My take on why Rinoa is Ultimecia and what to make of the ending
Ultimecia is Rinoa
Below I will do what I can to support my argument that Rinoa is or will become Ultimecia. I am not saying I am 100% correct but I think this hypothesis is highly plausible and would make a lot of sense in putting together the story. Enjoy.
Artemesia's life: https://theoppositeofamoth.blogspot....reme-love.html
Rinoa is scared of what she will become if she is alone, says to Squall if she becomes evil he has to pierce her heart
Squall dies when Edea throws the magic spears at him/or another circumstance and Rinoa loses her mind and becomes Ultimecia obsessed with compressing time to be with her love once again, but using the Griever guardian so many times she loses her memory of him, of her friends, of her life and she becomes no more than a tyrant, a tragic embodiment of evil that has perpetual amnesia, not understanding why she has to compress time other than to have power, losing her only purpose of doing so: to be with her beloved. As a result, she ends up hating everyone, her deepest, darkest, most negative emotions getting the better of her without her positive memories to counteract them.
Rinoa is Ultimecia: junctioned Griever and only knew of it because Squall gave her a ring with Griever on it in her early years, she looks like her, and flashes of Ultimecia went to her at the beginning and the end of the story, Rinoa's wings go from white to black and Squall cries because he realizes that Rinoa will become Ultimecia, that she will inevitably turn evil, the reference to dancing (both of them to Squall), how the final form of Ultimecia attaches herself to what looks like an aging Rinoa, both know Apocalypse, when defeated a bunch of white feathers come out (Rinoa has white feathers), as Rinoa she alluded to something similar to time compression in which she always and only wanted to have Squall in her life, Ultimecia has her home/fortress right by the meadow of flowers/plants that Squall and Rinoa promised to meet at, her past self had that memory before using Griever so much that she forgot why she was there, she was a slave to her usage of magic that she lost her memories, her childhood memories, her feelings, her emotions, and even her purpose: to be reunited with her beloved again. Tragic. Artemisia lost her beloved and grieved over his loss for 2 years until death claimed her too.
In a potentially alternative timeline Rinoa via magic or other means ends up saving Squall's life, he ends up killing Ultimecia who was the alternate future version of Rinoa thus stopping Rinoa from ever becoming Ultimecia, and thus fulfilling his promise to her that if she became evil that he would pierce her heart, Rinoa pulls him out of time compression and saves his life through her magic at the end which is how the pink flowers/leaves and the sky becomes clear, their deaths are averted and they live happily ever after.
Not too shabby. In a way the premise of not being able to change the past is true and at the same time is ambiguous because both characters in their own way altered their own potential trajectories. In many ways, the story leaves us hanging about if one can actually change the past or alter their destiny. It also makes us question what is real since some folks think Squall actually died early on in the game and the ending is but an idealistic dream.
I think the ending was legit and that Rinoa saved Squall's life, thus preserving his present and future and Squall being alive and ending the negative future version of Rinoa preserved her present and future as well. They both needed each other and saved each other's lives.
Below I continue to go down quite a dark thought process that could explain things further.
However, one could argue that Rinoa needed Squall more because without him she would inevitably descend into madness, grief, anguish, and insanity by becoming Ultimecia. However, one can debate if one can truly alter destiny because inevitably Squall would die, Rinoa would outlive him but would she have enough time, and great loving memories of him to not descend into chaos? Would she inevitably become Ultimecia anyways? Or is it an infinite loop and a firm trajectory that cannot be altered no matter how hard anyone tries? Was Rinoa always meant to become Ultimecia and was Squall always meant to die before Rinoa thus triggering her descent into evil and chaos? Rinoa was so driven by grief, by loss, by wanting to be with her beloved for eternity that she desired for time to compress but in doing so she lost everything, including her own sanity, and ability to recall virtually any of her memories and past with Squall. She loved him so much that she gave up everything, including herself and her very memories of them together to be with him again. Again, the theme of tragedy and star-crossed lovers are coming to mind. A space opera version of Romeo and Juliet.
It adds another layer of meaning and sadness to the English and Japanese versions of her last words.
English: "Reflect on your...childhood...your sensation...your words...your emotions.......Time...it will not wait...no matter...how hard you hold on...it escapes you...and......."
Japanese: "Have you remembered something?
Something from your childhood
A sensation
The words from back then
The emotions from back then
As you become an adult
You leave something behind, throw something away
Time will not wait for you
Even if you cling to it
It slips away the instant you open your hands
And…”
I think she is saying this more so to herself, but to the characters and to Rinoa to some degree. To me it all makes sense, she is finally coming to her senses of who she was, the memories and feelings that she lost. Her desire to change the past was futile and she ended up leaving her old self behind, she threw her old self, her childhood, her memories, her emotions, and her words away. Everything slipped away from her no matter how hard she gripped. And serves as a cautionary tale to her younger self Rinoa to cherish her youth, her memories, her good times, and that you cannot change the past but you can cherish it and be content with the love, friendships, and memories that you made along the way. Sadly, it seems that Rinoa so distraught with grief does not heed her older self's lessons to her. Again, tragedy after tragedy.
I appreciate you all reading this. Please let me know your thoughts on this. Thank you so much.
