Originally Posted by PerpetualBurn
He was as integral to the story as Zell or Selphie. I thought he was quite important to the story, as he was yet another "coincidence" that helped demonstrate how twisted the hands of fate are.
The story required a number of characters like Zell, Selphie, Quistis, and Irvine that seemed to be arbitrary. That is to say, it would appear that they just got partnered with Squall purely by chance. Any other members of Garden could've been on Squall's team, these just happened to be the new recruits and an instructor. However, the plot soon pulls them together. The fact that they meet Irvine half way across the world adds to this bizarre tale.
In a well written plot, be it book, film, play, or game, every character and line has reason. I think it would be insulting to the writers to say that Irvine was unimportant.