First of all, I'd like to state that yes, I know it's been done before, and yes I know about the Ultimania. However, I'd like to point out two things.

1.) If the Ultimania was created by Tetsuya Nomura then I shall refuse to believe any information from it. Tetsuya Nomura didn't write the story of FF8. He only did the artwork. Apart from that, He can't write his way out of a paper bag. The proof is Kingdom Hearts. Quite frankly, I consider anything that man has written as invalid.

2.) This is not about 'alternate dimensions' or a discussion about how paradoxes make no sense or whatnot. This is a video game we're discussing not a religion or real life events. Let's keep it that way. The title of the series isn't called Final Fantasy for no reason.

anyway, you're free to call this bogus for whatever reasons but I do believe in the Rinoa = Ultimecia idea but I disagree in exactly how it happened. It's long though so if you don't care enough to read my long in-depth video game nerd explanations then don't bother.

Here is my theory:

Rinoa gains Edea's powers through transfer in Disc 1, in Disc 2 the player learns that most of the cast have lost their memories of the orphanage they grew-up in because of their use of GFs, Disc 3 we discover that Rinoa survives in her space suit because the ring Squall gave her (Griever GF inside), in Disc 4 Adel junctions Rinoa into her and after the fight Rinoa gains Adel's memories as a young sorceress. She specifically mentions this after that fight.

In the final fight, Ultimecia summons Griever, before that she speaks in the same fashion Adel did, and her and Adel's designs are parallel. Ultimecia wanted to 'change a certain event' in the past and that event happened before Squall's journey with Rinoa at the age of 17 since she was going to use Ellone to go back further into the past.

Now, since Griever is the strongest GF it could mean that it makes people lose their memories faster (this is speculation, feel free to call me an idiot here). Rinoa always had it on her after disc 2. Therefore, her memories could've been wiped away... and then all she would remember is being Adel.

Their dress style (look at Adel and Ultimecia side to side to see the similarities) and their speech are the same. The 'certain event' that Ultimecia wanted to change using Ellone was Adel being sealed by Laguna (in Ultimecia's mind, it would be herself being sealed by Laguna even though that's untrue), and after that was taking far too long she used herself(Rinoa) from the past (whom she thinks of as some nameless pawn) to unseal Adel. She wanted to time compress so that only Adel would exist as to get back at those who 'wronged' her (Adel) and she wouldn't have to deal with SeeD in the future.

Anyway, that's what I got from the plot. I'm not gonna argue about alternate dimensions, or how stupid paradoxes are (I actually liked this game's paradoxes such as Squall meeting his younger self).

If some Ultimania written by someone who didn't even write the story of FF8 and made Kingdom Hearts disagrees then that's fine. If you're offended that I'm speaking ill of Kingdom Hearts then that's fine. I apologize as well for my outspoken behavior.

Well, that's my theory. The game wasn't about alternate dimensions or paradoxes or whatever. I keep the game in context with the events of the story. Unlike the absurd 'Squall is dead' theory, which has no real proof besides some stab wound even though we see them dreaming of people in the past and Rinoa falling for Squall as early as disc 1. If anything, it makes perfect sense for Ultimecia to torture SeeD people because they've been a thorn on her side for years. I'd also like to point out that Doc Odine is speculating in regards to Ultimecia's birth in the future and even his time machine idea. He doesn't know for sure who or what Ultimecia the sorceress is, he is merely speculating given the information he has on her through his research and possibly to stroke his own ego.