless as we watch Squall plunge into what we feel is an early grave.
5 Selphie Talking To The Graves Of Her Friends In Trabia Garden
Selphie is one of the most cheerful and happy-go-lucky characters in the game, almost to an annoying degree. Perhaps this is what makes the following scene all the more heartbreaking.
Once the party visits Trabia Garden after the bombing, they can find Selphie talking to the graves of her now-deceased classmates. It’s a jarring scene that makes us realize that no one — not even the person who might seem the happiest — is averse to feelings of loss and sadness.
4 The Realization That GFs Cause Memory Loss
When one talks about loss in the context of Final Fantasy VIII, nothing comes close to the party’s crushing realization that they were part of the same orphanage and completely forgot about it because of their reliance on Guardian Forces.
This must’ve been particularly crushing for Irvine, who was technically hanging out with friends who had no clue about his existence to the point where he almost had to pull the trigger and kill his adoptive mother!
3 Squall Believing He’d Lost It All In The Time Compression
The final moments of Final Fantasy VIII are truly mind-boggling, with Squall and Co. getting increasingly lost in the time loop until they seemingly have no means of escape.
From Squall’s point of view, this situation becomes increasingly dire. Things reach a head when he’s unable to follow Rinoa and sees an image of her dying in space as her helmet shatters — a fear that we’ve already discussed before in detail.
2 Laguna Missing The Birth Of Squall And Raine’s Death
Laguna Loire easily has one of the most tragic stories in the entirely of Final Fantasy VIII, with the loss of both his loves easily being some of the hardest stories to digest in the series.
One of the worst parts of his tale comes from the fact that he missed the birth of his son Squall after being betrothed to Raine, who subsequently dies after childbirth. This is made worse given the fact that Laguna begs to be back in time for the birth while going off on a mission — a plea that ultimately doesn’t bear any fruit.
1 Laguna Visiting Raine’s Grave In Winhill
The epilogue of Final Fantasy VIII is heartwarming in every sense of the word, with each of our favorite characters getting the closure they rightfully deserve.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Laguna, who is shown visiting Raine’s grave in a melancholic moment that left a bitter taste in the mouth of fans who were hoping for his story to end on a high note.
NEXT: Final Fantasy Villains From Weakest To Strongest, Officially Ranked
