My Theories

[Lenneth]

Well, FF VIII is probably one of my favourites, and a while back, at a site I used to go to, I made a lengthly post in the FF VIII section. Instead of rethinking it all (as it's been a while since I've played FF VIII), I'm just going to copy/paste that post. It's just what I think on a few things in the story of FF VIII, it mainly focuses on the parents of Squall, but I try to elaborate on a few other questions some might have for FF VIII. Enjoy!

Kweeeeeeeeeh!

Alright, Laguna liked Julia (the women at the Galbadia Hotel). He and Julia had a romantic night, but nothing really happened. This is shown through the first Dream World sequence.

Now, according to the in-game info in the tutorial, it says that Julia wanted to see the soldier (obviously Laguna) again, but he got called back in for the war, which is what happened at the end of the first Dream World sequence. The in-game info then states that General Caraway felt bad for Julia, and then they fell in love, got married, and Julia gave birth to a little girl (obviously Rinoa), but died three years later in a car crash. This would make sense because General Caraway is Rinoas father, which would make Julia her mother.

Now back to Laguna, after the second Dream World sequence, he was nurtured back to health in the town of Winhill by a woman named Raine. Raine had a little daughter (named Ellone). Now Laguna was gratefull enough to repay the favor to Raine by clearing the monsters of Winhill daily. During his stay there, he became in love with Raine, and attached to Ellone.

Now follow closely, because this is where it gets confusing.

Somewhere near the time before when Ellone was captured by Esthar soldiers, Laguna proposed to Raine (shown at the ending sequence), and Raine accepted. Shortly after that, they had a nice time, and made love (if you know what I mean). Then the Esthar soldiers came, took Ellone, and then Laguna went off to get Ellone back.

While Laguna was searching for Ellone, Raine was pregnant. And she then gave birth to a boy. A boy named Squall. Now the in-game info tells us that Squalls mother died at childbirth. So then I'm assuming, shortly after being born, Edea's SeeDs came and took Squall, and put him into the Orphanage, where he met Ellone (whom Laguna was still searching for). He began calling her "Sis". However, he had no idea that they had a blood relation.

Now Ultimecia is in the future, learns about Ellones powers, and then takes control over Adel to search out for Ellone. Adel then sends her Esthar troops to the Centra continent, where they find Ellone, and take her back for Dr. Odine to start experimentation. Laguna and friends get to Esthar, get captured and are sent to prison. Now you all know what happens then, because you played it out during one of the Dream World Sequences.

Now in the in-game info, you learn that the Gardens (Galbadia/Tribia/Balamb and others *CoughEdenCough*) used to be on the Centra Continent, which was home of the Lunar Tears, and the Centra people must've seen the oblivion comming, so they left the continent and found refuge at other locations. During the time when Esthar went to Edea's Orphanage to take Ellone, Edea (or her SeeDs) took the Orphans to one of the Gardens, which explains why Irvine ended up going Galbadia and not Balamb.

Then Laguna and the Adel Resistance group finally defeats Adel by sending her into space. Laguna, who was the leader of the resistance then becomes the president of Esthar.

Now Squalls life at the Balamb Garden begins, along with everyone elses. And as they grew, they began using the GF, which is why they don't remember anything until they figure it all out. And then once Squall is in his 17th year of life, the story begins.

Some more evidence leading to Laguna being the father:

During the storyline that I just gave you, you see that the only girl that Laguna had time to spend with was Raine, and why wouldn't they, they got married! So they obviously had sex, which was probably one of the first times Laguna had some (if not any at all) because he was always on the move. Now, during the sidequest at Shumi Village, you learn that the moombas remember people by the smell of their blood.

You also learn that Laguna taught the moombas how to speak (although the only thing they can say is Laguna), Laguna might've cut himself while teaching, or perhaps he spent so much time with them that they just could smell his presense. But my therory is that while Laguna was in an Esthar prison (this is during a Dream Sequence), and remember when he helped that moomba out by tossing a tool at him? And then he went to grab the moomba to save him from falling. Laguna was in a prison, so he for sure was cut, and the moomba must've smelt it, and then afterwards, Laguna set him free! Remember that? Yeah, the moomba must've went to the Shumi Village or wherever there were moombas and told them all in moomba. Either theory works, you choose which you want ot believe.

Now you know that the moombas can recognize Laguna by his blood. And if you have any knowledge on DNA, you know that blood is transfered when you have a baby. And when Squall is in the Desert Prison, the moombas all say "Laguna! Laguna!" and start looking at Squall. This means they smell Lagunas blood in him. And if that is not enough proof for you, then how about the fact that once Laguna hops onto the Ragnarok near the end of the game, and he goes "Squall, theres a lot I want to tell you..." You can pretty much tell what he's trying to say, knowing all the evidence I have provided.

So with those peices of info: Laguna only having enough time for Raine, and the moombas remembering Lagunas blood, you can put together the peices of the puzzle and see the picture; Squall's parent are Laguna and Raine.

[Tallulah]

I saw the title of this thread and my heart sank, thinking it was one of Future Esthar's nutty theories.

But as I see, you've picked up on what is accepted to be fact in canon, but is never actually said, so well done, you, even though it's already been many times.

I'm kinda relieved...

[Dr. Acula]

Ellone isn't Raine's biological daughter. Ellone's parents died in a war then Raine took her in.

And no offence, but I thought everyone knew Raine and Laguna were Squall's parents?

[Takara]

I just want to offer some minor corrections.

First, as Dr. Acula already said, Ellone is not Raine's biological daughter; Raine took her in after her parents were killed. If you recall well, Laguna lives in her old house while Ellone lives next door with Raine. Laguna even talks to a picture of her parents when she's with him, telling them she's been a good girl.

Also, Ellone does say later in game that Raine died after giving birth to her baby (Squall), but I don't think it was said implicitly in-game that she died at childbirth. She even says that Raine told her something along the lines of wishing Laguna was there, so she could show him their son. We're never told the exact cause of Raine's death, only that she passed away when Squall was still a baby. He and Ellone where then sent to Edea's orphanage.

On that note, Ellone did not meet Squall at the orphanage. The dream sequence in Esthar is set before Adel is defeated by Laguna and the resistance. Laguna rescues her, and he manages to safely send her back to Winhill, but he has to stay behind to fight Adel.

So the exact chronology goes something like that: Laguna and Raine get married, Esthar soldiers come to Winhill and kidnap Ellone, Laguna leaves to search for her (unaware that Raine is pregnant; Raine probably didn't know it either at that point), Laguna finally finds Ellone in Esthar and sends her back to Winhill while he stays behind to bring Adel down, Raine gives birth to Squall and dies sometime afterwards, Ellone and Squall are sent to the orphanage while Laguna is still in Esthar (either because they're still fighting Adel or he's just been made president).

As for Centra, the Lunar Cry that destroyed it was much before the birth of any of the characters. I don't recall the exact date, but the continent was already abandoned by the time the orphanage was built there. I don't recall if it's ever stated why Edea chose to set it up in such a remote location; probably has to do with the war and wanting to keep the childrens as far away from it to protect them.

Then the Gardens were built sometime after Edea received the sorceress power for a second time (from Ultimecia, this time; we know she had been a sorceress before that), and she sent Ellone on the ship with the White SeeDs for safety reasons related to her unique powers.

As to why the children ended up in different Gardens... Well, we know Zell was adopted by the Dincht in Balamb, so that's why he eventually enrolled in BG. I think Quistis states during the basketball court scene that she was also adopted, but it didn't work out with her family so she joined Garden; BG was probably the closest one to where the family lived. We can assume the same happened to Irvine and Selphie; Irvine might have gotten adopted by a couple in Galbadia, and Selphie by a couple in Trabia, and they joined GG and TG respectively for some reason. Squall and Seifer never got adopted, so when the orphanage had to close down due to Edea starting to fight Ultimecia from trying to possess her, they were sent to BG, probably because Cid was there and could continue to watch over them.

Oh, and another piece of evidence about Squall's parentage that is often neglected... I recall someone posting a picture a few months ago that showed Squall's face superimposed on Laguna's face to show they shared the same facial features. However, Laguna has dark brown/black hair, and, if I recall well, green eyes. Squall's hair is a lighter shade of brown and his eyes are blue-grey. Raine's hair was the same colour as his, and from what we saw of her in the ending FMV, her eyes were a light colour. It was a bit hard to see though because it was a nighttime scene. So it's safe to assume she also has the same eyecolour as Squall.

[BG-57]

Yeah, Squall's parentage is so heavily implied it can be considerd canonical. Similar to the hints given about Relm's father in FFVI.

It's also nice to see my Garden of Eden theory making the rounds.

[Bolivar]

I just want to offer some minor corrections.

First, as Dr. Acula already said, Ellone is not Raine's biological daughter; Raine took her in after her parents were killed. If you recall well, Laguna lives in her old house while Ellone lives next door with Raine. Laguna even talks to a picture of her parents when she's with him, telling them she's been a good girl.

Also, Ellone does say later in game that Raine died after giving birth to her baby (Squall), but I don't think it was said implicitly in-game that she died at childbirth. She even says that Raine told her something along the lines of wishing Laguna was there, so she could show him their son. We're never told the exact cause of Raine's death, only that she passed away when Squall was still a baby. He and Ellone where then sent to Edea's orphanage.

On that note, Ellone did not meet Squall at the orphanage. The dream sequence in Esthar is set before Adel is defeated by Laguna and the resistance. Laguna rescues her, and he manages to safely send her back to Winhill, but he has to stay behind to fight Adel.

So the exact chronology goes something like that: Laguna and Raine get married, Esthar soldiers come to Winhill and kidnap Ellone, Laguna leaves to search for her (unaware that Raine is pregnant; Raine probably didn't know it either at that point), Laguna finally finds Ellone in Esthar and sends her back to Winhill while he stays behind to bring Adel down, Raine gives birth to Squall and dies sometime afterwards, Ellone and Squall are sent to the orphanage while Laguna is still in Esthar (either because they're still fighting Adel or he's just been made president).

As for Centra, the Lunar Cry that destroyed it was much before the birth of any of the characters. I don't recall the exact date, but the continent was already abandoned by the time the orphanage was built there. I don't recall if it's ever stated why Edea chose to set it up in such a remote location; probably has to do with the war and wanting to keep the childrens as far away from it to protect them.

Then the Gardens were built sometime after Edea received the sorceress power for a second time (from Ultimecia, this time; we know she had been a sorceress before that), and she sent Ellone on the ship with the White SeeDs for safety reasons related to her unique powers.

As to why the children ended up in different Gardens... Well, we know Zell was adopted by the Dincht in Balamb, so that's why he eventually enrolled in BG. I think Quistis states during the basketball court scene that she was also adopted, but it didn't work out with her family so she joined Garden; BG was probably the closest one to where the family lived. We can assume the same happened to Irvine and Selphie; Irvine might have gotten adopted by a couple in Galbadia, and Selphie by a couple in Trabia, and they joined GG and TG respectively for some reason. Squall and Seifer never got adopted, so when the orphanage had to close down due to Edea starting to fight Ultimecia from trying to possess her, they were sent to BG, probably because Cid was there and could continue to watch over them.

Oh, and another piece of evidence about Squall's parentage that is often neglected... I recall someone posting a picture a few months ago that showed Squall's face superimposed on Laguna's face to show they shared the same facial features. However, Laguna has dark brown/black hair, and, if I recall well, green eyes. Squall's hair is a lighter shade of brown and his eyes are blue-grey. Raine's hair was the same colour as his, and from what we saw of her in the ending FMV, her eyes were a light colour. It was a bit hard to see though because it was a nighttime scene. So it's safe to assume she also has the same eyecolour as Squall.

That timeline looks about right, I'm only curious as to where in there was the dream sequence Ellone showed Squall of Laguna visiting the orphanage while looking for Elllone... i forget whether she was taken from there or what...


Also, Adel wasn't controlled by Ultimecia, she was just a power hungry sorceress. However, Ultimecia controls her after the Lunar Cry in the game.

It's also hard to tell when the last Lunar Cry was. The information center in the game's menu says 80 years ago, on the Lunar Base a man says "over 100 years ago", Laguna sees the Lunatic Pandora glowing at the top in a dream sequence during the movie, and I believe another source says that Centra was an ancient civilization that was destroyed a very long time ago, like 100s to 1000s of years.

Alot of interesting stuff though.

[Lenneth]

Alright, thanks. Yeah, I had a feeling some of my stuff was off.

[Takara]

That timeline looks about right, I'm only curious as to where in there was the dream sequence Ellone showed Squall of Laguna visiting the orphanage while looking for Elllone... i forget whether she was taken from there or what...


Also, Adel wasn't controlled by Ultimecia, she was just a power hungry sorceress. However, Ultimecia controls her after the Lunar Cry in the game.

It's also hard to tell when the last Lunar Cry was. The information center in the game's menu says 80 years ago, on the Lunar Base a man says "over 100 years ago", Laguna sees the Lunatic Pandora glowing at the top in a dream sequence during the movie, and I believe another source says that Centra was an ancient civilization that was destroyed a very long time ago, like 100s to 1000s of years.

Alot of interesting stuff though.

Wow, it's been a while since I beat FFVIII, I forgot about that dream sequence.

I don't think I've said anything about Ultimecia controlling Adel, so I'm not sure you were replying to me about that or just making a general comment.

And yeah, the Lunar Cry in Centra is hard to put an exact date on, but even if it was at least 80 years since it happened, none of the cast was born yet.

Also the Lunar Cry Laguna witnessed was in Trabia. Seems Esthar was testing their new toy.

[Hyperion4444]

Edea's SeeD weren't the people that took baby Squall to the orphanage, SeeDs did not exist at that time.
Squall (Time Traveled, Teen) told Edea from the past Garden SeeD .... Young Squall was already there.
It's like a repeat of history.
During Time Compression...
Ellone sended both Rinoa and Ultimecia further in the past
(She could not reach the Laguna era at some points, since she's limited to the time travelled back)
When she sended Ultimecia in the past, Squall already defeated her since (Due to time compression, time stopped, so Squall and the others journey to the futur took an instant)
So then Edea took the sorceress power...

Squall got lost in time compression, but Ellone sended Rinoa in the past (That was compressed), so Rinoa found Squall laying down.
She took him in his arms and Ellone took both Rinoa and Squall back to the present.
The end.


That's alot to swallow, I hope it's not confusing and clearing up theses issuses...

Point is, Squall got to the orphanage by someone else than SeeD.

[Rafale 4]

The Shumis found Laguna badly wounded.
So, like...
The Moomba could have smelled his blood then.
And, you think there's something more about the Moomba Laguna delivered from Estar prison.
So know, the Moomba could think Squall is there Savior, came to liberate them and such.

[Hyperion4444]

Adel shearched a successor of the throne, not Ellone.
Squall called Ellone Sis but doesn't mean Raine's her mother.
We never knew her parents, the picture is missing.
No denying that Laguna is Squall's Father, I've said the same proof years ago.
Leading up to the Ragnarok Scene where Laguna has something to say to Squall.
Kiros said Squall looked like his mother.
Ward expressed Squall did not look like his Father.
Ward never went to winhill.
Kiros seen Squall's mother.

I haven't read that all Gardens used to be on the Centra Continent.
Even Headmaster Cid did not knew what Garden was capable of mobility.
The Gardens were constructed on Shelters that was renewed to Garden we know now.
We all know that it wasn't just Balamb who had mobility.

Monsters fall from the Moon each 100 years.
Lunatic Pandora (The Cristal Pilar) artificially calls monsters from the Moon.
Tears point was a mean to stop the lunar cry.
The Cristal Pilar called the monsters.
That's why it's just 80 years ago this time.

[Serapy]

nice theories.