ending questions left unanswered

[Stayin Dizzy]

I read ff8 ending: your opinion and the ending (spoiler) and not all my questions are still answered so here goes. Just 5 minutes ago I saw the ending of ff8 for the first time. The first four times I've played this game I got to 1/2 way thorugh Ultmecias castle and quit (Why I dunno, I did the same thing with FF5 and I'll play them till near the end and start over later to keep the story fresh).

So anyways here are some thoughts/questions of my own

1: Why is it that that ugly skeez Ultimecia gets to summon Griever. Sure Eden is awesome too, but it defeat the purpose of naming the ring early in the game (does this affect name at end of game...say if I named the ring poopey pants, would I fight said name in the final battle?)

2: So I win the game with ZERO effort (well, one guy died once) and squall ends up on at Edea's Crib. So he's talkin to her and to ME it's as if hes stepped into one of the time holes Quis warns you about right after you beat Ultimecia final form (when they're runnin around). When she said that I figured time must have actually been compressed or very near so, as all times were one, or at least accessable from the plain of existence they were on.

Furthermore Matron recognized Squall from the future and tells him he doesn't belong. He mentions being a SeeD and the Garden and he has no clue. Based on the belief that FF8 operated on one timeline (vs CT's manny different worlds timeline) this scene suggested to me that it was someone of the future would defeat Ultimecia in the future causing her to go to Edea's time to give her powers to Edea at the exact same time meeting future Squall (based agian on the one timeline because Ultimecia was defeated she went back therefore Edea got her power therefore tried to bring future Ultimecia back therefore started whole game sending Squall ultimately into the future to be brought to that time during compression....make sense????)who TELLS HER to start the SeeD's and build the Garden (he say at this scene to her "the Garden trains SeeD's, SeeD's train to defeat the sorcerous(sp??)") and she tells him to go back to his own time.

Then he ends up in this crappy island. Other posts mentioned it being a plain of existence based solely on his desperation( he says I'm not alone then gives up and questions it and bam wish and though shalt recieve), but it also looked like the desert where the Ragnorok landed after saving Rinoa. Then it looks like his whole life flashes before his eyes but I'm guessing they were trying to imply that it all happened in like one second (thus the blur and jumpin around) as time was all at once. Then Rinoa who was smart and went to the right place grew wings out of her back (Possible because Ultimecia had given her power to Edea-who gave her power to Rinoa thus Rinoa had Ultimecia's powers still...this is saying she had her powers not was her. I've seen somethin about an R=U theory and I think just powers were there.)

she saves him and brings him back then it shows Laguana...again I was confused. He's with Raine (Is this where he went during time compression??) gettin the ring business on then it shows him at her grave with Elle and homies. Confused me. Then Seifer and co fishing was this showing that he was back to normal ???(he laughs when Fujin gets kicked in water)then sky (still grey like in compression but when Rinoa brings Squall back sky cleared like this) clears and then the video tape. Irvine hits on everyone, Zell eats, girls wave, Rinoa holds up finger, tape dies---credits. At first I thought I got the super secret crappy ending but I hung on to see Rinoa and Squall lovin showin he made it apparently. One thing I saw though was they made a point to show Rinoa's back...the wings were imprinted on her shirt (never like that the rest of the game) did this signify that she still had the ultimate powers of all the sorceresses?? Were the wings a marking showing she had spanned time to save Squall...very confusing indeed.

Great ending...Left me with some questions but great ending.

[TheAbominatrix]

Ultimecia summons Greiver because of Squall's feelings about that particular creature.

A lot of that I'm too tired to answer, but as for Laguna and Raine... that scene is Laguna remembering, nothing to do with Time Compression. He's coming to visit Raine's grave, and he's remembering when he proposed to her. That's all.

[Sir Bahamut]

1: Why is it that that ugly skeez Ultimecia gets to summon Griever. Sure Eden is awesome too, but it defeat the purpose of naming the ring early in the game (does this affect name at end of game...say if I named the ring poopey pants, would I fight said name in the final battle?)

Ultimecia created the GF Griever right there in battle to fight for her. She was just that powerful. But why did she create exactly Griever? Because Griever is what Squall finds to be the most strongest being ever, and pitting your enemy against what he considers invincible is probably a good idea, don't you think?

And yes, if you called Greiver "poopey pants", Ultimecia would be saying "Poopey pants, make them bleed!" etc. =P


2: So I win the game with ZERO effort (well, one guy died once) and squall ends up on at Edea's Crib. So he's talkin to her and to ME it's as if hes stepped into one of the time holes Quis warns you about right after you beat Ultimecia final form (when they're runnin around). When she said that I figured time must have actually been compressed or very near so, as all times were one, or at least accessable from the plain of existence they were on.

Exactly. If you remember what Laguna said prior to entering time compression, he says that the party is dependant on "love and friendship" etc. in order to get there and back again safely. In other words, they have to concentrate on eachother to prevent themselves from being sucked up into time compression, and together, they have to concentrate on where they are going in order to get there together.

However, in the end, Squall still hasn't abandoned his 'lone wolf' attitude, so he ends up all alone, lost in time, as you say. Time was not fully compressed (if so, it would have been Game Over!), but as you said, it was very nearly compressed. It is the sudden decompression of time which is what causes all the timewarps etc.


Furthermore Matron recognized Squall from the future and tells him he doesn't belong. He mentions being a SeeD and the Garden and he has no clue. Based on the belief that FF8 operated on one timeline (vs CT's manny different worlds timeline) this scene suggested to me that it was someone of the future would defeat Ultimecia in the future causing her to go to Edea's time to give her powers to Edea at the exact same time meeting future Squall (based agian on the one timeline because Ultimecia was defeated she went back therefore Edea got her power therefore tried to bring future Ultimecia back therefore started whole game sending Squall ultimately into the future to be brought to that time during compression....make sense????)who TELLS HER to start the SeeD's and build the Garden (he say at this scene to her "the Garden trains SeeD's, SeeD's train to defeat the sorcerous(sp??)") and she tells him to go back to his own time.

You're not making yourself entirely clear here (at least not to me!), so I'll just explain exactly what's going on here from scratch.

As you say, FF8 operates with ONE timeline. However, due to timetravelling, this loop can be considered to have what we might call 'loops' in time. To exemplify: Edea receives powers from Ultimecia; Edea gives powers to Rinoa; Rinoas powers reach Ultimecia; Ultimecia gives powers to Edea; repeat ad infinitum. A loop.

This loop leads to strange things, like the origin of SeeD, as you pointed out. It also comes from a loop: Edea starts SeeD and Garden; Squall is raised in Garden; Squall defeats Ultimecia; Squall tells Edea about Seed and Garden; Edea starts SeeD and Garden etc. etc. etc.

The thing is, there is absolutely no purpose in asking who really came up with SeeD first. It's like the chicken and the egg, or asking where the starting point on a circle is! The question is meaningless! We must conclude that SeeD was merely a result of a timeloop, end of story. Strange, but true.

It should be noted, however, that calling it a loop is a bit deceiving, because in reality, it is only a loop to us viewing things from the outside. We consider it a loop because if we stay with the young Squall in the ending, we would see the game play out again. However, it is wrong to say that the whole thing starts all over again. It's like watching a video; if you rewind it and watch it again, it's not that the events are starting all over again, it's that you are watching them a second time! There's a difference. The events of FF8 only happen once.

Hopefully that clarified somewhat, and if that is what you were trying to say to begin with, I apologise.


), but it also looked like the desert where the Ragnorok landed after saving Rinoa.

It might very well be, but if so, because that was what Squall was thinking about. As you seem to already be familiar with, Laguna says that emotions and willpower affects the timewarp place, so if Squall were thinking back to that event, the warp may have formed itself after that.


Then it looks like his whole life flashes before his eyes but I'm guessing they were trying to imply that it all happened in like one second (thus the blur and jumpin around) as time was all at once.

Well, I think it's wrong to say that time was all at once where Squall was. It is probably more accurate to say that time was flexible at that place, so his chaotic flashback is probably the timewarp reflecting the chaos in his own mind.


Then Rinoa who was smart and went to the right place grew wings out of her back

Not literally, though!


she saves him and brings him back then it shows Laguana...again I was confused. He's with Raine (Is this where he went during time compression??) gettin the ring business on then it shows him at her grave with Elle and homies. Confused me. Then Seifer and co fishing was this showing that he was back to normal ???(he laughs when Fujin gets kicked in water)then sky (still grey like in compression but when Rinoa brings Squall back sky cleared like this) clears and then the video tape.

None of this has to do with time compression. As soon as Rinoa wakes up Squall, we're done with timewarps for good in the ending. Laguna proposing to Raine is Laguna having a flashback at Raines grave, and Seifer and Co is just Square showing us what happened to them.


the wings were imprinted on her shirt (never like that the rest of the game) did this signify that she still had the ultimate powers of all the sorceresses?? Were the wings a marking showing she had spanned time to save Squall...very confusing indeed.

It's been a while, but I seem to remember Rinoa ALWAYS having those wings on the back of her outfit. In any case, it only signifies that she is still a sorceress, but that while Ultimecia turned out bad (black wings), Rinoa has turned out good (white wings).

[TheAbominatrix]

Rinoa has the wings from the very beginning, even in the opening FMV.

[Stayin Dizzy]

Hopefully that clarified somewhat, and if that is what you were trying to say to begin with, I apologise


None of this has to do with time compression. As soon as Rinoa wakes up Squall, we're done with timewarps for good in the ending. Laguna proposing to Raine is Laguna having a flashback at Raines grave, and Seifer and Co is just Square showing us what happened to them.

1st part was exactly what I was trying to say but don't apologize you put it down alot clearer than I

the only part I still don't understand about Seifer is how they all look up and see the sky clearing just like Rinoa did when she brought Squall back


other than that thanx you two, makes a lot more sense now

[Sir Bahamut]

the only part I still don't understand about Seifer is how they all look up and see the sky clearing just like Rinoa did when she brought Squall back

I may be wrong, but I don't think Seifer actually sees the sky clear nearly as dramatically as with Rinoa and Squall. If he does, I'm a bit puzzled too. Are you sure he just doesn't see the Garden fly by? Because that's what I remember =P

[Ramza Beoulve]

Yup, they are seeing the Garden passing by, just that

[Stayin Dizzy]

yes it is just the garden. Heres some SS's:

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e202/studey1983/ff9pics_0.gif (http://photobucket.com)

from left to right
1:Ultmecia's fugly azz at death
2:winged Rinoa
3: Rinoa played by the girl from "the ring"
4:dead Rinoa (hahahahaha!!!)
5&6: sky clearing time recompressed
7:Seifer and crew lookin at garden