The Ending of FF8....

[SeeDRankLou]

To me, it seems unlikely that after all that has happened he would just 'pass out' as soon as he was left alone. Did Rinoa start crying when she saw him pass out and go into the 'dream world'? No, she didn't. However this time she breaks down into tears. This obviously hints at the fact that he is dead. It's only after the scenery changes to the place they were supposed to meet that he is 'revived' and comes back to her.

When Rinoa watches Squall pass out and go to the past, Rinoa wasn't in love with Squall at that point in time. And, there were two others that also passed out, not just him. At the end of the game, she was in love with him. So seeing him in that state, thinking he was dead, of course she cried. And, she didn't see him fall down in the end. She just appeared and he was already out. I also believe that she thought he was dead, or I don't think she would have had the reaction she had. But she wasn't embracing him for very long at all. She walked up to him, kneeled down, took his head in her hand, said something, hugged him for like a three seconds and then the flower field came. That wasn't really long enough to check for vitals. And I don't know if you've ever seen someone passed out (like really passed out), but they kind of don't look very alive, barely breathing. I can imagine that at this point in the story Rinoa was very scared (she gets that way very easily if you didn't notice). First, they just had this huge fight with Ultimecia, which they got through. And now she's in time compression, and who really knows how to get out of that. Then she goes to the flower field where they are suppose to meet. But he's not there, she can't find him. And so she sends the feather and when she finally does find him, there he is, laying there lifeless. So what is she suppose to think (being her)?

As for the possibly suicide, sure it could have just been a sound effect, but that's the last thing you hear before the screen goes white. The next time you see him he is on the ground where Rinoa finds him, where she believes him to be dead. Sure, there is no blood or markings on him to show that he killed himself, but in FF there never is.

Did you see the opening FMV? There is blood in this game. What you have to understand about this part of the ending FMV is the artistic quality combined with the idea of time compression. You see Squall walking in this desert-like area. Then you see several times where the screen does some weird blurbing stuff. Then you see the camera pan out, sometimes pan up. And everytime it comes back to Squall, he is getting more and more and more exhausted. So everytime one of the camera angles or blurbing things happen, it's suppose to show time passing and Squall getting more and more exhausted from trying to find his way, but at the same time that all of this could be happening in just a moment because no one knows what's happening to time, so walking for like two minutes could be like running a marathon. Toward the end of his walking he starts to hallucinate. Rapid extreme exhaustion can induce a paranoid schizophrenic episode on a person, which is what I believe was happening to Squall. He's merely hallucinating, and the shock of seeing Rinoa fade away and seeing Rinoa die takes too much of a toll on his mind because he actually thinks it's happening, and he passes out. Had he somehow been physically hurt, they would have showed it when he fell to his knees and onto the floor, but there was nothing, just him falling down. And the physical wound would have still been there when Rinoa showed up. That's why I think he just passed out and not died.

[Plenty_Purple]

I think we agree up till the point where he witnesses Rinoa die. I think seeing that could have been so unbearable to him that he took his own life. And you don't see him 'drop to his knees' anyway. The last time you see him he is standing and when Rinoa sees finds him he is unconcious.

As for the time not being long enough to check for vitals, what you must realize is that this is a video game. Usually characters just somehow 'know' things, like Rinoa, upon seeing Squall, 'knows' that he is dead. But no, I have never actually seen anyone passed out before, nor do I wish that to happen anytime soon.

FF8 is a love story. That's what makes it so damned good. The fact that he kills himself when he realizes she is dead is similiar to that of Romeo and Juliet. The only exception here is the happy ending. (Or not so happy if you believe R=U)

[SeeDRankLou]

And you don't see him 'drop to his knees' anyway. The last time you see him he is standing and when Rinoa sees finds him he is unconcious.

Incorrect. The last thing you see is him on his knees (he was actually already on his knees, my bad) with this arms to the side and his head back as far as it can go (as if he were looking straight up), he starts to fall and then the screen goes white and a feather falls.

what you must realize is that this is a video game. Usually characters just somehow 'know' things, like Rinoa, upon seeing Squall, 'knows' that he is dead.

You didn't recognize the realness of this game at all, how they paid extra-special attention to the details of character to character interactions, especially between Rinoa and Squall. I think that if Rinoa "knew" right when she saw him, she first of all would have run to him, and second would have started crying sooner. She had time to react to him being motionless before she thought what she thought (she held his head in her hand for a little while, stroked his hair, my bad again).

FF8 is a love story. That's what makes it so damned good. The fact that he kills himself when he realizes she is dead is similiar to that of Romeo and Juliet.

Please don't misunderstand me, this is a brilliant game, I loved every second of it. And don't say "the fact," you are merely speculating, as am I. First of all, Romeo and Juliet had a much more passionate love than Squall and Rinoa, so passionate I don't think it really could exist. Second, the circumstances surrounding Romeo and Juliet being together were extremely unworkable and unavoidable, not like Squall and Rinoa. Third, you saw the end of Romeo and Juliet coming, it was foreshadowed many many times. I wouldn't compare Squall and Rinoa to Romeo and Juliet at all, two entirely different circumstances. I simply don't think he killed himself for two reasons. One, he was exhausted, so much though that he couldn't even stand, let alone pick up his gunblade and stab himself. Two, the FMV shows him at the moment he sees Rinoa's spacesuit break, and he jolts his head back with his arms to the side, hands down, sheds a tear, begins to fall, and the screen goes white. How did he kill himself in that position? I think that if Squall did kill himself, the FMV creator would have done something to show it more, because that would have been kind of relevent. I think had Squall killed himself Rinoa would have seen it and ran to him instead of walking to him. I think that if Squall killed himself it wouldn't have been at all romantic or added to the story in any way, as he is just alive again at the end. Romeo killing himself for Juliet was sadly romantic, this wouldn't have been the same. I can just see it much more likely as Squall passed out, not being able to bear the thought of Rinoa dieing. But that's just me.

And, while this banter has been fun, I should point out that neither of us are right or wrong in our opinions. Squall could have died and Rinoa brought him back to life, Squall could have passed out and Rinoa thought he was dead. No one knows, because it's not made apparant. There is no right here.

[Kami]

I'd have to agree with SeedRankLou.

[UltimateSpamGrover]

I'm only on Disc 3 and I've given up on the game because it keeps freezing, but do Squall and Rinoa really kiss? Is it like the kiss from FFX's Tidus and Yuna?

[Plenty_Purple]

Yes, at the very end they do kiss. It's pretty romantic but you don't get to see much. Me luffies it though.

[SeeDRankLou]

The kiss in FF8 is not nearly as beautiful a scene as the kiss in FFX, but it is still a nice scene, and a good way to end the game.

[Rand Al'Tor]

Hmm... that sword slice... never even thought of that...

me being a R=U fantaic (KILL THE UNBELIEVERS!) immediately put it in that context.

"Squall's gunblade will pierce my heart"

Squall just realized the whole thing, and realizes he has, in fact, just done that. With a sword-shwing for memory... That's faintable material, no?

Anyway, whether Squall was dead or dying at the moment is perhaps academic. Whatever it was, he was pretty much screwed until Rinoa got him out... As long as we agree that he was alive and kissing at the end.

[SeeDRankLou]

"Squall's gunblade will pierce my heart"

Squall just realized the whole thing, and realizes he has, in fact, just done that. With a sword-shwing for memory... That's faintable material, no?

I had forgotten about that line, very good point.

[Marvelous-Shiva]

Ok, first of all no, Squall didn't commit suicide. Come on now ppl common sence...he's wandering through the desert 4 days has nothing on him not a morsal of food or a drop of water. He starts to dehidrate!!! Come on now... I mean if u were wondering through the dessert which is hot as a devil's lair and had not a drink of water wouldn't u start to get weak and end up passing out? Not only that but he fell down meaning that he was too weak to go on... he couldn't have possible had the energy to take out his gunblade and pull the trigger if he couldn't even walk one more step...he collapsed 4 goodness sakes! Not only that but he was headed 4 the Orphanage where the field was at b/c if u remember he told Rinoa that no matter what happened in the outcome of the battle that was ahead of them she could always find him there b/c he would be waiting for her so they could be together and he could protect her just like he had promised in the begining of the game when he was assigned to work for the Owls. He was headed toward there walking through Centra in order to get to the Orphanage, he was gonna wait 4 Rinoa just like he had promised and Rinoa who had rememrbed that went searching for him there and ended up finding him when he was lying on the ground unconscience. She didn't know what had happened and out of confusion and fear (like most humans) started to cry. And you can obviously see in the ending as mentioned before that he was alive because Rinoa points up to the shooting star at the ball and smiles just like the first time her and Squall met then they end up making out. So hey question for all of you Zell and the library chick did end up hooking up at the end right? b/c I'm almost positive they did but I have my doubts.

[Trumpet Thief]

I agree with Plenty Purple. I don't think Squall passed out, rather, he was in a critical state or dead, but gets revived.. somehow. That's how these kind of games end, they make it all sad, then relieve you at the very very ending.

[Snappie88]

Die? Don't die? It does'nt really matter. That ending scene makes me cry, that matters *wants to be hugged right now*

But hold on a sec. They did'nt kiss. Last scene was Rinoa pointing or doing something with her finger and then the camera goes out. Squall ain't on the tape!

BTW, I think that the moment where Laguna stands next to his beloved wife's grave is a bit more touching. That part was really sad... *wonders why there is'nt a cry emoticon here*

[Cloudane]

That was the main focus of the ending, and certainly forced the player to look back on the Laguna story if s/he didn't follow it closely enough

It would've been nice if Laguna had admitted to Squall that he's his father in the ending. It was already blatantly 'hinted' by Kiros in the airship and 99% proven from the story books you pick up, but Squall obviously had too much on his mind to pick up on it. The fireworks ("why the heck didn't you tell me sooner????") would've been interesting.

[Shockwave Pulsar]

But hold on a sec. They did'nt kiss. Last scene was Rinoa pointing or doing something with her finger and then the camera goes out. Squall ain't on the tape!

Wait for the credits to end.

It would've been nice if Laguna had admitted to Squall that he's his father in the ending.

I guess they both knew even when they never really stated it, Remember what laguna says to squall on the ragnarok.

[Angel Wing]

No he did NOT die! I thought that too when I first played it but, like Shiva said, she turns and her eyes widen in a surprised look. Also, if you looked carefully enough, you can even catch Squall's head tilting forward to look at Rinoa. But why he wasn't in the ending film I don't know. Probably because he was at the back where Rinoa was and cut off. He's the sort of "whatever" guy so maybe they didn't want to embarrass him, I mean, what would he do in front of a camera? Cross his arms and look away? You know what I'm saying?