The "Is Rinoa really you know who" Post- (Spoiler)

[Lychon]

I recently read this on the Final Fantasy VIII FAQ post in the Final Fantasy VIII section of the forums:

Question 4:
Are Rinoa and Ultimecia the same person?

Answer:
There is no clear answer. There's evidence that suggests they are, and clues that they're not. It's a widely argued issue, but one that's nearly impossible to resolve satisfactorily.

This is widely called the 'R=U' debate.
Thanks to twobitmage for recommending that a definition of 'R=U' be included in this FAQ.

New information:
The FFVIII Ultimania guidebook is an official publication containing detailed background information on Final Fantasy VIII. According to this guide, the sorceresses in FFVIII have normal human lifespans. As Ultimecia lives "many generations in the future", it is not possible that she and Rinoa are the same individual.
So much for that theory
Heartfelt thanks to Squall of SeeD for posting information from the Ultimania guide and putting an end to the most annoying debate in Final Fantasy history.

Even though the above information may be true, Rinoa may have become Ultimecia in her lifetime and condense time to an earlier point when she was still Rinoa for the purpose of controlling her entire lifeline of existence. Besides, when one involves the alteration of space-time, all normal "lifespans" and "periods" go right out the window.

What do you guys think?

[rubah]

No.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

It's pretty ridiculous. No.

[Shoeberto]

Yeah totally no way at all no.

[boys from the dwarf]

i thought we ended this a while ago. this theory is obviously false and everybody knows it is. a hint to NooBs dont start any R=U threads because they've already been done loads of times and theres not strong enough evidence to prove it anyway and its one of the worst video game theorys ever.

[Discord]

i thought we ended this a while ago. this theory i boviouly false and everybody knows it is. a hint to NooBs dont start any R=U threads because they've already been done loads of times and theres not strong enough evidence to prove it anyway and its one of the worst video game theorys ever.

You didn't read any of Future Esthar theories then.

[TheSpoonyBard]

I completey disagree with the R=U theory, but I found this site that supports it. It doesn't provide evidence for anything, but they support the theory. They've taken things a bit to far though by making artwork to compliment their fanfics.

Oh, its all in German, but you can still view the pictures if you can't read anything.

[Fatal Impurity]

i think lychon has a point....but the thing is that ff fans (just like star wars, star trek and about every other kinda fans) look deeper into the story and characters way too much in fact way more than the production team could of ever possibly done....so if it is true then it is PURELY accidental and was never actually intended by the team!

[Red Squall]

I've played the Game through atleast 4 times even if it has been awhile since i last played it i never have seen hints or clues to R=U theory. I suppose any theory that could be even considored would be that Ultimecia could be a dessendant of Rinoa. As Riona is the only Sorceress left at the end of the game and Ultimecia is generations after Riona, so perhaps she is her childerns childrens child, you get the idea.

[Shin Gouken]

HOW does Rinoa become ultimecia??? What is the event which leads to a happy girl in love to become a evil super bitch bent on destroying the world?



Ive said this before and its very obvious. Rinoa cannot be ultimecia. In the final battle against ultimecia, if Rinoa should be called out first, and she dies (like proper dies not K.O'd) then Ultimecia has killed the past version of herself. This means either a) she cannot exist and will simply vanish, or b) she will have created a time paradox


Likley, event b will take place. Basically, if you were to go back in time and kill your father as a child, then it is impossible for your father to have become a man and pass his seed onto your mother. Of course, this means that you never existed!!!! which means you could not have gone back in time to kill him. So everything is hunky dory. But because you are now alive you are going back in time to kill your father which means you couldnt of been born and couldnt go back in time to kill your father and so you dont and are still alive so go back in time to kill your father ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC

this is working a bit differently with rinoa and ultimecia. time travel is enabled through time compression, and it is rinoa who goes forward in time. But if rinoa dies, the same time paradox will occur

[Christmas]

Reincarnation maybe. But then Ultimecia can be anyone.

[chronic_Maniac]

This theory holds no candle to the ones of the phantom FE. anyways the theory is to me really unlikely, as to all theorys. If it was true the game would have milked it for what its worth.

[Sir Bahamut]

Ive said this before and its very obvious. Rinoa cannot be ultimecia. In the final battle against ultimecia, if Rinoa should be called out first, and she dies (like proper dies not K.O'd) then Ultimecia has killed the past version of herself. This means either a) she cannot exist and will simply vanish, or b) she will have created a time paradox

Firstly, no one ever 'dies properly' in battles, they only get Knocked Out (ie. K.Od), so that point is mute. Regardless though, the fact that there MIGHT potentially arise a paradox does not rule out anything, simply because there IS never a paradox. Rinoa does not die in the final battle.
You cannot say that Rinoa cannot be Ultimecia simply because she MIGHT die.

That being said, there is simply no feasible way for Rinoa to become Ultimecia. The only plausible possibility was that sorceressess inherently had longer lifespan, but the Ultimania proved that wrong. Sure, you could come up with all sorts of crack-pot theories involving timetravelling, which could enable the theory to happen, but those theories would be just that; crackpot theories, which no basis at all.

For any other issues with the R=U theory, please check out the Time/Ultimecia Plot FAQ found here:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/game/197343.html

[Shin Gouken]

Firstly, no one ever 'dies properly' in battles, they only get Knocked Out (ie. K.Od), so that point is mute. Regardless though, the fact that there MIGHT potentially arise a paradox does not rule out anything, simply because there IS never a paradox. Rinoa does not die in the final battle.
You cannot say that Rinoa cannot be Ultimecia simply because she MIGHT die.

Of course i can Ultimecia wants a world where she is ruler. There is no way in hell she would have risked being trapped in a time paradox

[Korrgan]

I've always enjoyed the idea of the theory, and would love it if true, but nothing in the game ever suggests it, so.. no, I guess.

If true, maybe she doesn't go on to become Ultimecia now, since now Rinoa knows and can work not to become her. If Rinoa did become Ultimecia once, perhaps the events in FF8 changed Rinoa's future forever. She probably didn't have Squall in her life when she became Ultimecia but now that she does, R=U = No more.