Something that still bothers me

[abrojtm]

Why is Rinoa's last name Heartilly and not Caraway?

[Skyblade]

Because she hates her father and would rather keep her mother's last name?

Similar to why Squall's last name is Leonhart and not Loire. Although in that case it was because the villagers in Winhill never really liked Laguna, blamed him for Raine's death, and named Raine's child on their own.

[G SpOtZ]

that was a good explaination, skyblade.

i think it was either what skyblade said, or the fact that heartilly was a cooler name than caraway, and leonheart was a cooler name than loire. if i had to choose i'd definitely make the same choices.

[abrojtm]

I know lots of people that despise their fathers, but they don't go and take the names of their mothers (especially when they hardly know them).

[Skyblade]

I know lots of people that despise their fathers, but they don't go and take the names of their mothers (especially when they hardly know them).

Ok, I already explained that Squall didn't have much choice. He didn't even know who his parents were, let alone whether he liked them or not.

As to Rinoa, her mother was dead and she was engaged in a rebellion against a government whose military forces were commanded by her father. Is it really too far-fetched to think that she might choose the name of her mother instead? Heck, I wonder if the Forest Owls even know that Caraway is her father. She probably chose to use her mother's name to avoid awkward questions...

[nik0tine]

I think this is just a flaw on Squares part.

[boys from the dwarf]

Because she hates her father and would rather keep her mother's last name?

Similar to why Squall's last name is Leonhart and not Loire. Although in that case it was because the villagers in Winhill never really liked Laguna, blamed him for Raine's death, and named Raine's child on their own.

never thought of it that way.so its julia heartily and rinoa heartily and raine leonheart and sqall leonheart.nicw explainatoin skyblade.

[abrojtm]

Well, I suppose to avoid awkardness with the Forest Owls is the most reasonable point I've heard, so I'll just go with that.

(And I agree about Squall's last name).

P.S. How old was Rinoa when Julia died?

[Selphie Fan]

I think Rinoa was 5 when Julia died. I'm not entirely sure though. I remember reading somewhere that Julia died in a car accident when she was 28 and that Rinoa was five years old.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

I think this is just a flaw on Squares part.

On the contrary, if it had been the other way, Rinoa's relation to Julia and Squall's relation to Laguna would have been obvious from the beginning.

[The Wonderful Nobody]

I always thought that Squall's last name was "Leonhart" because it was something he chose on his own growing up. If it was his official name, y'know, his mother's last name, then why at the beginning of the game when the guy called out the names of who had passed the field test to become SeeD, why didn't he mention Squall's last name? He said something like, "Squall... Uhm, Squall." He had said everyone else's names... Just wondering! Lol Was there anything ever mentioned about Raine's last name? Hmm...

[Kilrane]

I know lots of people that despise their fathers, but they don't go and take the names of their mothers (especially when they hardly know them).

i took my mothers last name, gonzalez, instead of my fathers, ordoñez, and i hate him so much i wanna do to him what sephiroth did to aeris.

[G SpOtZ]

i took my mothers last name, gonzalez, instead of my fathers, ordoñez, and i hate him so much i wanna do to him what sephiroth did to aeris.

O_O brutal and harsh. but i'm sure you have ur reasons.

[Skyblade]

I always thought that Squall's last name was "Leonhart" because it was something he chose on his own growing up. If it was his official name, y'know, his mother's last name, then why at the beginning of the game when the guy called out the names of who had passed the field test to become SeeD, why didn't he mention Squall's last name? He said something like, "Squall... Uhm, Squall." He had said everyone else's names... Just wondering! Lol Was there anything ever mentioned about Raine's last name? Hmm...

Actually, he doesn't say "Squall... Uhm, Squall". He says "Squall... That is all."

Anyway, Leonhart being Raine's last name is the currently accepted theory, and it seems to fit the facts to me. I can't recall if it is mentioned in the game or not right now. Sorry.

[crazybayman]

Another thing........you can change Squall's name.

If the gamer say, wanted to call him "Jimmy", or "Jimmy Smith" it wouldn't make sense for the game to have them call out "Jimmy Smith Leonhart". You'd just get "Jimmy", or "Jimmy Smith", which would make sense to the gamer, when they announce who passed the SeeD Exam, and every other time that character's name is said in the dialogue.