If SeeD is the equivalent of the Jedi Order, Squall and Seifer are Luke and Vader. Here's why:
They both use gunblades.
Gunblades are incredibly difficult to use in comparison to regular swords and are considered old fashioned, much like lightsabers are in Star Wars. Both weapons take years of practice to master and are only used by an elite group of warriors.
Both have similar injuries.
Remember that scene in The Empire Strikes Back where Luke gets his hand cut off by Vader and then we find out that Vader is his father? Of course you do, it's a classic scene. It's symbolic, it adds to the realization that Vader is Luke's father by making them even more similar. (Y'know, 'cause Vader's limbs are robotic. )
Here we have Squall and Seifer who both have scars across their faces. Cool your jets Serapy and Future Esthar, this doesn't mean Seifer is Squall's dad or anything, it's just a way to show how incredibly alike these two are. Both want to be better than the other, both wield a weapon most people will never be able to, both are the prized students of SeeD, and now both have a scar in nearly the same place. They are alike in every way, except that they both stand on opposite sides of the moral fence.
Seifer also betrayed his order. Does that word work, order? Whatever, it works.
The Force.
Magic is the Force. Think about it, Jedi/SeeD have to Draw on the Living Force in order to use it. I think that about sums it up.
Rinoa is Leia.
Rinoa is a member of the Forest Owls, a rebel faction trying to liberate their hometown Timber from Galbadian occupation. Sounds familiar! Her dad is also a high ranking general in the Galbadian army. Hi there Bail Organa, high ranking member of the Imperial Senate, and Leia's adoptive father! She's totally Leia... aside from the love factor between her and Squall. If only there was a kissing scene between Luke and Leia...
(btw this particular picture never happened)
Edea is kind of a mix between Vader and Palpatine.
Edea is a heavy hitter for a long while. The power hungry Sorceress has control of our Darth Seifer and seems to be the main bad guy. BUT WAIT! What's this? She's actually a pawn herself? Ultimecia revels her... umm, itself to be the actual Palpatine of this game, leaving Edea to assume the role of Vader! What a plot twist. While we're going as far to say there are multiple role here, I might as well point out that:
Laguna is Anakin.
Being the huge Star Wars fan that I am, I have done a lot of reading up on it. It is my firm belief that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader are, in a way, two people in one body, and if you don't agree you can smurf right off!
Anyways, that works great for this bit. Laguna is our Luke's father, that much we know and blah blah blah it's a given. I've really got nothing else. Perhaps the flashback/dream sequences we see are basically setting up a legacy for Squall to live up to.
We could also say that Squall is Anakin and Rinoa is Padme, but who the hell cares about the prequels!?
And now for something that only I would notice, because I'm a hardcore nerd who hardly ever goes out... Actual
Star Wars
References
The chick that graduates with everyone's name is Nida. Sounds familiar. Perhaps Captain Lorth Needa! The dude that “lost” the Millennium Falcon when it had in fact attached itself to the back of his ship's comm tower. He apologized personally to Vader and got a Force Choke sammich for his troubles. Okay, so that's not really a big deal. There's a few more though.
This next one would be pretty smurfing obvious if you'd have ever cared to learn either of these cats' names.
Admiral Firmus Piett makes an appearance in FF VIII as an Esthar soldier on the space station. This was the guy that found the rebel base on Hoth and then got the Admiral position when his superior got taken out by Vader after the battle. Kind of a little bastard.
Biggs and Wedge also make an appearance. Imagine that. These fellas are Galbadian soldiers that serve as, you'll never guess... comic relief!
Originally Posted by
Myself
Biggs Darklighter
Luke's Childhood friend. He takes off for "the academy" at the beginning of A New Hope (in a deleted and very hard to acquire scene).
Wedge Antilles
You remember that asshole that questioned Luke's ability to shoot a wamp rat in a T-16 back home? Yeah, that's him. You can bet your sweet tuckus he went home and cried his eyes out 'cause he wasn't Admiral Ackbars favorite pupil anymore.
No one can do that, not even a computer. Shut up!
And that's all I got. I don't particularly like this game, I just kind of rushed through it. I'll add more if I think of them.